Speaking of our last trip I will tell you that we travel through several cities of France in our car. It was almost 5000 km!
Time flies as it's already been a week since I returned from Strasbourg in France. It's high time that I tell you my little stay and I tell you about the Strasbourg Christmas market. For the Christmas freak that I am, Alsace represents for me the ultimate mecca at this time of the year (as Germany also).
Who has not heard of the Strasbourg Christmas Market? Not me anyway, and it's been three or four years that I wanted to go. I dreamed of a weekend in Strasbourg for Christmas for a few years now. There were all the excuses for this getaway. This year, with a good holiday week before Christmas, I was not to miss the opportunity. So I booked my tickets, find a hotel room and three weeks later, my dream became finally a reality.
Of course, the purists say that the Christmas market has become "commercial" and that to have an authentic market, you have to go to Colmar or the surrounding villages, like Kaysersberg. Logistically it was not possible, so we left for Strasbourg and its half-timber houses!
I have to admit that Christmas was great in Paris. A layer of color, music, and joy makes up the sobriety of the facades and sidewalks of the French capital. It is as if a smile was drawn to act as a bridge between the banks of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower. I had a special interest in seeing what was going on in Paris a week after the traditional Christmas Eve dinner and I was really puzzled.
There are numerous Christmas markets. The streets are dressed up with their coronation in the light. The merry-go-rounds and the skating rinks reappear. It smells of freshly cooked food and hot wine that both Alsatians like to take cold. But it is still Paris, that gift perfectly wrapped in a box that costs you to open it so as not to spoil it.
It has so much to offer. There are so many corners in which to live a Christmas story. Paris is like a very flirtatious lady who always looks at us over her shoulder knowing that halo of inaccessibility that she glimpses. But at Christmas, she seems to crouch a little more and shake hands with people who are looking for something different from her on their icy winter mornings.
Thousands of garlands, stars, and colored lights go hand in hand with the hope of those who still feel something special in such a marked date. Paris dresses up in Christmas and does so while maintaining that elegance and exclusivity that characterizes it.
Paris is not what I imagined it to be and it's hard not to imagine things from Paris. There is the Eiffel Tower, the cafes, macaron, and croissants, the cobbled streets, the cats on the roofs, street performers, French people walking around with little baguettes under their arms. There is romanticism everywhere, writers in bars, music coming out of the windows, the bohemian spirit, and the nightlife.
The French capital must be one of the cities most represented by cinema, photography, literature, poetry, and music, and therefore, one of the most stuck in the head of anyone who is in contact with these artistic expressions.
Day 1
After a breakfast on the train with the coffee with toast, we arrived in Paris at 9:45 at Austerlitz station. From there it has direct access to the subway and as we had prepared plans we took the line that took us to the hotel. The hotel is clean and is only five minutes walk from the Eiffel Tower.
Although it was a bit more than 9:30 when we arrived at the hotel, they gave us the room so we could leave everything and start our visit to the city. The first of course is the Eiffel Tower. As we approached it was increasingly impressive. It was the third time I came to this city. Anyway, I always hallucinate seeing the Eiffel Tower.
The first thing was to stand in the queue because there were enough people. The truth was that I was lucky to get a sunny day as in the previous week the weather was terrible in Paris. The elevator stops on the second floor and from there I get another one until the last.
I see a panel with the distances to cities of the world, and a viewpoint. On the way down there were some Christmas stands and there we bought some crisp brown chestnuts. Crossing the Seine by the Pont d'Iena that is opposite the Tower we went to the Trocadero and the Palais Chaillot. The walk was decorated and full of Christmas shopping stalls, especially of sweets and sausages.
We wanted to visit the Passy cemetery that is behind the Palais Chaillot. It is a small cemetery where they are buried among others politicians, writers, and military staff. When leaving there, we stop to buy some soft drinks and continue the walk along the right bank of the Seine to New York Avenue. Our idea to get to the Pont Alexandre III and from there to enter Les Invalides in front.
It is the best entrance to admire the esplanade and the great golden dome of the Dome Des Invalides. During the tour, we saw several bridges over the Seine, including the Alma Bridge, which is near the tunnel and the Flame of Liberty. On the left is the Grand Palais built for the universal exhibition of 1900 and the Petit Palais.
We went through the bridge to the esplanade of the Hotel des Invalides. In the background is the golden dome. The afternoon was cold. The Invalides includes the tomb of Napoleon, the Army Museum, the Museum of Liberation and the tombs of Napoleon II, Joseph Bonaparte, Marshal Foch, and Lyautey.
When leaving Les Invalides we went to rest for a while at the hotel. We were exhausted. Although it was only 5 in the afternoon it was already getting dark. After a break that came our way, we took the subway at the hotel door. Our station is La Motte Picquet and the subway station is right at the door.
We went to the Place de la Concorde as we wanted to see Paris illuminated at Christmas. The giant Ferris wheel in the same square is the first thing we found when leaving the metro. The Place de la Concorde is at the beginning of the Champs Elysees and is the largest square in Paris. In the center of the square, there is an Egyptian Luxor Obelisk that is more than 3300 years old and 23 meters high.
