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Wandering Pre & Post Tour
More Beauty Everywhere
Both before and after our Eastern France Rick Steves tour, we wandered around for several weeks, seeing more of France, some of Italy and even ventured into Amsterdam and London. Here are the highlights. Each of these spots deserves its own page. There was not one place I would not revisit. Rick Steves has tours in these areas as well. Check the Ways To Go page to link to the tours that go to these cities.
FRANCE
Paris
Tuileries Garden
Monument to Jules Ferry
Eiffel Tower
Carousel, tower & bird. Love it when birds fly into my shot!
Eiffel Tower
Tower and spring flowers.
Arc de Triomphe
Stairway inside Arc de Triomphe
Pont Alexandre III Bridge
Famous bridge over the River Seine
Pont Au Change
Locks and view from Pont Au Change
Parisian View
View from top of Pompidou Center
Tuileries Garden
Spring flowers in bloom
River Seine
Artwork along the River Seine
Moulin Rouge
The famous Moulin Rouge cabaret
Musée d'Orsay
Sappho sculpture at Musée d'Orsay
Sacré-Coeur Basilica
Montmartre's famous Sacré-Coeur
Marché des Enfants Rouge
Colorful market in the Marais
French Toast
Great French toast at Le Cardinal in the 9th arr.
Seafood
Fish dinner at Bouillion Chartier in the 9th arr.
Sausages
Sausages for sale in the 15th arr.
Normandy & Brittany
Rouen
14th century Gros Horloge clock
Honfleur
Harbor in Honfleur, one of my favorite spots
Saint-Malo
Beautiful Cathédral Saine-Vincent in Saint-Malo
Mont St Michel
Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dating back to 966
Normandy
Memorial wreaths near the beach in Arromanches-les-Bains at Normandy
Loire Valley
Chateau de Langeais
Enchanting 15th century castle in Langeais
Spring flowers
Colorful spring flowers in Langeais
Château de Chenonceau
Amazing castle over the River Cher
Château de Chambord
Château de Chambord was built in the 1500's, unique because of its French Renaissance architecture
Bordeaux
Saint-André Cathedral
Catholic church dedicated to St. Andrew
Spring flowers
Pretty spring flowers between the Garonne River and the city of Bordeaux
Bordeaux Wine
Enjoying a glass of wine at a bistro
Miroir d'Eau
Reflecting pool in front of the Place de la Bourse
Porte Cailhau
Built as a defensive gate in the late 1400's
Dordogne Valley
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
House where we stayed with family
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
Woke up to church bells every morning. View from my room.
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
Typical quaint street
Beaulieu-surDordogne
Inside Abbatiale Saint-Pierre church
Rocamadour
Small village built into the side of a cliff
Nice
Statue de Masséna
Beautiful at night when lights shine on it
Bocca Mar
Shrimp and wine at Bocca Mar
Cocktails
Refreshing beverages near the Fontaine du Soleil
Nice at night
Hotel along the Promenade des Anglais with night lights
Vieux Nice
Colorful buildings in old Nice
Nice market flowers
Flower market along Cours Saleya
Nice Port
Boats in the port in Nice
Nice coastline
Beautiful stretch of rocky shore in Nice
Cannes
Cannes
Site of the Cannes Film Festival. We missed it by a few days.
Cannes Walk of Fame
Handprints of the rich and famous
Cannes stairway
Purple flowers along a Cannes stone stairway
Cannes Marina
View of the Cannes Marina from above
Antibes
Antibes sidewalk
Shops and restaurants in Antibes
Antibes Gallery
Great little gallery near the Antibes Harbor
Antibes Market
Herbs and spices on market day in Antibes
Antibes Beach
Plage de la Gravette in Antibes
Antibes Harbor
Bird flying above boats in the Antibes Harbor
ITALY
Cinque Terre
Monterosso
Monterosso beach umbrellas
Vernazza
Clothes drying outside Vernazza windows
Corniglia
Where the bus drops you off at the top. You can walk up if you're feeling energetic.
Manorola
View looking down on Manorola
Riomaggiore
My favorite, Riomaggiore. We stayed here. Our room was right above the boats on the left. Such a view!
Rapallo
Rapallo boats
Rapallo is a great, little town north of Cinque Terre.
Rapallo Walkway
Beautiful colored buildings here, like so many places in this region.
Rapallo Church
Santi Gervasio e Protasio church in Rapallo
Montallegro
View from about 2,000 feet up at the top of Montallegro
Portofino
Portifino Shoreline
Boats in the marina at Portofino. Many yachts were right around the corner. This is another place I fell in love with
Portofino Seafood
Seafood dinner and wine at Ristorante Da I Gemelli right on the water. What a great setting!
Italian Wine
Enjoying Italian wine in Portofino
Portofino Buildings
View across the marina. This is one of the prettiest places I've even seen.
Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita
Bagni Pagana. Beach at Santa Margherita. We passed this on our walk from Rapallo.
Santa Margherita
Christopher Columbus monument in Santa Margherita
Imperial Palace Hotel
Many huge hotels and homes sat above the coastal road in Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita scenery
Pretty scenery on our walk from Rapallo to Santa Margherita
ENGLAND
London
Covent Garden Pub
Crown & Garden Pub in Covent Garden, London
Apple Market
Shopping area in Covent Garden, London
Victoria & Albert Museum
Great London museum with many impessive exhibits and beautiful sculptures
Neal's Yard
Colorful buildings in the popular Neal's Yard in London
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam
Amsterdam bicycles
Bicycles parked along a canal in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Pancakes
Delicious pancakes topped with bananas and chocolate from an Amsterdam cafe
Amsterdam Canal
Buildings reflected in an Amsterdam canal
Van Gogh Museum
Self portrait of Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh at the Van Gogh Museum
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