Back to France

Ted. As Judy and I plan our journeys each year, we consider two lists; those places to which we would like to visit for the first time and those places to which we would like to return. For our summer/fall trip to Europe this year, we chose to do less exploring and more wandering of familiar places. 

We wanted to begin with a little adventure by taking the Eurostar train under the English Channel from London to Paris. In a pandemic, each country has its own rules for entry and as previously mentioned, the UK is a bit tricky. All that France requires is proof of vaccination. The train is a fast (up to 185 mph) and inexpensive ($70) way to travel between London and Paris. It only takes 2-1/2 hours (and that’s downtown to downtown so you skip the journey out to the airport). There is not much to see; a blur of countryside, then a tunnel and then more blur. 

On arrival at the Gare du Nord train station we immediately tried to push aside our Spanish and think in French for the first time in three years. It proved a simple matter to journey by Metro to the suburb of Vincennes, our home base for the next six weeks. We had visited this town in 2011 with grandson Parker to see the famous 14th century Château de Vincennes and vowed to return one day. It is only 20 minutes to downtown Paris on the Metro and adjacent to the huge park, Bois de Vincennes. 

Parker at Château, 2011

Judy at Château, 2021

The next day, we went to a nearby café to celebrate Judy’s birthday. She had steak tartare, a favorite that one can’t find in the US. Of course the champagne was French. The waiters brought her a chocolate mousse with a candle and sang the French equivalent of Happy Birthday. That was followed by two complementary glasses of ice cold Poire William, an excellent pear brandy.

The next morning, it was back on a high-speed train for a special weekend in the north of France. While living in Germany in the 70’s I had become friends with an American named Don and we have remained close ever since. You can read more about Don and his wife, Catherine by visiting our blog archives and reading a post that Judy published on April 1, 2018. Suffice it to say that we would not think of coming to France without a visit with this charming couple. 

As I write this, we are catching our breath before the next adventure. On Thursday, we fly to Stockholm for a visit to our Swedish friends, Mikaela, Björn and Malou. Of course, first we must pass another covid test. Oh dear, is that my anxiety rising again?