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Travel Photos – Europe: France
Locations visited on a trip to France in August 1996 included Paris, Versailles, Chartres, Clermont-Ferrand, and Gex.
Since it was our first flight over the Atlantic, the jet lag hit us hard, and day one in Paris was a difficult adjustment. Our hotel was a short distance from the Eiffel Tower, but I had my fill of hustle and bustle city life in less than 48 hours. After some obligatory visits to Notre Dame cathedral and a few museums, we departed Paris a day ahead of originally planned and headed to Versailles. From there, we briefly visited Chartres before making a relatively rapid traverse to Clermont-Ferrand, which was the site for my week-long business workshop.
A timely national holiday gave us the opportunity to tour the state of Auvergne including Chateaux de Val and Le Puy de Dome. We made a large loop in the state during a leisurely Thursday drive with many stops and visits to numerous small towns.
Next stop: Switzerland
Departing Clermont-Ferrand on a Saturday, we needed to reach Zurich, Switzerland by Sunday night. Since we like to see the countryside, we picked a mix of road types and stopped numerous times to absorb some local flavor. We decided to avoid Geneva so we went around it to the north stopping at the tiny town of Gex. It was an excellent choice with a street fair that evening and very friendly townspeople. A pre-sunrise awakening inspired us to find a photogenic spot for shooting the rising sun while nearly everyone in the town below remained asleep.
Return from south to north
We left France for a full week but had to return to Paris for the flight home. Unfortunately, we underestimated the total driving and also didn't leave enough time to tour any other parts of France. Instead, we found ourselves driving from the Mediterranean Sea town of Cavalaire-sur-Mer on the French Riveria all the way back to Paris in one day. We spent our final night in France north of Paris in Senlis so we could reach the airport easily the next day.
Map of France photo locations
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Suggested reading & related info:
Book: Rick Steves' Paris 2009
Book: One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in France
Web: France travel guide by WikiTravel