Have you ever dreamed of traveling the French countryside? Enjoying little villages that are producing some of the best wine in the world?
I have and I dreamed of doing this with my love. What could be more romantic, right? But since I had it built up in my head and heart, I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations. I am happy to share, it was better.
Chris and I flew into the Beauvais Airport, about an hour north of Paris. We rented a car and headed to the Burgundy region. With so many small towns to choose from, we decided on Beaune based on it's size, distance from Paris and proximity to other smaller villages we wanted to see. It was a nice location - about 3 hours drive from Paris and you can hit some other small towns on your drive to or from. Beaune is in the heart of Burgundy and we recommend it to those interested in touring the wine country/french countryside.
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| Chris walking through the vineyards on the way to Pommard |
Beaune was delightful! Since we went in the off season, it felt like we had the town to ourselves. It seemed the people coming and going were locals and we were among only a few other travelers passing through.
Beaune itself is charming. Small shops, cute restaurants, wandering streets, wine caves, vineyards all within a few minutes walk.
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| Wine tasting in the wine caves of Patriarche |
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| Patriarche Wine Caves, Founded in 1780 - The largest cellars in Burgundy |
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| The Notre Dome of Beaune |
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| Inside the Notre Dome of Beaune |
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| Part of the Wine Museum in Beaune - how they used to make wine |
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| Saturday Farmers Market |
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| Saturday Farmers Market - Beaune |
Chris and I swear our favorite meals are the ones where we pick up local food and wine and find a romantic place to eat outside together. This trip, we ended up walking from Beaune to Pommard through the vineyards - just a few km walk. As we walked between towns it was just us and people tending to the fields. We picked a stone wall that looked perfect for a rest and enjoyed our lunch watching the workers, talking about life, love and wine.
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| Once we arrived in Pommard and toured the little village - we stopped in for a wine tasting |
If you have a bike, which you can easily rent in the spring and summer, we highly recommend riding even further than Pommard. Since we were on foot, we stopped here for a wine tasting and quick walk around the village and opted to drive to some of the other small wine villages.
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| Our car |
After a few great days in Beaune, we headed back to Paris but not before hitting some other small towns along the way. And since we had time on our drive, we opted to stay off the highway for a portion of the drive and go through the back roads (which run parallel with the main highway) - and see some other towns. It's easy to get swept away in the beauty of these towns.
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| Auxerre, France - another cute town we were looking at staying in - worth visiting |
So we arrive in Paris and to be honest, last time Chris and I visited, we didn't fall in love with the city as many travelers do. So we were hoping to have a difference of opinion this trip, and we did. Maybe because it was nostalgic and a walk down memory lane this go around - but we loved Paris this trip. We walked around the city, hearts full of love and remembering past times.
For dinner - we opted for our favorite way to eat, stinky cheese from a local store, meats and a bottle of wine along the Seine River, behind the Notre Dame - just as we had done in 2011. Same bench and all. It feels like our spot just waiting for our next return.
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| Our spot |
Our last morning in Paris, we woke up early, picked up a coffee and headed to Luxemburg Park. The sun was just coming up, taking the chill out of the air - and only a few others walking around. It was a perfect way to end the trip.
Travelers Tips: The discount flights to "Paris" actually fly into Beauvais. We call this the worst aiport ever! The airplane is bigger than the airport. It doesn't appear any other airlines besides WizzAir and RyanAir fly out of here. On our day, there were two flights leaving at the same time so it was too busy for their staff. They are making improvements so my guess, in a year or so - they will have their act together but until then - brace yourself for an under prepared airport. There is a bus that takes you into Paris if you aren't renting a car.
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| The front door entrance to our hotel |
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