Table of Contents for this Episode
Category: Family Travel
585 Nice Reims and Paris with Renee and Dixie Poche (Feb 15)
[00:00:15] Introduction
Annie Sargent: This is Join Us in France, episode 585, cinq cent quatre-vingt-cinq.
Annie Sargent: Bonjour, I’m Annie Sargent, and Join Us in France is the podcast where we take a conversational journey through the beauty, culture, and flavors of France.
[00:00:31] Today on the podcast
Annie Sargent: Today, I bring you a conversation with Renee and Dixie Poche, a mother-daughter duo from Louisiana who swapped Cajun country for the cobblestones of Nice, the grandeur of Versailles, and the glitter of Paris.
Annie Sargent: From sipping champagne in Épernay’s underground caves to dancing at the Moulin Rouge and discovering why the snakes are no longer part of the show, their trip was packed with surprises, laughter, and a few only-in-France moments.
Annie Sargent: Dixie even bought five dresses in Paris, because when in France, eh, right?
[00:01:07] Podcast supporters
Annie Sargent: This podcast runs on chocolatine, coffee, and the generosity of listeners like you. You book itinerary consults, take one of my VoiceMap tours, join me for a day trip in my electric car around the southwest of France, or support the show on Patreon, and you keep this whole adventure going, and I’m very grateful.
Annie Sargent: If you’d like to support the podcast and skip the ads, you’ll find a link for that in the show notes, and all my tours and services are at joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
[00:01:36] Magazine segment
Annie Sargent: For the magazine part of the podcast, after my chat with Renee and Dixie today, I’ll discuss one of the many people who have made Paris special, and a quick but important reminder that the rules of the road are different in France from what you’re used to.
Annie Sargent: Want to explore more of France with us? Well, browse all of our episodes at joinusinfrance.com/episodes, and don’t forget to grab your free weekly recap of the best stories, tips, and hidden gems.
Annie Sargent: Just sign up at joinusinfrance.com/newsletters. Newsletter, singular. It’s like a postcard from France delivered straight to your inbox.
[00:02:23] Nice Reims and Paris with Renee and Dixie Poche
Annie Sargent: Bonjour, Renee and Dixie Poche, and welcome to Join Us in France.
Renee: Hello.
Dixie: Merci! Bonjour.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful to have you. We want to talk about your trip to France. You saw a lot of exciting stuff.
Annie Sargent: First, introduce yourselves a little bit, let’s start with Renee, and then we’ll go to Dixie.
Renee: Okay. I’m Renee, of course, from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, so Cajun country, Louisiana. I’m now living in Houston, and working as a veterinarian.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful, and how about you, Dixie?
Dixie: So I am from Louisiana, a lifelong resident. I am of Acadian and French descent. I am an author, and I’ve written books about Cajun culture in a children’s picture book, and doing more of that, too. I really like to promote our Cajun culture and our ties to France. I have visited France before, but this was my first time of really exploring Paris and Nice. And my daughter and I decided… Really, she decided, that it would be a great time for us to go during Mother’s Day time.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. So clearly, you have a lot of ties to France. Your name sounds French. Do you both speak some French?
Dixie: Yes.
Annie Sargent: Very good. How about you, Renee?
Renee: Yes. We grew up, like, you learn French in school, but you don’t really speak it to anybody once you’re an adult, I feel like.
Renee: So I’ve been learning on my own for years now, just to try to keep up with it.
Annie Sargent: That’s fantastic. Yeah, you can speak French with dogs. They do well with dogs.
Renee: Yeah, I could do that.
Annie Sargent: Okay, so let’s see.
[00:04:07] Trip Overview and Itinerary Planning
Annie Sargent: Now, you mentioned that your trip, you went to Paris, and you went to Nice as well. How long did you stay, and when did this trip take place, Renee?
Renee: We went, it was surprisingly kind of cold, which I wasn’t expecting that. We went in April, and we were in Europe for a total of two weeks, but in Nice and Paris for eight nights.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. Okay, who made the itinerary? Who decided where you were going to go?
Renee: I made it, and I wanted to do a few different things. Besides France, I really have always wanted to see Auschwitz, so that’s kind of why I planned around that since we were going to be in Europe. But I do love planning and researching, so I spent tons of time just looking into all the different things we could do to make it multi-country kind of visit.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s wonderful. Did you get around by train mostly, Dixie?
