We have been to Cassis several times. But this was the littlest muffin’s first look at the pristine beach. 
Because we weren’t sure about an eleven-month-old on the high seas, we bypassed our favorite activity this time: a boat trip to view The Calanques.
But she did have here first taste of moules with lobster sauce at one of the waterfront restaurants located along the Quai Jean Jacques Barthelemy.
And her first gander at old men playing pétanque.
A December day, Nearly Christmas. I was traveling with a friend and her seniors group. The weather casters on the news said it was the coldest December in forty years. Two inches of snow had fallen in Marseille! We had done the Riviera wrapped in layers and with newly purchased hats and scarfs and gloves. The night before we had almost frozen our toes off walking in open toed heels back from the Metro to our hotel near La Defense after seeing the ballet at the Opera Garnier. In the morning, everyone else was still snuggled in bed, but I hadn’t had my Tour Eiffel fix. So I walked there by myself. I was surprised to find no one in the ticket line. Even more surprised to find no wait at the elevators and only a patron or two on the ride up. As I slowly circled the top, identifying each Paris landmark below, I suddenly discovered why I was almost alone. The iconic landmark shuddered under my feet and began to perceptibly sway in the winter gale. I reminded myself of all the years it had stood strong while chicken-heartedly beating a path back to the elevators. Sometimes the only thing you really need to bring back from France is a memory.
Remember the scene from “When Harry Met Sally” in the restaurant? Of course you do. Well, a slightly less R-rated version occurred when a good friend and I first dined at the highly recommended L’Ambroisie in Quimper.
It occurred at the very table pictured in this photo. We ordered the foie gras and with our first simultaneous bites, we both let out an audible, involuntary groan of complete delight. The ultimate braised foie gras, the deep sweetness of the fresh fig compote, the crunch of perfectly crisped triangles of toast, and the chunky granules sal de mer combined to produce the most scrumptious bite we’d ever tasted. That our hosts insisted we must have the Normandy pear cider with a splash of cassis to accompany this dish, without charge, only added to the experience. I think there was quail and a tarte tatin to follow but we will never forget that first bite.
When my daughter and I arrived in the off-season at Le Prieuré, astunning chateau on the Loire river just a few kilometers from Saumur, we were surprised to be offered an upgraded room gratis. Imagine our delight and amazement when we entered this spectacular room swathed in roses and graced with antiques and a huge marble bath, with its French doors opening right onto the rooftop overlooking the river. The breakfast served in the room was exactly as in this photo. My own non-digitalized photos are off in a album buried in my shed. You can see
the flat rooftop of the dining room in the center right of this aerial view of the chateau and our French doors that opened onto it.
In the restaurant that evening we decided to splurge and order the Gastronomique menu which at the time (1999) amounted to $200. We started with an amuse bouche in the salon, then moved to our table
, where for the next 3 1/2 hours we were treated to course after course, eleven in all, including three appetizers, three full main courses (filet mignon, lobster tail, and duck), and three full-sized desserts, with a palette refresher of grapefruit sorbet in between, plus 5 different wines. When the waiter arrived to ask about coffee, we looked at each other and graciously declined. Not another bite or swallow was going into our bodies. We decided it was the most grand meal we’d ever had (or have had to this day). So even when we discovered to our shock when we paid our bill the next morning that it was $200 EACH, we felt it was well worth it for an unforgettable memory.
Here we are, coming in by ferry from Nice to L’Île-Rousse. One of the perks of traveling with my grown daughter, besides the fact that she is very outgoing and fluent in French, is that we are in complete sync as traveling companions. No squabbling over when to get up or when to go to bed. And with her encouragement, I see many sights that would have passed me by had my “old bones” been making the decisions. Her theory: if we’re here we should see everything! So, armed with our favorite travel book, a DK Eyewitness Travel Guide we set out to see every nook and cranny possible during our scheduled days in Corsica.
Top on the agenda was to see many of the places that serve as locations in my novel MOTHER TONGUE which included Bonifacio, the Citadelle at Corte, the Restonica Valley, and L’Île-Rousse. Even made a few stops to capture roadside graffiti scrawled by FLNC sympathizers.
But one of my favorite memories was dinner on the beach at L‘Île–Rousse, the western port where we had arrived by ferry earlier in the day.
We enjoyed a month-long home exchange in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume which is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. It lies 40 km (25 mi) east of Aix-en-Provence at the foot of the Sainte-Baume mountains: baume or bama is the Provençal equivalent of “cave”. The town’s basilica is dedicated to Mary Magdalene.
