Summertime is fast approaching which means one thing: Reg and Nick on tour!
This year is a quick 10 day jaunt to France and Belgium. Okay, really, we're going to Paris, Brugge, and Brussels, but saying "France" sounds more sophisticated.
This was a much harder decision than it appears. Neither Reg nor myself wanted to plan a vacation, it has seemed like a huge chore. The decision to go on this trip was mine after finding a sweet price on an open-jaw ticket, into Paris, out of Brussels. We'll be gone from June 27th until July 7th.
This will be Reg's first time to any of these places and I must say she's pretty stoked. If she knows that you've been there I'm sure she's let you know and asked for suggestions. If you do have any that aren't, "Go to Notre Dame" (because really, we weren't planning on going there or the Eiffel Tower! {note, huge heaping amount of sarcasm}) please let us know. We're also thinking of spending a day in Chartres and if you do have any experience there, that'd be great. Also, Antwerp, Ghent anyone?
I want a picture from NEAR Notre Dame. Nicholas knows where...
ReplyDeleteAn amazing wine tasting (basically a non-pretentious guide to how to drink wine in France (which I had no clue how to do, even though I thought I knew wine)): O Chateau. It is in English and by the Louvre.
ReplyDeleteIf you are in Paris on a Sunday, I recommend wandering around the Marais, which is by Centre Georges Pompidou (also open on Sunday and a wonderful modern art museum). The Marais has great falafel and a lot of neat shops to wander around (as does Ile Ste'Louis, famous for their decadent ice cream, which is close by).
The Eiffel Tower sparkles at night because of twinkly lights. I found this out my last night in Paris and didn't have time to witness it up close...from what I could tell, I really missed out.
If you are planning to eat in the Latin Quarter, I can recommend restaurants that we loved -- my friend's grandparents summer in France and she generously shared her extensive Parisian gastronomical knowledge, which we took full advantage of.
Brugge has great waffles with ice cream. We ended up ducking into a random waffle house (not the same as the ones in the South!) in the middle of a rain storm and it was a major highlight. Because of the weather, I didn't see much else, but left happy.
My trip to Chartes was with my senior class (in 1999), and although the cathedral is spectacular, we didn't see anything that I couldn't top in Paris. It's a great place, kind of like Canterbury, but I wouldn't recommend it if you are short on time.
Bon voyage!
Anne