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Category: France travel

“D-DAY” AND THE NORMANDY BEACHES…A DAY OF REFLECTION.

We spent a day touring the historic Normandy beaches and a visit to the The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The World War II cemetery and memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, honors American troops who died in the Normandy landings and the Battle of Normandy that followed.&nbsp…

HONFLEUR…A JEWEL IN NORMANDY

The seaport town of Honfleur captivated Marla and I on many levels. I’ll take you on a visual tour of the town to see the areas we loved. The aerial view above shows “Vieux Bassin” or “Old Harbour”. Honfleur’s most famous painter…

ROUEN…A FASCINATING AND BEAUTIFUL CITY IN NORMANDY

Our boat docked at the Quai de la Savonnerie in Rouen, the capital of the French region of Normandy. We heard the city was fascinating, but we not prepared for its’ beauty. We were ready to disembark with our Uniworld guides. This is the magnificent Cathédrale Notre-Dame…

MONET’S GORGEOUS GARDENS AND HOME IN GIVERNY

We have alway wanted to visit Monet’s gardens and home in Giverny. While on Uniworld’s Seine River Cruise we hopped on their bus for the ride to the gardens. We knew because of the time of year it would we packed with visitors. I posted a…

A FABULOUS UNIWORLD SEINE RIVER CRUISE FROM PARIS TO NORMANDY. FIRST STOP…CHATEAU DE LA ROCHE-GUYON

Marla and I have always been interested in World War II and the Normandy beaches so this Uniworld Seine River Cruise looked wonderful. Uniworld cruises are for the traveler desiring top level guides well versed in the history of an area…or for the traveler desiring to relax on…

EXPLORING MAGICAL CARCASSONNE…A CASTLE OUT OF A STORYBOOK

Exploring Carcassonne is like being in a medieval fantasy novel. We booked a tour which started outside the Narbonnaise Gate. This was a great way to get an understanding of the history and features of this formidable fortified complex. The castle is very crowded during the day with visitors from…

WE LOVED THE “HOTEL DE LA CITE” IN THE ANCIENT FORTIFIED CITY OF CARCASSONNE! WINSTON CHURCHILL, WALT DISNEY, AND GRACE KELLY LOVED IT AS WELL!

I drew pictures of castles as a small boy and visiting the ancient fortified city of Carcassonne on a bike tour in 2013 was very special. I knew Marla would be intrigued as well. I booked Hotel de la Cite for our visit this year. At the time I was…

I WONDER IF THERE ARE TV’S IN HEAVEN?

Years ago my Mom would call me to ask…”Are you watching the Tour?” For her the Tour de France was not about bike racing, but a wonderful travelogue on France. She loved seeing the fabulous countryside, ancient chateaus and monasteries. I miss those conversations with her…

AUDREY HEPBURN ONCE SAID…“PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.” I COULDN’T AGREE MORE!

Paris has always held a special place in Marla’s and my heart. Even after close to 40 visits, this fabulous city never fails to enchant! We were fortunate to return for a week during the Olympics with our daughter Stacy and family. Watching the excitement of Olympic competition…

OUR SPECTACULAR 1870 ITALIANATE VILLA RENTAL IN MENTON…I SHOULD KEEP IT A SECRET!

Renting an apartment or villa while on vacation can bring happiness and superb memories. Marla loves to cook while on vacation so shopping at local markets and creating something very tasty in the kitchen is something she enjoys. My job is usually finding a nice wine. Renting on VRBO or…