renée’s travels, part five: exploring france
10 days, 5 cities/towns, 15+ hours of travel via 9 trains + a bus, and an immeasurable amount of struggle french conversations. As I was nearing the deadline of my school assignments and my dissertation proposal, I started to think about taking an extended trip somewhere. I realized being neighbors to France, I was long overdue for a trip there for many reasons. So I surely made it a full trip - which also means there is a lot to share!
So what I’ll do is post the photos first and then if you’re interested to read more or want any suggestions, you can read everything else - cool? Cool.
THE VISUAL RECAP:
Click any image to expand it then use your left and right arrow buttons (or swipe) to flip through the photos.
THE WRITTEN RECAPS:
THE MOST IMPORTANT FIRST STOP
I knew the start of my trip would be Niort, France. One would probably not have this small town on their “must-see” list, but it’s been on mine for at least 8 years! Before I was going to make my first trip to Paris on EF’s London and Paris tour, I found out there was a soccer (or football) stadium called Stade René Gaillard - can you believe it? I must have found it from a random Google search of my name, but once I knew about it, I was determined to go. I found out it was named by a former mayor and the way colonization is set up, it’s not unlikely that my ancestors could be connected to that family. On this initial trip, we had a free day and I wanted to attempt to make the journey there. I reached out to the soccer team there, Chamois Niortais, and they were excited about the idea and wanted to write a story. Unfortunately because of time and money, I couldn’t make it there but swore to make it back someday. And that day was May 14, 2022 which happened to be the last game of the season.
SIDE STORY: DISSERTATION PROPOSAL SUBMITTING
I headed from London to Paris on May 13th on a long train journey while also trying to finish editing my dissertation proposal so I could submit it by 5PM London time. When I arrived in Paris, I had a couple hours before my next train to Niort (which was out of a different station) so I found a Starbucks in the station, tried my best to order in French, found a spot, and sat down til I submitted my proposal. I couldn’t even submit on my laptop because wifi was spotty so I had to save it, airdrop it to my phone, and then use my phone data to log in to Moodle and submit that way. I absolutely should have done this the day before, but the important thing is that it got submitted and approved!
36 MEMORABLE HOURS IN NIORT
Anyway, I got to my next train and then to Niort. I stayed at the nicest, most comfortable hotel, Moka Hotel. I got in late but they were right there to welcome me in and wanted to be accommodating by speaking English as well. The room was amazing and I had hoped I was staying there more than two nights. The next day, I set out for a full day of exploring Niort and got to check out the market, the waterfront, their library (which is amazing!!), the shops, the parks, and much more. There were a few African restaurants there I wanted to try but because of their opening times being only typical meal times, I couldn’t match up my schedule and location with it. I had been trying to reach out to the Chamois Niortais via social media before the trip to connect with them about why I was coming to the stadium. Thankfully I finally got in communication the day of and they were excited and wanted to take my photo when I arrived for social media. We met up at halftime, I got my photo taken, and then later than evening, they posted it on Twitter here! Cool, right? It was a surreal moment to realize this mini personal pilgrimage trip I wanted to take years ago was finally complete. As luck would have it, I also ended up there on European Night of Museums which meant tons of museums in France were open from 7pm - 12am for free! Niort had two museums open, Musée du Donjon and Musée Bernard D’Agesci, so you know I went to go see both. It was special to not only see these museums for free, but to experience them when people typically don’t. I got to see the sun set over Niort at the top of the Donjon and that’s a moment I won’t forget.
After a long and full day, I was headed to my next destinations tomorrow morning. Since it was a Sunday and most places were closed, I opted for the breakfast at the hotel which was satisfying and I got to wrap up my trip feeling fulfilled in more ways than one. To make it all even better, later on when I was in Paris, I got a message from Jean Michel Laurent, a reporter from La Nouvelle Republique, who asked to write a story on my visit! He asked me some questions and then translated my answers. Then it was published online and in print! I wish I could have gotten a print version but he sent me the PDF copy of the page. But you can read the story here! Now I have a new random fun fact: I was in a local French newspaper! That was truly one of the best parts of the trip.
LA ROCHELLE
As I was planning my trip, I ended up starting to add cities to my itineraries because either I realized it would be a better train ride from a different city or that I would have to make a train change so I might as well make the stop a day visit. La Rochelle was a station I was supposed to change at to go to Bordeaux but instead, I bought two separate train tickets so I could spend the day in La Rochelle. Before I arrived, I actually didn’t know that it was one of the biggest slave trade ports for France. It left some bittersweet feelings while I was there, but there was also some power in knowing I could be here free-er (but not fully free) than those before me who were shipped off from there.
