Adventures in France-Land, the wrap-up
Posted: June 25, 2013 Filed under: Me, Travel | Tags: Blundstones, Echo backpack, Exofficio, GoRuck, Patagonia, Tata Harper, Travel clothes, What to pack for Eurpoe Leave a commentYou’ve seen the towns, you’ve seen the walks, you’ve seen the eats and sleeps. Now here’s what we’d change and what we’d keep the same.
1. The backpacks – A+
The Go Ruck packs were invaluable, we were a little nervous since these packs are not specific for hiking but rest assured they did everything we needed to and more. Also, we feel they have a longer life and additional uses beyond the typical hikers pack. My husband was carrying one the entire time we were in the city and we’ve both used them as overnighters since our return. My “Echo” size was perfect, I could not have carried the larger (and therefore) heavier one. The smaller size forced me to take less and that was critical to walking with ease.
2. The Blundstones – A+
Two adults, two children, 100 or so miles, not one blister among the four of us, enough said. But I want to say more, these boots were in rain, mud, pavement, tall grass, rocky inclines, slipp-y descents….I can’t imagine another shoe out performing or out styling this one!
3. The Patagonia undershirts – A
These things feel better than silk on your skin. I also think they reduced chaffing from backpacks and repetitious movements. They washed and dried easily. The only mark against this awesome shirt is my white one turned an unappealing color after a few days of major sweat. In the future I’d probably just get black so this isn’t an issue.
4. The ExOfficio undies – A, B
My girl/boy shorts get an A, they were supremely comfy, washed, dried easily, no wedgies. If only they could also be cute, but perhaps I’m dreaming.
The men’s boxer short get a B, they ended up stretching a little and feeling bulky under my clothes. They’ve been great under skirts and things since our return but I wouldn’t pack them again for this kind of trip.
5. The clothes – A
I wouldn’t change a thing for this particular trip. That said, if we took another walking trip, we would figure out a way to do “walking clothes” and “city clothes” but not try to mix and match again. This is tough to articulate because while it was nice to arrive in a town after walking all day and not look like we just left a campsite, it would be easier/lighter if we were wearing light camping-esque attire. No room for vanity on the walking trip and honestly it’d be nice to get a break from it anyhow!
6. Air b’n’n – A+
What a perfect way to stay in a city. We had a fabulous experience with Air b’n’b. The only thing I’d do differently is ask a few more questions upfront about noise levels during the night!
7. The toiletries – A+
It’s great how little you need in this category: sunscreen, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, comb. However I also had 2 “morale boosters” tucked away and they gave me a little lift when neccessary. Tata Harper makes a small “jet-set” pack and I packed the nutrient complex and aromatic therapy “perfume”. These things together were smaller than my pinkie finger and did wonders for my mental game.
8. The Book – A+
I should say – I love my Kindle, but on a trip like this I loved the comfort of a real book. No waiting for the “electronics OK” when on the airplane, no worrying about a conversion power cord. I ended up reading “Maurice” by E.M Forester. Perfectly intriguing and interesting but I could put it down whenever needed, meaning I didn’t get obsessed like I do with all things “Twilight-y”. I didn’t want another story taking me out of my own adventure.
OVERALL – A+
I sort of want to make a crack about packing your sense of humor and sense of adventure and that’s all you truly need. But honestly this trip far exceed our expectations. Most of the greatness came from the challenges of the trip, my kids learned how to wait patiently instead of begrudgingly, they learned how to be a bit uncomfortable, they learned to be grateful for things like water. I learned to embrace the peace of the journey instead of the excitement of the destination – it wasn’t about getting there, it was about walking, together. Yup, the whole trip was like a huge glob of glue connecting us, making us stronger. Will we do it again? Absolutely.
Adventures in France-Land, Paris round 2
Posted: June 21, 2013 Filed under: Me, Travel | Tags: bike rentals in Paris, bike riding in Paris, Jardin du Luxembourg, Musee d'Orsay, National holiday, Paris Leave a comment
Notice the lack of people, cars, etc. Turns out our designated day to shop in Paris was a National Holiday, all stores and most other things – CLOSED!

