During our five-day stay in the vicinity of Paris, we took a day trip to Auvers and Giverny to visit the places where Van Gogh and Monet painted and lived until the end of their lives.  Monet's gardens are stunning!
It was raining on our first trip to Paris, so we were delighted to have blue skies and warm weather.  We walked many miles in Paris - a city conducive to a lot of walking.  Our activities included museum visits (Louvre, Marmatton etc.) and delicious meals in local restraurants.  We stayed in the 7th arr. - very central location and within walking distance to most attractions.
	From Paris, we took the TGV train to Avignon in Provence.  We stayed for one week in a gite (cottage) that was once the stable for a farmhouse in a vineyard.  We visited an open air market each day in a different village and enjoyed other scenic villages and sites in close proximity.
At right are exterior and interior photos of the Kingdom Hall in Marseilles where we enjoyed a meeting.  Our brothers and sisters gave us a very warm welcome.
		We enjoyed regional foods - those we consumed in our gite and wonderful meals in restaurants.  At left are a couple of shots to whet your appetite.
	All of the villages we visited were very picturesque - we have a  huge album of photos to prove it!  Window boxes added a great deal to our visual delight. Click on the next icon below to see photos of our first trip to France. Be sure to see our England and Switzerland pages also.