Our France Travelogue

Please click on the images to view the larger photos.

March 27-28 Flight to Paris. There were no problems at the air port even though there was a general strike and no problems at all going to the Louvre the next day.

March 29, 2006 - Wednesday    "The Louvre was originally built to defend Paris against the Vikings, this Renaissance palace became a museum in 1793. Today it houses impressive collections of Etruscan, Egyptian, Oriental, Roman and Greek artifacts as well as sculptures, paintings and other works of art ranging from the Middle Ages up to 1850, including Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic 'Mona Lisa'.

Of all the works in the Louvre, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo are among the most admired. We took a photo of Walt with the Winged Victory of Samothrace which encapsulates the "Greek spirit."

Architect I.M. Pei's amazing glass pyramid, commissioned by the President Francois Mitterrand, caused a sensation when it was added in 1989. It is magnificent and I enjoyed it.

The people are all very friendly and helpful. Wednesday We did 10,000 steps today walking to the metro and all around the Louvre, back to the metro and back home. We saw the "Venus de Milo" statue, diVinci's Mona Lisa, Rembrandts, Goyas, and many more. The place was large and crowded. Many ceilings were painted and the building was as illustrious and glorious as the paintings and sculptures it contained.

Included is a photo of us at the Jeanne d Arc statue and Venus d Milo. We also saw the Mona Lisa. Photos of paintings are not allowed.


March 30 - Thursday

Walking In The Rain When we first walked by Maxim's, it was drizzling but the sun came out later. So Walt did an oil painting with the people we saw walking in the rain in front of Maxim's. The painting is for sell - email wkrane@yahoo.com

    We walked and saw the Eiffel tower, several churches including the Madeline Church, two museums, saw the outside of two other museums, and walked all through the exclusive shopping areas. The Madeline really impressed us so Walt did a painting of it as though it was in the 1940's (which he sold).

It was terrific day and we walked up and down hill and today and 7500 feet on Thursday. The people are so nice and charming. They drive more politely here than in Italy. The metro is great but somewhat confusing at times with the crossovers and different layers getting to other lines. We went to the Modern Art Museum though that style of art does not excite me.

Walt made his famous chicken soup for dinner. The chicken and a couple sausages cost $24.00 at the meat market. Food is pricey here even at the store. You buy bread at a boulangerie, meat at the boeuf (meat) market, vegetables at the stand and the small grocer has some staples. Most every other block has all of these markets. The trick is getting back home in time to buy things before the stores close. We barely made it several nights. We eat late dinners as the French do.

March 31 Friday

  

We walked the Invalides tour, which housed 4000 veterans and where the military museum is located and the Dome Church where Napolian is buried. Then we went to the Rodin museum, and finally took a walk along the Seine. Rodin's work was outstanding and we spent time in the garden looking at the sculptures and the house where he also had paintings.

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April 1 -Saturday: Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris

         Maxim's, it was drizzling but the sun came out later. So Walt did an oil painting with the people we saw walking in the rain in front of Maxim's. The painting is for sell - email wkrane@yahoo.com

    We walked and saw the Eiffel tower, several churches including the Madeline Church, two museums, saw the outside of two other museums, and walked all through the exclusive shopping areas. The Madeline really impressed us so Walt did a painting of it as though it was in the 1940's (which he sold).

It was terrific day and we walked up and down hill and today and 7500 feet on Thursday. The people are so nice and charming. They drive more politely here than in Italy. The metro is great but somewhat confusing at times with the crossovers and different layers getting to other lines. We went to the Modern Art Museum though that style of art does not excite me.

Walt made his famous chicken soup for dinner. The chicken and a couple sausages cost $24.00 at the meat market. Food is pricey here even at the store. You buy bread at a boulangerie, meat at the boeuf (meat) market, vegetables at the stand and the small grocer has some staples. Most every other block has all of these markets. The trick is getting back home in time to buy things before the stores close. We barely made it several nights. We eat late dinners as the French do.

March 31 Friday

  

We walked the Invalides tour, which housed 4000 veterans and where the military museum is located and the Dome Church where Napolian is buried. Then we went to the Rodin museum, and finally took a walk along the Seine. Rodin's work was outstanding and we spent time in the garden looking at the sculptures and the house where he also had paintings.

        :

April 1 -Saturday: Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris

     

Climbing the 387 steps to the top of this masterpiece is well worth the effort for the spectacular view. Construction of the first great Gothic cathedral began in 1163 and was largely completed by 1212. The rebuilding of the two transept gates in 1270 marked its completion. The west face is adorned with three richly decorated doorways and crowned with two 69m towers. The cathedral is busy at the best of times; especially on Sundays, when much of the building is closed to visitors. We walked to the Nortre Dame and toured it. It was incredible and the photos speak for themselves. Then we went to the La Sainte Chapelle church and toured. The church and especially the windows were outstanding and it is hard to believe the artians could do all that so long ago.

