Five Days On The French Riviera
My First Trip to The Cote d’Azur
On the heels of a very leisurely week of cruising down the Canal du Midi (details found HERE), we proceeded to make our new home of Nice, our base for five days of exploring the famous French Riviera.
Our Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive by train from Aix-en-Provence, check into our Airbnb, and a very rushed visit to the brocante market at the Cours Saleya Market before it closed at 3 PM (phew!).
Day 2 - Explore the Old Town with a local photographer for some couple's photos (we try to do this at least once on every trip), and do some shopping.
Day 3 - Relax! We chose to spend the majority of this day at the beach.
Day 4 - Spend a half-day in the village of Eze and then visited Monte-Carlo, Monaco, followed by a sunset dinner at Le Plongeoir back in Nice.
Day 5 - A Full-day visit to the town of Grasse, where we did a little exploration, took a Fragonard factory tour, and then a perfume workshop.
Day 6 - We had a morning departure flight from the Nice Airport.
Day 1 - Arrival
Travel days are usually stressful, from the dozen checks to make sure you didn’t leave a charger or your favorite face cream in the bathroom at the hotel you’re leaving, the anxiety of getting settled on to whatever form of transport you’re taking, and finally, getting checked-in and settled at your new and unfamiliar home, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on travel days.
With that in mind, even when everything runs smoothly, the potential of things going wrong can often distract you from the fact that you’re on vacation and should be having fun, but maybe that’s just me?
We had made a pit stop of one night in Aix-en-Provence after completing our barge cruise in Beziers and before arriving in Nice. I’ll write a post about that experience later on but since it was just a single night that happened to also be a Sunday, there’s not a ton of information to add, so I’m skipping ahead to our time on the Riviera).
Having taken a morning train from Aix-en-Provence, we arrived at the Nice Ville train station at around 11:30 am, followed by a brisk 15-20 minute walk (luggage in tow) to our Airbnb. After arriving and getting checked in, we once again hit the pavement in search of the Cours Saleya Market at around a little after 1 pm (much to the chagrin of my now hangry husband). Unfortunately, (despite having readily available and accurate information from Google Maps) the distance and time it took for us to traverse this distance were more than expected (30-40 minutes). So, after a nearly sprinting speed walk, we arrived sweaty, nearly out of breath, and with short fuses. To ensure that my husband didn’t combust on me, I elected that he should go get a nice lunch at one of the cafes that encircle the market and that I would dash around the market and check back in with him at the cafe, frequently (I don’t pay for phone service when we travel) to see if he was finished and ready to join me, but that I would try to make the most of the market before it closed (many vendors had already begun to close by the time we arrived).
Day 2 - Exploring Nice
Feeling more ourselves after a night of rest, we rose early to get coffee before our morning photo shoot. I believe that of the reasons to travel to Europe, morning coffee at the many cafes is among the biggest. Fully caffeinated, we met our photographer, who skillfully guided us through Old Town to all the best places, while giving us great ideas for places to return to after we were finished.
Following the conclusion of our self-imposed paparazzi session, we visited several boutiques in search of items on my wish list, which I was ultimately delighted to have found.
Later in the afternoon, after returning to our Airbnb for a little refresher, we made our way to the iconic (and nearby), hotel Negresco, where a couple of our friends were staying. Once there, a member of the hotel staff graciously guided our small group on a tour of the hotel and the extraordinary pieces of art and history that it contains. When the tour concluded in one of the two beautifully appointed bars, we treated ourselves to espresso martinis (the unintentional cocktail of the trip), and then we collectively made our way back to Old Town for an intimate but likely dinner at a Northern Indian restaurant.
Day 3 - Taking A Day Off
It may sound silly to want to take a day off from vacation, but there is real value in not making any plans for at least one day to allow yourself the unnecessary permission to be spontaneous. I have talked at length about this phenomenon in other posts, but being the planner that I am, I need to be reminded of it regularly.
To that end, we slept late on our third day, and after a quick Google search (using our Airbnb wi-fi) of the best brunch spots in Nice still serving food between 11am-noon, we found the jackpot! It so happened to be that one of the top 10 brunch recommendations for Nice, was located between our Airbnb and a private beach where we could rent loungers, so we had solved the question of how we would be spending the rest of our day. This brunch recommendation was named La Femme du Boulanger.
We arrived a short time later at the restaurant and sat down at a charming, but not overly elaborate, patio table at La Femme du Boulanger. We were greeted immediately by our server who gave us water, menus and asked us if we wanted to get started with anything before consulting the menu. We eagerly requested coffee and I (out of habit at this point in the trip) also asked for a pain au chocolate (a chocolate croissant). The waiter, seeming slightly perplexed and perhaps lacking the English vocabulary to respond to my request, assured us that he would be right back and then quickly left our table. Not a minute later, a young woman came to the table (followed closely by a young man in an apron who bolted out onto the street and then down the block), and explained that the restaurant did not have any pain au chocolates but that they sent a boy to the bakery to get one for me, and that our coffee would be ready momentarily. She then exited stage right and was replaced with our primarily French-speaking waiter, coffee in hand.
The story of this pseudo-comical brunch does not end with just ordering a pain au chocolate, however. Shortly after placing our food orders, an elderly gentleman, looking like what one would imagine as an old French country baker (I will refer to him as "bread man"), brought us a basket containing a variety of thick, freshly toasted bread slices, along with a selection of jars filled with different jams and spreads. I want to point out that I am not talking about Wonder Bread slices or store-bought bread rolls from large trays, but rather, honest-to-goodness, country-style loaves of bread. Now, you might be thinking that the significance of this bready detail is not the style of the bread or the variety of the spreads, rather, it is the man who brought it to our table.
After dropping off this perfectly toasted basket of grain goodness, the bread man proceeded to go and visit with other patrons (I assume them to be regulars given his familiarity). Meanwhile, we leisurely sipped our coffees and commented on how appetizing our newly acquired bread basket and spread assortment was, while we patiently waited for the food that we had ordered to arrive which was the wrong thing to do.
After completing his conversations at other tables, the bread man returned to our table and (to his dismay) discovered that we had not yet eaten all of the bread in our basket (he spoke no English, so I wasn’t sure of just how upset he was). He grabbed our basket and hurried inside the restaurant, leaving both my husband and I thoroughly confused by what had just happened. We had no sooner exchanged looks of confusion when we were rejoined by this perplexing Frenchman with a new basket of hot, toasted bread.
“Chaude,” he stated emphatically while placing pieces of the hot bread on each of our plates, making eye contact with each of us as he went, before setting down the new basket and once again leaving the table.
What finally sunk in after reflection and piecing together what french words we knew, were able to understand that he was the owner of the restaurant as well as the bread baker and that he wanted his bread eaten while it was at its best, a.k.a, warm. The bread man returned much later in our meal to make sure that we had eaten more of the bread in the basket, saw that we had, and gave us a big smile and a nod of approval. By the conclusion of this unusual dining experience, we were stuffed full of delicious food (including my pain au chocolate), had smiles on our faces, and even purchased two jars of one of the spreads they had served with the bread.
The rest of our day was spent stretched out on sun-loungers at Ruhl Plage (one of the many private beaches on the promenade des anglais a long the , where we marveled at not just the beautiful azure-colored water, but at how amazingly lucky we were to be there, together, and at that moment, we were full of carbs and truly at peace.
Day 4 - Village Visits & Sunset Dinners
Eze
Rising early, we booked an Uber Van (Uber+ does not exist in France, but they do use vans, which is better for bigger groups anyway) and made our way to the village of Eze. Reachable by car or train, but the train option requires a hike or a cab ride from the train station at the bottom of the hill on which Eze sits, however, we opted for a van so we could be dropped off directly at the village entrance, and therefore save time.
We arrived around 9:30 am before the shops had started to open (which occurs around 11 am), but neither had most of the tourists, providing us (largely) with the place to ourselves.
Contained within this stunningly beautiful medieval village, are two Chateau. Both of these chateaus are beautiful but serve slightly different purposes. The first of these is the Chateau de Eze (popular as a wedding venue), and the second is Chateau de Chevre d'Or (The Golden Goat). The Chateau de Chevre d'Or is a jaw-droppingly beautiful network of hotel rooms within the village walls and has multiple terrace restaurants and cafes (connected to the hotel). Despite being somewhat pricey, it is my opinion, that the cost of grabbing a drink or a meal at one of these cafes justifies the experience. We opted to get coffee and croissants at the cafe which shares the same terrace as the restaurant that serves the hotel guests breakfast.
After the most epic morning coffee ever, it was now after 11 am and the shops had begun to open, as did our wallets. With a wide variety of shops and art galleries, it isn't difficult to find a memorable souvenir at a price point that fits any size budget.
Monte Carlo - Monaco
After a somewhat frustrating series of driver-canceled Uber rides, we eventually made our way from Eze down to Monaco, but unfortunately, I made a major logistical flaw. I had wrongfully assumed that due to the relatively small geographic area of this famously small city-state, everything would be located near each other (which is true), but when our Uber driver asked if we wanted to go to the city center or the upper town, I defaulted to the “city center.” The result of my uninformed decision was us getting dropped off in front of the Monte-Carlo Casino, which is amidst the big brand shops, but not at all close to the cultural center (which is in the upper city).
At the end of the day, if we had more time to explore the area, I might feel differently, but in general, I was "underwhelmed" by Monaco and found it to feel like an expensive shopping mall near the water. The moral of the story (if there is one), is to research exactly where you want to be dropped off in Monaco before you go.
Le Plongeoir
Easily one of the most memorable dining experiences I've ever had occurred at a little restaurant famously perched out over the water, at Le Plongeoir. Unable to make a group reservation for eight adults, we opted to make reservations in groups of two, which worked out perfectly. Afterward, we all agreed that everything from the food and service to the weather and colors of the sunset, was filled with joy, and collectively created an experience that we will all treasure.