We walk through the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, all lit up and full of Christmas booths. The stalls of the market are small cabins dressed in white in which everything is possible. Being a Christmas market in parallel we see Santa Claus, as well as a donkey, eating straw as if it were in the countryside.
In addition, the most famous stores like Sephora, Peugeot, Vuitton had incredible shop windows. We found a pastry stand. We tried to eat at the cafe in the Champs Elysees itself but it was up, so we went to another French chain of meats and hamburgers which is similar.
At the exit right to the Arch, we go up to see the view of the Champs Elysees illuminated with the Ferris wheel in the background. The Arc de Triomphe was built by Napoleon after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. It is about 50 meters high, and on the outside face are recorded the military victories of Napoleon.
Under the Arch is the tomb of the unknown soldier and the eternal flame.
From above we could see a beautiful panoramic view of the Champs Elysees, and the Place Charles de Gaulle where we are. We also see the illuminated Eiffel Tower that was changing its color light. We have a dinner at the restaurant. It was a perfect way to almost close the day because we finish it with a visit to the most famous Cabaret in the World: The Moulin Rouge. It was already late and we were exhausted. So right there we took the subway to the hotel.
Day 2
The day dawned cloudily. At 8 am we were already having a simple but rich breakfast at the hotel. There was the coffee, tea or chocolate, delicious croissants and baguette with butter and jam with juice. We headed today to the Ile de la Cite and the Latin Quarter. At the bottom of the metro, we find the flower and bird market. The Cite metro station is in Art-Deco style.
It struck us that the bells of Notre Dame began to sound and we went there. A beautiful Christmas tree adorned in front of the Gothic cathedral. Our idea was to go up to the towers to see the gargoyles but we prefer to first visit it inside.
The cathedral is a gem of the Gothic style. Inside there was a mass so we made the visit by the side naves. At the exit, we bought some souvenirs and we admired its magnificent façade. At the moment we turned around to try to climb the gargoyles we saw the queue was huge. So we went to visit the Sainte Chapelle.
On the way, we saw lots of flowers in tribute to the late Francois Mitterrand. To visit the Sainte Chapelle we had to wait in a small queue especially because we have to pass a few security checks. At the entrance, we were already warned that the central stained glass windows were under restoration!
Sainte Chapelle is the jewel of the Gothic style. It has two chapels, the lower one, and the upper one. Its walls were removed and replaced by stained glass windows. In the time we were there and the sun came out a little the color was wonderful. The chapel was dismantled piece by piece during the World War II and later reconstructed.
After some photos in the Palais de Justice, our next visit was La Conciergerie. After the visit, we crossed the Seine and went to the Latin Quarter that is next to Notre Dame. We wanted to rest and find somewhere to eat. We tried to find a creperie. The truth is that the Latin Quarter is a very nice network of streets with lots of offers, menus, and places to eat.
In the end, we decided on a Greek restaurant, but we did not go out very happy. We were invited to have a pink aperitif wine. At least we warmed up. The place is very touristy. Our next visit in the Latin Quarter was the Pantheon, so we stayed relatively close. We stopped first at the Sorbonne to shoot some pictures. The Pantheon is imposing.
Its neoclassical style is inspired from the Pantheon of Rome and its dome from the one of St Paul's Cathedral in London. Inside are buried illustrious personages like writers, scientists, and politicians. Inside Leon Foucault installed his famous pendulum. There are frescoes of the Joan of Arc. The houses that surround the Pantheon square are gorgeous.
We went back to take the Rue Saint Jacques to cross again to Notre Dame. It is a Bethlehem different from others. We wanted to try for the last time to climb the towers. On the way, we find the church of Saint Severin one of the oldest in Paris. On the way out we got into two stores selling comics, figures, letters, and gifts. It was impossible to go up to the towers. We would have to leave it for another day since the queue was still huge and it was only half an hour to close.
We also found the Kilometre Zero in front of Notre Dame. It took a while to find as it is near the left side facing the rosette. We went down to the docks of the Seine to shoot some photos from the other side of Notre Dame. It was getting dark and the boats that make the river trips did not stop happening.
We cross to the Latin Quarter again as we had several things still to see. The first was the bookstore at whose door one of the most famous portraits of Hemingway. It is a bookstore that when entering seems like chaos. There are books and more books everywhere, stacked, on the floor, and on shelves.
We made a stop to eat a great kebab with chips and cans of soda that in Paris is almost impossible to find. The narrowest house in Paris is on rue Saint Severin. We took the subway at the Cluny-la Sorbonne station to rest for a while at the hotel. In Paris each metro station is different. The metro has the habit of accelerating quite a lot when it crosses below the Seine.
That night we toured the Seine by boat. We did it from the pier of the Eiffel Tower that was a step away from the hotel. It is worth it with an audio guide and sometimes commented by an air hostess who speaks a few languages. The tour lasts one hour. Then they try to sell a booklet with photos. For today it was fine, so we went to sleep.
Day 3
Today we started a little later. We went to the flea market of Clignancourt. We had to take the metro to the Porte de Clignancourt. When we go down, we start to see stalls. The profile of Paris had changed a lot. This area is more popular among ordinary people, workers and some with a few pints that we were reluctant to take the camera out of the backpack.
