Amsterdam, Paris & Étretat
With a tighter travel window given the girls’ packed summer schedule and the knowledge that the US national parks next on our list would require more time to explore, I decided to continue our European adventures. After lots of research, I selected Amsterdam, Paris and Étretat for the diversity of sites, rich history, incredible photographic opportunities and ease of navigation (e.g., a lot less driving, leaving more time to uncover the wonders of each of these unique places). For those keeping score, yes, that makes two summers in a row that we have bypassed the United States, but I promise that our stateside adventures will continue throughout this year and beyond. In the meantime, we have an amazing adventure to share with you!
AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam is a vibrant small city famous for its elaborate canal system, world-famous museums, gabled houses, lively nightlife and so much more but, with only 48 hours on the ground, I realized that we couldn’t see everything (saving the remainder for a return trip in early-2020). That said, the itinerary I created gave us a feel for this wonderful city and, as always, allowed us to learn quite a bit along the way.
Anne Frank House
"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."
— Anne Frank
The first stop on our whirlwind tour was the Anne Frank House, a museum located in the center of Amsterdam containing the secret annex where Anne Frank and seven others hid from German occupation during World War II. It was here that young Anne penned her world-famous diary. As the museum is very popular, timed-slot tickets (only available online) sell out quickly. Luckily, we were able to secure tickets for a museum visit plus 30 minute introductory program. In 30 minutes, you are taken through the history of Anne Frank in the context of the Second World War. I found this program to be essential as it provided background and context as we made our way through the museum on our own. Although Anne and the seven others were eventually discovered (with 7 dying in concentration camps), Anne’s diary is a moving testament to the human spirit. The museum is a must-see during any visit to Amsterdam.
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s work in the world, from his early career in the Netherlands through to his later years in France. Highlights include The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers and The Bedroom. When touring the museum, you not only get a feel for van Gogh's creative genius, but also his troubled mind. Sadly, van Gogh took his life at the age of 37 in 1890, but since that time and thanks in large part to his brother, van Gogh’s renown grew following his death and he is now regarded as one of the most brilliant, yet troubled, artists in modern art.
We purchased our tickets and selected a time slot online, which is highly recommended, as the museum is one of the most popular museums in the Netherlands and tickets sell out in advance. We also rented headsets that were very helpful in providing context and background as we walked through the various exhibitions. We all enjoyed our time at the museum and also enjoyed viewing paintings by his contemporaries Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Claude Monet, as well as sculptures by Auguste Rodin.
I Amsterdam Sign
The Van Gogh museum is located in Museumplain, a park-like square bordered by the Van Gogh, Rijks and Stedelijk museums, and so once we wrapped our time at the museum we enjoyed exploring the area and the iAmsterdam sign, an immensely popular Amsterdam symbol. Despite the crowds, we managed to carve out a little space for some fun photos. We also later discovered a second iAmsterdam sign in Amsterdam Noord which, thankfully, was a lot less crowded!
Canal Boat Tour
No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a canal boat tour. For our tour, we chose the Sunset Canal Cruise on a Leemstar 1928 Saloon Canal Launch boat. The meeting location was conveniently located directly across from our hotel and the 90 minute live guided cruise, with less than 10 passengers, took us on a full 360 circle cruise. Beautiful views and an excellent captain, made all the better by being able to watch the sunset while on the canal.
A’DAM Toren
Walks are a great way to explore Amsterdam, so we set out on foot for a self-guided tour en route to Centraal Station, Amsterdam’s transportation center. Along the way, we visited Dam Square (a major hub of activity), the Royal Palace (one of the four official residences of King Willem-Alexander), the Flower Market (the Netherlands is the largest flower exporter in Europe) and The Westerkerk (the landmark church where Rembrandt is buried).