Day 5 - Exploring French Perfume in Grasse, France
I’ll write a post with more specifics of this experience, but suffice it to say that this was a highlight of our time on the Riviera. Referencing back to my earlier mention of transportation challenges to some of the inland villages of this region, we again opted to take an Uber van directly to the Fragonard museum (which also happens to be located in the heart of Grasse). Similar to Eze, there is a train that runs from Nice, however, the train station is (as was the case in Eze) located at the bottom of a big hill, which is much easier to walk down, than it is to walk up.
If you choose to visit Grasse and opt to visit a perfumer other than Fragonard, be sure to note the proximity of where they conduct their workshop to that of the old town in Grasse because some of them are closer than others.
In hindsight, I wish we had given ourselves more time just to explore Grasse, which was a warm and charming place with many little shops and cafes I would have loved to have visited, but the length of time it took for us to complete our factory tour and workshop, was longer (by more than an hour) than we had expected. Fortunately, we had enough time to pop into a few of these shops as well as to share the final dinner of the trip, followed by the winding walk down the hill to the train station, where we briefly boarded the wrong train back to Nice. Thankfully, we were corrected by a kindly local we had spoken with on the platform, who, on discovering our error, located us on the train and ushered us back off before the train left the station.
My Top Highlights of The French Riviera
Exploring the various markets held at the Cours Saleya Market in Nice
Breakfast at La Femme du Boulanger in Nice
Our half-day in the village of Eze
Dinner at Le Plongeoir
Our group perfume workshop at Fragonard in Grasse
Did I miss something that you feel should have been added to my “to-do” list during my trip? Add it as a comment below!
Canal Du Midi Cruise Vlog
Follow our experience of cruising on the Canal Du Midi by watching how we spent our time, or you can read more about it Here.
A week cruising from Carcassonne to Beziers.
Two Weeks in Southern France
If you had asked me when I was in my early 20’s what my life would look like at 40, I probably would have painted a very different picture than that of how my life actually looks. Fortunately, I can very honestly say that this newly minted 40 year old has a life that far exceeds the expectations of my younger self.
How We Spent Two Weeks in Southern France
My husband and I are blessed to have multiple friends that, like ourselves, enjoy international travel almost as much as they enjoy celebrating even the smallest of milestones with other members of our circle. It goes without saying, that when I announced my desire to spend my 40th birthday in southern France, everyone was on board.
The 15+ Day Itinerary
*Of the group of eight adults going on this trip, there were a total of 5 different travel itineraries as well as varying departure days, but for the purpose of this post, I will be focusing on my personal travel itinerary.
+MAY 18th - Depart Kansas City, MO USA > Change Planes in Atlanta, Georgia USA > Depart for London, UK
+MAY 19th - Arrive London, UK
+MAY 20th - (Yay, birthday!)
MAY 21st - Depart London, UK > Arrive Toulouse, France > Train from Toulouse to Carcassonne, France
MAY 22nd - Explore Carcassonne
MAY 23rd - Depart Carcassonne for Trebes > Board moored barge in Trebes, France
MAY 24th - Depart Trebes for Marseilette
MAY 25th - Depart Marseilette for Homps
MAY 26th - Depart Homps for Le Somail
MAY 27th - Depart Le Somail for Capestang
MAY 28th - Depart Capestang for Beziers
MAY 29th - Depart Beziers for Colombiers > Depart Barge and take train to Aix-en-Provence, France
MAY 30th - Depart Aix-en-Provence by train for Nice, France
MAY 31st - Photoshoot in Nice
JUNE 1st - Beach Day
JUNE 2nd - Day trip to Eze, Day trip to Monte-Carlo
JUNE 3rd - Day trip to Grasse
JUNE 4th - Depart Nice for London, UK
Highlights of Carcassonne
By far the most exciting fortress I’ve toured in Europe, what really sets this place a part, is the combination of preserved medieval design, and incorporation of modern life within its walls. Anyone can enter this walled fortress and visit the shops, eat at the many restaurants, or stay at the hotels housed in original structures protected by these ancient stone walls. That said, there is a palace contained within this massive complex, which does require a small fee to enter, but it’s absolutely worth paying.
Carcassonne Advice:
Prior to our arrival, I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of food options within the citadel, but there’s a very generous supply of them and a range from sandwich counter, all the way up to Michelin star. If you plant to stay in or near the Narbonne gate entrance of the citadel, you’ll be fine to plan for eating all of your meals inside, so long as you abide the very French business hours.
If you’re arriving by train (as we did), don’t count on easily being able to get a cab or uber, you may need to call a cab company or your hotel to have them send one for you. We chose to walk the mile from the station to our hotel, but it was uphill on poor sidewalks.
With regard to how long you should stay, the absolute minimum should be two nights. I would have really enjoyed staying at least three, but as compared to the rest of our friends who only stayed one night, our experience was MUCH better for having stayed two.
If you want to see a little more of Carcassonne from a personal perspective, you can watch a short video from my recent trip with friends, HERE.
Highlights of Our 7 Day Barge Cruise
Spending a week on a converted barge was never on my bucket list, but it is now the best week of any vacation that I’ve ever had.
Canal Du Midi Cruise Advice:
We traveled from Carcassonne to Beziers (which is a North’ish to South’ish path) for seven days and six nights but after two days on the barge, we wished that we had chosen the 12-day option and continued down through the Camargue region, which our crew said was their favorite stretch of water/landscape.
In general, I don’t have many regrets or things I would do differently, but after having experienced the many water locks on the canal, I'm happy that we chose to book passage on a piloted boat, rather than the much more abundant “self-drive” options.
If you want to see more about the boat we rented, I’ve created a series of videos that document our experiences during our week, as well as our first day on the boat we chartered, HERE, and for a full description of our cruise, you can read more HERE.
Highlights of 5 Days on the French Riviera:
Unlike our barge cruise on the canal, where we visited small rural villages and didn’t encounter many (if any) non-french people when we reached Nice, we found them all. Not to say that anywhere we went was “overrun” with tourists, but it had a distinct tourism-oriented feel to it. The highlights for me were the various markets that operated on different days in Nice, the dining options were out of this world (I particularly enjoyed breakfast at La Femme du Boulangerie and dinner at Le Plongeoir), and the many easy day trips reached from Nice.
Riviera Advice:
Transportation to coastal towns is super simple with the train, however, if you want to venture inland at all, things get a little more complicated, a little more sparse, and a little more expensive. We primarily used Uber for anything inland, but took the train for all coastal destinations.
The village of Eze was an absolute highlight of our time on the Riviera, and despite it being a little pricey, I would suggest trying to spend one night there.
In terms of disappointments, Monaco was a real letdown for me…I don’t know exactly what I expected, and perhaps if I had more than just a few hours, I may have seen something to change my mind, but in general, it felt very much like an expensive shopping mall and was devoid of any real character. If you’re at all limited on time, skip visiting Monaco.
My favorite organized activity was our day trip to Grasse, where we did a workshop at the Fragonard perfumery. I agonized over which Perfumery to reserve a workshop through, but am SO glad I booked the one at Fragonard. I’ll write a separate post about that experience.
If you want to watch some of what we experienced in each of the places mentioned here, you can view a video I put together HERE.
Questions about something you saw here or just want to chat all things “Nice?” Leave me a comment below!
Carcassonne France Vlog
Follow a long as we visit Carcassonne, France!
3 Days in Carcassone.
Birthday Cruise on The Canal-Du-Midi
If the past few years have taught me anything, it’s to treasure the value of reaching milestones. Far too many milestones missed their moments in the sun due to the pandemic, and despite being a bit of an introvert, the significance did not escape my notice. To that end, there’s no occasion quite like turning 40, to take a trip and to share that experience with friends, so it is with this in mind that I planned our recent trip to southern France.
The Canal Du Midi
If you’re never heard of it, I (nor any French person) am totally not surprised, but this gem of a UNESCO site should go on your exploration list. Built during later half of the 17th century, this marvel of a man-made ingenuity, links the Atlantic ocean to that of the Mediterranean, through a series of locks and water bridges that is not only beautiful, but also caught the attention of one Thomas Jefferson, while he was serving as the newly minted United States envoy to France.
River Vs. Canal Cruise
I’ll be the first person to admit that the idea of a “cruise” elicits very different feelings and mental images for people. I, for one, have no desire to spend my precious vacation time trapped on a floating city at sea, with a bunch of people that consider a three hour excursion to a port town, a cultural experience. However, I’m NOTORIOUSLY judgy, so ignore me, and lean into the concept that getting out of the house is better than nothing at all.
That said, outside of ocean-liners, there are those amazing river cruises that we advertised on television, which seem like the perfect opposite of the aforementioned travel nightmares, at least until you go to book one. Most cruises, ocean or otherwise, are basically all inclusive style resorts, but on the water. You can expect to pay upwards of $2000 or more (much, much more), per person, for a week. If the money isn’t a deal-breaker, you can expect a romantic vacation on the water and you have my envy. However, if you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend, or you feel like this option might still be a little too “manufactured,” a canal cruise might be just the ticket for you!
Canals are man-made waterways for the purpose of transporting goods from city to city within a country (think of them as a water highway). Largely out of service for their original purpose, canals are now a lovely way for people to leisurely travel at a much slower pace. In fact, many of the barges which are now retired from service as cargo boats, have gotten a new lease on life as small cruise ships, and when I say “small,” I mean small. For reference, a river cruise may have anywhere from 50 to 200 passengers, but a canal cruise would be a maximum of roughly 20.
So, if you’re looking to unplug and relax, but still want to spend the majority of your time off of the boat, a canal cruise is the perfect balance, and comes in a wide array of options from “self-drive,” all the way up to luxury excursion.
Before it retired and became a cruise ship, this is what the boat we took looked like while it still hauled grain.
A Seven Day Barge Cruise on The Canal Du Midi
If you’re still reading this lengthy post, good job, you finally made it to the reason why you probably clicked on this post, to begin with.