The stalls are of a mixture of clothes, trinkets, imitation shoes, cheap stuff and then a maze of streets and alleys of antique shops. It was 10:30 in the morning and most were closed. We got off at the Lamarck metro station. So we took Montmartre from the back. With the Paris travel guide in hand, we started to climb the hill towards the Sacre Coeur. It is the highest area of Paris and the streets are quite steep.
The first thing we found was the cabaret Au Lapin Agile that looks like a village house. It is the oldest cabaret in Paris. It was frequented by Picasso among others. The oldest vineyards in Paris, are just across the street. The Romans built a temple here dedicated to Bacchus. Later a Benedictine abbey was founded on the hill in the 12th century. They continued with the winemaking. We continued on its slopes until we reach the painters' square. It was at the top!
The Place du Tertre is full of restaurants, most of them very old. The hill of the Sacred Heart looks like a small town in Paris. We continued towards the Sacre Coeur esplanade. Slowly the basilica was appearing in sight. From above we could see a view of all Paris although the day was very cloudy. Luckily the rain did not appear (at the moment).
From there we started the descent of the hill. As we went down we saw the carving that goes up or down and avoids the great stairway. We had the intention to make the route of Amelie. The first stop was the carousel at the foot of the hill. The carousel is free and gives us a ride while the soundtrack of the movie plays. Gone was the hill of the Sacre Coeur.
We followed the route to find the cafe where she worked. This cafe called Deux Moulins is at rue Lepic. The rue Lepic is a long and beautiful street. We find among other things the cabaret of the Moulin de la Galette where Renoir painted his famous work. The cabaret is a mill in the heart of Montmartre. Other painters who frequented it were Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Picasso.
After a nice long walk, we arrived at the cafe where Amelie was filmed. It is completely the same both inside and outside but it was full. Monsieur Collignon fruit shop is on the corner of Androuet, Trois Freres, and Berthe streets, in Montmartre, but we were far behind and we did not come back. The last place was the subway station of Abbesses but we left it for at night because we wanted to see Montmartre illuminated for Christmas.
The lunch hour was approaching and that day we wanted to taste the French food. The place chosen was the restaurant at rue du Faubourg Montmartre. We decided to walk next to the subway station of Grands Boulevards. We went through the Pigalle and its famous red mill. When we arrived there was a queue to get in, but the wait was about half an hour.
This restaurant opened its doors in 1896, retaining its old decoration the drawers where the napkins were kept, and the balloon lamps. The waiters are dressed in the old style. It was a place where hardworking people met at lunchtime. Today its price is quite affordable. We try the simple but highly elaborated French cuisine.
The food was good and the soup was great, and in general everything, we try. In Paris, the custom is to order a starter dish that is small and then the main course. We continue the walk after dinner. Now we had to visit the Opera and the Magdalena that are very close together. We walked through the area of Grands Boulevards where are also the main fashion stores and there was a lot of people doing Christmas shopping.
We saw the Opera only from the outside. There was a large line. After the La Madeleine, we decided to go to the Lafayette galleries to see the lighting and its Art-Deco dome. La Madeleine is a neoclassical church that is reminiscent of the Pantheon or a Greek temple. It is imposing, and the interior is dark because it only receives the light of the upper skylights. On the altar, there is a sculpture of Mary Magdalene.
The Lafayette galleries were just behind the Opera, just a step away, but it cost us to get inside. People crowded to admire the ornate windows and it was impossible to get a space to take some photos. As soon as we entered, we went to see the center with the big Christmas tree and the dome from which hung large pink gift boxes.
We made some small purchases and went up to the panoramic terrace! The photos were beautiful as the afternoon was falling and the Eiffel Tower had been illuminated with a golden color. When leaving the Galerias, people crowded around the sidewalks. We got into the subway that was closer, but we did not see the way to connect with the line that would take us up again to Montmartre.
We go by the outskirts to the Magenta station, which was near the Pigalle. When we went down the neighborhood it had completely changed. We ended up walking in the Abbesses square, again in the heart of the Montmartre. We were exhausted and so we got into a very nice pizzeria at the rue des Abbesses. The Place du Tertre was beautiful with its Christmas lights and golden colors, much emptier than in the morning. A frost was falling.
We took the subway to the hotel in Abbesses. This station is the deepest in Paris. The staircase is wide but spiral and along it, we see panels with photos of Montmartre. When arriving at the platform we were almost dizzy by the descent.
Day 4
Today we got up early. At 7:45 we have breakfast. The day had dawned raining. Every day we met Italian, French and Japanese families at breakfast but today we were alone. We wanted to be ready for the visit to the Louvre. We took the umbrellas and as we did not have reserved tickets and we imagined big queues we decided to be before time.
We take the metro station Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre. The subway takes us directly to the luxurious shopping center of the Carrousel du Louvre which has direct access to the museum. Here you find fewer queues than in the outer pyramid. When we arrived our surprise was that there was almost no one. We saw that the entrance to the Louvre was closed and without people. We asked a security guard and he told us that the Louvre did not open that day! So we change our plans on the move.
