‘Tis the Season… for Travel ~ Part I

I will be doing a series (at least I hope) of some trips I did over the past few weeks.  Earlier this month, France celebrated Toussaint (also known as All Saints’ Day).  I was fortunate having Thursday and Friday (November 1 and 2) off from class.  So how better to spend a four-day weekend than going to Paris!

For me, it was such a great time to go to the city since the weather wasn’t too frigid yet.  I was also extremely excited since the last time I went was with my family for Thanksgiving in 2007.  So I was essentially celebrating a five-year anniversary. (I may have to make this a regular thing.)

Upon arriving in Paris by train, the three-day adventure to cover as much as possible began.  We were fortunate to have beautiful weather that day… which made it wonderful to walk around and see as much as I could.  The first stop:  Notre Dame.  I am always fascinated with architecture and how certain design feats were accomplished.  Paris is certainly an incredible place to go for those with similar interests.  Another thing at the Notre Dame that simply amazes me is the beautiful stained glass.  Although you are unable to see it from the outside, you would surely be stunned at the detail, color, and design of the windows.  I promise I’ll stop here and not go all “History Channel meets QVC special” on you, though.  But really… stained glass… check it out.

After leaving Notre Dame, we went towards the museum famous for its three ladies.  The Louvre.  We decided to save the Louvre for the next day since we would have the entire day free.  You would need much more than a day to see the Louvre, though.  After walking around nearby and seeing more of the architecture, we decided to walk towards the Champs Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe and pass through the gardens along the way.

I have to admit, walking down the Champs Élysées is one of my favorite parts of Paris.  It’s just an amazing feeling that you get since you know that you are getting to fulfill your dreams about having the traditional Paris experience.  That feeling augmented a good bit when I would walk into many of the glamorous stores along the famous avenue.  That feeling then quickly diminished after seeing the prices.  Traveler Hint:  If you want people to be impressed, then go into the store and buy the cheapest (yet still practical) item that you can find just so you can walk around Paris with the bag.  As a completely random example, say you find a pair of marked-down shorts in Banana Republic since the store is attempting to get rid of them quickly.  They’ll be practical when it warms up a bit.  Clearance sections are your friend, though.

What better way to end the day than to see one of the most iconic monuments in the world:  the Eiffel Tower.  And just when you think it couldn’t get any better seeing the tower during the day… you get to see it by night.  Seeing the tower at night covered in lights is incredible.  What is even more amazing is seeing the tower at every hour, on the hour.  At this time, you are able to see the tower light up with flashes for five minutes.  It is one of the best ways to end your night in Paris.

South of France

Several weekends ago, I had a fantastic opportunity to travel to the south of France to enjoy the last bit of warm weather before the temperature dropped.  Having a weekend trip to go down to the beach is certainly a great way to prevent the onset of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) caused by the weather.  So on a Saturday morning, a group of us from my school loaded up the cars and headed towards Hyeres, France.  (It is pretty obvious that we are heading to a French beach when looking at the picture of the back of the car.) 

Hyeres, located along the Mediterranean Sea, happens to be the oldest resort along the French Riviera.  It was certainly an incredible place to stop to have a picnic lunch while gazing at all of the boats lined up along the waterway.  After finishing lunch, we traveled to a smaller beach that is extremely popular among wind-surfers.  Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to try it out.  (I suddenly picture my mother having a sigh of relief.)  But don’t worry!  I’ll return one day to experience it.  After finishing at the beach, we traveled to the campground where we spent the night.  It was certainly a great time having a barbecue, dancing to music, and playing pétanque.

The next morning, we left the campground and went to the docks to catch a ferry from the mainland of France to the island of Porquerolles.  The island is mostly a national park at the moment, but one is still able to find vineyards throughout the island that produce a wine known as vin des Côtes de Provence.  The island was absolutely beautiful with its coastline, beaches, mountains, and forests.  After the ferry ride, our group biked a short distance to a private beach.  We spent a good part of the afternoon playing volleyball, swimming, snorkeling, and having another great picnic lunch.  It was great to be able to get one last beach trip in before the month of October was over.

After the beach, we had the chance to go mountain biking and have some great views of the island.  It was certainly no easy task going up some parts of the incline.  However, the view was certainly worth the effort.  After a short rest, we traveled back to the port where we boarded the ferry to head back to the mainland and then head back to Lyon.  For just two days, it was certainly an incredible experience.  Now it’s time to get ready for the snow!