This is not our first trip to France but most of the previous forays in the area were limited to the north and Paris area. This time our decision is to focus on the area south of Paris with a short side trip to Marrakesh. Starting our research we are pleasantly surprised at the range of things to do and the must do list threatens to spiral out of control. Finally everything is booked, the plan is written and the only thing left is to start the adventure.
We arrive early morning in Paris and after picking up our bags we search for the downtown train. That was not difficult but then we try to buy tickets and everything gets complicated as the ticket dispenser refuses all our credit cards due to lack of chip (US is behind Europe in this aspect) so we have to identify a dispenser that takes cash and use some euros from our reserve. Finally we are on the train and then after a LONG switch to the metro we arrive at our hotel.
We tried really hard the weeks prior to identify a relatively cheap hotel close to the Metro and we finally found a hotel that fit the bill. The hotel rooms are really small, almost comically so, but that is common in European capitals however somehow in that cramped space we even have a fireplace.
After a bit of refreshing we decide to take a brief tour of downtown Paris before we leave for the south tomorrow. First stop is the birds market on Ile de la Cité which was one of the things that we didn't want to miss. There are lots of interesting and weird birds but also some common ones like doves and parrots.
 |  |
| Lots of parakeets | Interesting birds |
 |  |
| Vegetable stand | Streetside bistro |
Next we walk the short distance to the most well known attraction on the Ile de la Cité, the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral. On the way we admire a few of the other interesting buildings on the island including the Palais of Justice (Justice Palace) and the nearby Sainte Chapelle church.
And then we arrive at Notre Dame. Last time we were here it was overcast and the cathedral was under renovation, today it is sunny and no renovations are in sight. We also do not remember the long line of people snaking in front of the Cathedral trying to visit it as we were expecting fewer people especially as it isn't tourist season and the museums are free for the day. After some deliberations we decide to skip it and just go round it from the outside.
There are lots of gargoyles and other details on the outside of the Cathedral, whenever we see the beautiful details on the old gothic cathedrals we cannot stop thinking how long it would take an artisan to decorate the whole cathedral and then to maintain it.
 |  |
| Notre Dame Front View | Notre Dame from the back |
 |  |
| Very ornated side of the cathedral | Another view of the embellishments |
 |  |
| Close detail of the front | Gargoyle on Notre Dame |
From Notre Dame we stroll on Quai aux Fleurs near the Seine and cross the river on the way to the Louvre.
 |  |
| Seine cruise | Seine view |
It seems that most tourists take the metro as the traffic is slightly less busy until we approach the Louvre where it picks up again. Today is free entry at most museums so there is a long line to visit the Museum. From the outside the palace is still as large as we remember but after visiting Vienna and other major European capitals it looks slightly less impressive than the first time we visited.
Next intended stop are the Tuileries Gardens but on the way we stop at the Arc de Triumphe de Carrousel; this is not the more well known Arc de Triumphe but it is still an interesting historical sight that is well visited by tourists.
We continue to the Tuileries Gardens which are full of people enjoying the sun and lounging on the grass and relaxing. We take a few pictures of the maze and sculptures and as the sun continue to beat down on us we hurry to cross the Seine and visit the Orsay museum, another well known museum in Paris that is housed in an old train station.
 |  |
| Louvre front view | Well known pyramid in front of the Louvre |
 |  |
| Side of the Louvre | Arc de Triumphe de Carrousel |
Even though we have only 1 1/2h till closing time we visit the majority of exhibitions as it isn't such a large museum but still it has a large collection impressionist painters such as Monet, Renoir and also a few Van Gogh where the majority of visitors congregate. After it the tiredness is catching up with us so we return to the hotel. Close by we stop to buy a few groceries and after a quick dinner we go to sleep early so we can wake up early tomorrow.
We wake up refreshed in the morning and after a quick breakfast we start on the adventure of getting to the rental car location at the Orly airport. Online we identified where we can get the bus so after carrying our luggage through the metro for what seemed hundreds of meters we emerge at the bus location. However none of the bus ticket dispensers work so we try inside the nearby train station but they have no idea what we should do. So we wait for the bus and the bus driver actually opens up a ticket counter where we buy our tickets. The ride to the aiport is long but uneventful and then we pick up our car and we maneuver the Paris interstate exchanges correctly to start towards Chartres.
 |  |
| French interstate | First view of Chartres cathedral |
We know when we approach Chartres as the imposing Cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is visible from quite a distance. We maneuver towards it but still we manage to get lost trying to find a parking spot - we follow several P signs that lead seemingly nowhere so we circle the downtown area twice before finding the correct sequence of streets to the underground parking lot. The parking lot looks futuristic and cramped to us used to the wide open spaces in the US but we find a good parking space and it is off to the Cathedral through the interesting downtown area.
 |  |
| Chartres downtown | Monument downtown |
First thing we notice is that the front part of the Cathedral is under renovation - just our luck. We take pictures and then we walk around it - there is a beautiful view of the city from the back. After admiring the exterior we go inside, to our surprise there are relatively few tourists in Chartres so the interior is mostly quiet and even though the Cathedral is huge it feels almost intimate. Inside we walk around until we find the Sancta Camisa believed to be the tunic that St. Mary wore when giving birth to Jesus and is the relic that attracted many pilgrims here and led to the building of the huge Cathedral.
 |  |
| Chartres cathedral - in renovation | Close up of cathedral |
 |  |
| Detail on cathedral | Sancta Camisa - Chartres cathedral |
We walk a bit more around the cathedral looking at the details and taking a look at Bishop Palace and the Labyrinth nearby before getting back to the parking and moving on.
 |  |
| Detail above the main entrance | The main entrance - very ornate |
 |  |
| Chartres - Old Bishop Palace | Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth |
Our next goal is towards the south and the Loire Valley with the well known castles. As soon as we get close to the Loire we make a stop for pictures and to our surprise we notice the nuclear plant nearby - the birds however didn't seem to care that much about the alien structure in their midst.
 |  |
| Loire near a nuclear power plant | Loire river |
 |  |
| Quaint view of the river | Birds on the Loire |
The castle that we decide to visit today is Chambord a huge castle (the largest in the Loire Valley) with a beautiful Renaissance exterior. It sits inside a wooded park which is surrounded by an almost 30 km fence. We find easily the correct entrance and after parking move on through a mini tourist village to the castle. The first view of the castle is impressive and as we approach we notice more and more features - windows and turrets and a lot of embellishments.
 |  |
| Chambord castle | Close up of castle |
 |  |
| It is quite huge | Entrance in the castle |
After paying the entrance fee we walk into the courtyard looking at all details before climbing up to a roof terrace to look at the gardens surrounding the castle from above. On the way we find the "antler room" (our name) and the hunting room which are quite interesting. However the most interesting feature is the staircase which is also one of the major attractions of the castle.
