Today we arrived in Lendou-en-Quercy, France where we will spend the next few days, On the way we made several fun stops for food! First up, we had a quick croissant in Pontorson on our way out of Normandy. Next up was an amazing pizza lunch just outside the gates of Château de Villandry. And last, but definitely not least, was lunch in Ségur-le-Château at La Part des Anges. The food was fantastic and we were lucky they were willing to stay open a bit late to serve our group (I’m still thinking about the butter sauce they served with my salmon). Bon appétit!
The Gardens of Château de Villandry
En route to the South of France we made a stop at the beautiful Château de Villandry! I’m going to dedicate an second post to the stunning interiors, but the gardens were incredible. We spent quite awhile wandering around admiring from every angle.
The Mont Saint-Michel
After packing up and saying au revoir to Paris (via the Arc de Triomphe to Dale’s delight as our driver) we headed to Normandy to visit the Mont Saint-Michel. We booked a lovely Airbnb with a view of the medieval village and abbey and after checking in and dropping off our luggage we headed straight to the tidal island! Our group made our way up through the winding streets towards the abbey, it really feels like you have stepped into a Harry Potter movie! The views are spectacular and after exploring we enjoyed a great dinner before heading back to the house. This stop was a bit out of our way but well worth a visit if you ever have the chance!
Seine River Cruise
Our last night in Paris ended with a beautiful boat cruise down the Seine. Immediately after dinner we made the trek to catch our boat and once finally on board saw all the sights as the sun set. While our time in Paris was short, I hope we will get back as a family (or maybe just Dale and I) someday and really dive into all the museums, shopping and more.
The Louvre
Our one full day in Paris began with a guided tour of the Louvre. Our family was split into two smaller groups and our guides whisked us past the long lines and straight into the VERY crowded museum. Shortly before our visit the Louvre had been closed due to strikes so we were grateful to get in!
We decided to walk to the museum and it was so nice to enjoy the park and surrounds before the heat really picked up! Once inside we quickly explored a good amount of the galleries and ended at the fantastic Louvre Couture exhibit. Seeing the haute couture alongside the ornate French interiors was inspiring and while the boys were ready to head out and explore the city Grace and my parents took in the entire fashion collection. The craziest part of our visit was seeing the jewels that just a few months later would be stolen from the museum! Despite the heat and crowds the Louvre really is a must-see!
Bonjour, Paris
Saturday June 21st our family arrived in Paris! My Mom and Grace had already spent a week exploring and we were all so excited to finally meet up with them. After a long flight with two littles and a long wait for our rental car we checked in to the Hotel Rochester Champs-Elysees and attempted to pull ourselves together for dinner. After a shower and cat nap we walked to Le Petit Cler to eat! After a delicious meal we walked over to get our first up-close glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Grant was a trooper and after a few too many photos we were all off to get some rest before a full day to explore Paris!
