We missed Notre Dames re-opening by a few months. Regardless, some of its reconstruction was fun to watch.
No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, the top floor was closed due to high wind while we were waking to the second floor.
The town of Colmar was our basecamp for exploring the Alsace region in east France.
The village of Eguisheim. We stopped here to explore and eat lunch on our Alsace vineyard bike ride.
Ratatouille in a bread bowl — we tried to cook as much as possible with the incredible fresh produce from the daily Colmar farmer’s market.
The sunrise over Arles, home base for our time in Provence.
Arles’s arena (mini-colosseum) at sunrise.
Our date night digs — Lindsey’s salads, fresh bread, and Sam’s French onion soup.
Date night in Arles.
Roasted veggies and six cheese sandwich — the best sandwiches in France are made by Hugo at Saveurs et Terroirs. Hugo wouldn’t divulge the secret cheeses.
We did a long hike from Arles to St. Giles along the Petit Rhône trail. There were wild boars, feral dogs, and lots of laughs.
We took a day trip to Marseilles. This was the view from the Notre-Dame de la Garde.
We had fun walking under the Port Vieux Pavilion, a giant mirror canopy by the harbor.
Us in Marseille’s old harbor with the Notre-Dame de la Garde in the background.
One of our favorite French cities was Nice (pronounced niece, not whatever Sam was saying) in the French Riviera.
Sam enjoying the first of many socca, a Nice street food made of chickpea flour, salt, water, and seasoned with pepper after baking.
Nice’s main beach on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Sunset on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
Our favorite day trip in the French Riviera was to Villefrance-sur-mer, a small fishing village near Nice.
Sam painting in Villefranche-sur-mer.
Our day trip to Monaco ended with a stop at the Monte Carlo Casino.
The view of Monaco from Jardins Saint-Martin.
Can’t keep Sam out of the water.
We paid for a day trip to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for the hiking and the beaches. The nudists were included for free.
We ate so many crepes that they are now our sixth food group.
The luminescent Saint Chapelle was mind bending.
We attempted walking the Champs des Mars, but it was closed for maintenance. The Eiffel Tower amidst fall foliage was a sufficient consolation prize.
We spent a lot of time walking around Luxembourg Gardens. Lindsey loved how green it was and the perfectly manicured flower beds. The dahlias were her favorite.