 |  |
| Inside the castle | Detail with king's emblem |
 |  |
| Climbing up | View from the top of the gardens |
 |  |
| Hunting trophies | Looking into the double helix staircase |
The most well known feature of the castle is supposedly designed by Da Vinci - a three story double helix stairway which means that there are two circular stairs around an axis that never meet which we promptly use to get lost the first time we take them.
 |  |
| Staircase designed by Da Vinci | View when climbing |
After finding each other at the second floor we go through the exhibitions that are less impressive as many rooms are empty. There are still a few furnished rooms and a couple museum rooms that are relatively interesting and we take a look at them before leaving the castle.
 |  |
| One of the few furbished rooms | A furnished bedroom |
 |  |
| Small museum room | One of the few tapestries |
Leaving the castle we get some ice cream and eat it in front of the castle. After finishing we get the car and drive to a different parking spot where we walk around the park and we find a bird tower, lots of acorns and mushrooms (no idea if edible or not).
 |  |
| Chateau from a distance | One of the channels in the hunting preserve |
Next we drive toward Blois, it is late so we know that we won't be able to visit the castle but at least we might be able to see it from the outside. On the way we stop to take a picture of another castle on the Loire and of a balloon that is flying across the road.
 |  |
| Castle on the way | A balloon taking off in the evening |
In Blois we are careful and find a parking spot almost immediately and then we notice that the close by grocery shop closes in about 10 minutes. As we need provisions especially bread we make a run through the store and exit in time with our purchases. We take them to the car and then we go to the castle. It is almost dark but we can still see the nice exterior and even gain a glimpse of the courtyard as there is a private party inside.
Now it is dark outside so we drive without stops to Amboise where we booked a downtown hotel. It has no overnight parking in front so after taking our luggage upstairs we have to take the car further out to park. On the return trip we pass through the downtown area and notice that there are a couple restaurants that are still open so we decide to try some of the local cuisine. We want to try the andoillette however the waiter is discouraging us so in the end we get some steak with pommes frites. Full and tired we then return to our hotel room for the night to rest before continuing down the road tomorrow.
 |  |
| Blois small market | Interesting window display for a shoe store |
 |  |
| Blois castle front | Detail on the castle |
 |  |
| Side of the castle | Amboise food |
In the morning we start by taking the luggage to the car so we can meet the early checkout time and then it's time to visit Amboise. We walk around through the old city center and discover a croissant place that looks really tempting so we have a real French breakfast. Food is good and we feel refueled for our climb to the Amboise Castle in the middle of the city.
 |  |
| Old clocktower in Amboise | Narrow street |
 |  |
| Breakfast in France | Quite good |
The castle is really impressive as it befits a castle that housed French royalty for quite a few years. We take lots of pictures but do not enter the castle as we have a full day scheduled already.
 |  |
| Downtown Amboise | View of center of the city |
 |  |
| Royal Castle of Amboise | View from castle entrance |
And it starts with Clos Luce the mansion where Da Vinci spent his last years at the invitation of the French king. He brought with him a few paintings most famously Mona Lisa. We walk up to the mansion - it is tiring but there are nice views of the city and castle. There are some nice gardens and interesting houses excavated from the rock walls - people were still living there.
 |  |
| Side view of castle | Houses built into the natural wall |
 |  |
| Houses and garages into the cliffside | Old street |
The Clos Luce museum is really interesting with lots of replicas of Da Vinci's machines some of which you can even play around with. There are also a few furnished rooms that show in how high esteem he was held as they look almost at the level of France royalty.
 |  |
| Château du Clos Lucé - residence of Da Vinci | Inner courtyard |
 |  |
| Inside the castle | Not Da Vinci's bed but period furniture |
There is also a nice garden with ducks, wildflowers and a very large dovecote where the nobility was keeping their pigeons. After finishing our visit we return to the parking lot to pick our car and continue our tour of the area.
 |  |
| One of Da Vinci's machines | Dovecote |
 |  |
| Another one of the "hobbit" houses | Flowers on old wall |
Our next stop is the Chateau of Chenonceau which is relatively close to Amboise. This is another beautiful castle in the Loire Valley that spans a river which was the border between occupied and free France. Supposedly there were partisans using the castle to pass from one side to the other. The parking is outside the gardens so first we visit the Maze - it is fun but relatively easy to solve - it would probably hurt the tourism business if tourists would really get lost.
We then catch the first glimpse of the castle and it doesn't look as impressive as Chambord and part of it is under reconstruction but soon we notice that we are aproaching from the side and it is actually larger than it first appeared.
 |  |
| Chateau of Chenonceau - view from distance | Closer view |
 |  |
| Part is under reconstruction | Castle is in the middle of the river |
We find a spot to take pictures of the castle over the water and it is very impressive and then we also enter the part of the castle that spans the river - fun to look outside and see the river flowing beneath you.
 |  |
| It is impressive | Close up of castle |
 |  |
| River view from castle | View from bridge |
Inside it is more furnished than the other castles we have seen so we spend a lot more time viewing the different rooms and enjoying the intricate furniture.
 |  |
| Inside detail | Old door |
 |  |
| Furnished period room | Old cabinet |
Afterwards we spend some time to visit the gardens and find various interesting spots in them - while it is late fall there are still some nice flowers around the garden.
 |  |
| Garden from distance | Part of the garden |
 |  |
| Unfortunately no leaves are left | Tunnel in the garden |
Returning to the car we pass by a pond full of weird and beautiful ducks that we study for a while. We then enter through the vegetable and flower garden which looks beautiful and has ripe fruit that people are collecting and eating as they pass by. And then we pass near a meadow that houses a few cool looking donkeys so overall it was a really enjoyable visit.
 |  |
| Beautiful flowers | Orchard/flower garden |
 |  |
| Duck enjoying a pond | Nearby duck relaxing |
There is an ivy looking tower that seems out of a story book and then we pass near a meadow that houses a few cool looking donkeys so overall it was a really enjoyable visit.
 |  |
| Tower covered with ivy | Huge flowers |
 |  |
| Donkey kept at the castle | Pumpkin patch |
After exiting we stop to eat a few crepes and then move on as it is already afternoon and we planned to eat dinner at Domaine de la Rhonie where we also spend the night and we have to arrive before 8 pm in order to be able to order from the menu. This means that unfortunately we cannot stop on the way and even so we lose precious minutes as we get lost a few times on the way due to the remoteness of the location. We arrive a few minutes before 8 so without even checking in we go to the dinner room and eat a very full meal that revolves around geese and foie gras which is typical for the region and we wanted to sample.
After this we go to bed in a separate building which likely was the stables before but is very comfy and cold until we turn on the hit. Outside there is a great view of the valley with horses on meadows however the darkness descends before we can take any pictures so we go to sleep as tomorrow we have to wake up early to have any chance to view one of the well know painted caves in the area.
