Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer

We had already been to Cassis and Antibes on the the Cote d'Azur, but the sea was calling and after a hot tip from Alison's French friend to visit the area around Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, we decided to give it a go - and we were thrilled with the outcome. 

A terrific coastline, sandy beaches, just enough in the way of restaurants and shops alongside the beach to serve a purpose without ruining the serenity. Stopping here in the first week of June I am sure feels different to even the last week of June. We didn't encounter crowds, delays, surges in pricing or a lack of accomodation options! Yay!

We were able to pull up right alongside our favourite stretch of Cavalière beach 3 days in a row. The first day was to check it out, play in the sand, build some awesome sand castles, and to have the first beer of the day on the beach at 6.30pm (Sydney time).

When we realised that there was more on offer we figured we'd come back; so we did, two evenings in a row. The amazingly friendly and welcoming La Voile de Cavalière was the perfect spot. A boat club during the day, turns to bar in the evening with biere, vin et cocktail on offer. The owners are lovely people, sun-kissed and half-cut by 5pm, they drink about as much as they serve and it seems they know just about every customer in the place.

They had convinced us to return a second night in a row after having to ask us to leave (closing time) on the first night.

Shoes off, feet in the sand, E playing happily, sun setting... don't you just love it when you find a perfect little slice of paradise.

I miss you Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer. X

Scott 

Carcassone and Cassoulet

Carcossone is said to be one of the best preserved medieval towns in all of Europe. The fortified, walled city was initially build by the Romans, but finished by the French and has endured countless battles and sieges.

The weather turned dramatically on our 4 hour drive and by the time we arrived, the rain had cleared and the temperature had dropped to under 20 degrees. Perfect grey weather to explore this medieval wonder.

Fun Fact: "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" was shot here! This has to be one of my favourite 90's movies and the theme song by Brian Adams was stuck in my head all weekend!

Dinner was Cassoulet, a traditional dish of this region, made with white beans, toulouse sausage and duck confit. It's rich and heartly and every restaurant in town was serving it. Good stodgy food to prep us for another day of walking and climbing tomorrow.

A xx 

Beating the heat in Bordeaux

Bordeaux was rated the Best Tourist Destination in the World in 2015. I read that in some tourist guide in the hotel and was pretty excited to discover this vast city .... I don't like to use the word disappointed, as it is a stunning city in terms of architecture and design. But I didn't love it.

Elliot did however, love the water feature down by the river. All the kids were stripped off and playing under the fountains. My inner germaphobe was imagining all sorts of gastro bugs floating around, but it was almost 40 degrees and no breeze and standing under the cool mist was the only way to pass the afternoon. 

What I enjoyed most about Bordeaux was the little town of Saint-Emilion, some 30 minutes away. A UNESCO world heritage site, it dates back to the 12th Century and is fairly well known for it's Grand Cru. Beautiful scenery, cobblestone streets and ancient churches. And the wine wasn't too bad either.

Lots of wine tasting led to a couple of cases of red packed into our already very full car. But hey, we're here for the rest of the year, we're going to need some wine! 

Drinking a lovely glass of red as I type, actually. 

P.S.  Could E be any cuter?! 

A xx

Chantilly, giddy up!

When you don't plan in advance, things tend not to go as planned. 

After Paris we thought we'd head up to Normandy for some history - my strong suit. Enter yet another French long weekend, add a nation of drivers and train catchers that wouldn't dare stay put when one could enjoy themselves in Normandy. Who would have thought it! 

Expedia search showed 0 hotels available from 190 they list in Normandy. 

Following a similar method to Fontainebleau - we looked at Google Maps, then Images - then hotel availability.   Chantilly!   Famous for its lace, and whipped cream .... at least that's what first came to mind.

Leaving Paris was interesting... a 45 minute return journey to collect the car that I had parked far away to save us over 250€ in parking charges, our GPS must have recognised that as tourists, we'd like to drive up the Champs Élysées and around the mighty Arc de Triomphe. 

Not quite a Chevy Chase moment, but not far from it. There is no logic to this. None.  

When you drive through the thick forest and into the town of Chantilly the sight is amazing, a beautiful Chateau just sitting there, roadside, literally surrounded by forest. 

The Chateau was a treat, occupied by folk through the generations that had a passion for all things outdoors. Lots of forest for hunting, fields for games, gardens and the famous race track, the Chantilly Hippodrome, just a stones throw away. 

Something cool about the place knowing it was the Chateau they'd go to just for fun. 

 

Every year the town explodes when the horse races are on, as you'd expect we missed that. We thought to visit the Grand Stables, their horse museum, 2 steps into the place and I could feel things closing that shouldn't, my eyes involuntarily, nose, most concerning was the throat. 

Good to know the horse allergy is still strong, it just saved us 11€ per person. 

Beautiful Chateau, race course and hotel. We didn't try the cream, sadly. 

It was a Sunday and almost everything was closed. C'est la vie!

Scott

20,000 steps in Paris

It's a good thing we decided to carb load that sunny morning in Paris. We thought we'd take in some sights and have a lazy day, but Paris had other plans for us. Unbeknown to us, we were about to take on some serious walking and cover half of Paris by nightfall.

From Saint Germain des Prés, across the Seine to the Jardin des Tulleries and then up to the Louvre. 

Then we explored the 1st ARR. with it's ritzy shops and hotels. 

Back down to the Place de la Concorde, through another park and we landed on the tip of the Champs Élysées. 

At almost 2 kilometres in length itself, we took a detour halfway down, got Elliot off for a nap and treated ourselves to lunch in the sun. More carbs were needed, and wine of course, and this delightful Italian restaurant playing ABBA's Greatest Hits was just perfect!

A few quick tourist snaps in front of l'Arc de Triomphe and we were off again. This time down Ave Foch, admiring the lovely buildings, a pit stop to lay on the grass in the sun and then we were off again!! Another 2 kilometres down .... 

Enough walking. After a quick beer stop we decided to catch the metro to Notre Dame. More tourist snaps, thanks to Em's selfie stick. A little exploring of the side streets, Elliot's first taste of a macaron and we were officially exhausted. 

By now we were back on the Left Bank and walking along the river, so surely we must be close to home ... another two kilometres walked.

 

Home with sore feet, blisters and tired legs for 2 days ... but we wouldn't have it any other way. 

PARIS JE T'AIME!

A xx