...Barcelona in August!

Woo-hoo, Barcelona in August!!! Somewhere along our days and nights in Spain, the phrase, “…you know what this reminds me of? Barcelona in August”, became our mantra! And so it was…..

Hop-on and hop-off bus tours, amazing Gaudi architecture, exotic museums, wacky street performers, hot temps and even hotter beaches, drinks along Las Ramblas, neighbourhood art festivals….and the list continues!

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

Gaudi's Park Guell

La Rambla at nite

A gorgeous city full of energy and life and no shortage of incredible buildings and sites! Unsure of whether to speak English or French, or maybe a combination of the two; and hola and gracias became les mots du jour.

Sangria tasting

Gracia Festival

Guell Park

 Three full days in Barcelona with three amazing friends and countless adventures that can only be expressed and understood with… “you know what this reminds me of…..? Barcelona in August!”

Twisted Situations along the Sea

Early morning wake-ups and GPS shake-ups and we were on our first group road-trip to Nice! Decked out in beach wear we hit the rocky shores for a short jaunt along the beach before settling in for sightseeing and food alongside Place Massena. A stroll along the Promenade des Anglais and around to the Port was followed with a hilly hike to the Château de Nice. Dinner and wine completed our first full day in Nice, as we enjoyed its enchanted nightlife; taking in the busker lined boardwalk, live entertainment and changing lights and sights of the city.

Place Massena

Fountain on the Hill of Nice

Nice at nite - Place Massena

A quiet morning stroll through the streets and Promenade to the Port, followed by a French breakfast of croissants, bread, butter and jam and we were off to board a short cruise to Monaco. Beautiful sunny skies, fresh figs, an overrated changing of the guards, and lazing beneath shade trees summarized our day before it ended in whistle blows, hand gestures and breaking the law!? Somehow, laying and relaxing on the grass in Monaco is forbidden and illegal… and we surely made it into countless tourist photos as it took some time to figure out we were the culprits, and to make our slow getaway as the police needed to descend to our quiet park space oasis to enforce the ‘no touching the grass’ law.  

Boat cruise to Monaco



 St Nicholas Cathedral

Breaking the law!!

The night was just as adventurous with open wine in public… but this however is legal?, carousel rides and live musical entertainment on the Promenade. The following day we set off for Barcelona, only after being pulled over for an ‘illegal’ lane change, but no harm or foul, and we were on our way without reprimand.

 

Full house & hearts

On August 10, 2011 my humble home became much fuller; enriched with friendship and love, reminiscence and stories, and indulgent in French cuisine, wine and chocolate! On this day, my previously enjoyed pad of independence and solitude, only shared with a select few, bulged at the seams…. Sarah & Shawn; cherished friends from my other home arrived and nestled into my quaint appartement français, transforming the space from 2 to 4! A Lyonnais inspired meal of quenelles, poulet rôti, salade, pain, fromage, et fondant au chocolat; was shared among friends and family. With renewed energy and full bellies, the rest of the night was spent among the lights and sights of vieux Lyon.

The next day was spent at the height of Lyon, touring Fourvière and the Roman Theatre, followed by a gourmet lunch at Le Petit Glouton, and a day of wine tasting in the Condrieu region. The day was warm and sunny and the drive was incredible with hill crested vineyards and colourful landscapes. Following two wine tastings, sans food, and the popular expression… ‘put a cork in it’ became the day’s mantra! While the tastings were mediocre at best, wine makes everything better, and despite unexpected snags in schedules, uninvited tour guests and the intricacies of the French language, fun and laughter revived our wine soaked stomachs in preparation for leftover Lyonnais fare from the night before.

Enchanting Annecy

Ahh the simple pleasures of a Peugeot and GPS and the freedom and fearlessness of driving through France! During this summer of travel and adventure, exploring new places was a must, not to mention that this was one of the few cities I had dreamed of visiting. Occasionally dubbed the Venice of France, I Ionged and vowed to visit Annecy for quite some time, and so the opportunity arose and we set out for a day trip to the department of the Haute-Savoie and scenery and canals of Annecy!