We wake up early, eat a quick breakfast, pack up everything and then do a quick tour of the farm before we head towards Font de Gaume. Outside the fog is really thick which makes our walk a bit outerworldly with horses and houses appearing almost as ghosts from the thick fog. The farm looks really interesting and we are a bit sad that we have to leave already.
 |  |
| Accomodation in the fog | Not real (:)) |
 |  |
| French countryside in the fog | Close up of stone building |
A bit before 9 we start the drive to Font de Gaume which is close to Domaine de la Rhonie. We have to arrive before it opens for the tour at 9:30 as besides 5 reserved places that we couldn't get there are only 5 other "first come-first serve" places per tour. This is done to protect the prehistoric paintings/sketches inside and while it sounds like great policy it makes it hard to visit the cave. Somehow we get lucky and find tickets for the first tour - most visitors are foreigners so the chosen language for the tour is English. There is a short hike uphill to the cave where at the entrance we leave all belongings in a "locker" cave. This unfortunately includes cameras as pictures are forbidden inside the cave. We are not sure what to expect from the engravings and the first ones appear to confirm our fears as we can barely see the bisons and animals, however as we go deeper they get clearer and we also get better at noticing them and we get really entranced by the art. It looks beautiful and there are even colors on some of them - you really start to wonder how some "cavemen" could do such beautiful work. The guide is also good in explaining what to see and where so overall we really felt that it was a worthwhile experience and made us desire to visit a few more caves in the future.
 |  |
| Font de Gaume ticket office | Trail to Font de Gaume cave |
 |  |
| View from trail | Entrance to cave |
It is still early after the tour so we drive to a few other caves of the Dordogne trying to find one that is open to visit it. Unfortunately all of them are closed that day or open in the afternoon. We are especially surprised that the Grotte de Rouffignac is closed as we had a different timetable than they were using.
 |  |
| Dordogne cows | Grotte de Rouffignac entrance |
 |  |
| Interesting old house | Full of caves |
On the way back we stop at the Grotte du Grand Roc and walk on a hiking trail to a dangerous looking rock overhang over the road which actually also houses the entrance to the Grotte when it is open.
 |  |
| Grotte du Grand Roc is near the road | Impressive cliffs |
 |  |
| Trail to the cave | Looks interesting but closed unfortunately |
And then we have to leave the Dordogne region as we try to reach our next destination a small, supposedly pictoresque village in the Midi-Pyrénées region called Saint Cirq Lapopie. And for this we have to get on the interstate. How difficult can it be to get on the interstate? It is plenty as we discover as even large roads do not have access to the interstate or they have exits but no entrances. So we arrive in a nice old village close to the interstate but the road just passes under it - we start to drive on a parallel road lured by the fact that the GPS is telling us that the next road that intersects the interstate might have an entrance. The road we are driving on becomes dirt and narrow but it is still good so we continue through the beautiful coutryside and finally get to the new road and it has an interstate entrance - yoopee.
We do not stay long on the interstate though as we are not sure if the road closest to the village has an exit and therefore we exit a bit early and then drive through what almost appear to be abandoned villages and roads. Everything looks rustic, it feels sometimes that we went back in time a few decades. As we approach Saint Cirq it becomes more trafficked however even though the road is still a narrow two lane winding besides a river with tunnels and rock overhangs from time to time.
 |  |
| Driving through small French villages | View of downtown |
 |  |
| Another small village on the way | One lane tunnel on the way to Saint Cirq Lapopie |
And then we catch the first glimpse of Saint Cirq - it almost looks pasted into the scenery, really impressive.It is really difficult to find the correct parking area we pass it twice before deciding that it is the closest to the city centre - there are 2 more that are further out and due to the mountainous terrain it would have taken quite a bit of effort to get to the city from those parking lots.
 |  |
| Saint Cirq Lapopie in the distance | Very pictoresque village |
 |  |
| House in Saint Cirq | Pretty path in Saint Cirq Lapopie |
We then descend through narrow streets exploring nooks and corners and of course climbing to the old castle site and visiting the old church. There are lots of tourists but you can easily see the draw of this hamlet perched on the rocks above the river.
 |  |
| View from Saint Cirq Lapopie | Boat in the canal |
 |  |
| Village seen from the church | View from the church |
The church is also interesting and we visit it before returning through multiple interesting narrow passages throughout the village back to the car.
 |  |
| Church entrance | Inside the church |
 |  |
| Passage in the village | So many interesting hidden passages |
And then it is time to drive relatively straight toward Aigues Mortes where we will stay for the night. The only stop on the way is when unexpectedly and unplanned we see a large, impressive bridge in the distance so we stop at a nearby rest area and climb to the top of a hill for a great view of the Millau Viaduct, the tallest suspension bridge in the world, as we found out afterwards. We get just in time to our hotel before it is closing the parking door for the night and we go to sleep, tired after a long and exciting day, of course after eating dinner from provisions bought in Paris.
 |  |
| Castle on the way | Millau Viaduct - tallest bridge in the world |
 |
| Camargues Trail |
As we wake up early in the morning we decide to visit Aigues Mortes before checking out of our hotel that we also see in the daylight for the first time. We know that we can walk to the downtown area on a hiking trail parallel to a nearby canal which we find relatively easy behind the close-by supermarket.
 |  |
| Aigues Mortes parking lot | Hotel room |
 |  |
| Lots of canals with boats | Some more interesting than others |
Downtown Aigues Mortes, which was for some time France's only Mediterranean port, is still surrounded by the original walls which were build to protect it from the Spanish. The central area is touristy but as we walk towards another section of the wall there are fewer shops and tourists until suddenly we are the only people on the street. The houses are also less touristy and we find a fun probably unintentional 'smiley' house while wandering around.
We examine the walls closely, they are well built but still there are gaps and whenever there is a gap there is a pigeon in it. We exit through a different gate to view the walls from a different direction and then walk back towards our hotel. Before checking out however we also enter the nearby supermarket and buy some provisions for the following day and some souvenirs.
 |  |
| Aigues Mortes - wall stairs | Walls are well preserved |
 |  |
| Streets were not that busy | Monument in middle of city |
 |  |
| Impressive from the outside | But with pigeon holes after so many years |
And then we start towards the Camargue (Rhône River delta) and our first stop is Sainte Marie de la Mer. The town is the only significant one close to the Mediterranean Sea in the Camargue and is important as a pilgrimage destination for Roma (Gypsies), who gather yearly in the town for a religious festival in honor of Saint Sarah. We stop near the beach to look at the water which is cold this time of the year and take a few pictures of the church before moving north trying to see the animals and birds for which the Camargue is so well known.
 |  |
| St Maries de la Mer church | Mediterranean beach |
And we do not have to wait long to see the bird we most wanted to see. Just a few miles out of town on a couple lakes we notice a few pink spots so we stop and take a look and as we hoped they are flamingoes. We take a few pictures of them unfortunately from afar and then not far away we find the next on the self decided must see list - a meadow of Camargue Bulls. On the way we also see a beautiful and otherworldly saltpan that we have to stop and take photos of.
 |  |
| Flamingoes in the Camargue | Well known Camargues bulls |
Next on our last stop in the Camargue we stop at a farm , domaine de Mejanes, where we do a walk around the farmland and marsh to see Etang de Vaccares and hopefully more birds and flamingoes. What we find however is the third and last on our must see list of animals - the Camargue white horses - actually quite a few of them. We also see birds, maybe flamingoes, but quite from a distance. After the hike of about 5 km we leave the Camargue and drive towards Arles.
 |  |
| Wild Camargue | Domesticated Camargue |
 |  |
| Camargue horses - ancient breed | Close up of well known breed of horse |
Arles is an Unesco World Heritage Site and an old city being of quite an importance during the Roman period from which it has quite a few architectural remains. The city however didn't feel so polished as the other tourist cities we visited there were quite a few beggars and in general it didn't feel so safe as the other cities that we visited. We started our visit in the beautiful city center market square, the Place de la Republique, which had a couple beautiful churches and a nice fountain.