My experience while researching this trip, was that helpful reviews of french canal travel were in short supply, and even fewer were available from English speakers or fellow Americans. Adding fuel to my research frustration (where advice was concerned), where the sheer number of people I encountered that attempted to assist me with second-hand accounts of the "canal" trips that their friends had taken, not realizing that they didn't understand the difference between a river and a canal.
First and foremost, the experiences and bodies of water are different... full stop.
Another worry I had before this trip was my concern about the looming threat of water-induced nausea. I (like many) suffer from the dreaded travel curse of motion sickness. Motion sickness in the car, sickness on the water, and sickness in the air, which I’ve largely learned how to mitigate for the short duration of time in which conditions may aggravate my symptoms, but a multi-day water excursion made me nervous. The possibility of feeling nauseated for a week, or sleeping away the majority of a week (due to side effects of motion sickness medication), was a HUGE deterrent, for me, toward any water-borne adventure that had been proposed in the past, but this trip felt different. Ultimately, I chose to gamble that the proximity to land afforded by being in a small canal on a very large boat would help me find my sea legs, and fortunately, the bet paid off. Not a single moment was spent nauseated, and absolutely nothing on the barge had to be secured for movement.
I can’t speak for every kind of boat on the canal, but those converted barges are wide, heavy, and going nowhere fast, so in the words of our captain (who spoke very little English) regarding the movement of our boat, “she is big, but she is heavy,” and I'm inclined to agree.
Day 1 of 7 - Boarding in Trebes, France
After spending a few days in Carcassonne, we took cabs the short distance to the nearby canal port town of Trebes. Charming, with a small entertainment district facing the water, Trebes is also a hub for the very popular boat rental company, LocaBoat. Equipped with modest amenities such as a decently sized grocery store, Trebes also served as our meetup point to board Le Haricot Noir. Family-owned, this boat is not part of a fleet and is not managed by any large rental company, it’s lovingly cared for and maintained by the daughter of the couple that converted it from a grain barge in the 1970s, into what it is today (take a video tour HERE.
The cruise option we had selected for our week-long journey on the canal was that of self-catering. We would have a captain and a deckhand for navigation, but we were on our own for meals. I (being a bit of a cook) was very much up in arms about not knowing what the kitchen would be like or what our options at the grocery store would be before boarding, so I hope this helps you.
The market was great and we found everything we would need there, so don’t worry about that. We purchased all of our basic supplies, plus salmon and wine, and brought everything on board with us. The kitchen was chef ready with everything necessary. The fridge is large, a more than adequate freezer, dishwasher, coffee maker, oven, and stove, not to mention pots, pans, and even a mixer!
We were a party of eight adults (four couples), so we only needed four of the six bedrooms and had plenty of space to spread out in the 90-footlong barge but it still didn’t take us long to get unpacked and settled in after our initial orientation upon boarding the ship during the late afternoon. After boarding, we did just a very short stint of navigation on the canal, to get through the three locks (known as an “eccluse” in French) before they shut down for the day, after which we moored at the edge of Trebes and then got back off of the boat to walk into the village for dinner that evening.
Day 2 of 7 - Trebes to Marseilette, France
Our first full day on the boat was cool and rainy, but the excitement of being at the start of our journey prevented our spirits from being dampened by the weather. The crew began navigating us shortly after breakfast, and we made our way to the tiny village of Marseilette, which while being cute, is very small. It appears to have had other shops at some point that were now vacant, but it still had a scenic cemetery, a village church with excellent views over the countryside, a little tiny little convenience shop, and one cafe/tavern/restaurant. We did a quick walk around, ate lunch at the cafe, and then spent the rest of the day on our warm and cozy boat as we chugged toward our end destination for the day. Meanwhile, below deck, we cooked a family-style dinner and toasted my birthday in our pajama pants on a boat in France… I’ll treasure that memory forever.
Day 3 of 7 - Marseilette to Homps, France
The navigation pace of the previous day had been rigorous to ensure our arrival in Homps by 2 pm (not easy to do on a boat as it turns out), because I had made reservations for a cab, and a photography team, to meet us at the marina and then to travel to a nearby town for a wine tasting. Fortunately, the sun was out and everything ran like clockwork.
(I’ll discuss the winery experience in a separate post.)
Sadly, our time in the actual town of Homps was super limited, which was unfortunate because, by all observable evidence, Homps is a charming town with multiple restaurants and other amenities.
Day 4 of 7 - Homps to Le Somail, France
With the most highly planned scheduled day of our trip now behind us, we determined to soak up every last ounce of relaxation that the canal had to offer us. Despite my insistence on being the first of our group to rise each morning, sipping hot coffee and eating a croissant on the top deck of the boat as the crew started the motor and once again resumed navigating us down the canal, was a truly zen-like experience for me. On our fourth day, however, we arrived in the postcard-perfect village of Le Somail. This village has art galleries, boutiques, an AMAZING used book store, and charm coming out of every nook and cranny. We decided to take the recommendation of our crew, however and did a tour of a nearby olive cooperative (which we enjoyed much more than we expected to) and we’re so glad that they suggested it to us. Also in this town, is a small, floating, market barge, on which we placed an order for croissants to be collected the next morning (as is the case with many of the markets in the small towns, bread must be ordered a day in advance). That evening, we had a very lively dinner at a restaurant in town, followed by more late-night shenanigans on the boat.
Day 5 of 7 - Le Somail to Capestang
After collecting our croissant order from the grocery barge, we once again fired up the engines and continued on our journey down the canal. We passed through the final lock that we would encounter during our cruise (a bittersweet reality), which also afforded us the chance to try our hand at the captain's wheel. I was the only soul brave enough to give it a go, but the result was a newly found appreciation for the job that our captain performs. Our deckhand, Estelle, when not working on other barges, lives on a converted barge that she owns with her husband and their two children, which was moored right outside of Capestang (her husband was on their top deck as we passed and greeted us and his wife as we passed). Capestang is a town much larger than any of the other villages we had encountered in days past and was also much less focused on the canal as a revenue source. We enjoyed the more lively “city” feel, however, we were there over a holiday in which most shops were closed. Again on the recommendation of our crew, we visited a restaurant that did not disappoint, although we did get lost in the dark while attempting to make our way back to the boat later that evening. A challenge of mooring in a different place every day is that you never get the opportunity to familiarize yourself with where your home base can be found.
Day 6 of 7 - Capestang to Beziers through the Malpas Tunnel
Today, we passed through the Malpas tunnel, which is a marvelous feat of engineering, but was more than a little nerve-wracking. The tunnel was blasted through solid rock and allows only a single ship at a time to pass. Fortunately for us, all smaller boats must give way to allow larger boats the priority, but it can be difficult to see who might already be in the tunnel when you approach it. After a brief sojourn off of the boat on the other side of the canal, we continued to Beziers. By far the biggest city we encountered, Beziers was both exciting and a little overwhelming given the size and with a much more ethnically diverse population than any other place we had encountered on the canal to that point. After the boat was moored, we marveled at the Fonseranes locks, which are a series of 9 locks that our poor crew would have had to traverse if we had opted for the longer 12-day cruise option. While some of our party utilized the e-bikes available to us on the boat, half of us opted to trek to the highest point of the city, where we toured the cathedral and then mused over our regret at having not rented the bikes as we sipped cold beers at a small cafe. Eventually, we arrived back at the boat and then made our way to a nearby restaurant for the final dinner of our week-long cruise.
Day 7 of 7 - Beziers to Colombiers, France
The final morning was a rush of packing as we traveled back a short distance to a small port town that we had passed the previous day. Let me tell you, the experience of this barge needing to turn around was no small task and one which many passersby also chose to stop and watch. Eventually, however, we covered the short distance and then were whisked off the boat as the dock would not allow us to stay but for just a very short time. We were deeply saddened at our choice to have booked the seven-day cruise because none of us was ready to leave. The experience of having spent a week on this boat, with this crew, with these friends, was truly the most fun travel experience I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing.
Questions about something I didn’t cover, or questions about something you want more details about? Leave me a comment below!
Foods To Try and Souveniers To Buy in Austria
What To Try
Austria is famous for a lot of reasons other than music in the hills, and here’s a short list of a few of the tasty treats you’ll not want to miss!
Here Are The Top 5 Foods You Must Try In Austria
The Sacher Torte
This chocolate ganache torte, is available all over Austria, but in my opinion, is best had at the Sacher Hotel in Vienna.
2. Buchteln (sweet yeast buns)
There’s a little variety in the way these are made, but are typically very soft pillowy buns served with a vanilla custard sauce.
3. Kaiserschmarrn (Scrambled Pancake)
I’m sure that it sounds weird, but this dessert has the texture of an eggy crepe, and is oh so good!
4. Punschkrapfen (rum soaked cakes)
This little cuties come in a variety of mouth-watering fillings that are all easy on the eyes.
5. Wiener Würstel
Leave all of your preconceived notions of hotdogs and sausages at the door, because it’s a whole other ballgame in Austria. The variety of sausage in profound, and possibly even more mind blowing than the meat offerings, is the bread they put it in. There is basically no similarity between what we call a “bun” and the perfection of toasted loaf, that they use. I ordered a chicken sausage, and what I saw was shocking… the cook grabbed what looked to be an entire loaf of uncut bread, shoved it down on what looked like a hole punch, and then shoved the condiments and sausage down the newly made bread tunnel. Each and every bite was heaven.
Souvenirs To Buy In Austria
The philosophy of what to purchase will differ from person to person, and I would never encourage anyone to buy things they don’t need or necessarily want. However, the criteria that I attempt to follow when making my souvenir purchases are as follows:
Is the item actually from the place I’m visiting (i.e. is this made in China and intended as a cheap souvenir)?
Can I purchase the same item back home, or is it unique to the area (i.e. is it commonly available back home due to export?).
Is this something I can use or display?
What We Purchased in Austria and What I Wish We Hadn’t
As mentioned above, we try to stick to a limited list of criteria when making purchases, but sometimes you can still get swept up in the vacation frenzy might result in you lugging home a few things that don’t.
What We Bought And Love
Holiday Decorations - Christmas and the decorations that go with it are on a level that I had not previously experienced. It seemed to me that every surface of Austria (both indoor and outdoor), was adorned with beautiful ornaments or garlands, most of which were natural (organic matter) and handmade in Austria or at least within Europe. I purchased several of these natural wall garlands and can not wait to display them this coming year.
Market mugs - Many outdoor festivals offer reusable mugs from the drink vendors that are filled with your beverage of choice for a flat fee (which includes a deposit for the mug itself), and are refundable upon return of the mug, or keep it as a souvenir. We opted to keep two of these mugs for this exact reason.
Books - I typically make it a point to purchase a “classic” children’s book from each country we visit in either the language of the area or translated to English. In this case, I purchased an English translation of classic Austrian fables.
Cultural Outfit - This one is controversial for several reasons and could easily be placed on the "love" or "hate" list, depending on how you approach it. However, in our case, it’s also important to note the cross-cultural significance of the traditional outfit of both Austria and Germany, which is also the cultural background of both my husband and myself. Further, "costume" versus "quality" construction also impacts the value of making a cultural outfit purchase. My husband and I each opted to make these purchases but with differing reasons behind our choices.
Art - We always purchase at least one piece of art from each country we visit because art is typically going to be of a flat, paper, or fabric item making it easy to transport. Bonus is that art is something that we can see and enjoy long after we have returned home from said trip. On this occasion, we purchased a watercolor cityscape of Salzburg.
What I Wish We Had NOT Purchased
I'm happy to report that the list of regrets is short but still worth mentioning as a mental note for next time.
Novelty signage - Frankly, I’m still surprised that we made this purchase, but in hindsight, I think we were both missing our dog when we fell victim to this cliche. One particular day, we came across a souvenir vendor selling novelty signage of Cocker Spaniel dogs with German language sayings printed on them. These signs were mass-produced, heat transfer signs (It will never be hung on our wall at home), and while we should have enjoyed the giggle and saved our money, at that moment, we somehow decided to purchase one (plants palm on face).
Novelty liquor - I’m sure you’ve seen them in gift shops, novelty-shaped bottles of people or buildings filled with generic whiskey or vodka, or who knows what. The ONLY time these expensive little bottles are appropriate to purchase is when it’s a gift shop for someplace that makes the liquor or the bottle it comes in. PERIOD, full-stop. To haul liquid in any quantity across the ocean to give to someone that wasn’t on the trip is a waste of luggage space because the liquor will not be good, and the gift is not personal. Save your money, save your luggage space, and let them go and have their own experience of the place.
Did I miss something that you think should have been on this list? Leave it in the comments below!
Three Days in Vienna Austria
How we spent three days in Vienna.
Relax and enjoy!
Congratulations on your choice to visit Vienna, it’s truly one of the brightest stars in the jewel box of European cities. Rich in culture, it also has clean streets, robust public transit, museums, and parks, saying nothing of the shopping and culinary scene.
For better or for worse, Vienna was the last stop of our Austria trip, which also fell during an Austrian post-new year holiday (like our labor-day), in which all but just dining and medical services were closed. Our short stay, being further constrained by the holiday observation, we consolidated our activities into just a day and a half (due to our first day also being a travel day). That said, not being able to fill every moment of your time with activities doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Three Days in Vienna
We arrived in Vienna after dark and while the train station was not very far from our hotel, our google maps directions had us walk through a park that was not lit, making the walk feel much longer and more treacherous. It wasn’t until the next day when we realized how unnecessary this route had been, and the walking distance that the route had “saved” us, was shockingly minimal.
Day Two -
For our first full day, our options for activity were limited but also a welcome opportunity for alternative options. The hotel at which we were staying, for example, offered a day spa with all the premium options one would expect. My husband is never one to turn down a massage and opted to spend a few hours enjoying their treatments and amenities, while I, on the other hand, chose a different route. After making some inquiries, I discovered a bookstore at the train station we had arrived in the night before, was open despite the holiday, so I decided to make my way there in search of children’s books to add to my collection.
In addition to my book hunt, I also made it a point to stop at a restaurant to try one of the many desserts that Austria is famous for. That evening, we ventured out of our hotel and walked around the elaborately lit and still festively decorated central 1st District (Innere Stadt). The shops were all closed, but we were delighted to get sausages from one of the many semi-permanent würstel stands, which we enjoyed immensely. We were also thrilled to discover, that a holiday market that was operational next to St. Stephan’s Cathedral, where I was able to purchase a locally made beanie from one of the purveyors, which I happily donned, due to it being much colder in Vienna than it had been during the rest of our trip.
Day Three -
Being our final full day and our only day on which to visit any museums or shops, we decided to prioritize just three things. The first was a visit to the Sacher Hotel Cafe, to try the famous torte bearing their name, which I had been anticipating for the entirety of our trip. The second priority was a visit to the private apartments of the Hapsburg royal family at the Hofburg Palace (otherwise known as the Sisi museum). Lastly, it was a priority for Sam to find a pair of shoes not available in the United States, but also in his larger-than-average size, which eventually caused us to visit multiple shoe stores. Ultimately, completing each of these items filled our day to the brim, but fortunately, culminated in a lovely dinner at one of the excellent restaurants back at our hotel, followed by cocktails at a pop-up bar on the rooftop.
In Summary
Vienna was very cosmopolitan, elegant, and full of things we didn’t get the chance to see or do. Fortunately, Vienna is well located in terms of serving as a jumping-off point for visiting that region of Europe, so we can envision many reasons to visit again in the future. In general, this city is a MUST SEE!
Relax in Hallstatt Austria
A Romantic Mountain Escape
When you’re short on time, it can be challenging to know in advance, where you will want to spend more time at places you’ve never been previously. Sometimes, the places that you think will be fun, aren’t, and sometimes the places you think you’ll get bored, surprise you. There was never a doubt in my mind that we wouldn’t enjoy the scenery of Hallstatt, but with it being so small and our overall trip to Austria so short, I gambled on the conservative side of spending just two days and a single night. Sadly, Hallstatt won the bet and we had to leave before we were ready, but for those reading this, feel free to make a better choice and stay a little longer.
Two Days in Hallstatt
Day One - We arrived in Hallstatt at around mid-day, got checked into our hotel, had a late lunch on the balcony of our room, and then did a preliminary walk around the main shopping area before everything closed for the evening, and then it was dinner and bed.
Day Two - Showers, breakfast, photo shoot, checkout, and then it was off to Vienna.
As a general rule of thumb, anytime you’re extremely limited on time in a place that you want to see as much out of as possible, take a tour from a local, it has been my experience that it doesn’t even really matter what kind of tour it is because the guides will be able to provide you with valuable information that you wouldn’t otherwise have as a tourist just breezing through. My husband and I love to have photos taken in the more picturesque places that we visit, and for us, our photo session was also a walking tour and historical education from the point of view of someone who had grown up there. In just an hour and a half, we were ushered around the town to the most iconic places it had to offer, all while learning the historical and cultural highlights of the place. At the end of our tour, we were armed not just with amazing photographic souvenirs, but also tips on shops and stops we should make, the information and navigation of which saved us valuable time due to the shortness of our stay.
Getting There
There are a couple of ways to get to the remote lake town of Hallstatt, but only one of these options will add to your overall experience. The first of these options is by bus or car, which will take you directly into Hallstatt, but if you’re willing to take on a little bit more of a hike, the other way with usher you into Hallstatt in an unforgettable manner.
Take the train to Hallstatt
From Salzburg, we boarded a morning train bound for Lake Hallstatt with only a general understanding of what might happen when we arrived at the end of our journey. The Hallstatt station is an unmanned platform across the lake from the actual town, where you then must board a ferry (at an additional cost) to reach Hallstatt. The ferry is called the Stephanie boat, and the schedule is synced with the train, so there's no need to swim for it. Be sure to have euros as the tickets must be purchased at the boat and the cost can fluctuate depending on the season, but two roundtrip tickets (for my husband and me) cost us about 21 euros.
Where to Stay
Hallstatt is very small and terraced (meaning that it expands up a hill with no roads), so while the distance from the city center is not a concern you should have, you need to keep in mind your uphill climb for possibly more cost-effective accommodations.
We lucked out HARD with our little hotel because the photos online didn’t do it justice. Located lakefront (the easiest walking level), there was a rustic charm on a scale that American boutique hotels can only aspire to (due to the relatively “new” nature of even the most historical of our structures in the US). Having a “higgledy-piggledy” floor plan, resulting from the connection of rooms and hallways of no fewer than three former salt processing homes, gave this hotel a unique character that would be nearly impossible to replicate.
What was this charming architectural wonder you ask? The Bräugasthof Hallstatt Hotel was also where we ate most of our meals due to most local restaurants in town (most of which are also attached to small hotels) were only offering service to their guests (I’ll come back to this detail). Fortunately, the vibe at the restaurant at our hotel was wonderful, the food was great, and the location couldn’t have been better.
Don’t expect a five-star luxury hotel, but I’ll make a case for places like this being even better. Very comfortable, this is a charming experience that you’ll never get at a more polished establishment. The guest's “front desk” was merely a chalkboard with guest's surnames and room numbers alongside skeleton keys hanging on hooks. Emphasizing the “story-worthy” nature of our stay, was an exchange I had while sitting in the lobby waiting for my husband. An elderly woman came near to where I was sitting and was watering the plants (given the seemingly small staff at the hotel, I made some assumptions about it being a family-run place and then extended that assumption to her) and I asked her if she was the owner of the hotel, she replied (in very broken English) that she was, “the grandmother of all,” made a sweeping motion with her hand, smiled, and then went about her business, I asked no further questions.
Why Visit
As I mentioned earlier in this post, restaurant service was limited to guests staying at the adjoining hotels, and it’s important to note the time at which we visited. Due to the ever-evolving travel restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, Austria had just lifted a total ban on tourism just days prior t our arrival. For that reason, the number of tourism-based services was very low in an already very small town. That said, our guide informed us that in “normal times,” it’s not uncommon for this town of just 800 residents, to see thousands of visitors per day and that those visitors would often have to wait for hours in a queue to take pictures in the most iconic locations. Fortunately for us, while much was closed, we had no competition for views or service.
