France 2003!
This page has selected photos of our 3rd trip to France.
Here's a small map of where we stayed throughout France on this trip!
1: Reims 2: Bordeaux 3: Marseille 4: Aspet
This was the MAIDEN Voyage of this aircraft, N345, on an International Flight, Flight 42 to Paris (CDG) France, where we started our 2 week journey across France! Look at that baby shine!
And we were lucky enough to get First Class!
This is also the first time Cindy and I used the train system, instead of a rental car, for the entire voyage. It was a wonderful way to travel, and we will certainly be using it again in the future. It gave us time to relax and review where we had just been, catch up on some needed rest between stops as well as write post-cards.
Évelyne & Jérôme Hublé, outside Évelyne at home in her Kitchen. Joélle (Évelyne's sister) &
Chateau Pommery.
They were We can't count how often Cindy Dominique Genestin enjoy
our first hosts for this voyage, hit
her head on that stove vent!
a romantic moment...
in Reims, Northeast of Paris.
Armelle & Pascal Boué.
In the champagne cave of
The proper form for
Cindy has trouble choosing which
Pascal & Armelle where we had a pouring champagne.
to enjoy with our lovely 'lite'
LOT of champagne and laughs.
lunch.
Our 2nd hosts were Fred & Daniella Fillastre, and their 2 children, Adrien &
Julia.
They live in a suburb outside Bordeaux, France
We had a wonderful time enjoying their amazing home-made local dishes and sights, as well
as lots of laughter!
The kids loved us both.
Daniella enjoys a little quiet time An amazingly restored
Castle,
on the Dune of Pyla.
Chateau Branda, outside Bordeaux.
The
Citadel of Blaye, an ancient Fred is very serious about
the The main fountain of Bordeaux,
fortress at the mouth
of the rose gardens
he maintains for his depicting the god of the sea,
Gironde river. It's over
lovely bride. Poseidon.
1 kilometer in length and an
awesome historic site to see!
A closer shot demonstrating how Obviously, Bordeaux is a
Port City, 'Les Grandes Murailles', the ancient
large the fountain is!
even the streetlights have a ruins
of a Monastery built by the
nautical theme! Dominicans
in late 13th Century
in the wine village of St. Emilion.
A wide view of St. Emilion. A wide
view of the Dune of Pyla,
the
largest sand dune in all of Europe!
The small isle out there is
Our 3rd host, Véronique Boué, Me, and
the lovely bride, standing
Chateau d'If, the location of
overlooking the coast of
atop a cliff overlooking Cassis,
the imprisoned Count de Marseille, where she lives.
a lovely fishing town. Look at the
Monte Cristo in the book
gorgeous blue sea!
by Alexandre Dumas.
I took about 15 minutes to get this photo
Véro & Cindy in front of her kitchen and
I waited for the moment when no one was
dining area. We had such a wonderful time
walking through and the clouds were past.
and we can't wait to get back there!
This is looking outside a small medieval
Véro is an amazing chef as well as
village east of
Marseille called:
Le Castellet!
a very fun 'tour guide!'
I had the most amazing crêpe in town,
the view was spectacular as well!
We arrived in Aspet France for
After mass at
St. Bertrand de
The back yard of Giselle & Jean Claude,
the final leg of our journey.
Comminges, we sat down across friends we met on our
first visit. We
In the morning, while enjoying the
cobblestone with friends to were invited for aperitif one
late
an awesome cup of French Coffee enjoy an aperitif at an outdoor
afternoon. Those are the Pyrénées
I looked out the window and
bar. If only all churches Mountains in
the distance!
snapped this landscape!
explored this idea of community!
The church itself was amazing,
An ancient stone church with a
finely crafted wooden church inside!
The girls together in Aspet:
We take a breather from walking We once again were lucky
enough
Left to right, Cindy, Danielle Boué, around Paris the day
before we to get First Class on the return and
Joélle Genestin (sister of Danielle), left to return home. also enjoyed
Champagne from the
Stephanie Panel (daughter of Danielle)
same Chateau we visited at the
beginning of our trip,
Pommery!
After the long walk up the steps Véro's cat only liked to
drink The monument for
fallen Tour-de France
to Basilique Notre Damme de la
straight from the tap.
cyclist: Fabio Casartelli
Garde.
It was unbelievably windy Very
weird<G>...
that day and we thought we would
fly
off the pinnacle upon which
the
Church is constructed.
The Garonne river just over
I wanted to get a photo of both the
the border in Spain, where we
Eiffel Tower along with the Bridge;
went to shop and stock up
Alexandre III.
the liquor cabinet<G>...
Yes, the same train station that Here's a view of the painting done
Claude Monet painted, and it by Monet. The actual painting is
looks amazingly similar even at the Art Institute of Chicago.
today! This is Gare St. Lazare. Cindy is a member, we get there
Cindy took this photo. when we can, or when visitors
come and want to go! We have
unlimited access with the membership!
