by Anne Woodyard | Feb 4, 2017 | Aix en Provence, Aix en Provence market, Eiffel Tower, France, France travel, Paris, Pompidou, provence, Seine
Weekend of January 22, 2017
Aix en Provence & Paris, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you!
We’re looking ahead to Spring – Aix en Provence for the Easter Festival.
We’ll hop on a train for Paris later today, but just have to take a market stroll one more time! It’s warmed up a bit, and the market’s back to life, with flower-sellers filling the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville as they usually do. 
Even though it doesn’t last very long, I bought some of that fragrant mimosa earlier this week – it’s such a winter-brightener!
In Place Richelme the daily market is packed – a few winter tourists join the local hordes, enjoying the life and color. 
All that you need for a warming pot of soup is right here! 
The thrice-weekly larger produce market has moved from Place des Precheurs to Cours Sextius, and I notice a few newbies, such as this Corsican vendor. 
On a corner or two are individuals selling mimosa and violets – 
perhaps they’ve driven in from east of here, where mimosa grows in such abundance that there are festivals at this time of year!
Good bye to Aix, as we hop on the train to Paris. As we walk to our friend’s home for dinner, the sun sets over the Seine – remember, Paris is always a good idea!
A rosy sky greets us the next morning from our hotel balcony, 
and we quickly pack up and get ready to fly, leaving ourselves time for one last stroll around the City of Lights. Just around the corner is the Pompidou Center, 
and we wave goodbye to Dali – 
we’ll be back soon!
by Anne | Aug 12, 2015 | Aix en Provence, Angelina Hot Chocolate, Eiffel Tower, fountains, France, France travel, Gardens, Luxembourg Gardens, Medici Fountain, Pompidou, Rotonde fountain, Uncategorized
August 8-10,2015
Paris, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you!
How about celebrating Mozart in the matchless city of Bath, England in November?
Just a weekend in Paris before heading south – with our grandaughter! How would you spend that time in the City of Lights? What would be your must-sees? Or must-tastes?
Our early morning flight from Dulles arrived even earlier than scheduled, so we were ready for breakfast as soon as we dropped off our luggage at the hotel – 
pain au chocolate was Cassidy’s choice, and then we hit the ground running, stopping first by Notre Dame,
then walking through the Louvre courtyard, staying outside to keep awake!
Then back to the hotel, where our room was already prepared, nice and early, so we could change into lighter clothes as the temps rose in Paris. After more French tastes – 
moules-frites for this adventuresome eater- 
followed by an Amorino gelato (yes, Italian tastes too!), 
we crashed on our beds for a short nap.
Next Paris icon? Montmartre! Those steps will wake us up again!
Hotel Welcome, our simple and comfortable lodging for the weekend, is in a terrific location – on Rue du Seine just off Rue de Buci, surrounded by some really good restaurants, cafes and bakeries. Cassidy wants to try a Savoy fondue place, so that’s our dinner, then we’re off to sleep early, almost before the sun sets (yes, that’s the Eiffel Tower, from our 5th floor window).
Sunday morning calls for some good strong coffee to get us started, and Malongo is just down the street.
One of Paris’ best markets, Bastille, is on Sunday 
and we find some treasures to take home – marinieres (striped sailors tees) for us,
a handcrafted tote for Cassidy. We’re offered lots of nibbles along the way too – sausage from one stall, nougat from another, a piece of ripe peach here, a crouton with tapenade there.
One of Paris’ most beautiful and historic squares is not too far away, the Place de Vosges, 
and under the surrounding arches a very talented harpist stops us in our stroll. And soon we’re in the thick of the hopping Marais district, where Uniqlo has opened one of their newest locations in an historic Ash Factory (where cinders from jewelers waste were sifted through in search of gold generations ago). 
I love how the Parisian team has designed the simple Uniqlo basics – such style!
A peek into the courtyard of the Carnavalet museum, 
some bulot (seasnails) for lunch, 
and more music on the streets – Dixieland –
hasn’t she got the moves?! On the way to our next Paris icon we pass a magnificent man in his flying machine – 
the Marais is full of interesting characters!
Have you guessed where we’re heading next? The Pompidou! 
A stop at the quirky Stravinsky fountain,
then a vintage shop,
the Hôtel de Ville (town hall), where a serious game of beach volleyball is going on, 
and we metro to dessert by the Tuileries. Any guesses?
The most luscious hot chocolate in the world, in my opinion –
in the Belle Epoque beauty of Angelina!
A stop next door, to goggle at the magnificent lobby of Hotel Meurice, 
and Cassidy leaves her mark on the framed ice. 
A late afternoon break, then escargot and a croque monsieur for dinner
in the sunset,
and then – can’t miss it! – the twinkling Eiffel Tower (it glitters like diamonds for 5 minutes on the hour after dark) before bed.
We fit in one more Paris favorite Monday morning before hopping on the train to Aix en Provence, the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens,
summer plantings obviously well-watered even in the unprecedented heatwave of July and August. 
We take in today’s regatta, going strong on the pond,
read and relax together, 
then head for the Gare de Lyon, home of the gorgeous Train Bleu restaurant,
where we board the TGV (FAST train) to Aix. She’s snoozing at 300 km/hr! Have we exhausted you too?!
Welcome to Aix – 
can’t wait to share our home with the first family member to visit!
by Anne | Apr 25, 2015 | Jeff Koons, Lido, Paris, Pompidou, Seine, Uncategorized
Monday – Wednesday, March 30 to April 1, 2015
Paris, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you!
We’re looking ahead to summer – join us on the fabulous Amalfi Coast in July?
A quick flight from Toulouse to Paris Orly Airport, on the bus with other Rendezvous France participants, and we’re soon whizzing up to the top levels of our Seine-side hotel, with views to Paris’s own Statue of Liberty 30 plus floors below. 
Tonight we’re invited to the Lido, a first for us….and we had no idea that these Parisian shows included not just those renowned high-kicking girls, but a sword-swallower, acrobats, ice-skaters, a playful mime,
clowns, and more! In between bites of a quite good dinner we took it all in – a calliope rather like a one-man-band, 
Paris-in-the-rain sketches, 
smiling showgirls
strutting around with head dresses nearly as high as they were tall,and what had been billed as “an epic can-can” 
– my favorite part of all!
The gorgeous dresses were lined with pink feathers!
After a full day of meetings with travel suppliers from around the country, we crossed the Seine at sunset for another evening of fun, 
this time at the Pompidou Center – more dancing girls,
crooning “I Love Paris…”
and a private look at the Jeff Koons retrospective. Yes, we knew about his balloon figures, 
but not about this exotic mirror (his Antiquity series), 
or the Gazing Ball series – classical figures adorned with spheres It’s always a pleasure to view art in a quiet non-crowded setting. 
We finished our Paris quickie with dinner with our dear friends from Virginia 
(the proprietor was a better server than photographer!) – we’ve enjoyed memorable meetings with them in Paris through the years. Perhaps my favorite was that November when we looked at the holiday windows of the Grands Magasins together. Kirk enjoyed his only snails of the trip that evening.
Next stop – back to our beloved Aix en Provence!
The best way to describe us (Kirk and Anne Woodyard) is that we're interested in the stories that make the places we visit come alive.
We've visited Europe more times than we can count, learned some entertaining stories there, and met some warm and helpful people who also enjoy the wonders of music and life in Europe. Between our music-related travels, we split our time between our homes near Washington DC and in the the south of France. We look forward to sharing these stories and friends and experiences with you.