2 Weeks in France
This post will primarily serve the purpose of listing everywhere we went and what we did so that when someone asks later, I don’t have to dig it up. I’ll link to brands, hotels, etc.
Part 1: Packing
I fit everything into my new Osprey Packs Fairview 40 Women’s Travel Backpack and a medium sized cross body purse (14" Width, 7" Height, 5" Depth) with multiple snaps and zippers.
Here’s my packing list (w/ a couple notes next to the items). We did laundry once on the trip. If I could do it over again, I would have left behind the things I noted below. I’m also intrigued by the idea of reversible shirts & dresses for travel that would allow me to pack a little lighter
Camera (I have a Canon Powershot that’s ~10 yrs old)
Camera batteries (I brought 3 + the charger, only needed 2, the first one ran down & I replaced it with the second one)
Chargers
iPad (My partner brought his Chromebook so I didn’t bring a computer. I could have left the iPad at home, I used it to watch some netflix but otherwise used his computer or my iPhone)
Nook (I have an older one, battery lasts forever, I never even charged it but I’d bring the charger anyway)
Phone holder for running (didn’t use this bc I ran w/ my partner & he brought his phone)
Portable battery (did NOT end up using this — there were sufficient outlets in France & the fact that I wasn’t using my phone except on wifi made it last a lot longer)
Water bottle (essential!)
Bathing suit
Bras (2)
Dresses (2)
Fancy dress (We had a specific fancy occasion, I wouldn’t bring this otherwise)
Pajamas (aka shorts & a tshirt)
Pullover or sweater (1)
Running bra
Running pants w/ key pocket
Scarf (1)
Shirts (2)
Skirts (1)
Socks (7)
Stuff sac
Tank tops (3)
Thigh saver under shorts (2)
Underwear (7)
Ankle boots (I shouldn’t have brought these, flats were more useful. I don’t generally wear heals and these just didn’t cut it for walking around castles)
Fancy shoes (I brought flats which I wore a couple other times, I’d bring broken in flats again)
Jeans (1)
Rain coat
Running shirts
Running shoes
Running socks
Sneakers
Bandaids (didn’t use but they take up no space)
Be Curly (helpful — I have hair that frizzes in humidity)
Comb
Conditioner (I use bar conditioner)
Contact lens solution (travel sized)
Contact lenses
Deodorant (I use a little bar w/ no container)
Ear plugs
Earrings (3 pairs — 1 stud, 1 big accent, 1 small dangly)
Hair Ties
Ibuprofen (should have brought more for 2 people, tho of course you can get it in France)
Lotion bar
Make-up (I stayed simple — eye shadow, mascara, lip gloss, some concealer-y stuff)
Necklaces (2)
Razor
Rings (2)
Shampoo (I use a bar conditioner)
Sleep mask (essential for the airplane, I also like dark so good for the various places we stayed)
Soap
Sun screen (only used once, maybe didn’t really need it given the season)
Sunglasses
Toiletry kit (I have 2 smaller clear ones, good for TSA)
Tooth paste (travel sized)
Tweezers
Not on the list but packed anyway:
- Airplane pillow
- Nail clippers
- 2 travel books: Lonely Planet & Rick Stevens Best of France (I would have brought only one of these)
Part 2: Where we stayed
- Loire Valley: Chateau Allure Du Lac
This was the part of the trip that was a big group thing. A close friend, who has relocated to France, decided to celebrate her 40th birthday in style and so 30 or so of us packed into this incredible 19th century chateau.
2. Normandy: Hotel La Consigne
This was a perfectly fine budget-friendly location. They speak English and were easy to communicate with to the extent we needed (which was minimal). The room was minimal, clean, & secure. Since we were using Caen as a central location in Normandy, the hotel being directly across from the train & bus station was perfect. We were also able to walk everywhere we wanted to go in Caen from the hotel.
3. Paris: We got lucky & were able to stay with friends, which cost $0. We decided to make our final travel day easier & booked an airport hotel. We stayed at Courtyard by Marriott. I’m glad we stayed at an airport hotel — waking up to get on the free shuttle instead of waking up to take the RER was much easier. The hotel was the only place we stayed in France with AC which was good for my partner’s allergies. But, I’d try to find a cheaper airport hotel if I were doing it again.
Part 3: What we saw
Les Machines de L’ile (Nantes) 👍👍👍👍👍 Steampunk maker’s space extraordinaire. This was a surprise- a delightful realization of imagination. We rode the carousel and the elephant and thoroughly enjoyed it all. A lot of signs in English but the art transcends language anyway.
Bike Tour through the wine cellars of Bouvet Ladubay (Samur) 👍👍👍 The biking part of the tour was a little silly but thoroughly enjoyable. We learned about the process used to make sparkling wines, saw the underground cellars (under the town!), and got to taste several wines.
Chateau de Chinon (Chinon) 👍👍👍👍 The castle where the Lion in Winter story takes place. Lots of good Eleanor of Aquitaine (my fave!) and some Joan of Arc. Cool Templar graffiti, lots of stairs (up & down the towers), and pretty views from every direction.
Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud (Fontevraud-l’Abbaye) 👍👍👍👍 More Eleanor of Aquitaine (plus quite a few other powerful women). The Abbey was then a prison, which is why it was so well preserved.
Château d’Angers (Angers) 👍👍👍👍👍 This Chateau was the seat of Anjou. It’s a good castle, with lots of places you’re allowed to walk. But it’s most notable as the home of the Apocalypse Tapestry, which is huge and amazing intricate.
Alignements de Carnac (Carnac) 👍👍👍 This is the largest site for ancient menhirs (a tall upright stone of a kind erected in prehistoric times). There are literally thousands.
Château de Caen (Caen) 👍👍👍 This was the seat of William the Conqueror. There’s not much left of it but it’s free to enter the grounds (there are museums you can pay to go to)
Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux 👍👍👍👍 This is a famous tapestry commissioned to depict the events of the Battles of Hastings (1066).
La cathédrale de Bayeux 👍👍👍 Very nice cathedral & worth seeing (for free) if you’re in Bayeux.
Museum of Art and History Baron Gérard (Bayeux) 👍👍👍 This was a good museum, starting from pre-historic artifacts, some Roman milestones, and so on. Right next to the Cathedral
Eglise Sainte Catherine (Honfleur)👍👍👍👍👍 This is a beautiful wooden church. We both really loved the contrast between the wood structure vs. all of the stone we’d been seeing all week. Free.
Musee Eugene Boudin (Honfleur)👍👍👍 Good art museum, large enough to be worth the price of admission but not so large that we couldn’t see (or at last walk past) everything.
Musée d’Orsay (Paris)👍👍👍👍👍 Beautiful museum that picks up where the Louvre ends. It’s in an old train station and the building itself is very cool. We did the entire first floor and top floor. We were there for 4 hours (with a lunch break) and I was just too tired to see any more art that afternoon.
Louvre Museum (Paris)👍👍👍 There are too many people at the Louvre. The line to “see” the Mona Lisa was out of control. We did a “surgical strike” and spent about 2 hours there. There is a lot to see but a lot of it was also pillaged from other parts of the world and should probably be returned.
Chateau de Versailles 👍👍👍 Versailles was everything it is advertised as … but it’s kind of grossly opulent (as expected) and there isn’t that much acknowledgement of the labor of ordinary people to build it or keep it running.
Cruise La Parsienne Champagne 👍👍👍👍 I wanted to do a boat ride. This was what I wanted — not a fancy dinner cruise where we’d be distracted by the food. The ride comes with one glass of champagne, which is fun. We got to see a beautiful sunset and the light show at the Eiffel Tower.
Part 4: Where we ate
These are the two best places we ate:
- La Cave a Huitres (Caen) This is all oysters — delicious!
- Bistro des Artistes (Honfleur) Delicious food, amazing view (photo below).
In general, also all boulangeries have excellent sandwiches and baguettes. And the patisseries are equally delicious. We also ate at the restaurants/cafes at almost all of the chateaux we visited, the food was good at all of them (probably overpriced).
