2008 - Washington DC
2010 - Cuba
2011 - DR, Bermuda, & Cruise
2012 - DR & Costa Rica
2013 - Cruise, CR, & USA
2014 - SE Asia
The Year Off 2015 - 2016
- Preamble
- Thailand & Malaysia
- Italy
- Germany, Belgium, & Lux
- Czech, Poland, & Germany
- Austria, Slovakia, & Hungary
- Slovenia, Croatia, Austria & Germany
- England & Scotland
- Turkey
- Colombia
- Peru: Lima & Amazon
- Peru: Cusco & Inca Trail
- Peru: Cusco to Lima
- Mexico, Guatemala, & Belize
- New Zealand
- Australia & Thailand
2017 - The Balkans
2017 - Hungary, Romania, & Switzerland
2018 - New York
2018 - Amsterdam, Poland, & The Baltics
2019 - Costa Rica
2019 - France
2020 - Thailand
2023 - Mexico
2023 - Iceland & Cruise
2024 - Philippines
2025 - Japan
2025 - Iceland
Short Trips
Lists
Links
| May 26, 2019 - Sunday | Airport Hotel | France |
|
My brother and his fiancé decided to have their wedding in France at the end
of May. So earlier in the year I bought a new suit and booked a two week
vacation to France. The first part would be wedding related, and then I
would spend some time traveling around. I left home on May 25th and arrived in France on Sunday early afternoon. I got a hotel near the airport and other then walking around the area I tried to recover from the flight. |
||
| May 27, 2019 - Monday | Loire Valley | France |
|
I returned to the airport where I met Mom & Dad. I rented a car from the
airport and we started the drive south to where the wedding was being held.
Because we could not arrive at the Chateau where the wedding was until after
4pm, we stopped at the Chateau Vaud de Vicomte, which looked like a good
place to visit. In reality it was mediocre. The Chateau was so-so and the
grounds were disappointing. We did have lunch there which worked out well.
We then drove the rest of the way to Chateau de Courcelles le Roy which is
near the town of Briare (Loire Valley region). We were the first to arrive.
They had rented out the entire estate for the wedding. There was a tennis court and pool (although those did not get used). The main Chateau was not maintained and falling down so was off limits. However the grounds were very nice and the out buildings had been turned into guest rooms and related facilities, all of which were nice. That first night we met most people (it was a small wedding, less than 30 people) and our two families went for dinner at a restaurant in a nearby town. 
 |
||
| May 28, 2019 - Tuesday | Loire Valley | France |
Today we had planned activities. They had rented a bus that took us to two
wineries and a cheese place. The wine in my opinion was not very good. We
had lunch at the town of Sancerre and this was the 2nd best meal of the trip
and it was excellent. After those planned events my Brother, Mom, Dad and I
had dinner at a nearby farm turned hotel/restaurant. This was the best meal
of trip and probably the best meal I have had in recent memory. I wish I
could remember what I had. |
||
| May 29, 2019 - Wednesday | Loire Valley | France |
|
The day of the wedding. It was nice day out and perfect for the outdoor
ceremony. After the ceremony we had cocktails followed by dinner and the
usual speeches and such. Everything went really well. |
||
| May 30, 2019 - Thursday | Mont St. Michel | France |
We had to leave, so I said my goodbyes, dropped Mom & Dad off at the train
station (they were headed to Paris for a couple of days before flying home)
and drove towards Mont. St. Michel (MSM). On the way I tried to stop at a
big Chateau to tour it but the place was mobbed, probably because it was a
national holiday and the only thing open. Anyways, it took most the day to
drive to MSM and after checking into the hotel I walked along the roadway to
the Abby which is connected to the mainland, and is the main reason to visit
this area. I got some good pictures. 
 |
||
| May 31, 2019 - Friday to June 2, 2019 - Sunday | Normandy | France |
|
In the morning I checked out of the hotel fairly early and made my way to
the island to beat the crowds. After touring it I returned to the mainland
and got my car and drove north into Normandy. Normandy was a must see on my
list as I like seeing WWII sites. I was staying in a town called Arromanche, which is where Sword Beach that the British invaded was. Over the next three days I visited Utah Beach (US), Omaha Beach (US), and Juno Beach (Canada). I also visited the Canadian, American, and German Cemeteries and numerous museums. Frankly, the museums were okay to good, but none were what I would call great. Also, Juno beach is probably the worst of the four to visit. I was in Normandy from May 31 and left June 3rd. It was also the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings (June 6th) so there were lots of things going on. There are lots of French people who own old WWII vehicles (jeeps, trucks, etc.) that were immaculately restored and they wore old uniforms. Kind of like how Americans dress up and re-enact the Civil War. It really added to the experience. 
 |
||
| June 3, 2019 - Monday | Paris | France |
Leaving Normandy I dropped my car off in Rouen and took the train into
Paris, where I would stay for the remainder of my trip. I had a hotel a few
blocks north of the Louvre. That first night I walked around the Notre Dame
area (really sad it burned up (arson most likely) earlier in the year), went
into the Sainte Chapelle church which is known for its stained glass, and
took in the Eiffel Tower at night. 
 |
||
| June 4, 2019 - Tuesday | Paris | France |
I went to the Musee D’Orsay. I liked this museum, it had some very nice
works of art and it was small enough that you don't get overwhelmed. I then
went up the Eiffel Tower to the very top for some great views and had an ice
cream on the lower level. I walked along the river a little bit to see the
small Statue of Liberty, then back up and over to the Arc de Triomphe (which
I went up). I walked down the Champs-Elysees and returned to my hotel, I did
a lot of walking today and was pretty tired. 
 |
||
| June 5, 2019 - Wednesday | Paris | France |
It is now Wednesday and it rained the entire day. In the morning I went to
the Louvre and saw some very famous paintings and sculptures. It was pretty
busy here and it's so big. There is way too much to see here in one visit.
In the afternoon I went to the Orangerie museum which was so-so. I spent the
rest of the day at the hotel. 
 |
||
| June 6, 2019 - Thursday | Paris | France |
A day trip to Versailles was the plan for today. I took the train there and
then toured the chateau which was nice (but not as good as Vienna). The
gardens were very disappointing, it was mostly fenced off trees. However,
off to the side is the Grand Trianon area which has an extremely nice
garden/park/hamlet area that Marie Antoinette designed. This was my favorite
part of the place. 
 |
||
| June 7, 2019 - Friday | Paris | France |
I went to Napoleons Tomb and army museum, the Rodin museum (sculptures),
Pantheon, Culny museum (waste of time), and the Pere Lacheaise Cemetary,
where some famous people are buried. I had a museum pass that got me into
most sights, so even if some of these were not very good it didn't cost me
extra. The weather today was overcast with occasional rain. 
 |
||
| June 8, 2019 - Saturday | Paris | France |
For my final full day in Paris I went to the Catacombs with all the bones
which was good, but overpriced. After I went up to the Montmarte area and
then walked down through the Pigalle area and back to my hotel. These areas
were okay, but not great. The Monrmarte area is very sketchy, I would not
want to be there at night. 
 |
||
| June 9, 2019 - Sunday | Paris | France |
|
Fly home early morning. |
||