Here%26#39;s my report for a fabulous trip. Many of you helped plan this trip, so I want to thank all who gave advice and suggestions.
Day 1. Arrived at Hotel Victoria Palace. The room was large and attractive. The hotel was also well furnished with an attractive coctail lounge and a fairly good breakfast buffet. I would not recommend this hotel, however, because the location was not very good, and the hotel is not inexpensive. On our first day we went to Notre Dame, had lunch at a cafe,walked around the neighborhood of the hotel, and visited the Luxembourg Gardens, which are quite beautiful.
Day2. Vjisited the Louvre,Palais Royale Gardens, Tuillerie Gardens,and Orsay Museum. All fabulous. We had dinner at a small place on the Seine , called Le Cave. Good food, and a short walk to the Bateau de Vedettes. This boat ride was a highlight. Not to be missed.
Day3 We took two walking tours. In the morning it was %26quot;Hemmingway%26#39;s Paris%26quot; in the Mouffetard Quarter. The guide was indiffernt, and we felt disappointed. In the afternoon we took a tour of Momartre and loved it. I must add this was my third trip to Paris. It has been a number of years since my last trip, but although Paris is still a gorgeous city, it certainly has changed.Areas like Momartre was at one time a charming area is now geared to tourists and very commercial. By dinnertime it was pouring rain. We walked to La Coupole from our hotel and enjoyed the dinner. We loved this place. The food is good, but mostly it is lively and fun.
Day4. Arc de Triumphe,Eiffel Tower, dinner at a restaurant near our hotel called La Maison de Jardin. This was a small local spot with good food and charm.
Day5. Another busy day.The Museum at the Pompadeau Center was a highlight for me. I loved it ! Could have spent several days there.In the PM we went to the Marais and had another walking tour which was quite good. Later we went to the Opera Garnier and picked up tickets for the following evening.
Day6.Went back to The Marais for shopping and more exploring. I loved this area. Great stores, cafes etc.
In the evening we went to the dance performance at the Opera Garnier. It was very expensive, and a big disappointment. The company we saw was called Robyn Olin. I believe this is their first season there. I love all kinds of dance, but this was a big letdown. Couldn%26#39;t wait to leave. Dinner again at La Coupole.
Day7. More walking and exploring. Lots of cafe sitting and some shopping at Galleries Lafayette and La Printemps. Bought some bags and had fun.Of course the prices were not good but I can never resist. In the evening we went to a concert at St. Chapelle. This was lovely..a beautiful concert in a lovely setting.
Day8.On to Provence. I had never been here before and I believe this is one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen. I can%26#39;t stop thinking about it. Took TGV to Avignon, picked up rental car, and then on to St. Remy. A great base village. We stayed at Les Alelliers
des Apilles and loved it. The staff was so eager to please.
Day9.We wasted the morning exchanging our rental car, since the car we requested was unavailable when we arrived. Once the exchange was completed we were off to drive through the Cote de Rhone.This is a spectacular drive. Simply gorgeous. Passed through or stopped at Seguet, Gigonde, Sablet, Le Creset,. I would love to do this drive again, with more time to stop at wineries and just linger.
Day10.%26quot;AYear in Provence %26quot;country. The Luberon. Visited Roussellon, Gordes, Menerbes and Bonnieu We had Dinner in St. Remy and enjoyed a jazz concert being held at our hotel. That was quite fun. Kind of a local reunion..everyone seemed to know each other. I think the whole town was there, including their dogs!
Day11.Arles. Enjoyed the market. Bought some trinkets. Also went to Les Baux.
Day12.We went to the market at Isle de Sorgue. What a beautiful town.Had lunch by the river. Later that day we visited theSt. Paul Monastary that still operates as a sanitarium, This is where Van Gogh spent a year after his breakdown. It is just outside St. Remy, and a must see if you love Van Gogh%26#39;s art. The room where he stayed is there. You look out of his window and recognize the subject of his canvasses. He loved this place for the peacefulness and beauty of the surroundings. As my husband said, walking around Provence is like walking throuth a painting. It is easy to understand why so many artists came here.
Day 13. On to Nice. We drove first to Aix en Provence because I just had to see it. Then on To Cassis for lunch, and finally to Nice. This was really too much for one day, and we were exhausted. Arriving in bustling Nice from the quiet beauty of Provence was a bit of a shock. But we loved our hotel, Le Palais de Mediteranee
and soon recovered from our drive.We had a good dinner at one of the many cafes in the Old Town. located a few blocks away. This is a beautiful hotel.balcony overlooking the sea. Great place.
Day14.Took a tram tour of Nice and explored the areas near our hotel. Wondered around, enjoying everything that came our way.
Day15, Turned in our car and joined a van tour of the area instead. Visited Eze, Monaco, St. Paul de Vence, La Turbie, and Canne on the opening day of the Film Festival. All beautiful and fun.
Day16. Last Day.Spent most of our day on the Beach across from the hotel. Weather was perfect the entire time in Provence and in Nice. Sunny, blue skies...pertect! Last dinner was at Boccaccio,a wonderful seafood restaurant.
This was a terrific trip. I might add that although we did run around a lot, we did plenty of wondering around the neighborhoods, people watching and just enjoying. We drank lots of wonderful wine and talked to many wonderful people. Ate lunch on the beach and felt lucky to be alive and in France every single day.
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What a lovely report. I%26#39;m glad you enjoyed your trip. Thanks for sharing.
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Your trip really sounds %26quot;terrific%26quot;. It%26#39;s a pity that you didn%26#39;t feel that way about the dance performance, though. A good performance in such a beautiful place would undoubtedly be one that you%26#39;d remember for the rest of your life.
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Thanks totou and Shoesy, for your feedback. I don%26#39;t have any idea on what to plan for my next trip that can match or top this one!
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Hello EastCoastTraveler.
Your trip sounds wonderful. If I%26#39;ve been to a city a few times I really enjoy doing more in-depth walking tours. Can you tell me what company you used for the ones you took?
Thank you!
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2lucky,
The company I used for the walkng tours was Paris Walks.
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I really enjoyed your trip report.Brought back wonderful memories of previous trips.St.Remy was certainly a favourite of ours !!
This time we will place ourselves east of the autoroute...and look forward to more fabulous villages and vineyards.
Can%26#39;t wait...the count-down is on....7 days !!
Sharon
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Hello Cruise Lady,
I hope you have a wonderful trip. I am curious as to exactly where you are going on the trip you described. I am now looking into our next trip and am looking for ideas.
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Hi EastCoastTraveler,
I can%26#39;t believed I missed your report back in May. We are taking a similar trip in November. We, too, are staying at Le Palais de Mediteranee in Nice. What did you like about the hotel? And what restaurants would you recommend?
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