Forbidden Fruit is Cute

Of all the shots we took, a favorite is the snapshot Aunt Nelly captured. When I asked Philippe what his favorite part of the trip was, he answered referring to William and I, "You." YES, the best part of the trip truly was family - uninterrupted.

Geraldine and William

Philippe's second cousin Geraldine hosted us while we were in Paris. Her apartment is blocks away from "Les Invalides"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Des_Invalides.
4 star accommodations!

Chateau de Versailles

http://www.chateauversailles.fr/homepage

Versailles is as extravagant as Louis XIV was. The palace was packed when we visited making the hallways feel more like cattle chutes. We spent hours in the unhurried gardens.

Jardin du Luxembourg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_du_Luxembourg
Jardin du Luxembourg is to Paris what Central Park is to New York. There is an exceptional balance of public thoroughfares and secluded gardens.

Of all the architecture in the "world's most beautiful" city, the exterior spaces charmed me most.

Parisian Icons

William is my favorite icon, anywhere.

Auto Museum - Mulhouse

http://www.collection-schlumpf.com/en/schlumpf/

The auto museum was spectacular. The photo-op was fun - and particularly indicative of our driving styles. Another booth had a simulation roll-over where the car was suspended between two robotic arms and spun for about a minute. I was green just watching.

Family Dinners - Mulhouse France

Chez Jojo et Marie-Therese


Chez Guy et Anne-Marie


Chez Serge et Genevieve


Chez Chantal


Chez Liliane

In Mulhouse, we stayed with Philippe's Uncle Francois. He orchestrated a full dinner calendar. We feasted!

Train Museum - Mulhouse

http://www.citedutrain.com/en/train/

The Train Museum in Mulhouse, France was the best I've ever seen. (Genetically, I'm coded as a train aficionado - this is my third train museum in 2009) The oh-so-sleek train pictured was designed by Bugatti.

Hospices de Beaune

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospices_de_Beaune

The hospices are also referred to as "Hôtel-Dieu" - perhaps the opposite of "Hôtel-California." The rooftop dates from the 15th Century. It is a stunning mosaic. It is now a museum of sorts. The mannequi-nuns looked like Audrey Hepburn, doe-eyed and wafer-thin, except for the plump servant in the kitchen.

The Roman Theatre at Orange, France

We visited an ancient Roman theatre in Orange, France. I watched the informational film 4 times while feeding William. I learned that the theatre was millenia old and had been reincarnated as a village center, Louis XIV's trophy, and a prison during the French Revolution. It serves presently as an outdoor Opera. The adjacent temple ruins are a window into ancient civilization.

Carcassonne, France

We stopped at the fortified city, Carcassone. The exterior was entirely restored in 1853. It is designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The interior has retained its medieval city planning maze - making it quite literally a tourist trap.

You can't can-can if your shoes are Tou-louse

We stayed with Nelly & Hubert in their new apartment for several days. The photo of Philippe reading fiction for pleasure is an event worth documenting. We celebrated William's Birthday with them. They spoiled us.

Beach Break - Royan, France - 1 Oct. 2009

As for a rest stop, the beach at Royan was without parallel. The weather was so idyllic, our first purchase was more sunscreen! William loved the sea.

Downtown Castle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nantes

Historic buildings are often a mainstay of downtown - the castle in Nantes qualifies!

In the evening, we toured the shops and restaurants. Crepes, and therefore creperies, are a regional specialty. We ordered a ham & cheese for dinner and a life-changing hazelnut cream crepe for dessert.

We stayed with family friends. They insisted we eat again. Such hospitality!

Childhood Home, Nantes - 30 Sept. 2009

We visited the home Philippe's father designed. Eve let me know each member of the family was active in the construction process - she remembers varnishing beams for the ceiling after school. The present occupant opened the door to us when Philippe showed her pictures of the home in the early 70's. The home has changed significantly, regardless it was nostalgic. We walked the neighborhood where Philippe learned to ride a bicycle - sans training wheels at 3! When he saw the family name of a childhood friend on a mailbox, we knocked and met the parents. The father exclaimed, "Philippe you have less hair!"

Castles - 29 Sept. 2009

The brochure described Chambord as, "Castles of Dreams." The description was in no way hyperbolic. The architect was purportedly Leonardo Da Vinci.


If Ambroise were a real-estate listing, "VIEW LOT!" would be apt. The "MANICURED LANDSCAPE!" was a playground for William.

Clos Luce was the residence of Leonardo Da Vinci when he acted as patron architect for Francois the I from 1516-1519. Presumably, to make the manor more homey (manor-y ;-), he brought his own paintings - including the Mona Lisa. We arrived after hours here, but the cleaning lady unlocked the door. William is so charming!

The Ducourtioux Family

The Ducourtioux Family live in a converted medieval mill in Mehun Sur Yevre. When artistic talent was distributed, they must have had platinum privilege seating. They are artists, musicians and writers. When I took note of their five pianos, they insisted I play. I demurely declined. After hearing their "humble" compositions, I affirmed my modesty was anything but false.

Arrival - 28 Sept. 2009

We walked down stairs to deplane. It felt positively presidential.

William goes to France - 27 Sept. 2009

William, in a non-verbal way, expresses exactly how we felt about our red-eye flight. He slept the duration of the flight. Perfect.