The Trip

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

2019 France Trip Day 7: Loire Valley Castles

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

We had our first rainy day here in France for our 2019 trip. It may have slowed us down a little bit, but we still managed to see the sites and have a good time. We started a little later today, leaving the hotel at 9:00 am. We arrived at our first location, Plou & Fils Winery, where we were given a tour of their operation before having a wine/grape juice tasting.

From the winery we drove to Amboise where several members of our group purchased an emergency umbrella as it continued to rain. We were given free time to get something to eat and look around Amboise and during this time quite a few people in the group went to the former home of Da Vinci, Clos Lucé. This trip involved a tour of his home and many of his inventions. Later in Amboise we were joined by our first walk-on guide to tell us about the history of the Château Royal d'Amboise and also Château de Chenonceau a little later. All this while it continued to rain... even for the infamous hedgerow maze picture.

The next, and last, stop of the day came near our first stop at a Troglodyte cave for our dinner. This cave was similar to the one in which Plou & Fils stores and ages their wines, however this one houses large gatherings of tourists and locals for meals or discotheque! It was good food and a fun experience.

Tomorrow Paris!

Everyone listening attentively at Plou & Fils

How to make sparkling wine at Plou & Fils

Aging red wine in oak barrels in the cave at Plou & Fils

The tasting room at Plou & Fils, *separated by age

Tastes like grape juice!? at Plou & Fils

Plou & Fils

Rain can be fun in France!

Thierry saying (in French accent), "Everybody have their umbrellas? Okay, let's go. It's just a "short walk.""

Château du Clos Lucé, Da Vinci's home in Amboise.

Learning about what is left of the castle at Château Royal d'Amboise

Château de Chenonceau makes for a great back drop across the Cher River.

Getting the tour of Amboise.

Hedgerow Maze Picture 2019 @ Château de Chenonceau

La Cave aux Fouées

2019 France Trip Day 6: Lyon to Tours

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Today we were up early to leave for Tours. The bus was loaded and leaving by 8:15 am. Today was primarily a travel day with a long drive to Tours. To break up the trip, we stopped at a rest station and also in Bourges. We were able to get a few bites to eat at both stops, and we also had time for a quick tour of the cathedral in Bourges as well as the older part of the town. After, it was back on the bus for a few more hours.

When we arrived in Tours we took a tour of the city's old town area including a basilica to St. Martin. Both of the stops today included places trips from GJHS had never been! They were both amazing!

Fields of lavender

Everyone caught up on some sleep during our long hours on the road today.

She loves seeing the students experience France.

Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges

Our guide, Thierry, at Basilica of Saint Martin.

Because we did not have many pictures of students from our day of travel, here are some more pictures from earlier in the trip from Nice.

When we were in Nice, Fountain of the Sun.

An overlook of Nice on our way to Eze and Monaco.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

2019 France Trip Day 5- Nimes, to Avignon, to Lyon

Monday, June 3, 2019

Got a case of the Mondays? We sure didn't. We were up early to jump on the bus to visit Avignon and the Papal Palace there. At one point during the 1300s the Popes of the Catholic Church relocated the seat of the church to Avignon. This was essentially the Vatican at that time. Students saw the view of the Rhône River and the Pont d'Avignon from the grounds of the palace. Students then toured the palace before having some free time in Avignon.

The next stop on our bus tour, after a short stop at a rest area on the road, was Lyon. We walked to a tram to take us up the hill to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. This basilica is associated with an amazing view of Lyon as well as beautiful mosaics on its walls and ceilings. After returning by way of funicular cable car, we got to go through some medeival passageways through the oldest part of Lyon. We looked around this part of Lyon for a bit, then went into the main part of the town for some more free time before eating dinner at Flam's, a restaurant chain in France.

Palais des Papes

La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière

Boulangerie Du Palais

Flam's Lyon

Eating flatbread pizza at Flam's

Sunday, June 2, 2019

2019 France Trip Day 4- Provence, Nimes, and Pont du Gard

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Sunday started at the same time. We were eating at 7:30 am and out the door packed up to get on the bus at 8:30 am. The pictures below are included out of order because that's the quickest way to upload them today. :)

We finished our day in Nimes. Nimes has several Roman buildings, the arena, the temple, and not too far away, a Roman aqueduct. Well, we saw them all. We finished with the Roman temple, Maison Carrée in Nimes following stuffed tomatoes at Grill Brasil for dinner.

Before dinner we walked from our hotel to the Arena of NImes. We were able to tour the arena and learn about the gladiators who fought there before giving way to bullfights and concerts today. The arena was interesting to see after visiting a roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard, earlier in the day. Pont du Gard was part of the system delivering fresh water to Nimes from over 40 miles away! beneath the aqueduct people swam and played in the river.

Our first stop of the day was in the city of Arles. This was the location of much of Van Gogh's painting near the end of his life. We visited several points of interest including Cafe Nuit, the hospital where he stayed, and the arena of Arles, similar to, but smaller than the arena in Nimes.

Lunch at Pont du Gard

Reflecting on Van Gogh, Obélisque d'Arles

What the riding the bus looks like in France!

Taking it all in, Obélisque d'Arles

Maison Carrée

Enjoying some ice cream/gelato/sorbet/Macaron, Amorino Nimes.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

2019 France Trip Day 3- Eze and Monaco

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Today's itinerary started with breakfast at 7:30, then onto the bus by 8:30 for our trip to Monaco. On the way we stopped in the hilltop town of Eze to visit the Fragonard Perfumerie. After a quick tour we left for Monaco to see the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the palace and to get lunch before returning to Nice. We had a few hours before dinner to spend on the beach along the Promenade des Anglais before eating in Old Town Nice at Dinner at Restaurant Piccola Italia.