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All images are
Copyright James W.
Blilie, 2018: All rights reserved
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From 20-Jun-2018
through 11-Jul-2018, we enjoyed a wonderful holiday in France.
After
landing at Paris, we wandered around the 7th Arrondissment for
the day, the Champs de Mars,
Eiffel
Tower, Les Invalides and the Army Museum, local food. Next
day was the Luxembourg Gardens
for
some birding and then the Rodin Museum.
Just
that quick, the next day, it was into the Metro to the Gare de
Lyon for (after a change of tickets
--
why does that always happen?) the TGV to Lyon and our rental car
at the Lyon airport. We got
a
spacious and nice Opel Insignia car. Then onto the hot,
crowded A7 to Provence. Seemed like
every
person in northern France was on their way to Provence!
Paris:
Our
first gite was the best one we've stayed at. Spaceous,
cool, new, well appointed, and with a pool.
I had no idea how much we'd enjoy a pool; but with most days
above 30 deg.C (86 deg.F), we were in that
pool
every afternoon. Our (English speaking, UK native) hosts
greeted us witha quart fresh strawberries,
three
bottles of wine, and fresh loaf of bread!
Our
first day was to the Bedoin market and then up to the top of Mt.
Ventoux, via the classic climb route
of
the Tour de France, on the clearest day I've ever seen up
there. On top we watched a delta-wing Mirage
fighter
do a barrel-roll over the summit of the mountain.
Mont
Ventoux:
Bedoin
market:
Our
first gite was a wonderful place, run by Moira nad Adrian
(natives of the UK), nestled into the hills
and
surrounded by vineyards, on a quiet country road; but close to
grocery stores and so on. We were
able
to take two very pleasant hikes into the hills between the gites
and the village of Seguret,
including
to
the top of a local hill where a chapel (Notre Dame du Aubusson)
was perched on the very summit.
Phyllis
declared this a "climb not a hike" because hands were
needed occasionally.
We
visited the Market and St. Remy, Seguret
village, had dinner at Les Florets (still wonderful!)
and
visited La Garrigue for wine. We also visited the ancient
Roman (and Greek) site of Glanum,
just
outside of St. Remy, and explored the hills above the villages
of Seguret, Gigondas, Vacqueyras,
and
Baumes de Venise.
Jamie
on the Notre Dame du Aubusson hike:
Glanum:
Plane
trees lining the road:
Vineyards
in the Dentelles:
Our
second gite was in the town of Sallanches, in the French Alps,
a few miles away
from
the toursist center of Chamonix. The gite was on the
hillside facing Mont Blanc, and
it
had a great view of the mountain.
Mont
Blanc at sunest from our gite:
From
this gite, we drove into Switzerland and hiked at the Emosson
site. We also drove through
the
Mont Blanc Tunnel to Italy and hiked up to the Refugio Bonatti,
with great views of the satellite
peak
to Mont Blanc, the Grandes Jorasses. Phyllis and Jamie
notched two new countries.
Another
day, we rode the Tramway du Mont Blanc from St. Gervias les
Bains almost to the
edge
of the glacies on the west side of Mt. Blanc. This tram is
used by many climbers to access
one
fo the standard routes to the summit. We could discern
climbers, tents, and mountain huts
through
telephoto lenses from our gite.
Too
soon, it was time to head back to Lyon to catch the TGV back to
Paris.
In
Paris, we took a boat tour on the Seine (highly recommended),
the Louvre (of course), the
Pere
Lachaise Cemetery, the Eiffel Tower at sunset, and many
wonderful sidewalk cafe
lunches.
Again,
much too soon, it was time to head back to CDG for the flight
home to Minnesota.
Phyllis
and Jamie on our Refugio Bonatti hike in Italy:
A few
videos from the trip:
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Looking aournd our first gite
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Cigales at the first gite
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Panorama from the first gite
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Lunch in Provence
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Tramway du Mont Blanc
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Cowbells at Bellevue, above St. Gervais les Bains
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MSP, waiting to go
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On the ground in Paris!
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Near the L'Ecole Militaire Metro
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Champs de Mars
Jamie's close-ups of the Eiffel Tower
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Champs de Mars
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The Museum of the Army at Les Invalides
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The Museum of the Army at Les Invalides, Jamie's photos
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In the grocery store: Jamie's photos
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Champs de Mars
Jamie's bird shots
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The Museum of the Army at Les Invalides
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View from out hotel window
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Champs de Mars
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View from out hotel window: Eiffel Tower
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Luxembourg Gardens
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Luxembourg Gardens
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Rodin Museum
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Rodin Museum
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Our neighborhood
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Our neighborhood
Jamie's video of inside the Paris Metro
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Our hotel room
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TGV to Lyon
One of Jamie's videos: Time lapse of the TGV ride
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Provence! Vacqueyras!