Continuing we go toward the major Roman monuments and first we arrive at the Antique Theatre. It looks almost functional - in fact it is functional as they are still holding festivals from time to time in it. We admire a few front stores and then finally we get to the Amphitheatre - it is really large and we go partway around it before returning towards the car through some narrow side streets.
 |  |
| Obelisk in Arles with the city hall in the background | Church in main square |
 |  |
| Antique theater in Arles | Arles amphitheater |
 |  |
| Narrow street in Arles | Can we really find the way back to parking? |
After leaving Arles through clogged streets we move on to Pont du Gard a well preserved aqueduct from the Roman Period. After parking the trees nearby our car are capturing our attention - they are fruit trees including pomegranates.
 |  |
| Interesting fruits in the parking lot | Pomegranates in France |
We eat a quick lunch/dinner from our provisions near the car and then move to the entrance and to the aqueduct. It is really impressive so we take pictures from all directions as we walk across it on the walkway and hike higher on the developed hiking trails nearby. Unfortunately we cannot go on the top of the aqueduct as it is closed in the winter.
 |  |
| Pont du Gard in the distance | Getting closer |
 |  |
| Walking on the aqueduct | View from Pont du Gard |
 |  |
| From the other side | Looks best from above for us |
It is getting late when we leave Pont du Gard and we have to arrive before 9 PM at our hotel so we get on the interstate and hope for fast traffic. Instead everything is blocked interstate or not. Finally we decide to call that we arrive late and at least he is aware that there are traffic problems. After about 10 mi going really slow we pass an accident site after which the speed picks up. Even so we get really late at the hotel as getting lost near it didn't help our time - the hotel is really out in the countryside and it is difficult to identify the correct address. Finally there we admire the modern decor and then go to sleep as soon as possible as tomorrow is our flight to Marrakesh.
 |  |
| White and pink room | Complex shower |
 |
| Aqueduct Roquefavour |
We wake up and as this is one of the few places that has breakfast included we go and engorge ourselves with a full breakfast before checking out. Parking lot in this country house mansion is on the grass and as we start our car we notice that the fence is full of snails - really weird. Our flight to Marrakesh is leaving only late afternoon so we have time to explore the area as we drive towards the airport.
 |  |
| Parking on the grass | Snail invasion at our lodging |
Then it is off to visit Cabries a nearby village which also has a castle from its medieval days. We find relatively easy a parking place and then we walk aimlessly through the small narrow streets and while it is not as beautiful as St Cirq Lapopie it is certainly more quiet. We enjoy the journey of discovery as we find a narrow street here a square with weird sculptures there. We also find the castle and an old church and then it's back to the car.
 |  |
| Cabries view | Narrow street through the village |
 |  |
| Sculpture square | Glad we didn't take the car here |
 |  |
| Old Cabries church | Really narrow passage |
We leave Cabries and drive close to another aqueduct, aqueduct Roquefavour, this time not as old as Pont du Gard but fully functional as it brings water towards Marseilles. It was built in the 19th century to resemble Pont du Gard so it is almost like going back in time and seeing Pont du Gard during its heyday. We decide to hike up to it and we climb a nice hiking trail to the forest and get close to the Canale de Marseille and view the aqueduct from a different viewpoint compared to most other passersby.
 |  |
| View while climbing | Abandoned building |
 |  |
| Roquefavour aqueduct | Water for Marseille |
We really liked the hike and the climb so after returning to the car we decide to also try to other side of the aqueduct. However as we get to our desired parking place there is a problem - there are a couple geese that are defending the area and are really loud and aggressive. Luckily they are also behind a fence so we can take pictures without being chased around by them. We then park a bit further away so we can start hiking beneath the aqueduct towards its top. The trail is less structured and more difficult so we have to rest more and at one stop we actually see a bat beneath the aqueduct. There is also a nice view of the interior of the aqueduct it looks like an unending row of portals as the aqueduct stretches into the distance. As we get to the top we enjoy the view and walk a bit along the road on the top to find an excavated prehistoric village nearby - quite a fortunate find.
 |  |
| It is still green here | Looks dangerous |
 |  |
| View of Roquefavour aqueduct from the other side | Excavated prehistoric village |
After returning to the car we drive a bit further to a more secluded parking spot where we eat most of our provisions as we cannot take them with us to Morocco and then it is off to the Marseilles Airport. The parking spots in the long term parking space are really scarce we have to drive around for quite some time to find a parking spot and then it is a tough fit due to the small places. Then we check in and after some waiting we can finally board the plane and leave on our adventure.
The plane leaves on time and everything seems to be going well until we land. At that point the stewardess announces that somebody stole from the alcoholic beverages and we have to wait for the police to come to find and pick up the thief. So we wait for about 1/2h for the police and then finally we can go outside. Immigration is fast and professional and outside our ride to the Riad Dar Coram is waiting for us. This is our first ride through Marrakesh and it looks scary, a few times we were sure that we were going to hit something or that we are stuck but somehow our driver always avoided the other cars/walkers and knew how to push forward through the mass of people. After getting as close as possible we disembark and go for a short distance on food through some side passages until arriving to the Riad. While outside it doesn't look like something special after we enter we notice how beautiful and well maintained it is and also our rooms are really nice.
After unpacking the host is showing us the way to Djemaa al Fna the central square of Marrakesh and especially what to remember so we do not get lost when coming back. We really are not sure that we can do it but we came to have an adventure so we start in the direction of Djemaa al Fna from where our host left us. The streets are really small and there is a steady stream of people in both directions you almost feel like a fish stuck in a current and all hell breaks lose when a car is pushing through the crowd. We find the central square easily and after the almost claustrophobic feel of the small streets it is a welcome sight - a huge market place full of food vendors, souvenir sellers and the like. We also get used to the almost constant stream of people trying to sell us something or to lead us somewhere but as long as we appear purposeful they are non aggresive.
Given that we are hungry and didn't have any time to eat new provisions we enter a restaurant where we order and eat what appears to be an almost typical Moroccan food - the tagine. It was quite good food with a nice view of the Djemaa al Fna from the top floor of the restaurant with the only drawback being that we get 'cheated' (fortunately for the first and only time in Marrakesh) as the waiter after assuring us in the beginning that he takes euros cannot give us back any change so we have to leave him a quite large tip.
