We’re not opera fans so it surprised me when Bill said that he was ordering tickets to the opulent 19th-century Parisian theater, Opera Garnier. We do enjoy architecture, however, so it all made sense when he explained that in planning for a trip to Paris we would now be going on a guided tour inside the beautiful building that we’d admired from the street in front and from the Galeries Lafayette department store rooftop, 8 stories up. Since we would not be attending a performance, I should probably call the theater by its alternative and perhaps more prestigious-sounding name, the Palais Garnier. 

Continue reading “A night at the opera”

Last week we talked about the health benefits from traveling so now it seems appropriate to discuss keeping your wallet en forme at the same time. One of our local newspapers, Midi Libre, featured an article from the French financial services comparison site, “Hello Safe”, that listed the daily cost you could expect to pay while on vacation in 136 countries around the world. Acknowledging that costs will depend upon the chosen standard of accommodation and restaurants, for example, the study’s authors used both objective and subjective means to analyze the data. Let’s find out where it’s cheap to go on vacation!

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It’s easy to associate food and wine with France, but what about surfing? The Atlantic coast, particularly the southwestern region, is a world-renowned surfing destination with some beaches offering waves as high as 30 meters (100 feet). And while you’re there, take a look at Europe’s tallest sand dune, near Bordeaux, at 100 meters (330 feet) high. Who knew that we have a geyser at Vals-les-Bains that erupts every 6 hours? And now for today’s topic that you might not immediately connect with France—bamboo—and the park dedicated to this prolific plant located within the Cévennes National Park.

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How’s this for a travel show’s recommendation for someplace to visit: “one of France’s best-preserved medieval towns” that was followed by scenes of half-timbered buildings, ivy-covered stone walls, meandering cobblestone streets, and a towering 12th-century cathedral. Based on that, it was an easy decision to book the train tickets to go to Bourges while we were in the area, having stayed about an hour away in Orléans after a wedding in Paris. The description came from the France TV 5 program called “Les 100 lieux qu’il faut voir” that we would translate as—and agree with—”The 100 Places that you must see”. 

Continue reading “Bourges in 1 day”