Month: November 2021

It started out as a gray day in Paris. In the morning my wife walked the two youngest grandchildren to school. Then after a short walk to the metro with limited luggage, we headed to one of the many train stations where you can hop on a fast train to other parts of Europe. Taking the recommendation of a former colleague of mine who was a French teacher for many years, my wife and I boarded a train headed to the city of Reims, in the world famous region of Champagne. In just 45 minutes we were at the train station of our destination and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. I had made reservations for an afternoon group tour (with an English speaking guide) of the area surrounding Reims. We were to meet outside the Tourist Information center in front of the train station. We were early, so we walked the short distance to the Hotel De l’Arcade and checked into our room.  The city is pretty flat, which makes it easy to walk. The hotel was situated within a 20 minute walk to everything I wanted to see, and it was very close to shopping and Notre Dame Cathedral of Reims, which were the two planned activities for my wife. 

After dropping off our bags, we walked back to the meeting point and met our guide and driver, Tom, who introduced us to a coworker, named Elise, who would be traveling with us. He then gave us a brief overview of the tour with a slightly British accent. We loaded into the comfortable van that we would travel in for the four and a half hour tour. Though I booked the tour through Get your Guide, the tour operator was actually A la Française. Tom (shown in the photo above taken as he was explaining the secondary fermentation process) was very knowledgeable about the geography and geology of the area, the history of the region, and the champagne making process. He was also good at making the people (in our case, three groups of two) who did not know each other before the trip, form a happy troop. 

There are many different tours one can do in Champagne, but this one fit our schedule and seemed like it would give us the most for our money. It was both educational and fun. We saw idyllic landscapes, briefly toured Epernay. tasted champagne from two different small producers and visited the abbey where the monk, Dom  Pérignon, is credited for having conceived the idea of the bubbly drink that became known throughout the world. The tour was even better than I expected it would be thanks to lots of little things like Tom’s explanation of how Reims is properly pronounced. He said, “Think how a Frenchman would say France, then drop the F.” I would never have guessed that by the way Reims is spelled. We purchased a bottle of champagne from each of the two “houses” we visited. I now have a better understanding of why champagne is so popular and appreciate the nuances of flavor more than before the tour.

We returned to the meeting point and were dropped off with plenty of time to say au revoir to our new friends; then walk back through the streets that were being prepared for Christmas, to the famous Cathedral, and then make our way back to the restaurant where we had a dinner reservation. What started as a gray day in Paris finished very nicely in Reims.

The next day started with a very good breakfast at the hotel. I had most of the rest of the day to wander Reims and take some more photographs. Reims is rich in culture and in old churches that really give a sense of the importance of Catholicism to the history of France. The Cathedral is quite impressive. No wonder it was the site chosen by more than any other, as the coronation location for the many Kings of France. After visiting Notre Dame, I think my wife appreciated a little time to herself to explore the shopping district. She doesn’t see the need to try to see it all and thankfully doesn’t feel the need to buy it all. Though, this time she did get herself a nice leather coat. Later in the afternoon, while attempting to visit the Basilica of St. Remi, I found myself (without planning to be there) at a truffle fair; where I learned a little more about the delicacy. I met a kind lady and her husband (who were both about my age) who had a booth at the fair. She spoke English well and we had a nice conversation about truffles and life. She gifted me a book (in French) as I was leaving about the unique, mutualistic, subterranean organisms that I used to talk about when teaching the unit on the Kingdom Fungi. For photos from our two days in Reims, click here.

I had booked a ticket to Marseille when I booked my ticket to Lyon. I was having no luck with the SNCF website, so I went in person to the Boutique Office at one of the train stations in Paris to purchase the tickets. I was able to purchase a Senior Advantage Card (good for a year) for me and my wife and the tickets on the fast train (TGV) to Lyon and then Marseille. I chose Marseille because it was at the end of the line for the fast train. I did not purchase return tickets because the weather was predicted to be rainy all week. I wanted to remain flexible. I did not want to have to stay in a place with horrible weather and pay for accommodations when I could be staying for free in Paris with relatives. I had made reservations for only one night at the Holiday Inn Express located right in front of the main entrance to the Saint Charles station. Though it rained at night, we had warm weather everyday with some sunshine. We wound up staying three nights in all. My wife is one of those people that can stare at the sea for hours, so long as the weather is good. 

