Day 14 - Paris Full Day #2

Today was our last day in Paris, and our last full day in France.  We are getting on a plane tomorrow and our adventure will be over. 😢

This morning we were booked in to le Musée d’Orsay at 10:00.  From Wikipedia: “Musée d’Orsay is located on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gaugin, and Van Gogh. It is one of the largest art museums in Europe.”

The museum was unbelievable.  To start with the building itself, an old train station, is absolutely beautiful.  They have done a wonderful job renovating it into what it is today.  I don’t really know what to say about all of the pieces of art we saw there.  It was just amazing to see some of the paintings that we all know and recognize.  There were many Claude Monet paintings - Coquelicots, Water Lilies, Water Lilly Pond to name only a few.  We saw Vincent Van Gogh’s Self Portrait, and Sunflowers.  Unfortunately Starry Night is currently on loan to a museum in Dubai. I could go on naming artists and their works but I think you get the picture.  It was awe-inspiring to have such close access to so many masterpieces.  Another thing that really stood out for us was the number of school classes that were on field trips to the museum.  It was amazing to see all of the young children being taught about the different works of art.  This is something that I don’t think is prioritized in the Canadian education system back home, and unfortunately I think it is a great loss for our children.  After a couple of hours we were starting to get saturated and decided it was the right time to leave.  It is impossible to compare Orsay and le Louvre, but for me I would pick Musée d’Orsay first.  I am definitely not saying anything negative about le Louvre, but if you can only do one I would recommend considering Musée d’Orsay.

By the time we left the museum and started heading back to the apartment huge snowflakes had started falling in Paris.  Everybody seemed very excited.  There were lots of people taking pictures of each other and of the sky.  We would find out later that it is quite rare for it to snow in Paris.  We had a chuckle about our “good luck” to be here when it was snowing, knowing that we are going back to -17 C temperatures and a foot of fresh snow. 🤣

After a couple hours relaxing, Amanda, Audrey, and I headed back out for one last bit of window shopping for the trip.  We came back with a few small momentos purchased.  A couple hours later it was time for our last French dinner of the trip.  We headed across the street to Le Bistrot Richelieu which ended up being a popular choice with the locals.  We were lucky that they had a free table for four.  By the time we left the entire restaurant was full.

French Onion Soup - Audrey And Gerry

Filet De Daurade Royale Juste Rôti - Gerry

Suprême De Volaille Avec Ratatouille - JM

Burger Bœuf d’Aubrac - Audrey

 Beef Bourguignon à l’Ancienne - Amanda

Crème Brulée - Audrey With Some Help From The Other Trois Putains 🤣

This will be the last entry for our trip.  It has been a wonderful experience for all of us.  I am happy and thankful that Audrey and  Gerry could share our experience here.  They were amazing travel partners, and really immersed themselves in learning about the French culture, my family history, and in experiencing the country the way we had planned to.  They also became quite proficient in the use of some key French phrases (and swears), and when to use them.  Bravo, Gerry et Audrey!! 😊

As for Mandy and I we accomplished all of the things we had planned out.  The family history part of the trip meant a lot to both of us.  As mentioned in earlier posts, for us to see some things my grandfather might have seen when he was here fighting in WWII, was very emotional.  Also, seeing the places that my dad, and the Jossinet family, lived in was something I had wanted to do for a long time now. Hiking in the French Alps and seeing some important Tour De France landmarks was another highlight we will not forget.   The food and pastries we experienced while we were here were unforgettable, and I hope the pictures we shared gave everybody an idea of how good it all tasted!!  Observing the French people felt somewhat familiar to us, as some of the things they appreciate are reflected in some of the habits and behaviours I grew up with being around my dad and his family. ❤️

Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you that have been reading the blog.  I have enjoyed sharing our experience.  If it wasn’t obvious in the posts, I would highly recommend visiting France if you ever get the chance.  The people are friendly, the scenery is amazing, the history and culture are very interesting, and the food is unbelievable!!

Merci et bonne nuit à tous mes amis!!

A few quick polls:

Favourite Spot Visited:

Audrey - Carcassonne

Gerry - Juno Beach (Carcassonne close second)

Mandy - Barcelonnette (Carcassonne close second)

JM - Barcelonnette (Carcassonne close second)

Favourite Food/Dish:

Audrey - Pizza Quatre Saisons - Paris

Gerry - Risotto Avec Fruits De Mer - Paris

Mandy - Pork Medallions With Mushroom Sauce - Carcassonne

JM - Fondu Savoyenne With Charcuterie Plate - Barcelonnette

Favourite Pastry:

Audrey - Kouign-Amann

Gerry - Pomme Chausson

Mandy - Croissant

JM - Croissant 

Day 13 - Paris Full Day #1

We packed quite a bit in today!! Amanda and Audrey logged over 20 km of waking, and Gerry and I were only a few kilometres behind.😱

First stop this morning was at Cedric Grolet’s bakery.  If you are on social media you have probably seen videos of his creations.  We went down to look in the window at his shop and see what was available today.  It all looked so delicious!  It would have been a 45-minute wait in line to buy something but just around the corner he has a small café with a more limited selection, so we chose that option.  Amanda and I got a pistachio filled pastry, and I have to say it was delicious!!

