France - Day 9

Today we went to Grasse, a town famous for being the perfume capital of the world.

We went to the perfumery Molinard-


After we took a walk around the old village -


Another lovely day in the south of France!

Gloria asked me about the language, I speak french (my Mother is French Canadian) so I have had no problems (although the french is slightly different - yesterday I met some people from Quebec and they were much easier for me to understand). Lots of people speak English here. Last year when we went to Italy (we don't speak Italian) we had no problems. This year it has been very nice to speak and read the language though.
Gail also asked me about plans for the trip - we really are not planners (just the basics like getting there and some where to stay). We really enjoy experiencing different cultures rather than seeing all the sights. Renting an apartment or home is a wonderful way to experience a new culture, much nicer than staying in a hotel too (also more relaxing).

Thanks for joining me on our trip!♥

France - Day 8

This morning I took some pictures at the house we rented Provence in-

the stairs leading to the pool

the pool

the bedrooms

the front patio

the view from the pool
The town in the distance, across the valley is where we went this morning.

Fayence, a beautiful little town set on the mountain side-

we are staying on the other side of the valley

The rest of the day was spent in the hot sun-

A bientot!♥

France - Day 6 & 7

Yesterday we flew from Paris

We were 45 minutes late taking off. Someone missed the plane but their suitcase was on the plane. They had to take the luggage off and remove his luggage for safety. Plus they had to replace something on the plane too at the last minute.

to Nice in the south of France -

coming in for the first landing

suddenly there was something else on the runway and we had to quickly go up again and circle around for 10 minutes

the Mediterranean was so blue

the second landing was perfect

We rented a house 45 minutes NW of Nice, south of Tourrettes and Fayence-

with a lovely pool -


and stunning views -


Today we spent a hot day swimming and lounging by this -

Some pictures from our evening walk -

We are on the side of a mountain, so all the roads are very steep for us prairie people!

Tomorrow we might travel further a field.

France - Day 5

Today started with a ride on the metro -

to the Jardins and Palais du Luxembourg - once a palace built between 1615-1627, now home to the French Senate -


The gardens were amazing. It was a cold wet day, it sure seemed like fall, especially with all the leaves on the ground!
Next a short walk to see the Pantheon -built in 1758 as a tribute to St Genevieve, now honors France's great dead -


Nearby St Etienne du Mont -

Because it was rainy we decided to try the Louvre again this afternoon - no line-ups!

the Mona Lisa -the picture is blurry because we were so far away

The Consecration of the Emperor Napolean I by J.L. David

The Card-Sharper by G. de La Tour

The Lacemaker by J. Vermeer

We have really enjoyed staying in Paris. I would recommend renting an apartment to anyone - you really feel immersed in the culture of a place this way. The Marias is a wonderful place, we are close to everything without being too touristy.

Between the St Paul metro station and the apartment on Rue St Paul (a 5 minute walk) there are 4 bakeries. We have tried them all (several times), they are all very good and amazingly to us always packed.

this one outside the metro station is our favorite

Tomorrow we fly to Nice, in the south of France!