There are many superlatives I could use to describe my wife,
and she does have a myriad of talents and interests apart from being very cute. The one perennial would be
that she is a true and dedicated Francophile: her love of the language and the
country, its people and customs, the look, the feel, the ambiance, in fact
virtually anything associated with France (including her shoe closet!). So,
when she suggested that she venture off again to France with her mother for our
two week winter break, how could I argue?
They have now made this trip three times over the years, the
last two times, each of them travelling independently from their respective
countries to meet in Hong Kong before flying onward together to Paris. It has
worked really well except for a slight hiccup on the way back this year, but
I'll get to that later.
Their destinations were a mix of four different cities, much
how they have planned their previous successful itineraries, with TGVs whisking
them between cities right into the heart of centraville. This time the plan was
to fly into Paris, catch the fast train straight from the airport to Lille
before spending time there, travelling onwards to Strasbourg and then to Reims.
Finally, they would spend a requisite few days in gay Paris to bookend the
journey.
The TGV trips were fast, efficient and very rapid, yet gave
the chance once again to view the French countryside, the tiny farms and
villages along the way as well as people going about their everyday lives.
Lille had a big wheel that was an excellent first stop to get an overview of
the city and take the first of Cassy's 700 photos! (I'm sure Valerie has more….).
Lille was a delightful small city that exuded all the flair and charm that
exists in most cities in France: the stunning architecture, the fastidiously
cared for gardens and public spaces and a myriad of options to stimulate the
intellect. They visited the Musee de Beaux Arts and found the collection quite
extraordinary but perhaps an even greater discovery was the first of many
"Paul's" delicatessen/boulangerie from which the girls sourced the delicate and
scrumptious sandwiches and eclairs that were the theme of their trip! One
amazing highlight was taking a local train for a day trip to the town of Lens,
where there is a dramatically stocked and visually dazzling boutique autrement
of The Louvre. It was a glacial masterpiece all on one level, taking advantage
of the acres of land available in this country setting. Priceless and inspiring
Roman, Greek and Egyptian artifacts vied with halls of medieval masters and
Cassy's favourite impressionists for viewing time.
Another TGV, another city and Strasbourg delighted on some
similar and some different levels. European Christmas markets are some of the
most exciting outdoor markets anywhere in the world and Strasbourg's rivaled the
very best of these. C&V wandered, shopped, marveled and tasted their way in
and around the stalls, drinking in the atmosphere and sights and sounds. They
journeyed on a batorama through the city's series of streams and canals (even
through some locks!) where they enjoyed a different perspective of the layout
of the city and its architectural gems. The Strasbourg Cathedral was leviathan
in scope and size, an intimidating presence which Cass says dwarfed the Albi
cathedral, which I had found the most imposing I'd ever seen. Another feature of
the city was the Palais Rohan, the Alsace region's jewel of baroque style,
housing an exceptional treasure trove of fine art, furniture, decorations and
other.
By this stage, the girls had almost literally walked every
street and lane of these two French cities, perhaps counteracting their daily
feeds of goat's cheese, delicate cakes and pastries, flan, quiche and macaroons.
They were saving themselves for the Champagne caves of the Reims area, to which
their third TGV flew them. A bus tour to the cave of Taittinger, allowed them
carte blanche to revel in the tastes and sensations of this special
destination. A foppish, prissy (and of course, stylish!) gent lectured them on
the art of the making, appreciating and drinking of the product and gave their
group a tour of the facilities, whereupon they were left to sample ample
quantities of the product! This theme persisted throughout their stay and they
managed to have a few more "samples" here and there to accompany
their sweet takeaways from the boulangerie! The Reims Musee de Beaux Arts was visited and
revealed itself to be of the same stellar quality of all the preceding galleries
and musees. A particularly interesting and unexpected highlight was the site of
the signing of the armistice to end World War Two, signed at a school in Reims
with high ranking Nazis. The site is now preserved for posterity and has some
powerful historical displays as well as documents and furniture in situ just as
they were when the treaty was signed.
I don't think Cassy would contemplate visiting France
without at least some days spent in her favourite spot in the world: yes,
that's right, gay Paris, the ballerina on the jewelry box of the world! After
again being jettisoned into town on the TGV and cleverly finding their hotel
with the minimum of fuss (full credit to the navigators who did this across all
the unfamiliar cities in their travels)they immediately embarked upon a
whirlwind of shopping, eating, observing, travelling and admiring to pack as
much as possible into their final three days. Their small but plush apartment
(with a gratuitous dishwasher!) at the Citadine near Les Halles was the perfect hub to the spokes of their exploring wheel. Cassy just loves that Paris metro
(I reckon it smells like an old wino's month old trousers) no matter what
anyone says, and they journeyed on well-trodden paths to boutiques and stores
and museums and galleries all over the city. They took a scenic cruise on a
tourist boat on The Seine as the sun melted away to evening, experiencing the
day and night views of all the bridges and the famous edifices lining the right
and left banks. Their trip to The Louvre was undertaken under clear blue skies,
but their Eiffel Tower ascent was marred by a ban on progress to the top deck
owing to high winds….lucky they'd been before! It was a magic day for them, climaxing
with Cassy hailing a recumbent pedicab driver for the trip back to their
apartment across the other side of the river and the city: it was quite enchanting
to get yet another perspective of this, no doubt even enhanced in favoritism,
city.
The Musee de Arts Decoratifs was filled with wondrous objects
to drool over; the coffee eclairs were as sweet and delicate as they had been
all over the country, the pichets as rich and meaty and the goat's cheese as delicious
and aromatic, while the Paris night light show danced and pulsed captivating
the two enthralled. What whirlwind, wondrous weeks were had!
A tiny hiccup when Valerie's return seat was unrecognized by
Cathay Pacific, necessitating her travelling on another airline home. The
downside was not travelling together as far as Hong Kong, the upside an upgrade
to business class from Bangkok to Sydney. I was so glad to welcome my girl back
home, but I don't mind her spending that quality time with her Mum as they both
enjoy it so, so much. It's a bonus for me when I see that sparkle in her eyes
as she speaks about the wonders of the Gallic world….those French!
This is a selection (less than a tenth!) of the photos.
This is a selection (less than a tenth!) of the photos.