We are embarking on another adventure, one that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I can’t think of a better time to be visiting one of the world’s best wine regions. The vineyards and wineries will be buzzing with activity. The air will be permeated with the fragrance of freshly picked and pressed grapes.
Chardonnay grapes waiting to be harvested.
Sorry, my mind was time traveling. First we have to get there.
It won’t be long now. The hot summer temperatures are turning a bit cooler and the days are getting noticeably shorter. In the United States, we will be celebrating Labor Day and everyone will be returning to school. Goodbye summer; hello fall vacation time.
We are ready and raring to go. All the plans are complete, paperwork has been updated, reservations are in order and I even bought new socks. Whoopee!
Backing up a couple of weeks to the announcement of the Air Canada cabin staff strike… it was not what we wanted to hear, but it seems to have been settled. Learning about some of the details, it really is sad that companies spend millions of dollars buying and building things, but then try to cut corners on the most important aspect of their business – the people. Anyway, I digress.
I’ve been in contact with the couple that own the house we’ll be staying at (they sound very nice) and everything is ready from their end.
I was able to make dinner reservations for our first evening in Chablis, as well as for a couple additional evenings. That should be a nice way to settle in after a day of traveling.
🎶 “Time Passages”, “Time in a Bottle”, “Time of the Season” – Al Stewart, Jim Croce and The Zombies, along with so many others, knew that time just marches on and waits for nobody. We’re just about four months away from leaving and the closer we get, the more excited we get.
In the previous post we had just made our decision and now we’re finalizing details. Yep, with four months until we go, we are ready with the flights, the house, the transportation, and the car. We just have a few details that have to be acted upon when we’re closer to the time we leave. So that is the update. Now here are a few more details:
We have rented a house in the town of Chablis, France. Rather than hopping from place to place, we will be staying in one location and venturing out for day trips. Mind you, just relaxing and staying around Chablis would be fine with us. However, a little exploration is always good for the soul and there are many interesting things to see and do nearby.
At home in Chablis
While we will be there for the month, we have friends that will be joining us for the first ten days. As has been well established, that is right about the point where my jokes and puns push people close to insanity, so I think they have planned wisely. Pourquoi le poulet a-t-il traversé la rue?
The house is centrally located and conveniently in walking distance to everything. There are shops and stores nearby to purchase supplies and food items. There are restaurants and wineries for nourishment and hydration purposes. There are vineyards and a river for scenic enjoyment and there are a couple of historic locations to explore. That should keep us occupied while in town and there are plenty of other places to visit that are located nearby.
For those little journeys, we have secured a vehicle rental. We’ll be renting our vehicle from Enterprise Rental. They are located just outside of the train station in the town of Auxerre. Gare Auxerre-Saint-Gervais is the station that we will use to return to Paris when our stay in Chablis is complete. Even the big guy can rumble, bumble and stumble the 150m from the vehicle drop-off to the station.
We’ll be flying into Paris – CDG airport, so we had to decide how to get to the Gare in Auxerre to pick up the car to drive to Chablis to park in the driveway of the rental house – inspiration by Dr. Seuss!
Where’s Waldo going?
Cue the folks from Daytrip. After some mapping out of the route and considering some other factors, we decided that it was going to be too much of a hassle to get from CDG to Gare de Lyon in Paris to get a train down to Auxerre. Instead, we will be picked up at CDG by our Daytrip driver and taken directly to the car rental in Auxerre – it will save some time and be much easier logistically.
We’ll be flying in on Air Canada from Toronto. The airfares have been crazy and the plane booked up quickly. Come to find out, we’ll be arriving just as Fashion Week begins in Paris. I will be sure to bring along my best stretchy blue pants with the stripe down the leg, along with sunglasses to keep the paparazzi guessing as we pass through the airport.
Among the remaining “to-do” items is arranging our transport from home to Toronto and that will just take a phone call. We’ll also try to make reservations for one or two wine tasting visits around town and maybe first night dinner reservations. Nothing too stressful!
Our next update will likely be just before it’s time to leave. That will give us a little more time to brush up on our “Bonjour”,”Merci” and “Parlez vous anglais?”.
À Bientôt!
