France

Paris
St Émilion
La Rochelle
Bretagne
Paris

Paris

Nous commençons la visite à Paris.

We start our visit in France with six days in Paris. We again rent our favorite Paris apartmentlocated just off the busy and trendy rue Montorgueil. We have been to Paris a number of times and like this area the best.

Rue Montorgueil is one of the liveliest streets in Paris - it has real people. Heck, the street is so famous that Monet has a painting named after the street. Located in the 2nd arrondissement we are located just up from Châtelet-Les Halls.

There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, fish and cheese stores and bars. There is even a hardware store where, as in previous years, I picked up one of my stove-top espresso Italian coffee makers.

In addition to cooking dinners and having friends come cover, we enjoyed some very good meals with the "take-out" food at La Maison Stohrer, located at 51 rue Montorgueil. The shop dates to 1730.

Near the end of the week we have a couple of days when our friends Mike & Margot Arbogast from Vancouver were also in Paris. They rented an apartment about 10 minutes away. Glenn and Mike were able to get a couple of evening photo shoots.

Our Neighbourhood - Montorgueil

Rue Montorgueil is a "happening" street lined with cafes and stores. One of the best people streets in Paris.

Rue Montorgueil is a "happening" street lined with cafes and stores. One of the best people streets in Paris.
The cafe and bars along rue Montorgueil are always filled with people.
Our apartment is now like a second home for us!
Passage Molier inot far from our apartment. This passage is one of the more subtle passages that remain in Paris.
The Passage Bourg L'Abbee connects up from rue Reaumur to the rue Montorgueil area. It is a quiet but classic passage.
From the Pasasage Bourg L'Abbe you walk across the street to the Passasge du Grand Cerf with its bold steel and glass ceiling. From here it is just a few blocks to rue Montorgueil.

A Morning in Montmartre

Early one morning Glenn headed to Montmartre.

Early one morning Glenn headed to Montmartre.
The famous steep stairs take you up to the Sacre-Cour Cathedrale
Cathedrale Sacre-Cour can ben seen from many locations in Paris.
Down the stairs, back to the Metro and home for Petite Dejuner - the typical day in Paris.

Various Walks Through Paris

The Louvre at night.

The Louvre at night.
Light Standards along the Louvre
Ghost Boats along the Seine River
Light Standards along the Louvre at sunset
Saint Martin Canal
Saint Martin Canal
Paris colours
Paris colours
Paris colours
Champs Elysee
Place Concord

We once again enjoyed finding the various passages and galeries of Paris, those late 1800 early 1900 covered arcades where were oh so fashionable at one time. More information on the passages.

St Émilion Area

Maison Aux Vignes

Nous voyageons puis à Saint-Emilion.

We leave Paris by train to arrive at Bordeaux where we rent a car for the drive to Puisseguin, a small town located about 6 km outside of St. Émilion. Our friends Mike & Margot were already in the house, so we knew there would be a drink waiting for us.

We have visited St Émilion previously and have always enjoyed the town and the area. Designated as a World Heritage Site, the town dates back to prehistoric times.

The town is named after the 8th century monk, Émilion, who settled in a hermitage carved into the rock. The monks that followed started wine production, a product the area for which the area is now well known.

Our house near Puisseguin, Maison Aux Vines, has three bedrooms, a pool and deck that overlooks a vineyard. Margot Arbogast greats us when we arrive.

Our house near Puisseguin, Maison Aux Vines, has three bedrooms, a pool and deck that overlooks a vineyard. Margot Arbogast greats us when we arrive.
Our Maison-aux-Vins in Pusseguin was very nice, the grounds were a bit more rustic than some of the maisons we have rented in France, but we certainly enjoyed our time here.
We had wonderful dinners in the evenings out by the pool. Being June, it was light until almost 10:30 each evening. Although the weather was cooler than anticipated, there were cloudy days, but it only rained on one day when we there there.
Mike and I were in the small town of Pusseguin and a woman asked me if we I seen the Moulines, themills. She drove, and we followed in our car to see the Moulines located near Montagne in the area of Thouarcé.
The Petit-Palais-et-Cornemps wine area is just down the road from our house - Mike and I have some pretty good photoshoots in this area. Above is a chappel in the vineyards.
Eglise Saint-Pierre in Petit-Palais-et-Cornemps ws a pretty major photoshoot one evening. We arrived after the sun set and maximized twilight. The church reflected light until almost 10:30 pm.
The Chateau Soleil far site is located was down down the road - an evening Long Exposure shot.
This large chateau is located just aross the fields.

St. Émilion

Mike and I went into Saint-Emilion a couple of mornings for a photoshoot. The town is simply stunning.