Front Window At Cedric Grolet’s

Cedric Grolet Patisserie

JM’s Cedric Grolet Pastry (Almost Done)

After coffee and pastries back at our apartment it was time to start exploring the area.  We were aware from our first trip here that it’s impossible to take everything in when visiting Paris.  We decided to just meander and take in whatever caught our interest.  First we walked through the grounds around Le Louvre, and continued down Les Champs Élysées.  I couldn’t help but think about how amazing it would be to take in the final stage of the TDF where they do eight laps of the Champs.  It would be an amazing spectacle.  As we made our way down we noticed some of the pavilions from the summer olympics that recently took place.  It looks as if most of them will be taken downs and the area returned to its original state.

Beautiful Booth At Christmas Market

Tree On Les Champs Élysée

Once we hit the shopping area, Gerry and I took off towards the Arc De Triomphe, while the girls poked around some of the stores.

Arc De Triomphe

Ger And Aud And Tour Eiffel

We met up again, and after a quick lunch we headed towards the Segway tour we had pre-booked before arriving. Amanda, Ben, and Ty had done this tour when we were here in 2014, and it was such a great experience for them that they still fondly talk about it to this day.  I am so glad we decided to do it this time!!  Not only did we learn a lot of interesting history, but driving the Segways around Paris was a tonne of fun!!  I would highly recommend doing this type of tour if you ever have the chance.  The name of the company we used was Fat Tire Tours.

Segway Shot - Eiffel Tower And The Seine

Le Seine With Tour Eiffel In Background

Quatre Putains Et Le Tour Eiffel

After the tour the girls decided to head down to the Arc De Triomphe, and Ger and I headed back to the apartment to relax and recharge.  A couple of hours later the girls got back to the apartment to rest their feet for a little bit before heading for dinner - thankfully only about 100 m from our apartment.

Fontaine Des Fleuves - The Girls Passed This On Their Way Home

Fusilli Pesto Verde - JM

Pizza Burrata - Mandy 

Risotto Fruits de Mer - Gerry

Pizza Quatre Saisons - Audrey

Tiramisu - JM and Mandy

Crème Brûlée - Audrey and Gerry

We are back at the apartment now ready for a good night’s rest.  Tomorrow is our last full day in France and is sure to be just as busy as today.  We will be heading to Musée d’Orsay in the morning, and then we will see what happens in the afternoon.

That’s it for tonight.  Thanks for reading everybody!!

Day 12 - Montbéliard to Paris

Today would be our last day of driving as we were headed back to Paris for our last few days in France, and the plan was to drop our things at the apartment and drop the rental off at the airport.

As with all good days in France we started at the boulangerie/patisserie.  We decided on a jambon et beurre baguette instead of pastry, but thought it would be wise to also get a few croissants for the long drive. 😁

We had one stop planned for the day, in Clairgoutte.  Clairgoutte is the small village where the Jossinet family first lived.  They lived in the “presbytère”, a house for the Presbyterian minister and his family.  During the war the area was under German occupation, and the Jossinet family was forced to host a number of German officers on the upper floor for some years.  Again it was a special moment to think of my uncles and aunts as toddlers living in this picturesque place.  It was also a little surreal to think of the history they lived through back in those days.

JM In Front Of The Original Jossinet Family Home

The Church A Block Away

View Of The House From The Church

With that done we were on our way to Paris.  The last 15 km probably took an hour.  Although it was exciting to get closer and closer to the heart of Paris, it was chaotic and a bit stressful to keep track of all of the pedestrians, cyclists, motorbikes driving between cars, trafic lights, one way streets, police cars, ambulances, you get the picture….  We dropped the girls off on the side of the road in front of the apartment with all the luggage and set a course for the airport.  Turns out getting out of the city is as fun as getting into it!! 🤪 Two hours later we made it to the rental car area at the airport and dropped off the car.  Fifteen minutes later we were on a train back into the city, and 35 minutes after that we were back in the city close to our apartment.  We ended up meeting the girls for dinner and they caught us up on what they had been doing for the last few hours.  They spent some time at the huge Christmas market which is currently taking place by La Roue De Paris.  I am confident we will go by there at some point in the next few days….  They put quite a few miles in walking through the major attractions which we will spend more time visiting tomorrow and the next day.

La Roue De Paris

Dinner was very nice.  We were back at the apartment by about 9:00 and are all ready for a good night’s rest - we are sure to get a fair number of steps in tomorrow! 

Croque-Monsieur - Audrey

Salade Royale - Gerry

Mushroom Omelet - Mandy

Penne Parmesan - JM

Thanks for reading, everybody!  À demain!!