Once we arrived at Centraal Station, we walked to the back of the station and boarded a free ferry to Amsterdam Noord, a vibrant borough separated from the city by a large canal called the IJ. Ferries run every few minutes and the entire trip takes less than five minutes. Once we arrived, we took a little time walking around before heading into the A’DAM Tower, a tower that opened as the headquarters of the Shell company and now houses a mix of offices, trendy bars, restaurants, and a hotel. Once we sat for the obligatory tourist photos, we made our way up to Restaurant Madam, a panorama restaurant on the 20th floor offering great views of the IJ and Amsterdam. After light snacks, Sydney and I were feeling quite adventurous, so we purchased tickets for "Over the Edge", a swing that sits at the very top of the building and swings you back and forth at a height of 100 meters over the edge of the tower with Amsterdam below. I will admit to be being afraid, but it’s a must for thrill-seekers!
Other Points of Interest
Brewers’ Canal
A late-night stroll brought me to the Brewers’ Canal, a great place for night photography.
Magere Brug (aka the Skinny Bridge)
While the girls enjoyed delicious Amsterdam fries (addictive!), I took a stroll to this bridge to snap a few pictures.
Hotel
I am typically a big fan of Andaz hotels, but was disappointed in the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, a new addition to the Amsterdam scene. Prime location and hip, yes, but the exorbitant nightly rate for a canal view room that was just okay was a disappointment.
PARIS
Our stay in Amsterdam having come to an end, we returned to Centraal Station to catch our high speed train to Paris. The Thalys train was very nice and fast, taking a little over 3 hours and securing a taxi to our hotel once we arrived was easy. The only hiccup was that I left my newly purchased hat in the overhead space above our seats. Lesson learned, always check the overhead space!
Hotel
After lots of research and even more choices, I selected the Maison Bréguet, a fabulous boutique hotel close to the Marais district and its clothing shops, trendy restaurants and cafés, and hip scene. The decor is lovely, the rooms well-appointed (we stayed in two adjacent rooms with an exterior door, giving us a real sense of privacy and security) and the restaurant served delicious fare. In addition, the staff are outstanding and attentive. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. Now, on to the sights!
Paris is a very easy city to navigate and so we were able to explore through a combination of walks, Métro (one of the world’s best underground train systems) and cabs.
Marais
We loved our proximity to the Marais district and enjoyed exploring its chic boutiques, cafés, interesting streets and Place Des Vosges. Originally Place Royale, Place Des Vosges is one of the oldest squares in Paris, with lush lawns dotted with fountains and plenty of space to simply take in the views and people watch.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
A masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, the cathedral is the city’s geographic center, the point from which all distances are measured. Its grand exterior is a popular attraction and we enjoyed our time exploring the cathedral and its surrounding areas.
Arc de Triomphe
We walked the length of the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées from the Place de la Concorde to the iconic Arc de Triomphe at the juncture known as the Place de l'Étoile (square of the star) where 12 avenues radiate out in a semi-circular pattern. Initially built as a monument to Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz in 1805, the Arc de Triomphe is now dedicated to the glory of the French army and honors important battles, generals and victories in France’s military history. Beneath the arch at ground level lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, laid to rest in 1921 in honour of the 1.3 million French soldiers who lost their lives in WWI.
To access the arch, we took the stairs down to the pedestrian tunnels that bring you out safely beneath the arch. We purchased tickets online in advance and so with tickets in hand, we entered the arch and climbed the 280 steps to the top. The climb was worth it, as the views from the panoramic terrace where you can see the 12 avenues and so much more were spectacular.
Musée du Louvre
Originally a medieval fortress, then the royal palace before the monarchy moved to Versailles, the Louvre was turned into a museum following the French Revolution. Today, it is the most visited and largest art museum in the world, housing more than 70,000 pieces in a 650,000 square-foot gallery space. Those stats can be quite intimidating and so I decided that the best way for us to visit the museum would be via a tour. After some research, I selected Closing Time with the Mona Lisa by Fat Bike Tours, as it had excellent reviews, allowed us to skip the long entry lines, had a smaller group size and would give us a chance to view the Mona Lisa after most of the crowds had left.
After skipping the line, we learned about the modern glass pyramids designed by architect I.M. Pei, toured the ruins of the castle dating back to 1190 AD, viewed several masterpieces by Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Raphael, as well as the celebrated Greek statues of the armless Aphrodite (better known as Venus de Milo) and the Winged Victory of Samothrace (one of the world’s most celebrated Greek sculptures), culminating with the crown jewel, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
It was a great introduction to the Louvre and even more fun was the fact that The Carters (aka Beyoncé and Jay-Z) dropped their album, Everything is Love, while we were in Paris and the first video, Apeshit, was filmed in the museum. So, it was fun spotting all of the familiar pieces of artwork and locations featured in the video as we made our way through the museum.
