Day at the Beach

This morning Sean and I slept in the latest we’ve been able to this entire vacation and it was pure bliss. We opted out of the hotel breakfast, so we didn’t have to get downstairs in time for that, and instead we lazed around our room. For breakfast, we sat out on the balcony and dined on croissants and orange juice that we picked up yesterday at the very tiny local store. I wish we could start every morning this way – relaxed and basking in the sun (the views of the Mediterranean don’t hurt either).


After taking our time getting ready, we headed into town (about a five minute walk) with the intent of exploring a bit. However, by the time we made it we were both drenched in sweat – it was incredibly hot and humid, and the only activity that sounded appealing was taking a dip in the sea. We plopped down at a nearby creperie to enjoy some crepes (lemon for me, strawberry jam for Sean – both delicious) while we decided whether to stick with our original plan or revise the day’s very short agenda. While we were sitting there, Sean got a weather warning on his phone calling for afternoon showers and thunder. That sealed the deal for us – we didn’t want to miss out on swimming in the Mediterranean and we definitely didn’t want to do it during a thunderstorm. We decided to hustle back to the room to get everything together for a swim. On our way back we got distracted by the citadel and ended up investigating. There is a beautiful park contained within the citadel, as well as an outdoor amphitheater, three museums, and a hotel. We have to walk around it each day to get to the city center and I never would have guessed it housed all of those things. After about a half hour of meandering around, Sean noticed the huge clouds looming in the distance and we picked up our pace.


Less than thirty minutes later we were lying on the beach, slathered in ridiculous amounts of sun block, and anxious to get in the water (we had to wait the required 15-30 minutes for our sunscreen to soak in before taking the plunge). I think the locals were laughing at us because we kept standing up and spraying even more on, but neither of us wanted to risk getting burned when we have thirteen hours of travel to look forward to tomorrow. Flying is uncomfortable enough without adding a painful burn to the mix. After an adequate amount of time (but much less than the requirement – we couldn’t stand the heat anymore), we worked our way down the beach. The sand was incredibly hot and also very tricky to walk on – it’s not firmly packed like Washington state beaches, so the ground gave way with every step we took. I’m sure I looked ridiculous tripping my way down the beach, but I didn’t have many other options. Sean was brave and dove right in, whereas I took my time slowly adjusting to the water and keeping a sharp look out for sharks (only half kidding). I finally gave in and swam out to meet him, and we spent the next hour swimming and splashing around in the water. It was a perfect afternoon, capped off with a brief nap on the beach and a chocolate/pistachio swirled icecream cone on the way back to our hotel.

After freshening up, we headed back into town to grab a small bite to eat for lunch. I know it sounds like all we’ve been doing is eating while in Villefranche, but all of this has been spread out over several hours and really, there just isn’t much more to report – we have been relaxing and not doing much, and that doesn’t make for a very exciting blog. I do have to mention something funny about our lunch though. Both Sean and I ordered an “American” hamburger, which I thought just meant that it came with American cheese on it. Not so. An “American” hamburger is actually a hamburger sandwich (on a hoagie type roll rather than a burger bun) with French fries on it. I had seen this when we were in Alsace as well, but hadn’t made the connection then. I don’t know if the French think this is how we actually eat our burgers, or if they are just onto something because it was actually darn good. To burn off some of our lunch we walked up the side streets which are filled with restaurants, gift shops, and personal residences.



Later we spent a few more hours relaxing in our room, napping for Sean and blogging for me (as well as organizing photos, etc), before once again thinking about our next meal. For dinner we grabbed takeout pizza from the restaurant next door and indulged in a bottle of Kronenbourg beer, again, out on the balcony. We are trying to soak up the views and capture the moments as much as possible before heading back to the real world tomorrow. It has been an amazing trip and the past few days have been wonderful after the busyness of the past few weeks. In some ways we are looking forward to returning to our normal schedules at home, and in other ways we both wish it never had to end. Less than 24 hours to go…

A Perfect Day

Man, life is rough – I think I could get used to this. Sean and I spent yesterday afternoon walking along the waterfront and exploring up into the hills of town a bit (and discovering some amazing views!). We also stopped at a gelateria for a scoop of gelato, but it wasn’t really gelato – just icecream (still good, but not the same). We also had our first introduction to the way in which Europeans approach sunbathing – completely topless. That took us both by surprise at first (even though we had heard about it, seeing it is something else entirely) and we spent the first portion of our beachside walk not knowing where the heck to look.


