Day 2394 (Thursday) 28th December 2023

Huw had to get up super-early again this morning to help Pat and Dee. Pat thought his ‘passport card’ was enough to travel to Tenerife (I’ve never heard of a passport card but apparently it’s a travel card within Europe, thanks Brexit) and he didn’t take his real passport with him to go to Dublin and Tenerife. Huw went to their apartment and did a Facetime call with Pat to find his passport, which he did. This morning Pat went to the Aer Lingus d aesk in Dublin and they said it should be fine to travel on Friday without his passport. Huw has kept the passport in case he has to use DHL to deliver it if needed. What a palaver!

We went up to the restaurant that we are going to on New Year’s Day and I gave the all the menu options to Manuel. He is such a very nice man, the first time I met him he told me his name saying, ‘yes, the same as in Fawlty Towers.’ He has spent some time in the UK and really understands what we want we are now 34 people. I can’t remember if I’ve told you the menu so I’m sorry if I have, this is all in his own words.

Starters 

Quiche Lorraine or smoked haddock, watercress and green apple salad.

Main course

Roasted pork or chicken with yorkies, roasties, groovy gravy, trimmings and plenty of crackling or fillet of cod, lemon velouté, mash potatoes and veggies.

Dessert 

Tiramisu or crème brulee

A bottle of wine between 3 people included (choice of colour)

40€ per person.

I am so looking forward to the crackling!

We had a coffee on the terrace and enjoyed the view.

These flowers are wonderful and the sky was a beautiful colour.

I took this photo on the way home.

 

Here is the website from yesterday, the last bit will be tomorrow when they talk about food.

Top 20 Most Visited Sites in France

If you're curious to know what everyone else prioritises when they visit France, here's the latest list (Source: INSEE, December 2014). Some of these may come as a surprise. For example, museums and cultural institutions are high. The French are hot on cultural institutions compared to foreign visitors.

• Disneyland Paris (16 million visitors):

opened in 1992, it's just an hour's commuter train ride from Paris. It two full theme parks, hotels, shopping and entertainment.

• Louvre Museum, Paris (9.4 million visitors):

originally a royal palace, the Louvre miraculously survived the French Revolution and is today one of Paris' largest museums. Today, the palace is a museum, home to a vast collection of art from the Greeks and the Romans to the early modern period. Most famously, it's home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

• Eiffel Tower, Paris (7.5 million visitors): 

when Paris comes up in conversation, most people instantly think of the Eiffel Tower. This iron structure has been dominating the City of Light since 1889's World Exposition. It was originally going to be pulled down but science saved it in 1909.

• Château de Versailles, near Paris (6.7 million visitors): 

once home to Louis XIV's royal court, Versailles is a magnificent, huge palace and it's just a short commuter ride away from Paris. The palace was built to show off the glory of the French monarchy and was a symbol of absolute power. Today, Versailles is a UNESCO world heritage site and both the palace and gardens are well worth the visit for a glimpse into France's pre-revolutionary royal past.

• Pompidou Centre (National Museum of Modern Art), Paris (3.8 million visitors):

 the Centre Georges Pompidou stands in the centre of Paris in Beaubourg. It's an unmistakable building (most people have an instant love-or-hate reaction), which opened in 1977 and it focuses exclusively on contemporary artwork.

• Musée d'Orsay: Paris (3.5 million visitors): 

for many, this is their favourite Paris Museum. The museum is housed in former grand Beaux-Arts railway station in St Germain on the left bank. It focuses on Impressionist artworks and is the best place to feast your eyes on Monet, Manet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and many more.

• Science and Industry Museum, La Villette (2.6 million): 

this museum is relatively unknown to foreign visitors, but it's a firm favourite for French families. It's designed for children ages 2 to 18 and each exhibit is built to capture their imagination and teach them science in easy steps.

• National Museum of Natural History, Paris (1.9 million visitors): 

the museum is located in a royal garden of medicinal plants of King Louise XIII which opened to the public as the Jardin des Plantes in 1640. There's also a small zoo, the Mineralogy and Geology gallery and the Palaeontology gallery.

• Futuroscope Theme Park, Poitiers (1.8 million visitors): 

another site relatively unknown to foreign visitors. This theme park opened 25 years and is focused on futuristic themed rides and shows. It's the place to go if you're into science fiction.

• Galeries National du Grand Palais, Paris (1.5 million visitors): 

the Grand Palais underwent a massive renovation project in 2008 and is now home to the blockbuster exhibitions. It was originally opened for the Great Exhibition of 1900 and has always been home to grand (and controversial) exhibitions.

• Omaha Beach American Cemetery, Normandy (1.6 million visitors): 

Omaha Beach played a pivotal and tragic role in the D-Day Landings on June 6th, 1944. Today the long sandy beach attracts walkers and history buffs, while the American Military Cemetery above it, is the most visited site of World War II in Normandy.

• Parc Astérix, Picardy (1.5 million visitors): 

Parc Astérix has been around for much longer than Disneyland Paris and is a firm favourite for French families. Plenty of rides and attractions for all ages exist and it's easily accessible by public transport from Paris.

• Arc de Triomphe, Paris (1.7 million visitors): 

like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe is also an iconic image of Paris, standing at the top of the Champs Elysées. The arch itself honours Napoleon Bonaparte, the army and his victories. If you're feeling adventurous, you can climb the 284 steps (or take the elevator and then climb 64 steps.) to the top.

• Puy du Fou Theme Park, Atlantic Coast (1.4 million visitors): 

this is a medieval themed park on the west coast in France and it really has something for everyone. There are chariot races, a Viking ship that rises from the lake, gladiatorial contests and a wonderful night-time show that is well worth the extra cost.

• Quai Branly Museum, Paris (1.4 million visitors): 

the Quai Branly museum opened in 2006 in an uncompromising contemporary building to displace the arts of Africa, Asia Oceania and the Americas.

• Army Museum (Musée de l'Armée Invalides), Paris (1.4 million visitors): 

The Army Museum is housed in Les Invalides, an imposing building originally intended as a hospital and convalescent centre for injured soldiers in the reign of Louise XIV. It's one of the three largest army museums in the world with a vast collection of weapons and armour from the 13th to the 17th centuries.

• Mont St. Michel, Normandy (1.3 million visitors): 

this rocky island stands off the cost of Normandy and was originally inhabited by monks in the 9th century. The entrance to the Mont St Michel has been extensively renovated in recent years to preserve its natural habitat and ensure it remains an island. It's one of the most sacred sites in France.

• Millau Viaduct, Midi-Pyrénées (1.2 million visitors): 

designed by Lord Norman Foster, the viaduct opened to much fanfare in 2004. It's a beautiful structure, seemingly floating over the Tarn River valley. It's currently the tallest vehicle bridge in the world and taller than the Eiffel Tower at its tallest point.

• Château and Museum of the Dukes of Brittany, Nantes (1.3 million visitors): 

Nantes was once the capital of Brittany (its status continues to be hotly debated today) and the Dukes of Brittany were very rich and powerful. They built themselves a glorious 15th-century chateau in the middle of the port of Nantes and today, it lives on as a museum, telling the colourful story of Nantes. Nantes itself is a colourful city, often overlooked particularly by foreign visitors, but it's worth well a visit (and easy to get to from the Loire Valley.)

• Bois de Boulogne Zoo (Jardin d'Acclimatation), Paris (1.1 million visitors): 

Created in 1860, the Jardin d'Acclimatation took over the winter gardens of the hothouses a well as exotic animals. Today it still houses some animals, but it's mainly about plants and birdwatching.