Honestly, our trip was meant to be and certainly was a highlight in what proved to be a very challenging year. Our trip to France was the pinnacle! We have the pictures as a screensaver on our television, so we talk about it all the time. We are grateful.
It’s hard for me to tease apart all the elements of exceptionalism. Let me try to name a few off the top of my head:
- Beaune – Started off great when Patrick, our driver, who was super kind and patient with me as I tried to speak French after sleeping not a wink.
- Hotel Le Cep – cozy and quaint
- Both wine tours – the more casual cycling tour of Côte de Beaune and the more intimate tour of Côte des Nuits. Perfect way to see up close the landscapes and to experience the wine (and food!) of the area. All of our favorite things.
- Lyon – Hotel had perfect location. We loved opening the windows and looking on to summer night dancing and film screenings in the square. Martine was a great tour guide. Both knowledgeable and good company. She told us about the Resistance Museum which we went to during our down time. Heavy content but so worthwhile. Kind of fell in love with the city.
- Nice – First, thanks for going to the extra effort on the hotel room. The view…wow. And great energy around this location. The bike tour was lovely introduction to the city (only potential change is for the tour company to consider regular bikes in densely populated areas). And the cooking class I would highly recommend. The inclusion of the market tour beforehand was almost as valuable as the cooking lesson itself (I brought some things like fig jam back with me and have since recreated). The lesson was well calibrated in terms of complexity, breadth, and teamwork. The other gentleman joining us was a hoot and we had a great time.