La Sainte Chapelle Located in the center of the city within the Palais de Justice complex on the Ile de la Cite, La Sainte Chapelle (Holy Chapel) is a small Gothic chapel constructed in the Rayonnant style. Built by King Louis IX from 1238-1244, the chapel housed holy relics from the Passion believed to be Jesus' Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross. These items were purchased from the Byzantine emperor Baldwin II in 1239 for a huge sum of 135,000 livres (the church cost 40,000 livres to build) due to the King's desire to elevate France as the leader of Western Christianity. La Sainte Chapelle provides visitors with a spectacular visual experience, since the entire upper tier of the chapel is surrounded by enormous stained glass windows.

        

Then we walked to the Hotel de Ville. It is an architectural delight and they are making it into a museum. This splendid neo-Renaissance-style building is just minutes from the Seine and right in the heart of the capital. In 1260, Louis IX decided to endow Paris with the means of organizing its own affairs. Situated in Place de Grève (meaning “strike”, the square gets its name from discontented workers who often demonstrated here!), the building was used as the seat of government during the French Revolution, when a guillotine stood imposingly in front of its windows. Burnt to the ground during a working-class uprising in 1871, it was rebuilt 11 years later and became the current Town Hall. Crystal chandeliers, beautiful paintings and vast function rooms are all part of its sumptuous interior.

April 2, Sunday - We are doing the walking tours in the Paris Michelin green book. Today is our fifth day and we will be completing number 10. It is really a bit exhausting. Although we eat more bread, there is no way we can gain with all this exercise and especially since our flat is up the hill from the metro.

The weather is about the same as Alamo when I view it online except at home there has been quite a bit of rain. We have a light drizzle once in a while here in Paris.

Sunday, April 2, we went to church at the Jules Joffrin church but the homily was so long and in French we finally left as we could not understand much. We went to one of the National Museums and saw the Henri Rousseau show. People in France love the museums and every where you go they are crowded and have lines. This was the most packed show border="2" src="ndChurch_small.jpg" xthumbnail-orig-image="ndChurch.jpg" width="100" height="75">

Climbing the 387 steps to the top of this masterpiece is well worth the effort for the spectacular view. Construction of the first great Gothic cathedral began in 1163 and was largely completed by 1212. The rebuilding of the two transept gates in 1270 marked its completion. The west face is adorned with three richly decorated doorways and crowned with two 69m towers. The cathedral is busy at the best of times; especially on Sundays, when much of the building is closed to visitors. We walked to the Nortre Dame and toured it. It was incredible and the photos speak for themselves. Then we went to the La Sainte Chapelle church and toured. The church and especially the windows were outstanding and it is hard to believe the artians could do all that so long ago.

La Sainte Chapelle Located in the center of the city within the Palais de Justice complex on the Ile de la Cite, La Sainte Chapelle (Holy Chapel) is a small Gothic chapel constructed in the Rayonnant style. Built by King Louis IX from 1238-1244, the chapel housed holy relics from the Passion believed to be Jesus' Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross. These items were purchased from the Byzantine emperor Baldwin II in 1239 for a huge sum of 135,000 livres (the church cost 40,000 livres to build) due to the King's desire to elevate France as the leader of Western Christianity. La Sainte Chapelle provides visitors with a spectacular visual experience, since the entire upper tier of the chapel is surrounded by enormous stained glass windows.

        

Then we walked to the Hotel de Ville. It is an architectural delight and they are making it into a museum. This splendid neo-Renaissance-style building is just minutes from the Seine and right in the heart of the capital. In 1260, Louis IX decided to endow Paris with the means of organizing its own affairs. Situated in Place de Grève (meaning “strike”, the square gets its name from discontented workers who often demonstrated here!), the building was used as the seat of government during the French Revolution, when a guillotine stood imposingly in front of its windows. Burnt to the ground during a working-class uprising in 1871, it was rebuilt 11 years later and became the current Town Hall. Crystal chandeliers, beautiful paintings and vast function rooms are all part of its sumptuous interior.

April 2, Sunday - We are doing the walking tours in the Paris Michelin green book. Today is our fifth day and we will be completing number 10. It is really a bit exhausting. Although we eat more bread, there is no way we can gain with all this exercise and especially since our flat is up the hill from the metro.

The weather is about the same as Alamo when I view it online except at home there has been quite a bit of rain. We have a light drizzle once in a while here in Paris. we have seen. It was described as the "Jungles of Paris" as Rousseau had painted many jungle animals. His work is primitive to me but Walt really liked it.

Then we took a cruise on the Seine. Paris is rather packed filled with people from all over especially as it is the Easter season. We have visited with people from Holland, Berkeley, San Diego, Boston, Hong Kong, London, etc. They are all so delightful including the French people and that has surprised me as I had not heard positive things about the French. It took about 1.5 hours to go to all the famous places. We saw the Notre Damm from the river and Walt decided to paint it.

