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I Love Paris in the Fall: Three Best Autumn Activities
I love Paris in the springtime.I love Paris in the fall.I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles. My Grandfather used to sing me this song and replace Paris with Shelby. ๐ Just as the song says, I love Paris all times of the year! It is my absolute favorite city. Until my teaching assignment, I had only visited Paris during the other three seasons of the year. Exploring Paris in the Fall with the beautiful changing leaves is something else entirely! Autumn provides great weather for exploring the city on foot (with a jacket of course), with significantly less tourists…
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Day Trip to Medieval Saint-รmilion: Wine, Cobblestones, and Culture
As I mentioned in my previous blogย post, Bordeaux is a famous wine-growing region in southwestern France. You can’t visit Bordeaux without sampling some wine!! My friend and I booked a day trip through the Tourist Office to visit a nearby vineyard and the medieval town of Saint-รmilion. The day trip only cost 30โฌ and included two glasses of wine at the vineyard! Saint-รmilion is a World Heritage Site named after a monk who settled there in the 8th century, though the history of the town goes beyond that. Romans planted vines in this area as far back as the 2nd century!ย The city is well worth a visit and I…
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Best of Bordeaux, France: A Walking Guide
Bordeaux is situated in Aquitane, the South-western region of France. This is a prominent area for the wine industry – the region began producing wine in the 8th Century! Bordeaux is a beautiful city to visit, with tons of wine-tasting opportunities for my fellow vinos. Grab your walking shoes and come for a tour of Bordeaux with me! This city has the second-highest number of preserved historical buildings of any city in France, behind Paris! One really cool aspect of the architecture is that thereย are little faces scuplted into the facade of buildings throughout the city called mascarons. Below are some highlights of the city of Bordeaux.ย ย La Garonne The…
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Following Paul Cรฉzanne’s Footsteps in Aix-en-Provence, France
Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful town in the Provence-Alpes-Cรดte d’Azur region of France. It’s about 20-30 minutes by train from Marseille, with tickets averaging $15 one-way. Aix-en-Provence (or Aix for short) is the home town of Paul Cรฉzanne and offers many attractions relating to the artist and his paintings. Aix-en-provence is incredibly charming with a wonderful small-town feel, very contrasting to the large city of Marseille. The word Aix originates from Aqua + Sextius. Sextius was the name of an important military figure in the area, and water is very important and prevalent in the city. Aix-en-Provence was at one time part of Catalonia, and they still fly the “blood and…
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5 Can’t Miss Attractions in Marseille, France for First Time Visitors
Marseille is the oldest city in France and the second largest city, behind Paris!ย The city was founded in 600 BC by the Greeks.ย This is one of the most stunning coastal cities I have ever visited!ย As a port city, Marseille has a bit of a seedy reputation but overall it is a great destination to visit. Here is a list of the five can’t miss attractions in Marseille for first time visitors: Vieux Port The old port is beautiful from all angles!ย The marina is very lively with waterfront restaurants, markets, and ferry boats offering rides to nearby destinations.ย The large surrounding street became limited to pedestrians starting…
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Nice, La Belle: Exploring the Jewel of the French Riviera
In my recent post about Monaco, I mentioned that it is an easy day-trip from Nice! It only seemed natural then to write about Nice as well.ย Nice is a beautiful coastal town in Cรดte d’Azur, the French Riviera. There is so much to do and see in Nice, from it’s pebbled beach up to the Monastรจre de Cimiez!ย ย This is the first place that I ever took a solo overnight trip!ย There are cheap TGV tickets using Ouigo if booking ahead of time with flexible dates. ย Throughout my stay, I met many generous and kind locals who gave me great advice and directions! Here are some of the highlights…
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Top Two Can’t-Miss Sites in Monaco
The Principality of Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world – behind Vatican City!ย The country is in the French Riviera, along the Mediterranean Sea.ย I popped over to Monaco for a day while spending a long weekend in Nice, France.ย Monaco is a very quick (and scenic) train-ride from Nice.ย ย Most people associate Monaco with the Monte Carlo Casino and the Grand Prix, but the destination has a lot more to offer.ย It’s like visiting a city, but you get to add a whole new country to your list!ย If you’re short on time, I recommend visiting two highlights – Le Palais des Princes and Jardin Exotique de…
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Day Trip from Barcelona: Girona and the Dalรญ Theatre-Museum
I always recommend visiting local Tourist Offices when traveling. They offer a lot of great resources, including (free!) maps and advice. I like to take a look at the available tours to nearby destinations for ideas and suggestions. Sometimes I book day-trips through tourist offices, but a lot of times I use the tours as an idea to plan a trip myself!ย At the Barcelona Tourist Office, I noticed tours for day-trips to Girona and Figueres. I took a pamphlet with me, did a little research myself, and I found it was easy to book train tickets and visit the cities by myself. Figueres is a popular destination due to the…
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Exploring Barcelona in 72 Hours
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, the Northeastern region in Spain.ย This city has so much to offer between the art, architecture, delicious food, and the beach!ย To this day, Barcelona is one of my top favorite cities that I have visited.ย ย Here are the can’t miss spots when visiting Barcelona for three days: Day 1 Barri Gรฒtic – Gothic Quarter The Gothic Quarter is incredibly charming – I spent much of my first day wandering this area. The narrow streets are filled with cathedrals, restaurants, and clubs. It is a stark contrast to La Rambla which is quite open. The roads make up a myriad and it is fun…
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Discover Lille, Ma Ville: The Heart of Northern France
I lived in Lille, France for 8 months between 2016-2017 while I was a Teaching Assistant.ย Lille is the capital of Hauts-de-France, the northernmost region of France. This region is relatively new, combining the two former regions of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Lille is specifically located in French Flanders, close to the France/Belgium border. ย When applying to the TAPIF program, candidates select three of their top choices of regions where they hope to be assigned. Luckily for me, I wasn’t assigned to any of my choices! I was assigned to the Lille region, and I immediately fell in love with it!ย The city has so much charm!ย There is a…