There was a cruise ship in port yesterday, so the town was busy and alive with activity. There was a small street fair set up near the marina with jewelry, sarongs, perfume, and other possible “wants” for the tourists. We meandered through it and also up the side streets of the town, which is built on a very steep hill and goes all the way up into the cliff side. The town itself is really charming and reminds me a bit of the Cinque Terre – though I suppose that shouldn’t be much of a surprise since they are both small communities along the Riviera, and only a few hours apart by train at that. Because the cruise ship was in town, prices had been marked up quite a bit, but that didn’t deter us from finding a restaurant along the water where we could relax with a beer and some grilled fish and calamari.


After a few hours in town, we came back for a mid-afternoon siesta. Sean slept for a few hours while I struggled with our internet connection. I haven’t been able to get online in our room (the only downside to this hotel), so I’ve been checking emails and doing blog updates from the stairwell – that’s why there haven’t been any pictures the past few days, but I’ll get those added later.

Later in the evening we went out again, walking down to the city center and the main beach. We found a perch on the retention wall and people watched. A few townspeople were fishing along the beach and we kept hoping to see one of them catch something (they didn’t). Another group down from us was having a picnic, about ten people with a few children and a small dog that kept running around to greet everyone, but never getting too far from viewing range. It looked like a fun party and it made me think how much fun it would be to come here with a group of friends and family for a week or so, just to relax and dine on the beach.

We headed back to our hotel and the small restaurant next door that the New Hampshire couple had recommended. Sean ordered the ravioli and I went with the steak – Europeans really know how to do medium rare right here – more on the side of rare than medium. After the meal, we came back to the room and sat out on our balcony with a bottle of wine, looking out at our beautiful view of the marina. Some of the boats anchored out on the water are huge – luxury yachts and sailboats – it makes me curious as to who is on them. When researching this area I read that quite a few celebrities vacation along this area in the different cities and villages, so who knows, maybe Leonardo DiCaprio or George Clooney are soaking up the views as well not too far away.

Paradise Found

I have found my new happy place – Villefranche may just be heaven on earth. We arrived late last night and immediately every bit of stress I had been carrying from our day of travel melted away. As we stepped off the train, we were greeted by the Mediterranean Sea, the setting sun, harbor lights reflecting on the water, and a sense of calm that just settled over everything. Crowds were gathered along the shoreline, enjoying a meal and a glass of wine – while it was possible to hear snippets of conversation and laughter, both Sean and I were surprised at how quiet it was – a vast difference from every other location we’ve visited.


After checking into our hotel, we popped across the street to the Club de la Mer – a boat club and restaurant in front of the marina and right along the water. We found a small table on the outdoor terrace and sat back with a Kronenbourg beer – a delicious beer that is made in the Alsace region, but that we never got the chance to try while there. The restaurant had an Italian flair, so Sean ordered a four-cheese pizza and I ordered gnocchi with four cheeses (it was a cheesy kind of night). Villefranche is very close to Italy, so we’ve already seen a lot of Italian influence – restaurants with Italian cuisine and my all-time favorite – gelaterias! I feel like I have been reunited with my love!