We did take some nice pictures of the inverted pyramid outside. We went back to take the metro to the stop of the Hotel de Ville. The Hotel de Ville is today the city hall of Paris. On the façade, there are 108 famous characters from the history of Paris and 30 sculptures representing French cities.
As we got up so early we take a short walk to Notre Dame. When we arrived there was little more than half an hour to open the climb to the towers. With the rain, there were a lot fewer people than the previous time. So we got in line to the wait.
At 10 we started the climb. There are 380 steps of which the last is the narrowest, that never ends! When I get up it really impresses me, almost more than the Eiffel tower. The south tower has the Emmanuel bell that weighs 13 tons. It needs 8 men to move it and is used in the big celebrations. To visit it we have to access through the gallery of the chimeras.
Up there was an incredible wind. What to say about the views of the Eiffel Tower. We were gawking and watching the 360-degree view of Paris. On the way down, it had practically dried up. We decided that it was best to visit the d'Orsay museum. When we arrived we saw in the distance an incredible queue that had no end! It started to rain again. The D'Orsay museum is a beautiful building that was originally a train station.
We stand in the queue that even gave us the time to eat. The stall guys approached from a brasserie that we had seen while passing and had in the window delicious stuffed baguettes. They brought me a very nice and warm baguette. We were the envy of all the neighbors and we enter the museum. Once inside I was delighted.
We took advantage and went up to the souvenir shop of the museum. I bought an umbrella with Monet's water lilies and at about 3 we left the museum for the hotel to rest. That afternoon we had scheduled with a visit to the neighborhood of the Marais, starting from the Bastille to end in the square of Igor Stravinsky
We left the hotel again and the rain had disappeared, and the temperature was a little more temperate. So according to the plan we had and the France travel guide in hand we took the metro to the station of the Bastille. We started at the Place des Vosges, the oldest in Paris and one of the most beautiful squares that exist.
Being at night we could not appreciate the whole. It is square and symmetrical. It has the same houses on each side and in the middle of a beautiful park, is the house of Victor Hugo, which was closed. We continue a nice walk through the neighborhood of Le Marais. It is a neighborhood of beautiful shops and a fashionable neighborhood where also resides the Jewish population. Here is the Shoah Memorial, the largest documentary museum about the Nazi holocaust.
We arrived at our last stop at Pompidou Center, the center of modern art, which was already closed. So we decided to go to dinner and see the stores to do some shopping. We had planned to go to the restaurant that is located in the same square of the Pompidou center in Rue Beaubourg. The waiter who attended us was not very friendly.
We ordered chicken, salmon, and garnishes of all kinds to accompany the dishes. So dinner at the end was fine because I repeated a lot of grilled vegetables, potato, and rice garnishes. It was our last night in Paris and we wanted to say goodbye by going up to the Eiffel Tower again. So after we left, we took the subway again to the Trocadero.
The Trocadero Square, behind the Eiffel Tower, has the most charming Christmas market in Paris. And probably the most fun and complete of all. They have arranged two rows of posts similar to those that can be in any city in Germany or Finland, giving rise to what in French has come to be called the European Christmas Village of Trocadero.
In it we find a small Christmas village, with wooden huts and gabled roofs painted white, calling for the snow in Paris. The people, who packed the market, bought and, of course, ate in front of some of the stands of sausages, baguettes or chocolates from Belgium. We immerse ourselves in the pages of a very attractive Christmas book.
I can tell you that I was more impressed by the climb to the tower than the first morning. The night and the ghostly light gave an eerie atmosphere. We went to the second floor and from there to the top. The visit was short because it was already the last shift and at 11:45 we were told that we had to go down. We return and quickly go to sleep to charge the batteries.
Day 5
The trip was coming to an end. We could not really complain. We had seen all that we had planned. The weather also had accompanied with little rain but was very cold, but well that in December was expected. Today we go before the Louvre, so soon we were in the door. The appearance had completely changed. There are more people and a long enough queue when we arrived. We enter through the entrance of the Carrousel du Louvre shopping center.
La Gioconda was completely surrounded. We see it from afar. It is also protected by glass and at a distance that we can hardly see it with how small it is. After a while, we continue the visit. The capital of Dario's palace in Persia is impressive, as are the winged bulls. We concluded the visit. We were tired and we were hungry. We had spent the whole morning in the Louvre and we left a lot to see, but it would have to be for another getaway.
We take advantage to take a few nice photos of the glass pyramids. In a cafe very close to the Louvre, on the rue Rivoli, we ate and rested for a while. Then we went for a walk through the Tuileries and in a kiosk, at the entrance we buy a coffee.
The garden of the Tuileries is a beautiful walk that ends in the Place de la Concorde. The gardens are very well kept and have a pond. As the day was cold we sat for some time. From there we decided to take a walk through the Place Vendome and the Rue Saint Honore with its fashionable luxury shops, jewelers, the Hotel Ritz. We take a short walk since we had to return to the hotel for the suitcases.