Eiffel Tower
Another must-see while in Paris is the Eiffel Tower (built for the 1889 Word’s Fair as a monumental gateway) but, sadly, all online tickets were sold-out and I had no interest in paying for an overpriced and over-crowded group tour, so the only way for us to experience the tower would be to wait in the very long lines. The girls were up for it and so we took a chance and I am happy to report that the whole process from passing through security and entering the line to walking onto the lift took a little over an hour. Not bad!
We purchased the ticket with access lift top floor, which permitted us access to the 2nd floor, featuring Paris’ most famous observation deck with views of Paris, before transferring to a second lift for our final ascent to the top. Once we reached the summit, we were able to take in the breathtaking views of Paris, peer into architect Gustave Eiffel’s office where he conducted experiments and received notable guests, and enjoy a glass of champagne from the champagne bar (okay, that last part was just me, although the girls may have enjoyed a sip (smile).
Overall, it was a fun experience made even more special by our exploration of the areas surrounding the Eiffel Tower, including a great photography spot on the Pont de Bir Hakeim, a bridge located near the Eiffel Tower across the River Seine.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles was originally built by Louis XIII in 1623 as a hunting lodge. In 1682, however, his son, Louis XIV, moved the Court and government there from the Louvre, making it his permanent residence. A succession of kings continued to enhance the Palace up until the French Revolution. The Palace as we know it today is as over-the-top as one might imagine, with 700 rooms, 67 staircases and a hall of mirrors outfitted with 357 mirrors, to name a few highlights. To say it is grand (and honestly, rather gaudy) would be an understatement. In addition to the Palace, there are the vast ornamental gardens, two smaller palaces known as the Grand Trianon (a place where King Louis XIV could escape from all the ceremony of the Court and relax in the company of his concubines), the Petit Trianon (where Louis XV experienced the first symptoms of the pox which would lead to his death a few days later, bringing Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to the throne), and the Queen’s Hamlet (a private meeting place for Marie Antoinette).
For our visit, we once again turned to Fat Bike Tours to streamline the planning, booking the Versailles Chateau & Gardens Tour. Typically, it would be a short 20 minute train ride from our meeting point but, unfortunately, a transit strike put a kink in our plans. Luckily, the tour company had experience with prior transit strikes and was able to pivot fairly quickly and book a few buses for the round-trip.
Our tour began with the formal gardens so that we could avoid the peak times inside the palace. Standing at the grande perspective taking in the entirety of the grounds, including the Grand Canal and the 2,000 acres of forestland, we were keenly aware of the grandeur of the estate. As we walked through the gardens, we learned the history of the Chateau of Versailles so that we had a base of knowledge as we explored the Palace at our own pace with an audio guide. Once our tour was complete, we further enjoyed the grounds as well as the shops, including Ladurée, a Parisian bakery, and its famous macarons.
All in all, it was a fun excursion that provided a different perspective on US history in the context of events occurring in France during the same period.
Other Points of Interest
Rue Crémieux
I had read about a fun photography spot at Rue Crémieux in the 12th arrondissement, one of the most photographed streets in Paris. The street is famous for its 35 colorful houses, a nice deviation from the neutral beige and gray architecture of the rest of the city. While it was a truly fun discovery during one of our many walks, it was also clear that we were not alone, as it took quite a while to snap a few photos without several other tourists in the frame. That said, the girls had fun posing for pictures and for quite some time, Sydney kept a snapshot from this street as a screensaver on her phone.
Montmartre
Montmartre, a hilltop neighborhood in the 18th arrondissement, has a rich artistic history (Picasso and Van Gogh called it home), a celebrated nightclub scene (including the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret) and the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, a Roman Catholic church at the top of the Butte Montmartre, offering one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Paris. It’s the perfect place to simply wander and get lost among its intimate squares, winding narrow streets and long stairways. I took the trip alone one late-afternoon when the girls were tired after a day of sightseeing. I was not disappointed.