As a result we go to change a few euros/dollars to dirhams so we do not encounter the same situation elsewhere and then return to the hotel. It is late almost 10 pm but the streets are still full and we feel quite safe and actually find the way back really easy. After the tiring day we fall asleep really fast to prepare for the next day of exploration of Marrakech.
Today is our first full day in Marrakesh and we start the day with a breakfast on the roof of the riad we are staying in. It is quite peaceful and there is a nice view across the neighboring rooftops while the breakfast is very filling and good.
 |  |
| Riad room | Interestingly decorated |
 |  |
| Breakfast at the top of the riad | View from the top of the riad |
After breakfast we leave the riad and enter into the hustle and bustle of the Marrakesh souk. There are relatively fewer people in the evening so we wander around a bit exploring side streets and narrow corridors all the while trying to go in the general direction of our goal the Museum of Marrakesh.
 |  |
| Marrakesh street | Narrow streets are quite common |
 |  |
| And dead ends | Bicycles and walking are the only choices |
The museum sits in an old renovated palace, the Dar Menehbi Palace and even the building is very beautiful. It is an example of classical Andalusian architecture and especially impressive is the atrium with the intricate mosaic on the floor, the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the many niches/entrances that you can explore. The exhibits are also interesting but not that interesting to us as the palace itself.
 |  |
| Museum of Marrakesh - interior courtyard | Close view of enormous chandelier from Fez |
 |  |
| Assume it is camel harness?! | Different pots |
 |  |
| Nice mosaic | More modern art |
This is the first palace we visit in Marrakesh and we are completely fascinated by the intricate carvings and mosaic patterns everywhere and we have to stop almost after every step to take them in. But after some thorough exploring we need unfortunately to move on as we still have a lot to see today.
 |  |
| Alcove in inner courtyard | Detail on alcove |
 |  |
| Exhibit hall | Dungeon like room |
Outside we explore the area near the museum with a focus on the Almoravid Koubba. The Koubba is a small building dating from the 12th century used for ablutions before prayers at a nearby mosque now long gone and is the only surviving example of Almoravid architecture in Marrakesh due to the destruction under the subsequent dynasties.
 |  |
| Outside the museum | Old doors |
 |  |
| Almoravid Koubba | View from the inside |
Our next point of interest ins the Ben Youssef Madrasa, an Islamic college founded in the 14th century which was one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa and may have housed up to 900 students. It is now a museum and from the entrance we are surprised at the richness of the adornments of the walls. It looks more like a palace than an institution of learning - wish my college would have looked like this :).
 |  |
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | Lots of visitors |
 |  |
| Detail on door | Very intricate |
The inside of the buildings is also very impressive with the staircase having some beautiful detail - as in all Muslim buildings there are no representations of animals and humans but even so with just geometric patterns the decorations are beautiful.
 |  |
| Stairs going to the upper level | Filigree detail |
 |  |
| Looking from above | Everything is richly decorated |
As we walk through the different floors and enjoy the beauty of the building we find a few reconstructed student rooms - they are less adorned likely in order to not distract the students from their studies:).
 |  |
| Even the skylights are interesting | And aried |
 |  |
| Nothing is unadorned | Typical study room |
After exiting the madrasa we are taking the narrow streets through the souk and the old center towards the newer area of town where the riad owner recommended us a restaurant for lunch. Now being less hurried and also due to the heat (it is over 30 C in October) we are stopping at a few stalls and looking at the items on sale and even buy a few things on our way.
 |  |
| Typical souk offerings | Really? Trucks? |
 |  |
| Souk is full of stalls... | ....and open air vendors |
 |  |
| Covered souk - a blessing | Everything is for sale |
After passing through Djemaa al Fna we enter the more modern part of town with large boulevards, McDonalds and increased car traffic. We stop at the Ensemble Artisanal Marrakesh for a brief respite from the heat in AC enviroment and also to see a few things that have prices attached (in the souk it is all asking and negotiating that can get tiring).
 |  |
| More modern shopping complex | And more expensive |
 |  |
| Walking along the wall | Guess limousines and McDonalds are everywhere |
We also enter briefly the Moulay Abdessalam Park which is a cyber park providing wifi in specific cyber areas. We enjoy the gardens as we pass through them towards the recommended restaurant.
 |  |
| Cyber park (really) Moulay Abdessalam | Beautiful flowers |
The restaurant is quite busy but we find a place to eat and we get a tagine dish and another dish which both are good while we enjoy the activity around us - people are dressed quite modern in this area of town compared to the old town.
 |  |
| Tagine food | Vegetarian food with eggplant |
We then return to the old town on a different route passing the Royal Theater and a few other interesting more modern buildings like the Central Post.
 |  |
| Interesting building on the way | Marrakesh theater |
We pass next to the Koutoubia (bookseller) mosque with the Minaret, 77 m high, being one of the landmarks of Marrakesh visible from almost everywhere. As non-Muslims we cannot enter the mosque but we pass next to it taking a look at the ruins of the original mosque next to it.
 |  |
| Minaret de la Koutoubia | Close up of the minaret |
We then enter again the Djemaa al Fna central market square - it seems even bigger during the day with less carts and vendors inside it. It is shocking whenever we enter from this huge square into the maze of small passageways in the souk and even more so when we exit into it - an effect that is likely intended.
 |  |
| Waiting for tourists | Djemaa al Fna in the day |
Returning to the riad we relax for a few hours after the heat of the day before exiting again for the evening to take a look at the stalls and vendors and then returning for the night.
Today is our second full day in Marrakesh and as in the day prior we start it with a filling breakfast on the riad roof before going out into the streets.
 |  |
| Breakfast table is quite impressive | Typical for breakfast in Marocco |
Today our first goal is the Bahia Palace, built in late 19th century to be the greatest palace of all times with a 2 acre garden and rooms opening into courtyards by multiple viziers (ministers). The interior is covered in the beautiful detailed craftmanship that we are getting used to with the ceiling especially beautifully decorated.
 |  |
| Lots of visitors at Bahia Palace | Beautiful mosaic |
 |  |
| Very fine detail... | ...everywhere you look |
 |  |
| Ceiling is also very adorned | This is very impressive |
We also walk through the gardens for a while enjoying our first view of a banana tree as well as that of other unknown fruit trees.
 |  |
| Walking through the garden | Bananas in the garden |
Next we walk towards El Badi Palace (Incomparable Palace) nearby built by the sultan in the 16th century. We soon find the entrance after following the walls and after paying for admission we are in.
 |  |
| Going to El Badi Palace | El Badi Palace walls |
The Palace was a masterpiece after being built however after a different dynasty took power and moved the capital to a different city the new sultan took all contents and building decorations to the new palace leaving it in ruin. What can be seen now is mostly the ceremonial part of the palace meant to impress visiting dignitaries. The visit is centered around the central courtyard with the 90m long pool (complete with ducks) surrounded by four sunken gardens around which there are multiple buildings that can be visited.
