Those who know me well knows that my heart lives in France. I studied French as a child and visited for the first time with my grandmother when I was eighteen following my high school graduation. Sharing my first experience in France with my grandmother was wonderful, but it was also a challenge. To say our relationship was complicated is putting it lightly…we were exceptionally similar in as many ways as we were exceptionally different. Our two strong personalities clashed immensely in France, but now eleven years later all that I remember are the incredible moments and experiences we shared together.
Eleven years ago we were spending Bastille Day in Southern France together. My grandmother passed away nearly two years ago and some of her last words were telling me how happy she was that we went on that trip together and shared such a special journey. I wish I had expressed the same sentiment to her more often. This post was unplanned and is emotional for me to put together because I’m flooded with so many memories that we shared and wish I could pick up the phone and call her to reminisce. Since I can’t do that, in honor of Bastille Day and the gift of France that my grandmother gave me, I want to take a trip down memory lane and share special places mainly from that first trip.
(I apologize for the photo quality on some of these…a few of them have been transferred from original print to digital with technology circa 2004.)
Place des Vosges was the first place I went in Paris. My grandparents had a tradition of going there with a pain au chocolat each time they were in the city together, so my grandmother and I did the same in their honor. Now each time I return to Paris I have a pain au chocolat there for them.
My home on my second trip to Paris.
Musee du Louvre in black and white
I can get lost in here for hours.
I adore the Musee d’Orsay…particularly sitting in the big clock looking out towards Montmartre.
Sacre Coeur…the last time I was in Paris I attended mass here. (Fortunately my Catholic elementary school occasionally attended mass in French so I was not totally lost!)
My grandmother adored Giverny…growing up I remember several Monet reproductions hanging in their home that she had brought back from prior trips.
Chateau Chambord is mind blowingly grand.
And of course the double helix staircase in Chateau Chambord.
I adore Chateau Chenonceaux and the gardens.
Amboise…my grandmother bought so much hand-crafted lace when we were here! We also ate the yummiest ham crepes. Is it strange I remember what I ate each stop of the way eleven years later?!
Mont Saint-Michel, you breathtaking beauty, you! When my grandmother and I stayed on Mont Saint-Michel we bought matching necklaces depicting the Archangel Michael. I now have both of them.
There is nothing quite like staying on Mont Saint-Michel overnight. There are not actual hotels on the island, only rooms that are rented out, so we slept under a fish market! It was quite a shock to look out onto the walkway in the morning and have people wave at you! One young man became convinced I was the love of his life and would not leave the wall until I came out to meet him!
Mont Saint-Michel at night after the tourists leave. It is nearly completely empty.
The Garden Cloister of Mont Saint-Michel
Looking up towards the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey
My grandmother loved Bayeux and we spent several hours examining the tapestry. I did not appreciate it as much at eighteen as I would now!
Our hotel in Bayeux, the lovely Hotel d’Argouges. I have a distinct memory of there being a very friendly orange cat on the grounds that kept coming to our room for pets.
A brunette, baby me at Omaha Beach.
I adored Arromanche. I wandered the streets for hours.
Sarlat! Be still my heart, be still. We ate our way through the Sarlat market buying ingredients for a picnic.
We canoed down the Dordogne to Beynac. I had the most delectable banana split (very French, I know) at a restaurant on the banks of the Dordogne that played Led Zeppelin for hours.
Albi, the city of red clay. It rained our entire stay in Albi with the exception of the last day. It felt a bit too much like Seattle weather for my liking. I did however eat THE BEST MEAL OF MY LIFE at a family-run restaurant in Albi. The family’s little girl served each of the seven courses and it was one of the most magical dining experiences of my life.
Carcassonne is such a magical place. Being inside a fortress is quite a different experience.
My absolute favorite village in France, Caunes-Minervois, thanks largely to the amazing paella and to the wonderful citizens of the city. They were having their annual Bastille Day parade a couple nights early and invited me to join the children of the city as they marched their way through town singing and celebrating. We ended at their soccer stadium for the most spectacular fireworks show I have seen to date followed by a carnival. It was so amazing to be welcomed in the way that I was and made to feel like I belonged.
Our hotel in Caunes-Minervois, Hotel d’Alibert. It is absolutely beautiful as you can see, I highly recommend it!
The night of the parade in Caunes-Minervois. Sitting on a wall chatting away with some folks. (Please forgive the fact I’m wearing flipflops. I didn’t know any better then. I do now and would not be caught dead in flipflops in Europe.)
Pont du Gard! It was so hot when we visited I had to submerge myself in the river.
My grandmother’s favorite city in France, Arles. She loved Van Gogh (there were a lot of Van Gogh reproductions around as well) and the beautiful colors of the city that he so brilliantly captured.
More lovely colors in Arles.
Looking up a street towards the amphitheatre. I wish I had my grandmother’s photo album with me because she took a much prettier photo of this view!
Arles from above
We took a day trip to Les Baux…breathtakingly beautiful.
The streets of Les Baux.
Antibes, my love!
Beautiful Antibes
The Antibes Market reminded me a lot of Pike Place Market.
Lunch and profiteroles with my grandmother and our new friend Brenda. I love this photo.
Nice! I got the tannest I’d ever been from our time in Nice. But ouch those beaches are rocky!
My hotel from my second stay in Nice.
A market in Old Town Nice
Colorful Nice
Farewell my beautiful France
Thank you for joining me in this celebration of my beloved France on Bastille Day and for letting me share about my first trip there with my grandmother. Have you guys spent time in France? Where are your favorite places to visit?