And all good things must come to an end. The bike depots are all over the city, this one is 1/2 block from our apartment.

Now it’s the kids’ turn so we head back to Jardin du Luxembourg, which turns out to be where all the people are. Another perfect day, a person could get really used to this!
Adventures in France-Land, Paris final day
Posted: June 19, 2013 Filed under: Me, Travel | Tags: Paris, Thai food in Paris, traveling with kids, what to do in Paris with kids Leave a comment
We people watched and played another family favorite, “spot the tourist (and guess what country they are from)”
At this point we are extremely sad about the thought of leaving France the next day. We put the camera away and savor the last hours in the City of Light. We went out for a spectacular Thai meal and hit the second of only two “lost in translation moments” during the whole trip. Our lovely server spoke Thai and French but no English, even so she helped us choose a magnificent meal with the universal sign of “tummy rub” signifying “yummy” – we returned in kind with our own sign language of a huge smile and a “thumbs up”.
Goodnight Paris, thanks for a perfect final day.
Adventures in France-Land, Walking VI (part 2)
Posted: June 14, 2013 Filed under: Me, Travel | Tags: Dordogne, Duravel, GR 36, Lot, Puy-L'eveque, traveling with kids, Walking in France 2 Comments
Then I saw this – if you remember there was a sign in Duravel assuring me Puy L’eveque was only 5km away. Well here we are 3 KM into our walk and now we’ve got double the distance we were expecting still to go. I know 2 more km might not seem like a lot but at that point, on that day, IT WAS!

We began walking uphill backwards because when you are 7 and you’ve been walking uphill for 2 hours this is a good idea.

It’s a mirage – but not, cause it was actually there. This “bathroom in the hills”, promised a much needed water refill and porcelain potty break. Alas, there was no water and all those doors were LOCKED! &%$#!!!! (A special thanks to “The photographer” who broke in and tried his damnedest to hydrate his family)

There’s no water on this portion of the trail, but there is this handy bench in the middle of nowhere which is odd but fantastic.

Despite my hangover from lunch and the 90 degree inclines we walked that afternoon, this was quickly becoming one of my most favorite days ever.

And after waiting two hours for the hotel to open their doors (see previous mafia note) we got all settled in just as the rain started to pour.
Adventures in France-Land, Walking VII (part 1)
Posted: June 3, 2013 Filed under: Me, Travel | Tags: Bonaguil, Dordogne, Duravel, French castles, Lot, Puy-L'eveque, Saint-Front-sur-Lemance, traveling with kids, walking through France Leave a comment
Our final walking day, Saint-Front-sur-Lemance to Puy-l’Eveque. Our gracious host Mme. Finnegan from Le Seguinet offers to take us to the most famous castle in the region, Bonaguil Castle.

Any guesses to what’s going on here? Since we did not pass another soul while walking, the trail became a never ending porta potty.

Welcome to the bustling metropolis of Duravel where we plan to have our first ever “lunch in a restaurant” since we started walking!

But then I saw this picture and realized he was praying for the powers to make the juice jump into his mouth without the aid of a straw.

Here we go, our first French country cafe lunch. It’s a five course affair. Soup, antipasta, pasta with meat, cheese and dessert. All the while the wine is FLOWING. Fixed price $13 Euro.

Here’s who eats it. Everyone. It’s not a formal deal, on the contrary, it’s very casual and friendly.

More “would be illegal in the US activity” – this cheese board gets passed around table to table. No sneeze guard, No gloves, help yourself and pass it along.

Here we are leaving Duravel, I won’t speak for my husband, but I am far from sober at this point. I’ve calculated we only have about a 5 km walk to our end destination,should be no problem under tipsy conditions.

This is a town sign confirming my calculation, Puy-L’eveque, our end destination, is about 5 km away.

Here’s what the sign didn’t say, it’s up hill almost the ENTIRE way. That may not super look steep, but trust me, it is.