Notre Dame Cathedral painting: email wkrane@yahoo.com to purchase this painting

The boat went to the Eiffel Tower, the Hotel De Ville, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Notre Dame, the Ile St. Louis, the Champs Elyses, Ste-holy relics from the Passion believed to be Jesus' Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross. These items were purchased from the Byzantine emperor Baldwin II in 1239 for a huge sum of 135,000 livres (the church cost 40,000 livres to build) due to the King's desire to elevate France as the leader of Western Christianity. La Sainte Chapelle provides visitors with a spectacular visual experience, since the entire upper tier of the chapel is surrounded by enormous stained glass windows.

        

Then we walked to the Hotel de Ville. It is an architectural delight and they are making it into a museum. This splendid neo-Renaissance-style building is just minutes from the Seine and right in the heart of the capital. In 1260, Louis IX decided to endow Paris with the means of organizing its own affairs. Situated in Place de Grève (meaning “strike”, the square gets its name from discontented workers who often demonstrated here!), the building was used as the seat of government during the French Revolution, when a guillotine stood imposingly in front of its windows. Burnt to the ground during a working-class uprising in 1871, it was rebuilt 11 years later and became the current Town Hall. Crystal chandeliers, beautiful paintings and vast function rooms are all part of its sumptuous interior.

April 2, Sunday - We are doing the walking tours in the Paris Michelin green book. Today is our fifth day and we will be completing number 10. It is really a bit exhausting. Although we eat more bread, there is no way we can gain with all this exercise and especially since our flat is up the hill from the metro.

The weather is about the same as Alamo when I view it online except at home there has been quite a bit of rain. We have a light drizzle once in a while here in Paris. Ghermain. After we did the whole trip, we exited at the Ste-Ghermain and went to mass at the fabulous church coming in just after the homily and being able to share peace with the people around us and to receive communion. Then we went to the Hotel De Ville shopping area again and finally home on the metro.

On Monday we rested - I read a book while Walt did some charcoals.

April 4, Tuesday, was again very interesting. As we have walked so much we decided to take the four city tours. Most of the monuments and museums we have seen but not really the city in general so it was fascinating. After each tour you move to another bus line. When we got to the Eiffel Tower we decided to have lunch with a view only to find one restaurant was reservations only and totally booked and the other was closed. Se la vie! We went into some nice department stores but of course all items were for sizes 3 to 7. It was fun.

The tour took us to the Champs-Elysee. This one mile by 235 feet wide stretch is one of the most popular avenues in Europe. It's a blend of old world along with the trendiest of today. There is no shortage of boutiques like Cartier and Lacoste for those with deep pockets. Plus, you'll find other shops for all tastes and budgets.

This tour also included The Arc de Triomphe. The Arch is a site both of memories and current events and celebrations. The lists of the dead will move you. And the cars that drive around the monument will terrify you! Standing in a direct line between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Defense, the monument links the past with the present and offers amazing views. A truly impressive landmark, 50 metres high and 45 metres wide, Paris would not be Paris without it!

When we got to line four which was the south eastern Part of Paris, the bus was stopped due to the demonstration. That is all it really was and not a riot as the news said. I rather agree with the demonstrators views. When there was a problem it was because of someone trying to get personal attention or the police trying to interfere. Anyway a trip back home on the metro and we found a less expensive butcher and picked up a lamb leg for dinner at a very reasonable price which was less expensive than home. Guess we were the dumb Americans at the other place.

April 5, Wednesday - We completed our open tour - It was a beautiful sunny day although when the wind came up it felt cold. we visited two parts of the city going to the Montmartre section and Bastille - Bercy section. We saw both the train station and where the high speed train station, Gare de Lyon, was located so we were able to find a hotel for the last night in France a block from the station.

We saw the very large sports stadium and toured along the Seine river. We saw the newest business area in Paris with ultra modern all glass buildings just min> April 2, Sunday - We are doing the walking tours in the Paris Michelin green book. Today is our fifth day and we will be completing number 10. It is really a bit exhausting. Although we eat more bread, there is no way we can gain with all this exercise and especially since our flat is up the hill from the metro.

The weather is about the same as Alamo when I view it online except at home there has been quite a bit of rain. We have a light drizzle once in a while here in Paris. utes away from Notre Damn Cathedral.

We also saw the Moulin Rouge and numerous outdoor bistros previously frequented by famous artists and authors such as Victor Hugo and Toulouse Lautrec.

April 6, Thursday we went to the Musee d'Orsay and found it was closed due to the general strike. So we went shopping and then went to the Centre Pompidou. Commonly known as the Beaubourg, this distinctive building was commissioned in 1968 by the then President Georges Pompidou, and opened in 1977. Most Parisians were initially shocked by its unconventional 'inside out' architectural style: air conditioning, escalators and lifts are all on the outside, giving the interior unparalleled freedom. Extensively refurbished in the late 1990s, the centre is home to the Musee National d'Art Moderne and the Bibliothèque Publique d'Information (BPI) as well as temporary exhibitions, cinemas, and other attractions.

