Began our last full day together in France with a beautiful sight. Two hot air balloons floating over the Loire Valley as the sun rise. Lovely. On to our last day in Paris through the beautiful Loire Valley, with its marvelous castles, lovely flowing river, and many farms and fields. Made a stop at King Francis’ “hunting lodge”, Chambord. It is probably the biggest and most ornate of all the castles we saw! Took a group picture, and a few minutes...

Left this beautiful city of Bordeaux and this lovely region this morning. Our next stop was the town of Cognac, famous for the brandy. Learned while all cognac is brandy, not all brandy is cognac, as it must be made in that region. Stopped at a pretty Château du Royal Cognac for an informational tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable with both the history of the Château and its many inhabitants, as well as the making and history of cognac as well. ...

What a pretty city ! Following breakfast, began our day with a tour of Bordeaux. Our guide Lucile, took us on the bus to the east side of the river, past the wine museum, and over the four column bridge, that raises up like an elevator to let boats through, to see a gorgeous view of the city. On the way she explained how people here don’t talk about liking kinds of wine, but rather they like east bank or west bank wines, as the soil from each side of the r...

Left this interesting place of Lourdes, and on our way to the Bordeaux region. Left this lovely city passing by the castle on the hill, and out to the countryside bordering the Pyrenees. These mountains form the border between France and Spain, and while tall, are shorter than the Alps. After stopping for lunch, started our journey through the Bordeaux region. Miles and miles of beautiful vineyards and chateau populate this scenic area. Magnificent! ...

Following breakfast, began our day with a tour of the castle city of Carcassonne. Our guide is an archeologist who has researched and written about this ancient city. This city was settled 600 years before Christ, and has had many inhabitants, including the Romans. Our guide pointed out many interesting facts about the wall and towers, and how some were original to Roman, and other parts were built during the Middle Ages. Proceeded around the inner wa...