This morning we slept in and then made our way down to partake in our hotel’s breakfast. A croissant and many cups of cappuccino later, we were preparing to return to our room to get ready for the day when a man sitting at the table next to us struck up a conversation. He and his partner (she was a woman, but that’s how he referred to her), are from New Hampshire and this was the last stop on their journey as well after spending a few weeks in Provence. We had a very nice chat with both of them, and are now back in our room getting ready for the day. It’s almost 11 am and this is the first time we’ve slowed down enough on our trip to do anything at leisure – we have no agenda for the day and we have no intention of filling it with must-sees and dos. It is one of the best feelings and I only wish we had a few more days to spend here. Both Sean and I agreed that all the running around has made us yearn a bit for home, but that feeling pretty much disappeared when we arrived in Villefranche. Today we are going to explore the town a bit and the only thing I’m bound and determined to do is find a cup of gelato!

Au Revoir Paris!

This afternoon we bid farewell to Paris and arrived in Villefranche-Sur-Mer. We spent the morning exploring the Invalides Hotel, which is a war and armory museum a few blocks from our hotel. There is an entire exhibit on World War I and World War II, which is where Sean and I spent most of our time. It was interesting to see how France depicts the world wars in comparison to the states. At home, obviously the US tends to be the center of the war – how it impacted us and what we contributed. Yet there was little mention of our involvement in the war in this museum – even the atomic bomb barely got a nod. The museum contained a much different attitude towards US involvement than we witnessed in the Alsace region (in Paris it resembled annoyance, in Alsace it was one of gratitude). The other interesting attraction at the Invalides Hotel is that it houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as his son and brothers. The tomb was fascinating and for whatever reason incredibly cold, which was a nice relief from the increasing warmth in Paris right now. There has been a breeze the past few days to provide some relief from the heat, but today was still and humid.



After leaving the Invalides, we returned to Rue Cler for an icecream cone and to buy some macaroons, which until today I had not yet tried. We then wandered a bit until we found a small café with outside dining, then relaxed while we enjoyed our meals – a cheeseburger for Sean and a Croque Monsieur for me. With an hour left before we had to meet our shuttle to the airport, we walked down to the Eiffel Tower to say our goodbyes. We found a park bench in the shade and people watched, and finally dug into the macaroons that had been taunting me for the past few hours. They were delicious and eating them in front of the Eiffel Tower made me feel every bit the Parisian.


Though it has been difficult leaving every city we’ve visited, I found Paris much easier to leave than Florence. Paris was a crush, but I think that a part of my heart was left in Florence – it is my love. When I think about the differences between the Italians and the French, the best analogy I can think of is in regards to America’s two most beloved pets – cats and dogs. The French are cats – aloof and a bit uninterested – any interaction is on their terms. Sean and I did not think them rude in the least, just not particularly interested in us as tourists. The Italians on the other hand are man’s best friend. They are happy to welcome you into their inner circle and make sure you are included in the party. I found them to be incredibly warm – even when simply passing on the street, their tails would wag in greeting. Though Paris is beautiful, it’s no surprise that the Italians won my heart.

The City of Lights

Today was another whirlwind day – I felt like we were in an episode of the Amazing Race. We got up early to catch the hop on/hop off bus to Notre Dame, hoping to be the first there when it opened at 10:00 am. However, we clearly chose the wrong bus today because it stopped for a minimum of 10 minutes at every stop, allowing people to trickle onboard. An hour later, we finally arrived at Notre Dame, long after it had opened. The line stretched along the cathedral, but didn’t seem too long, so we hopped in line to wait. While Sean held our place, I ran across the street to buy him a Croque Monsieur and a Nutella crepe for myself because we hadn’t yet had breakfast. Europeans either really love Nutella or they think that Americans do because it is everywhere. I had actually ordered a chocolate crepe, but apparently they are one and the same here – not really the same thing in my book since I’m not crazy about hazelnut flavoring, but it was actually quite good.

