Prairie Wife Goes to France

Posted March 26, 2014 by Prairie Wife - 4 comments

The Cowboy and I are back from France! We had the trip of a lifetime and I have so many things I want to share with all of you. We took a Collette tour where we flew into Nice on the French Rivera. Nice was our home base and we spent each day loading up on a tour bus and heading to nearby cities and points of interest. We were kind of nervous about being on a bus full of strangers all day but we ended up traveling with some very lively and interesting people! Before we went on the trip we envisioned having to follow after the guide like sheep and having to stop every few minutes to hear a lecture on the history of a specific house, or painting…and that’s not really our style. So we tentatively made plans to skip a few of the days and explore on our own.

Our lovely Collette guide was nothing like this, and we ended up going on every tour offered! As we drove she would explain where we were headed and highlight a few of the places we might want to see, and slipped in a few educational facts about French culture or the region. Upon arrival she would bid us adieu and we were told when to meet back at the bus. She always gave us the option to walk with her, and we learned so much when we did. We spent hours wandering around the quaint twisting stone streets of France. We ate no less than two ice cream cones a day, my favorite was Caramel while The Cowboy liked Grapefruit the best. We came back home tired from the traveling, but brimming with stories and new experiences to share with our family and friends. It always fills me with so much joy to know that we can go away for a week without the kids, and enjoy each others company just as much as when we were first dating!

One of the best things in France was the Market. Watching and listening to all the locals purchase and barter was wonderful. The smells and colors are forever etched into my memory. And the strawberries…they were heavenly!

Walking through the towns was like walking through a period movie. The twists and turns offered multiple opportunities to explore, and the shadows cast by the buildings made it nice and cool. Every once in a while you would turn a corner and come across a bit of sun, a breathtaking view, or a charming little entryway.

The views of the Mediterranean Sea from the coastal villages were stunning. The water was always several shades of blue and we were lucky to have weather in the 60’s for the whole trip. We bought some of the wonderful strawberries and some delicious French bread from the Market, and had a picnic on the beach.

Every town we went to we made sure we stopped by the cathedrals. The stonework and art was impressive to say the least. But, I was more struck by the thought that for hundreds of years, generations of families had been gathering together in these churches to pray and worship…amazing. Can you imagine what the walls of those churches have seen?

Everyone talks about the food in France, and thank goodness we did so much walking because we didn’t pass up a single opportunity to indulge. Every meal was a work of art! One of my favorites was a stuffed vegetable dish that was a specialty to the region…yum! The Cowboy’s favorite place to eat was Restaurant La Bergerie d’Eze, it was a quaint French building set in the cliffs high above the town of Eze. The food, view and atmosphere couldn’t have been more wonderful!

Spring arrived in France just before we did, and I had to take a pictures of the beautiful colors!

The Cowboy was fascinated with all the history, and one of his favorite things was an old Roman amphitheater.

As I look out the window and see the sun shining on three inches of Fresh snow, I know I have at least a month before Spring arrives in Wyoming. I am so thankful to Ma and Pa for watching the Cowkids so we could travel across the world and have some amazing memories to keep me warm!

Where would you love to travel? What picture was your favorite!

Categories: Life As It Happens, Prairie Life

Tags: , France, pictures, Praire Wife, Travel, Vacation