Campanile - Beauvais

... trop fatigué pour m'aimer, mais c'est pas grave... Anne Laure travaille à l'aéroport et me raconte tout le fonctionnement et les mésaventures que l'on peut rencontrer en temps que voyageur ou encore comme salarié de "Ryanair" (ou presque). Une mine d'informations partagées devant une bonne tartiflette... que du bonheur... surtout que j'ai été reçu comme un roi... une fois encore vive couchsurfing et merci à toi Anne Laure!

... supposed to be leaving in 10 minutes, but there still was no posting where the train was. Merima asked an agent in the train station, and that's when we realized daylight savings time had already taken place, so we were an hour early. We went and got a coffee and could not get over the fact no one told us the time was changing. Oh well, it was better than being an hour late. So we had to get to the airport in a town called Beauvais. In order to get to ...

... dined" us as if we were favorite old friends. They shared 20 year old wine with us! (In the US, we buy wine and drink it that night. The French buy wine and save it for a later date.) I was speechless that they were willing to share such a treasure with us. We enjoyed a very special afternoon with them. Before we left they shared some ...

... 2nd level and took some pics and then eventually made our way down, went and found some dinner, and headed back to STeph's place to rest our tired feet! On Sunday, we had learned that all of the Museums in Paris are free admission on the first sunday of every month, so we wanted to fit those into that day. WE started going to the Arc de Triumph, but found out that to go up for free it is only the 1st sunday of the months nov-mar ...

... was late... The Chateau de Raray was built by the Bouteiller family, which is known for being the site of Cocteau's "La Belle et la Bete" or, Beauty and the Beast. The only real aspects about this chateau that impressed me: lunch (be...our...guest...be our guest...and the service was the BEST! no kidding...it was amazing), and the statues...the statues kinda creeped me out, but they were interesting. I wasn't really impressed in the chateau because it reminded me of a country club...

I have always been interested in France. Also in the most beautiful villages of France. One of them is Gerberoy. Close (300 km./180 miles) to my home we went to visit it. It was desolated and abandonned until Henri-Eugene le Sidaner decided to reside there. He was a painter and other artists came and restored the village to its beauty it is now.

... of headaches and problems, and is still an unfinished masterpiece.  It's no accident she was built in France, the cradle of Gothic architecture. Work begun in the 13th century, a time where the growing burgs of France competed against each other for the most beautiful and daring cathedral.  The city of Beauvais simply ...

After Rouen it was on to Giverny to see Monet's house and garden, which were very pretty with all the flowers out. As we were leaving there was a thunderstorm and we got soaked. The lightning was striking all around us, which was quite scary, but I asked a french bus driver who was waiting for a tour group if we could shelter in his bus. Still dripping wet, our bus ...

Spent a lovely few days in Laversines with Michelle, Austin, Bethany, Eleonore, Samuel and Joshua. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we spent time visiting Beauvais 'Beach', the market and we went to an amusement park called Parc St Paul and Buffalo Grill to celebrate Samuel's Birthday ...

... was way too crowded at the top level so we walked around once and went back down to the second level. Much, much nicer at the second level - don't spend the extra money to go up to the third! Spent time walking around and pointing out landmarks to Darin. Walked down the staircase on the East Pillar to the first level. Was cool to see all the ironwork up close. Hard to imagine them building it! Spent a little time on the 1st level before heading back down and to the hotel.