First Annual Mother-Daughter Europe Trip 2004

In January 2004, mom and I (Cat) took a trip to France to scout out good places to eat, stay, and bike in southern France. Well, perhaps we had ulterior motives, but who can blame us for showing up in France during the Soldes, which is one of only 2 times a year that stores can legally put products on clearance sales.

Below are some of the pictures from the trip, with running commentary on what, where, who, when…

The Indiana Tex Mex restaurant in Paris—Indiana-style Tex-Mex cuisine just like mom used to make. hee.

This place was in Paris. We passed it on our way to dinner with my friends Shari and Richard. It was too funny not to get a picture. Sadly, there is also a Starbuck’s (several of them) in Paris.

After one (noisy) night in Paris, we took the train down to Avignon- first class seats, but really, it was not all that much nicer than going 2^nd class. Seats are a little bigger.

In Bonnieux, we stayed at Hotel Cesar, which had lovely views of the southern end of the Alps and the town on the hill.

That day we had stopped at a Provencal outdoor market for stuff to eat.

Cheap picnic eats for travelers on a budget:

Roquefort is just better in France. J Those jams are made by a lady based in Isle sur la Sorgue and she goes to all the town markets throughout the week to set up a table and sell them. They are wonderful. We found her again in May when we went back to bike in Provence.

We toured Avignon’s Palais des Papes, which was interesting, although I think I preferred the chateaux in the Loire region for diversity in architectural and history.

Old meets new in the courtyard at the Louvre. How did we get back to Paris so fast?

By putting the photos in the wrong order, that’s how!

We spent an evening in Orleans with my friend Valerie and some friends of hers,

and then spent the night in Montargis with her family. The Lancelots are the

nicest people, and Val’s mom is an amazing cook. Below: Mom, Val, Cat.

Below, left to right: Sebastian, Lucette, Val, Jean-Marie and mom.

Downtown Orleans, looking toward the cathedral. I love this cathedral. Joan of Arc knelt here.

There are signs like that all over the region: Joan of Arc prayed here, Joan of Arc trained soldiers

here, Joan of Arc ate a pancake breakfast here, Joan of Arc shopped here.

A street in Bonnieux on the way up to the old church.

The view to the street below our hotel room in Bonnieux.

Ditto. Hard to see, but there are mountains in the distance.

Below: This was out rent car. It was a little bigger than a bicycle. As a point

of scale, the smart car I front of it can park sideways in parallel spaces.

Just to prove I parked it in that space, one-shot, mom had to take a picture.

There we are at the market in L’Ilse sur la Sorgue. It was pretty chilly even in

Provence, but then it was January.

Finally, back to Paris. And it isn’t Paris without a picture of Notre Dame cathedral.