Arriving in Paris from the depths of the metro made me feel like a child who has just laid eyes on her first pony (wrapped in a big red bow) after the blindfold has been pulled away. We came up the stairs facing the Arc de Triomphe, which stands boldly at the center of the biggest roundabout in Europe. This arch is a monument to the Grande Armee (the name of France's army at the time) by order of Napoleon. We went under the roundabout to the arch via the tunnel...

Following what would be our last adventure in the great outdoors came the second largest city in France, Lyon. Lyon is known for its gastronomic glory, the capital of fine French cuisine. You might think that title would go to Paris, but Lyon is the place for oddities and classics alike. We spent one single day in Lyon because we were itching to get to Paris. But, we could have stayed longer with more time. This fantastic city, situated on the Rhone River, is l...

I was worried about maintaining my Riviera tan after leaving the coast of France. But as we learned quickly, the farther we drove into the Provence region the hotter it became. On our way to Vallon Pont d'Arc, a popular town on the Ardeche River Gorge, we stopped here and there to see the blooming lavender fields. The south of France is the home of perfume and the flowers needed for it. Lavender, one of many flowers used to create the essential oils in perfume,...

Our first introduction to France was its long, clear blue southern coastline rightfully named the Cote d'Azur. The Blue Coast is remarkable and luxurious. We drove from Italy to Monaco and then stopped in Nice (pronounced "Niece") for lunch. This was the first French food we tried and it was in a busy roadside café. We stopped to just check our GPS on the side of the road and then decided we would eat. A lucky stop it was. Steve ordered the Tartar, which is ra...