April 11 Saturday
First day in Paris together with my mom! We explored parts of the Latin Quarter where we staying at a marvelous small hotel. We visited Notre Dame and happenstance upon Saturday evening mass and we stayed. During the sermon my mom whispered, “I haven’t been to church with you for a long time, might as well be at the top!”
April 12 Sunday
We had a fun midday bike tour of major Paris sites & monuments. We learned to bike Parisian style especially how to “dominate” as a group in traffic maneuvers. Enjoying the food and the liveliness of the Latin Quarter, very student oriented and reminds me a bit of Bouffay in Nantes with all the restaurants. We are quickly mastering the metro system. I found Paris very overwhelming when I was there in high school and have admittedly been avoiding it up till now. Fortunately, having more experience with big cities, I’ve really warmed up to it. One never runs out of things to do.
The Latin Quarter
April 13 Monday
We took a lovely day trip to Giverny (about a 30 minute train ride), which had been on my mom’s bucket list for a long time. We were lucky to have beautiful weather to see Monet’s house and gardens, even saving a little bit of time for sketching. What a peaceful place for Monet to have lived and painted!
We also toured the impressionists museum just up the road from Monet’s house and met a wonderful oil painter on a side street. She studied fine arts at Versailles and now lives in the quaint village of Giverny still painting and chatting with tourists.
Monet's gardens
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Monet's studio
We kept busy today visiting the inside of the Paris Opera House, le Garnier, which was a delight, not to mention French opera star Roberto Alagna had been there the afternoon before signing autographs. Of course, as a Phantom fan I looked for and found Box 5. The inside of the theater and chandelier ceiling were stunning! All the more appreciation for the architecture, history, and stories inspired from the space.
After our visit we took a pedi-cab from the Opera Garnier to Montmartre and had lunch with a great view of the Sacré Coeur, a stately Catholic cathedral on the hill of Montmartre. We explored the inside of the cathedral and after some searching, found the Moulin Rouge. Hint: always ask cute French young men for directions. We ran into a group of Spanish men who asked me to take their photograph. They asked me when we said we were American if I preferred French or American boys…both?
Later that day we met up for dinner with a friend of mine from UPS, Sohan, who is studying for his masters in outlying Paris. It was really great to catch up with him and he’s definitely enjoying his time in France as well, but he said he’s become tired of how much bread there is as part of the meal. Luckily we convinced him to join us on our evening bike tour hinting that there would be the best Paris ice cream and a Seine river boat tour. Both were amazing!
Biking in the evening was a bit more chaotic with two younger kids wobbly on their bikes and many more challenging traffic maneuvers, but we all managed very well. We passed the Paris tunnel near where Princess Diana’s memorial is located, biked around the Louvre entrance where the pyramid was all lit up, and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle with light. Yes, Paris is indeed the city of light!
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With Sohan on the Seine River cruise
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April 15 Wednesday
We left Paris for Blois to see some castles in the Loire Valley. We arrived too late to pick up our rental car at the train station and were told to take a taxi to the Avis office a ways away. We then experienced a crazy taxi driver who almost hit a pedestrian because he was going so fast. We win the points for better driving with our rental car. It put me a little bit out of my comfort zone since I too, have been observing how one drives in France due to tight spaces and plenty of roundabouts. We saved the rest of the castles for tomorrow after our challenging rental car adventure (only place international credit card was not authorized and then had to find an ATM) and lots of translating to do. We did enjoy our time seeing Blois castle, but afterward we were very tired.
We left Paris for Blois to see some castles in the Loire Valley. We arrived too late to pick up our rental car at the train station and were told to take a taxi to the Avis office a ways away. We then experienced a crazy taxi driver who almost hit a pedestrian because he was going so fast. We win the points for better driving with our rental car. It put me a little bit out of my comfort zone since I too, have been observing how one drives in France due to tight spaces and plenty of roundabouts. We saved the rest of the castles for tomorrow after our challenging rental car adventure (only place international credit card was not authorized and then had to find an ATM) and lots of translating to do. We did enjoy our time seeing Blois castle, but afterward we were very tired.