This tour also included The Arc de Triomphe. The Arch is a site both of memories and current events and celebrations. The lists of the dead will move you. And the cars that drive around the monument will terrify you! Standing in a direct line between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Defense, the monument links the past with the present and offers amazing views. A truly impressive landmark, 50 metres high and 45 metres wide, Paris would not be Paris without it!

When we got to line four which was the south eastern Part of Paris, the bus was stopped due to the demonstration. That is all it really was and not a riot as the news said. I rather agree with the demonstrators views. When there was a problem it was because of someone trying to get personal attention or the police trying to interfere. Anyway a trip back home on the metro and we found a less expensive butcher and picked up a lamb leg for dinner at a very reasonable price which was less expensive than home. Guess we were the dumb Americans at the other place.

April 5, Wednesday - We completed our open tour - It was a beautiful sunny day although when the wind came up it felt cold. we visited two parts of the city going to the Montmartre section and Bastille - Bercy section. We saw both the train station and where the high speed train station, Gare de Lyon, was located so we were able to find a hotel for the last night in France a block from the station.

We saw the very large sports stadium and toured along the Seine river. We saw the newest business area in Paris with ultra modern all glass buildings just min> April 2, Sunday - We are doing the walking tours in the Paris Michelin green book. Today is our fifth day and we will be completing number 10. It is really a bit exhausting. Although we eat more bread, there is no way we can gain with all this exercise and especially since our flat is up the hill from the metro.

The weather is about the same as Alamo when I view it online except at home there has been quite a bit of rain. We have a light drizzle once in a while here in Paris. g-image="charlotte.jpg" width="100" height="84"> We liked one exhibit depicting Charlotte Parriand's architure from the 1920's. We did not care for Hans Bellmer as he was fixated on sex (literally). His drawings were quite bizarre and they had a warning sign that the subject could offensive (and probably was to everyone by Bellmer). Then we saw many many modern art pieces but we decided there was more art in my necklace than in most of the way out so-called modern art. One exhibit was called "Los Angeles" focusing on items from there but it was tacky.

Then we went to see the St. Martin's church - a gothic structure that was classic and beautiful in every way. We had paid for the modern art and this was free and better art.

Then we took the metro back to Montmartre and walked up about 1500 stairs to see the Sacre Coeur. Ok, the truth, we thought that venticular meant stairs so we walked up them. It was a long double flight. When we got to the top we found that a half block over there was something like a tram that went up. Oh well, I guess the stair climb was good for us. This Romano-Byzantine basilica overlooks Montmartre, one of Paris's most picturesque districts. Its distinctive dome rising up over the rooftops, the basilica offers the perfect vantage point from which to survey the city. Inside, the mosaic of Christ and the crypt are of particular interest. Commissioned by the Catholic Church, construction began in 1875 under the watchful eye of architect Paul Abadie, and was finally completed in 1914.

It is also referred to as the white cathedral. It was well worth a trip to Paris to see this alone. It is one of the most beautiful churches we have seen in Europe. It was truly incredible with many mosaics and fabulous paintings and frescoes not to mention stunning statuary.

We walked home which was about 12 blocks all down hill - many many stairs. One of the best experiences I have found in Paris is buying fresh vegetables, dairy, bread, and meat every day. We stop on the way home and pick up what we need. Fresh green beans, eggplant, tomatoes, fruits are all wonderful. And Walt especially loves the daily fresh baguette from the Boulangier.

Friday, April 7, 2006 Some photos from Musee d'Orsay -

     

- Musee d'Orsay was built in what was originally a train station, the building itself is unique and interesting. The museum has an impressive art collection, which dates back to the early 19th century. It is however primarily known for its magnificent impressionist and neo-impressionist collection. The museum also strives to promote art by organizing festivals, special shows, exhibitions, conferences and concerts on a regular basis.

Today we were able to view the Musee d'Orsay. There were 1,000 people in line when we arrived there at 11 a.m. and by the time we got in at 12:15 there were about 1,000 people behind us. Everyone was very polite and orderly and quite anxious to get into the museum. We spent the time in line talking with a lovely lady from Liverpool, Kathy. Her husband was at a medical conference and she was doing the museums like us.

Anyway it was worth the wait - Walt and I both were thrilled to see the masterpiece paintings we had only seen in books. It was exciting to see Lady Lucy, the Toulouse Lautrec charcoal that Walt did so well and which is mounted on our wall at home. I loved the Reniors and the Monets best of all. We saw a special exhibit of Cezanne and Pissarro. They painted together quite a number of years and Cezanne said he had learned a great deal from Pissarro. Seeing the same scene done by both artists helped me to realize I much preferred Pissarro. To me he has more artistic character and was more detailed while Cezanne was following the modern trend of bolder colors and less preciseness.