Mommy, Mimi, and the two Muffins arrived first. Our gracious and ebullient host Marc had 
the oldest Muffin in the pool and the youngest in his arms before we’d even unpacked our bags.
For those considering home exchanges, having a day overlap of the two families at the beginning and end of a home exchange is a marvelous way to settle in and express gratitude. My daughter used a French home exchange site to find this beautiful home with a pool.
The patio was a great place to relax and enjoy all of our home cooked meals. The interior was Mediterranean modern and spacious with separate bedrooms for each of us, but within earshot of the little ones. 
The baby, not yet walking, enjoyed couch cruising and both children loved the pool. In another post I will share how our four-year-old was able to attend school in the town for 3 weeks.
Camping in France offers a whole new opportunity for the American traveler that is often overlooked. Don’t think tents in the wilderness. We stayed at Camping à Cagnes sur mer Green Park in 2006.
Our three bedroom mobile home bungalow had all the amenities including air conditioning and was located on acres of tree-shaded land with swimming and other recreational activities for children and adults, talent shows in the evening, and all priced well within our budget.
My son-in-law-to-be joined us at the last minute for a week’s stay that was within a short drive of all the Côte d’Azur and Provençal attractions. 
Nice with its elegant Hotel Negresco, famed pebble beach and world-famous art museums
(Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret).
Provence’s most famous hilltop villages were in easy traveling distance. 
We enjoyed St. Paul de Vence and the Gorges du Verdon, and even 
a secluded goat farm high in the hills producing the most delicious cheese.
When exploring these camping spots, which are the favorite destinations of a large majority of French families for their annual vacations in August, expect to use your high school French visiting the websites and at the camping locations or search for British online camping sites. You know you’ve found the perfect location when there isn’t another American in sight!
The restaurant of the Le Logis du Guetteur is probably my all-time favorite. I have dined on the restaurant’s terrace with my best childhood friend (2004, we also stayed at the Logis), my daughter and granddaughter (2013), and my daughter, son-in-law and his mother (2008).
The most memorable occasion was in 2008. We had been visiting St. Tropez and had 1:30 pm reservations. The 40 km to Les Arcs sur Argens was over a twisty mountainous road and the minutes were ticking away.
We arrived just as they were closing down their luncheon service. My daughter, who speaks fluent French, begged the maitre d’ to seat us since we had come so far. But to no avail. But then she caught sight of the chef through an open door to the kitchen.
She called to him and after much cajoling he agreed to prepare our meals but we had to decide on dessert ahead of time so that he could prepare that in advance and then leave. One of their servers, a young woman in her 20s, graciously offered to stay past her hours of duty and serve out meal.
The food was marvelous as always and the view from the terrace of the valley of vineyards and the medieval village of Les Arcs was unparalleled.
I have visited the magnificent 16th century Chateau of Chambord three times but my first visit was in November 1999 with my daughter, who was just into her first year of living in France after college. With the majority of tourists off to warmer climes, we often found ourselves alone in the 130 rooms open to visitors.
And, yes, we visited them all, reaching the various floors by walking up the double-helix marble staircase supposedly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. I loved placing each foot in the shallow spots worn away by centuries of royal occupants climbing up and down as they plotted murders and bandied about with mistresses.
The roof top with all its minarets and spires is every bit as mysterious in person as it looks in photos. Author Henry James remarked that Chambord’s “towers, cupolas, the gables, the lanterns, the chimneys, look more like the spires of a city than the salient points of a single building.
Driving down the tree-lined avenue leading away from the chateau, a wild boar came out of the mists and stopped momentarily in the middle of the road ahead of us. How magical.
A later visit in 2009 brought the additional surprise of dozens of mannequins dressed in opera costumes posed throughout the interior.
Dubbed as “Alain Germain dresses the Chambord’s opera,” costumes from renowned couturiers, such as Franck Sorbier, Nathalie Germain, Pascal Bordet, and Olivier Bériot, were displayed within the castle. 
Breathtaking!
Okay, three days into my blog and I’m on finally on the right topic on the right day! That’s what happens when grandmothers are still recovering from touring France with two little ones.
The most delightful place to take youngsters in France is one of its many wondrous castles.
Children of all ages can pretend to be kings and queens, knights and archers.
Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle 55 km south of Strasbourg is a perfect example. It is filled with artifacts and has beautifully restored room and educational displays.
As you can see from the collection of photos our 3 1/2 year old enjoyed every nook and cranny, from drawbridges to arrow slits.
Plus, for the grownups, there is the incomparable view and the authentic medieval or Alsatian food in the restaurant serving everything. Even a snap-on tray high chair to secure the toddler.
Dr. Karen Stephen aka Doc Flamingo 