American Family Loose in France

Chenonceau started in 1513 in the Loire Valley.

Bonjour! My family and I recently returned from 10 days in France. It was the first time my husband and kids have traveled abroad. And it was the first time ever my family have been together for 10 days nonstop.

Well, as evidenced by this post, we all survived each other. I wasn't worried about getting lost in France; gypsies or terrorists; lost bags or the language barrier. I was worried that we would be scratching each others' eyes out by Day 5. 

Chateau de la Tortiniere built at the end of the 10th Century. Now a hotel.

Seriously, before leaving I tried to remember a time we have spent that many days together without an escape route. I think the closest thing was back in 1995 on my honeymoon. And that was without kids or a language barrier.

When I voiced my concerns to my friend Carol, her advice was "drink lots of wine." I did, and it was delicious. We quickly learned that in France, the dollar doesn't buy much. However three things are reasonable if not cheap -- wine, bread and cheese.

Our bedroom at de la Tortiniere

We went to the Loire Valley, Provence, and Paris. We saw castles, dungeons, gardens, museums, open markets, the Eiffel Tower and cobblestone streets.

But what was really fun was seeing another country through the eyes of a pre-teen and teenager.

When we arrived at our first hotel, our daughter plopped on the couch and started flipping through TV channels. "It's all in French," she stated. "Ugh."

Ruins of the historic town Eygalieres.

"Well, that's probably because we are in France," I told her.

My husband is a sort of tech nerd, so he reprogrammed the TV to English. I was a little bummed by that.

But then, the real horror came. Our adapter, which we borrowed, was for England, not France. Now that was a bigger problem and one travelers didn't have two decades ago. The chargers alone must weigh a total of five pounds. But he figured out how to charge by plugging into the TV.

Gordes, built into a side of a mountain.

As we made day trips around in our little rental car and navigated France's many roundabouts and tollways, my husband quipped, "I feel like that guy in An Idiot Abroad," referring to the BBC show of three guys one of whom is sent around the world to test out new experiences.

"Maybe we could be the American version," I mused. "American Idiots Aboard."

Roman coliseum in Arles which is under renovation.

Another learning experience came when we ate lunch in Arles one day. Upon finishing our lunch we tried to pay only to learn that they don't accept credit/debit cards. My husband had to scurry around to find a cash machine which he found six blocks away.

When traveling aboard, one quickly begins to appreciate things both countries have. For instance, in France, the countryside is clean with many wildflowers in bloom. No trash lining roadways. But here's my rundown of each country's top things.

France:
* Clean streets, yards, and towns
* Excellent wine, cheese and bread

Our Hotel Buci room in Paris

* Beautiful countryside and quaint towns
* Long, luxurious lunches (two hours)
* Fresh vegetables and fruits
* Cute boys (this one is from my daughter)

USA:
* His/her bathrooms with sinks and toilet seats
* Manned tollways
* Highways that aren't tollways
* Clothing/shoes at reasonable prices
* Pharmacies open at night
* The can-do spirit
* The consumer driven economy.

Family portrait in Provence.