 |  |
| Inside the palace | Sunken garden in Badi Palace |
 |  |
| Pool in the central courtyard | Enjoying the water |
The buildings left are in ruin but still are interesting to enter and to imagine how they must have looked back in their time. There are even a few underground passages that we take gladly to escape the sun.
 |  |
| Passage through the sunken garden | Inside the ruins |
 |  |
| Walking through the dungeon | The ruins have a lot of holes for pigeons |
Some rooms still have parts of the original mosaic but most have been cleaned out quite thoroughly. However we enjoy the opportunity to climb on the ramparts for a view of the city from the sultan's point of view.
 |  |
| Only foundations are left | But some mosaic survived |
 |  |
| View from the ramparts | Houses as far as the eye can see |
However the most interesting thing we observe from the ramparts are the storks. There are quite a few and they are nesting on the palace walls - quite impressive.
 |  |
| Nice reddish sparrow/finch | Lots of storks at the palace |
Close to the Palace are our next goal the Saadian Tombs. They have an interesting history, having been built during the Saadian dynasty by Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour the following Alawite dynasty decided to wall them up to keep them out of mind. They were completely forgotten until aerial photography exposed them again 1917. We are happy that they did because even though it is a small area the tombs are very impressive especially the Hall of Twelve Columns - the sultan's tomb.
 |  |
| Saadian Tombs -garden plots for less important people | This is for the more important people |
 |  |
| Hall of Twelve Columns | Ceiling in the Hall |
 |  |
| Another Saadian tomb | Interesting entrance |
After all this walking we are all tired and hot so we stop at a random restaurant on the way which is quite good and has some interesting dishes including pigeon tagine which we decide not to taste.
 |  |
| Eating at a Maroccan restaurant | Dates food |
 |  |
| The obligatory tagine | Filled with meat- quite good |
We return to the room for a short siesta before going out again in the evening. We try to go in a few areas that we haven't seen before exiting the medina through one of the medieval door and the leather souk easily identifiable through the smell. However we are surprised at the relatively few people on the streets so we decide to return to Djemaa al Fna which is as full as we remember it if not more so. There are food smells in the air, vendors hawking their wares and then suddenly people driving by honking their horns and shouts from the crowds. We are not sure what is happening until we find out that Morocco just won a football game and everyone is really happy because of that.
 |  |
| Walking at night | A bit spooky..where are all the people? |
 |  |
| They are in Djemaa al Fna | Orange juice stands |
After buying a few more souvenirs we return tired to the riad for the night - tomorrow we have a plane to catch back to Marseilles and France.
Today it is a short day as the plane is leaving late afternoon so after the usual breakfast we walk to Djamaa al Fna and the surrounding souk to make some last minute purchases. Today for the first time we observe the bombed out restaurant overlooking Djemaa al Fna - it happened just five months ago but we didn't think that we will be able to still see it.
 |  |
| Walking towards Djamaa al Fna | Less popular during the day |
 |  |
| Bombed building in Djamaa al Fna | Main boulevard to minaret |
We return back to the hotel on a slightly different route to take in the souk one more time - while we are not used to this much hustle and bustle we are going to miss it.
 |  |
| Busy streets | Near our accomodation |
Part of our group decides to wait on the terrace and relax - the sun is really getting to them, it is unusually hot for October.
 |  |
| View from the terrace | Last day food |
The other part of our group decides to visit Jardin Majorelle, a garden created by a French painter over a period of forty years. It is filled with lots of cacti, bushes and flowers and of course birds enjoying the shade and protection the plants are offering. It is fun walking the alleys however soon they must return to the riad for the ride back to the airport.
 |  |
| Jardin Majorelle - beautiful | Lots of cacti |
 |  |
| Looks like Arizona:) | We know these ones |
The drive back is similar to the drive to the riad however now we are used to the traffic and masses of people and are not stressed anymore when the van is going on a narrow street through streams of people - you just expect them to step away from the front of the car and they do. The flight is uneventful and soon we are in bed in our hotel at the Marseilles airport.
 |
| Lake of Sainte Croix |
Today after a quick breakfast at our airport hotel we load our rental car left in a long term parking lot with our baggage and then we start our way towards Monaco and then towards the French Alps. However we are not going to follow the Cote d'Azur coastline but stray inline for a bit to see the Verdon canyon.
 |  |
| Marseilles hotel | Not that different from an American motel |
On the road to the canyon however we stop near a roadside field just to take a few photos of the barren fields and for a short break before starting the difficult part of our drive.
 |  |
| Taking the car on a dirt road | Fields in October |
The drive becomes soon mountain grade and in order to enjoy the scenery we have to stop at the parking spaces along the road otherwise it is too dangerous to take your eyes of the road. The views are quite good as we enter the gorge even though it is not yet that deep.
 |  |
| Driving towards the Verdon Gorge | Nice mountains |
 |  |
| Road is quite narrow | Start of the gorge |
On one of our stops we notice something in the forest - we look closer and it is a chamois. We are very excited as we haven't seen one for quite some time and take a few pictures before it gets bored of us and moves on.
 |  |
| Chamois in the distance | Close up of chamois |
We continue on the path and soon find a waterfall - it is not a big one but still impressive as we can pass beneath it and examine the moss growing at the base of the fall.
 |  |
| Waterfall in the mountains | Moss at the bottom of the waterfall |
Being curious we continue on the trail which levels to some great views of the gorge and the road below. It then arrives to an area with ruins and a few grottos, surprising what you can find after just a few minutes of walking.
 |  |
| Trail with great views | Ruins in the forest |
 |  |
| Well maintained trail | Spiderweb in a cave |
Next we continue on the winding road at the edge of the gorge to the main viewpoint fo the Verdon Gorge (one of the deepest in Europe) and also the starting point of one of the major trails into the gorge. The trail is closed due to repairs when we are visiting but supposedly it is one of the more beautiful trails in France.
 |  |
| White mountains | Interesting formations |
 |  |
| Verdon Gorge | Trail through main area is under construction |
From here we are driving towards the Cote d'Azur passing through Nice before our next stop Eze, a small village near the Mediterranean Sea that is quite interesting according to our information.
 |  |
| Road passes through many tunnels | Climbing towards Eze |
While it is late and the sun is setting we still walk around the old village which is quite nice but with most shops closed and us needing a restaurant for dinner we soon leave and continue towards Monaco.
 |  |
| Eze mansion | Open art gallery |
 |  |
| View of the sea from Eze | Pedestrian passage |
We keep our eyes open and find an Italian pizza place that has good food before entering Monaco late in the evening. We drive in front of the casino and through the streets but the best view we find is from the cliffs where the whole of Monaco is laid below us.
 |  |
| Stopped for dinner | Casino in the distance |
 |  |
| Monaco from the top of the cliffs | Monaco in the moonlight |
After that we have one more hour of driving on winding mountain roads to our hotel for the night. After starting quite fast we encounter soon a few weird unidentifiable animals on the road so we drive more careful the rest of the way and arrive late in the night at the hotel. Luckily they are still open (we called ahead) and soon we are asleep as tomorrow is another long drive through the mountains.