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Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking with friends who are also making 2025 a traveling kind of year. Disney World has been left behind for places like Malta, Sicily, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Scotland, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Amsterdam and Dollywood. There are upcoming ocean cruises, river cruises, train trips and tours. I can’t wait to hear all the details and maybe even add one of those locations to future plans. Bon voyage everyone!
It’s hard to believe that January is nearly over. Since we like to travel during September and October, it’s time to start making plans for this year’s travels. We gave the wheel a spin and by a hair, France won the contest. Italy is claiming that we used the same officials that the NFL used, however the France light was lit.
So yes, we will be returning to France in 2025. More specifically, we’ll be returning to the north of Burgundy. Even more specifically, we will be returning to the town of Chablis.
Why return? When we last visited, we only stayed for 3 nights and we ran into some rain, so we didn’t get to visit the surrounding area like we originally planned. We both love the wines of Chablis, so that would be another reason to return. And “because we want to” is the best reason.
The Yonne region, where Chablis is located, is home to a variety of interesting places. There are numerous medieval towns and castles, Cistercian Abbeys, quiet little rural towns, vineyards and -of course -wine. The best part is that from Chablis, they are within an hour’s drive. In fact, many are within 20 minutes.
To really experience the area, we will be staying for a month and we will be renting a house in the center of the town of Chablis. We were pretty excited to stumble upon it and it looks perfect for us. It is ideally located for us to walk everywhere around town.
It also happens to be just around the corner from our favorite winery’s tasting room. Coincidence? I think not!
Hello old friends… We are returning!
With a solid home base, we’ll be able to wander around the area at our own pace. We will also be renting a car to visit some of the nearby towns.
Chablis is not a hot tourist location, but rather a quiet little town that is nestled in between the vineyards. There are no amusement parks or water slides, just nature and history. It will be harvest time, so there might be a little more activity around town, but just enough to enjoy instead of being overwhelming.
There are several nice wineries in town within walking distance of the house and, for our excursions, I’ll be the designated driver and we’ll be sure to buy a bottle or two of wine so I get to taste them back at ‘la maison’ afterwards.
I need to confirm a myriad of things, but we’re looking forward to visiting the weekly markets, doing some shopping at the local butcher and walking over to the patisserie for fresh bread and pastries in the mornings.
Market day in Chablis
After some tense negotiations, we’ll also have friends that will be staying with us for part of the time. How cool is that? Sightseeing and drinking buddies, won’t that be fab!
On the way home, we will be stopping in Paris for a few days. We’re hoping to enjoy a concert or an art exhibition and take in a dinner or two. I can’t imagine not being able to find interesting things to see and do in Paris, so that will be a great way to ease back into city life after staying in Chablis.
I’ll have more details as they come along, plus some thoughts on additional travel plans for the year ahead.
As always, be well, and I hope you’re also making travel plans.
The new year has arrived and we’ve started to think about this year’s travels. With so much going on in the world, we’re thinking carefully.
There are a few travel related items that I thought I’d share with everyone. I’m based in the United States, so some of these won’t apply to you in your countries. You will especially need to watch for new rules if traveling to EU countries or the UK.
Some of the items are designed to tighten up security and others are meant to loosen your pocketbook. New visa rules and fees are popping up everywhere, along with increases in tourist taxes. Airlines have their hands out looking for more fees, especially when it comes to carry-on luggage.
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Let’s start with an easy one. Beginning May 7, 2025, the TSA will begin enforcing the REAL ID requirements. It will be gradually implemented with full compliance by May 5, 2027. While there are other issues, the one affecting travelers will be the need to have a REAL ID license or ID card to travel on a commercial airline.
What happens if you don’t have a REAL ID? You will not be allowed to board your airline. You can get more details here.
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Next is for people who will be traveling to the UK. Whether staying there or just stopping over on your way to another destination, you’ll need to get a UK ETA.
Starting January 8, before traveling to the UK you’ll need to apply for United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorization (UK ETA). The authorization is different from a traditional visa in that it is handled entirely online and is much more cost effective when compared to visa applications.
The UK ETA is valid for up to two years or whenever the passport it’s linked to expires. The UK ETA allows for multiple visits of up to six months at a time and costs about $12.50 to apply.
Click the pic to read more.
You can click on the photo to get more information, including links to the UK ETA Website and information about their app.