Since it was only a stop, it was me and my suitcase all the way, but thankfully the area is so small that I didn’t ever have to walk really far. I first went for some lunch and got a galette at Le Sarah’Zin then walked along the water and saw the historic towers. I learned about their Musée du Nouveau Monde which was created to acknowledge La Rochelle/France’s history with slavery. It was free admission for students and although a tough museum to make it through, I particularly appreciated seeing bits of Haiti throughout from information of the revolution to the Toussaint Louverture statue in the front of the building. I still had some time to spare and since it was a Sunday and shops were closed, I looked for something else to do and realized the Aquarium was open. Plus I needed some time where I could relieve myself of my luggage for a little bit and thankfully they had a bag check! I got my ticket and my, what a cool aquarium it was! There were a lot of cool exhibits but I really loved seeing the jellyfish and the tropical rainforest section. Once I was done and still with some time, I went to get a quick dinner at a cafe near the station and then hung out at the station until my train had a boarding platform. I completed a great day trip to La Rochelle and soon enough I was on my way to Bordeaux.
BORDEAUX
The world capital of wine! When I knew I wouldn’t be too far off from Bordeaux after visiting Niort, I knew I couldn’t pass up the trip and I’m so glad I didn’t. I realllyyyy loved Bordeaux! It feels like you get a bit of the urban city vibe like Paris, but also the slower-paced, relaxed vibe like a smaller town of France (it’s a fairly small city too). It seemed to be a very young city with lots to do and everyone was out til late in the night. It also helps when the sun doesn’t really set til after 10pm! Even though I grew up in NYC, Paris can often feel like a lot so being able to enjoy a place like Bordeaux but that was still fairly “metropolitan” was a treat. But couldn’t be in Bordeaux without some wine! I got in late, but the next day had wine from beginning to end.
I started with a 10:30am tour (only English one) at Chateau Papé Clement which was right outside of central Bordeaux but still accessible by public transport. 3-wine tastings with a tour were only about €20 which I thought was a steal! They led a one-hour tour through the facilities and process of making the wine then we tasted three of their most popular wines. I was drawn to a pretty flowery bottle in the store that was €10 and also picked up a branded wine stopper as a souvenir. We were able to explore the grounds after and I definitely recommend doing so. There’s so many small specialty gardens, trees, and art pieces throughout so every corner you turned, there was something to explore.It was also pretty empty so I was able to take some time getting some self-timer photos thanks to my phone and my backpack holding it up. I believe you can also stay overnight at the Chateau so that would definitely be a cool experience for the future!
After this, I headed back into central Bordeaux and set out to do some walking around while heading to my bus tour with VisioTour. The tickets were about €12 and it’s a one-hour (no hop on/off) tour around Bordeaux. Note that you have to book a time slot as well. They also offer you a tasting of the famous canelés at the Les canelés Baillardran that is located right at the stop. Let me tell you, those are delicious! I bought and ate several more before I left Bordeaux. The tour was a lovely way to get in the main sights especially with limited time. Afterwards, I headed to Cité du Vin, their museum all about wine, for my reserved time slot. It’s set up so the permanent exhibition is one grand space that you can make your way around however you see fit or based on whatever you’re most interested in. They have audioguides in several languages that are activated by and activate the tech in museum exhibits. It was truly one of the coolest museums I’d ever been in. Your ticket also includes one free glass of wine to taste so once you’re done, you head up to their viewing floor, get your glass of wine, and then enjoy the view of Bordeaux. Truly a beautiful experience and easily worth a full day’s visit.
From there, I got a light dinner at Jour nearby because with the late sunset time, I wanted to burn some time before I started walking back so that I could catch the sunset on the waterfront. As I walked down towards the Pont de pierre, I passed dozens of people outside that were hanging out with friends, having a late, relaxed dinner (as the French do), rollerskating, listening to music, biking, running, and just enjoying the day. It had all the good vibes and I could easily see why people would enjoy living here. As I got the bridge, it was still light out so the bridge’s lights weren’t on yet so I found myself a bench seat, continued to watch the sunset, and ate canelés. It was picture perfect. Once the sun did go down, I kept walking to check out the bridge and caught a band practicing (it was beautiful to listen to) and then unexpectedly caught a large red moon! I wish I could properly capture it on camera but know that it was amazing. It felt like it was right in front of my face. That was a beautiful way to wrap up my day and time in Bordeaux.
