Clair and Tiffany's 2010 Adventures - #9 More country walks

More photos keep piling up as we keep going on more walks. This batch covers visits to towns where Renoir and other Impressionists painted, a couple of chateaux, and the one and only Grand Marnier distillery in the world. Click here.

Clair and Tiffany's 2010 Adventures - #8 Heritage Days

Every September all over Europe, Heritage Days are celebrated, and it's a big deal. Government buildings, special museum collections, embassies, research institutes, and agencies of all kinds hold "open house" and people flock to see inside places that are normally off limits to the general public. We picked up our brochure with all the listings a few days ahead and did a lot of homework. I consulted with friends to get their recommendations, and painstakingly plotted an itinerary that would take us to interesting sites while avoiding the 4-5 hour lines at the most popular such as the Elysee Palace and, for some reason, the Romanian Embassy. Click here.

2010 Adventures - #7 Country Roads

One of the pleasures of Paris is being able to get out of it so easily on short day trips with our Wednesday walking group, Ile de France Walks.

We don't always know where we are, but with these photos at least we can see where we've been (click here):

-- Boisy l'Allerie and the Chateau de Grouchy

-- Nosiel and the Menier Chocolate Factory

-- Vernon and Giverny

-- The (former) Abbey of Port Royal