 |
| Ruins in the Alps |
In the morning we are surprised at the great views from the lodge's balcony - the day before we arrived at night so we weren't able to see that we actually sit right in a saddle between two valleys. We walk a bit around the very small village before returning for the breakfast and to restart our journey.
 |  |
| View from the lodge | Forest as far as the eye can see |
 |  |
| Col de Turini Lodge | Really small village |
First the road descends rapidly with lots of curves through a nice valley towards a nearby larger village La Bollene Vesubie. We stop there to get some information about the area and especially to find out the location of the supermarket and the gas station.
 |  |
| Going down | Road is full of curves |
 |  |
| La Bollene Vesubie houses | Old but not abandoned |
After filling up the tank and our provisions we stop at a nearby picnic spot to eat lunch before starting the climb into the High Alps. We stop on the way whenever there is an attraction and there is always something to stop for - a waterfall here, a viewpoint there.
 |  |
| Our picnic spot | Climbing into the High Alps |
 |  |
| Waterfall on the way | Found some wild fruit here |
After a few hours of climbing the road exits into the Alpine meadows and the views get quite expansive while the road continues climbing and climbing. Soon we see our next planned stop the Camp de Fourches ruins.
 |  |
| Alpine part of our journey | Road is impressive |
 |  |
| Camp de Fourches ruins in the distance | Didn't see many of those animals in our trip |
Camp de Fourches is a former military post abandoned after the second World War with multiple barracks that were hosting a mountain infantry batallion of 600 people guarding the nearby border. It is a great place to walk through and visit and we spend a few minutes just wandering around before the cold gets to us (yes it is quite cold at 2,200m in October in the late afternoon).
 |  |
| Camp de Fourches military camp ruins | Entering the ruins |
 |  |
| Should we walk under? | Between the barracks |
The road continues climbing and we stop a few more times to enjoy the views before reaching the mountain pass at Col de la Bonette.
 |  |
| Monument near the road | Valleys everywhere we look |
Col de la Bonette is a pass at 2,715m on our road which we find out is the highest paved mountain road in Europe - who knew? There is some controversy about this as we find out later but being on the second highest road is still an achievement :). The views from the monument on top are great and we enjoy the great views.
 |  |
| Above the mountains | Looking in the distance |
 |  |
| At the top of Col de la Bonette highest paved road in Europe | View from top |
However the sun is setting already so we have to start the descent towards Briancon which is very scenic also. We stop a couple more times once for a military bunker (voluntary) and once for a procession of sheeps and the accompanying dogs (not so voluntary).
 |  |
| Abandoned military border bunker | This is what you can encounter on the street |
We arrive at the hotel late in the evening and again have to go into the city to scavenge something to eat. We are a bit discouraged when we enter the city and there is basically no one on the main street but after a bit of walking we find three open restaurants and choose the most interesting out of them to get some dinner. Full we return to the hotel for a good night sleep.
 |  |
| Briancon room | Hotel bathroom |
 |  |
| Briancon at night - almost abandoned | Still we found some food |
 |
| Briancon view |
Our plan for this morning is to visit Briancon, the highest city in France, which is a fortified town with part of the fortifications being built by Vauban. The Vauban fortifications are an Unesco World Heritage site and we plan to see them also during our walk. Our hotel is close to the city and soon we walk enter the downtown area. We climb through the city to some great views of the surrounding valleys and trees in splendid fall colors.
 |  |
| Entering Briancon | Fortified by Vauban |
 |  |
| View from the city - impressive | Fall is here |
One of the interesting things we notice is that the main street has a channel running down its middle that we learn is called a gargouille (a small canal chanelling a stream down the center of the street), one of the two cities in France still to have them. After what seems a long climb we arrive at the top near a drawbridge entrance where in the moat we see some very relaxed sheeps and goats hugging the wall.
 |  |
| Main square under renovation | Street with gargouille (small channel down center of street) |
 |  |
| Sheep needing shelter | Goats also |
Next we walk around arriving at a hiking trail going below the fortifications and continuing to a different fortress farther up. We don't have time for the full trail but we walk for a while to see the views of Briancon and the fortress from down below.
 |  |
| Fortress from below | Bridge for hiking trail |
 |  |
| Close up of fortress | Briancon view from a nearby mountain |
As we walked through Briancon we found a souvenir that we really wanted to buy in one of the shops but it opens only later so we decide to try a nearby road to drive through the countryside a bit. The road climbs through some pictoresque small villages and orchards to some great views and we are happy we decided on this diversion before returning to Briancon buying the souvenir and then starting on our way.
 |  |
| Mountain church | Driving through mountain villages |
 |  |
| Fall is in full swing | Country landscape |
The road continues to be very impressive, multiple times it seems we are flying and not driving with clouds far below us and with snow and mountain lakes all around us.
 |  |
| There is snow on some mountains | Our road looks impressive |
 |  |
| Road through the mountains | Clouds far below us |
We don't stop often as we want to arrive to our next goal during daylight but we enjoy as we drive past abandoned border posts and through seemingly abandoned winter sports resorts.
 |  |
| Former border station/garrison | Winter resort in the summer |
We arrive just in time in Chambery our next goal to walk through for an hour before darkness sets in. Chambery was an important city historically as the capital of the Savoy region bit after frequent altercations with the French the duke of Savoy decided to move the capital to Turin. The most interesting sight is the Fountain of the Elephants with the head of forelimbs of four elephants located at the base of a tall column built to honor Benoit de Boigne's feats in India (he built and trained a large army for the last Indian ruler that resisted British advances). We also pass in front of the former castle of the Dukes of Savoy which is more austere than the French castles that we have visited.
 |  |
| Chambery - Fountain of the Elephants | Chambery - Hotel de Ville |
 |  |
| Chambery - Castle of the Dukes of Savoy | Chambery downtown area |
After Chambery it is dark already so we drive directly to Beaune our stop for the night. In the evening we go out to eat some Burgundy food and we find a good restaurant nearby where we can eat snails which we wanted to try and which even gives us some Burgundy wine for free (Beaune is the capital of Burgundy wines). After dinner we walk around a bit more before returning to the hotel for the night.
 |  |
| Time to eat Burgundy snails | Cobra like meat |
 |
| Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay - Unesco World Heritage site |
This is the last day outside of Paris and with a car and we have a full day planned. We start with Beaune with a short walk through the nice downtown area towards Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune.
 |  |
| Beaune square | Downtown old houses |
Hotel Dieu de Beaune is the former charitable almshouse in Beaune founded in the 15th century as a hospital for the poor. It is now a museum and from our point of view it is worth visiting for the exterior alone which is almost Moroccan like with a roof made of lots of beautiful black/yellow/red tiles.
