June 13th ~ Paris : MonMartre & Sacre-Coeur Part 3

Caught train back to the Champs Ellysees and to the Grand Palace, where a Russian ballet on ice (free) was due to be performed. Got there an hour or so before the performance and got the last seats. There was a fashion parade before the ballet of the best of Russian haute couture, and then a number of stunning routines on the ice. Then on to the Latin Quarter for dinner and had a wonderful last meal in Paris in a busy brasserie.


Walked back to Les Halles to catch the double decker train,getting back about 9 pm , very tired.

June 13th ~ Paris : MonMartre & Sacre-Coeur Part 1

Chris got up early @ 7.30 am to catch up on e mails & weather forecast, by piggybacking the campsite restaurant’s wifi at sunrise on the banks of the Seine. Quite sunny with high cloud. Conflicting forecasts, with the BBC saying “hot and sunny all day”, and Weather Underground (www.wunderground.com) saying “cloudy all day”. Good news that Mum has come through her operation well, albeit a bit groggy.


Off to catch the train to Charles de Gaulle Etoile and metro to Pigalle where there was a there was a thriving Sunday Puces (flea) market . There were numerous book stalls and bought 4 French children’s books for Mum to help with conversation. Walked up into MonMartre, where a few “3 card trick” Con-men using 3 discs, one with a white spot underneath, doing a roaring trade. One con man tried to give Jackie 100 euros , with a girl encouraging her to bet 50 euros to win the 100 euros – it was a fascinating scam, - some people bet, convinced where the spot was, and inevitiably lost. He would even leave cigarette ash on the disc where the white spot clearly was, to encourage unwary punters to bet, only to find it wasn’t there when he turned the disc over. The only way we think it worked was by trickery, and that the white disc could somehow be detatched from one disc and reattached to another when he shuffled the discs.

Exploring Montmartre, we found the "Love Wall" with the words "I Love You" in 311 languages. On up to Sacre Coeur.

June 13th ~ Paris : MonMartre & Sacre-Coeur Part 2

We walked off and continued on to the funicular railway up to Sacre-Coeur, only to be greeted numerous vans , support vehicles and a Marquee and finishing line for a cycle race around MonMartre, directly below Sacre -Coeur. Not sure if it was a leg of the Tour de France indicated on posters. After a coffee, joined the crowds entering the Church, which had a full service in progress with a packed congregation, with us tourists pouring in. Stayed for 5 minutes, observing the beautiful Church, and left the service and walked around MonMartre and the famous La Place de Tertre, with its cafes, restaurants, and itinerant portrait artists. Far too many people, but a fantastic atmosphere. After our picnic lunch, we wandered around other parts of MonMartre, and tried to find the best vantage point for the cycle race, which started at 2 pm.


Eventually established that it was a time-trial , and took pics of the first finishers, and other parts of course running up 10 flights of stairs carrying their bikes and riding back down the 10 flights.

June 12th ~ Paris Central / Seine

Heavy thunderstorms overnight with torrential rain, and still raining in the morning, although eased about 10 am. Unable to get forecast for rest of day, but headed to station and into Paris, and got off at Les Halles, taking sometime to emerge from the labrynth of underground shops and plazas.


Walked down to Notre Dame , and them on to main sights including the Louvre ( 700 metres long), Tuilierie gardens, Grande Palace ( large exhibition featuring Russian art & technology, as it is “Russia Week” in France this week), le Petit Palace, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe , Eiffel Tower. Then took a river trip on the bateau mouches , taking in all the bridges and riverside sights, and then Alexander 3rd bridge & L’Hotel L’Invalides. Took bus to Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) , and then popped into Notre Dame as queues diminished, and lit a candle for Mum’s speedy recovery. Had dinner in one of the Latin Quarter’s bustling brasseries, and the back to Les Halles to catch train back, getting back to camp by 9 pm. All in all a hectic but very satisfactory days sightseeing!

June 11th ~ Maisons-Laffitte, Paris

An imposed early start enabled us to be on the road @ 7.45 am heading for Paris. Weather improved again, and clear and sunny with large fluffy clouds and a big sky. Had coffee in Vendôme, which had its Friday market around the 13th Century Abbey. Didn’t have time to visit the Chateau on a rocky ridge above the Loire – “another one for next time” is becoming a favourite phrase. Drove on to Versailles to visit the Royal Palace and Gardens, but as we only had 2 hours, could not do them justice. The highlight of the Palace was the hall of mirrors of course, and the gardens, but a further visit needed .


Drove North to Maisons Laffitte campsite, a nice place on an island in the Seine, with a train station 10minutes walk away. 4* star campsite, but meal there was expensive and poor quality, and wifi @ 4 euros per hour, so not impressed. The site , although handy for Paris (25 minutes by train) is noisy, with the constant trains, boats on the river and planes from Charles de Gaulle Airport. It is also patrolled by 2 large geese, who honk and hiss whilst wandering the site.

Will “do” Paris over the weekend. Weather forecast set to be fine with sun all day.

June 10th ~ Potiers – Futuroscope Aire

Weather much improved today, with high cloud and partial clear skies, and a bit of sun. Headed off to Bourdeilles, a 10km detour and the 3rd village in the area, and the “small town that has everything” in the guide book, “with its narrow gothic bridge with cut-water piers spanning the Dronne, water mill and medieval chateau”.Sure enough it had all these, but was not nearly as attractive as St-Jean –de-Cole and Brantôme. We did the circuit and headed off via Bergerac and Angoulěme, stopping off at hypermarket to stock up on Bergerac wine boxes. Unfortunately, not stocked as a local wine, so just got a box of the local Vienne Merlot.


After lunch in an Aire, drove on to Potiers, and beyond to Futuroscope Digital City, a theme park, exploring technology in a futuristic environment, with interactive digital experiences. Opted for the evening session 5 pm – 11pm @ 17 euros, and ate early in the van. Then tried as many experiences as we could in the period, but were thwarted by severe thunderstorms, getting drenched several times. The interactive rides included wearing 3D glasses and seats which one had to be strapped into and banged and jolted, creating very real sensations of flying and high speed car rides.White-knuckle rides included La Vienne Dynamique, and a fantasy excursion into the local Vienne Department, Voyageurs du ciel at de la mer (riding high above and below the waves), Les Astramouches (3D adventure of 3 flys on Apollo 11, , and the best one, Arthur, l’Adventure 4D (flying on ladybuggies and whisked away to the fantasy world of the Minimoys – an incredible experience. Several shows were cancelled because of the rain, but the finale went ahead with a spectacular son et lumiere show with coloured fountains, projected laser images etc..

Click on the link if interested http://www.futuroscope.com/

We camped at the Futuroscope Aire @ 6 euro, but had to be away by 8am next morning.