Friday Although the forecast was showers we went ahead with our plan to visit the Palace of Versailles gardens. We have visited the Palace a few times previously so decided against battling the crowds to view the stunning interior of the Palace again. Upon arriving at the gates to Versailles we were amazed by the huge crowds, a sea of umbrellas and the huge carpark absolutely full of tour coaches. We certainly made the right decision to view the gardens as sp...

Provins is a pretty medieval town about 70 kilometres from Paris. The town has existed since the early Middle Ages. It was a significant trade market in the 12th & 13th centuries largely due to the Champagne Fairs, safely trading behind it's fortified walls. The Champayne Fairs were an annual cycle of trading fairs held in towns in the Champagne and Brie regions of France in the Middle Ages. From their origins in local agricultural and stock fairs, the Champa...

Tuesday - Chateau Fontainebleau The Royal Chateau is located around 55 kilometres from the centre of Paris and has been inhabited by the French royal families and Emperors continuously for seven centuries. It has 1500 rooms and the grounds cover an area of 130 acres. The chateau is beautiful and covers many centuries of architecture which all seem to blend in to each other and its sheer size is amazing with buildings all joined to each other with large courtyard...

Bastille Market Day Sunday We decided to check out a Paris market & the Bastille market was the closest. This market sells everything from kitchenware, clothing, toys, fabrics, leather goods but I was interested in the produce and was not disappointed by the range & quality of fruit, vegetables, herbs, oils, spices, fish, meats, fresh & cured, all manner of cheeses, fresh pasta, cakes as well as freshly cooked meals. We couldn't resist the crepes for ...

Champs Elise, Chateau Vincennes and La Defence. Thursday we had an easy day, walked to the Champs Élysées up to the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. The streets were full of tourists doing the...