 |  |
| Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune courtyard | Looks impressive for a hospital for the poor |
 |  |
| Another view of the courtyard | Roof is very decorated |
 |  |
| Close up of tiled roof | An even closer look :) |
Inside the rooms have reconstructions of how they must have looked like during the hospital days with a huge patient room and a kitchen complete with nuns (out of wax) preparing food (also wax).
 |  |
| Inside the hospital | Beds - almost modern |
 |  |
| Kitchen reconstruction | Lots of food was needed |
The pharmacy area is also quite interesting with some weird (thinking about them now) remedies like Dragon Blood in the jars. There are also some interesting tapestries in the rooms so overall we really enjoyed the visit.
 |  |
| Chemistry laboratory | Medicines cabinet |
 |  |
| Old tapestry | Another interesting tapestry |
After exiting we stop in the main square at a sweets shop to buy something sweet for the way - the cakes are very good and we are energized for the day.
 |  |
| Enjoying some sweets... | ...they were very good |
Next we drive towards Fontenay Abbey passing through village after village all of them seemingly with something interesting to view - a tower here, a small fortress there, a fortified church everywhere.
 |  |
| Average France village has to have an impressive tower | And a big church of course |
The Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay is an Unesco World Heritage Site and was founded in the early 12th century and is now one of the oldest and most complete Cistercian Abbey in Europe. The Abbey was able to serve 300 monks and as such it is quite big.
 |  |
| Fontenay internal square | Castle like abbey |
The size is especially visible when entering the church - it is absolutely huge with large arches creating an illusion of an infinite corridor. But the dormitory is also impressive especially with the unusually shaped roof which is very interesting.
 |  |
| Never ending arches inside the church | Inside spaces are huge |
 |  |
| Dormitory with unusual roof like an upturned ship hull | Corridor with view of inner courtyard |
There are also underground passages and a few crypts but what we found most interesting is the forge where the monks used a major innovation, the hydraulic hammer, which made the abbey the oldest metallurgical plant in Europe.
 |  |
| The crypt | Tunnels in the abbey |
 |  |
| Forge | Hydraulic hammer - major innovation |
However overall the outside is the most impressive with buildings covered with ivy seemingly stuck in the past - you almost expect a monk to come out and ask you what you are doing on the abbey ground.
 |  |
| Infirmary | Ensemble view of the abbey |
 |  |
| Flower near the infirmary | Close up of ivy |
 |  |
| Part of abbey covered in ivy | Ivy wall |
After leaving Fontenay we have time for one more short city visit and we settle on Avallon a small city with a well preserved historic central area. It is also one of the possible inspirations for the Avalon of legend - with a local king being the inspiration for King Arthur. Soon after parking our car we see one of the major attractions in Avallon - the Clock Tower through which you can actually pass. We do that on the way to the other attraction the Church of Sainte Lazare which is nearby.
 |  |
| Avallon-Tour de l'Horloge (Clock Tower) | Church of Saint Lazare |
The Church holding the remains of St Lazare is interesting to visit with a very ornate door and surprisingly a modern exhibit of lights on the floor in one of the interior rooms.
 |  |
| Entrance to the church | Dizzying view |
 |  |
| Inside the church - not what we expected | This is more expected |
Afterwards we walk a bit along the exterior walls part of the Vauban fortifications before returning back through the city to our car for the drive to Paris.
 |  |
| Path beneath the wall | Part of the walls is still standing |
 |  |
| Another view of church entrance | Interesting house in Avallon |
We arrive at the airport late in the evening and after returning the car (we think because no one is around so we drop the keys in a mailbox) we have to catch a bus and then the subway to get to the downtown area and find our hotel. Luckily we are prepared so it is easy to find and soon we go to bed as we are tired after our long drive.
Today is our last day in France and we will spend it in Paris visiting a few of the well known sights. We start with the Arc de Triomphe which is close to our hotel however soon we are hounded by a person who is trying to scam us so we move on fast on the well known Champs Elysees towards the Louvre for a short while to escape her.
 |  |
| Arc de Triomphe | View from the side |
On the way we stop near the Louis Vutton store that has a huge line to our surprise - it seems there is an event but still the lines are quite long at this early hour. We enter a few other stores on the way before changing our course towards the Eiffel Tower.
 |  |
| Only in France - lines at Louis Vutton | Really long lines |
As we pass the Seine we get the first few glimpses of the tower in the distance - it looks small from here but we know that it will be much bigger when we get closer.
 |  |
| Eiffel tower | Crossing the Seine |
And it is much bigger from close up - we didn't remember it being that big and also not the crowds of people making movement almost impossible. So we take a few photos and then take the metro to our next destination the catacombs.
 |  |
| Below the Eiffel tower | Looking up |
 |  |
| Classic view | Closer up view |
The catacombs are a sight we wanted to see for some time so even though the lines are long we wait for about a hour before finally being able to enter (the site can only hold that many visitors).
 |  |
| Lion on the way to the catacombs | Line for the catacombs |
Going down on the stairs it feels you are stepping into another world. The air is colder and we are walking through empty stone corridors towards something - we do not know exactly what but we know it is something. And then suddenly we arrive at a more spacious area with a carving - the Quartiere de Cazerne - done by the diggers surviving an accident for their breathren that died during that day.
 |  |
| Going down to the catacombs | This is narrow |
 |  |
| Where are we going? | Quartier de Cazerne - miniature district |
And then we get to the more creepy and sobering part - the catacombs that we came to see. Bones after bones after bones of people brought here from cemeteries in Paris that were overflowing starting in the late 18th century. All in all it is estimated that the bones of about six million are held in these underground ossuaries. We walk through the rows for some time before finding the exit and leaving the catacombs.
 |  |
| Going down | The Catacombs - the bones of 6 million Parisians lie here |
 |  |
| Creepy and sobering | Walls of skulls |
 |  |
| Bones from cemeteries were moved here | Skulls everywhere we look |
Next we walk to the nearby Montparnasse cemetery to try to find the graves of some renowned people but we have no luck so we decide to go to the Jardin the Luxembourg.
 |  |
| Montparnasse cemetery | Looking for famous graves |
First we stroll through the Jardin de Grands Explorateurs and enjoy the grand buildings surrounding the garden as we walk through it towards the Luxembourg Gardens.
 |  |
| Fontaine de l'Observatoire | Jardin de Grands Explorateurs |
 |  |
| Building near the park | Detail on a building |
The Jardin of Luxembourg is filled with people, it seems like all of Paris is here to enjoy the great weather. We walk through it sit down on a bench a bit take a look at the Palais de Luxembourg and then have to return back to the hotel for the night.
 |  |
| Jardin de Luxembourg | Palais de Luxembourg |
But before returning to the hotel we cannot resist to buy a few more sweets for the road that we finish very quickly and then we take the metro back to the hotel.
 |  |
| Last minute impulse purchase | Again they were very good |
We have to be to the airport very early in the morning so we booked a hotel next to the place where the buses for the airport leave and at 5 AM in the morning we walk to it and catch the bus (which we weren't sure will actually appear) and soon we are at the airport and on the plane home after this great trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment