"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." – Mary Oliver

Category: Travel

  • List #13: Some More Things to Do If I Make It Back to Paris

    List #13: Some More Things to Do If I Make It Back to Paris

    I’ve now been to Paris twice, spending a full week both times. There are so many sites to see, but that must be balanced with time to stroll or sit and soak up the ambience. Not to mention making time to try all.the.food. Here’s my list of all the things that didn’t quite make the…

  • Day Trip to Chartres

    Day Trip to Chartres

    On my last full day in Paris, before G returned from the UK, I caught the train to Chartres. The main drawcard is the Chartres Cathedral, and its architecture, sculptures, stained glass and labyrinth provide enough reason to make the trip from Paris. The first Cathedral on the site was probably built in the 4th…

  • Looking for Signs of the Camino in Paris and Chartres

    Looking for Signs of the Camino in Paris and Chartres

    The main aim of our European trip was to walk the Camino, with Paris being a happy bolt-on for me. For centuries, pilgrims came from all over Europe on pilgrimage; of course, some started or passed through Paris. On our first day in Paris, we were walking down Rue St-Jacques, and I spotted the familiar…

  • Smaller Museums in Paris

    Smaller Museums in Paris

    Our trip to Paris with our daughter in 2018 included many of the most famous sites, including Notre Dame, The Concierge, Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe, Musée de l’Orangerie, the Louvre, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, and Musée Rodin. G is not a huge fan of museums; I went by myself to those last…

  • Eating My Way Through Paris

    Eating My Way Through Paris

    Those who have been reading my blog for a while will know I love my food. When I travel, eating takes a high priority. I like trying local specialties, enjoying special meals and eating well. I usually book at least some restaurants in advance and have a little list of things I want to try.…

  • A Day Trip to Monet’s Garden

    A Day Trip to Monet’s Garden

    While in Paris I did a day trip to Monet’s Garden in Giverny by train. I waited to see what the weather was going to be like before making the final decision to go on Monday. I booked the tickets to Monet’s Garden online and used the SNCF app to book train tickets. I caught…

  • Cool Bloggers Walking Club – October 2024

    Cool Bloggers Walking Club – October 2024

    In October Elisabeth hosted the second Cool Blogger’s Walking Club of the year. April’s walking club did not go well for me—it turns out I had a stress fracture in my foot. I still haven’t finished my neighbourhood A-Z photography project either, but maybe I’ll finish that this month. This time around, I managed the…

  • A Week in Paris

    A Week in Paris

    Previously, I’ve done a day-by-day holiday recap of my trips, but I thought this time I’d do an overview post and follow up with a couple of themed posts. This is my third trip to Paris. My first was just a few days as part of a whirlwind tour of Europe with my parents when…

  • I’m Back, NaBloPoMo … and a Few Other Good Things

    I’m Back, NaBloPoMo … and a Few Other Good Things

    I arrived home 1:30 am Thursday morning last week, after almost a month away in France and Spain. My email had almost 1000 unread emails, our finance manager went on holiday just before I returned, so I’ve taken over some of her work as well as having my own to catch up on, I wanted…

  • France 2018: Paris Part 3

    France 2018: Paris Part 3

    WEDNESDAY 11TH APRIL After our usual breakfast of French pastries, we headed across the river for a stroll down Rue de Montorgueill. This is the cutest little street. We popped into Stohrer, the oldest bakery in Paris. I had to try the Rum Baba, and it was delicious. We bought our pastries and then found…