It’s been a hectic and somewhat stressful week, so I’m going to share some photos of what we’ve been up to, and follow up with more details when time allows.
Last weekend, we enjoyed a relaxing walk in our neighborhood and a visit to a nearby chateau.




On Tuesday, we drove to Paris to turn in our rental car and buy one of our own. Thankfully, we have some dear French friends who helped us through the process. We arrived at their home in time to join them for lunch – a special treat! After lunch, theTravelsketcher, Pascal and I headed to a nearby dealership to find out what was available.

We allowed an extra day in Paris for our car purchasing needs which we didn’t need, so we had a free day to be tourists. However, we had a stressful morning of driving near CDG to drop off our luggage at our hotel and then return the rental car. Navigating near CDG with the heavy traffic, narrow streets, quick turns and circuitous roads was really stressful, and if you make a wrong turn, you may have to drive another five minutes to get back to the correct road! But eventually we completed our tasks and were soon on the Metro headed to Paris.




We arrived in time to have a delicious lunch at Le Village Ronsard, where the very friendly waiter helped us with our French; il était tres sympa.




After lunch we strolled through the neighborhood, did a little shopping and took some photos.



We were saddened to see Notre Dame surrounded with scaffolding; she looks like she’s on life support.





Yesterday, we headed to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Provence to meet up with some dear friends from Mukilteo. Well, things didn’t turn out as we had planned; we were re-routed in Paris, had a long stop on the tracks somewhere between Paris and Lyon, had to run to make our connection in Lyon, but we made it to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in time for dinner. Whew!





I love this little market town and am looking forward to a relaxing few days with friends.
We’re hoping the car purchase will be completed soon (there’s a lot of paperwork involved – it’s France) so we can head back to our quiet life in the country.
Check back next week when I write about Château de Domfront; here’s a teaser photo.

Wishing you grand, and stress free adventures,
Tricia
Beautiful Tricia, it looks idyllic (apart from that journey with the diversions and stops!!)
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Thank you! We do enjoy our quiet, country life.
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With all the crazy, your photos remind me of why we are here, I so love France, it’s worth the hassle
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I enjoyed touring these various places around France. Château de Bois Thibault looks pretty, but perhaps a little drafty 😉 How delightful to do lunch in Paris. I’m currently working on an article from my one and only visit to Paris, many moons ago, a nice coincidence to see the city as it is now. What a pity about Notre Dame, it’s been such a log long road to full restoration.
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Yes, Château de Bois Thibault does look a little drafty! We have heard so many people say that the French are not friendly, but we have never experienced that; we have always had good interactions with them. I’m looking forward to your post on Paris; perhaps you can visit again someday. Thanks for your comment!
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Gorgeous pictures with the outdoor cafes and Parisienne architecture! I especially love the old shed near the Chateau. Maggie
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Thanks Maggie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I love that old shed too; there’s so much here to love!
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That path through the trees – it’s so beautiful! Oh, I totally agree with you about the French outdoor cafe’s … it’s so charming. Your pictures are stunning and I can’t wait to read (and see) more of Château de Domfront.
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Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and photos. It’s hard to believe that the beautiful path is really close to our house; we will be enjoying it frequently in the coming months.
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I am so enjoying your adventures! I feel like I am traveling with you…stress and all. Thank you so much – both of you!!!
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Thanks so much Nancy! I’m glad you’re enjoying reading about our adventures.
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Great photos, love the old buildings! Sounds like a hectic couple of days!
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Thanks Nancy! It is really pretty here.
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What a time of it you had! So glad that you survived the crazy driving around Paris. All your pictures are just so beautiful. Poor Notre Dame, hopefully the life support helps get her through so she can shine again soon.
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Thanks Meg! Paris is a beautiful city for sure, and one that I can take only in small doses. 🙂
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Your wonderful photographs make me feel like I’ve been in France!
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Thank you Lisa. You soon will be here!
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I so enjoy your posts and pictures! Here’s hoping you have less-stressful day in the future.
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Thanks so much for your comment; I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the post and photos. We’re home now with our new car, and are glad to be back in the quiet countryside.
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