Mike and I went into Saint-Emilion a couple of mornings for a photoshoot. The town is simply stunning.
Beautiful stone buildings of Saint Emilion
Saint-Emilion
The Kings Tower in Saint Emilion
One morning Mike and Glenn drove over to Castillion-la-Bataille, and this early morning bridge shot was the take-away.

A trip to Moissac

We drove to Moissac to visit an old friend, Christoper Johnson, who I had met some 27+ years ago. Lunch at the Auberge du dur Cloitre was very enjoyable.

We drove to Moissac to visit an old friend, Christoper Johnson, who I had met some 27+ years ago. Lunch at the Auberge du dur Cloitre was very enjoyable.
We also wanted to return to Moissasc to see the cloisters. The galleries make this the oldest and largest cloister with narrative capitals. Completed in 1100 AD, there are 76 capitals plus 12 large pillar reliefs.
The inner courtyard of the cloisters in Moissac
Christopher Johnson and Glenn Marcus at Moissac

A drive to the Dordogne

It was a return to Montignac, a town we had previously visited a number of years ago.

It was a return to Montignac, a town we had previously visited a number of years ago.
Montignac
Montignac
Montignac
Montignac
Montignac
St Leon sur Vèziere is a very scenic small village along thew Vèziere River
St. Leon dur Vèziere
(Left) Margot Arbogast and Karen Marcus in Leon-sur-Verieze
(Right) Sarlat-la-Caneda
Sarlat-la-Caneda - this was the only day it rained for us, so unfortunately, after the long drive, to talk around Sarlat in the rain was not that enjoyable... but it was scenic.

La Rochelle

We stayed with our friends Vannarith and Jacques in La Rochelle. They have a beautiful apartment in the Quartier des Minimes area of La Rochelle.

We stayed with our friends Vannarith and Jacques in La Rochelle. They have a beautiful apartment in the Quartier des Minimes area of La Rochelle.
We enjoyed aperatives and our meals on the outdoor patios of their penthouse apartment.
The classic old harbour of La Rochelle. We found out that La Rochelle was one of the primary ports for ships sailing to Canada when Canada was discovered.
In fact, there is a close linkage between La Rochelle and Quebec. So happened that the day we visited the town there was a celebration for Quebec, with Quebec flags flying in numerous locations.
Impressive Hotel du Ville in La Rochelle
We drove over to the Ile of Re - one of the large islands just off the coast.
Great views from the top of the Church in Saint Martin.
Vannarith and Jacques
There were some very sizeable poppy fields as we drove from Phare des Baleines back towards the bridge.
The old centre of La Rochelle has a well preserved historical core. Some streets with covered arcades.

Nous allons à La Rochelle sur la côte atlantique.

Then we drove up to La Rochelle, a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, located in the Poitou-Charentes Region. We have the great opportunity to stay with our friends - Vannarith and Jacques.

Vannes

Our frends live on the Bay of Morihan

Our frends live on the Bay of Morihan
They have a beautiful stone house(s)
Rochefort-en-Terre is a well preserved town of beautiful stone buildings not from Vannes
Rochefort-en-Terre
We spend a day in Nantes. The Chateau now houses a museum on the history of Nantes.
The Passage Pommeraye is a unique four level passage in Nantes
Les Machines de Ile de Nantes is a Jules Verne theme park on an island in Nantes. An old shipyard has been converted into an innovation mechanical wonderland.

Ensuite, nous voyageons au nord de Vannes.

We first met our friends almost twenty years ago It all started by taking a photo of two young girls playing by a canal. The bright red jacket caught my eye. After taking a photo the mother appeared, we talked, and agreed to send her a picture of the children. We have been to visit them a couple of times, they have been to Canada to visit us also. Yes, always carry your camera!

Paris and au revoir

Paris, despite all the tourists, always has some very real touching moments
It is a city with life and attitude
I discovered the Luois Vuitton Cabinet Ecriture... where else could I spend $100 for two bottles of ink! I am a registered customer now!

Enfin, nous reviendrons à Paris pour une nuit.

We returned to Paris to stay one night prior to our flight back to Canada

I had a good visit with the special Louis Vuitton Cabinet d'Ecriture - a special store, created for a one year period to celebrate l' écriture est un voyage (writing is a voyage). Stunning store. Got quite caught up in the emotion and even spend $100 on two bottles of ink! Keep me away!. The links to two very inspirational videos are on my pen site at: Glenn's Pens. Watch and I am sure you will right out there getting your special fountain pen!

Then, just a few months and we are off to Italy and Malta!

2013