Everything about Hallstatt is charming; the swans on the lake, snow-capped mountain peaks, historic landmarks, and romantic vistas make for a dreamy escape from all the trappings of modern life. Take a visit to the Salt-Mine, or ice cave, or perhaps meander your way through the winding paths through town to visit the unique cemetery (with an even more interesting burial practice), or tour one of the two beautiful churches. No matter your plan, Hallstatt is a transporting place to spend time as a restful escape or romantic interlude.
Visiting Biel Bienne Switzerland
The Tale of A Speedmaster Wristwatch
In 1972, a man from rural Kansas traveled to Geneva Switzerland, and purchased an unusual timepiece. The Speedmaster Mark 3 wristwatch was worn nearly daily for 40+ years and was a prized possession for many-many years. Sadly, the day came when the watch no longer worked due to the many years of heavy use, and the owner himself passed away. However, that was not the end of the story for this particular watch.
Visiting Biel /Bienne Switzerland
As mentioned in a previous post, we planned our time in Switzerland very conservatively and kept the delivery of the watch as our primary purpose for our limited time there. To that end, on our first morning waking up in Europe, we ate a quick breakfast in our hotel (and grabbed a couple of ham croissants in a ziplock that I keep in my purse) and then raced off to the train station to make our way to Biel Bienne.
A fun fact about Biel/Bienne is that due to the heavy influence of both German and French in the country, this town adopted both the German and French names for the town.
Omega Watch Headquarters
My husband was very close with his grandfather and loved him dearly, so when his grandfather's broken watch made its way into his possession, it was once again a treasured item for the man that possessed it, which served as the primary inspiration behind the planning of a trip to where the story began.
The watch had previously been taken to a luxury jeweler and watch seller for an estimate of what may be required to refurbish the timepiece, which is when it was discovered that the watch would have to be sent (by any jeweler/dealer) back to the manufacturer in Switzerland. Knowing that the watch would have to travel to Switzerland no matter what, I took it upon myself to contact the manufacturer myself and inquire as to the process of hand delivering the watch for repair. Fortunately, the Omega watch organization responded quickly and provided me with the appropriate route to take in which this handoff could occur.
The Omega Watch Museum
The museum which is also located at the headquarters is free to tour and interesting even to those that don’t necessarily consider themselves “watch people.”
Two Days in Zurich Switzerland
How We Maximized 50 Hours
There’s a delicate line to be found between “over-scheduled” and “maximized opportunity,” and I’m the queen of erring on the less desirable side of the two. It never fails that when I start planning a trip, I find far too many “once in a life-time” or “not to be missed” opportunities in one too many destinations to squeeze into a single trip, but how do you decide what to skip?!
Planning with Purpose
Whether you intentionally plan trips with a “purpose” or not, everyone does. For some, the purpose is simply to fulfill a vision of sleeping in, discovering what’s in a city as you walk past it, or to simply get a tan. There’s nothing wrong with simple plans like the above, and in fact, it makes it easier to demonstrate the following construct of purpose driven trip planning.
Example. If your goal for a trip is to simply wear sandals and get a tan on the beach, then some things to consider with this goal in mind, might be the following:
What’s the weather like at the time of year that you’re considering a visit to this destination?
How much time do you need to take to accomplish your tan?
If you’re traveling with a partner or friend, are your goals for the trip perfectly in sync, or does one of you desire to take a day to go shopping or take a tour, or both?
The moral of the story, is that trip activities can quickly runaway with you and at the end of it, you might leave without having felt like you got the tan that you wanted.
Our Purpose for Switzerland
Like many, my husband was unable to celebrate a milestone during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the way he would have wished. In this case, his 40th birthday had always been a birthday that we intended to celebrate abroad, but international travel in January of 2021, was not in the cards. However, things had improved by December of 2021 and we decided to take our chances and brave a trip to Europe.
What I’ve seen of Europe has all been amazing which can make it difficult to choose a single destination out of the many diverse locations available. However, I thought that this trip might be better spent focusing on things relevant to my husband, and in this vein, I thought it the perfect opportunity for a mini pilgrimage. A few years prior, he had inherited a wristwatch from his grandfather after his passing. The watch no longer worked, but was a luxury timepiece which his grandfather had himself purchased in Switzerland in the early 1970’s. Ding, ding, ding… light-bulb moment!
I contacted the manufacturing headquarters of the watch brand (located in Switzerland) and asked if we would be allowed to physically deliver the watch back to them for repair, rather than simply taking it to a local jeweler/dealer and having them ship it to Switzerland on our behalf. Fortunately, they said yes, and that they would ship it back to us when the work was completed.
With the central activity of our trip established, the rest of our adventure could unfold much more easily now knowing what we needed to work around. Ultimately, we decided to limit our time in Switzerland, and to focus solely on the delivery of the watch to the factory, then we would border hop to Austria in time for New Years Eve in Salzburg. The way this worked out was thus:
Depart USA December 28th
Arrive in Zurich Switzerland (approximately 9 AM) December 29th
Take a 2 hour - Old Town Zurich, cultural walking tour, starting at 2 PM December 29th
Depart via train to Biel/Bien Switzerland, 10 AM December 30th (location of the manufacture)
Deliver the watch to the factory
Return via train to Zurich, 3 PM December 30th
Depart via train to Salzburg Austria 11 AM, December 31st
If you do the math, we spent VERY little time in Zurich, but it was long enough to make the following observations:
Zurich is beautiful - Super clean, beautiful buildings, lots of greenery despite being very urban and cosmopolitan… hell, even the people are pretty!
Zurich is extremely expensive! I expected it to be high, but my expectation of high cost was wrong by about half. Our first evening there, we ate dinner at a vegetarian salad-bar and drank hot tea with our self-served meals, and it cost roughly $75 for the two of us. You’ve been warned.
It’s hard for me to know what the impact of COVID-19 may have had on the operational hours of the retail industry at the time we were there, but everything that wasn’t a restaurant or bar, would close by 6 pm, which made for an extremely harrowing experience trying to purchase a box of Swiss chocolates for my mother in-law before we left. Had I known that the hours would have been so limited, I would have arranged my shopping time differently in our schedule.
In summary, I probably wouldn’t go back to Zurich outside of just using the airport, it was just too expensive for me to enjoy. However, knowing what the prices in areas outside of the city are like, and knowing how beautiful the country is, I would 100% go see more of Switzerland.
My experience traveling to Europe during a pandemic
International travel during a pandemic
A return to travel
The last couple of years have been stressful and for us, travel bugs, being stuck at home was a special kind of hell. Fortunately, with cases declining and countries starting to encourage tourism, travel planning can now resume, but with more than a few hiccups to be expected.
Travel Requirements - December 2021
We decided to follow through with our first international trip since the start of the pandemic, in late December of 2021, by traveling first to Switzerland and then to Austria to celebrate the New Year.
With travel regulations changing almost daily, please be aware that these requirements will likely have changed by the writing of this post.
Documentation Requirements for our journey:
Full-Vaccination (meaning at least two doses of an EU recognized vaccine)
VeriFly App (various similar apps exist, be sure to check with our airline for their preferred app) - Travel guidelines as required by the airlines and must be completed before arrival at the airport
GreenPass App - Entry requirements for Switzerland must be completed before exiting the country of origin (in our case, the USA)
Covid Cert App - Very similar to the GreenPass app but is the application of choice to apply for clearance via the EU government.
The Process
The trickiest part of this entire application process is paying attention to the time requirements associated with the submissions. Foundational to the entry into Switzerland or the EU is having a negative COVID test taken within the time frame assigned by their entry requirements (I can't stress this enough). With this in mind, elapsed the time between taking either a PCR or a rapid antigen test and the time you receive the results does impact your ability to request permission via the above applications.
Our experience
We were scheduled to depart from Kansas City on December 28th at 7:30 AM, assuming that getting our negative COVID test results would be a non-issue even after Christmas. We had not anticipated the surge of testing that would be done and result in significant testing backlogs across the whole country.
Like everyone else (apparently), we went out first thing on the morning after Christmas and underwent PCR tests that would meet the 72-hour qualification window for our Swiss entry applications (whereas rapid antigen tests could only be 24 hours old at the time of arrival at our destination). We followed up our morning tests with another set of PCR tests at a different pharmacy chain later on that same day (both chains suggested an average 24-hour turnaround time for results).
By the following day, December 27th, we still had not received results from either of our tests the previous day, and we were beginning to sweat. We had to provide negative test results within a narrow window of time to finish our applications for entry into Switzerland, and we were rapidly running out of it.
We decided to take yet another set of PCR tests but in another city, thinking that they would maybe be using a different testing lab to process results. However, by the late afternoon of December 27th, we still had zero results back from any of our tests, which forced us to take our least ideal test option and get rapid antigen tests.
The reason this was not ideal, is that rapid antigen results taken on the 27th would only be good enough to get us from our home airport to that of our connecting airport before their 24-hour viability would be reached, meaning that they would not qualify as valid results for our Swiss entrance applications.
With this new plan looking like our best option, we decided to use rapid test results to get us onto our first flight from Kansas City, and then get another rapid test inside our connecting airport, thereby giving us a fresh 24-hour window of result validity time to complete our Swiss entry applications. We would then cross our fingers that they would be received and approval issued during the remaining portion of our layover so that we would know before takeoff if we would be allowed to enter Switzerland when we landed.
Fortunately, my husband received his results from the very first PCR test (taken on the morning of December 26th), at around 11 pm on December 27th. This result allowed him to both submit, and receive, his Swiss entry approval as designed (before departure). I, however, was still very much stuck with the previously mentioned "less than ideal" scenario, but at least we would now only have to pay for one rapid test at the clinic inside our connecting airport ($160 per test!).