But it wasn’t over yet! I also found out that there was a Haitian restaurant, Vin Wé, in Bordeaux! Unfortunately, they were closed on Mondays and didn’t open until 12PM on Tuesdays but my train to Paris but was at 11AM - yikes. But I couldn’t miss the opportunity to eat at and support a Haitian restaurant, especially one woman-owned (by Winddy - she runs the whole thing and cooks!). So I frantically emailed them to see if I could eat there at 12PM and on faith, I went ahead and changed my train ticket to 2PM. Thankfully, she said I was reserved for 12PM and I knew that would be the perfect ending to my trip. I checked out the hotel and arrived to the restaurant and had it all to myself for at least an hour before the next folks came in. We used a mix of French and English to communicate which was lovely and I had so much good food that felt so comforting.
Bordeaux, you were really good to me and I will certainly be back.
PARIS
Good ‘ol Paris! This was my third visit here, but my first one on my own and without it being a group tour so I felt like I had the opportunity to check out things I’ve wanted to in the past but didn’t have a chance to do. I spent a few days here before my final destination and I certainly used them up!
When I got in, I was so tired and to be honest taking the Paris metro is exhausting. So I used the night to just settle so I just ordered in some Thai food and then thought it would be meta to start Emily in Paris while in Paris so I binged the first few episodes. But that was great because when I looked up the site locations, I realized I would be near the boulangerie/bakery that she visits so I got a little bit of an “as seen on tv” moment by stopping by there too for a pastry. The next day, I set out to do lots of walking and exploring and passed through a bunch of spots that were both new to me such as the Jardin des Plantes and Jardin du Luxembourg and familiar ones such as the Notre Dame and the Louvre. It felt like I caught everything at the right moment such as catching the sunsetting while I was at the Louvre grounds or catching a saxophone player while walking. I took a long walk around the Seine River and even spent some time sitting alongside it like a French person. The weather was lovely and everyone was out enjoying it. I made my way towards the Eiffel Tower because I signed up for a boat cruise with Bateaux Parisiens which had tickets for €16 on GetYourGuide. I figured if I made it for the 10PM boat, I could catch it the views at night. Not only did I get to do that, but we got back towards the Eiffel Tower as 11PM hit which meant it was doing its hourly sparkle! I’d seen it on my other trips, but this was the first time from the water so it made for a beautiful, Paris fantasy moment.
The next day, I planned for a trip to Versailles since I had never been. I don’t know what I was thinking, but for some reason I thought it would be a light walking day so I did not wear proper clothes or shoes - which quickly became a regret. Versailles is big BIG y’all. I didn’t realize it. It’s pretty manageable to get through the main Palace within an hour or so unless you really want to take a detailed look at all the art. To be honest, I’m rarely interested in art that doesn’t represent me anymore so I can admire it from afar but I focus on the things that I’m actually interested in. I got the Passport ticket which gives you access to the Palace, the gardens (with the fountain shows), and the Trianon palaces, but I easily found out why people can buy these separately. You can easily spend a day on just each section. But I only had a few hours and I figured I’d make the most of it, even if my thighs and feet weren’t too happy about it. I made my walk through a good portion of the gardens, saw the water shows, and made quick walkthroughs of the Petit and Grand Trianon so I could’ve at least seen them before things closed down. By the end, I was so ready to go home and try to recover my body, but I was really glad I finally got to see this historic site. I’m also really glad I was able to go at a time when it wasn’t busy so there were some rooms that were completely empty by the time I got to them making them perfect for photos. Also, it gave me some peace of mind COVID-19 wise to not be so crowded up as well. I think I would go back just to spend a slow day in the gardens because there were a lot of really nice hidden areas with seating I would’ve love to spend some extra time in.
The adventures continued the next day with the French Open and a cabaret show! It was by chance that I would be in Paris the same time as the beginning of the French Open/Roland Garros and what is really cool about it is that they actually have several days of Qualifying Rounds which are open to the public. So they offer €20 tickets where you can access the grounds and then see some up and coming tennis players play qualifying matches - and if you’re lucky you can catch some big names practicing. Actually, Rafael Nadal (a French Open fave) was practicing the day I was there but I was too late to realize and the lines were super long to get into the court so I didn’t catch him but I saw the hype. Anyway, the day actually started miserably because there were heavy rains so the games got delayed but they certainly weren’t cancelling anything which was good cause thankfully the rest of the day was really sunny! I planned to root for everybody Black so that meant going to see Oceane Babel (France) and Hailey Baptiste (USA) in their matches. It was especially great to see Hailey Baptiste cause I found out she was from DC so I got to meet her while she was practicing and then later see her win her match! It felt like I was seeing one of my young folks from DC doing something they loved so I was beyond proud even though I just meant her that day. Can’t wait to see the careers these young stars have! It was a really great day and I’m glad I can have another major tennis tournament under my belt. Since I knew it would be tight to make my way back to the hotel before the cabaret show at Paradis Latin I had booked (about €70 but more affordable than other cabaret shows), I brought a change of clothes so I changed up and then headed to Paradis Latin. And OMG, when I tell you it was amazing! I only slightly knew what to expect, but the talent kept me in awe. I also got a seat right in the front so I really got to see all of their hard work. I also loved seeing a fairly diverse cast which I’m not sure is as common with the more famous cabaret shows. I would absolutely recommend!
