Bonjour France
Post date: 25-Aug-2009 15:08:59
Colin and had a short under 90 minutes flight on Aer Lingus to the Charles de gaulle airport on
Friday, August 21, 2009. France is one hour ahead of Dublin so we managed to skip the jet lag. It was very exciting to greet the couple waiting for us (who we are doing a hospitality stay with through www.homeexchange.com) because Lorna was holding up a little cardboard sign with our names on it. This sign made us feel rather important and special.
We instantly felt comfortable with the couple hosting us. On Saturday, Lorna and Bernard took us on a tour of La Chapelle en Serval which is the village that they live in and the surrounding area. They showed us how to buy passes for the train to Paris and the Metro in Paris. They also took us to a beautiful Lake near their house.
We saw the Domaine de Chantilly and there were many people taking their pictures next to the beautiful building. There is also a horse stable on the grounds too.
We walked around the town of Senlis admiring the narrow cobblestone streets that were wide enough for a horse and buggy and can now barely fit one car. We saw a few cathedrals and learned about the history of the war in the town. There was a wedding at the cathedral, so we only caught a glimpse of the inside as the doors were sealed.
On Sunday, Colin and I decided to embrace French culture by going to Le Pain Dore to buy a fresh baguette for 0.70 euros. The people we are staying with buy bread everyday. They said that French food contains less perservatives and it's best to have fresh bread with your supper. After we bought our bread, we walked home in the beautiful 30 weather and posed in vicarious positions with the bread. I also proudly ordered and paid for the bread en Francais. The little bit I know is coming back to me.
You can admire the rest of our 115 photos from the weekend here: