July 14th, Thursday
Grace is 13!!! We do a little family celebration in our room this morning. Happy Birthday Gracie!!! Abby found her a macaron key chain on our walk through the city yesterday and we packed a few small items to celebrate (since we’ll now be carrying them around Europe). It feels EARLY, because we got to bed so late again but we can relax during the bus ride later today.
We eat at the hotel’s buffet, and everyone packs up, checks out, and loads all of our belongings onto the bus. We will be taking the metro to the Louvre and then meeting up with the bus to head for Burgundy, France. This is our first time to meet our driver Hilde as well. She'll be with us until Florence. |
Just look at all of the incredible art in all of these incredible spaces... The architecture here is so inspiring. It's unbelievable to actually be here.
Tomorrow is France's Independence Day = Bastille Day. As part of the celebration, they're having an air show, which we get to see through this window in the Louvre, it’s awesome...
Not quite as awesome... for our guides... are the shut downs and road closures caused by preparations for tomorrow's parade. They’re throwing off the tour's usual schedule. This causes some extra work for Bea and Saso (but not for us). We no longer coordinate anything. We just accept our already purchased Louvre tickets and jump the lines like we’re VIP. We’re all too busy skipping around in the Louvre admiring priceless and famous works of art to be bothered by logistical nightmares. But it means that after the Louvre we're going to need to hike through the city a bit to get to the bus. The day is hot, but glorious, and most of us are excited about the additional opportunity to see the City of Lights.
Oh Paris- you were amazing. We’ll have to come back and spend weeks and weeks exploring and enjoying the city another time.
Oh Paris- you were amazing. We’ll have to come back and spend weeks and weeks exploring and enjoying the city another time.
Some pictures of our bus and the "facilities" on the bus. Also, since Rick Steves limits the number of tour members on each tour, there's enough room for everyone to get a bench to themselves, if they want it. Some of the kids want to ride together while almost everyone else is spread out in the lap of luxury getting chauffeured around the French countryside.
Our tour guides bought Grace a birthday present, which is just the sweetest gesture. An Eiffel Tower snow globe from Paris. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to her. What an enchanting way to spend your 13th birthday. She was super grateful.
Our tour guides bought Grace a birthday present, which is just the sweetest gesture. An Eiffel Tower snow globe from Paris. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to her. What an enchanting way to spend your 13th birthday. She was super grateful.
It's just a few hours through the French countryside to the Hotel les Grands Chenes in Saint-Fargeau in Burgundy, France. The chateau is so charming, it's a 19th century manor house with about 6 rooms in the main house and a number of little bungalow cabins out back, behind the house. Everyone is ready to spread out, unpack, and relax for two days in the countryside.
We’ve been going non-stop since we landed in London on July 5th- 9 days ago. But even tour members who started in London could use a break. This downtime is a really welcome change from our super-packed schedule.
There's also a laundry on site so we all sign up and take turns using the wash machine and hanging laundry to dry on the line in the warm, lazy afternoon sunshine while most of the group takes advantage of the pool and shaded lounge chairs to relax the afternoon away. An afternoon wine tasting is also on the menu for many of the adults. It’s the perfect setting for it.
We’ve been going non-stop since we landed in London on July 5th- 9 days ago. But even tour members who started in London could use a break. This downtime is a really welcome change from our super-packed schedule.
There's also a laundry on site so we all sign up and take turns using the wash machine and hanging laundry to dry on the line in the warm, lazy afternoon sunshine while most of the group takes advantage of the pool and shaded lounge chairs to relax the afternoon away. An afternoon wine tasting is also on the menu for many of the adults. It’s the perfect setting for it.
I absolutely love everything about this house. It's super quaint from the breakfast area to the sweet rooms. Our room and the girls’ room are in the house on the main floor. There is a glass privacy door that opens onto our main door and then double doors that open onto little balconies, each with a picturesque view of the front lawn and out over the pool and fields beyond. It’s very safe here and very quiet. The last room on the first floor is Jim and Darlene's space and Chris and Lindsey are staying in a bungalow outback, (all 4 of them get to stay together, which they also really enjoy) - It's idyllic.
The kids play all afternoon. Lounging by and playing in the pool is the perfect activity for this kind of heat (it's the most comfortable we've been in days). The tour, in terms of balance between activity and leisure time, and between booked activities and free-time, is very well thought out.
After the wine tasting there’s a cheese course for everyone. And then dinner is made and served by the owners of the chateau; it’s fresh and so delicious.
We’re getting closer to a lot of the tour members and we hang out and chat the afternoon and evening away; a number of us play cards until twilight, laughing and joking until the darkness chases us inside.
After the wine tasting there’s a cheese course for everyone. And then dinner is made and served by the owners of the chateau; it’s fresh and so delicious.
We’re getting closer to a lot of the tour members and we hang out and chat the afternoon and evening away; a number of us play cards until twilight, laughing and joking until the darkness chases us inside.
Just a glorious sunset in the heart of France, with an equally impressive twilight, and so, so many stars. We were warned about mosquitos, but we didn’t have much trouble. I guess we lucked out.
July 15th, Friday
LOOK at what we wake up to!! Birds chirping, sun shining, the still cool morning air and this delightful view. Glorious! It’s Dan's birthday today, July 15th (he and Gracie were almost birthday twins) so we celebrate with him in the morning. He's just as happy about being in France on his birthday as Gracie was.
We do a small family celebration at breakfast- and our guides get Dan a picture of cyclists in France (one of Dan’s favorite hobbies is cycling)- SO thoughtful.
We do a small family celebration at breakfast- and our guides get Dan a picture of cyclists in France (one of Dan’s favorite hobbies is cycling)- SO thoughtful.
After breakfast we have the option to go into the small town of Saint-Fargeau to experience their farmers market (and purchase a picnic lunch for later in the day when we'll be at the site of Guedelon, a medieval castle that is being constructed nearby (using tools and techniques authentic to the period)).
We jumped at the chance, because we want to see the nearby town and because it’s an adventure. What I didn’t know is how much I was going to love the small town of Saint-Fargeau. Everyone spoke only French, which was an amazing experience and it allowed Grace and I to use our VERY limited French vocabulary to communicate. We actually had a few really good conversations; the people were so friendly and gracious. It made Grace really excited to continue with her French classes (and to hopefully return to France one day to continue "practicing.")
I think I loved this village so much because I had no expectations for this place. I have always wanted to see London and Paris, but I just had never spent any time thinking about Saint-Fargeau France. So, I was excited about the whole trip but not necessarily thinking that Saint-Fargeau would be a highlight for me. I was happy to be wrong about that.
If I had been planning my own trip. I would have focused mostly on the most famous cities (which would also have been great), but I find myself super thankful that the tour included a variety of experiences, including a small village in the middle of France.
We jumped at the chance, because we want to see the nearby town and because it’s an adventure. What I didn’t know is how much I was going to love the small town of Saint-Fargeau. Everyone spoke only French, which was an amazing experience and it allowed Grace and I to use our VERY limited French vocabulary to communicate. We actually had a few really good conversations; the people were so friendly and gracious. It made Grace really excited to continue with her French classes (and to hopefully return to France one day to continue "practicing.")
I think I loved this village so much because I had no expectations for this place. I have always wanted to see London and Paris, but I just had never spent any time thinking about Saint-Fargeau France. So, I was excited about the whole trip but not necessarily thinking that Saint-Fargeau would be a highlight for me. I was happy to be wrong about that.
If I had been planning my own trip. I would have focused mostly on the most famous cities (which would also have been great), but I find myself super thankful that the tour included a variety of experiences, including a small village in the middle of France.
Next order of business... Guedelon castle.
"In the heart of France, in northern Burgundy, a team of forty master-builders has taken on the extraordinary challenge of building a castle using the technology and materials of the Middle Ages." www.guedelon.fr/en
When we returned to the chateau they were getting set up for a medieval dinner. There were racks of clothes that tour members could wear. This whole thing was a crack up, the kids especially loved it, but a lot of the adults got really into it as well. A fun opportunity after our day at the castle.
In addition to costumes, there was a medieval theme to the food and minstrels came to the party to serenade us with their authentic outfits and instruments.
Here's the whole crew (minus one individual who tested positive for Covid).
Our fabulous guides Bea and Saso (who join in all of the fun and really seem to love their jobs and these adventures) and our driver Hilde. She might have had the most infectious laugh I've ever heard. She is a great addition to the group and we're glad to have her, and her driving skills, with us.