Day 11 - Barcelonnette to Montbéliard

Today was pretty much driving all day.  We were on the road by 8:30, and rolled in to Montbéliard around 17:30.  The drive was one of changing geography and scenery.  We went from the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region through the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region to the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region.  There was some more spectacular scenery on the way.  The area between Gap and Grenoble was all stunning.  We have all agreed a number of times on this trip at how diverse this country is.  Each region has its own unique character and attraction.  It would be hard for anybody to come here and not find something they love about it.

As we passed through Grenoble, Amanda and I took in some familiar sites from when we went there in 2014 with the boys.  We spotted Le Bastille, les bulles - a téléphérique that goes from the town up to the Bastille, and Chamechaude which is the mountain the chalet we rented for a week was located.  From Grenoble on we were on toll highways which are so much more easy to drive than the mountain hairpins we have been navigating the past few days.

We made two stops in Valentigney today, the birthplace of my dad, and home of the Jossinet family for approximately six years from 1946-1952.  This is a place I have wanted to see for a long time now, and I was so happy to finally see it.  It was an interesting feeling to see the actual house that my dad was born in, and the one where him, my aunts and uncles, and my grandparents lived in.  I wish I could have experienced it with my dad standing beside me, but it was also very nice sharing it with Amanda and our friends, Gerry and Audrey.  They were all good sports listening to me tell family stories, and reminisce about the Jossinet clan!

In Front Of The Jossinet Family Home

Amanda Making Friends At The Jossinet Home - Church On Left

In Front Of Midwife’s Place Where Jojo Was Born

We are in Montbélier tonight, about 10 km from Valentigney.  Our hotel has a very nice restaurant attached so we decided to walk down for dinner, and had another amazing culinary experience!!

Pre-Dinner Aperol Spritz

Duo De St. Jacques Et Crevettes Snacké à la Plancha - Gerry

Mise En Bouche - Mandy, Audrey, JM (think delicious, creamy soup)

Cote de Cochon FC en Croûte d’Herbes du Jardin et sa Polenta Savoureuse au Olive - JM

Pièce de Boucher Grillée à la plancha et ses Frites Fraîches Avec Sauce Comté Du Jura - Mandy, Audrey, Gerry

Crème Brûlée à la Vanille Bourbon et sa Croustille au Perles de Sucre - Two Orders With Four Spoons

We are going to bed full and happy once again. Tomorrow we are off to Paris for the last few days of our amazing trip, with one stop in Clairegoutte at the original Jossinet family home (pre-Jojo).  Bonne nuit, mes amis!!!  À demain!!

Day 10 - Barcelonnette Full Day #3

Today was our last day in Barcelonnette. We had another great day here, and I am feeling sad that we will be leaving the French Alps tomorrow.  I think we have fallen a bit in love with the area. 😊

This morning we got up early to head out for a hike at The Col de Vars.  This is another famous Tour De France cycling col in the area.  It has been in 33 editions of the TDF, the most recent being this year when Richard Carapaz was the first to pass over it.  The col is at 2,108 m elevation.

Our hike would take us down to the little ski town of Vars, and then loop back up to the Col where we parked.  The hike was very scenic (we were above the tree line the whole time so great views), and the trail was well defined.  Our plan was to stop in Vars and get a coffee before starting the return leg.  Unfortunately after searching the town for about 20 minutes we spoke to a local and were informed that everything was closed today due to it being a Sunday in low season.  So we got back on the trail and headed back up towards the trailhead.

Trailhead Shot

Early Hike Selfie

French Bothy!

Home Stretch Selfie

Col De Vars

With the hike finished it was on to the second objective of the day lunch in Italy.  Only being about 30 km from the Italian border we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a short visit.  As with the rest of the area the drive there was a bit of an adventure (about thirty hairpins in a 20 km stretch).  Also in line with the rest of the area it was very, very beautiful.  When we got to the town we had planned to stop in, we found to be as quiet as Vars, and all of the establishments were also closed.  Even though we didn’t get to eat, it was still cool to go to Italy.😊

Bersezio, Italy

We were all a little more than hungry, and were happy to find an open patisserie on the way back to Barcelonnette.  It would have been a crime not to stop in and get a few treats.

This One Doesn’t Even Need A Name… 😱

Palmier

We got back to the chalet at about 15:00 for some cleaning up and relaxation.  At about 19:00 we got our things together to head in to town for our first and last dinner out in Barcelonnette.  We were lucky to find a spot open, but also lucky it was the place we found - we had some awesome dinners!!!

Fondu Savoyenne With Charcuterie Plate - JM and Mandy

Fondu Closeup

Pizza w/ Jambon, Olives, Morilles (Mushrooms), and Emmental - Audrey

Linguine St.-Jacques et Crevettes - Gerry

We were quite full, but the four of us decided to share two desserts anyways.  Vive la France!!! 🇫🇷 

Tarte Tatin

 

Crème Brûlée Au Framboises

We have a big day of driving tomorrow, so time to get some sleep.  Thanks again everybody for reading.  À demain!!!