With the mission of getting my second test and entry application completed, we hit the ground running as soon as we arrived at our connecting airport the next day. We ran (luggage in tow) to the testing center, got me tested, and began my entry application with my new test results 30 minutes later.
For the next two hours, I worked to stave off a panic attack while waiting to receive the results of my entry application while we waited at our gate, which fortunately came with time to spare, but with the addition of a few new gray hairs.
Travel between countries
Since Switzerland is not part of the EU, this means that we had to jump through another entry hoop for traveling from Switzerland to our next destination, Austria. Fortunately, most of Europe all uses a digital vaccination passport system which made the barrier of entry MUCH easier since we could use the digitally issued approval from Switzerland to apply for our digital application to the EU. It only took a few minutes to complete this process.
Showing proof of vaccination
At the time of our trip, you were required to be double-masked and show proof of vaccination to do just about anything other than standing outside, and in some cases, you still had to show proof to be at some outdoor venues. Fortunately, the EU and Swiss apps both issue you a QR code that is accepted for this purpose and utilizes the vaccination information you provided during your initial application for entry. Alternatively, in most instances in which we had to provide proof, our paper vaccination cards issued by the CDC, also worked without any problem. To be clear, we were using double-sided copies of our original cards that we had laminated.
The journey home
In our final COVID-related hoop, we needed to receive negative tests no more than 24 hours before returning to the US. Considering how difficult it had been to accomplish this task on our outbound journey, we were very stressed about navigating it from a foreign country. Fortunately, this task was made much easier for our return due to the test results being timed to our departure, rather than when we would arrive at the border.
Additionally, Austria had a much more robust testing network in place and our hotel concierge simply directed us to one of the MANY walk-in testing centers located around Vienna. We needed only to show our passports and received free, rapid tests, followed by results within fifteen minutes.
Lessons learned
Have a supply of rapid antigen tests at home which are recognized by governing bodies, so that we don’t run into issues like this again.
Per the above, be sure to regularly check the expiration dates for these tests to ensure that the results will be accepted at the time you need to use them. The “use by” date will be printed on the box.
In Summary
I’m sure the burning question in your mind, is “was it worth it?” I can honestly say without a moment's hesitation that it was! As with anything else in life, fear of the unknown and situations you have never experienced before can be very stressful, but we both grew from this experience and earned some “travel cred” in the process.
An unexpected bonus of traveling during a pandemic is that there were significantly fewer tourists that we had to compete with at all of our destinations, which made our time extra special while there. Five stars would repeat this trip.
Experience New Year’s Eve In Austria
Visit Europe This Winter!
Traveling with winter coats, bulky sweaters, and practical footwear for wet weather can be a chore, or it can be an opportunity. Having recently returned from my first trip abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as my first time traveling to a cold climate during the winter season, I’ve compiled some of the helpful tips and tricks I learned along the way.
Before you go…
With regulations changing nearly daily, staying on top of the known unknowns can be a challenge, however, being as prepared as possible is of the utmost importance. A few high-level items to be aware of that we encountered while preparing for our travel in late December of 2021 are shown here:
Covid-19 Entry requirements differ by country even within the EU, don’t assume that you can just figure it out when you get there, this needs to be researched well in advance of your departure.
Covid-19 Testing requirements are also changing from one day to the next, I suggest that you stock up with at least two self-administered rapid antigen tests that are recognized by both your country of departure and of arrival, to ensure that you can get a test result that meets with your travel departure and arrival requirements.
Research the weather. I so badly wanted specific “looks” for our romantic, snow-filled, European vacation. As it would turn out, we were about a month too early for snow, but just in time for cold rain. Ditch the cute stuff and opt for what’s practical.
Holidays abroad can be a fun change of pace from what we’re used to at home, but be aware that other countries might observe them (or the days around them) differently. Do your research and ensure that you aren’t planning activities that conflict with holiday observances.
Celebrate the New Year in Salzburg, Austria.
“New Year’s Eve,” or “New Year,” is known as “Silvester” in Austria. We arrived in Salzburg on the afternoon of December 31st, not knowing what to expect in terms of celebration, due to Austria having lifted a countrywide lockdown only days before our arrival. Much to our delight, cannons were being fired, period re-enactors were gathering, and holiday decorations were plentiful, as we made our way from the Salzburg train station to our Airbnb in the Old Town.
We were thrilled with the location of the apartment we had rented for our stay, as it was just a few steps away from everything that Salzburg had to offer, so we quickly checked in, ditched our luggage inside, and then plunged ourselves into the festivities we hoped to find.
Not more than fifty feet from our door, we stumbled upon a delightful outdoor square, hosting a holiday bar and nightclub. Not wanting to take unnecessary risks in terms of potential Covid-19 exposure, we opted for the much quieter, outdoor bar, where we enjoyed hot mugs of gluhwein (hot, spiced wine).
*The mugs required a 2 euro deposit, refundable upon return, or you may keep them when finished as an inexpensive souvenir (we opted to keep ours)!
After a couple of warm drinks, we re-masked and made our way further towards the center square of the Old Town. To my utter amazement (and super-planner shock), we discovered that due to the December Covid19 lock-down, the Christmas Market was still open (normally closed before Christmas)!
Visiting the Christmas markets of Europe has long been a bucket-list item for me, particularly in the Germanic countries due to my heritage.
As we inched nearer to midnight, we decided that shopping was not our top priority, and opted to make a single lap through the market to scope out what we might find the following day. However, in the course of our explorations, we came across a fellow American and his English-speaking partner and quickly struck up a conversation. Turns out that our new friend was a tour guide and gave what I’m going to call “super-premium” Sound of Music tours.
I’m going to admit that at the time of our arrival in Salzburg, I had long been a fan of the Rodger and Hammerstein adaptation of The Sound of Music, but I had zero idea that it was a mostly true story about a real family from Salzburg.
Anyway, we were full of hot wine, and excitement for the holiday, and were equipped with new friends full of local knowledge and looking to kill time until midnight. We proceeded to walk around Salzburg and learn about the history of the city as it related to the Trapp family and see many of the icon spots captured in the film.
Just before midnight, we all four made our way back to the main square below the imposing fortress (which overlooks Salzburg) where many people had gathered, however, it was easy to remain socially distanced.
At midnight, the massive church bells began to ring and a wonderful fireworks display was shot off over the city from the hilltop above. Call it a traveler high or the reaction of someone stuck indoors for too many years, but those fireworks were the most beautiful I had ever seen.
*Worth knowing in advance, if you should ever want to visit Salzburg for New Year’s Eve, is that there are several “galas” held around the city, which the locals kind of make fun of as just being for rich tourists. However, there is a coursed dinner and musical performance held in the fortress, as well as at a restaurant called St. Peters. In hindsight, I might consider the gala at St. Peters, but in general, I was very happy about our outdoor and nearly free experience.
The Sound of Salzburg Austria
The hills are alive in Salzburg Austria.
The hills are indeed alive in Salzburg and even if you’ve never seen the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, you’ll still benefit from the musical education.
Sound of Music Tours
When planning our recent trip to Salzburg, booking a theme tour was not a “to-do” item on our list, let alone a theme tour for a film that was released in 1965. I also must admit that I was unaware that the musical tale of the Trapp family was a true story, not that knowing this detail would have changed my mind about booking one of the many film tours available. However, one of the things I dearly love about travel is finding myself in the state of mind to “go with the flow,” which opens me up to more spontaneous experiences, and this is where our trip to Austria took a musical turn.
Much to my surprise and delight, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay in both the starting and ending dates for the annual Christmas markets throughout Austria, which means that many of them were still operational during our visit in late December and early January. It was while investigating a glass tree ornament stall that I happened to meet a fellow American killing time while waiting for new years eve festivities to begin, he revealed himself to be an ex-pat who had been living there for several years and made his living giving Sound of Music tours. It was still a couple of hours before midnight, and he graciously offered to help us pass the time by giving us the portion of his multi-hour tour which covered the area of town we were currently in.
To make a very long story somewhat shorter, we took him up on his offer and then decided to take the remaining portion of his tour a couple of days later. He had generously offered not to charge us, but we decided to pay him anyway given the extensively detailed nature and level of effort he invested into his program. We learned more information about this film/family than I may ever know about anything else on earth.
Comparing Trapp Family Tours
As mentioned above, I didn’t bother to research the differences in the many Sound of Music tours offered in Salzburg, but if you decide to go, you’ll find no shortage of these themed tours available to book. However, once you’re there, you'll probably notice that most of these tour groups all look the same, and they all occur by the busload, generally go to the same places, and all seem to focus exclusively on film facts and less on the real Trapp family story as it related to the film.
The tour we took was not one that you’ll probably find on the major tourism planning sites but is absolutely the one you should consider if you’re seeking a tour for either film fan or pop-culture reasons. My husband couldn’t remember if he had seen the film or not, but was fascinated by the factual elements of the family experience as it related to the war. You also see portions of the city that you probably would never notice or even take the trouble to go see, but that ultimately added to that coveted “off the beaten path” experience that all travelers crave but few achieve.
If you’re willing to invest in an education that doesn't require a student loan and that you wont regret in ten years, you should take a look at TrappFamilyBikeTours.com.
Hollywood Magic Meets Reality
I would be doing both you and John (the tour operator… he’s a hoot) a disservice by going into the nuts and bolts of what you’ll see on the tour, but suffice it to say that Hollywood magic and artistic license took HUGE liberties with the Trapp family story. One example I’ll give is that the Trapp family home (in the film) is a combination of multiple homes located in Salzburg as well as a set built on a sound stage in Hollywood. John, however, showed us not only the filming locations for pivotal parts of the film but also actual locations pertinent to the family. He went into great detail to separate fact from film fiction, which made for a very enriching experience.
If you’ve visited Salzburg and taken one of these theme tours, or have any specific questions, feel free to place them in the comments.
Visiting Versailles - Part 2
When the time comes to visiting Versailles, it’s the gardens that take the cake (pun intended). The palace is amazing, and the hall of mirrors will take your breath away, but you’ll be sharing that experience with several hundred other people at the same time, so they might be sucking some of that air as well.
