Hello everyone, we spent two weeks in France in September, coming into Marseilles and staying for four nights in Avignon. From Avignon we went to Lyon for three nights, then on to Paris for eight nights.
I have completed editing and categorizing my photos and would love for anyone interested to have a look:
http://thecedarchest.smugmug.com/browse
I’ve separated out galleries pretty much per day, so for example there are seven different Paris galleries with title’s like Saint-Denis or Notre Dame, Galerie des Gobelins, Grand Mosque-so you know what you’re getting. Thankfully, each day (in Paris, at least) ended with a great dinner, a highlight for us.
Our trip went well, we based in Avignon to start, and had a car for three days there. We briefly visited Arles on our first day, taking the train from Vitrolles just after getting off the plane-that day is a bit of a blur but I know it happened because I have photos to prove it!
We hopped a train to Avignon Centre in late afternoon and found our B & B, Maison Boussingault, which I heartily recommend, we could not have been happier.
The next day, at our hostesses urging, we went to Uzes for a couple of hours before heading to the Pont du Gard in late afternoon, which was perfect for catching the sunset there. Uzes was great, too, glad we went.
Other days we went to Les Baux and then to the Carrieres de Lumieres, and what a fascinating sight that was!
We got to Nimes in early evening and didn’t really do it justice, but it was a really good day overall.
Gordes and Roussillon the next day were stunning, it was market day in Gordes.
Our three nights in Lyon really blew us away, we loved being there, the people and the sights and the food are all a pleasure, really a fantastic city. With my photography and film interest I was excited to see the Lumiere Brothers home and museum, and it did not disappoint. The Resistance Museum was a necessary, quite sobering stop; a must see in my view if you go to Lyon.
I suggest getting the Lyon City Card, it’s a bargain if you are going to just two museums, it includes a river cruise (we took the architectural cruise) and a walking tour. If you wish to do the English walking tour sign up early at the T.I. on Place Bellecour. This is a really good, useful T.I.
We also stayed at a very good-and very unique-B & B in Lyon, Aux Deux Ateliers. They are in the 6th Arrondissement, Villeurbanne, I can’t say enough about it, a fine place to stay. If you have questions about either of the B & B’s we used, let me know.
In Paris, we stayed in Le Marais at the Place des Vosges apartment offered by Paris Best Lodge. It was fine for our needs, though we did not care for the loft sleeping arrangement. As has been said many times, Thierry runs a fine operation, no complaints there. I had one or two other PBL units I would have chosen, but the Place des Vosges was the only one he had left, eight months out.
We were in Paris for five days in 2013, so we tried to do lesser known, less crowded sights; we resisted seeing Versailles again, that was a relief. As an example, our first full day in town we went to the Museum of Counterfeits, then to the Bois de Boulogne for some rowing on the lake, then shopped the brocante in the parking lot there and found some treasures (we bought an extra rolling bag in Paris for flea market finds).
Another day I climbed the tower at Notre Dame and took a photo from about the same spot that my Mom had taken one in 1950-it hangs on our wall to this day.
I do hope you’ll have a look at my photographs, I have worked to edit out many-I took nearly 4000 and have included about 1400, plus a food-only gallery with 300 or so, lots of market shots.
France is a wonderful country, and you are all a wonderful group to share this with, thanks to you all for supporting a nice community of engaged people here.
Dave