France has been on my mind a lot lately, specifically Paris. Not only am I still riding the “high” of such an amazing vacation in “Wonderful France”, but I’m thinking of my retirement plans and the possibility of my future in France! “You’re thinking about moving to France?” Short answer? YES!! But first, let’s dive into the first day-and-a-half of my Trafalgar tour to France.
September is a wonderful time to travel to France. The weather in and around Paris can be a little unpredictable — warm one day, overcast and cool the next day, rainy and windy the day after that… kind of reminds me of the weather in East Tennessee. The weather did get better (and warmer and sunnier) as we traveled down to Monaco and the French Riviera (Nice and Saint-Tropez).
We left out of Atlanta on a Wednesday evening and flew directly to Paris, arriving at Charles du Gaulle airport around 9 a.m. We had arranged for a private transfer from the airport to the hotel that we would be staying at when the tour started. Our “Wonderful France” tour started in Paris. My mom and I actually arrived in Paris a couple of days earlier so we could take in as many sights as we could before the tour officially started.
The tour, which started on that Saturday evening, began in Paris and we stayed at the Renaissance Paris La Defense, which is not technically located in Paris. It is located in Puteaux, just outside the city of Paris in the district known as La Defense (a business district).
Our group of 50 (including our tour director and coach driver) met up and headed off to a restaurant that first night, and then drove around part of the city as we headed back to the hotel. Then on Sunday morning, we met up with a local specialist who guided us around the Latin Quarter, which is home to the Sorbonne University and the beautiful church of Saint-Sulpice.
Then that afternoon, my mom and I took advantage of an optional experience and visited/toured Claude Monet’s house and his exquisitely curated gardens and water lily pond. If you’ve seen “Emily in Paris”, then you may remember that Emily Cooper (played by the adorable Lily Collins) visited Claude Monet’s garden in Season 4, Episode 2.
“The gardens and home of the Impressionist master were the inspiration behind some of his most renowned paintings. The famous Japanese bridge, the magnificent waterlilies, his charming pink house – it’s all there waiting for you to discover.” (Trafalgar, “Wonderful France” – Experience description)
On Sunday evening, we took in the second optional experience of the trip — La Nouvelle Eve Cabaret and dinner show. This was truly an unforgettable experience! La Nouvelle Eve was also featured in “Emily in Paris” (Season 2) and has hosted events for fashion icons like Vivienne Westwood, Dolce & Gabbana, and Christian Louboutin. This theatre has been an icon of Parisian elegance for 125 years and features a dazzaling cabaret that brings the French can-can to life!
My mom and I enjoyed the dinner with our new friends, Vanessa and her son Mark, and another mother-daughter duo traveling with our group. The La Nouvelle Eve was literally just down the street (and maybe around a corner) from the world famous Moulin Rouge Paris!
Stayed tuned to the blog because we still have MUCH MORE to unpack and explore as I relive my journey in Wonderful France! Coming up — Beaune, Lyon, Aix-en-Provence, Monaco, Nice Saint-Tropez, Arles, and Avignon, and several other stunning stops along the way!
Yours Truly,
Vanessa