Paris!

Well, today marks the end of my trip. I decided to spend my last day in Paris. I have been to Paris before, but did not get to see everything I wanted to see. I have always regretted not visiting the Avenue Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe. So, to make sure I didn't run out of time again and miss these two amazing sites, I decided to start there.

First, the Arc de Triomphe. Standing at the bottom of this structure is amazing in itself. Had I known that you could actually go inside and go up the stairs to the top, I may have made sure not to miss it five years ago when I was here. Upon reaching the top I discovered that this is probably one of the best views in Paris. You can see the city and the Eiffel Tower. The view from the Eiffel Tower of course is amazing, but from the Eiffel tower you can't see the Eiffel tower, so I figure this view is better. I kind of wish i would have come at night. I bet it would have been amazing to see the city, and the Eiffel tower all lit up. There were some street performers at the bottom that were interesting as well. Of course it was crazy to see the traffic around the Arch. It is insane! Just like you see in the movies!

After visiting the Arc de Triomphe we headed down the Avenue Champs-Elysées. It was a LONG but lovely walk. There were lots of people to watch, and lots of neat shops to peak in. The avenue itself is lined with trees, so it really is a beautiful walk.

This photo of Champs-Elysees is courtesy of TripAdvisor

After our long walk it was time to grab a bite to eat. We stopped at L'Angle du Faubourg and had their tasting menu....their very expensive tasting menu. At 82 euro per plate our jaws dropped, but it was tasty, and it was our last day in France after all, so might as well live it up! The tasting menu included a creamy risotto, crusted sea bass with New Zealand apples, a rump of veal roast with stuffed mushrooms, and chocolate clementines. We also really wanted to try escargot so we ordered that as well. Everything was amazing. The chocolate clementines were a surprising delight. And the escargot wasn't *too* bad. We had to have the waiter open them for us. They were chewy and salty. I'm a texture person so it wasn't for me. But I saw other people enjoying them.

After our time at the arch, then our long walk, and our deliciously spendy lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel for a little nap. Since we were feeling so rich after our lunch we decided to splurge on our hotel. We checked into the Jays Paris hotel, and wow, just wow. This hotel is amazing. They treated us like royalty.

This photo of Jays Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

After our nap we decided to check out Moulin Rouge. I really wanted to check it out my first time around in Paris, so tonight was the night. It was not exactly like I expected, seeing how my expectations were probably influenced by the movie, but it was still very entertaining and worth seeing.

This photo of Moulin Rouge is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of Moulin Rouge is courtesy of TripAdvisor

After our night out at the Moulin Rouge, we were definitely ready to head back to the hotel and get a good night sleep. We saw just a fraction of Paris today. Someday, I will come back and spend an entire week just in Paris. I think one could easily do that, especially if you want to see a lot of the Louvre. I just loved my trip through France. I can't wait to go back again!


http://www.jays-paris.com/luxury-suites-paris.html
http://www.francethisway.com/paris/arc-de-triomphe.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_rouge

Reims

Today, I'm in the beautiful city of Reims. Reims is most famous for it's cathedral, which has been said to be one of the best examples of the French Gothic architectural style.

So, of course the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims was my first stop. This gorgeous cathedral, with all it's stained glass and art did not disappoint. What an amazing piece of history, art, architectural masterpiece. No wonder it had more than a half a million visitors in 2006!

My next stop is next to the Cathedral at the Palais du Tau. It was the one time residence of the kings of France, and now houses the Musée de l'OEuvre. The Musée de l'OEuvre displays statuary and tapestries from the cathedral, along with reliquaries and other objects associated with the coronation of the French kings.

Next I decided to do something I haven't yet done while in France; champagne tour at Champagne Ruinart. I'm so glad I did it! What an amazing site to see. It was far more than a champagne tasting tour. They treated us like we were special guests. Everything about this place is impressive. From their treatment of us, to the staircase that plunges down into the cool underground of chalk tunnels, to their amazing and expensive champagne (expensive for me anyway.) The chalk tunnels were hollowed out under the city to a dept of up to 38 meters, for the purpose of storing it's bottles. It became a historical sight in 1931. It extends over three levels with eight kilometers of galleries. At the end of the the very informative tour, we sat in a living room type of area for our tasting. It made it feel very comfortable and we were able to socialize with the rest of our group.