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Our gite
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Hiking right from our gite
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Hiking right from our gite
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Lunch at the gite
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Bedoin market
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Bedoin market
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Bedoin market
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Bedoin market
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Le
Mont Ventoux
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Le
Mont Ventoux
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Le
Mont Ventoux
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Petanque
at our gite
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Petanque
at our gite
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Dinner at Les
Florets
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Jamie's bird
and animal photos
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Jamie's bird
and animal photos
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Jamie's bird
and animal photos
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Jamie's bird
and animal photos
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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Hiking right from our gites: Notre
Dame du Aubusson
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At the Ouveze
River
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Saint-Remy-de-Provence
market
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Saint-Remy-de-Provence
market
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Saint-Remy-de-Provence
market
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Near Les Baux
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Glanum
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Glanum
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Glanum
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Glanum
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Glanum
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Glanum
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Plane
trees shading the highway
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
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Views of our gite: Gite Ferme
d'Olonne
The gite dog (Sam) and cat
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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Village of Seguret
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One of Jamie's videos: A Kestrel hovering above
our gite
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One of Phyllis's videos: Jamie in the pool
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One of Phyllis's videos: Jamie in the pool
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One of Jamie's videos: Cicadas at the pool
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Views from the hike to the "Chateau" above Seguret
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Lunch in the vineyards
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Vineyards near the Dentelles
de Montmirail
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At the Ouvèze
River
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Vaison-la-Romaine
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Vaison-la-Romaine
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On the way to our second gite
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Sunset and sunrise on Mont
Blanc
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
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One of Jamie's videos: Lenticulat clour time lapse
on Mt. Blanc
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One of Jamie's videos: Parapentes near our second
gite
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One of Jamie's videos: A feisty spider at our
second gite
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One of Jamie's videos: Jamie carving on his
walking stick, second gite
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Hiking at Emosson
in Switzerland
Flat tire on the way back from the hike!
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Through the Mont
Blanc Tunnel and hiking in Italy in the Valley of
Malatra
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Through the Mont
Blanc Tunnel and hiking in Italy in the Valley of
Malatra
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Through the Mont
Blanc Tunnel and hiking in Italy in the Valley of
Malatra
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Through the Mont
Blanc Tunnel and hiking in Italy in the Valley of
Malatra
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Through the Mont
Blanc Tunnel and hiking in Italy in the Valley of
Malatrà
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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Hiking to the Refugio
Bonatti
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St. Gervais les Bains and the Tramway
du Mont Blanc
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc: Bellevue
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc: Bellevue
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc: Bellevue
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc
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The Tramway
du Mont Blanc
Jamie's video of the tram coming into St. Gervais
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Mont
Blanc
Jamie's video
of clouds seen from Bellevue station on the tramway
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
Jamie's video of a wagtail at our second gite
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
(That's not coffee in that mug!)
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Jamie's long
shutter speed shots
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Jamie's short
shutter speed photos
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Jamie's bird
and animal photos
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Jamie's bird
and animal photos
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Jamie's bird and animal photos
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Jamie's bird and animal photos: Euopean Shrike
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Our second gite: Gite
Le Choucas
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Lake
Annecy
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Lake
Annecy
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Lake
Annecy
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Mont
Blanc
Jamie's video of climbers on Mt. Blanc, seen from
several miles away
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Mont
Blanc
Jamie's video of clouds from our second gite
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TGV at Lyon airport
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Hotel Muguet,
Paris. We lvoed this hotel and will return
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Hotel Muguet,
Paris.
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Rue Cler
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Rue Cler
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Rue Cler
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Rue Cler
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Seine boat tour
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Seine boat tour
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Seine boat tour
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Seine boat tour
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Lunch at a Pakistani restaurant
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Hotel Muguet,
Paris
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Hotel Muguet,
Paris
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Hotel Muguet,
Paris and the Metro
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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The
Louvre
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Another lovely lunch at a randomly chosen cafe in Paris
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Eiffel Tower at sunset
Jamie's video
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Eiffel Tower at sunset
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Another lovely lunch at a randomly chosen cafe in Paris
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The Paris
Metro
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
Jim Morrison's grave
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
Chopin's grave
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
Chopin's grave
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery
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Père
Lachaise Cemetery Metro
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Another lovely lunch at a randomly chosen cafe in Paris
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CDG, ready to fly home (an A380)
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