After about an hour, we made it into Notre Dame where we were corralled into another holding room to wait for about 10 minutes. The climb itself seemed easy and spacious after having climbed the Duomo in Florence. I had been really nervous about the climb because my mom had mentioned how narrow the stairs were and I had gotten claustrophobic in the Duomo. Sean said after climbing the Duomo we can now do anything – it was definitely an experience. We got almost to the top of the tower and were let out to a viewpoint to see the chimeras and gargoyles (fun fact - gargoyles have water runoffs from their mouths, chimeras are actually the freestanding “monsters” people usually call gargoyles). We waited again for about a half hour before finally being allowed up top. While the views from Notre Dame were impressive, they weren’t really any different from what we had already witnessed from the Arc de Trimphe. That said, the arc didn’t have chimeras and gargoyles, and that part made the climb and the time standing in line well worth it.

Climbing back on the hop on/hop off bus, we made our way to the Musee d'Orsay to take in the artwork from some of the classics – Gauguin, Monet, Renoir, and my personal favorite, Seurat. The Musee d'Orsay is a lot more manageable in size than the Louvre and we enjoyed our time visiting old favorites and discovering new ones. Below is a picture I really liked – quite dark, but something about it intrigued me. I was able to snap a few photos before being reprimanded for taking pictures in the museum. I had seen others doing the same, so I didn’t think anything of it, especially since it had been allowed in the Louvre. Both Sean and I really enjoyed our time in the museum and loved a lot of the artwork we viewed.

Leaving to visit the Pont Des Arts or “Lock Bridge”, we walked along the Seine past the art vendors and book dealers, soaking up the afternoon sun. We purchased a lock from one of the vendors and wrote our names and the date on it. Then we scoped out the best real estate before committing to a permanent location for our “lock of love.” We locked it up, snapped a few photos, then threw all three keys down into the Seine, ensuring the longevity of our marriage and hopefully providing a fun scavenger hunt for us (or our kids) when we return in the future. I was left wondering though how many keys are now sitting at the bottom of the Seine...

Returning to the pickup for the hop on/hop off bus tour, we made our way back to the first pickup site, hoping to catch the connecting bus to Montmartre. Unfortunately we arrived too late, and were way out of walking distance from our hotel. I was disappointed to have missed out on visiting Montmartre, but we decided to continue along the original bus line and go back to the Champs Elysees for dinner. After a full day, we made it back to our hotel around 8:30 pm and got some items together for a dessert picnic (plastic wine glasses, a bottle of wine, blankets, and of course, dessert). Each night the Eiffel Tower has a light show every hour on the hour for five minutes and we hadn’t had a chance to witness it yet. Gathering up our items, we walked the short distance to Champs de Mars Park and set up camp on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower, along with multiple other families, friends, and couples. The family in front of us was playing charades, so Sean and I watched and tried guessing (between ourselves) while we indulged in our goodies.

At 10:00 pm the first light show started, but it was still too light out and we wanted to see the full magnitude of the display once the sky was dark (the sun hasn’t been setting until around 10:30 all over Europe – it has been a nice treat). We cuddled up under our blanket and I fell asleep for a while. Sean woke me up about 5 minutes before the next show and we poured ourselves another glass of wine. The Eiffel Tower light display is quite the sight to see once the sun has gone down – it is beautiful. The evening was the perfect way to wrap up our last night in Paris and say goodbye to the City of Lights.

A Busy, Busy Day

Wow, today was a whirlwind. After having a leisurely breakfast of croissants, omelettes, and hot chocolate* at a cafe down the street from our hotel, Sean and I boarded the L'Open Tour hop on/hop off bus to head to our first destination - the Louvre. At the Louvre, we immediately hunted down the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. We lucked out because it wasn't overly crowded - or maybe it just seemed empty after fighting crowds all day yesterday at Versailles. The Mona Lisa is really underwhelming, though it is neat to see the original - it's just so darn small! The Venus de Milo was much cooler. Most of the Greek statues in the Louvre are actually Roman copies, but the Venus de Milo is one of the true Greek originals.

