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Where to Eat in Paris When Visiting the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower – La Tour Eiffel – is one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks, and definitely one you want to visit when in the City of Light. Not only is Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece a stunning beacon of light, it is also an engineering marvel that warrants a closer look. This could take a while so of course you’ll want some ideas on where to eat in Paris when visiting this architectural treasure. Viewing the grand Iron Lady from ground level, you have the opportunity to appreciate the contrast of the delicate beauty of her filigreed arches against the obvious strength of her four massive pillars. And you also get…
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A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Haybes & Givet
My fourth day on the water of this epic European rowing tour once again dawned hot, sunny and bright. This time in the town of Haybes. And we made our way to the boats, my fellow rowers and I took in some of the local beauty. Architectural Charms Again we found an array of architectural styles and eras nestled among the rocky hills of the Ardennes region of France. This charming village had a variety of treats tucked away for us, from lovely streets winding uphill, to little book boxes tucked away on a window sill. And all topped off with a romantic floral arrangement at a front entrance. Valley…
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A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Charleville-Mézières & Deville
My first leg of this rowing tour of the Meuse river was no picnic. It had been more than three weeks since I had last been in a scull. On top of that, it was a hot, sunny day with temperatures in the low thirties. Add to that the fact that we were basically rowing a marathon or so a day and this was my first time rowing more than 12 kilometres at a time. Overcoming Adversity Needless to say, I struggled. Which, unfortunately, negatively impacted my rowing mates. By late in the day, my hands were slipping from perspiration. And my thigh muscles were tightening up so that it…
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A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Sedan
I’ve never been big on making New Year’s resolutions. However, early in 2018, I did set a huge goal for myself. Actually, the seed for this objective had been planted the previous September when I came across an exciting Facebook post. It was for La Traversée de Paris, a one-day rowing excursion through the City of Light! Imagine rowing past such iconic monuments as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Rowing the Meuse I’ve been a recreational rower for about ten years and the prospect of such an excursion excited me immensely. So I shared it with a few of my rowing mates and then with our coach. Being of…
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Charleville-Mézières: Enchanting Twin Cities
The morning of my third day on a rowing tour of the Meuse river dawned bright in Charleville-Mézières. The sun was shining and fluffy white clouds filled the sky. It was a beautiful day for the second stage of this watery adventure. A Wonderful Walking Tour But before my companions and I returned to our boats, there was a surprise in store for us. For we were guided on a wonder-filled walking tour of these historic and enchanting twin cities straddling the Meuse. Fortunately for us, one of our support team’s volunteers just happened to be a local history teacher. So it was he who lead us on this adventure.…
