Europe or Bust
Well, just booked flights on Air France from San Francisco to Paris Chales DeGalle, leaving Monday July 3. We’ll make a three week trip of it, returning the 24th. Can you imagine what kind of time and effort it takes to plan a three week touring vacation, particularly if the wife is allowed any input?
So can I, which is why the extent of our firm reservations is airline tickets and a reservation at the Hertz counter (670 bucks for three weeks–not bad at all).
The soft, sort of we’ll see how it goes-plans include staying a few days in Paris, heading down south through Orleans and on to Toulouse. Then maybe down as far as Valencia, Spain where we’ll intercept the Med. Then We’ll just run the course through Barcelona and all the way up to Marseilles where we enter my old stomping grounds, including Cassis, Bandol, my former residence of Toulon, and of course St. Tropez, "St. Raf," Cannes and Nice. Then it’s on to Monte Carlo and over into Italy and on down to Rome–and maybe Napoli if it’s looking like we’ll have time.
Then it’ll be northwest marking our way back to Paris, which might include stops in Venice, which I love, Milan, Geneva, Dijon…who knows?
The point is, we don’t have to be any particular place at any particular time, nor do we have to leave any particular place at any particular time. I’ve traveled places all over the world with nothing but an airplane ticket and a carry-on bag. I’ve flow into Bangkok at 1 a.m. after an 18 hour flight from San Francisco via Hong Kong, and had to find a place to sleep. This trip is unlikely to ever be that intense (we’ve always got the car), but it’s the way to really travel, for me. So here’s the rough triangular outline of the trip.
It should be fun to photo-blog it too. I just got one of those Sony TX-series notebooks with the built-in GSM data capability (in addition to WiFi). If I can get a cell connection, I can get 200 kbps, which is pretty dam good.
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hey I am going to maybe we run into each other? I have a small place in Tuscany:)
Ah- I used to live in Paris, so I'm so jealous. Have fun and if you go to the Picasso museum (my favorite) think of me!
Sounds like an amazing escapade. I like to leave holes in my plans on such journeys to allow the wind to blow me into surprising adventures… the good stuff always happens outside the scope of 'plans' anyway. Enjoy your trip… may you be blessed with lots of fun and safety…
Peace,
Mystikka
Sounds absolutely fabulous!
Enjoy and have a safe trip!
Good luck on your vacation and can't wait to see how it went. Make sure you tell us all the details and fun you had!
Angel
How about taking along one very nice Tabz-sized suitcase? :D
Ooooooo I hate you, paint me green with envy. In France during the Tour de France….ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I hope one day to follow the tour or at least a week of it.
Sigh
Chris
My Blog
Good god, man! Florence! Brunelleschi's dome: a miracle of the Renaissance.
Jeez, wotta good time that looks like. Good for you, Rich.
I wonder if Strasbourg would be out of your way. The cathedral is worth seeing, but there would be a lot of them in the area you're talking about.
To Andy, yep, been to Paris a number of times and the d'Orsay is on the list along with Le Louvre, 'course.
B, yes, Florence is on the way, either coming down the coast from Monaco, with a bit of a detour, or on the way back north.
Have a great trip! Paris is lovely. See as much of it as you can, and the galleries are soooo fabulous. Check out musse d-orsay.
I am flying through valencia next month myself on the way for a week of partying in Ibiza.
Heh, if she's any good at it, just put in a few must see things and then let her go to town on the planning… ;)
Always wanted to do this! Those days dragging my butt over the bay bridge … 138 to paris the goofy billboard said. I could do that. Fly in – get to Paris, have some great french pastry and a cup of coffee and head home.
From where I am now … it is only 2 hours to Bermuda.