1y ago

What is something you've done this last 7 days you're proud of?

You're viewing a single thread.

138 comments

I'm teaching myself French. J'ai étudié le français pendant quatre ans when I was younger, but it's been years. Maintenant, mes enfants want to learn French, so I'm re-learning with them. And just in the last week, we started making plans for a trip to France! Je suis content!
- Rules for visiting France -
  If you want to visit a city, it's Lyon or Bordeaux
  If you want to visit the countryside, it's Provence and Haute Savoie
  Huge généralisation btw but just... don't go to Paris
  
  Lol! My wife and I have actually been to Paris before and liked it a lot, but we stayed away from the regular tourist stuff and stuck to the weirder, off-the-beaten-path things you can do in Paris (the catacombs, poking around Roman ruins, etc).
  We're actually considering Versailles because we've heard it's like being in a more relaxed and easy-going Paris, and the gardens appeal to my wife - as in, she's thiiiiiiis close to simply insisting on it.
  But neither of us had considered Lyon or Bordeaux, and I'll add them to my list. What are they like?
  
  Versailles is horribly crowded in the summer but lovely at other times.
  Lyon is very cosmopolitan for shopping etc, loads of wee independent clothes shops and nowhere near as many tourist traps as Paris. If you like Roman stuff, Lyon is bursting at the seams with it. It's also very close to the Alps so day trips to the mountains are only an hour or two by car
  Bordeaux used to be a bit run down twenty years ago, but got their act together. Fantastic gastronomy, really laid back atmosphere, lovely little streets to wander around. Plus Saint Émilion, who claim to have the best red wine in France. (I disagree and nominate Chateauneuf du Pape for that) You can also day trip to Arcachon, a huuuuge beach on the Atlantic coast
  France is massive, the size of Texas but without the empty spaces, and there are literally thousands of better options than Paris!
  
  Merci beaucoup pour les recommandations complètes.
  Avoiding tourist traps in favor of actual fun and fulfilling things to do is one of our major goals. I'll look more closely at Lyon and Bordeaux (and other parts of France, too). You've helped me make a more informed choice, and I appreciate it.

138 comments