FRANCE
03 to 09/01/2016
2 adults
Itinerary
03/01 - Lisbon - Vitoria
04/01 - Vitoria - Paris
05/01 - Paris
06/01 - Paris
07/01 - Paris - Versailles - Loire - Poitiers
08/01 - Poitiers - Vale de Cambra
09/01 - Vale de Cambra - Lisbon
Accommodation
03/01 - Hotel Canciller Ayala (4*) - Vitoria
04/01 - Hotel Choiseul Opera (4*) - Paris
05/01 - Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Acueil (4*) - Paris
06/01 - Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Acueil (4*) - Paris
07/01 - B&B hôtel Poitiers (2*) - Poitiers Futuroscope
Our Stories
The beginning of 2016 started rainy and that was spoiling the plans for the week of vacation we had planned. After the Reveillon, we spent the 1st and 2nd of January at home and then decided that on Sunday the 3rd we were going to "look for the good weather" and drive aimlessly until the rain stopped!
January 3rd
We left Lisbon already in the afternoon and crossed Portugal and Spain until we reached Vitória, but with no signs that the rain would stop soon!
We decided to stay at the Hotel in Vitória that we already knew and travel on the following day.
January 4th
The rain insisted on not stopping and that made us to continue our journey until finally, shortly after Poitiers, the weather gave us a break and we managed to see the blue sky again. It was about 3:30 pm and there was still time to get to Paris in time for dinner and so we decided. Camila didn't know the French capital and we decided it was a good time to do so!
When we arrived in Paris, we looked for a hotel that was well located and that was cheap and we found a hotel very close to the Paris Opera where we decided to stay. The hotel is old and simple with no luxury whatsoever and the location is great for those who, like us, wanted to stay in the city center. We decided to stay here just one night because we had loyalty points from Marriott hotels and the other two nights we chose to stay further away from the center but not pay for the accommodation! The clearest idea we have of the hotel is the size of the elevator. We fit the 2 and our bag and nothing else ... and luckily the bag was small!
That night, we left things in the room and went out to see some of the city and have dinner. We ended up walking almost 5 km passing through the Opera, Louvre until we reached the Eiffel Tower. On the way, we stopped at Le Recrutement Café for dinner. It was one of the few restaurants that we found open and with a reasonable appearance at that time of night and we ended up eating some hamburgers which, while not bad, were also not the best meal we've ever had, but it was able to take the edge of our hunger.
On the way back we chose to take a taxi because it was already late and ourlegs were already showing us that it was time to stop!
January 5th
We dedicated the day to get to know a little of Paris.
We started with the Père Lachaise Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Paris and one of the most famous in the world due to the diverse personalities that are buried there. Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Chopin or Jim Morrison (one of the most popular graves). We spent the morning seeing this cemetery which has already become one of the most visited tourist attractions in Paris.
Then we head to the city center to visit some of the most famous tourist sites in the world ... Notre Dame, Saint Michel, the banks of the Seine, Les Invalides and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Towards the end of the afternoon we left the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe and also the Moulin Rouge. We decided to have dinner in that area before returning to the hotel.
January 6th
It was the last day we had planned for Paris and we started by visiting Gare do Nord on our way to the Basilica de Sacre Coeur and the Montmartre district where we had lunch.
The most bohemian neighborhood in Paris, with lots of street artists, has its own animation and was a time well spent.
After lunch and before heading to the Louvre, we still had time to stop by the cafe "Des Deux Moulins" famous for the Amelie Poulain film.
The afternoon was dedicated to seeing the works of the Louvre. And we managed to see the Mona Lisa very close. As we traveled in January we could take a picture of it easily! Contrary to what happens in the high season months, we didn't have to go through queues or major confusions to get to the painting that is probably the most famous in the world. And yes ... we left with the same feeling of many comments that we had already seen and heard: the picture is really small !!
January 7th
It was the day we started to head back to Portugal. But in this return there was still a lot to see.
Early in the morning shortly after we started the trip, we stopped in Versailles to pay a visit to the famous Palace. It is really imposing and worth the detour from Paris to this small town just under 20 km from Paris.
After visiting the Palace that occupied us all morning, we continue through the Loire Valley to see some of the beautiful castles that exist along this river. We didn't go in to visit any but we managed to get an idea of the quantity and beauty of this area of France. Perhaps one day we will return with time to visit the castles
We continued our journey until dusk and ended up in Poitiers to sleep. We stayed in a very simple B&B hotel but it was just for the night and we didn't want to spend a lot of money on accommodation. That night we went to the center of Poitiers for dinner and chose a restaurant almost by luck and it turned out to be one of the best meals of the 5 days we spent in France and at a very reasonable price. It is a restaurant that we will certainly take into account if we go back to dinner in Poitiers.
January 8th
It was the day of returning to Portugal. The day was spent on the road and in addition to gasoline and fast food stops, we only stopped in Vale de Cambra at André's parents' house where we stayed that night.
January 9th
After lunch we returned to Lisbon and this mini vacations were over!