A Garden Fit for A King
When the time comes to visit Versailles, it’s the gardens that take the cake (pun intended). The palace is amazing, and the hall of mirrors will take your breath away, but you’ll be sharing that experience with several hundred other people at the same time, so they might be sucking some of that air as well.
The gardens, on the other hand, are spectacular and provide the space to experience the splendor of this place as a whole. We were there in mid-October, and I can only imagine how amazing it would be earlier in the year.
Don’t Forget Your Map
The gardens are like a neighborhood and contain other homes and an actual neighborhood, but you’re going to want a map if ever plan on actually finding them.
The gardens and estate as a whole, are bordered by a fence, but it’s easy to lose your point of reference due to the rows of all shrubs and trees.
We spent the better part of a day walking through the gardens, but still didn’t get to see everything, so if you’re limited on time or energy, I recommend bee-lining it to the Queen's Hamlet, which is the entirely fake world which Marie Antoinette had constructed for her amusement, complete with working gardens and fake historical ruins.
We didn’t tour the other palaces on the grounds, but we did attempt to make it to many of the groves and fountains, unfortunately, due to an impending rainstorm, our time got cut short and we missed a few.
Should You Visit Versailles?
All in all, I say yes. Would I recommend trying to see it all in one day, no thanks.
Question or Comments? Leave them below!
Chateau of the Loire Valley
The Loire valley, probably most widely known for the many world-class wines it produces, is also known for some of the most opulent homes in Europe.
What To Do In The Loire Valley
The Loire valley, just a couple hours south of Paris, is probably most widely known for the many world-class wines it produces, is also known for some of the most opulent palace homes in Europe. If you’re looking to “take a break,” and are in the mood to sip some rosé at a riverside cafe, or for walking the halls of the palaces scattered through the area, it won't take long to become intoxicated with an attitude of “la vie en rosé.”
French Château
While driving through the countryside, several differences between French and American navigation become apparent. The first being the absence of visual clutter. No billboards or non-government signage, and what little you do see, is limited to necessary road signs, or for navigating to historical sites or parks.
Fortunately, many chateaus fall under this category, so you’ll regularly see road signs for homes that you probably didn’t hear anything about while doing your internet research.
The second is the absence of police or any kind of physical law enforcement. Driver beware, France uses an unforgiving camera system, so you might discover one or more speeding tickets in four to eight weeks after you get home from vacation. It will take time to arrive, as it must navigate through your rental car company first, who will also charge you a fee for handling the ticket transfer to you in the States.
That said, of the chateau that I knew about ahead of time, a tour of Chenonceau was at the top of my list, and I wanted to treat any additional tours a little more spontaneously. Fortunately, it was a good idea to only plan the one large chateau tour, because the combination of a large and small (less popular) home, is an ideal way to spend a full day.
Château d’Azay le Rideau
Having previously decided to be flexible about whatever chateau we toured in addition to Chenonceau, it was suggested to us by someone more familiar with the area, that we tour Azay le Rideau. Much less touristy, while still being straight out of a storybook, it was our first stop on our home tour.
The history of this home and the “regular” people that built and lived in it was fascinating. I greatly enjoyed my time here, and am still drooling over the floors and wallpaper!
Château de Chenonceau
I’ve long thought that this particular chateau was especially dreamy, and seeing it in person didn’t disappoint. If you do a little research on the history, you’ll find that it was a gift to a mistress of King Henry II, lived here. However, when the king died, better believe that the Queen (Catherine de' Medici) took a special interest in this place, and made sure that it was thoroughly understood that this was her house.
Further, I didn’t expect that the house would be regularly ornamented with fresh flowers and vegetation (and I’m not talking the kind from Trader Joe’s). Every room of this palatial palace had amazing floral arrangements, most (if not all) of which were grown on the grounds.
The Queen Bee, come home to roost!
Despite the shocking absence of a Vitamix, this is kitchen goals for sure!
The Gardens of Chenonceau
Honestly, the gardens weren’t even on my radar, but after we had finished our tour and went back outside, golden hour had illuminated everything in such a romantic way that I couldn’t make myself beeline it back to the car. Fortunately, half of our party was also feeling the need to meander our way in that general direction and explore the grounds a bit.
There is another chateau that I would like to see on future trips, but seeing both of these filled an entire day, I couldn’t justify devoting additional days to touring more of them. That said, I’d love to hear your feedback about any not mentioned, that you might have enjoyed on your travels.
Leave a comment below!
Visiting Versailles - Part 1
Visiting the Palace of Versailles is almost mandatory for many travelers visiting France. The gilt gates, extravagant fixtures, and fantastical gardens are unmatched, and so is the volume of tourists that swarm it every day.
Storming the Palace
Visiting the Palace of Versailles is almost mandatory for many travelers visiting France. The gilt gates, extravagant fixtures, and fantastical gardens are unmatched, and so is the volume of tourists that swarm it every day.
If there’s one thing that I dislike more than anything else, it’s probably being crowded by people. I don’t enjoy attending concerts or crowded bars, having strangers bumping into me, or standing so close that I can smell their deodorant (or lack of it). It stands to reason, that I struggle with my desire to avoid high volumes of tourists, against getting to see the things that draw them in the first place.
Why Visiting the Palace is Worth the Effort
Of all the people I know who have visited Versailles, almost all did so as a day trip from Paris. Just a quick 45 minutes on the train, makes it a very convenient way for people staying in Paris, to do as a day trip. However, attempting to cram a place like this into a single day, sounds almost as stressful as dealing with the massive amount of people that are also attempting to do the same thing. The solution, fortunately, is as easy as “slowing down,” and spreading it out.
We decided to stretch this typical “day trip,” into a two-night stay, and break the palace experience into two parts. This provided us with a chance to catch our breath between touring the palace, the EXPANSIVE gardens, and the stables (now a premier riding academy). I highly recommend this methodology to anyone with more “introverted” tendencies.
Points To Live By
As I’ve mentioned before, “points” make it possible to stay in places that aren’t traditionally within reach for budgets like mine. Fortunately, my husband treats the accrual of credit card points, like a high stakes game of chess, which always pays off when we travel. In the case of France, we decided to cost mindful for the bulk of our trip, and then cash them all in on just a few nights, at a nice hotel.
Trianon Palace, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Probably more common than what is apparent to me, I tend to dress for comfort and practicality when traveling. On the rare occasion when we stay in luxury hotels such as this, however, simply placing my hand on the door handle makes me suddenly become aware of my need for a manicure and a hairbrush. The staff at Trianon Palace was warm and welcoming, but must have been thinking “here comes a ‘points’ redemption stay.”
My inner cynic aside, we were treated like royalty and after we got checked-in, we fully immersed ourselves in the “Versailles experience,” and did our best to look the part.
To Live is to Dine
Checked in and showered, we met some of the friends that had been traveling around France simultaneously, in the hotel lobby. With the assistance of the concierge, we were able to get last-minute dinner reservations for a party of nine, at a nice restaurant that wouldn’t break the bank.
La Tour - Restaurant Edition
I’ve often mused, that the best experiences in life, are rarely the experiences that you anticipate having. A trip to France, while memorable, still leaves large holes, in terms of the details, like what I ate for breakfast on the fourth day of the second city we visited.
However, what was a hastily planned dinner, became one of those memories that carved out a little space for itself in my memory. That said, I still don’t remember what I ate, but I remember every detail of the dining room, how the table was set, where each person in our party sat, and those details are recalled with what I can only describe as a “warm feeling.”
Be sure to visit them, or visit the website in advance, by clicking HERE.
The Palace
As I mentioned before, a MASSIVE benefit of actually staying in Versailles is that it allows you to take breaks from the crowds, and sorta spread the activities over a larger period. That said, touring the Palace itself, still requires some personal fortitude.
The morning of our second day, we rose bright and early, to go get in line before the palace gates opened. Fortunately, we had purchased tickets in advance, but despite arriving before opening for the day, we still had to stand in line for well over an hour, as they attempt to regulate the number of people entering.
Versailles Academy of Equestrian Arts
Probably not the first activity that jumps into your mind when you consider visiting Versailles, but a wonderful experience none the less!
We booked our tickets in advance, because seating is very limited, and we purchased the basic ticket for just the show (there is more than one option for these purposes). They don’t allow photos during the show, but even if you don’t care that much about horses, it’s a worthwhile experience to go watch.
A couple of the friends we were with, purchased tickets that included access to watch a practice session, which is where this photo was taken
To keep this post from being any longer than it already is, I’m going to cover the Palace Gardens on their own, because there’s A LOT to cover.
Been to Versailles? Leave me your thoughts below!
Monet And His Garden in Giverney
Getting There
Having spent the previous few days on the Normandy coast (Here, and Here), we were somewhat frantically attempting to make our way to Versailles, where we had scheduled to drop-off our rental car. However, while not officially on our list of stops to make along the way, I had observed that we would be passing right by Giverney, which was the home of Claude Monet, and the location of the gardens in which the famous “water lilies” were painted. I put my best sad puppy face on, and my husband agreed to stop on the condition that we stay no longer than 45 minutes.
Needless to say, 45 minutes isn’t much time to see anything but is preferable to not stopping at all, so we power walked our way through those gardens like the Americans all Europeans think we are. Thank goodness for camera phones, because our quick snaps allowed us to view spots of interest at our leisure, as we rushed through the whole of the gardens and the house, without damaging our schedule.
Ultimately, we were able to drop our car off at our destination in Versailles, with just 20 minutes to spare!
The Art Experience
You don’t have to be an art lover, or even be familiar with the work of Monet, to appreciate the artistic inspiration that oozes from the gardens, and carefully appointed rooms of the house. I recommend getting an ice cream at the entrance gate and taking your time in the gardens, which is something I desperately wish I would have had time to do. You’ll not regret the experience, and you’ll be sure to walk away with a new appreciation for his work.
There’s not much else I can say about a place that I spent less than an hour in, but I hope you enjoyed the pictures (this visit occurred in mid-October)!