I spent my last day in Paris visiting my mother’s friend who lives in the suburbs of Paris with her family. It was a great change of pace from all the busy days. They made me a wonderful lunch, we got to catch up in a mix of French and English, and then took a walk around the neighborhood by the water before I headed back to my hotel to pack up for my final stop of the journey. It’s really nice to always have a sense of family wherever you go so it’s always comforting to meet up with them whenever I am in Paris!
I’m sure we’ll meet again real soon, “Par-ee”! Hopefully, I’ll be much more fluent next time too.
MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
Recommended by my aunt since this is a place she’s always wanted to visit, I made some adjustments to my trip to make my last night in France be in Mont-Saint-Michel so I could see the famous monastery and island. It’s honestly not the easiest to get to from Paris if you’re not driving cause trains run infrequently and you usually have to do a combo of a train and a bus. But it still felt too close to not try to go. I knew I wanted to see it at night as well so I opted to stay a night there as well. Thankfully it actually didn’t cost too much to stay at Le Saint Aubert which is on the mainland (which I also recommend over staying at the island just for convenience) so that was an easy decision to make. I headed for Paris’ Montparnasse station early in the morning and got a train to Villedieu-les-Poêles which connected to a bus that took us into the MSM bus station. From there it was a short walk to my hotel which was located right near restaurants, shops, and other hotels. Once I got to settle in and had a quick lunch, I headed out for the island since I had a timed ticket for the Abbaye (you only have to pay to enter that - about €12, but you can enter the island freely). There’s a free shuttle that runs all day between the mainland and the island, but you can also walk there too. If the tide is low, you can also walk along the Bay/Baie although there are some further areas you can’t go without a guide. The town on the island definitely takes you back to some Diagon Alley feels and is pretty steep to walk, but every bit of it is a sight to see. Once I got up to the Abbaye, it just continued to get more beautiful. It’s quite interesting to think of all the people who’ve passed through there. The weather was perfect and the views were amazing. Before I was done with my exploring, I grabbed a Kouign-amann pastry and did some walking around the Bay. Because of the limited train times, most people were already gone or heading back by then so I got to enjoy the Bay when it was nearly empty and get some great photos from it too. The woman at the front desk of the hotel suggested the restaurant next door, Restaurant La Rôtisserie, but recommended getting there early for dinner - which for France was like 7 or 8PM. So I headed back so I could beat the late dinner rush and was around some other tourists also enjoying a great dining experience. You can tell the staff is used to a crowd (MSM gets 2 million visitors a year despite the actual population being ~30 people) cause they move around real quickly but it can sometimes take some time for them to get to you because they’re serving so many people but I really enjoyed the food and was glad to treat myself to a nice meal to end my treat. I went back to the hotel to charge my phone and then planned to head back out once it got dark to see the island at night. It started to rain so I had to wait for that to pass some and got to the island later than I planned but then I met two other women on the bus who were visiting from South Korea and we agreed to stick together until we got back (which was great cause it was really dark once you got off the bus at the island). We got to explore the area a bit and they just got in so they would be exploring the next day so I just mentioned some things to them about how I got around that day. I was also able to video call my aunt and the fam so they could see bits of the island at night in real time too.
Being able to share those moments with others is really special for me because I know that my experiences are not just for me. I am literally the wildest dreams of my ancestors and that’s partly why I want to make sure I document my experience through photos and these posts because I want to share this with others as best as I can. You honestly couldn’t have told this little girl from the Bronx that she would one day be living in London or visiting Mont-Saint-Michel. Everyday is a dream realized and I don’t take that for granted.
Anyway, on my final day, I got ready for a long day of train rides. I was originally gonna stop in Paris for some time before heading back to London but I had to get back sooner and it was time for me to go home anyways. My mind and body were ready. From Mont-Saint-Michel to Rennes to Paris to London, I made my way back home and as much as I loved my trip, I was never so happy for London’s mild weather and my bed.
Merci beaucoup pour tout, France / Thank you for everything, France!
