Mercure Troyes Centre 3m

... I didn't care to delve too deeply into the new formula. I was already penned into the calendar, so to speak, and so was basically taken along, and most graciously integrated I must say.

So, the early, and majority of our time together--Olivier's an mine--has been in the company of his girlfriend and mother, on a trip to southwestern France, in the course of visiting family and friends.

I have taken some time to plot our journies on the map. Some of the nodes are not ...

Two nights in this "charming" hotel. It has a very French flavour...wrought iron on the window, shutters etc and it was very clean and had a massage shower..but the paint was peeling on the shutters and those charming stairs to the second floor made it difficult for the long suffering suitcase carrier!! This is why you travel with a husband:)
A few very hot days has made being a good tourist difficult..we failed!!! Had thought of doing the 2 hr town walk with audio but the heat ...

... In Mulhouse, France, where I had to make the last transfer there was a 42 minute interrim. There I also had a problem. One of my own making. The social and political climates of Turkey and some of the other areas (I certainly wouldn't be so sure of Albania) had lulled me into a quasi-trusting mode. Travelers' baggage is respected, I'll just say. I never, however, leave my "day pack," containing my passport, camera, binoculars, eye glasses, laptop power cable, and ...

... is one of the features of the area. There are dozens and dozens of small to medium sized producers, as opposed to the big international houses further north is Reims and Epernay. We called in, tasted, and bought a few bottles from producers such as Fourrier, Charles Clément and Cadel. These are really high-quality, medal-winning champagnes, and at around 11-13€ a bottle (ie generally under $20), what are you ...

... by beer, wine, or champagne, ambiance music, and partaken in a lovely French kitchen. Are you drooling yet?  Me too.... Ok ok, I will stop with the menus as I do not work for the food channel. But I would like to share this little story. While we did cook most of our meals, we went out for the aforementioned moules frites.  The friends we were visiting go to the restaurant often and know the waiter.  My one American friend was waiting for her credit card to go through when we were ...

02 augustus Sensatie? Toen we gisteren terugkwamen van de lunch hadden we gezien dat de Boulevard Schumann tussen 21 en 22 uur afgesloten zou zijn. Volgens T was dat de weg langs onze camping, en aangezien wij altijd wel in zijn voor wat sensatie besloten we na het eten maar eens te gaan kijken wat daar loos was. Gewapend met camera's togen we op weg. Het zag er veelbelovend uit: een pizza-busje stond vlak voor de camping, en er ...

... dat het water uit Châtillon nogal erg naar chloor smaakte, en W had de tank juist lekker vol gedaan. Voortaan gaan we dus eerst het water proeven, en als het lekker is zorgen we dat we met een volle tank wegrijden. Je weet maar nooit hoe het op de volgende camping smaakt. En nu staan we dus weer lekker in Troyes. Morgen nog even naar de markt, en dan zondag waarschijnlijk richting Verdun. Want de weersvooruitzichten zijn niet zo best...

20 juli Rust We volgen vrijwel dezelfde route als in mei. Van Esch sur Alzette naar Verdun, en vandaar over la Voie Sacrée via Bar le Duc naar Troyes. Het weer blijft wisselvallig, maar eigenlijk kan ons dat niets schelen. We lezen, rommelen in en om de bus, doen een boodschapje, eten en slapen. We slapen eigenlijk best veel. Als de zon schijnt zitten we in het zonnetje en anders lekker binnen. Het is ...

... so much about each conutry's culture...going back to Europe seems a nightmare now; but since I am now the most positive thinker ever, here is my philosophy "I need to leave this region to be able to come back and enjoy it even more for longer" ... I'll be back :-)

Õhtuks jõudsime lõpuks oma esimesse ööbimiskohta, milleks oli Troyes' kesklinnas asuv Accori keti Etape hotell. Enne finišit sattusime veel kummalisele ringteele, kus olid valgusfoorid, mistõttu pidi lihtsalt keset ringi seisma jääma, et teistele teed anda! Ettevaatust! Troyes oma 123 000 elanikuga on koos Reimsiga üks Champagne maakonna vanimaid ja ajaloolisemaid linnasid. Märkimisväärne on Troyes'i renessanssilik vanalinn, kus saab aimu, milline nägi linn välja ...