It is very easy to explain my love of travel. Being a tourist can be very difficult at times; hard and demanding work, so why would I fling myself into such a demanding and sometimes awkward experience? There are many reasons. Foremost is my love of history. All my life I have read about the history of Europe. As I walk the ancient cobblestone, narrow streets of the old towns (centre-ville) I think about all the history that has walked before me. I see the generations trudging through time. I feel their presence.

The cathedrals fill this agnostic spirit with wonder. Every cathedral is a divine experience for me. The beauty of each cathedral is almost beyond description: the stained glass windows, the sculptures, the paintings, the organs, the ceilings and chapels, the colorful decorations of the walls and floors; each is beautiful. Imagine walking into a cathedral founded in the 10th century. Imagine all the humanity that has walked the same steps you are walking. My mind races. What did they think? What did they feel? And, now I am here wondering all these thoughts.

I love looking at all the WWI memorials in every town we drive through. It is a time to reflect on the waste of young lives. Then there are all the memorials to WWII and seeing all the horrible things that man can do: the long lists of Jews who were slaughered by the ‘despicable’ Nazis, the men who were killed so France could be free, the American Cemetery and the thousands and thousands of white crosses and Stars of David that fill the fields of green and fighting the urge to cry when suddenly you hear the “Star Spangled Banner” being played; being proud to be an American.

The colors of France, the gentle rolling hills of all the shades of green, the fields of bright yellow and red that suddenly appear around the next hill. The patchwork of all these colors and then off in the distance on a hill, a little village snuggled against a mountain. The bluest of blue skies and the bubbling whitest of white clouds fill the horizon.

The people you meet: Bruno, who said an American soldier saved his father’s life, Chez Pablo in St. Jean de Luz who was totally entertaining, the chef who came out and shook our hands and asked if we enjoyed the meal, the lady we met on the Metro in France who we enjoyed talking to, the woman who stopped and asked us if we needed help finding where we were going and so many more.

And, let’s not forget our driver, Susan, who drove over 3,200 miles with one back seat driver, one hysterical passenger and one who quietly sat there offering help, if needed. We could never have seen or gone to the places we did without her driving skills and her fearless demeanor as she drove up the narrow streets or turned that unknown corner.

Then there is the frustration of being a tourist: finding the hotel, a parking space, figuring out how to turn on the TV in the hotel room and hoping they have CNN even though it is totally boring with stories about Africa and Syria over and over and over and very little news. Trying to figure out what to order in a restaurant when it is all in French. Thank goodness at the end of a busy tourist day you can sit in a restaurant and enjoy a glass of wine with the three old broads you traveled with.

Today we spent our last day in Paris, France.  It was raining but this wasn’t about to stop us from spending a wonderful day in Paris.  We bought a ticket called Paris Visite and it worked everywhere we went.  First we went to Sacre Coeur and it is to bad it was raining because we had the whole of Paris before us but we couldn’t see it.  We walked around the area and then headed for new adventures.  We took the Metro to Rue Cler and had a nice lunch.  Then we walked and walked and walked.  As we were walking be passed a patisserie and bought 3 coffee religieuse and one chocolate eclair.  That will be our dinner tonight plus wine, Pringles and corn nuts.  We walked to the famous restaurant Hemmingway hung out at called Deux Maggots and sat outside and drank a cup of coffee.  Then we decided it was time to head back to our hotel so we got back on the Metro.   We were changing trains and in the rush of people getting off and people getting on the train someone stepped on Lola’s shoe and her shoe fell between the platform and the train.   There was nothing to do but sit down and laugh about it.  Lola sat next to a nice young man who said she was Cinderella in Paris.  He also said he hoped she would find her Prince Charming.  How French is that?

In two days we’ll be home.  I’ll be glad to see my kitties and get back to playing golf.  But once I’m home, I won’t be able to step out onto cobblestone streets, some so narrow you can almost touch the houses on both sides.  I won’t be able to walk into magnificent cathedrals, stroll past buildings that are hundreds of years old, still lived in by the same family, see castles on hills, drive on the D roads and wonder about the lives of the people I pass by.  I’ll miss the many greens of the grain fields, mixed with the vivid yellow of the mustard crops; the lush forests, the rushing rivers, the red poppies, the magpies, the few old 2 cvs that remain.  No more foie gras for me! No more wine.  No more stork nests perched precariously on cathedrals.  One more day to go to Paris and gaze into the windows of the patisseries with their beautiful displays of all kinds of pastries – the religieuse, the eclairs, the baguettes – see Notre Dame and the Eiffle Tower one last time, maybe walk up Montmartre to Sacre Coeur and look down on the city. It’s been a great trip, full of wonderous sights and fun happenings. Continue reading »

Tonight we had another fabulous dinner in Colmar.  Rick Steves recommended it so we tried the restaurant.  It was La Maison Rouge and it was right up there with the great meals we have had in France.  Rick suggested veal cordon bleu with Muster and I did and it was wonderful.

