Depart Friday afternoon 11.3 and arrived Sat 11.4 morning after a red eye flight into de Gaulle. More travel yet! After a 6 hour flight, we mistakenly stole another wine suitcase from a fellow pasenger! Whoops...who would have thought that two passengers on the same flight would have identical Vin Garde Valise cases. After some phone tag, we met at Gare du Nord and exchanged them. The 4 hour TGV train into Beziers was first delayed by a closed train station due to a mediacl emergency, and then multiple train delays (a cow on the track among one delay), pouring rain, and we barely made our car hire in time. All made up for by a pizza at Sergio's for dinner.
Pics Here, click on them for more info

Sunday 11.5 On our way for Sunday lunch at Auberge de Combes, we were involved in a minor accident! A car left unattended was rolling backwards down the road and hit Pete's car! After a delay filling out the insurance forms, we made it to the restaurant to eat, a bit late.
Pics HERE
Lunch pics HERE , click on the pic for descriptions of the menu

Monday 11.6 A drive into Agde where we did a quick beach walk, then into Sete where we did a few walks...first, along the top of Mont Ste. Claire, in a small city park. A quick lunch and then another walk along a salt march preserve, Les Aresquiers. We also have a pic of the bread machine in Faugeres, a town so small it does not have a bread shop!
Pics HERE

Tuesday 11.7 A 5am departure for a drive to the French PreAlps, so we could drive one of the infamous Balcony Roads, the Combe Laval, carved out of a side of a mountain. We drove to Die first, climbed the pass, and to our dismay, (well, for me, not Jane) found a bit of snow and ice! The Combe Laval was entirely fogged in and tricky to navigate, but we also managed to drive the Gorges de la Bourne, another balcony road before driving back to Faugeres and a 'pizza van' dinner. The town is so tiny, it has no eateries, but on Tuesday's, a food truck visit's and offers take-away pizza!
Pics HERE and a Video Driving the Gorges de la Bourne

Wednesday 11.8 Lazy day.....Left late, went to Bedariaeux and a picnic lunch near the Chateau Dios, then a wine tasting at L'Ancienne Mercerie (means 'The old haberdashery'). We also tried a local micro brew, and a visit to Ferme de la Schiste and their famous self serve wine taps!
Pics HERE

Thursday 11.9 Another private wine tasting, this time at Domaine Ollier Taillefer one of our favorites. They have added a very impressive new tasting room, and then one to lunch at La Mecanique des Freres Bonano run by brothers, who happen to be the sons of the people who own Auberge de Combes.
Pics HERE

Friday 11.10 Left Faugeres early to get to the train station in Beziers. A train to Lyon, and then into Paris, where we took the RER to our hotel near de Gaulle. Kinda surreal to have a 'Star Trek/Star Wars' themed hotle for sure! Took the train into Paris for dinner near the Parthenon.
Pics HERE

Saturday 11.11 Spent the day in Paris. Light rain, but not too bad to walk around in. A visit to the Aquarium and then the Rodin Museum, and dinner in the Latin Quarter at an incredible Indian place....
Pics HERE

Sunday 11.12 7am departure from CDG to Amsterdam, then to Boston Logan, and then to Bar Harbor, arriving home around 630pm after 20 hours of travel.