The ETIAS will allow for visitors to enter the European nations “as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period” according to the ETIAS website. However, a valid ETIAS authorization will not guarantee entry into the various countries. Border guards may still ask to see your passport and other documents in order to grant you the right to visit.
The ETIAS will remain valid for three years or until the travel document you used in your application expires. If you have previously visited Europe without a visa, you will need to apply for the ETIAS.
Why the maybe?
The ETIAS is supposed to begin six months after the Entry/Exit System (EES) is up and running. It’s Jan 22nd as I’m typing and it still isn’t up and running. That would imply that there will be a delay in the ETIAS. I tried the web page and couldn’t file an application.
I will be watching this one closely and will provide an update. Since it is likely that we will be traveling to Europe later in the year, I want to make sure that we are in compliance.
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Ultimately, if you want to travel you’ll have to have some form of travel visa – either electronic or traditional. Nations want to know who is entering their country and when they arrive and depart. And in case you are wondering, yes, the United States has the same requirements in place for individuals traveling into the country.
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Staying on the topic of fees, let’s talk about carry-on luggage. You’re allowed one carry-on and one personal item. That mostly stays the same.
It looks like the airlines have decided on a standard size.
Carry-on: Maximum dimensions 22 x 14 x 9 inches (including wheels and handles).
Personal item: Maximum dimensions 18 x 14 x 8 inches (including wheels and handles) and it must fit under the seat in front of you.
Additionally, you will need to watch for new weight allowances. Not all airlines have adopted the weight rules, so make sure to check your airline website before heading to the airport.
Some airlines will let you pay an extra fee, others will make you check your bag. That could be a huge problem if you have your personal items stuffed in your bag. Beware, instead of being mad!
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Many locations are increasing their tourist taxes in 2025 and some are adding additional fees. Most are per day fees collected by hotels, but others are adding port fees for cruise passengers. They’ll get their money one way or another.
The short version: We are back home and had a great time in Paris!
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The long version:
We had to be up early for our flight home. A 5:15am alarm is never a good thing in my book. I turned my phone on to find out that our flight had been delayed by two hours. Here we go again…
Threw on some clothes, brushed my hair and went down to the front desk. I asked them to change our ride from 7:00 until 8:30am.
My eyes were still half closed as I bumped off the walls on the way back to the room. Fell back asleep for an hour. Dragged ourselves out of bed and started getting ready. We took our showers, finished packing and then we were able to relax for a little while longer.
Around 8:15 we went down to check out and our ride was waiting for us. We were very happy with the hotel. It was great for going everywhere we wanted to go, plus it was very comfortable for the time we wanted to relax and stay inside.
We said our “au revoirs” and hopped into the van for the ride to the airport. Our driver was very pleasant and we had an uneventful ride to the airport. When we arrived, there was nobody at the Air Canada counters, so we literally walked right up, dropped off our bags and we were on our way to passport control.
Again, no line to speak of. We went through the process in less than five minutes and then headed towards security. Just a short line at security and ten minutes later, we were heading to the lounge.
The lounge was comfortable and uncrowded when we arrived. We tucked into a corner so we could just chill until it was time to leave…
And then the text messages started. Our plane was delayed again, so we were moved back to 2:20, now arriving in Toronto at 5:09pm. At least the plane was the same; we didn’t want to go through the seat chasing circus that we had going to Lisbon. The gate change was only down a few gates, so that was no big deal.
Happily, the next text was that they were boarding our flight. I sent a message to the airport transfer folks in Toronto letting them know of the time change before I had to go into ‘Airplane Mode’.
The flight home was comfortable with only a brief spell of turbulence. We were both able to sleep for a bit, which was nice as we were both tired from the early morning wake-up. Nine hours later, we were landing in Toronto.
It was great to turn on my phone and see the message from our driver. “No worries. Have a good flight”. They had also been monitoring the flights and knew about the delay.
Once again, it was an easy time getting through passport control and customs. We let our driver know where we were and he was there in no time at all.
There was some traffic, but we cruised right along. Had a funny little thing happen at the US border. Sue had a list of the things we bought and when asked, she replied in detail. The items were small, low dollar value, but her level of detail made the border agent laugh as he waved us through.
We arrived home at about 8:00pm (2am Paris time). Needless to say, it was a long day.
But, we are home and we had a great time in Paris.