There were many many children from the age of 5 to 18 and many being given instruction on the paintings. It was fascinating to see six year olds copying the famous artists. Many had pad and pen imitating the masters. There were not only paintings but also sculptures and art noveau decorations. There was one so called modern art exhibit by Edward Steichen which of course I did not care for.

 

April 8 - Saturday -

                    

Today we again for the tenth day in a row have beautiful sunny skies so we went to the Musee de l'Orangerie which unfortunately was closed for renovation. So we walked in the Tuileries Jardin and then in the Louvre Jardin. Children were having sailboat races in the huge fountain pond and Walt stopped to sketch two Rodin bronzes and later a tree he liked. Police on horseback came by and sirens were going as the protesters were again out.

Then we walked along Boulevard Rivoli and looked at the beautiful high fashion shops near the Louvre. Roseann particularly liked a Dune vase that only cost 2,000 Euros. But for 5 Euros she purchased a porcelain egg cup that said "I love Paris" in French which is J'aime Paris. It has a pop up top with a mustached face salt shaker in it. It has a photo of the Eiffel tower on it. It is cute. We took the metro back to our area and walked along the streets window shopping. Purchased a barbequed poulet for dinner.

April 9 - Sunday - Chateau de Versailles

  

Tired of Paris, the Sun King (Louis XIV enjoyed likening himself to Apollo, God of the arts, peace and the sun!) commissioned architects Louis le Vau and Jules Hardouin to build the château of Versailles in 1668, on the site of his father's small hunting lodge. It became the largest palace in Europe, accommodating up to 20,000 courtiers at a time. Charles Le Brun, the painter, designed the interior, whose highlights include the Royal Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors. The Grand Trianon (1687) and the Petit Trianon (1762) are also in the park. The former, built in stone and marble, housed Louis XIV's mistress, whilst the latter, a small manor house, was home to Louis XV's mistress.

  

It was fascinating to see all the people lined up in front of the churches selling and buying the greens for palm sunday. There are no palms available so they use greens cut from bushes or trees. We took the metro and then the big train to Versailles. We saw a lot of countryside along the way. Gentlemen played the saxophone and the accordian on the train. We are again blessed with beautifg" xthumbnail-orig-image="vanGough2.jpg" width="100" height="124">

April 8 - Saturday -

                    

Today we again for the tenth day in a row have beautiful sunny skies so we went to the Musee de l'Orangerie which unfortunately was closed for renovation. So we walked in the Tuileries Jardin and then in the Louvre Jardin. Children were having sailboat races in the huge fountain pond and Walt stopped to sketch two Rodin bronzes and later a tree he liked. Police on horseback came by and sirens were going as the protesters were again out.

ul weather.

We toured the gardens and the King's Palace including his personal rooms and his daughters' rooms and all the areas where diplomatic meetings where held through the centuries. We also saw the beautiful chapel.

 

        

The Palace is a treasure trove of art including painting, sculptures, jewelry, and unbelievable pieces of decorative art. The Palace reminded us of the Palaces we saw in St. Petersburg Russia. The fountains were supposed to be running but were turned off. We did not think they were near as nice as the ones in Russia but the Palace in France is more impressive.

We also went to a special show "Splendors of Dresden". It was silver, ceramics, jewelry, and paintings. It was very impressive. Roseann liked it tremendously but Walt said the items were of no interest to him as there were only a very few paintings.

April 11 - Tuesday - The Provence            

We left Paris via taxi and the TGA, the fast high speed train directly to Avigon where we rented a car. The beautiful scenery was sort of a bluish-green. We saw white cows, old and new homes, farm lands, forests, mountains and rivers on the way south. Surprisingly when we left the train we found the weather was quite warm but with a breeze. We had seen they irrigated their fields and we passed a large river with bridges that reminded us of the Salt River Canyon in Arizona. The train trip only took slightly over two and a half hours.

   Walt had to learn the details of the car and then we drove directly to Arles where we checked into Le Calendal hotel. The personnel were charming and the room delightful but the front of the building did not indicate it would be so nice. We were pleasantly surprised. Walt had decided to stay at this hotel when he saw it on a Rick Steves' program and it is delightful except for the stairs (no lift). So we decided to consolidate our luggage as carrying all that luggage up those many windy stairs was no fun. Also Walt had to park in the municipal car park which was about eight blocks away and it cost 15 Euros. We walked to the coliseum and also looked at the uniquely old buildings.

           

We had a marvelous French dinner at La Crickett consisting of red wine, a green tossed sald with local cheese, and lamb chops with potatoes, and mashed squash all covered with herbs a la provence. Walt had chocolate cake and I had creme brulet for dessert. They have free Internet in the hotel but the keyboard is very difficult so I just checked my mail. As an example, the q and a were reversed as were the w and the z.