Dixie: We went by, well, plane to Europe, by train, by Uber, by bus, and walking.
Dixie: We walked at least 10 miles every day. But we both love to walk, and it’s a good way to see the neighborhoods and to get around, and taxis as well, we did that.
Dixie: So we did every which way for transportation.
[00:05:31] Exploring Nice: Favorite Spots and Experiences
Annie Sargent: All right, shall we talk about Nice first or about Paris first?
Annie Sargent: What would you say was your favorite… Like, did you have something that just grabbed you, and was it the same for both of you? Renee, which place would you say was the best for you?
Renee: I loved Nice. I love being by the water, so that was part of my favorite part of it. It was also very historic and beautiful, the old part of Nice, but that kind of weather and atmosphere, and it’s a little bit more laid-back than Paris, so that was my favorite.
Annie Sargent: Right. Right. How about you, Dixie?
Dixie: Well, I loved the climate, of course, and because it’s a smaller area than Paris, I loved just walking. I mean, sometimes Renee and I would do things together, but other times she would, you know, be resting or be on the outdoors, at the pool or at the beach, and I would just walk and walk. And I would go into the churches, just sit and really watch the people, practice my French. We both understand a lot of French. It’s just, I didn’t really grow up speaking a lot of it until… of course, now I want to try. But Nice was beautiful, especially the hotel. Again, historic area. Loved the cemetery right behind the hotel. The hotel was a convent back in the day.
Annie Sargent: What’s it called?
Dixie: It’s called Hotel du Couvent.
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Dixie: Yes. Tucked away in Old Town. It was once a 17th-century convent and now is a five-star hotel.
Annie Sargent: Nice.
Dixie: Absolutely a sanctuary. It’s very modest in the way that they’ve done it, not fancy-fancy, but just delicate decorations. The hotel’s female staff were dressed in a modern burgundy version of nun wear. This is all good. It’s just, it’s very different, kind of understated, I’d say. And even though, the bed covers in our room, which again, just very, not overdone.
Annie Sargent: Uh-huh.
Dixie: Yes, A very good calming effect, too. And to be able to walk around there, it just, it was magnificent.
Dixie: And Renee found this hotel the day before we were going to arrive there.
Annie Sargent: Oh, wow! How did that work out, Renee?
Renee: Well, so what happened was we were supposed to go… Where was it that we were going to, Vienna?
Dixie: Yes, we were in Poland.
Renee: Yeah, we were in Poland, and we were supposed to go to Vienna next, but it was so cold that it was just a last-minute decision. Instead of going to Vienna tomorrow, let’s just go to Nice and be by the water. So yeah, I just had to look it up, and I think also being in Poland, the hotels we were staying in weren’t as fancy, so I was ready for a little bit of luxury. So I took control over that one.
Annie Sargent: Well, I guess in April you can do that, you know, you can find places fairly quickly. There are times in the year where you have to book in advance, but…
Dixie: Mm-hmm
Annie Sargent: You lucked out. That’s wonderful.
[00:08:47] Cultural Comparisons: Louisiana vs. France
Annie Sargent: I’m going to veer the conversation a little bit towards the differences betweenthe kind of French culture in Louisiana, in the Southern US, and what you saw in France.
Annie Sargent: Like, the food, is it very different? Did you find similarities? Did you have a hard time understanding what people were saying? Did they have a hard time understanding you?
Dixie: They didn’t have a hard time understanding me, because I use my hands a lot to express myself. Well, it was a challenge for sometimes for people to understand me, but I wanted to try, and I’ve done this before. As far as understanding, most of what was said to us by, you know, anyone there they were very friendly, even at the hotels, the restaurants.
Dixie: Yes, mostly we did understand, and we both are able to read French pretty thoroughly, so menus… it was familiar, and so that’s another reason I felt comfortable. I loved… Maybe you’re not supposed to eavesdrop on other people’s conversation, but when we were having le petit déjeuner, and having a cocktail later, just sitting near someone, because they do squeeze you in pretty much at these caffes…
Annie Sargent: They do.