Thanks for joining along. Time to start planning our next journeys for the upcoming year.
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We wish everyone Peace, Joy, Good Health and a Happy New Year!
Enjoy the holiday season and let kindness and light lead the way.
Mon dieu, we were up early for our last day in Paris. We still didn’t leave the hotel early, but that’s only because we waited to check-in for tomorrow’s flight home. We also arranged transportation to the airport for the morning.
We decided to get tickets for the hop-on / hop-off bus and just stayed on for a cruise around the city. The bus wasn’t crowded at all, so we could move around to see things on both sides as we cruised along.
The big landmarks and attractions were crowded with people, as were the shopping streets. However, overall it felt pretty quiet – even in the metro.
We started off from the hotel by walking to the metro, then transferred to the RER train and in twenty minutes we were walking out of the Auber station. We only had to cross the street to begin our bus journey.
The following was our bus journey in pictures:
Along the side of the OperaCute Chef Teddy LeBear decoration at Cafe de PaixSqueezing through the gates of the Louvre palaceThe pyramid entrance to the LouvreArc de Triomphe du Carrousel Pont NeufThe ConciergerieHousing along the SeineNotre Dame CathedralBouquinistesBig Wheel across the SienePlace de ConcordeL’obélisque Montblanc store on the Champs Élysée Chinese museumEiffel TowerLes Invalides Église de Madeleine Audemars Piguet watch storePrintempsHaussmann Holiday Tree
We enjoyed the ride and the sights. It was a little chilly, but we were bundled up and cozy.
We retraced our steps back to the hotel. We did make one stop at the Xmas market on Blvd Saint-Germain to get a couple of hot pretzels for the room.
A little rest was a perfect way to spend the rest of the afternoon. For our final dinner, we chose the Alain Ducasse restaurant ’Allard’.
When dinner time arrived, we took a walk over to the restaurant. It only took about fifteen minutes to get there and it was chilly, but pleasant.
Allard was like stepping back in time. The decor and menu transpires to bring you back to grandma’s house for a charming Sunday dinner. It was cozy without being cramped, conversations could be carried on without shouting and the staff were all friendly and efficient.
We both ordered the same meal – we didn’t want grandma to fuss! We started with a glass of champagne to celebrate another great trip. It went perfect with the amuse bouche of a gougere and lightly marinated cucumber. For our starters, it was seared scallops and our main plate was a roasted sea bream. We had a nice bottle of Chablis to accompany our meal.
And because grandma always had dessert, we had some profiteroles and an Île Flottante or floating island.
Everything was delicious, the service was top-notch and the prices were reasonable. It was a wonderful way to finish off the trip.
Afterwards, we took a nice walk back to the hotel. We have a 7:00 am taxi in the morning, so we cleaned up for bed, packed most of our bags and ventured off to dreamland.
We eased into the day again. With no particular reason to rush, we didn’t! It’s been nice getting a good night’s rest and then choosing what we feel like doing.
So when we did leave, we headed over to the Marche de Noël at the Tuileries Garden. We took the metro down to Châtelet and then transferred over so we could get off at the Tuileries station. The metro wasn’t crowded, nor were the streets, as compared with yesterday.
It’s another overcast day, which is great for walking through the market as the lights show up brightly.
The entrance to the market is right next to the metro exit. As you can see below, they had extra security at the gate.
No unwanted visitors pass these guys!
This was our favorite market; it had a real festive feel to it. Lots of lights, plus games, food, shops and rides. We guessed right by waiting to go on a Monday afternoon – there were many people, but it wasn’t overly crowded.
We took a lap around the market to check things out and then circled back for a bite to eat. Sue had some delicious tartiflette, which is like escalloped potatoes with a little cheese and a little smoked ham. I went directly for the grilled sausage, knowing I would get a taste of Sue’s potatoes.
Awesome Singing ReindeerGiant wheel and skating rinkLocation, location, location
We had a really nice time at the market. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and were cheerful. Lots of holiday spirit in the air.
Departing, we decided to walk up the Rue de Rivoli to see the Samaritaine store holiday displays.
Manicured walkways waiting for the return of springMusée du Louvre side entrance
It only took about twenty minutes to walk down to Samaritaine. The air felt heavy, like rain was imminent, but thankfully it never came.