April 12 - Wednesday -

Arles is an ancient city and we walked the whole place looking at all the monuments and the river. We ate lunch in the park but had a French crepe dinner at the crepery near the hotel. Mine was a petite chicken and mushroom and a tossed salad while Walt had a large ham and creamy cheese crepe with a salad. He had cafe and I had a hot chocolate for our dessert.

April 13 - Thursday -

Today we drove to Carcassone. It was all wonderful freeways that were actually tollways in great condition. They had autogrills along the way just as Italy does. It was a beautiful sunny day and we saw great sceanery. Carcassone is a large city compared to Arles.

It is clean and well kept just as Paris was. Every day in Paris they picked up the garbage and came with trucks and hoses to wash the sidewalks. We are so impressed with the French and they way the behave towards others and take care of their environment.

      rch_small.jpg" xthumbnail-orig-image="QuinlanChurch.jpg" > We are enjoying this wonderful hotel which I again got off the Internet. When we arrived, the Hotel Montsegar Carcassone was very quiet. There was a good free parking lot, a charming dining room, and we could hear the TV coming from the office next to the lobby. But it took us quite a while to wake the owner. He turned out to be 80 year old and a delightful man who was sound asleep - so we had to wake him. He told us about the Cite (the old city which is a castle fortress and walled city which we spent the afternoon touring and the only way to describe it is for everyone to see the photos) and about all the castles and chatues in the area and laid out a plan which we will start touring at 9 a.m. on Friday. After a walking tour of Carcassonne area, we savored views from Carcassonne’s walls, toured its castle, and meandered its moats.

Our hotel room is delightful and has free wifi which they call wefe. Tonight we ate at Le Lounge Duc, a restaurant owned by the dear 80 year old man. It was an incredible and delicious French dinner. We had a terrific sour dough, a bottle of red wine, foisgras (duck liver) with salad, chateaubriand steak with asparagus with hollandaise, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini stuffed with a spicy tomato mixture, and watercress and after we chose our fromages (cheeses). We declined the dessert, cafe, and port that everyone else was having as theg at all the monuments and the river. We ate lunch in the park but had a French crepe dinner at the crepery near the hotel. Mine was a petite chicken and mushroom and a tossed salad while Walt had a large ham and creamy cheese crepe with a salad. He had cafe and I had a hot chocolate for our dessert.

April 13 - Thursday -

Today we drove to Carcassone. It was all wonderful freeways that were actually tollways in great condition. They had autogrills along the way just as Italy does. It was a beautiful sunny day and we saw great sceanery. Carcassone is a large city compared to Arles.

It is clean and well kept just as Paris was. Every day in Paris they picked up the garbage and came with trucks and hoses to wash the sidewalks. We are so impressed with the French and they way the behave towards others and take care of their environment.

      re was no more room in our bodies. The service was impeccable outdoing any we have experienced in the best restaurants or ships we have experienced.

April 14 - Good Friday -

Some of the towns we went to where Limoux, Couiza, Quillan, Azat, St. Paul, Durhan-Corbieres, and Lagrasse.Today we toured the sites of the Cathar Country which consist of 18 castles (chateau), Abbaye's, and Musee's. We were not able to go through all of them as many are high on mountain tops and even though we drove for over five hours we could not possibly have seen them all. We stopped in Quillan and went to a street faire and purchased a Provence tablecloth which has sunflowers, olives, wheat and lemons - yellow and blues on the cloth. We also toured St. Martin's church. There are St. Martin's church, town, or whatever, every where we go. The church in Quillan was beautiful. All of the towns were along the L'aude River which is a feeds the Rhone river from the mountains. The road was narrow with tunnels and sometimes the rock overhang covered the entire road. The road signs were not exactly clear so we had to make stops and navigational adjustments. As we drove we often saw snow topped mountains.

The Street Faire The Quinllan Church The Cross in the street Fountain in the square The ceramic wall on the street in Limoux The War Memorial

What we really saw were about ten million grape vines every where. In fact if there was a single flat lot or even a cleared mountain side, it was covered with vines. Being from grape country we thought we had seen large areas of grape vines, but we were really amazed to see so many. We were driving in high mountain areas with curvy roads. Walt thought he was Mario at times and I believe I said "slow down" a bit too much. Well it was interesting.

In Axat we stopped for lunch by the river and watched the kayakers, mountain bikers, hikers, etc. The kayakers went through slalmons by our eating establishment practicing for kayaking competition. Tim would have loved the river rapids and plenty of white water. I also thought of Neil as this is also his kind of country. We filled our water jug in Axat and it was sweet and the best we have had on our trip including bottled water. It was around 75 degrees and no sweaters needed. The skies are clear every where in France and Walt said it is because they don't use fossil fuels. We saw about 50 shades of green, flowering dogwood trees, much wisteria, lilac, and many other flowers.       orig-image="lavendarLilac.jpg" width="100" height="75"> The castles were beautiful and quite intriging. The roads are lined with sycamore trees every where. Walt spotted numerous gem clear streams and it turned out most of them have trout which might mean a future trip to France with different motives.

