The Best Trip Ever

I started planning this trip when we left France the last time, in October 2005. Finally, it's here, and I'm just sure it will be the best trip ever!

2 nights in Paris

Just enough time to get over the worst of the jet lag. No museums or major sightseeing. We’ll walk along the Seine, sit in cafes and watch Paris, and eat well. We’re trying a new hotel, Hotel le Jardin de l'Odeon. It’s reasonably priced and in the Sixth near Saint Germain, where I wanted to be. I hope it’s not awful.

4 nights in the Loire Valley

We train to Tours, pick up our car and drive to our little stone cottage at La Barauderie near Montrichard. A few years ago we stayed in the smaller cottage at the same place and loved it. The location is amazing, out in the country among the wheat fields, just a short walk from the Montrichard Forest. Lots of birdsong and unbelievable stars at night.
We’ll have dinner with Karen and Craig, the owners of La Barauderie, on our first night.

The only other definite plan for our remaining three days is to have lunch with ckenb from the message board and his partner, who live in St. Aignan, a few kilometers up (?) the river from Montrichard.

This is our third trip to the area, so we’ve seen most of the big chateaus. We’ll spend the rest of our time meandering around our immediate neighborhood, maybe even in concentric circles.

7 nights in the Dordogne

From Montrichard, we’ll drive south to Sarlat, where we have an apartment for a week. This is entirely new territory for us, and I’m sure we’re going to wish we had much more time. We’ll go to Lascaux II to see the prehistoric cave paintings for sure. Maybe another cave painting site or two, maybe not. I’ve always hated caves, so maybe I’ll just find a café to hang out in while Frank visits caves. Castles, gardens, beautiful drives, nice walks, good food!

9 nights in Provence

We drive from Sarlat to St. Saturnin Les Apt for two nights at Le Mas Perreal, Kevin Widrow’s B&B. Then to Lourmarin for a week at Les Olivettes. In Provence, we’re meeting Kathy and Charley Wood for dinner and going on the inaugural hike of the newly formed C.I.R.P. (Informal hiking club of the Luberon) organized by Kevin. Markets, beautiful drives, good food, more walks, time to just sit and enjoy Lourmarin, one of my favorite places in the world. Probably one day in Aix.

Final night at the Paris Hilton

We’ll take the train back to Paris on the final afternoon for our flight home on Sunday morning.