We were a bit disappointed by Samaritaine’s decorations. They were nice, but nothing particularly special.
Certainly not worth the chilly walk to get there. C’est la vie!
We crossed over the river at Pont Neuf and then snaked our way back to the hotel. While walking, we happened upon a Marc Chagall exhibition at a small art gallery.
We made it back to the hotel and both of us needed to sit and relax for a while. A little holiday music with our feet up was delightful.
Dinner was just a block away from the hotel this evening. We wanted something a little different, so we chose Agata, an Italian restaurant.
What a great choice it turned out to be! We started out with a delicious arancini, then we shared a pizza to be strategic. Strategic? Yes, the strategy was to save room for dessert. And it worked. Sue saved room for a warm chocolate soufflé while I had a ‘slab’ of tiramisu. We also enjoyed a bottle of Barbera d’Asti. Everything was perfect.
At the end of our meal, we asked for the check in Italian. They loved it and we earned ourselves a glass of limoncello to finish off the meal. Learning those ten words in every language is paying off. Cheers!
Another wonderful day, with one more left. Tonight we’ll decide what we want to do tomorrow besides dinner.
We started our day off with a visit to see the restored Notre Dame Cathedral. It was so good seeing it again, like visiting with an old friend. They still have quite a bit of work until it is completely restored, but it truly looked beautiful.
Notre Dame de Paris
A tip of the hat to all the artisans and craftsmen who worked so hard on the restoration. President Macron deserves a lot of credit for keeping his word to restore it. It has cost quite a bit of money, but Notre Dame needed to return to Paris.
We weren’t able to go inside to see the rest of the work. I’ve tried to book reservations, but no luck. As we always say: “Next time!”
After being jostled by the crowds of people for a while, we were ready to move on.
Just across the river is another Marche de Noël. It’s a small market, but had a very nice feel to it. It is set up around the perimeter of a small park with decorations in the center.
Besides some food stalls, there were artisan chocolates, sausages, jewelry, soaps, hats and scarves, some leather goods and artwork for sale.
You needed to get into the stream of people to keep moving, but everyone was pretty chill and enjoying themselves.
From the market, we decided to walk back towards the hotel by cutting through some different areas. I didn’t mention it previously, but it’s 50 degrees F or 10 degrees C – a nice day to walk around.
There were lots of people who had the same idea. Cafes were bustling, shops were busy and the streets were full. We went into a few shops along the way.
Scenes from our walkCitroën tie upComptoirs Les Deux MagotsLe Procope
It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon…no pressure to do anything but enjoy the day.
After enjoying the afternoon, we were ready for dinner time to arrive. We had reservations at a restaurant called Bouillon Racine. It’s a beautiful belle époque era restaurant. Our friends have been there and recommended it, so – pourquoi pas?
Bouillon Racine
When we arrived, we were seated upstairs. We figured that’s where they stuck the foreigners. However, as people started to arrive, all we were hearing was French being spoken.
We started with a glass of champagne, just for the fun of it. We ordered starters of cream of cauliflower soup with truffled ham for Sue, while I ordered marinated shrimp with mango and coriander that came in a rice shell. Both were delicious!
For our mains, Sue had osso buco and I had the duck breast. Again, both were delicious! We paired our meals with a young Gevrey-Chambertin red burgundy wine, which paired perfectly.
Osso buco, duck, burgundy – yum!
Sue finished up dinner with a selection of cheeses, while I had a chocolate mousse cake. A glass of port wine topped off a wonderful dinner and night out.
We debated walking back to the hotel, but taking the metro easily won the debate. A few minutes later, we were back home and getting comfortable for the evening. It’s hard to believe, but we only have two days left in Paris.
Ooh la la! Another morning to sleep in. With nothing planned early, there was no pressure to do anything but take it easy – so we did!
Once we did get cleaned up, we headed out for a little walk. We were looking for a newer place that is an offshoot of Les Deux Magots. It’s located in the backstreets of the 6th arrondisement and just serves smaller items like soups, salads and sandwiches as well as their featured financiers.
It only took a few minutes of walking until we found it. We had actually passed by twice in the last couple of days without realizing it. Comptoirs des Deux Magots is the name and we were happy that we found it. It’s nothing fancy, but the food is good. We both had chicken Caesar sandwiches. Before leaving, we picked up a few financiers for back in the room.
