Flying to Paris, Then Versailles, Reims, Lille & Aisne

France has selected its top 39 cities for 2019, and I”ll be visiting four of them next week, and after that, I’ll tag on a few more days so I can visit Aisne.

I always try to do this, when I’m getting the chance to visit a foreign country. I try to stay as long as I can, so I set up a three-day extension in the province of Aisne.

That’s in Picardy, a place I’ve never visited. I love seeing a totally new destination. My trip will start in the city of Versailles, which likes to be known for more than just the fantastic Chateau de Versailles. Here is one of the town’s highlights:

Trail 3 – Montreuil

This trail visits a former medieval village that is now part of the town. The Hôtel de Ville, or town hall, is visited on this walk, as are a number of hôtels particuliers, or large townhouses, and the neo-Classical church of Saint-Symphorien.

We will be visiting the Champagne Capital City of Reims, and this is one of the towns with a way of pronouncing it is difficult for non-French Speakers. You say it like this… R A N T Z.  You have to include that little throat sound. UCCCH RANTZ.  This town is famous for bubbly, and for its magnificent Cathedral. Visiting it will be all the harder when I think about the disastrous fire at Notre Dame this week.

We will take a wine tasting tour with a local company called My Vintage tour, featuring old vans and fun stops to sip champagne.  We will stop at the Notre Dame Market, in Versailles, the second largest market in France, then lunch on the grounds of the palace.   We will be traveling mostly by TGV, the best way to get between France’s cities.

In Lille, in northern France near the Belgian border, we will be Eldorado Festival, a giant event celebrating 3000 years of Lille. It has a Mexican theme.

Here is a video about Eldorado Lille 3000