Touring the Languedoc: Albi and its environs

On the road again!

One of the things the big K and I look forward to every time we visit France are the wonderful, not to mention thrilling road trips we get to do. Nothing compares to the joy of driving along the picturesque countryside (we love that there's hardly any traffic!), exploring towns and villages that seem to have come straight from a storybook along the way or just simply absorbing the beautiful scenery as we whiz by.

And I mean REALLY whiz by! Just imagine hurtling along a VERY twisty country road up in the mountains with space barely enough for two cars to fit in. Tight, blind corners, sheer drop-offs, no safety barriers and a sign that says you can do 90kph. Really?! I don't think so. I kept reminding my need-for-speed-wannabe-race-car-driver husband to slow down. It's no wonder some of the best rally car drivers are French!

But that's getting ahead of the story. And so with much anticipation, the big K and I drew up an itinerary to some of the charming places in the Languedoc and Provence regions for the next couple of weeks.

A lavender field in early bloom.

Bienvenue à Toulouse!

With an ongoing beach house project, supplier meetings and a hectic work schedule,  the big K and I weren't planning on any long haul vacation anytime soon. So for our birthday getaway treat we were looking forward to simply relaxing by the beach in the company of a good book while sipping our favorite Mojito drink all day long. Sweet!

But happily, things don't always work out as planned..... because my darling big K, on short notice, was asked to attend a training on his requested leave days, our birthday getaway! If that weren't enough, his training was all the way in Toulouse, France! (Insert big smiley face here!)

Needless to say with barely a month to prepare for the trip, I was all in a frenzy gathering papers needed for my Shengen visa application (Aah! The perks of a citizen from a 3rd world country!). Aaaand.... I also had to come up with a two-week itinerary. Yup! The big K got his vacation days moved after his training so we could go on a side trip. (Insert another BIG smiley... wait, make that grinning-Cheshire-cat face here!)

The oldest fountain in Toulouse at Place Saint-Étienne.

Châteaux of the Loire, Part Three

Here's our third and the final in the series of blog posts about our week-long visit in the Loire Valley. 

• You can read Part One here 
• And Part Two here.

Château de Cheverny

Château-Hopping in the Loire Valley, Part Two

Next to our love for train rides in Europe, the Big K and I also enjoy road trips. We love speeding on autobahns or autoroutes, motoring along back country roads, traipsing from one picturesque village to another while trying to figure out what-the-heck-does-that-road-sign mean and all the other joys (and hair-raising excitement!) of driving.

And since the châteaux of the Loire are spread out in a large area, they are better reached by a car. Yup! Definitely a road trip here. In our week long excursion (well, 6 days to be exact), we had set our sights on the châteaux located along the central part of the Loire that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (it would have been physically impossible to see all 300+ châteaux in the little time that we had). We wished we could have stayed longer.

We ended up visiting ten impressive châteaux. I know of some people who would cram so much things to see in such a short time but the Big K and I prefer to take our time sightseeing. You could say we're the step-back-and-enjoy-the-moment kind of travelers.

Château De Chenonceau

Château-hopping in the Loire Valley!

It was a cool, sunny morning when the Orient Express pulled into Gare de l'Est in Paris. Perfect timing as the Big K and I had just finished breakfast that was served in our cabin. Much as we wanted to linger on board we had another train to catch. After retrieving our bags with the help of our très gentil steward, saying our goodbyes and more last minute picture-taking with the blue and gold train, the Big K and I hurriedly hopped on the metro to get to Gare Montparnasse to catch the TGV that would take us to our next adventure - Château-hopping in the Loire Valley!

Hôtel de Ville de Tours (Town Hall of Tours) 

La Route des Vins D'Alsace (The Alsace Wine Route)

Here's another long overdue post on a road trip adventure the Big K and I did in the Alsace region of France. The trip was supposed to be a two-week Tuscany tour that we had been planning on and off for quite some time. But for one reason or another our adventure "under the Tuscan sun" had to be put off for a later time.    

Our change in travel plans as it turned out, worked perfectly! The big K and I had one of our most memorable times driving around Alsace's Route des Vins. Our week was spent visiting picturesque towns and villages, sampling some of Alsace's mouth-watering cuisine (I wrote an earlier post on this), a visit to an impressive mountain fortress, drooling (the big K mostly) over hundreds of classic cars in one of the world's biggest collections of vintage automobiles. Most of all, we spent a most delightful week just driving around (and getting lost!) while enjoying each others' company in the simple, welcoming beauty of the Alsace countryside. 

Mont Saint-Michel Part Two

It felt like déjà vu waking up early to catch the 7AM TGV to Rennes where my sisters, the gorgeous H and stylish P and I would board the bus for the hour and a half ride to the famous rock at the coast of Normandy, Le Mont Saint-Michel. 

It was way back in 2010 when the Big K and I first saw this UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can read about how our trip went in my earlier blog post here.

This photo was taken in 2010 before construction began for the Mont's restoration.

Got bitten by The Fleas in Paris! (Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen)

Being bargain hunters the Gorgeous H and the Stylish P couldn't wait to check out one of Paris' best known if not most popular flea market, the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen-Paris or simply called Les Puces.

Les Puces is open on Saturdays and Sundays with some merchants remaining open on Mondays.

Je reviens à Paris! - My First year Anniversary Post

I can hardly believe it has been a year since I started blogging. And what a pretty good year it had been! After retiring from the corporate world I had more time to do what I really and truly love, to travel! And to write about it. Or TRY to write about it.....

