The Chateaux of the Loire Valley

From Bayeux we were supposed to travel to Mont St Michel which is a walled city built on a small island just off the coast of France. Sadly it was another public holiday which changed to bus and train timetables so we were not able to travel there until the evning and then would have trouble leaving there the next day, so we decided to take an extra day in  Tours, our next stop. That worked out fine as I have had a head cold and then bronchitis for the week so it gave me time to rest up a bit. I had googled the Tours patchwork shop and met the owner, a lovely lady. We also spent our time taking half day tours to some of the many, many chateaux in the Loire Valley. Some are still private residences and most have been restored and have beuaiful furnitutre and artwork. It's like stepping back into another era.

We visited Chenonceau, Amboise, Usse and Langeais. We're off to Bordeaux today and Spain tomorrow where it should be warmer. The rain hasn't been a problem as it just means less crowds at the sights. Having a great trip so far.

Hugs, Jan Mac

Hexie Progress

I have been stitching and glueing hexagons when time allows and the two projects are both growing nicely. I had been stitching on my La Passion when we left home and I have almost finished round 1.
My Insanity quilt also uses half inch hexagons and I have stiched 6 more diamonds on the train when traveling from Bayeux to Tours, a trip of about 3 hours. Last night I also found that I can read my ipad while I glue the papers to the fabric. These quilts will have some happy memories of our travels stitched into them and it does help to pass the time while waitig for trains and planes.
hugs, Jan Mac

The Beaches of Normandy

While in Bayeux, we took a day tour of the Normandy Beaches. We are both interested in history and the tour was excellent. The tour was conducted for 8 of us using a minivan, and the driver/guide was extremely well-informed and very interesting. It was a good chance to see some more of the French countryside as well. We throughly enjoyed our stay in Bayeux and the beautiful stained glass windows and cathedrals were an unexpected bonus. Australia is such a young country that we have really enjoyed seeing places that are so old.
Hugs,Jan Mac

Going Back In Time In Bayeux, France

Around every corner in this charming town it feels like we have stepped back in time.

One of the very old buildings here which were undamaged during WW2.

Time for a little stitching in between visits to the museums.

Bayeux's spectacular gothic cathedral.

A lovely old water mill which is now a shop.

The museum where the Bayeux tapestry is on display.

This is our charming Guesthouse in Bayeux.

 We stopped in Bayeux for two nights to see the Bayeux Tapestry and also to take a day tour of the WW2 Normandy beach sites. Next stop is Tours.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Paris in Springtime

Paris in springtime has been lovely. we had some rain the first night and then the following day but it wasn't enough to spoil our fun. We had a Skip the Line tour of Eiffel Tower the first day and one for the Louvre the second day. We took the lift up to the  summit at 300m high of the Eiffel tower and had an incredible view of Paris. The nest day we visited the Notre Dame cathedral and took the tour of the Louvre, seeing Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. We conquered the metro and took that and the regional trains to Versailles today and saw the opulent lifestyle of France's kings in the 1600 and 1700s.
  Tomorrow we leave for 2 nights in Bayeux and we will have a bit of a rest day as we on ly have a 2 hour train ride and the afternoon free but I do plan to see the Bayeux tapestry then.
  The internet was working well today so I was able to upload some photos. I hope to do some more soon.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Koblenz For Lunch, Paris for Dinner.

Thursday we were due to take a fast train from Frankfurt to Paris but ude to a public holiday we couldn't get an early train. No problem- we took a train through Mainz to Koblenz for lunch so we could travel along the Rhine and see some of the lovely castles overlooking the river.
  We had a lovely day and then back to Frankfurt in time to take the fast train to Paris. It only took 4 hours and we reached speeds of 320km per hour. The German and French countryside was lovely and we arrived in Paris with it raining but we easily found our hotel. We stay in Paris for 4 nights and there is lots to see. We were given a meal as part of our fare on the train and the ride was very smooth. More soon.
Hugs, Jan Mac

Friendly Frankfurt

After a long flight with little sleep, we arrived in Frankfurt at 0530. I had been unable to select our seats prior to the lfight so we were in the middle of a row of 4 seats which made it difficult to get up and stretch. When we picked up our luggage we went to the Luftansa ticket desk and selected better seats for our flight home. Then we took the airport train into Frankfurt main station. Our hotel is right in front of the station and basic but good value, including a much better breakfast than expected.
  We spent the day riding the city's trams on a day pass and found people are very friendly and helpful, and also able to speak enough English for us to communictae, ask questions etc. We had a lovely day and saw lots of the suburbs as well as the old part of Frankfurt. Today is a public holiday here so we couldn't get a seat on the train to Paris until 1700 so we are taking the train to Koblenz for the day and then leave for the 4 hour trip to Paris.
 I was very happy I brought my hexies to work on as I got a lot done during transit. Both enjoying the trip and Ray was very happy to see all the expensive cars in the showrooms here.
Hugs, Jan Mac