A gorgeous sunny day with mild temperatures and a leisurely drive through mountain crested highways, and in under 2 hours we arrived in the bustling yet small city of Annecy. Armed with maps and walking plans we sat along the lake and enjoyed a packed picnic before embarking on our stroll through the city. The day was spent meandering through the canal lined streets, crossing over foot path bridges, and stopping along the way to duck into churches and castles, while perusing outside markets and reading about its historical origins. Situated near Geneva and surrounded by a lake and mountains, Annecy retains a traditional charm reflected in the still waters of its canals, lush foliage of its parks, and ancient facades of its buildings and fortresses. A beautiful city reminiscent of fairy tales and history, appealing to a sense of reflection and flowing tranquility.



Lazy afternoons in and around Lyon

Following a day or two of relaxed recovery after 2 weeks of travel we began a string of luggage-less day trips and afternoon tours. In the past 2 weeks we have explored Lyon, traipsing through traboules and cobblestoned ancient streets. Climbing up stairs and hills to the height of the city’s Basilica and Roman theatre. Lounging for hours on outside patios enjoying large and lavish lunches. Strolling through parks, along the Rhone and amid botanical gardens. Enjoying French independent theatre over glasses of red wine. And indulging in culinary creations home to France, and specifically Lyon; all drenched in olive oil and dipped with bread!

Traboule in St Jean

Fourviere & view of city

Place Terreaux

Fresh summer salad in Vieux Lyon

Making crepes with fresh herbs!

Parc Gerland

French theatre

A short drive and afternoon day trip to Pérouges, confirmed the revered and relaxed lifestyle of the French, reminiscent of medieval times and traditional customs.  Set upon a hill and fortressed in stone, this small ancient village is adorned in flowers, fig trees, and stands tempting the town’s famous galette; a simple and subtly sweet doughy dessert.

Perouges

Perouges

Medieval village of Perouges

Galette

La Tour de Paris

After a ton of train and ferry travel, I was finally in the clear to fly, and so we embarked on a short flight from Dublin to Paris, arriving in time for a quick dinner of pizza and salad before continuing on a longer metro ride back to Bagnolet to crash at my brother’s; for the final stop of our European capital tour.

The next morning with Ireland inspired damp and chilly weather we walked along the outskirts of Paris to the Cimetière du Père Lachaise. Merely steps into the cemetery gates, the skies opened releasing rain reminiscent of a cool fall afternoon that perfectly accentuated the browning leaves that were already falling from the trees. After a quick and soaked sighting of Jim Morrison’s grave, we chose to forget the rain and settled into a brasserie for a cup of coffee before sloshing back to wander and explore the other famous graves enclosed within the cemetery.

Side entrance to Pere Lachaise

Jim Morrison's grave

Jim Morrison's grave

In between eavesdropping in on an English tour group and catching tidbits of the fascinating histories and lifestyles of the artists, aristocrats, poets and historians resting there, we stopped to reflect upon both the historically significant as well as recent familial tombs that lie within its walls.  

Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Oscar Wilde's grave

Oscar Wilde's grave

Grave of Edith Piaf

The rest of the day remained overcast and so we relaxed and hung out with Alex and settled in for a low key dinner party chez Alex and Bérengère, enjoying escargot drenched in butter, garlic and parsley; a simple salad and tiramisu.

My first time trying escargot... and it was delicious!!!!



The next day we set out to watch the final day of the Tour de France!!!! Eek, so exciting…. If you can call under 10 seconds of bikes whizzing by fun and exciting? – well I can and it was! Unsure of when the riders would reach Paris we walked toward Notre Dame, through the Latin Quarter, and into the Jardin du Luxembourg, before settling in along the tour route not far from Notre Dame. Anticipation was high and mounting and after countless media and tour vehicles, the riders zipped by faster than you could turn on a camera!! Thanks to my brother, our tour guide! We continued our quest to catch more tour time and wandered in between the buildings of the Louvre and into the Jardin des Tuileries, resting along the route where the riders would finish their final laps near the Champs-Élysées; catching the final 3-4 laps of the 2011 Tour de France!!! Definite cultural highlight to my time in Paris thus far!

Notre-Dame

Jardin du Luxembourg

Race route! Anna, me & Alex

Tour de France 2011!!!

Louvre

Jardin des Tuileries

Final laps of the Tour!!!