After hunting down the two "must-sees," we spent some time exploring (ie getting lost) the Roman, Greek and Egyptian art, which consisted of quite a few statues and architectural remains (we also walked through the Napoleon III Apartments, which were quite intriguing). I found all of this really interesting after spending so much time studying ancient western civilization all through college. It was fun to see everything in person rather than just an image on a page. The Louvre is hugungeous (as Sean would say), and the interior is beautiful. I was more taken with the architecture of the rooms than the art on the walls.

While Sean and I enjoyed the Louvre and are happy to say that we've finally been to a museum in Europe, I wasn't overly impressed, though I can't peg exactly why. My primary frustration, and I realize this is going to sound incredibly egocentric, was that nothing was printed in English. I didn't expect the explanation of the art to be translated, but the titles would have been nice. Most of the art in the museum isn't French, so the original titles would have been helpful for understanding all that we saw. English is one of the most spoken languages in the world, so it seemed odd that the Louvre is one of the few places we've been that hasn't provided this service.

After leaving the Louvre, we once again boarded the hop on/hop off bus and headed for the Champs Elysées. We strolled down half of it, stopping in McDonald's for a quick snack (from what I've heard, the only affordable meal on the whole strip). A few blocks down, we came across a crew setting up a World War Z booth. We walked around it a bit to see if we could figure out what was going on (and to make sure Brad Pitt wasn’t hiding somewhere), but we had things to do and see, so we continued on our way. When we got back to the room tonight we Googled it, only to be met with the headline “Brad Pitt and Angelina Attend World War Z Premier in Paris.” Go figure – we were in the same city, on the same street as two of America’s biggest celebrities and we missed our chance of a sighting (not that we would have seen them necessarily, but it’s still one of those what-ifs that drive you crazy).

Having approached the Arc de Trimphe at this point, we stopped on the sidewalk trying to figure out how the heck to get across eight lanes of crazy traffic (and I do mean crazy – it looked like an accident just waiting to happen). A few others on the street near us were also wondering how to cross since there were no crosswalks, so the entire group of us just made a dash for it. We later found out that there are passageways under the road that come up near the Arc. Oops. We climbed the 284 stairs to the top and took in the amazing views. I seriously think that Sean and I have climbed more stairs this trip than in our entire lives – and tomorrow we climb Notre Dame!

This is what the stairs going down the Arc looked like...

...and this is how they made me feel.

Once we left the Arc, we stopped in the Trocadero neighborhood to take in the amazing hillside views of the Eiffel Tower. Seeing the Eiffel Tower has been like a celebrity sighting for me (though not on quite the same level as Brad Pitt). I think I have a small crush on the Eiffel Tower – every time I see it, I get as excited as I did hearing the ice-cream truck when I was younger. We took our time walking down the hill towards the tower, enjoying the water fountains in the park below and taking in the views of the Seine. Our reservations to go to the top of the tower were set for 7:30, so we had a bit of time to kill, which we spent people watching. At 7:30 we got in line and made our way to the top via two elevators. On a clear day, which today was, you can see up to 40 miles away from the top of the tower. We definitely had a great view and were spoiled with beautiful weather. Falling victim to the Eiffel Tower's tourist trap, Sean and I shared a glass of champagne just to say that we had. Visiting the top was an amazing experience and a lot of fun. Rather than take the elevators back down, Sean wanted to take the stairs, which provided us with even more views.

Tired and approaching 9 pm, we headed back to our hotel and popped into the neighborhood restaurant we dined at last night. After a very rich meal of foie gras, escargot, and a scallop puff pastry (and another complimentary glass of wine that the owner brought us), we came back to the room to finally crash - though clearly we still haven’t. Tomorrow is another long day with lots to see and do – we will definitely need our energy!

*A note about the hot chocolate: The hot chocolate in Europe is very rich and chocolatey, but not overly sweet, which I love. Every time I have ordered it, it is served with sugar packs or cubes (which I haven't found necessary). The first time I saw that I laughed because I can't imagine adding more sugar to something that is already relatively sweet!