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April 16 Thursday
We drove to Chambord in the morning, which was a bit stressful because of the route deviating due to construction, so I had to poke my head out the window to ask a man directing the cars which way to go. Memorizing oral instructions in any language has always been hard for me, so thankfully we could use our phones for directions as well. All was better after we reached Chambord, though Mom was a bit uneasy on the Chambord balcony, whereas I was leaning over examining the gargoyles. It was much more rushed when I was there in high school, so it was really nice to go at our own pace. We asked a film crew member working inside the castle who told us they were filming a movie about King François I who lived for some time at Chambord (the hunting castle) and according to Rick Steves’ “the granddaddy” of Loire Valley castles. After having a surprisingly good lunch at Chambord near the carriage house, we took a smoother route to Cheverny. The hills and countryside were green and dotted with lovely wild flowers. It was a lovely drive.
The owners of Cheverny still continue to live there as there are apartments for them on the third floor. Cheverny houses an intimate chapel, beautiful apartments, an armory with weapons dating back to 11th and 12th century, and a bedroom made just for the king when he would come visit. There are still hunting dogs routinely fed in the evenings and Cheverny has almost always been open save for the owner’s wedding and the Queen Mother’s visit.
Our last stop in the late afternoon was at Beauregard, which unfortunately was looking a little bit in disrepair, especially with the rooftop. We chose to explore the gardens outside and see the walkway of cherry blossoms all in bloom. Visiting castles can be exhausting, so exploring the gardens can be just as pleasant, or even better. We were one of the few people there, so it felt like being out in the middle of nowhere in the French countryside. It is wonderful to finally have the opportunity to see castles and experience France with my mom and experience many adventures together.
We drove to Chambord in the morning, which was a bit stressful because of the route deviating due to construction, so I had to poke my head out the window to ask a man directing the cars which way to go. Memorizing oral instructions in any language has always been hard for me, so thankfully we could use our phones for directions as well. All was better after we reached Chambord, though Mom was a bit uneasy on the Chambord balcony, whereas I was leaning over examining the gargoyles. It was much more rushed when I was there in high school, so it was really nice to go at our own pace. We asked a film crew member working inside the castle who told us they were filming a movie about King François I who lived for some time at Chambord (the hunting castle) and according to Rick Steves’ “the granddaddy” of Loire Valley castles. After having a surprisingly good lunch at Chambord near the carriage house, we took a smoother route to Cheverny. The hills and countryside were green and dotted with lovely wild flowers. It was a lovely drive.
The owners of Cheverny still continue to live there as there are apartments for them on the third floor. Cheverny houses an intimate chapel, beautiful apartments, an armory with weapons dating back to 11th and 12th century, and a bedroom made just for the king when he would come visit. There are still hunting dogs routinely fed in the evenings and Cheverny has almost always been open save for the owner’s wedding and the Queen Mother’s visit.
Our last stop in the late afternoon was at Beauregard, which unfortunately was looking a little bit in disrepair, especially with the rooftop. We chose to explore the gardens outside and see the walkway of cherry blossoms all in bloom. Visiting castles can be exhausting, so exploring the gardens can be just as pleasant, or even better. We were one of the few people there, so it felt like being out in the middle of nowhere in the French countryside. It is wonderful to finally have the opportunity to see castles and experience France with my mom and experience many adventures together.
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April 17 Friday
We arrived in Nantes and had the chance for my mom to meet both my host parents, Noel and Maylis. They were very welcoming and Noel once again helped me with translating, even though I told him I’ve missed speaking in French since Paris is not the place for good language immersion. Sometimes a hiatus can be good too.
We explored Nantes city center, visited with IES staff, and we were able to have dinner at my favorite crêperie!
April 18 Saturday
One of the tasks my Mom came for was to help me organize, purge, and for her to return home with all my extra items I can’t live without. We spent time going through and choosing what all can fit in the extra suitcase. More great food and shopping, chocolatier tasting, and walking around Nantes. Large suitcase is all packed!
We arrived in Nantes and had the chance for my mom to meet both my host parents, Noel and Maylis. They were very welcoming and Noel once again helped me with translating, even though I told him I’ve missed speaking in French since Paris is not the place for good language immersion. Sometimes a hiatus can be good too.
We explored Nantes city center, visited with IES staff, and we were able to have dinner at my favorite crêperie!
April 18 Saturday
One of the tasks my Mom came for was to help me organize, purge, and for her to return home with all my extra items I can’t live without. We spent time going through and choosing what all can fit in the extra suitcase. More great food and shopping, chocolatier tasting, and walking around Nantes. Large suitcase is all packed!
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