Crépes
The final highlight of our trip was watching the girls as they sampled the many street vendors who sold crépes. So fun and tasty!
Car Rental
After an incredible time in Paris, I was ready to tackle the French roadways in a rental car en route to Normandy. The drive was easy and uneventful - - it helps that the French drive on the same side of the road as in the US - - but, I will admit that while New Yorkers are aggressive, French drivers are next level!
UPPER NORMANDY
I loved the energy, history and beauty of Paris, but I was also interested in exploring the French countryside. So, after spending some time flipping through travel books I came across the beautiful cliffs of Étretat and knew immediately that this is where our next and final destination would be. Making the decision easier was the fact that the drive to Étretat is only a little more than 2 hours from Paris. Even better, the port city of Rouen was on our route and so we were able to stop to breakup the trip, as well as take in a little history.
Rouen
Situated on the banks of the River Seine, Rouen is the capital of the Upper Normandy region and most famous for being the location where Joan of Arc met her tragic end in 1431 at 19 years of age. Many sites commemorate Joan of Arc, including the concrete-and-metal cross in front of the Église Jeanne-d’Arc that marks the exact location of her pyre as she was burned at the stake for heresy. This site, in addition to the Cathedral Notre-Dame, museums, medieval quarter and vibrant cultural life, makes Rouen a delightful and fascinating destination.
Étretat
Our journey continued to our final destination, Étretat. Located in Normandy, in northwestern France, Étretat has long attracted impressionist artists such as Gustave Corbet and Claude Monet, who were fascinated by its natural beauty. Famous for white chalk cliffs carved by wind and water, the village of Étretat lies at beach level, framed by two arched rock formations that jut out from the water - - when standing on the beach, Porte d’Aval and L’Aiguille (the Needle) to the left and the Porte d’Amont to the right. Further beyond Porte d’Aval is the third and largest rock formation, Manneporte. The view from the beach is beautiful, but the most dramatic views occur when you scale the steep paths and steps on either end of the boardwalk.
Porte d’Aval and L’Aiguille (the Needle)
A walk up the cliffs to the left leads you to an 18-hole golf course with breathtaking views of Porte d’Aval. As you walk further along the path, L’Aiguille or the Needle, a pointy rock rising 230 feet above seal level, comes into view.
Manneporte
Continuing along the path beyond Porte d'Aval, you come to the viewpoint for Manneporte, another spectacular sight.
Porte d’Amont
We saved the hike to the third arch for our last full day in Étretat. Once you make your way to the summit, there is a little more to see on the Porte d’Amont cliff side, including the Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Garde (a Catholic chapel in the Gothic Revival style), Les Jardins d’Étretat (a cliff-top experimental garden) and a monument to the memory of two aviators who died trying to cross the North Atlantic non-stop in their biplane called L’Oiseau Blanc or white bird. They flew over Étretat in May 1927, which is the last time the plane was seen.
Exploring the cliffs was incredible, but a word of caution - - safety railings are far and few between, so be careful as you hike along the cliffs.
The Town
The town itself is small, but attractive, and full of interesting medieval houses and buildings, fishing cottages, restaurants, ice cream shops, clothing boutiques and bistros. English is not common, but we managed very well with our French phrasebook, our most popular question being "Ce plat contient-il des noix?" (does this dish have nuts) and most popular order being moules frites! We had a great time walking around and exploring the area.
Hotel
The guest rooms are simple, but the real attraction of The Dormy House are the views and location. Built on the cliffside of Porte d’Aval and set on a 9 acre estate, the views of the village, beach, sea and Porte d’Amont are amazing. In addition, there is easy access from the hotel to the paths that lead to either clifftop, the beach or village. In fact, once we arrived to the hotel by car, we didn’t need to use it again until it was time to return to the airport.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
While our road trip this year did not include any national parks and was shorter than in years past, it was no less amazing. And, as always, any time that I get to spend with my girls, especially now that their various activities give us less time together during the Summer, is a blessing. Next year, our exploration of US National Parks will continue!