Are you dreaming of a holiday place that truly inspires you? After a long term of teaching, we need holidays that are not only restful but also inspiring. Read further to find an awe-inspiring travel destination for those that love history.
A number of years ago, my husband and I had the privilege of being able to travel overseas to one of my all-time dream holiday destinations – France. Going to France had been a life-long goal of mine dating back to when I was in high school, learning French and studying Art. It’s one of those places that sticks in your mind when you’re thinking – What’s an awe-inspiring place that I can experience?
Inspired by Walter Mitty
We made the decision, after watching a movie called The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This movie is deceptively inspiring. It’s about a quiet, mild-mannered man who lives a life of adventure and excitement….. all in his head! This reminded me of me. Having lots of dreams and goals and not going after them.
In this enjoyable story, Walter must solve a very huge problem at his workplace. He has to step out of his comfort zone and travel to some very obscure places in the world to ultimately fix his situation. (No spoiler alert!)
Awe-Inspiring Destination: France
Well, this movie did the trick. The storyline challenged us to step out of our comfort zones and throw caution to the wind – instead of picking New Zealand for a holiday, we thought, why not travel to France! (We have since travelled to New Zealand, and enjoyed it immensely.)
After seeking the advice of many travel agents with our ideas for destination ideas, my husband and I made the decision to tour the north-west corner of France with a travel company called Back-Roads Touring Co. The tour was called – La Belle France and it would take 9 days on a luxury mini-bus travelling around Normandy, Brittany and The Loire Valley of France. See
https://www.backroadstouring.com/tours/europe/la-belle-france for the details about this excellent tour.
9 Day Itinerary
The tour started and ended in Paris, and took 9 days.
Day 1: Paris – Honfleur
After making our way to Paris on the Eurostar, the eager travellers spent the night exploring the city and enjoying an authentic pizza in the Italian quarter. Wow, Paris was an awesome place.
The next morning, we were picked up by the tour group to travel through Giverny, Normandy, in north-west France. If you haven’t heard of this place, it is very famous. This is where the house and garden of Claude Monet are, home of one of the worlds most famous impressionist artists.
This visit was fulfilling a long-held dream of mine. I studied the artist Monet in Art at high school, so I knew all about his beautiful garden and how it was the inspiration for many of his marvellous paintings. I was in heaven to be able to explore the rambling garden and discover Monet’s inspirations from the large lily pond.
Day 2: Honfleur – Normandy – Honfleur
Cameron and I arrived the next day in the beautiful town of Honfleur. The scenery was just breathtaking, boasting the picture-perfect 17th-century harbour. We decided to take in all Honfleur’s fine visual delights on our walking tour through the historic buildings. It certainly held up its reputation of being voted one of the most beautiful villages in France. What an absolute find!
Day 3: Honfleur – Normandy Beaches – Bayeux
After Honfleur, our tour travelled to the beautiful windswept shores of the Normandy beaches, on the northern coast of France. Here, we were able to visit the historical sites of the D-Day landings from World War II in 1944. My husband was in his element!
Afterwards, we had the opportunity to pay a poignant visit to the American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville sur-Mer and found two graves of Australian soldiers. It was such a memorable time to be able to visit these war sights and see where it all happened in history.
In the afternoon, the tour arrived at the charming town of Bayeux for our walking expedition of the delightful medieval village. Our sightseeing found us at the Bayeux museum to view the exquisite Bayeux Tapestry. A nearly 70-metre long tapestry worked in coloured woollen yarns on linen. The tapestry depicted over 70 scenes of the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. It’s thought to date back to the 11th Century.
That night we explored the town by night and viewed the breathtaking architecture of the Bayeux cathedral. This exquisite structure has got to be seen to be believed!
Day 4: Bayeux – Le Mont Saint-Michel – Dinan
The next day, we drove to the enchanting Mont Saint-Michel, crossing the tidal causeway. We wandered through the buzzing island village and took in the amazing views from the uppermost point.
Driving then through to Dinan, we stopped off for photos at Dol-del-Bretagne, to see the famous Menhir de Champ-Dolent. This historical monument, which is a charming conical-shaped monolith, is one of the tallest standing Brittany Stones that is over 9 metres in height.
Day 5: Dinan
Later that day, after arriving at Dinan, we found out that we would have the whole next day to ourselves. Yay! Time to rest and take in the sights. After a relaxing nap, Cameron and I wandered around the cobbled streets of this quaint little medieval town. We joined other travellers later to dine locally.
The sites of the timber cottages, as well as the beautiful churches like Basilique St-Sauveur and other historical landmarks, were incredible, as they climbed up the surrounding hillside. It was just as if we had stepped back in time to a place that had been untouched by modern life. What a pretty little town!
Day 6: Dinan – Angers – Chinon
We were deep into fairy tale country now! The next day we travelled towards the Loire Valley, where the landscape was dotted with the turrets of various medieval castles. Our first stop was Angers in western France, which for centuries was an important stronghold of north-western France. The highlight was visiting the Plantagenet, King Henry II’s fortress, that was transformed into the castle of today by King Louis I.
Later in the day, we moved onto Chinon and dined that evening at a beautiful local restaurant and experienced the French country produce and delicious wines.
Day 7: Chinon – Chateau De Villandry – Chinon
Up early the next morning, we arrived at our first chateau of the tour; called Chateau de Villandry. This was probably one of my most favourite places on our trip, because of its impeccable gardens.
The sprawling renaissance gardens are known for their beauty, with a water garden, ornamental flower garden and vegetable garden. These spaces were laid out in a structured pattern created with low box hedges. It was an awesome sight to see, and many photos were taken that day!
Afterwards, the tour led us on a detour to a regional winery, where we were able to enjoy the tastes of some beautiful French wines.
Day 8: Chinon – Chateau de Chenonceau – Chartres
On day 8, we stopped at the charming Chateau de Chenonceau and were given the opportunity to wander through the beautifully manicured gardens. The chateau spanned the River Cher near the small village of Chenonceaux, of the Loire Valley in France. The tour also included a visit and exploration of a fascinating museum.
Afterwards, the tour made its way to Chartres to enjoy our last meal together.
Day 9: Chartres – Paris
Chartres was a wonderful end to our tour and it was topped off by a visit to the Chartres Cathedral. This church is believed to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in France. The stained glass windows left us awe-inspired! Beautiful images to take back with us to Paris.
Final Days in Paris
The tour was now finished, but our last few days back in Paris had us sightseeing around the city visiting all the well-known sights. We had a wonderful time soaking in the wonderful views of the city on an open-top bus.
Some of my highlights in Paris were taking a tour of the Louvre Museum and visiting the Musee d’Orsay – home of many works of art by Vincent Van Gogh. I’ll also never forget walking down the well-known Avenue des Champs Elysées. Now I was in my element! Paris certainly had proven to be an awe-inspiring holiday destination.
Our trip was over. Time to say goodbye to Paris and France.
Now for the long flight home using some of my travel tips.
I hope you enjoyed my account of our north-western trip of France on the tour La Belle France with Back-Roads Touring Company – My awe-inspiring travel destination and altogether dream trip.
Remember you are worth it!
Michelle x
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