At the Vendome Square, the Christmas trees looked like macarons. The Enchanted Forest seduces without looking at the face, in the distance, keeping its incandescent skin only palpable for a chosen few who know the way and have plastic keys capable of making the most unshakable locks jump.
We went towards the hotel. We had a good run but we decided to go again through the Place de la Concorde, the Assembly, the Invalides. Halfway it started to rain and so we stop in front of the stained glass window of a patisserie. From the other side of the window, the boy who attended made signs to me to enter the premises.
I asked him what flavor was the macaron and I asked him for one of chocolate and another of caramel. He brings an empty macaron box and put four in the box with chocolate, caramel, pistachio, and rose each. He answered: two from you and two from me. While he was charging me he asked me how he should call me and I laughed thinking that this is too much. I'm sure he does it to everyone and I left smiling.
We only had to eat in the neighborhood and return to the airport. We arrived at the hotel. It rained a lot but the truth was that we had had a lot of luck with time. We collected our bags and we said goodbye to the man at the reception who always smiled at least. In the Paris subway there are practically no escalators. We arrived at the Austerlitz station in almost an hour. As soon as the train was on the road we climbed the first and we took a good place to leave the suitcases.
Paris has been a city that has excited me to see it with this finery. But in reality, be it in London, Paris, New York, or the most remote town of India I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Sometimes I get to think that things are not like before, that from the eyes of a child you live much better and that with the weight of years that magic wanes slowly.
Paris is a city that falls in love with the toughest heart. So you always end up leaving with the feeling of wanting to return.
Day 6 - Carcassonne
Once we arrived at Carcassonne we go to the hotel. We started from the Narbonne Gate which is marked by two huge towers for its defense. This was the main gateway to the citadel. From the restoration that took place in this door a drawbridge was added to it that did not exist in its origins. After passing the door on the right is the tourist office.
From this floor, we access the gallery with its wooden machicolations in the upper part of the castle wall and then the north wall that is of Gallo-Roman origin and which is very well preserved. After visiting several rooms we go to the west wall from where we get good views of the new city, the church of Saint-Gimer, and the roofs of the Cite.
Once we have visited the castle we return to the parking lot to park the car in a nearby street since the paid parking is quite expensive. We took advantage of this moment after parking to go around the outside of the City. Later we went back inside the I went for a quiet walk with fewer tourists.
We dined in one of the many restaurants in the citadel to try the typical dish of the area, the cassoulet. This dish was presented in a clay pot and was composed mainly of white beans and duck confit. In the end we declined to ask for it because of the heat it was making and that it looked good.
Along the different stores of the citadel we can find it in vacuum packed jars for those who want to take it to try it at home. About the city I have to say that personally if I return I will try to return in a time that there is not so much influx of tourists. When we went at the beginning of the afternoon we almost could not walk through the streets.
We really enjoyed the visit at the dinner time. The walk through its narrow and cobbled streets allowed us to see better the Aude gate, the large and small well. We then go through the lizas (space between the two walls). This walk that we made between the Aude and the Narbonne gate through the lizas took us a little more than 10 minutes walking with tranquility. We return to the hotel.
Day 7 - Albi
The day dawns very cloudy but it does not rain at the moment. After leaving the hotel we have breakfast at the Patisserie. Although next to the hotel there were a couple of places to have breakfast but they were closed for the time it was. We finished the breakfast and before leaving the city we take a last walk to the old pedestrian bridge. From there we get good views of the Cite and the citadel of Carcassonne.
After the visit we went to Albi. It is something more than 100 km that took almost 2 hours because we have to go through the center of several towns and respect the speed limits. There were some interesting towns along the way like Najac or Belcastel.
Albi is located in the Tarn Department. Our first visit is the tourist office that is located near the Albi Cathedral to get us a map of the city. We begin the visit to Albi next to the tourist office starting with Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecilia. This brick cathedral they say is the largest in the world and in which it took no less than two centuries to finish it.
In addition to its huge structure is the bell tower that is almost 80 meters high. Its peculiar form for a church is because this tower also served as a defensive fortress of the city. Once inside the cathedral we follow the itinerary in the audio guide guiding us through the numbered plane that are given so as not to get lost.
We also visited the exterior of the Berbie palace, the former episcopal palace where the influential bishops of Albi resided. It now houses the Toulouse Lautrec museum as well as its gardens from which we can get good views of its old bridge over the Tarn river. There is a path that goes round.
Both buildings together with the four neighborhoods of medieval origin that surround them constitute the episcopal city. Touring the city we see that the cathedral and other buildings are built with the typical red brick of the region. It was because the clay was extracted from the river Tarn, since it was much cheaper and very easy to obtain for its proximity to the city to make most of the buildings and infrastructure of it.
Once visited the cathedral which is worth a visit and the surroundings of the Berbie Palace we go through the Rue Sainte-Cecile to the Saint-Salvi Collegiate Church. It was built in different materials, stone for the oldest part and red brick when it was imposed in the Gothic period.
During our tour we could see in addition to the above, its old bridge. It is one of the oldest in France. Earlier citizens to move from one bank to another had to pay a toll. We also see several houses with timber frame in its commercial streets in the Saint-Salvi neighborhood.
