Summer Vacay Part Deux: France

Yesterday was my first post in quite some time.... and today is a follow up to what began there.

Click here if you missed my "Iceland Edition" of Summer Vacay 2014. 

Today's topic is Part Deux: France.

I just love this place. Don't believe me? Well, I was married there and that makes it special to me in a way no other place ever will be. 

On top of that, it was the trips there before being married that made me think it would be the best location for our wedding. My hubby isn't French...he's Irish... but speaks French...as for me....only English {insert sad face here!}

After a short 4 days in Iceland we flew to Lyon for the start of 11 days in France.

I hate when people post pictures on their dinner. Actually that isn't true... I hate when people post pictures of the most basic dinner one has ever seen. Is that mean? I just want to say...yeah, you're eating... I get it. If there is something special about your meal or it is your birthday cake...well, then post away! 

So does this make me a hypocrite? Maybe.

Below was our first meal - noting that special... although beyond delicious for some random corner cafe.
And here are my questions....
#1 Can you spot what is "wrong" in the picture?
#2 Can we talk about that amazing "Chevre Chaud" salad action? YUM!

If your answer was there is nothing wrong with that picture...well, then we share the same opinion. But the actual answer is that we shouldn't be drinking a cappuccino as we eat... that is reserved for after! 

It is a French...and really just Euro.....tradition I love: to have your espresso or cappuccino at the end of your meal.

In this situation we had just arrived and I wanted my first sip of heaven NOW! 

We ended up in Lyon by chance. I found a sixty Euro flight from Reykjavik, Iceland to Lyon and that is how that happened. We spent only two nights in this city and I loved its look and feel... I will need to go back.

When you travel you make friends...and here is a perfect example.
Weird picture you may think... but one of my favorite memories. That would be the bartender from our hotel walking us to the place where he personally made dinner reservations for us. He didn't want us to get lost so he left his bar..as in just left... no other bartenders there... 

And it wasn't busy or anything, but that just wouldn't happen here..would it?

And he led us through the streets of Lyon to the restaurant. Now that is some amazing service. {For us at least... maybe not for anyone waiting in the bar!}

Next we headed south toward the Mediterranean to the "Cote d'Azur" which means blue coast... and that is no lie.

We stayed 6 nights in Juan les Pins which is a neighboring town to Antibes. 

If you are going to France I think the south needs to be on your agenda and yes, Nice is great, but there are so many other small towns sprinkled along the coast that are just terrific. My favorite French beach town may remain Cassis, but Juan les Pins had some spunk.

People will say - You live at the beach...why do you want to go there? Well, first of all...who doesn't like the beach ALL OF THE TIME?  I live at it because I love it so. And second of all, the beaches of France are such a different experience...... that it doesn't compare to home. Both are awesome... but different.

We caught some World Cup action in Juan les Pins....

What is your guess? Did they win this day?

Why yes... for about an hour after the game there were cars and motorcycles doing laps of the city and some of the shenanigans you can see above.

It was fun to be there for this excitement!

Late night paninis were amazing and honestly delicious.




























And then we spent our last few days in Paris. Not too long since we had both been there before and wanted to maximize the time we had in the south.


And this is when I had, for the second time, frog legs.

Am I in love with them? No! But they aren't that horrible and I just like to try to get things specific and special to the culture or place I am visiting.


Did you notice the amount of references to food while in this country? Wow!

That is all for today my friends...leaving for Vegas in just a few short hours for the I Teach K and Teachers Pay Teachers Conferences!


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