Checking the weather in Paris
Bonnie is checking the weather from our suite. A short walk from “La Tour” itself, we used our RCI points to stay at this charming little family ‘pension’ on the left bank in Paris last September (2004). Two blocks from a daily street market and numerous cosy little gourmet restaurants, we really enjoyed our stay in France’s capital filling every available moment with visits to the many places of interest within comfortable walking distance.

We saw Mona Lisa and much more in the Louvre, Van Gogh and contemporaries in the Musee d’Orsay, the majestic shrine of Notredame, the famed Paris Opera House but no phantom! and the Eiffel Tower of course. Venturing a little further afield one day we took the Metro to Montmartre and hobnobbed with the artists who find their inspiration in that historic arts community, home at one time to Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Dali and many others among the greatest artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

After a week in Paris we took the TGV train to Provence where we stayed in a charming little cottage tucked away in a small vineyard close to St. Remy, the rural town where Van Gogh spent his final years. After lots of sunshine and fine French wine our too brief visit to France ended with 3 luxurious days in the five star Hilton on the banks of the Rhône in Lyon adjacent to the Tête d’Or Parc. Our accommodations in Provence and Lyon were also RCI points exchange.

All in all a wonderful holiday. Thankfully the travelling turned out to be a lot simpler than we imagined or expected. We are already planning our next visit!

Michael & Bonnie Stebbings