Next stop, Versailles!!
Leave a comment or question below.
A Pilgrimage to Normandy
Travel is About More Than Relaxation
It has been my experience, that most people do not strive to be ignorant, but also that people tend to think of themselves as being “better” than what their present life situation would indicate. It’s this disparity between our perception of self, and our reality, that can often mirror our personal motivations and development.
The mental framework which people use to view themselves, as well as the world around them, are created and reinforced, through education. Formal education is extremely important to learn about our world, while informal education via life experiences aid us in understanding the realities of how our small corners of it work. Unfortunately, both forms of education are limited by context.
This “context” of which I speak, is in regard to how information is presented to you in the classroom, or the context in which you live your life (ex. some people spend their whole lives living in the same place, doing a single kind of job, meeting the same kind of people), and can both severely limit, and influence the way a person thinks and feels about a subject.
It’s my opinion, that travel is the best way to truly bridge that gap between what you’re taught, and the experiences you’ve had because it can provide much-needed context for both.
The world is a book, and those that do not travel, read only a single page.
- Saint Augustine
To be philosophical for a moment, if there’s anything I’ve learned in my 37 years, it’s that Albert Einstein said it best when he said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.”
Buckle-up, check your opinions at the door, and please observe the following experience for what it was to me.
With Kindest Regards, Management.
Americans Abroad
Having done a fair bit of travel, I’ve come to understand a little bit of how a decent portion of the western world, views Americans:
They think we all sound like we’re from Texas
Florida and Las Vegas, are the two places that we vacation domestically
We’re all rich
We’re all eternal optimists, with an air of entitlement
We’re indifferent to what’s going on in world politics
We all talk way too loudly
And we all fall into one of two main buckets, which also correspond with our politics.
Those that travel, and those that don’t
With extra emphasis on the last two points of that list (I’ve been told that I’m loud in more than one country), I think it’s important to try to understand our culture through the eyes of those that are outside of it. Through that outside perspective, we might learn some things about your culture (and ourselves), that may be in direct opposition to either our belief system within our culture or with our perception of self and culture. A personal example of this mismatch between personal perception and reality is that I don’t think I’m loud, but the people around me think otherwise. In becoming aware of how we are perceived by others, we can make personal adjustments.
The American Military
A Brief History
Left largely undisturbed until World War 1, the United States didn’t even attempt to enter the global stage until after it reluctantly entered World War ll in the 1940s. Within the lens of our Military, we introduced our nation to the world, guns a’blazen.
In 1961, President Dwight Eisenhower (who had been the general that led the allied troops in 1941), in his farewell address from office, gave the nation a warning about our ongoing use of the Military. In that address, he referred to “a threat to our democratic government,” and he coined the term, “the military-industrial complex.”
The “complex” he refers to, are the military contractors which develop and produce the products of warfare, and other military uses.
He went on to say, “We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist."
He understood the cost and already knew that the United States was choosing to march down a path that was no longer needed in times of peace. He knew that we had created a war monster, and it would need to be fed by continued engagement in conflict. This is evidenced largely in the middle-east, still today.
The human cost of war should be the responsibility of every citizen (not just politicians), both directly and indirectly. The willful disregard of the magnitude of this responsibility is to condemn future generations to suffer the same fate as the brave men and women of history, that fought and died for our freedoms, by simply repeating mistakes of the past.
Setting aside opinions regarding both Patriotism and Nationalism, I believe that the involvement of American troops in WW2 was both necessary and good. However, it is our militarized behavior that has followed that war, which I’m addressing here.
Normandy France, and Omaha Beach
June 1944, allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy France, to liberate the French people from Nazi occupation. While successful, and effectively turning the tide of the war, over 2000 men died on this beach, in a single day.
Allied forces won the war, but for the families that lost brothers, sons, husbands, and fathers, we felt that it was our duty as Americans, to make the effort to visit the ground they gave their lives for. We owe it to them, to the families they left behind, and their legacy, to never forget the sacrifice they made so far from home, for the freedoms we enjoy daily.
Bayeux
Not far from the landing beaches, is a little town with a special history all its own. While not there with the intent of exploring it in great detail, we used it as our home base for the exploration of the war memorial sites located in the surrounding area.
VERY charming, this little town shows a particular fondness toward Americans, which can be seen in the decorations, shops, and to some extent, the products available for purchase. A great example of this fondness ( I wish I had taken a photo of), was our little hotel, which had a china cabinet in the lobby filled with commemorative plates of U.S. Presidents. Both odd, and charming, Bayeux was a great stop on our trip.
The Beach
We departed our hotel early in the morning and made the short drive to Omaha Beach. It was chilly that day and was raining on and off, but it was our only chance to go, so we pressed on and hoped for the best.
Fortunately, the rain ceased by the time we arrived and was replaced with a peaceful stillness as the sun began to rise. The only beachgoers being us, and a man exercising a horse on the sand, the mood was a perfect mix of reflection and prosperity.
It’s hard to imagine this place being anything other than how it is now, but it was an emotional experience to attempt to do so. As we were about to leave, this rainbow appeared, as if to say “thank you” for coming, and remembering those that had fallen here.
Memorial Cemetery
Just a few minutes up the road from the beach, is a cliffside memorial park, dedicated to the men (and women) that lost their lives on D-Day. Overlooking the landing beaches, it is a beautifully sad sight to see, because it adds scope to the human loss that had occurred.
Each headstone bares a name and a hometown, and it’s while reading those names that what I had learned from history books, actually became real. The loss of life may have occurred decades before I was born, but it felt fresh, and the sea of headstones overwhelming.
We had arrived together (my husband, mother-in-law, and I), but we each walked through the grounds and experienced this place separately. Each of us trying to reconcile the event that had brought us here, to what we were experiencing at that moment, each in our way.
I cried (pretty sure we all did), and tears again filled my eyes as I recall that day to write this post.
*Note - Near the entrance to the cemetery, is a memorial, and near the center of the grounds, is a chapel. Both are open for those that wander the grounds, as we did.
Closing Thoughts
It would have been easy to take a trip to France, and not do anything that didn’t “sound fun.” Vacations from everyday life, are opportunities to get away from the mundane stresses of things we don’t always enjoy. However, it’s these same opportunities that provide each of us with a chance to enrich our lives, and thereby grow as people. It would be a tragedy to only focus on what is fun and easy because that’s not where growth and change happen.
I’m not anti-military, or anti-American, but the weight of responsibility for the choices being made by those in power (which should be true for any person, in any country), hangs heavier upon me now, than it did before this experience.
The reason those men fought and died, was to preserve the right, the freedom, to protest against injustice. It wasn’t for a flag at football games, it was to preserve your right to protest when that flag is not living up to the obligations it represents. THAT is what freedom looks like, and that’s what the men on Omaha Beach, died to protect from the Nazis.
In recent years, politics have become increasingly polarized and my views have resulted in my being called a socialist, or “UN-American.” I say that my criticism of the government is in direct response to the call of President Eisenhower and the MOST American thing I could possibly be doing. After all, so long as there are those that wield the power of our military, so must there also be those that seek to ensure that power is not abused, and writing an American story that doesn’t reflect me or culture I’m apart of.
Keep learning, keep reflecting, and strive to make tomorrow better than yesterday, so that eventually people will define Americans not by our indifference to the world around us, but by our benevolence, education, and consideration.
A Night on Mont Saint-Michel
Combine every fairy tale you heard as a child, and add a dash of Harry Potter, bake for a century or so, and what you end up with is Mont Saint Michel.
In all respects, it exists outside of time, which becomes apparent as soon as it appears on the horizon of your approach, and then gets reinforced after you’ve experienced the change in tide.
When our travel plans for France were still in the infancy stage, my husband began his campaign to add this as a stop on our itinerary. Not aware of what it was before that time, it didn’t take much beyond a picture, to get me to sign-on to the idea of a visit.
Isolated monastery/village/fortress by day, and monolithic island retreat by night, the role that this architectural marvel has played in French history, is very unique. Historical significance aside, it’s just cool to see and will be the best workout for the ole backside, that you’ve ever had.
That said, despite all of the above, very few people live there anymore, and those that do, are for the tourists that swarm it each day. You’ll be hard-pressed to find much in the way of authenticity here, as pretty much every building has been turned into tourist accommodation, tourist-centric restaurant, or junky trinket store.
At the top, and just outside the entrance of the monastery, is a little artist studio and gallery. The woman that owns it is a painter and print-maker, and her work is actually fantastic and produced right there in her studio. Both my husband and I, as well as my mother-in-law, purchased prints from her.
Why would I suggest just “one night?” There are a lot of reasons why you’ll want to see this place, and an equal amount of reasons why you’ll thank me later, for limiting your stay to a single night. Let’s focus on the reasons why you want to see and stay on, this fascinating rock:
Duh, it’s cool, and looks like Diagon Alley… but seriously though, it’s amazing.
You have to experience the changing of the tide, where it goes from being a remote village to an island, in about 20 minutes. The water rushes in so loudly, that we had to run to the balcony of the restaurant we were having dinner at, to see what was going on.
The monastery is the only thing to tour here, and while it does take a substantial portion of the day, it’s not something that takes more than a day to see. Also of note, is that it is still a working monastery, and holds services which can be attended.
While this entire place keeps 10-6 business hours (because of the evening tide), the good news is that with the VAST majority of tourists gone in the evenings, the drama and charm of the place has a chance to stick its nose out. Keep in mind that everything will be closed, but walking around and taking in the views, are MUCH better at this time of day.
Per reasons 2 & 4, you’ll need to stay at one of the itty bitty hotels on the island, to take advantage of these experiences, which can be fun on its own.
With all that said, there’s no need to stay here for two nights, but if I can make one last suggestion… it would be to migrate your stay into a hotel nearby and schedule one of the horseback tours. They take you around the perimeter of the island, while the tide is out during the afternoon and looked fun, but I didn’t get the chance to do this myself, and I regret it.
