Everyday in France Soon

Yes, that's it, soon after another 15 sleeps we hop on the big silver bird for Paris and Sue's 60th birthday dinner in Paris.
Did I hear you ask where? Well we have family joining us and we thought that a place where we ate previously would be nice because of its location. Its next door to Shakespeare and Company which in it's evolution has a great history for english speaking writers. James Joyce and Hemingway to name two.
Afterwards a walk across to Notre Dame with the lights shining down should be a highlight, and then a walk back to our hotel in the back streets of the left bank.

Back to Paris - our 10th time if you count coming and going - we do!!!

We meet with my Daughter and Sharn at Changi airport, they come from the Gold Coast and fly into Paris for the first time in their life. Our son Andrew and his partner Ashley join us on May 4 at the hotel du College de France recommended to us by fellow bloggers, Ken and Walt.

After Sue's birthday dinner, we catch the morning TGV to Marseille for two nights. Never been there over our previous four visits to France, should be fun - any suggestions?
Pick up the hire car, some cheap buzz box I suspect to take the coast road of the Cote d'Azure to Frejus, then Vence in the hills behind Nice. Sue wants to visit Grasse to make her own special perfume.

It was me who talked Sue into to seeing the Canyon Verdon, supposedly as impressive as the Grand Canyon in the US. We stay a night in Castellane before beginning our journey on a road that I imagine Sue would describe as terrifying, way above the river flowing through the canyon.  After a day trip through the Canyon Verdon we have a night in Aix prior to a whole week in Saint Remy de Provence - home to Nostradamus and Vincent after he left Arles.
We've been to St Remy before. The rented cottage belongs to a delightful couple, Josianne and Louis whom we look forward to meeting again. We've sent several friends to them since our first visit.
We have memories of our nightly walks from the cottage to the square where we would enjoy an espresso and a digestive and then walking back arm in arm for a good nights sleep before another hectic day of sightseeing.

The cottage in Saint Remy where we meet up with family and friends.

Carly and Sharn meet us at Avignon where we show them Provence and the Languedoc over the week.
Le Baux, Arles, Nime, the Luberon, a quick trip to Carcassonne, Narbonne and Minerve, a Cathar stronghold - so much to see within such a short time. During the last two days in Saint Remy, friends from Melbourne, Jenny and Bob will join us at our cafe in the square.

 At the end of our week in Saint Remy we drop Carly and Sharn off at Orange to pick up their rental car as they drive to Champagne and we drive to the Loire. Aaah, the Loire Sue says. It's her favourite part of France and well, it is her birthday trip. Two nights in Chinon, again to revisit past memories with owners Helene and Jean Micheal and their French Bulldog Albert in their medieval B&B.

Helene and Jean Michael's B and B in Chinon.

After those two nights we move to the east of the Loire to stay on the Cher with our friends Carole and Michael whom we rented their cottage in 2009. Maybe we'll catch up with a few more blogging friends while there as well.
We'll let you know in our blog as we go.

My bike outside the cottage we rented from Carole and Michael in the Loire.

Then its back Paris via Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte because "she who must be obeyed" wishes to go there.
Six nights in Paris and if you count our coming and going, it will be our tenth time there. It's almost like home now. We have two couples living in Paris to say hello to, the boys both being cyclist.
We are so looking forward to this trip, yes to see wonderful sights but more so to meet and greet people met on past trips and to show family our second favourite country.