Queen For A Day

Marie Antoinette had a rough life (especially with that whole beheading thing) – and a bit undeserved at that. While I wouldn’t want to swap lives with her, I would definitely love to trade her homes (and not the palace – France can keep that – I just want her hamlet). Today we explored Versailles – home to France’s historic royalty, and most notably, home to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. While strolling through the gardens and Marie’s hamlet (we’re on a first name basis now), it was easy to remove myself from the 21st century and pretend to be queen for a day (which won’t come as any surprise to my friends and family). While neither Sean nor I found the gardens particularly amazing after seeing Boboli Gardens in Florence, they were phenomenal considering they were part of a personal residence (albeit probably maintained by a huge staff). We started in the gardens because the security lines to get into the palace were ridiculous – they wound all around the entire courtyard and not even our "cut to the front of the line" museum pass could help with that. Very few people had the same idea, so we had the gardens almost to ourselves. Sundays are the Musical Fountain Shows at Versailles, so the fountains were in full-gear and music was playing softly over the sound system. It was easy to get drawn in and forget about the outside world.

After a few hours of exploration, Sean and I decided to break for lunch. There is a small restaurant tucked into the center of the gardens where we paid a ridiculous amount of money for a mediocre lunch, but the convenience and the location were worth it. The trek between the gardens and the Grand Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet is a 20 to 30 minute walk, so we headed that way in order to get there for the noon opening. Grand Trianon was built as a recreational residence for the royal families – a hunting lodge and summer home all in one. The rooms are still furnished and decorated as they had been back then, making for a very fun and historic look into that time period. I would be happy to accept Grand Trianon as a summer home should the offer ever be made – it is pretty swanky. That said, my favorite part of our afternoon was spent strolling through Marie Antoinette’s hamlet. The hamlet is a lot less manicured – no English gardens, sculptures or landscaped hedges. Instead, these things are all replaced with trees, shrubs, and meadow grasses, as well as the birds and butterflies that make their home there. Not far from the hamlet is a small farm that still has animals for the tourists to see (whether it is still a working farm or just there for visitor’s sake is unknown to me). The entire area was very homey and I never wanted to leave – though Sean eventually made me.

By this time the line out front had dwindled down to a reasonable length, so we proceeded towards the palace. After all the charm found in the gardens and the hamlet, I found the palace uninteresting in comparison. While it was very ornate and the architecture and ceilings are quite beautiful (the Europeans must have spent a lot of time looking up back in the day – the ceilings everywhere are unreal), I was expecting the rooms inside the palace to be like those in Grand Trianon – still set up with original furnishings. Instead, it is more of a museum and no one could ever get through all of the information provided in one visit. It was so crowded inside that Sean and I could do little more than glance at a few things in one room before the crowds pushed us onto the next. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a space that crowded, even in Pike Place.

After leaving Versailles, Sean and I decided to try the restaurant next door to our hotel, which had gotten rave reviews on Trip Advisor. The staff was incredibly friendly and had their menus written on chalkboards, which they brought to our table for our review (provided in English). Our waiter also brought us two free glasses of wine, though we still have no idea why. Sean and I decided to split each course (as we’ve been doing in most places so we can try more things), and for our first course we started with scallops in a puff pastry. After my first bite, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Both Sean and I gobbled it up, then proceeded to sop up all the remaining cream sauce with the bread that had been brought to our table. For our entrée we split a beef sirloin served with French fries and pepper sauce. I wasn’t crazy about the pepper sauce (too spicy for me), but Sean liked it and the steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, the only way I’ll eat it. I am really picky about my steaks, but this dish was a home run. Because we take desserts very seriously, we both had our own – an icecream sundae for Sean and a crème brulee for me, as well as another glass of wine for both of us. Overall the meal was a huge hit, and we are already making plans to return before we depart for Villefranche.

Tomorrow is another full day since we have much to cram into what feels like a relatively short time in Paris (considering the size of the city), so it's time for bed for me!