Our visit to the city was not very pleasant because of the wind and because it did not stop raining. We went to the car parked in a street next to the Place du Vigan after a 6 minutes walk from the cathedral. Once visited the city we took course to Cordes-Sur-Ciel that is 27 km to the north of Albi.
Cordes-Sur-Ciel in the southwest of France is built on a very steep natural promontory and surrounded by fortifications with their respective gates. Iit was formerly called Cordes. To travel this magnificent town that we loved we parked the car in the parking near Les Tuileries as it is free.
Going through a road in a steep slope we arrive to one of the tourism offices. This is located next to the Place de la Bouteillerie. In the tourist office we get a basic map of the town. Our route starts right next to the same tourist office following the Grand rue de l'horloge.
In this ascending and cobbled street we find a chapel and a half-timbered house on the corner with the Rue Saint-Louis. Following the street at the end of the same is the Porte de l'Horloge an old entrance door that was part of the fourth wall.
After passing this gate, the street becomes steeper. It leads us to the barbican that was part of the third wall and the port of Vainqueur that belonged to the second wall. This door formerly had a moat and a drawbridge. We go inside the fortress itself, but to follow an established route we turn around.
We descend a few meters around the Porte du Vainqueur to cross a stone arch to take a path called Les Lices. We enter the village for modest doors located in the north of the city called Les Portanels. Along the route of this magnificent village we find a multitude of artisans.
Also during our walk through Cordes we find palaces built by prosperous merchants and nobles. We see La Maison du Grand Veneur, which is the most popular Gothic house. On the second floor there are several sculptures representing animals and people in hunting scenes. We also see La Maison Fompeyrouse that houses the other Cordes tourist office.
We pass by a covered market located in the center of town, where a well is also located. In this town there are also a few museums. Next to the covered market there are several restaurants where to eat or drink a coffee. We stop for a snack. There is also a large terrace with panoramic views over the valley at the place de la Bride just opposite the Maison Prunet where the sugar and chocolate museum is located.
Also along its streets we find souvenir shops with typical products of the area such as oils, cosmetics, and dyes. These products are expensive since the elaboration of them are slow and expensive. It must be said that the shops are not out of place.
If not on the contrary, they make the town a very pleasant place that transports us in a certain way to the middle age. Once visited the town and that we have liked so much we take course to our next destination, and that is none other than Conques. The journey take us about an hour and a half on roads of all kinds.
Conques is a small village on the side of a mountain located in the Aveyron department. It is part of the set of the most beautiful villages of France. It is famous for being a great center of Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage thanks to the Abbey of Sainte Foy.
But before entering the town itself, about 500 meters before reaching the junction to get to Conques, we have an access to the right to go to the Bancarel viewpoint. Following this road we continue on foot the last 200 meters. From here, it is a natural viewpoint. We take some good pictures of the town, as the view from here is spectacular.
After a few minutes enjoying the scenery and after taking some pictures we headed to the rural house that is 7 km from Conques. About 10 minutes by car, in this rural house we will stay tonight. The quality of the rooms of the accommodation in the town of Conques did not correspond with the price they asked.
We chose after seeing the reviews of this house and the price. We left our luggage and prepared for dinner in Conques and visit the abbey at night. We enjoy while we are sitting inside the abbey of organ music accompanied by the play of lights on the walls. The windows of the abbey gives it a special touch. The priest who played the organ was really a virtuoso of the instrument, and was really worth listening to.
After the organ concert, we walk through the town. It's 10:30 at night. There is fog and it's a little cold. After a while we return to the car that is parked at the entrance of the town. It's 11:15 at night and while I enjoy a bath in the wonderful bathtub of the rural house I think the day started badly due to the wind and the rain at Albi.
We were lucky as it was getting better as it was happening, first in Cordes-Sur-Ciel and later in Conques. It's time to rest.
Day 8 - Rocamadour
We return to Conques in the morning although the visit is not as spectacular as the night before. It is 9:10 in the morning and the parking is almost full. Yet the town still has that medieval air given by its cobbled streets that still preserve their original layout dating from the Middle Ages. Except the section that caused the opening of the local road that runs through the town, one will not tire of walking through its streets.
During our tour, apart from the abbey, we found some houses from the late Middle Ages and other half-timbered houses, all with slate roofs. We have also been able to discover the sources that are distributed throughout the town. Some are from the Roman era like the Chateau d'Humieres. We see two public ovens that are outside the town to prevent fires.
There is a building that served as a chestnut dryer since this fruit was fundamental in the diet of its inhabitants in the middle age. This building has two levels, one for drying and the other for its conservation. As an old fortified town we found three of the four entrance doors that it had.
The Abbey Church of Saint Foy is famous for its tympanum. There are also remains of a Romanesque cloister on one side of the abbey. After touring the town I can say that the visit will not leave you indifferent. After the visit we left towards Figeac that will take us about 1 hour.
Figeac is famous for being the place where Champollion was born, the famous Egyptologist who deciphered the hieroglyphic writing thanks to the Rosetta Stone of this town. The most interesting is in the Plaza de las Escrituras, a square adjoining the Plaza Champollion.
