French booze cruise
So I'm probably going to France in 2017 with my family for a family history kind of trip, and my parents asked me to do the planning, I think partly so they don't have to and partly because they know I think it's fun. (Usually. You did great with England, guys! Thumbs up!)
Obviously I'm not trying to arrange anything right now when the trip won't be for at least eighteen months, but I'm starting to daydream because I'm like that. We're definitely going to La Rochelle, where my mother's father's father' father's etc. came from lo these many years ago (her father's family is French Canadian); other than that, we'll have to work it out once planning starts. My parents and aunt, who are definitely coming, have all been to Paris previously, which I haven't; neither has my brother, who will (presumably along with his wife) be invited, though I don't know if he'll be able to come. So I think, well, you've got multiple options, right, you've got the go-go-go kind of itinerary, you've got the slow travel kind of itinerary, the other ancestral French city we know of is Cherbourg up in Normandy, do we want to go there, that's right near Omaha Beach, my youngest nephew would love that SO MUCH OMG. (I don't actually think any of his kids will be coming, but that kid really would love it. He would talk our ears off about WWII military technology.)
Anyway, so I'm thinking, what do I want to do, what do I want to see - and I've realized something. At this point, my interests in terms of things to do in France are 20% stained glass and 80% alcohol. Normandy is a big cider region, you know. La Rochelle is near Cognac - I don't know if I like cognac, but I like port, I'd be willing to give it a try. If we go to Paris I could do a day trip to Champagne and finally decide whether I just don't like champagne or if it's an issue with only drinking cheap stuff!
I don't know, guys, this is not normal for me. Even when going to Italy, where I love the food very very much, there are a lot of other things I was really excited about. But apparently with France my interests are primarily focused on booze. Well, at least my parents do like wine...
Obviously I'm not trying to arrange anything right now when the trip won't be for at least eighteen months, but I'm starting to daydream because I'm like that. We're definitely going to La Rochelle, where my mother's father's father' father's etc. came from lo these many years ago (her father's family is French Canadian); other than that, we'll have to work it out once planning starts. My parents and aunt, who are definitely coming, have all been to Paris previously, which I haven't; neither has my brother, who will (presumably along with his wife) be invited, though I don't know if he'll be able to come. So I think, well, you've got multiple options, right, you've got the go-go-go kind of itinerary, you've got the slow travel kind of itinerary, the other ancestral French city we know of is Cherbourg up in Normandy, do we want to go there, that's right near Omaha Beach, my youngest nephew would love that SO MUCH OMG. (I don't actually think any of his kids will be coming, but that kid really would love it. He would talk our ears off about WWII military technology.)
Anyway, so I'm thinking, what do I want to do, what do I want to see - and I've realized something. At this point, my interests in terms of things to do in France are 20% stained glass and 80% alcohol. Normandy is a big cider region, you know. La Rochelle is near Cognac - I don't know if I like cognac, but I like port, I'd be willing to give it a try. If we go to Paris I could do a day trip to Champagne and finally decide whether I just don't like champagne or if it's an issue with only drinking cheap stuff!
I don't know, guys, this is not normal for me. Even when going to Italy, where I love the food very very much, there are a lot of other things I was really excited about. But apparently with France my interests are primarily focused on booze. Well, at least my parents do like wine...