This time I went right away to the Office of Tourism located in the train station for advice and help with booking. I met numerous times with an agent named Oliver, who was very helpful and seemed to enjoy practicing his English with me. I also found Rosie, the manager on duty at the hotel, to be friendly and knowledgeable. She is from Liverpool, England, and has lived in Marseille for the last seven years. Together, they were able to put me on the right track. We were able to enjoy the city without wasting a lot of time. Being based next to the train station, where the metro also stops, was a big time saver. We even managed to take public transportation to the small village, Port de Callelongue, where access to some of the hiking trails to the Parc Nationale des Calanques begins. It was a stunning contrast to the busy city only a short distance away. To me, both are worth the trip.

Now to the title of this post…I don’t think I am ever going to get good at French. Oliver gave me some insight. Vieux, (which translates to old) when paired with port and porc, sounds exactly the same (to me at least) when spoken. One is an old port, in this case a very scenic part of Marseille; the other is something you don’t want to be called…an old pig. Oliver laughed a bit when he gave me this little French lesson. We had a good time and definitely did not see it all. It is a place we will have to return to again, but next time we will have to get dinner reservations well ahead of time. Of the places that were recommended to eat by Oliver and Rosie only one could seat us. Another lesson learned the hard way.

For some photos from Marseille click here.

With the Vacances de la Toussaint over and the grandchildren in school, we headed south to Lyon, the second largest city in France. Lyon has a reputation as being a place for foodies. I am not sure I can claim the credentials, but I am in search of good French food. The challenge is, how do you find it when you can’t speak the language past a few essential phrases and pleasantries. After booking a fast train from Paris to Lyon, and then a ticket continuing on to Marseille a couple of days later; I looked for a place to stay. As an example of how good my understanding of French is, I thought I was booking a hotel near the water and close enough to the train station to walk. After the non-refundable deposit went through, I realized I booked a room on a barge on the Rhône River. It was close enough to walk, so at least I got that right.

Péniche Barnum is a converted grain barge that was originally commissioned in the 1920’s. The accommodations were comfortable and clean. Our hosts were kind, Tatiana responded quickly to my email questions, but there was a language barrier. Even so, one of the phrases she used, “J’espère que vous trouverez votre bonheur” translates as “I hope you find your happiness.”  The sentiment was much appreciated and gave me direction. What a nice thing to say. 

With the benefit of hindsight, what I should have done was visit the tourist information center as soon as we dropped the luggage off at the boat. We wound up wearing our old legs out trying to walk up the hills and visit everything on the first day, when having a conversation with a paid professional employed to help people like me navigate the area (albeit, the city and its businesses expect to get a better return for having employed the friendly agent) and enjoy more than just the exercise. It was also a bit chilly, which did not help, considering our goal heading south was to find warmer weather. Lyon is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is plenty to see. I just didn’t plan enough time. Frankly, no one likes to be cold, especially my wife (who three weeks into this adventure is feeling a little homesick) and consequently we spent time shopping for an affordable, warm hat that suited her style. Did we find our happiness or the meal of our dreams…I think not. At least not this time. I do think it was still a successful stop and am hoping that you will agree that the city earns its designation after clicking here to see a few photos. I certainly didn’t expect to see the wildlife I got to see, including one little European Robin that downright tried to make friends. The little guy spoke my language and I thanked him for the visit. We also left the city with two hats.

The timing of our current trip has a lot to do with the school break of our grandchildren. In Paris, they do not celebrate Halloween, but they do take a long school break that is called Vacances de la Toussaint centered around the Catholic Holy Day of All Saints. Since our grandchildren have parents who are United States citizens, it makes sense that their children would want to celebrate Halloween. What child doesn’t relish the idea of dressing up in costume and saying “Trick or Treat” to people holding bags of candy. The photo above is of a group of American youngsters (with adult supervision) roaming the streets of Paris, which brought a quizzical look to many of the locals. The idea of meeting in a local park and celebrating Halloween was a hit with all the children present and just might become a tradition.

If you are family (with a password) you  can see other photos from Paris 2021 by clicking here. When the kids are back in school we hope to leave Paris for other parts of France to the south, in search of new photo opportunities and warmer weather. If you would like to see public photos of Paris click here.