After the wine tour we thought it'd be a good idea to have some dinner. We decided to eat at La Table Anna. We treated ourselves to a fancy five course dinner that started off with terrine of foie gras, apple chutney on gingerbread. Apparently, inhabitants of Reims are also known as "the gingerbread eaters," so we were excited to see this on the menu. We also had Beef Wellington, which I have always wanted to try. It was a little rare for me, but I enjoyed it anyway.

After that meal, it was definitely time to head to our hotel. Since we were still feeling fancy from our dinner, we decided to splurge and stay a night in a fancy hotel, le Chateau Les Crayerers. It was $500 per night but let me just say, you get what you pay for at this hotel....luxury! We lived like royalty for a night and we loved every minute and every dollar of it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Reims

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Tau

http://www.ruinart.com/us/la-maison-ruinart/#visits-and-receptions

http://www.latableanna.fr/anna.html

http://www.lescrayeres.com/rooms_202_202.html

Verdun

Today I arrived in Verdun. Since planning my trip through France I have been wanting to visit Verdun especially because of it's role in WWI history. I'm not a WWI or WWII history buff by any stretch of the imagination, but I have always been very interested in it, and love visiting anything that has to do with it.

The first place I visited in Verdun was the Verdun Cathedral. It seems like there's a fantastic cathedral to visit in almost every town in Europe, and I don't like to miss them. The Verdun Cathedral site dates back to 330 but of course went through many changes throughout time. During WWI, between 1916 and 1917 the cathedral was severely damaged. It was restored to it's current condition between 1920 and 1936. During the restoration a number of Romanesque features were discovered along with a crypt. The facade of the cathedral is embellished by an elegant portico with a composite Romanesque and Gothic style. The apses are polygonal and quite charming. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful cathedral and glad I didn't skip it.

Next I headed over to the La Citadelle, which was built in the 17th century. It was used during WWI to house population but they were soon evacuated and from then on it was only occupied by troops. To this day it is still under military control, but there are several tunnels that can be visited by the public. The circuit of tunnels reconstructs environments and modes of everyday life during the war, with animated scenes and virtual images. Even though the "car" that takes you around the tunnel is kind of hokey the overall experience was fascinating, and haunting.

My next stop is to the Verdun Battlefield. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed even trying to write about it now. There is so much to take in. The surrounding area was never rebult and still bares the scares of devestation today. The land is pock marked from the bombing. Small buildings/forts and trenches are still visible. There are markers and monuments to showing where villages used to be.

Here's a pictures of a trench.


This photo of Verdun is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Pock-marked land...

This photo of Verdun is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Next it was on to Fort Douaumont and the nearby Douaumont Ossuary. The fort was even more haunting than the first one I visited. It has a dark and bloody history. It's truly chilling.


This photo of Verdun is courtesy of TripAdvisor

There is so much more to see here in Verdun, but it was still a long day of sightseeing so I had to go grab something to eat. I stopped at a little restaurant had a Tourte a la Lorraine (pork pie, veal and eggs). And for dessert some yummy macaroons.

Well, now that I'm full both physically and mentally, I'm headed for a good night sleep in an quaint, no frills, but nice and clean hotel, the Hotel Montaulbain.

This photo of Hotel Montaulbain is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Metz, France

Today I arrived in beautiful Metz, France. Prior to planning my trip here, I'd never heard of this place. Boy would I have missed out!

I started my day in Metz with a visit to the Cathedral of Saint-Etienne, a beautiful gothic style cathedral. All I have to say about it is "Wow!" The Cathedrale St. Etienne is quite the site indeed. It is a Gothic masterpiece. I was in awe of all the gargoyles, angels, demons, cherubs and devilish-looking creatures carved into its Jaumont stone structure. There are some fascinating carved depictions from the Bible; Heaven and Hell being the main theme…very cool to see. The cathedral also has the 3^rd highest nave in France, which adds to its grandeur. There are also a ton of stained glass windows. They are absolutely incredible to look at. Out of my travels, this is definitely the most impressive and unique cathedral I have visited.

