OK two days of blogging in a row was an anomaly.
I’m trying very hard to enjoy the moments and try to live in the present and not worry about my kids, my work or being too much on technology. However, I do want to share some of the moments and adventures that I’ve been enjoying on this 30th anniversary vacation.
Let’s continue with Paris! We enjoyed a guided tour of the Versailles Palace and I learned a lot of interesting things about French history and the kings.
The castle was amazing all the things we saw in gold were real gold and it’s no wonder that the people revolted since they didn’t have enough to eat, but the kings were walking on gold floors.
Our tour guide was a great storyteller and I enjoyed every minute, even though it was so crowded and so hot
It was a long touring day because after the Versailles Palace, the bus drove to Giverny and toured the home and Gardens of Claude Monet. Once again the history of this painter was fascinating. Did you know that he asked a local politician to move the train tracks because it was disturbing him and they did it! I’m sure it was better for his flowers too. The garden and the home were colorful and it was great to experience it with Kevin.
Other highlights in Paris include the visit to the pantheon where we saw the resting place of Marie Currie and her husband. They were both scientists who did a lot of research understanding nuclear physics. Afterwards, Kevin commented that he expected that there would still be radiation leaking from her body from all the research that she did. We then found out that they had lined her tomb with lead for just that reason.
We also enjoyed a boat cruise along the Seine River
Have I mentioned the food? I love eating when traveling and we have enjoyed so many wonderful meals here. I think I would come back just to eat the food.
There's something so lovely about eating on the patio with so many other people. Enjoying the chatter around and watching people walk by.
It's like an art here in France. The art of sitting, eating, drinking and chatting. All the bistros are just full of people sitting outside and watching the world go by.
We eventually had to say au revoir to Paris and moved on to our next adventure. We took the high-speed train to the south of France in the Provence area.
Arriving at our home base of Aix en Provence was very interesting. The atmosphere and vibe was completely different than Paris. It was a much slower pace and less crowded. However, the heat was just as hot.
Some highlights of this portion of the trip included a special photography session that I had booked in the lavender fields. Because of the heat much of the lavender had been harvested already, but the photographer still found a small field where we could take our photographs.
The drive to meet the photographer was incredible. Seeing the lavender fields and farms from a distance in the mountainous region was definitely a sight to behold. Kevin was a stellar driver on the narrow winding roads.
It surprised me how spcial and intimate the photography session was. It did feel like a very unique romantic experience and was perfect to celebrate our anniversary.
I can’t wait to see the photographs the photographer sends us.
Another big highlight in this region was the hike that we did in the Calanques national Park. This is a protected nature reserve, and although I found the hike a bit tricky since the ground was uneven, and the rocks were slippery, and there were several ascents and decents on jagged rock surfaces, the final arrival point was worth the effort.
I’m so glad we’re doing this trip now because I commented to Kevin that in 10 years I I’m not sure I would’ve been able to handle the hike.
The view was so spectacular! I just felt so grateful to God for the opportunity to be there and spend it with Kevin.
The rest of our time in the Provence region consisted of visiting small villages and enjoying the relaxed vibe. There was of course more wonderful eating involved. There is a special candy that is famous in Aix en Provence called "Calisson". I was told by French demonstrators that this was an important treat to try. So of course that’s one of the first things Kevin and I did. We tested and tasted Calisson. I believe it is tied to the french word: Calin which means hug. (So I hugged him when I tasted my first one)
The legend is that there was an arranged marriage between a king and a woman and the woman was unhappy about the situation. So the local confectioners invented this treat and when she ate it, she smiled, and they were glad. In the town that we are staying this treat, Calisson is so highly revered that once a year there is a ceremony to bless the Calisson. I believe the story behind this is that there was a plague and someone prayed that if the plague would relent, they would give calisson to all the poor in the town.
We even visited the Calisson museum and factory that was created by the company that makes nougat and Calisson both of which are famous delicacies in France.
Well this is probably a long enough update for now!
We are now at the train station to take a train to Disneyland Paris. I told Kevin this is like 3 trips: Paris, Provence region and Disneyland Paris. One trip for each decade. :-)
Unfortunately there was a giant fire near Paris so the trains are all delayed and confused. Sadly this means we will miss our dinner reservation at Chez Remy (a Disney restaurant that is Rataouille themed) which I needed to book months in advance. This trip has been going pretty near perfect so far so this hiccup is just a small blip among many amazing experiences and blessings.
I know in previous posts I said I would share a relationship tip and a stampin' info tip with each post.
I suppose my relationship tip is to always make time to enjoy new experiences together. Although I've been to France a few times before, I made sure to incorporate things that I had never seen or done before so we could enjoy them for the first time together. Creating new, pleasant memories together helps strengthen the relationship (in my humble opinion)
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