Here on the ground there is a very enlarged replica of the Rosetta Stone in black granite. In the adjacent square is the Champollion museum that gives its name to the square where there is an exhibition of the history of the world's writings. In the same place is the oldest house in the town right in front of the museum.
Other buildings that stand out are the St. Saviour's church located on the bank of the river Le Cele. This church was part of an old Benedictine monastery. The nave was altered over the centuries. Nowadays it combines Romanesque and Gothic styles. The vault was rebuilt in the seventeenth century.
There is a baptismal font of the thirteenth century in one of the chapels. The Notre-Dame du Puy in Romanesque style was rebuilt many times. From here there is a panoramic view of the roofs of Figeac that I personally think is not worth much. Mint is another medieval house, where is the tourist office.
To discover the city we get a map in the tourist office because it has numbered the important buildings of the town to not miss any. The numbers also appear on the facades of the different buildings not to be lost. From here we leave for Saint-Cirq-Lapopie that we do in 1 hour 30 minutes as we stop on the way to eat in one of the picnic areas that one can find on the edge of French roads.
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a medieval town that is considered the pearl of the Lot valley. It is located on top of a cliff about 100 meters above the river Lot. The first thing we do is leave the car in the parking lot closest to the town. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie has a lot of charm once again due to its cobbled streets.
In this town we took the opportunity to see a wooden toy store that we loved in la Peyroliere. There is no lack of other shops, restaurants and cafes to enjoy a good day. The tourist office is at the center of village at the foot of the rock of La Popie where we get a map to be guided through the town.
We access through its most commercial street where the tourist office is located. From here we go across a street down to the Pelissaria which is the best preserved of the town. As we go down the street we go to other streets or squares to discover the Gothic church of Saint-Cirq, the Maisons Daura medieval house, and other houses.
Almost next to the Maisons Daura down in a house on the corner we find the only wooden craftsman left in the village. The visit to the town does not take us more than two hours. So the visit ended after having a coffee and filling our bottles with fresh water in a village fountain.
From Saint-Cirq-Lapopie we approach Bouzies (10 minutes by car) to take a small route along the road of Sirga called Le Chemin de Halage. This type of roads were made on the banks of the rivers in the adjoining lands and that the owners of them must leave for public use.
This route initially starts at the water port of Saint Cirq Lapopie, but according to the guides are around 15 or 10 km roundtrip. What interests us is to see the path that runs at the foot of the cliff. Once the car is parked in the Bouzies car park, we take from here the easy path in the direction of Saint Cirq Lapopie to the Ganil lock.
This road was used by the horses that pulled the barges loaded with goods in the direction to Bordeaux and allow them to go upstream of the river. Before reaching the lock we see the wall sculpted by an artist named Daniel Monnier with representations related to the river. Once the route is finished we can see that from one side of the parking lot in high season there are barges in the direction of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.
It's 7 o'clock in the evening. So we take the car and go to Rocamadour that take us about an hour to do it. Here the GPS has come to our rescue. On the road to Rocamadour there are winding sections. Even so the route is quite beautiful as it runs in its entirety through the Causses du Quercy Natural Regional Park. Along the route at the junctions and edges of the road, we buy the famous Rocamadour goat cheese and duck foie.
It is just after 8 in the evening when we arrived at L'Hospitalet located almost 1 km from Rocamadour. The receptionist of the hotel was about to leave because at night in the hotel that we chose there is no one in reception. After check in and dinner we walked to Rocamadour around L'Hospitalet.
Rocamadour is one of the four routes of the Camino de Santiago that run through France. This city sanctuary is one of the most sacred sites in France and a place of pilgrimage. We take the street that starts at the back of the hotel. It is a downhill road at the beginning that goes up as we approach the village of Rocamadour.
This road leaves us right at the Figuier Gate in 10 minutes, the door that gives way to the Rue Roland le Preux. Following this street we see the access to the elevator that is closed to go up to the religious city. We continue walking and arrive at the second fortified gate called the Salmon gate, which is the best preserved and gives access to the Rue de la Couronnerie.
The two streets joined by this last door look like a single street. It is late but it is very lively with the multitude of shops and restaurants that there are. Near the end of the street and before reaching the fortified gate of Hugon, we see the great monumental staircase with its 216 steps.
Earlier some pilgrims climbed on their knees. These stairs goes to the heart of Rocamadour, the esplanade where they are grouped protected by rocks of the cliff seven ancient chapels and churches. We did not go at that time since there is almost no illumination.
Along our night tour through the town we have been able to observe some of the eight doors that are preserved. They gave the entry to the different neighborhoods and whose function was to control the flow of pilgrims who came to worship the Black Madonna.
It is little more than 10 o'clock at night. Only the last diners in the interior of a restaurant are left in the street. It is impossible to take anything because in the few places that remain open they are preparing to close. So we decided to take the return route that really gives a bit of tiredness, due to the steep slope it has.
Once we arrive at the top and before going to sleep we go to the viewpoint of L'Hospitalet to see the views of Rocamadour at night. After 10 minutes we decided to go to the room to rest since in the morning we have to get up early to go to the Padirac Cave. We want to be among the first ones and not be in the long queues that are usually formed at the entrance of the cave.