We played a game of "Where are we now." It was amazing to see that we were up on the upper Sacramento River, then in the area between Superior and Globe Arizona, and then back in the Truckeops and even though we drove for over five hours we could not possibly have seen them all. We stopped in Quillan and went to a street faire and purchased a Provence tablecloth which has sunflowers, olives, wheat and lemons - yellow and blues on the cloth. We also toured St. Martin's church. There are St. Martin's church, town, or whatever, every where we go. The church in Quillan was beautiful. All of the towns were along the L'aude River which is a feeds the Rhone river from the mountains. The road was narrow with tunnels and sometimes the rock overhang covered the entire road. The road signs were not exactly clear so we had to make stops and navigational adjustments. As we drove we often saw snow topped mountains.

The Street Faire The Quinllan Church The Cross in the street Fountain in the square The ceramic wall on the street in Limoux The War Memorial

What we really saw were about ten million grape vines every where. In fact if there was a single flat lot or even a cleared mountain side, it was covered with vines. Being from grape country we thought we had seen large areas of grape vines, but we were really amazed to see so many. We were driving in high mountain areas with curvy roads. Walt thought he was Mario at times and I believe I said "slow down" a bit too much. Well it was interesting.

In Axat we stopped for lunch by the river and watched the kayakers, mountain bikers, hikers, etc. The kayakers went through slalmons by our eating establishment practicing for kayaking competition. Tim would have loved the river rapids and plenty of white water. I also thought of Neil as this is also his kind of country. We filled our water jug in Axat and it was sweet and the best we have had on our trip including bottled water. It was around 75 degrees and no sweaters needed. The skies are clear every where in France and Walt said it is because they don't use fossil fuels. We saw about 50 shades of green, flowering dogwood trees, much wisteria, lilac, and many other flowers.       e Tahoe area. Actually I thought we were often in Morocco except instead of olive trees on the hillsides, there were grapes galore. We had a fun day. We ended at a night club of sorts with very strange decorations - a simple meal of wine, bbq ribs, fries, sauteed chopped red peppers, bread, and chocolate mouse.

April 15 - Saturday -

We left for Nice as soon as possible. Reminds me of home at Easter as it was drizzling today. We saw vines, red poppies, trains, rivers, tunnels, and castles along the way. We have had to go through four toll booths which means we have to exit and pay each time also. The whole area has that beautiful blue green quality which reminds us of the letter Van Gough wrote to Gaugain asking him to come south and see the colors. Walt said the greens are directly from the tube with no mixing. There are small towns along the way and a mountain with pine trees separating us from the Mediterranean. The traffic has not been good especially at the toll booths but the roads are excellent. Walt said this road would be perfect for a Ferrari - he wants one.

We arrived around 3:30 and checked in to our residence hotel. There are many families here for the Easter holiday. The children are all so well behaved in France - just as their parents are polite, helpful, and somewhat reserved in their behavior. The only time we see otherwise is when we observe a Spanish, German, or Italian group. There are so many nationalities visiting France everywhere - it is quite impressive. We are in a complex of four triangle hotels. It is very impressive and we are on the 11th floor of 14 with a beautiful view of the Marina in front.

We rushed to the store as everything will be closed Easter Sunday and many stores will also be closed on Monday. It was a unique experience at the Geant Supermache/Casino Cafeteria. That is a store that took up a block with parking all around and still difficult to find. Think of it as three Walmarts together. We only had time to go to the grocery section. The food was less expensive than we pay at home. The vegetables are wonderful and cost very little. Only the beef is more expensive. We purchased Lapin (rabbit) for Easter dinner and all the regular stables and hamburger and chicken to get us through Tuesday. The strawberries are so good, amazing. I've never seen a store so crowded and the stockers were trying to stock while everyone shopped. It was difficult to get around. At the apartment we rented space for the car and a tv for the week. The place is very nice and comes with everything we need. Walt loves these apartments instead of just getting hotel rooms.

April 16 - Easter Sunday -

We went to the Saint Christopher church which had a tile design. Then we drove around the area for a while and ended at the beach - realizing we could walk up and down the beach from our place. We did just that in the afternoon and sat on the beach enjoying the sun for a while.

We both picked out which water craft was our favorite in the Marina. We discovered a superette in our complex and picked up coffee filters and ice cream. A very lazy day but tomorrow we will tour again. We saw families biking and picnicing and all the things done on Easter.

April 17 - Monday - Today we drove down the coast visiting all the little towns on the way. The flowers were in bloom. The beaches were full of people strolling, biking, skating, etc. In fact there are so many skaters - old and young - people must move aside. There were also a large number of people on jet skis, sailing, fishing and sunning on the beach but we saw few swimming.