And what's a more fitting post to celebrate my first year anniversary in the blogosphere than an entry where it all began, the inspiration of my blog's title, my favorite city, Paris.

Paris: Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe

The Eiffel Tower

Did you know that the Eiffel Tower, the quintessential symbol of Paris, was supposed to be built in Barcelona? It was rejected by the Spanish government because of the huge cost it would take to build it. Luckily the French saved the day and had the tower built at the Champs de Mars area. But even then during the tower's construction for the World's Fair in 1889, it was met with protests and was even called a "monstrosity" and a colossal waste of money and space. The tower was not even meant to be a permanent structure. 

And the rest as they say is history....

Eh, voila!

Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower was also involved in the steel structures of the Statue of Liberty and Manila's San Sebastian Church, the only all-steel church in Asia.  

Paris: Beauborg and the Louvre areas

From the Île de la Cité, it is an easy walk to the Beauborg and Louvre areas. Or if you prefer to save your energy for more sight-seeing to come, hop on the nearest metro or bus. 

Centre Pompidou 

If you're into modern art, then this is the place for you. Conceptualized in the late 60s by then French President Georges Pompidou, the Centre Pompidou was built to house the National Museum of Modern Art. It also houses one of Paris' major public libraries. 

Entrance fee without the pass is EUR 13,00 or EUR 11,00 depending on the period.

Locally known simply as Beauborg because of its location, the Pompidou was opened to the public in 1977. 

Paris: Île de la Cité

The big K and I are the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) kind of travelers. We prefer to travel and visit places on our own pace. We plan, organize and arrange our own travels. Well okay, I plan and arrange, the big K tags along and most importantly pays for the trip. Always works for us!

As in any one of our travel planning, the biggest challenge for us is how best to see a place in a very limited time but still get to enjoy it as if we have the luxury of time. Got you confused, haven't I? Let's just say we would be the last team to step on the mat in the Amazing Race.

Paris: Cheap Eats

Knowing my love for Paris and France in general (I guess I can thank my Mother for naming me after one infamous French queen who was actually Austrian that probably influenced my love for anything French), I have often been asked for tips on the best way to see the city, where to eat, what transportation to take, etc. 

So, I thought I might as well make a series of blog posts on some of the tips I dispense to my loyal subjects, I mean, my family and friends. I already have an earlier post on how to get around Paris that you may want to check out. 

Mont Saint-Michel, France

Have you ever wondered how it is to spend a night at The Rock? No, not San Francisco's Alcatraz but a much older rock on the other side of the pond.  

Le Mont Saint Michel, named after the archangel Saint Michael is a rocky islet off the coast of Normandy in Northwestern France. It started out as a stronghold in the 6th century that later became an abbey in the 8th century. It was one of history's most popular centers of pilgrimage in earlier times. Well, it still is actually but nowadays the Mont gets hordes of tourists instead. 

Count the big K and I among those awe-struck tourists to make the pilgrimage to the Mont. Most visitors would do the Mont as a day trip from Paris (quite tiring, if you ask me) but we wanted to take our time to visit and feel the place. So, we decided to spend not only one but two memorable nights right inside the wall! 

During the French Revolution, Mont Saint-Michel was turned into a prison. Thanks to a campaign launched by influential figures that included Victor Hugo in the early 1800s, the Mont was declared a historic monument in 1874. In 1979 Mont Saint-Michel was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. 

Eating our way through Alsace

As Napoleon Bonaparte famously quotes, "an army marches on its stomach",  so goes true for the big K and I as we eat our way through Alsace. 

Our week-long tour of the Alsace Wine Route in France was a wonderful experience of sampling the region's local cuisine and at the same time a great challenge trying to fit into our pants after each delicious meal. 

Paris: Marché Richard Lenoir

One of the things the big K and I love doing every time we travel is to check out the local markets of the places we visit. We enjoy looking, more so eating our way through one. On our recent trip to Paris the big K and I went to the Marché Richard Lenoir, sometimes also referred to as the Marché Bastille since it is located right across the Place de la Bastille. 

The open street market is open every Thursdays and Sundays from 7AM until 3PM.

Getting Around Paris

There are a lot of options available to tourists wanting to get around Paris. Two of the most popular, aside from walking, is taking the bus or the metro. Every time we visit Paris, the big K and I prefer to take the metro because it's faster and more convenient.

Don't be confused! There are two kinds of trains in Paris, the RER and the Metropolitain or metro for short. The RER (Réseau Express Régional) are suburban trains that take you to/from Paris and its outskirts. While the metros are the Paris subway (some are overhead) trains that go around the city. 

If you will be arriving at CDG airport (Paris Charles De Gaulle), one option to get into Paris is by the RER ligne B. It is about a 45 minute train ride. One-way fare as of Oct2012 is EUR9,50. Most passengers get off at Gare du Nord to transfer to any of the several Metro lines serving Paris. The EUR9,50 fare is good until your final destination in Paris. No need to buy another ticket for the Metro (as long as you don’t exit the station).

A local wannabe in Paris....

I have always wanted to start my own travel and food blog but for the life of me I couldn't think of a catchy title for it. Then in one of the souvenir shops in Paris I saw this postcard.                     

Voila!

And what better way to start my blog than with a post from the City of Light or City of Love, whichever you prefer. To me it will always be Paris!