Day 9: Strasbourg
We finally left on the morning of December 20th. Around 5:30 pm in the evening, we finally arrived in Strasbourg! We stay in an apartment, in the district of Neudorf. We decided to go out at night, despite the cold (it was about 0 degrees) to enjoy the last moments before the Christmas markets close shop.
The trams did not have stops within the perimeter of the Christmas markets. So we go down to a stop very close to the city, and what a surprise to see that we arrive by the "main" entry, with the famous illuminations "Strasbourg, Capital of Christmas"! I had the impression to embed myself in the Instagram photos that I saw circulating, to tell the truth.
We did not really know where we were going. We were carried away by the crowd, and we came across the Strasbourg cathedral of Notre Dame. It is rather impressive, especially when one sees it at the end of this street, that it overhangs easily of the height of its 142m. Illuminations and Christmas markets here and there guided our walk. Everywhere, the words and names were in German. I, who have never been interested in the Germanic language, was a little lost!
After hanging out in the Christmas market at the foot of the cathedral and drinking a mulled wine, we were (a bit) hungry. It is true that we had missed lunch, and that our bellies cried foul. After a few minutes of walk in the streets, we find a restaurant of Alsatian specialties.
The hunger was right ahead of us and we cracked for burgers. I did not know this chain of burgers and I was pleasantly surprised by their burger with Alsatian cheese. We returned just after, and take some photos while waiting for the tram.
Day 10: Petite France and Cathedral
I wake up rather hard the next day. As the day before, the temperatures are not very inviting but we have a more elaborate program than the day before. As the day before, I tried the specialty (flambe pie) for breakfast. I really like this cheese, but I admit to having trouble finishing my plate every time.
After breakfast, we walk to Petite France, the most emblematic district of Strasbourg. We put on the ski socks so as not to burst in the cold winter as the day before, and go! I totally fell in love with this unusual place! We go to Petite France and we make a few stops in Christmas markets encountered on the way, like the Alsatian specialty market. I discovered the wild rose.
I'm learning decidedly every day! How to know that you arrived at Petite France? When you only see timber everywhere and the river that runs through Strasbourg and delimits the island that is the center. Certainly, that day and throughout our stay, the sky was overcast and immediately gave this less welcoming air, but I really liked this place.
We then returned to the cathedral square, visiting other Christmas markets. The half-timbered houses give charm to this place. There are cottages with both food, gingerbread, Christmas decorations. As always, we find mulled wine, and bredeles (these are biscuits that are an Alsatian specialty with each family having its own recipe). There are also other specialties like tea and hot water bottles. There was also a village in Place Gutenberg representing Iceland. As I understand it, each year a country is honored and has its own Christmas market.
The cathedral had its head immersed the fog. We wanted to visit the interior which apparently contains an astronomical clock that rings every quarter of an hour. I admit to being a little disappointed as the clock is really impressive, but the announcement of the quarters of an hour much less. There is only one character who has moved, and very briefly. The good thing is that we did not have our noses out, in the cold.
I then made a tour at the post office (for nothing there are too many people). Then we went back, at the time when the city was illuminated.
Once back, we have this time booked a restaurant of Alsatian specialties. We had dinner at the one whose specialty was roesti. It's a kind of dish of potato au gratin, quite simply. Sorry if Alsatians read this and rebel against this poor description.
I took a Reblochon and a blue bead, and I loved it! I did not think it could be so good. We took Gewurztraminer to accompany everything. This very fruity white wine suits me. I tasted it for the first time last year at Christmas with friends, and I already loved it.
We then take a small walk to Place Kleber to see the famous fig tree, the inescapable symbol of this market. It was really huge. Like Notre Dame Cathedral, it seemed to taunt the surrounding buildings. Beside the buildings are fully bright which adds charm to the place.
Day 3: Vauban Dam
On the last day, the wake up was even more difficult, until I see that Santa Claus has gone ahead! Our train was scheduled at the end of the day.
For this last afternoon in Strasbourg, we had lunch at a tea room offering lunch specialties. It was a simple meal but we ate quite well, especially with cookies and muffins for the rest of the day. Then we head to the Vauban Dam which offers a beautiful view of Strasbourg and especially the district of Petite France.
Then, as said above, we went to the station. I was rather eager because I absolutely wanted to take pictures of the station. I found it really beautiful! It is an old building wrapped in a kind of glass shell. After this short passage through the station, we went back to collect all our belongings.
Then for one last time, we go by a Christmas market (the one in front of the Opera National du Rhin). We were motivated to brave the rain and especially the crowd that swarmed at that time! With two packets of bredeles, hot chestnuts, and hop, we board the train, to Grenoble.
Despite the cold (between -3 and +3 degrees, bad weather and the short time we spent visiting Strasbourg, I still found this city charming. I was distressed by the names of the streets and restaurant menus written in German and the culinary specialties. I think that in the spring, the city must be very pretty because I often saw pots of plants and flowers decorate the edges of windows and railings bridges.
