Catching the metro at Oberkampf to see the Eiffel Tower
Le Tour Eiffel with twinkling lights
Le Louvre, Pavillon Sully
Muguet, our expert tour guide at the Louvre
Venus de Milo (Aphrodite of Milos)
Stained glass in the Royal Chapel, Sainte-Chapelle
Musée d'Orsay from the Pont de la Concorde
Patrick de-mystifies Notre Dame's flying buttresses
Notre Dame's flying buttresses
Heloise and Abelard lived, and loved, here in 1118
Inviting shops in the mysterious Place de Furstenberg, Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Parisians enjoying a holiday in the elegant Jardin du Luxembourg
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux
Ancient crypt angels in the crypt below the nave in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux
Iris in Monet's garden at Giverny
Clematis (Clématites) in Monet's garden at Giverny
Giverny peony the size of a dinner plate
Bridge in Monet's waterlily garden
Looking toward Monet's house from the waterlily garden
View into the garden from Monet's bedroom window
Looking up from the side garden toward Monet's sitting room
The Wings of Hope, Rise Freedom, The Wings of Fraternity on Omaha Beach
Our guide, Olivier, at the Normandy D-Day Beaches and American Cemetery
View of Arromanches
The grave of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. in the American Cemetery at St. Laurent
148 marble Stars of David mark the Jewish graves at St. Laurent.
Bouquet from the village of St. Laurent on the American Memorial Day
Map of Allied Operations in Western Europe
Charles DeGaulle urged French citizens to unite in resistance to tyranny
Sunset over the beach at Arromanches
Basilique du Saint-Sauveur in Dinan
Stopping for crêpes in Dinan
Patrick toasts the group with a Kir Normand
Dinan's massive ramparts
Stained glass in Dinan's Basilique du Saint-Sauveur
Half-timbered buildings with exposed framing and leaded glass windows
First sight of Mont St. Michel
Looking down over medieval rooftops from my Mont St. Michel balcony
Departing from under the portcullis for an evening walk around the Mont
Sunset over high tide surrounding Mont St. Michel
Le Grand Rue, Mont St. Michel
Preparing 25-Euro omelets
Magali introduces us to the history of Mont St. Michel
Gargoyles and spire with gilded statue atop the Mont St. Michel Abbey
Shadow of the Mont on the sand flats
Cloister of the Mont St. Michel Abbey
Refectory, Mont St. Michel
Light streams in through Gothic arches
Early Gothic vaults inside the Abbey
The treadwheel was powered by men to lift stones during construction of the Abbey
Fougère's Castle
Le Jardin Public, Fougère
Secluded church with purple door and Madonna in Fougère
Sunshine, shadow and stone in an inviting Fougère street
Troglodyte cave house built into the sandstone and limestone wall in the Loire Valley
Château Amboise at sunset
The Grand Allée at Chenonceau
Patrick introduces Chenonceau history and architecture
Pink brocade and silk in the 'Five Queens' Bedroom' at Chenonceau
Le Jardin de Catherine de Médicis, Chenonceau
Huge flower arrangement at Chenonceau
2,254 wounded were cared for during World War I at Chenonceau
Arches of Chenonceau's Pont de Diane, glimpsed through the leaded looking glass
Catherine de Medicis' Caryatids stand guard over Chenonceau's maze.
Ludo's calm concentration kept us safe and comfortable on the road
Northern France was carpeted with bright red poppies and white daisies
Royal Château at Chambord, largest castle in the Loire Valley
Double-helix open marble staircase at Chambord
Leonardo da Vinci's Château Clos du Lucé
Life-size model of Leonardo da Vinci's airplane design
Life-size model of Leonardo da Vinci's submarine design
Pink climbing roses near Mortemart's market pavilion
Very old carved choir stalls in Mortemart's village church
Sign at the entrance to Oradour-sur-Glane
Bread from this gutted boulangerie once fed Oradour's wealthy citizens
Sarlat's Cathédrale houses relics of Saint Sacerdos, healer of lepers
Sarlat's market was a riot of colorful umbrellas
An intoxicating aroma rose from the North African spices at Sarlat's market
Table linens stall in Sarlat's market
Seven-ton doors in Sarlat's former church of Ste. Marie, now an indoor market
Perfect evening people-watching in Sarlat's Place de la Liberté
Canoing on the Vézère River in the Dordogne (Photo credit: Ed Koizumi/Ernie March)
Clifftop château high above the Vézère River
Patrick introduced us to Carcassone's walls and towers
Harmony of grey stone glimpsed through leafy green spring trees
Cassoulet dinner in Carcassone
Walls and towers of Carcassone's La Cité, illuminated at night
Shadow dance on Carcassone's walls
Wine aging in oak barrels at Château des Hospitaliers, St. Christol, Languedoc
Wines of Château des Hospitaliers, St. Christol, Languedoc
Patrick introduces us to several regional cheeses
Pont du Gard
1,000-year-old olive tree near the Pont du Gard
Facade of Église St-Trophime in Arles' Place de la République
Unknown ancient (?) building in Arles with oddly twisted columns
Dinner in a vaulted dining room of a restaurant in Arles
Arles' Roman Amphitheatre
Model of a Roman Amphitheatre with treadwheel and partial awning
Cloister, Église St-Trophime, Arles
Roman mosaic floor in Arles' archeology museum
Obelisk in Arles' Place de la République
Roman street sign
Roman sarcophagus
Two Corinthian columns — all that remain of Arles' 20,000-seat Théâtre Antique
Medieval tapestry
Château des Baux, Provence
Looking down on the rooftops of Les Baux
Lunch at La Reine Jeanne, Les Baux
Dessert at La Reine Jeanne, Les Baux
Grapes vines below Les Baux
Beach at Nice
Looking down on Monaco Harbor from Monaco-Ville
Medieval watchtower and modern condos in Monaco
Monaco's Cathedral, where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier are buried
Yellow submarine outside Monaco's Musée Océanographique
Mega-yachts in Monaco Harbor
Smart car on Avenue de Monte-Carlo
Casino du Monte-Carlo
Caribbean entertainment in the Café de Paris, Monte-Carlo
Painting by Chagall in the Musée National Message Biblique, Nice
Stained glass by Chagall in the Musée National Message Biblique, Nice
Typical blue and white Mediterranean beach umbrellas
A children's beach playground along the Promenade des Anglais, Nice
Typical Italianate building in Nice
Symbol of Nice's Jazz Age outside the Hotel Negresco
Shower of late afternoon sun rays poured down over the Promenade des Anglais
My next destination -- Florence, Italy -- the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore ("The Duomo") with Giotto's Campanile and Brunelleschi's Cupola
Group Photo, Rick Steves tour, "The Best of France in 17 Days" -- May 25 - June 10, 2006
