Day #1.
I do not remember how we decided to go to France this year, but I can tell now that it was a very good idea. Our trip started a little shaky, when our flight from Minneapolis to Keflavik, Iceland, was delayed for 2 hours, and we were going to miss our connection, but they delayed our plane to Paris as well, and we made it to the next plane several minutes before it's departure. I was a little worried that our bags will not make it there on time, but all was good. in Paris we promptly rented a car and drove to the Versailles. It was a warm, relaxing evening spent exploring the small town of Versailles, walking around the Palace and the beautiful gardens, and finally a good dinner.
Day #2.
In the morning we drove to the Loire river valley area, passed multiple castles, and visited one of the most renowed ones, Chenonceau. It is a beautiful castle, with a very pretty garden around it. The weather was perfect. We spent the night in the small town of Amboise.
Day#3.
In the morning we left early, and drove several hours to the Dordogne area of France. One of the famous attractions in the area are the caves with the prehistoric drawings, some of them you have to make a reservation about 6 months ahead of time, as they limit the number of visitors. We were lucky to get into the Lascaux caves, and it was great! Later we visited the goose farm, where we watched the owners feed the geese, and bought their famous fois gras. It was a lot of fun. In the evening we explored the small, but totally adorable town of Sarlat, had a wonderful dinner under the stars and the local wine was delicious. English is not very popular in that area, and choosing from the menu was very interesting.
Day #4.
The next day was difficult, a long drive to the Provence area. We decided to drive through the Viaduc de Millau, the famous, tallest in the world bridge that was completed in 2005. It is quiet magnificent. Driving through the local small towns, away from the big highways was very pleasant. The roads are great in France. We stopped at the town of Millau for a quick break, and after hiking up for the best view of the Millau bridge, we drove further, to Arles.
Arles is a small town, with a long history and several buildings from the Roman empire times to prove that. The Roman arena in the town's center is quiet impressive. We had dinner several feet from the cafe depicted by Van Gogh in his "Starry night"
Day #5.
The next day was great, in the morning we drove to see the Point du Gard, and spent several hours walking around the area, it is very beautiful. The famous aqueduct from the Roman times is something special! Later we drove to Avignon, where we just walked around and did some shopping. Back to Arles in the evening.
Day#6.
The next day was the best. We drove around the area of small villages and wineries up in the mountainous area of the Cotes du Rhone. The weather was perfect and the views were phenomenal. We stopped in the small/villages, walked around, occasionally drinking espresso or trying some wine, and buying some as well...The driving in the mountains on the super narrow roads was somewhat scary for me, but Eugene enjoyed it a lot. It was just a perfect day, and for several minutes we even considered moving to this area...That was our last night in Arles.
Day #7.
In the morning we left for French Riviera. Driving along the Mediterranean Sea was just great! We stopped in the Antibes, parked the car and walked around enjoying the views, what a beautiful place. Then we drove to Nice, and there it was the end of our driving, as we returned our rental car with the feeling of satisfaction and being thankful for not needing to drive in Nice, as driving there is just crazy. But the public transportation in Nice and the surrounding areas is very good. In Nice we met with our friends from Israel, as planned, and spent the next two days with them. We walked around a lot, ate a lot, took a bus tour of Nice, and enjoyed this beautiful city, it's luxury, fun atmosphere, and again perfect weather.
Day #8.
The next day we took a train to Monaco, in a great company of Ira and Marik, which made this trip even more enjoyable. Monaco is a picture-perfect place, fairytale shiny and beautiful. After walking around the streets and the sites of Monaco for several hours, we took the train and visited the small village of Villefranche-Sur-Mer. Another beautiful place, with many boats in the harbor, narrow old streets and happy tourists. Dinner on the Promenade de Anglais completed this perfect day.
Day #9.
In the morning we flew to Paris from the big and modern Nice airport, full of fancily dressed people. After we settled in our hotel in Montmartre area and had lunch close by, it was time to explore Paris. We took a bus tour and enjoyed the sights of the Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower, and many many more.
Day # 10.
In the morning we explored the Montmartre, enjoyed the beautiful views of Paris from the top of the hill, and then did some more sightseeing, walking around, shopping, drinking coffee, tasting different foods, more sightseeing, etc.....And that was our last evening in France.
