🥐 Sunday Scaries? Not with Our Tour de France!

The world tour has ended, and we’re settled back into our little mountain world. Steve and Taco are probably the happiest about this fact, as I’m sure Jim and I would turn around and repeat our “Tour de France” in a heartbeat.🥐

My pants are grateful that won’t be happening immediately 😂.

Our second week in France was more eventful than the first, so here are a few highlights from the second half of our trip to help you cast away the Sunday Scaries as we head into the holidays. 

🎄 I wish you all wonderful food, the best wine, and the merriest Christmas this week! 

It’s the happiest time of the year - we ain’t got no time for Sunday Scaries! Luckily, we experienced a little extra-special holiday splendor during our time abroad, so read on for some extra holiday cheer and ammo to combat those Sunday Scaries! 

Happy Holidays!

1. Enjoy Local Things 

It’s easy to take your home turf for granted, so our experience tasting all the local pleasures of Provencal France should be a great reminder to buy and consume locally. 

From the best escargot to specialty rose pralines in Lyon, more espresso than I thought I could drink, and even a special food and wine festival in Chateauneuf du Pape - we took advantage of the holiday season to experience France (and a tiny bit of Switzerland) in a very unique way. 

We visited seven - yes, SEVEN - Marche Du Noel (Christmas Markets) - one in each city or town we went to, including a super special one called the Marche du Gastronomique in Chateauneuf du Pape. 🍷

Hello, mini Food and Wine!

Traveling abroad makes Christmas shopping a breeze (pro tip!), and it also allowed us a more intimate look at local culture. Plus, Jim got to chatter with many more locals than you’d normally get to interact with. 

The impact was so lasting that the first thing we did when we got home was acquire an espresso machine. 😉

2. Marvel at the Work of Others

We spend so much time trying to perfect our craft that we can forget how important it is to look up and appreciate the output from others’ hard work. 

Case in point: Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct built in the FIRST century A.D. 

This thing is a complete marvel, and as a former civil engineer, I find it a completely mind-blowing piece of hydraulic ingenuity. 

When did you last stop to consider how much thought and effort went into someone’s work? 

Better yet, when did you last recognize someone for their little feat of excellence? 

This holiday season is a great time to do just that, so I hope my awe of Pont du Gard inspires you to be amazed by what others accomplish in their daily lives. 

3. Have a Best Day

While the day I’m about to describe wasn’t planned, it has made me want to recreate the fun, memories, and complete child-like whimsy of our single favorite day of the trip.

After visiting Pont du Gard, my favorite archeological site, we returned to Avignon to get ready for dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a first for Jim and me. 

After leaving our AirBnB to grab a pre-dinner cocktail, we stumbled upon the start of a small-town French Christmas parade outside our front door. 🎉

✨ What magic was this!

Completely different than an American parade - from the subdued colors to the fact that there were no blockades along the streets - just viewers respectful enough to move when the stilts, the hot air balloon, and the white horse pulling Santa’s sleigh made their way through the tiny streets. 

I’m not sure if this, or the 5-course meal that followed, was the highlight of this best day, but that’s exactly what made it such an amazing one.

When was the last time you had just one single absolutely incredible day? 

👉 If it’s been a while, I think you should go create one! 

4. Learn From the Past 

History lesson! In the 14th century, the Catholic papacy was experiencing such an upheaval that they relocated their headquarters from Rome to Avignon, which led to the construction of this incredible Palace du Papes (Palace of the Pope) you see here. 

You don’t need to be a fan of the Catholic church - or even religious - to appreciate the grandeur of this place. The construction of such a facility in the 14th century alone is impressive, but there’s also something to be learned from the reasons for this move. 

The (what we now know was a temporary) move from Italy to France was triggered by political turmoil and a need for safety - talk about an illustration of embracing change!

With a lack of cross-country moving services like we have today, relocating an entire papacy from one country to another in the 1300s was no small project! Talk about commitment, resilience, and adaptability. Whew! 🐎

Next time the start of the week drags you down, remember: if a bunch of medieval popes can pack up the donkeys and move their whole operation for a fresh start, tackling that Monday to-do list isn't so insurmountable.

5. Find Awe in the Everyday

The Cathedral of Fourvière is no everyday kind of place to us, but to the people of Lyon, France, it is! 

⛪ Jim and I arrived in Lyon after dark on the 10th day of our trip, and as we were driving in, we were captivated by the lights of a towering cathedral atop a hill, so we drove towards it. 

It turned out to be The Cathedral of Fourvière, completely lit up and backed by the full-moon night, so the exterior pictures made for something special…and then we went inside. 

Breathtaking is the only word for the stunning architecture that awaited us inside as Jim and I stared at our surroundings, mouths agape. The huge scale, intricate mosaics, and ornate adornments were all around, including a ceiling mosaic I found particularly capturing during the pre-Christmas timing of our visit. 

Again, you don’t need to be religious to appreciate - and learn from - what went into building such a marvel, but it shouldn’t take a trip around the world to make us take notice of our surroundings.

The details of a building on your daily commute, the way the light filters through the trees during a morning walk, or simply enjoying a beautifully crafted cup of coffee - these moments of appreciation can be just as grounding as walking into the most beautiful church you’ve ever seen. 🌆

Even if the closest you get to a cathedral is the grandeur of your overstuffed office chair, there’s always something around you worthy of a little jaw-drop.

6. Don’t Let NO Get You Down

Ampuis, home to Cote Roti, vineyards growing on the steepest hillsides you’ve ever seen, and my favorite winery: E. Guigal. 

Guigal was the one winery I requested to visit (compared to Jim’s wish list of 20+, we made it to five total, all in all), so you can imagine my disappointment when we arrived and weren’t granted a tasting but were told we’d need to pay 50 Euro a piece for a group tasting that was scheduled for later that afternoon. 

This came as a surprise since it was off-season in the wine regions, and up to that point, we’d had very intimate experiences with each winery we visited, so we sullenly went back out to figure out the next move. 

🪄 Then, something magical happened…

A second person was in the room and overheard the conversation about tasting logistics, in which Jim had mentioned formerly being in the wine industry. It turns out that the second person outranked the first, and she decided we needed the white glove treatment! 

She came outside specifically to find us and invite us back in for a private - no charge - tasting.🫨 

You never know who is listening or where “no” may lead, and in this case, it landed us an even more memorable experience than we expected in the first place! 

7. Appreciate Your Every Day

From Las Halles du Paul Buscos, the great food hall of Lyon, to two fantastic birthday dinners and the best Swiss fondue I’ll ever eat in my life (thanks, Switzerland), this was the trip of a lifetime for us. 

I have a feeling it has inspired many more trips of a lifetime Jim and I will now make time to take. Still, beyond every stunning view, little piece of history, and great glass of wine, I am most grateful for the amazing experience he and I shared and the memories we’ve made together. 🥰

Never take for granted your everyday - or the people who make this big world (that I got to see a little more of these past two weeks!) go ‘round. 

Joyeux Noël, Bonnes Fêtes, et Bonne Année!

Votre Ami et Coach, 

Angie