How amazing is Paris? The baguettes, the cheap wine, the stunning parks, the symmetry, the Eiffel Tower, the pastries - I could go on, but you get me. It's all very French, isn't it? I'm sampling gay Paree until Friday, before heading to Sitges in Spain on Monday. But wait, I hear you ask, all the red wine has fuddled your brain, are you not missing some days? Yes, perceptive reader, I am. And that is where you come in.
If only I could read ahead in the "choose your own adventure" of my life, the possibilities that lie before me would unfurl. Unfortunately it's more difficult to cheat at one's existence than it is to read every book ending and choose the best. So I'm hoping you've visited some of my potential destinations, and can substitute my lack of psychic ability with suggestions on where to go next.
Here's what I'm looking for: somewhere south of Paris that's doable in two days where I can drink wine, soak up some history and look at pretty gardens and architecture. If there's a chance to get down with nature, I'll take it. I'm reliant on public transport so it has to be fairly easy to get around.
Have you noticed that guidebooks don't help? They make everywhere sound equally amazing. For instance, here are the Lonely Planet descriptions of three of the places I could visit:
Loire Valley:..."the countryside is littered with some of the most extravagant architecture outside Versaille."
Burgundy and the Rhone Valley: "Two of the country's enduring passions - food and wine - come together in this gorgeously rural region, and if you're a sucker for hearty food and the fruits of the vine [I am], you'll be in seventh heaven."
Dordogne and Quercy: ..."combine history, culture and culinary sophistication in one unforgettably scenic package."
See what I mean? Then there's Champagne and Bordeaux, oh where oh where shall I go?
What are your favourite French places? Sell them to me, I'll decide where to go based on the comments and tell you about it on Monday. If your destination gets chosen you'll win ... the satisfaction of being the best convincer.
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We did exactly what you are thinking of - Beaune, in Burgundy. Jazz cafe's; dudes in striped shirts, pencil moustaches, with loaves of bread on their shoulders; no-one speaks English; farmer's market; siesta time (or the French equivalent)...Train from Gard du Nord to Lyon, then another 1/2 hr train to Beaune. Get cracking on yr French lessons. You'll be talking about it 10 yrs later.
Definitely Burgundy! Dijon or Beaune are lovely; fantastic food and the wine is to die for. Very authentic, rustic French; the kind you see in movies set in (seemingly) romanticised French countryside. It is honestly not exaggerated. Great food, and beautiful scenery and the people are lovely, very friendly. Like #2 said, it would be great if your French isn't too shabby either. You'll wish you could stay for more than two days!
My fiance and I are planning to honeymoon in Europe (or more correctly, France & Holland) as while NZ / Australia / the South Pacific would be cheaper, we've always wanted to go to Europe and we figure this will be our best chance before we have kids. As such, I'll be following the comments and lapping up the tips in preparation. To save money we'll probably spend just over a week in Paris and the same in Eindhoven (fiance's family hails from there) so I too am thinking a sneaky day or two somewhere outside Paris is the way to see a different side of France without trekking all over. Beune sounds great, but I'll have to see what others come up with as fiance doesn't speak French... :)
Paris is definitely amazing!
We did the standard trip around the south of France for a couple of weeks before heading across to Spain. It was cool to be able to jump on a quick train ride between places like Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Toulon and Marseille. Don't really need to do much of a sales pitch for you because it's the south of France, the place sells itself!
We also stayed at a place I'd never heard of called Beziers before jumping on the train to Barcelona. It wasn't quite as exciting as other southern cities in France but still interesting.
Got to Marseille and get threatened by people with knives.
On our road trip through France last year we happened to stop at Fontainbleau - nice little town 50km south of Paris, has a royal palace and a big forest. Kathrine Mansfield is buried there, so a bit of a NZ connection there.
Bordeaux is beautiful. Or Aix en Provence. Not sure about the wine there as was only 14 when I went, but the town is very charming and has great little French boutiques.
@Jim #6 - so true, we were greeted with the riot squad... Lyon is amazing, huge city, but the old quarter is just so impeccably french and beautiful - the cobble stones are really uneven though, so no heels, not even tiny ones. They also have the oldest Gallo-Roman cathedral, with beautiful expansive views over the whole city and river. Stunning, and so friendly!
You won't go far wrong in Annecy.
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Bordeux. Fantastic modern art museam and so close to St Emilion where I could spend days walking around the vinyards sampling some of the best wines in the world. Great sand dunes to the south of Bordeux and heading in the right direction for Spain.