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Ray & Deb's Travels We're on a home exchange to Southern France.

Photos: What's with the shutters?

FRANCE | Friday, 28 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Postscript: What's with the shutters?

FRANCE | Friday, 28 Sep 2012 | Views [160]

Gotten some questions  "whats with the shutters"? Every house in southern France has wooden shutters - which are managed to control heat, breezes and chill.  Close the shutters (with windows left open) at beginning of day to keep the ... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 21-23: A weekend in Paris

FRANCE | Thursday, 27 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept. 21 to 23: A weekend in Paris

FRANCE | Thursday, 27 Sep 2012 | Views [87]

Our home exchange partners (Helen and Phillip) came back on Friday around noon. It was great fun, we ate lunch chatting and sharing our stories then they drove us to the train station where we caught the train to Paris for the weekend.  Sorry have to ... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 20: A day-trip to the Coast

FRANCE | Thursday, 27 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept 20: A day-trip to the Coast

FRANCE | Thursday, 27 Sep 2012 | Views [84]

We finally get a clear day and head to the West Coast. Takes about 1 1/2 hours to get to a lovely coastal town called St. Jean de Luz, which was highly recommended by our home exchange partners.  A Basque town famous for its peppers or pimentos and fish.... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 16-17: NW of Toulouse

FRANCE | Wednesday, 26 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept: 16-17: NW of Toulouse

FRANCE | Wednesday, 26 Sep 2012 | Views [73]

We take an overnight trip to the area Northwest of Toulouse - about 2 1/2 hours from our home exchange.  We follow a back road along the Vezere River.  This area fascinated us when we read about it, as there are relics of the second ice age - the caves ... Read more >


Photos: Sept 14: Amou - Where we lunch like the French

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept. 14: We lunch like the French

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Views [91]

Back at our home exchange house - slept very late - and so lazy, we did what any sensible Frenchman does - we went out to lunch. A little town of Amou near our home exchange.  Sat out on the patio and like everyone else had an 1 1/2 hour 3 course ... Read more >


Photos: Sept 13: Hotel Bizarre

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept 13: Hotel Bizarre & head back to Hagetmau

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Views [142]

The hotel from last night/this morning is truly hard to explain.  Must have been quite the place in the 1940's when it was built...but now very sadly neglected.  We saw the owner in the common living room .  An old lady who still dressed for the ... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 12: Moustiers-St-Marie & Aix en Provence

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept. 12: Moustiers-St- Marie & Aix en Provence

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Views [73]

Spent the morning climbing all around Moustiers and poking in and out of pottery shops.  This town is famous for its Faience - beautifully decorated earthernware.   But, we resisted, except for two tiny items that will fit in our luggage. One ... Read more >


Photos: Sept 11: Gourdon & Verdon Canyon

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept 11: Gourdon & Verdon Canyon

FRANCE | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012 | Views [135]

Had a wonderful breakfast at this organic/green hotel.  Yougurt made fresh there on premises, great fresh fruit and breads...very nice indeed. Talked to the owner who wants to move to Miami to open a bakery cafe! We didn't say anything but thought ... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 10: Grasse and we get lost

FRANCE | Sunday, 16 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept. 10: Grasse & we get lost

FRANCE | Sunday, 16 Sep 2012 | Views [154]

By the time we woke the girls had left for their respective jobs - they both leave around 7 am and we heard them but elected to go back to sleep to "stay out of their way"- ha ha.  Finally woke again around 9 am.  Packed, stripped our bed, ... Read more >


Photos: Sept 9: A Sunday to remember in Toulon

FRANCE | Saturday, 15 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept 9: A Sunday to remember in Toulon

FRANCE | Saturday, 15 Sep 2012 | Views [142]

The girls had breakfast for us on the terrace - typical French breakfast - coffee with hot milk, fresh bagette, butter and jam.  Very yummy. Then we head off to Toulon across the Bay.  We walk down to catch the ferry and then walk around Toulon ... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 7 to 8: St. Mandrier-sur-Mer

FRANCE | Saturday, 15 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept. 7 to 8: St. Mandrier-sur-Mer

FRANCE | Saturday, 15 Sep 2012 | Views [89]

We arrive at Christine and Anne-Laure's little cottage around 5 pm.  They gave us excellent directions and other than tight parking on their little lane, we get there in one piece.  The "girls" are very sweet and nice.  Anne-Laure teaches ... Read more >


Photos: 9-6 to 9-7 We head to Cote d'Azur

FRANCE | Saturday, 15 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept 6 to 7: We head to the Cote d'Azur

FRANCE | Saturday, 15 Sep 2012 | Views [117]

We leave our main home exchange for our second home exchange.  A bit of explanation here - when we went back to New Hampshire for a family wedding - we said "oui" to an exchange request from Christine and Anne-Laure from St. Mandrier-... Read more >


Photos: Sept. 4; Dax and environs

FRANCE | Thursday, 6 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Sept. 4: Dax & environs

FRANCE | Thursday, 6 Sep 2012 | Views [90]

Still dealing with the tire replacement. Garage has to order the tire from another town which is causing more delays.  So, today, we took a day trip over to the town of Dax.  Wandered around, in and out of shops, along the river, and then lunch ... Read more >


Photos: Aug 31 - Sept 1st: Into the Pyrenees

FRANCE | Monday, 3 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Aug 31 - Sept 1st: Into the Pyrenees

FRANCE | Monday, 3 Sep 2012 | Views [101]

Our home exchange friends recommended a beautiful mountainside inn up in the Pyrenees close to several hikes, lots of hillside villages and most importantly, incredible views. Our route there took us through (not around as we had hoped) Lourdes ... Read more >


Photos: Aug. 30, 2012 - Arzaco & Morlanne

FRANCE | Sunday, 2 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery


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Aug 30, 2012 - Arzaco & Morlanne

FRANCE | Sunday, 2 Sep 2012 | Views [98]

Today, despite some jet lag, we head over to two small towns near us, Arzavo and Morlanne.  We walk around both towns, explore a castle and its gardens, and visit a ham museum (yes really!).  As on every trip, Deb continues to be fascinated and ... Read more >


August 28-29 - we arrive

FRANCE | Sunday, 2 Sep 2012 | Views [132]

We finally arrive at the Pau-Pyrenees airport where 1/2 of our home exchange couple, Phillip meets us and takes us to their home - ours for the next 3 weeks or so. It's a lovely old stone farmhouse which Phil and Helen rebuilt, restored, and rennovated.... Read more >


Photos: Aug. 28 to 29 - we arrive

FRANCE | Sunday, 2 Sep 2012 | Photo Gallery

Southern France 2012
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