Nice was a very large city with many many eight story hotels, apartments, and offices. The number of people were incredible - 8 to 12 walking a breast on the boardwalk in each direction. Those hotels held thousands and they were all out on this holiday. We went to Ville-France and toured a street fair and I picked up some salt spoons and ear rings and then we ate a cafe a dinner of lamb, green beans, fries, bread, and wine (beer for Walt).

April 18 - Tuesday -    A beautiful warm day so we drove to Antibes. Many flowers make the town so beautiful and the town has a castle and a great walled area. Antibes has its own harbor, Port Vauban, and the Cap d'Antibes nearby is a pleasant place to explore. There seemed to be more than a thousand big boats in the marina. Of course this whole French Rivier a is one big marina and one sees these large yachts all along the coast.

We walked through an antique street faire and then up to the main part of town looking in many shops. It was such a delightful clean town with a big fountain in the main roundabout. I picked up a piece of delicious tomato mozzerla pizza and a chocolate filled pastry from a boulongerie to munch on as we walked. It was a delightful walk. Many campers and fishermen were on the beach between our place in Villeneuve-Loubet and Antibes. The beach was covered in areas both of sand and flat smooth pebbles. The skies were clear and the scenery was wonderul as we drove toward our hotel.

April 19 - Wednesday -

Today we went to Monaco and Menton via the highway going through a number of tunnels and paying a toll. Monaco is quite exciting with many beautiful buildings and shops and beaches. There were more police in Monaco than anywhere I've ever seen. There are also many cars and no parking - even though we got there early. Apparently the grand national tennis match is underway. The Grand Prix De Monaco 2006 Formula 1 Race is happening this weekend and there was quite a bit of construction as they were putting up stands and tents and fences to protect the people from the cars. Walt was on the route behind a Farrari and a Porsch Carrera but we came in third. We have many photos. We drove through Cap Ferrat and tried to get to the Rothschild Fine Arts Mansion but again no parking. Imagine if we had come in the busy time of the year - would we have been able to view anything?

Next we went to Cap Martin and stopped on a cliff next to a home and they were working in the garden. I asked him to fill our water bottle as there were no places to park and buy one. Instead he gave us a new big water bottle and would not accept payment. The French are so courteous. The town of Roquebrune sits over Cap Martin and has a castle overlooking Cap Martin, which has magnificent estates.

We then went to Menton and walked around looking at faires and shops. One of the flower shops had the most beautiful azela I've ever seen - there were so many blossoms. The seafood shops always have beautiful food as shown by the photo. Then we ended on the beach in Menton with our picnic lunch. Menton claims to be the warmest resort on the Riviera. There are long sandy beaches and the sun is rather strong. The town is backed by terraced slopes planted with olives and fruit trees. The Menton lemon is highly acclaimed and sought after.

We drove on to Italy and you would not know you were there except for the sign. There were no border guards and pizza is sold in France as much as it is sold everywhere so Italy and France are very much alike. The food is great in both places as is the warmth and the charming people.

We came back via 98, the beach road, going through all the towns we drove through the day before yesterday. It is so beautiful along the beach with really clear blue water. Nice was not as crowded and I'm sure it is because the holiday is over.

Walt did some paintings from Renoir's home and guest house which are available for sale. Email Walt at wkrane@yahoo.com if you are interesting in purchasing them.

Then we went to Cagnes-Sur-Mer, a town close to where we stay, and toured Renoir's home and studio and gardens. The landscape of hills are covered with olive and orange trees and cultivated flowers - mimosa, carnation, and roses mostly. There is a fishing village and beach and then it rises to the hills where Renoir's home is located.

Renoir's home was touching and the paintings and sculptures were wonderful. His big studio was set up to show us how it had been, even his wheel chair and easel with a partially finished painting were in place. He suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. His place is a painter's dream with a two story home with high ceilings and many large windows, an original Italian marble staircase, a lovely garden with many olive trees and flowers. There was a smaller home which was probably used as a guest house and there was an attached outside brick oven for baking bread. It is now used as a boutique and book store.

Of course this whole French Riviera is loaded with beautiful blossoms and the smells of honey suckel and other flowers. We again had a warm wonderful tour and thank God for such glorius weather. We purchased our baugette at the Boulongerie and headed for home.

April 20 - Thursday -         -image="grasseMonument2.jpg"> Our first hot day and we head for the hills going to Grasse, a lovely area which grows flowers and makes perfumes.  



The drive up the mountain was lovely with many blooming vegetation. We passed through Rouquerfort which was surprisingly of some size. The town of Grasse has a charm that stretches from the foothills. There is both a new modern area and an old town which we walked through. We found a private perfume shop and visited with the husband and wife team. I purchased a perfume for myself and other small smells and lotions for gifts. Then we walked to the N.D. du-Puy Cathedral dedicated to the Lady of du Puy and dates back to the late 10-11 Century. Although it was restored in the 17th century, it is evident that it has hard times. This did not deter from the church's beauty. There were three paintings by Rubens and many beautiful gold pieces.