We sat down next to a younger couple with a child from NYC. The kid was cute and didn’t start fussing until we were leaving, so I’d call that a win. They were in London and just grabbed the Eurostar for a quick weekend visit. We compared travel notes and enjoyed chatting with them.
Afterwards, we weaved our way through the neighborhood streets doing a little window shopping. There were many clothing shops, jewelry shops and art galleries with lots of people browsing. The €4000 pinkie rings may have kept them browsing too!
While we were walking we felt a few drops of rain, so we started angling our way back towards the hotel.
Église Saint-Germain des Prés
I do have to say, there were plenty of people out and about. The eateries were all busy at lunch time and despite it being cold, people were still sitting outside at some of the cafes. Some of the cafes had heaters, others had blankets and for the extra hearty people, some just had their cold chairs. Brrr….
Back at the hotel, we just relaxed for a while. Tonight we are going to a concert.
The concert was held at La Madeleine, and was a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons along with a few other popular pieces such as Pachebel’s Canon, Avé Marie and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The musicians were Les Violons de France,
The venue, the music and the musicians were all perfect. We enjoyed ourselves and the audience was very appreciative with their applause being the indicator.
Outside, the drizzly rain made it feel cold, but the streets still looked festive.
We made our way to the Metro station and headed back to the hotel. We both were feeling a little peckish, so we stopped at Cafe Louise for a glass of wine and a quick bite. It was a great way to cap off the day.
Started off the day by sleeping in. It was cozy and much needed. It must be all the Parisian air we’re taking in. Whatever the reason, it just felt good.
After getting cleaned up, we headed up the Boulevard St Germain. Today we’re going to Le Bon Marché and Le Grande Épicerie. It’s not too far of a walk and will give us a chance to see some of the surrounding neighborhoods.
There were so many quaint little shops along the way. The various chocolate shops caught my eye, but I restrained myself. Numerous shops selling clothing, shoes, jewelry, candies and other items dotted our path.
The traffic wasn’t too bad, but there were plenty of people walking around. The stores must have been busy, as people were carrying lots of shopping bags. It looked just like the Hallmark holiday movies.
When we arrived at the store, we immediately headed around the corner to check out the window displays. There was plenty of Christmas music playing, people smiling and little kids staring in awe at the holiday characters. The window displays were adorable, with charming animated characters – green bunnies playing instruments, pink flamingoes having an exercise class, crabs and octopuses having a dance-off and little purple laughing fuzz balls.
Le Bon Marché – Grande Épicerie
We then crossed the street to their huge food hall called Le Grande Épicerie. Holy smokes, now that’s a Super Marché ! Just about anything you could possibly want was found here with so many choices. Several floors of every imaginable holiday food and beverage item, beautifully displayed.
Dazzled by the market, we headed back towards our hotel. Along the way, we stopped into the Zara store to look at their mouse house and holiday decorations.
Exiting the store, we now had our own shopping bag to look cool.
And it’s a good thing we looked cool, because we got ourselves lost again. Or, I should say we were directionally impaired. A zig, a zag and we were back on track. No worries.
Given the time, we decided to skip lunch and went back to the hotel for a cup of warm tea and a pastry.
Dinner this evening was at Willi’s Wine bar, a perennial stop when we visit Paris. Tonight we journeyed over via bus. The bus stop is right across the street from us in front of the Saint Germain Des Prés Church. We hopped on and it only took seventeen minutes to get there, including a three minute walk.
We were early for our reservation, but they had our table available so we were promptly seated. We had our first beverage and our order in before our scheduled reservation time.
We started with a glass of champagne just to whet our appetites. For starters, Sue had a rabbit parfait, while I had a roast quail. Both were delicious. We then had a bottle of Volnay burgundy with our main course. We both had the braised leg of venison with winter vegetables and red cabbage. Again, it was tender and delicious. For dessert, we both had a Praline mousse with thin pastry and roasted almonds and hazelnuts.
Having enjoyed our meals and having a chance to chat briefly with Owner Mark Williamson, we happily set off for home. We once again used our tickets for the bus and twenty minutes later we arrived back in our room.
It was a nice night and a good day overall. We had a chance to relax for a while before calling it a night.