Colmar has turned out to be a charming old town.  Houses are still standing that were built in 1419.  It is hard to imagine that.   The American and British military were careful not to bomb the half-timbered old burghers’ houses, characteristic red and green tiled roofs, and cobbled lanes of Alsace’s most beautiful city.

We had breakfast this morning and then walked all around the old town of Colmar.  When we left the hotel we told Lola and Barbara, who were still eating breakfast, that we would meet them where you catch the little tourist train but when we got there they weren’t there so we got on and rode around the old town.  Then we got off and walked around more and decided to stop and buy some wine so we could use a toilet.  As we sat there enjoying our wine another tourist train drove by and there were Lola and Barbara waving at us.  Lola yelled for us to wait there for them and we did.  When they arrived back we ordered lunch and continued to walk around the town.  It was a very good day.

As we have been driving around France we have discussed the possibility that we may have to return the car in Paris a couple of hours late and we were worried that there might be a big charge if we did that.  Lola has tried and tried to call the Europcar dealership in Paris many, many, many times.  No one ever has answered.  She has called the company in the U. S. and they say she must deal with the dealership in Paris.  It has been extremely frustrating for Lola and all of us.  When we were in Annecy we found a Europcar company and we all went in to see what they could do for us.  The answer is nothing.  Even the gal working there tried to call the Paris office and no one answered.  Lola asked what would happen if we turned it in a few hours late and the girl couldn’t tell us.  Then Lola asked what would it cost to keep the car one more day.  Would you believe $1,700.00?  We thought about it for about one second and say, “NO.”  Anyway, it was very exasperating trying to deal with this car rental company.  We will just return to Paris one day earlier than planned so we can turn the car in on time.

Checking out of the ****Best Western in Annecy this morning was fun.  Susan and I checked out first and then Lola checked out and discovered they had charged her for our room too.  So we spent another half hour getting credits for Barbara and Lola and then recharging them the correct amount.  They also said Lola’s room had a 3 Euro charge for using the phone.  Lola argued that she had used a phone card and their should be no charge.  The hotel clerk finally waved the fee and we left.

It is Friday and we drove to Colmar, France.  To get there we had to drive through Switzerland so we stopped and had lunch in the town of Kirchberg at a nice looking restaurant called Platanenholf.  It was a great lunch but when we got the bill we had been charged 2 Euros each for water.  We complained to the waitress and she said that in Switzerland everyone has to pay for water at a restaurant.  I really doubt that.  We paid but it sure was upsetting to have to pay 2 Euros for a plain glass of water.

I haven’t been on for a few days so I have some catching up to do.  Thursday we drove through Sisteron, which has a huge fortress built into a mountain.  Then we stopped in  Grenoble to have lunch and later arrived in the delightful town of Annecy.  It has a river and canals running through the center of old town.  It is a very nice little town and well worth a visit.

The excitement that day was going through a toll and as we pulled up we noticed an elderly couple stuck and unable to get through.  This was not a good omen.  We pulled up to get a ticket and Susan pushed the button and no ticket came out.  Again, panic set in.  Cars were lining up behind us and Susan was pushing every button she could see.  She pushed a button to talk to someone and then a ticket came out.  Like I say, this is France.

I programmed the Garmin to take us to a hotel Rick Steves recommended.  We followed the instructions and ended up on top of a hill at a private entrance gate.  Angry, frustrated and exhausted we drove around and finally found a ****Best Western.  Who cares what it costs?  When in doubt go with what you know.

Barbara wants me to let you all know that one day we stopped to have lunch in a tiny little town.  There were lots of trucks parked there so we felt it would be a good restaurant.  It was okay but when we asked where the bathroom was the proprietor told us it wasn’t working so they had no bathroom.