Fabulous France

I'm back and before our hot, sand clogging reality turns my holiday into a dim and distant memory let me tell you all about it.

A pat on the back for me for my holiday planning everything went like Swiss clockwork (unlike a Vegas trip a few years ago as well as being budget breaker that got me demoted as holiday planner for a while).

Kuwait Airways were good, everything worked and no delays. Arrived at CDG, Paris and picked up our pre-ordered Travel-WiFi about 7 Euros per day. Worked brilliantly it also ensured I didn't lose my child who stayed very close to me so she could stay connected to the router in my handbag. 

First day (on hardly any sleep) we managed a long 19,000+ step walk around Paris (I know that because my Fitbit told me so) we took a leisurely Batobus around Paris via the Seine and had dinner at Les Deux Magots followed by a climb up to the top off the Arc de Triomphe for spectacular views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Advisable to book ahead online for everything, as we did, to avoid huge queues or disappointment. Very proud of Team W who were phenomenal (that's me and my family and we were running on adrenaline, excitement and French patisseries).

Day 2 - Off to the Louvre, yes it's open on Bastille Day. "Go to the Musée du Louvre" they said, "Nobody knows it's open on Bastille Day and free entry" they said. Update - They know and they are all there. #Louvre #MonaLisa #LaJoconde #BastilleDay #paris #france Don't go! It's overcrowded and confusing we seriously could not find our way out. The Mona Lisa was most disappointing.

The Expectation -

The Reality - 

More walking through the gorgeous Jardins and beautiful Paris. 

Jardin de Tuileries

Jardin de Tuileries 

Jardin de Tuileries  - This 23 hectare garden in the center of Paris, running alongside the Seine and the Rue de Rivoli, stretching between the Musée du Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, draws some 14 million visitors every year. Since 2005, it has been managed and developed by the Louvre. Registered since 1914 as a protected French National Historical Site, it has also been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1991 as part of the “Banks of the Seine” site. From the Middle Ages, this location was a center for tile makers and potters, hence the name Tuileries ("tuile" means tile in French). The garden was created in the 16th century by Catherine de Médicis, widow of King Henri II, and was designed to be admired from the Palais des Tuileries that she was also having built. Initially serving as a royal garden, in the 17th century it became one of the first Parisian gardens open to the public.

Patisseries especially macarons are irresistible (my absolute fav would be the the Isphahan at Laduree), here's a list of the best [link]. I did discover that the macaron is not French which surprised me. The first known appearance of the macaron in Europe was all the way back in the Middle Ages. At the time, the macaron was a small sweet made of almonds, egg white and sugar, and was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Even though the French take credit for the macaron, Catherine de’ Medici likely brought the maccherone to France in the 16th century from Italy, where it had been produced in Venetian monasteries since the 8th century. Back then, they were rather humbly called ‘priest’s bellybuttons,’ due to the pastry’s shape. 

We had lunch at the prettiest restaurant ever, Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole, next to Notre Dame. We did not see any hunchbacks but I'm pretty sure that I saw Gaston waiting tables. 

 Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole 

And the Grand Paris Part 1 Finale was dinner (Les Cocottes was highly recommended and just perfect) followed by the breath taking Bastille Day fireworks close by at the Eiffel Tower.

Day 3 - We picked up the hire car and headed to Nantes to meet up with my family who had flown over from UK for a week. Luckily the GPS and my two navigators worked well. Endless sunflower fields enroute and tempting detours but we were on a schedule to get to Nantes to have dinner with my sister and family.

Enroute to Nantes there are endless fields of sunflowers. Such a happy flower.

Welcome to Nantes - 

Chateau Duc de Bretagne, Nantes. 
Next door to our hotel. You can't see in the pic but it has the coolest slide added as a quick, fun exit from the castle.

The amazing Iles Des Machines - 

My sister took this video of us on the huge mechanised elephant we are top left, 

wait for the squealing kids and the beautiful rainbow.

We all loved Nantes, its restaurants (La Cigale and Le Select), the gorgeous parks and the lovely people. Would definitely go back.

Jardin des Plantes, Nantes

We said a sad farewell to my sister and family after a wonderful week and we were onwards to Bordeaux. We booked a cute apartment through AirBnB.com and it was everything we needed. Thank you Philippe.

Our cute, well-stocked kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine and original tiled floors at Rue Colbert, Bordeaux.

Next day off to Saint Emilion, about 25 mins away, for the Jazz Festival. The small town of Saint Emilion is gorgeous and we had a wonderful time on the informative Tuk Tuk tour and at the Jazz Festival, so we went back again the next day.

The stunning Jardin Public, Bordeaux.

Porte Cailhau, Bordeaux

Pont de Pierre, Bordeaux. Built on the orders of Napoleon after his armies wasted time using boats to cross the Garonne river on their way to fight the Spanish.

Chateau d'Agassac, an Haut-Médoc wine estate located on the village of Ludon-Médoc. Only 15 minutes from the city of Bordeaux and so worth a visit.

The stunning Chateau Chambord 2 hours by car south of Paris - a MUST see.

And so much more.. A few more days in Paris plus three days at the magical Disney Paris parks (if you want to feel like a 6 year old again, grinning and happy all day then Disney Parks are the place to go).

I am so in love with France and as soon as we have enough money to buy a chateau we are off. There is so much more I wanted to share with you of the holiday but the Blogger site is such a pain in the derriere it is taking way too long and tres problematic to upload more pics. Perhaps when it's working I will get back here and share some more. A bon voyage indeed.