First we would like to think our travel companions who made this trip so memorable. They were John and Ellen Kelly from Australia, Sue and Dave Fahrner from London Ontario and Joan and Ken Rockburne from Belleville Ontario. Their relaxed approach to travelling and their tremendous sense of humour made this a vacation that we will remember for a lifetime.
We would also like to thank the crew of the Scenic Sapphire, who provided wonderful service that made this a five star experience.
We would also like to thank our good friend John Brunet from Ottawa for persuading me to listen to Marg and go to Belgium. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. On the opposite end of the scale though, John did give us that damn European chip for the GPS that caused us no end of headaches. I still have nightmares about driving down the wrong way on buses only streets.
Vacation By The Numbers
Distance traveled by planes - 12,700 km
Distance traveled by boat - 400 km
Distance traveled by car - 1500 km
Distance traveled by train - 600
Trip took thirty seven days
Travelled in two countries
Visited thirty four cities or villages
Our Favourite City / Town / Location :
Brian : Paris. It is one of the top cities in the world. It has everything that you would look for when visiting a city. A close second would be the Chateau de Cormartin. It is an amazing intimate look at life in 17th century France
Marg : It was a toss up between Vimy Ridge and Belgium. Vimy Ridge because of its serenity and Belgium for all those things that make a vacation memorable.
Our Favourite Memory :
Brian : Dinner at the Pope's Palace in Avignon. The atmosphere doesn't get any better than this.
Marg : The Organ recital at the cathedral in Viviers. Magical.
Our Top Tip :
Brian : If you are renting a car, don't use the onboard GPS units or your own Garmin. Instead try the mapping applications on your smart phone or go old school and use a map.
Marg : Look out for street crime. Don't go to an ATM alone and don't engage with the Gypsies without holding onto your purse.
Twenty Five Things We’ve Learned About France and Belgium
- 2015 is supposed to be a great vintage for wine because of the dry summer they've had in southern France.
- ABC stands for either "Another bloody castle" or "Another big church"
- Walking in a war cemetery makes everything else seem insignificant
- Flemish people in Belgium make Canadians seem downright rude by comparison
- It is next to impossible to find a mediocre bottle of wine, but cheap wine is still cheap wine
- It is also impossible to be on a diet in France
- Finding a cell phone service is easy and cheap. Getting the right codes to enable people from home to send you texts is hard
- When someone sneezes onboard a river boat, run for cover !
- Only a seven course meal would have a bite-sized hors d'œuvre called "amuse a bouche" or "fun in the mouth"
- All of France and Belgium is an UNESCO Heritage Site
- Despite not following any rules of the road, Paris drivers seem to have fewer accidents than Toronto drivers
- After awhile historical buildings seem to become the norm
- During multiple visits to vineyards, you can only be instructed in how to sniff wine so many times before it become laughable
- A manbun on a semi bald male is the most ridiculous fashion for men that we've seen in a long time, actually all manbuns look dumb
- Graffiti, the urban blight, has spread to rural areas
- There must be an art to walking on cobblestone paths with high heels
- Greeting a salesperson or restaurant staff in French will always get a smile in France
- When crossing the street in France act like you own the road, then be very careful
- In a restaurant don’t expect to have a bread and butter plate
- They have the most expensive sidewalk cafes ever
- When using the rest rooms be prepared for a new experience every time.
- You have to eat "moules et frites" while in Belgium
- Paris is a very busy tourist city, even at the end of the tourist season
- Most Dijion mustards are really, really HOT
- Never get in a cab in Nice, when the driver burns rubber getting to the taxi stand
