Day 9 Lyon - Milan Malpenza Airport

The last day of our trip was bittersweet.  The road from Lyon to Milan took us through the Alps.  The fall colors, the snow capped peaks and the quaint villages made the drive a real delight.

At lunch time we happened upon the small village of Susa, Italy where we enjoyed another delicious meal.  No one spoke English, so we quickly concluded that this was not a tourist town.

We finally arrived at the Crowne Plaza Malpensa Airport Hotel after shelling out at least $250 in tolls and going through countless tunnels including the 9 mile long Frejus Tunnel.

We ended the evening recapping and celebrating this trip and anticipating our next trip of a lifetime.

Day 8 Charols - Lyon

Au revoir Chateau Salettes - on to Lyon.  Our hotel was conveniently located within an easy walk to  all the major sites.  We visited St-Jean Cathedral and had a pleasant lunch in Vieux Lyon.

Our research really paid off in finding the funicular station to reach the summit where the Basilique Notre Dame Fouviere is located.   The walk up to the Basilique would have been more than we could handle.  We knew this to be true by the availability of defibrillators along the way.  The Basilique was an example of excessive gilt, marble and mosaics.  The panoramic view of the city of Lyon was outstanding.

We then walked to the 2,000 year old Roman theater and the Odeon (Roman music hall).











The desk clerk gave us a recommendation for dinner at a restaurant right around the corner.  We walked to Le Centre and had a wonderful last meal in France.  Tom enjoyed his last glass of complimentary grappa.  He really likes that tradition. 

Tom's complimentary grappa

Day 7 Nimes - Pont du Gard - Cotes du Rhone - Charols

We started the day with breakfast at our hotel in Nimes.  We were very surprised that there were only 3 tables set up in the breakfast room; I guess this really is the off season.

First stop of the day was Pont du Gard.  We were impressed by the preservation, size and scale of this Roman aqueduct.  We spent much more time at this site than planned because of the extensive offerings of the museum and grounds.

 After Pont du Gard, we began our tour of the Rhone valley.  After passing through several villages and wine caves, we decided to stop in the village Chateauneuf du Pape.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch of local cuisine which included wine from the local vineyards.

We visited Domaine du Fontnobles in Gigondas, Domaine des Roches Fortes in Vaison-la-Romaine,
and Domaine Piallat in Suzaud.  We sampled several varieties at each wine cellar, and purchased wine from each (bringing the best home for Thanksgiving)!!

Our last destination in the Rhone valley was the 16th century Chateau les Oliviers de Salettes in Charols.  Our rooms had a panoramic view of the Apilles Mountains and the beautiful grounds of the chateau.  We enjoyed a gourmet meal of caviar, crusted eggs with truffles, foie gras, roast duck, and boeuf.

Day 6 Brignoles - Les Baux - Nimes

The day began with a quick breakfast of pastries at a local patisserie that Lisa had spotted the night before. As usual the pastries in France are mouth watering.

Our first stop was the 6,000 BC village of Les Baux.  We climbed through the medieval town to the 650 ft. peak of the old castle. There were warning signs as we climbed the rock staircase and upon reaching the top we understood why.  The mistral winds were in full force and we were practically blown over the edge.
 

 We then took a scenic drive to the quaint town of St. Remy.  We enjoyed a typical Provencal lunch at a restaurant on the town square.  We were entertained by a street singer who had a beautiful voice. 














 After lunch, we headed to Nimes.  We explored the Maison Carree, the Roman Arena de Nimes and the Temple of Diana located within the lovely Jardins de la Fontaine (a park in the center in Nimes).
 Our day ended at the C Suites in Nimes drinking wine and blogging.