A Guest Blog from a European Vacation
What did you do this summer? Did you travel? Did you learn about new and interesting places? I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations.
Not long ago, Marquee Brands Creative Video Director, Anduin Havens, traveled with her family to Europe, visiting 10 cities in France and Spain. For Anduin's husband, Cedric Durafour, it was a long awaited trip home to see relatives and friends. For her daughter, Harper, it was a first-time adventure to the continent. And for the three of them - a most enjoyable and memorable experience abroad.
Here are some of Anduin's photos, enjoy.
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- One of the first stops during Anduin’s European vacation was the medieval town of Carcasonne – a French fortified city in the region of Occitanie. The first walls were built in Gallo-Roman times, with major additions made in the 13th and 14th centuries.
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- Walking around, Anduin and her family admired the ramparts, or length of bank or wall forming part of the defensive boundary of a castle, hillfort, or fortified site.
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- This photo was taken of the sunset from their hotel room inside the city walls.
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- This was their view from their apartment in Montmartre, Paris – a charming hilltop district, which was once an artists’ village inhabited by Picasso and Dalí.
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- Here’s a photo of Anduin and her husband, Cedric in Place de la Bastille. They walked from here to the Eiffel Tower – a little more than four miles.
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- And here’s the famed Eiffel Tower seen from the Roue de Paris. The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
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- One of the dinners was at Madamoiselle Raymonde in Montmartre. They all devoured these delicious grilled sardines with ratatouille.
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- Cedric also enjoyed his carpaccio. Carpaccio is a dish of meat or fish, thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer.
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- Day two of the trip included a visit to Paris’ la Basilica Sacré-Coeur. The Sacré-Coeur, consecrated in 1919, is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris. From the top, one can see the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital city.
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- Here’s a view inside the Basilica, where the ceiling is decorated with the largest mosaic in France.
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- Here is l’Arc de Triomphe – very majestic and imposing. Wanted by Napoleon in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in 1836 by French king, Louis-Philippe, who dedicated it to the armies of the Revolution and the Empire.
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- Here is a a look at the vault inside the Arch. l’Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Under its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War, which was buried here in 1921.
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- This dinner was at La Couronne, in the lovely town of Rouen. Dinner was trout on a light pea puree, topped with fried zucchini.
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- Here’s a traditional French dessert: Millefeuille, which means thousands of leaves, referring to the many layers of the pate feuilletee or puff pastry.
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- There was also this gorgeous cheese offering. Many of these cheeses are aged for a very long time, adding to their texture and flavor.
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- On this day, Anduin and her family went to Mont-Saint-Michel, a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. They decided to walk from the distant parking lot to experience the pilgrimage. Since it was built in the 8th century, pilgrims have traveled much farther than that to see this wonder.
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- Here, they’re getting closer. Before the bridge was built, many travelers were stuck on the island or in the quicksands when the tide came in and encircled the Mont.
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- But it was all worth the long walk – such a gorgeous old town.
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- They escaped the crowded streets into this very narrow street in Mont-Saint-Michel. It was very helpful to have a native Frenchman as a guide. Cedric knows all the nooks and crannies.
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- This is St. Brieuc in Bretagne, where where Cedric grew up. Medieval houses were taxed on their footprint, so the upper stories overhang the street to gain more space without paying more.
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- In Bretagne, there is a castle near almost every village. Cedric’s family was amused at how fascinating this was for Americans, who don’t see castles every day. This photo is of Anduin, her sister-in-law Marianne, Harper, and her cousins Oceane, Maëlys, and Nolann.
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- Here’s another of the castle’s towers. It was originally built in 1220 and renovated many times, until the French Revolution.
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- This photo was taken in Le Feria in Dax, a southern city in France. This annual festival celebrates the day the Romans left the city. It’s a 5-day event that includes lots of singing, dancing, revelry, and bull fighting.
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- Everyone at the Feria wears white and red, and sings local songs while bands of musicians roam the city, entertaining the crowds.
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- The last city they visited in France was Toulouse, where Cedric lived before he moved to the United States.
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- This was lunch on the banks of the Garonne in Toulouse. Market-bought baguette, figs, melon, peach, foie gras en croute, Selles sur cher cheese, and saucisson a l’ail, a garlic sausage.
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- This is an ancient building in Toulouse, at an important crossroads: Le Quatre Coins des Changes – the Four Corners of Change.
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- This is the medieval city of Puycelsi. These sturdy buildings have been standing – through sieges, wars, and weather – for centuries. Now 90 families live here year-round.
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- Behind Harper is The famous exterior of La Sagrada Familia, a large unfinished church building in Barcelona, and the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.
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- Its interior is so dramatic and unique – Anduin was amazed. The basilica’s massive columns tower more than 200-feet to the ceiling. There are also huge stained-glass windows where sunlight streams through to the interior creating these colorful bands.
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- Anduin also got this photo of a storm over Barcelona. In all, their trip to Europe was packed with many stunning sights and delicious meals – they can’t wait to return. Thanks for the photos, Anduin.
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