The "You Really Must" List

This is an ongoing compilation of ideas from friends and others who have been-there-done-that. If you things to offer, I'd love to know about it. In particular I'm looking for unusual learning and fun opportunities which will fit with our intention to live on less than we do at home. (Granted this isn't a huge stretch when you live in California...)

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Paris Ideas from Victoria F-L

Directly following our many high school adventures my friend Victoria lived in Paris in order to attend the Sorbonne for a year. I visited her there at the time.

On our stop-over in Toronto en route to Europe she suggested a few itinerary items:

-subway Ecole Militaire (which is the 7th arrondis.) will put you between the Tour Eiffel and Les Invalids. Rue Clere, which is a pedestrian street with a market is nearby. Purchase bakery items, fruits etc., wine and go to the Tour Eiffel for a picnic
-have ice cream at ile Saint Louis Bertillon, a famous ice cream place in the Latin Quarter
-Centre Pompidou, of course
-Bateau Mouche (the Seine); touristy but some great history
-Monmartre, Sacre Cour, Musee D'Orsey
-definitely visit Versaille (outside of Paris)
-Rennes is a nice old town
-Bois de Boulogne

General France Ideas from Arancha:

-stay in a rural gite (a "cabin" in a farm), a great way to visit rural France & connect with the locals

http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites/uk/rural_gites/know_more/what_is_a_rural_gite

-fluvial tourism: tour France by peniche (canal river boat)

http://in.franceguide.com/Along-the-Canals-and-Rivers-of-France.html?NodeID=1&EditoID=36702

-follow the "Chemin de Compostelle", the French leg of the "Camino de Santiago" & one the many long-distance hiking trails across France called "Grandes Randonnees" or GRs. The Chemin de Compostelle is GR65. The GRs are an awesome way to discover France & make friends with your fellow hikers

http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James

http://www.gr-infos.com/

-take a ferry to Corsica, an idyllic Mediterranean island & not as touristy as the others (Napoleon was from Corsica)

http://www.corsicatravelguide.com/

-visit the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux, about 17,000 years old & also discovered by children! Together with Altamira's, they are the most famous cave paintings in Europe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux

And from Yen:

Ooh yes, Lascaux II you must not miss. Gouffre du Padirac for the
underground river boat tour, Rocamadour and Basque villages, stay in a
troglodyte, visit mushroom caves, tour the salt ponds and marais. We
visited a prehistoric cliffside grotto in the area but I can't recall
the name right now. Limoges (enamels and porcelain, tapestry too),
Oradour-sur-Glane, and Sarlat!
http://www.la-couleuvrine.com/gb/index.htm