I went to Paris last Summer (2016), but I never could bring myself to write about it. I love Paris so, so much and putting my trip into words seemed too daunting of a task (dramatic, I know!). But, so many people I know are traveling to Paris in the near future and I really want my pictures readily available to everyone on the internet…so I finally decided to memorialize my trip!
Ah, Paris! #swoon
As you may have read in my last post, I recently spent a long weekend in the Alsace – the lovely French region on the German border with loads of influence from both cultures! I based in Colmar and toured around a bit, including taking a wine tour through Gueberschwihr, Eguisheim, Turckheim, and Riquewhir with Ophorus Wine Tours. This post is all about my tour, some parts of which are doable on your own, while others are probably easier with a local guide. As always, details on the tour and the individual vineyards are below!
Our tour was a full day wine tour and started with a pick up at 9:00 in the parking lot of Colmar’s only movie theatre. It was just us, one other American couple and our tour guide, Myriam (who was FABULOUS!). Before departure, Myriam gave us a quick overview of the day and some maps and then we were off to…the charming and tiny village of Gueberschwihr!
This post is all about my long weekend in Colmar, Alsace! For those unfamiliar with the region, Alsace is the Germanic region of France lying on France’s Eastern border next to Germany. Throughout history the Alsace has switched off between French and German rule and as a result, the Alsace retains its own culture, food and even language that is not quite French but not quite German, either. In any case, I have been wanting to visit Alsace for years! Actually since college, when a French professor that I didn’t particularly like went on and on and on about her time in Strasbourg (Alsace’s capital). I always envisioned staying in Strasbourg, the biggest city in Alsace and home of European Union offices, but in planning my trip I kept reading about Colmar, the picturesque town a short train ride from Strasbourg.
Since the first part of my trip consisted of two large cities (Stuttgart and Munich, Germany), I opted to stay in Colmar over Strasbourg, and it was the perfect decision for my trip (although Strasbourg is pretty fabulous, too). I mean, look at these canals lined with timber-framed buildings, which were everywhere (!):
COLMAR, ALSACE!
TIMBER-LINED HOUSES!
On a recent trip to Paris, Dan and I wanted to spend our last afternoon in Montmartre, specifically Sacre Coeur. Why? One of our favorite breweries made a Belgian Quad called Sacre Coeur and we wanted to drink Sacre Coeur at Sacre Coeur! Great success!
Sacre Coeur at Sacre Coeur!
Earlier this year, I flew into Paris’ Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport and needed to get from CDG to La Rochelle, France via train. I knew that it could be done, but had a difficult finding an easy guide online. And then again, earlier this month, I needed to get from Strasbourg, France to CDG, and it was so much easier and less stressful having already figured it all out. So, here is my guide!
CDG is Paris’ largest airport and an ideal entry/exit airport for Western Europe. CDG is served by its very own SNCF train station in the middle of Terminal 2, called CDG-Roissy, that serves destinations throughout France, and even further into Europe. In addition, CDG has a local, cheaper train, called the RER, for venturing into Paris proper for even more connections!
The entrance to CDG-Roissy’s tracks