After the cathedral, headed over to the Musee de la Cour d'Or. It is a museum with valuable collections of Roman and Medieval art. I was really impressed with the carved funerary steles. They were incredible. I also thought it was neat to see the ancient baths and various objects of daily use and tombs of the Merovingian kings. Of course the paintings were amazing too. Some of the paintings were by some painters of the "The Metz School," which was an art movement in Metz and its region gathering around Laurent-Charles Marechal between 1834 and 1870.

After the museum, we decided to go see the Jardin Botanique. Its not something I would normally take the time to do while sightseeing, but something about it's description made me want to see it. It has over 80 different varieties of roses, herbs, flowers of every hue, and fragrance, in addition to palms, and high trees such as the 140 years old sequoia tree. I have to say that we were very glad we went. It was very beautiful and a nice end to our sightseeing for the day. It was interesting to compare to our own botanical gardens. I haven't been to our local botanical gardens for a while, but in comparison this one is much bigger, and has a lot more to look at. It was gorgeous.

After the gardens it was time for dinner at Restaurant Thierry. The style was mostly a fusion of French, North African and Asian cooking. Just a few meters away from the cathedral, we thought it'd be a great place to eat, even though it wasn't local cuisine per se. I decided to try something I had never had, so I ordered the Roasted black pudding with lemon mashed potatoes. The potatoes were good. Let's leave it at that. ;)

Finally it was time for us to head in for the night and get some sleep. We headed to the Hotel de la Cathedrale. It's a wonderful hotel, in perfect location, facing the cathedral. A perfect place to call it a night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metz,_France

http://www.francethisway.com/places/metz.php

http://www.hotelcathedrale-metz.fr/en.php

http://musee.metzmetropole.fr/site/index.php

http://www.metz.fr/metz2/decouvrir/jardin/botanique.php

Nancy, France

We arrived in Nancy France yesterday evening and checked into an absolutely charming bed and breakfast called Maison de Myon. After the most peaceful night sleep we’ve had in a long time we were served a lovely breakfast of fruit, tartines, yogurt and coffee in the courtyard. It was the perfect way to start our day.



After eating breakfast we had a short walk to our first site to see, Place Stanislas. Place Stanislas is a pedestrian square which is surrounded by some amazing wrought iron decorations. The place Stanislas was such a treat to see. It really was stunning. The buildings there are grand, and the square itself is bustling with a variety of shops, restaurants and cafes. It seemed like it was a very social place to be. We strolled around the square for a bit, making sure to take in the both the Neptune fountain and the triumphal arch. Both were absolutely breathtaking. The square is also the site of the old town hall, which we took a stroll by as well.

After losing ourselves in the square we decided to head over to Musée de Beax Arts, which happens to be located in the Place Stanislas. It is one of the oldest museums in France. Here we got to see a variety of works representing every European school of art spanning a period of time from the 14th through 21st centuries. The painting collections included a series of works by Delecroix, Monet, and Picasso, just to name a few of the more recognizable artists for someone that doesn’t have a broad knowledge of art. My favorite collection to see was the Daum crystal collection. It was a collection of over 100 years of Nancy’s well known glasswork production, from the Art Nouveau period to the contemporary productions. Such a sight to see!






After leaving the museum we decided to stop for lunch in the square before heading over to our next destination. We chose a cozy little café called Jean l’amour. We sat out on the patio, sipped on aperitifs and people watched until our quiche Lorraine arrived. Our quiche Lorraine was delicious! We were so excited to be eating it in the very region that it originated.

