Day 3 – The Channel Tunnel to Paris, France
Our third day of the tour began with breakfast in our hotel, followed by a bus ride to the St. Pancras Station to board the Eurostar and a ride beneath the English Chunnel. We enjoyed a peaceful ride through the French countryside, with beautiful views of farmland. The children, as well as adults, were occupied with a task that Sašo and Janet had given us, to create a drawing of what we thought of Paris before we arrived. My pretentious drawing of a snake that had eaten an elephant was easily bested by the talented artists in our group.
Once we arrived at our destination we quickly loaded up our bus (and future companion until Florence) and were whisked off to our hotel near the Eiffel Tower. After getting settled, we gathered at the nearby subway station to receive our metro cards and had a wonderful Parisian dinner. The kids sampled escargot and the parents engaged in spirited discussion over French wine, a highlight for myself as we all bonded so much over this meal before retiring to the hotel, ready to tackle Paris.
Our travel to Paris
Angelina’s Sketch
Kye’s Sketch
Aerie’s Sketch
Day 4
Day four kicked off with a walking tour of Paris where we were all mesmerized with the beauty of the City of Light. Our walking tour culminated with a boat ride of the Seine River with amazing views of the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, among many other sights of Paris. After the ride we parted ways to explore the city on our own. I made sure to double back to Shakespeare and Company, after passing it during our walking tour. A personal highlight of this day was the few hours we spent for lunch sitting at a Paris cafe, talking and observing everyone as they went about their day. This is the Paris I had in mind, there was no rush for us to leave, we were simply allowed to linger and take it all in. Eventually we regrouped at our hotel before heading out to the Eiffel Tower at sunset. We had an amazing dinner before walking back to our hotel, as the train was down, providing us more time to see the city at night.
Day 5
The Louvre, the former royal palace that is now the world’s most famous museum, housing sculptures, paintings, jewels, and much of the world’s history in a massive complex of cavernous rooms. You could dedicate a month to visiting the Louvre and still not see everything, so I encourage anyone planning to visit to plan ahead with their excellent collections database to map out your optimal experience.
A favorite of mine is the Dutch painter Heironymous Bosch, and I was set on viewing one of his paintings. After leading the family throughout the many halls…I never located it. Et bien, an excuse to return I suppose! Just a note with recent events…the Louvre heist is not surprising after our visit, I was amazed at the number of rooms we visited with seemingly no one around. If you are an aspiring thief, or someone who appreciates solitude as you take in the greatest artistic achievements of humanities, The Louvre is the place for you.
Saint Fargeau and Guédelon – The Magic
As we wrapped up our Louvre visit we all settled into our bus for the relaxing trip to Burgundy. Up until this point we certainly had opportunities to get to know our fellow tour guests but this is when the group really came together. Personally, I believe this was the most magical moment of our tour and the Hotel Les Grands Chênes will always hold a special place in my heart.
The Hotel Les Grands Chênes is a magical place nestled in beautiful Burgundy, France. The establishment is run by a charming family and they are wonderful hosts. This was the perfect setting for our large group to settle in, relax, and spend some time getting to know one another. The kids immediately were drawn to the pool, not allowing the still chilly air to deter them. As the kids were occupied, the parents gathered for a wine tasting and that is when we really got to know one another. After a bit, we began to open up and discuss our lives, where we were from, our journey to this tour, what we had all experienced in our free time so far and what we planned for the rest of the tour. This period of relaxation is where we all formed a close bond and our shared love of travel…it all just clicked.
The evening was capped with a delicious meal and friendly, funny, in depth conversations as the kids strengthened their connections. I cannot stress what a sight this was to see, it was magical. I want to praise our tour guides for really bringing everyone together, with Sašo even joining in with the kids in a circle of football (European, of course). A few of us went deep into the night before settling in for a trip to Guédelon.
Day 6 – Guédelon and and Medieval Feast
Day six was possibly my favorite day from the entire trip, which is really something considering how amazing each one was. Our hosts provided a delicious breakfast and without exaggeration, maybe the best packed lunch I’ve ever had. I have a very strong recollection of being blown away with how delicious the baguette was. We all hopped on the bus with our lunches in hand and set off for Guédelon, a medieval castle that is being constructed entirely with the tools available at the time the castle was modeled from. It is an enormous human feat and an absolutely fascinating visit, with workers demonstrating their process, from blacksmiths, creating limestone blocks, woodwork, and everything else to create this wonderful structure. Our guide was excellent, witty, and the entire experience was a joy. As we returned to Hotel Les Grands Chênes we were served a medieval themed dinner as everyone dressed for the time. By that point the kids were a tight knit group and so were the parents. The mead and wine was superb and we had a night fit for the Lords.