Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Marcher en France


I think that it is absolutely true that one of the reasons that the french stay slim is as much about walking as what  they eat. Everyone walks...in the city and in the small villages, the young and the old, the fit and the infirm. In Paris we took the metro, but still we walked, one day from the Louvre through the Jardin des Tuileries down the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe, a feat that even amazed our concierge.



Throughout France we walked...under beautiful arcades,

Place des Vosges ~ in the Marais


                                                                      in small towns....

Village of Giverny

and in royal palaces.


Walking to the Trianon Palaces ~ Versailles


 And we walked on many surfaces: cobblestones, tile, decomposed granite, gravel, stone, rocks, pebbles, sand and even a bit of grass.


No wonder we spent most of the evenings like this!




 ~ I will be returning occasionally to post about my trip but these posts will be mixed in with regular posts...after all,  flowers are still blooming in my garden, everyday life  continues, and I have lots of projects and other things to share with you.

outside the Louvre



This post has been linked to: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/, http://alittleofthisandthat2.blogspot.com/

27 comments:

  1. Hello Adrienne:
    You are absolutely right about the walking but, as clearly you discovered for yourselves, that however tiring, exhausting even, it is the best way of really seeing a city, town or country.

    Your collage of the different surfaces is both delightful and highly original. We shall look forward to hearing more of your trip from time to time.

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  2. Beautiful pictures. I am looking forward to more trip posts and can't wait to see your home blooms too.

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  3. BEAUTIFUL!! I cant wait to read more about your travels

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  4. The sights are so pretty! Love the photo of you and thecollage! I recognize who's who with the Toms, converse, and gold shoes!

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  5. I would walk everywhere too....if it looked like that! Beautiful photos!

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  6. You look radiant and happy!
    Walking as a tourist is so much fun...stopping to look and soak in the sights...I hope your grand daughter enjoyed this trip of a lifetime.

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  7. I love Paris! great pics!

    http://traveloguewithlove.blogspot.com/

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  8. I missing Paris so much after seeing your photos!

    You must have been at Place des Vosges early in the morning to see it so empty. Le Marais is my favorite neighborhood in Paris.

    We ate and drank our way through Paris and several regions of Italy last year for three weeks and didn't gain an ounce. All that walking pays off!

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  9. Paris is truly a city to walk the length and breadth of. Lovely photos!

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  10. Paris is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I'd walk more if it wasn't 112 degrees. I had to quit playing tennis because of the heat here. Can't wait to see more photos!

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  11. Beautiful place....oh how I would love to visit there. Lovely photos, Adrienne.

    Hugs,
    Donna

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  12. Adrienne, this is a dream of mine!! You look great outside the Louvre!! I am so glad you believe in comfy shoes!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

    Do come and enter my giveaway from the Shabby Apple!!

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  13. It's pretty much all over Europe that people just walk. I love the walking because I think that you really get to know a place when you walk it. Your pictures are fantastic!

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  14. can't wait to see & read more! is Zoe also blogging about her adventures?
    i agree - Americans could/should walk more. my foot is healing - physical therapy IS helping, but can't wait to be walking more (& without the limping gait still present).

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  15. Wonderful photos. Oh, how I want to visit France!

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  16. Looks like you are having a glorious visit!

    Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

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  17. I discovered your blog via Hostess of the Humble Bungalow. I love this post! I have a trip to Paris coming up soon and I am very inspired by all the walking you did. Looks like you had a fabulous trip.

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  18. You look so lovely and happy in the photos.
    I love you shoes and your happy toes.
    Smiles and waves, Dottie

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  19. Wonderful pictures! such a dreamy atmosphere! beautiful!

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  20. Bloggers keep enticing me to head to France!

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  21. Lovely post, Adrienne. What a great place to visit. Hope to go one day. Walking is something Americans don't do nearly enough of. I find whenever The Man and I are on the road, visiting other cities, we tend to walk much more than at home.

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  22. oh my goodness dear Adrienne!!! you are in Paris!!!! this is so great and you look adorable!!!
    Enjoy your holidays walking everywhere.
    hugs darling

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  23. Beautiful scenes. It must have been a lovely time.

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  24. Fantastic looks like a wonderful trip!! I love walking that must have been wonderful walking all those beautiful places!! Love Heather

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  25. What fun! I wouldn't mine walking in such a beautful place - not one bit. Well, maybe if it were raining, I might mind. ;)

    Love the images depicting the walking surfaces AND, or course, the one of you resting at the end of the day. By the way, the pic in front of the Lourve is terrific!

    Hugs,
    Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
    http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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