One more place we had to visit while in Nancy was the Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy. The Musee de l’ecole de Nancy is a museum dedicated to the Art Nouveau movement. The museum is conveniently located at the end of an Art Nouveau walk starting from the center of town. We got the map for this from the tourist office. I am far from an Art Nouveau buff, or even an art buff, but I love furniture. And this was a great place to see some very interesting furniture. Wait, not just interesting; amazing and breathtaking! The Dawn and Dusk bed by Emile Galle, took my breath away. Actaully, all of Galle’s stuff was particularly moving to me. I was so glad I got to see it. We also got to see some beautiful glass, stained glass, and ceramic works by a variety of artists. My favorite was a Daum brothers Vase Chrysanthèmes Victor Lemoine. I wonder if even winning the lottery would afford me those two things from this museum….hmmm.







Before heading back to our hotel we stopped back by the Place Stanislas. We heard there was a magnificent light show there every night at 10:00 pm, and there certainly was! The square was amazing at night. It was basically a multi-media sound and light show. It was an utterly fantastic way to end our day in Nancy. After that we headed back to our quaint little bed and breakfast and settled in for another wonderful night sleep.

This photo of Place Stanislas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Sources:

http://www.francethisway.com/places/nancy.php

http://www.ot-nancy.fr/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_Stanislas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy,_France

Strasbourg, France

Today, I start my tour of France in Strasbourg. With a population of around 280,000 it is Frances 7th largest city. (http://www.strasbourg.eu/en/today.html) It is a city that was founded by the Romans in 12 BC. That makes it over 2000 years old! Strasbourg has rich and diverse history and a well preserved architectural heritage. In 1988, Strasbourg actually became the first ever entire city center to be classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO (United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization. (http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/article.php?id_article=136&url_ret=rubrique.php?id_rubrique=23&lang=en)

The first place I just had to see was the spectacular Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Construction of the cathedral began in 1015 and finished in 1439. However, most of it was destroyed by a fire in 1176 and so construction of the present day cathedral actually started then. Located in the heart of the historical center of Strasbourg, it is said to be a masterpiece of Gothic art. I could have spent hours just walking around the outside of it, looking at all the hundreds of amazing sculptures that seem to leap out at me from the wall, and watching the pink sandstone change colors depending on what time of day it was. But alas, I had to move on and get myself inside. Here's a picture of some of those statues I was so taken in by. And another picture of the cathedral.

While inside the cathedral I made sure to see the astronomical clock, which is a Renessaince masterpiece, the result of the combined work of artists, mathemeticians, and technicians. I was lucky enough to be there at 12:30 pm, which is the time of day in which animated figures come out of the clock to entertain the spectators. (http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/article.php?id_article=148&lang=en )It was a delightful performance and I was glad I was there for! Having been thoroughly entertained by the clock, I decided it was time to make the trek up the 332 steps up the spiral staircase to the platform of the cathedral, where I enjoyed some amazing panoramic views of the city. (http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/article.php?id_article=152&lang=en)

After climbing all those steps, I was ready for lunch, but also, ready to see more of what Strasbourg had to offer. So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and head to The Kammerzell House. One of the most famous structures in Strasbourg, and one of the most ornate and well preserved, it was a must see for me. Especially knowing that it houses one of the best places to eat in town. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammerzell_House) While there I enjoyed a wonderful meal, and even tried duck liver and frog legs for the very first time! Here's a picture of the house. And part of my lunch. Yumm.

My next stop was The Petite French Quarter: "The district on the waters." Said to be the most picturesque district in Strasbourg, I knew I couldn't miss it. It is located on the Grand Isle or Main Island where the river Ill splits into a number of canals. The canals wind through a number of small are of medieval half-timbered houses and baroque sandstone buildings. These houses date back to the 16th and 17th century when they housed fisherman, tanners and millers that lived and worked there. (http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/article.php?id_article=155&url_ret=rubrique.php?id_rubrique=25&lang=en). While there I stopped in at many of the little shops there and bought some great souveniers for home.

After my day of sightseeing in Strasbourg, I decided to stay at the Kammerzell house hotel for the night, since I like it so much. After climbing the 16th century staircase, I was surprised to be staying in a contemporary style bedroom, overlooking the city, with the cathedral looking down on me.

Our XVIth century spiral staircase is all that is between your plate and you pillow.