Dixie: They do, and it was a good way to break the ice, listen to someone, and perhaps just politely ask them a question, and then get some French conversation going, and everyone was friendly.
[00:10:16] Unique Foods and Culinary Traditions
Dixie: As far as the cuisine, yes, there are a lot of common elements, dishes that we have in Louisiana that we experienced similar in France, such as the king cake, which I think it’s called not gâteau, but Galette des Rois.
Annie Sargent: Yes, in France.
Dixie: We have this, so it is such a popular dessert and symbol of Carnival season throughout Louisiana. It’s very popular. We start it in… on the Epiphany, which I think is in January, throughout Carnival season and ends at Mardi Gras, and it is a variety, but it is something most, like, offices or people are that are in these Mardi Gras crews, they’ll have a king cake every week.
Annie Sargent: Right.
Dixie: And then, of course, we have the little… instead of a bean, we’ll have a little plastic figurine representing Jesus.
Annie Sargent: Oh, so it’s always Jesus in the US? because in France, it can be anything. It can be a Disney character. It could be anything.
Renee: Oh, wow.
Annie Sargent: Yes. We actually collect… I collect them. I have hundreds of them.
Renee: Oh, wow! No, just a tiny little baby.
Annie Sargent: Ah, so it’s a little baby. Well, it was like that when I was a kid. We’ve moved along from the little baby Jesus, yeah. Renee, are the king cakes more like a brioche, or-
Renee: I don’t know. I kind of don’t know what a brioche is.
Annie Sargent: Oh, it’s like a fluffy bread, but sweet.
Renee: Kind of, but ours, it always has some type of filling.
Annie Sargent: Okay, okay.
Renee: And it’s different flavors, and then some type of icing on top.
Annie Sargent: All right, so it’s probably kind of different from what we have in France.
Renee: True. Yeah, we didn’t really try those. I’m trying to think, food-wise, though, there’s some things that are similar, but while we were there, there’s nothing that really is the same for Cajun food. Our mains are, like, chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish, lots of crawfish.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, you wouldn’t have that in France.
Renee: No, exactly. Shrimp, too, but more crawfish, red beans and rice, and cornbread.
Annie Sargent: Right, right. Oh, yes, these are not things that we have in France.
Annie Sargent: Now, one thing that the name is the same, but it’s a very different dish, is the andouillette or andouille. In France, it’s made of pig’s intestines, and you can smell that, like, it’s-
Renee: Oh, wow
Annie Sargent: … really nasty.
Renee: Not your favorite?
Annie Sargent: No, I cannot have that. And I know in the US, it’s a sausage, right? Andouille or andouillette is a sausage, but it’s not… Like, the casings is not weird.
Renee: Right, we just call it andouille, and it just tastes like kind of any other sausage.
Dixie: It’s a smoked sausage that’s used a lot in our gumbos.
Dixie: So in our gumbos, let’s say chicken and sausage, they’ll have andouille sausage, they’ll have tasso… they’ll just throw in so many different things, too.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Dixie: We also have cracklings here, which are also called grattons, which I think they may be called grattons in France.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, les grattons de canard. So this is a duck thing in France. It’s duck fat that they bread a little bit, and then they fry it. Another food that is not a favorite of mine.
Dixie: I know. Well, here, it’s again, popular. It’s pork. Primarily pork, and it’s a crispy morsel or bits of pork fat that’s fried twice. Very crunchy. It’s a snack, again, and then they serve it in a brown paper bag. It’s expensive here.
Renee: And it’s popular for breakfast, which is funny.
Annie Sargent: Oh! Wow, you get a lot of fat for breakfast there.
Renee: Same with the boudin, which I don’t know if that’s familiar to you either.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, boudin, we have boudin, but we have two different kinds. We have the white kind, and we have the black kind.
Renee: Okay. It’s like blood sausage?
Annie Sargent: Yes, so the black kind is blood sausage. It’s either spicy or with onion or something like that, usually. And then the white kind is more like… it’s like a bready, chickeny, flavored with truffles sometimes. It’s a milky white… It’s delicious. I like both of those, actually.
Renee: Okay, so then that’s completely different because for us, it’s usually pork with onions and rice. I don’t even know what else is in it, but some kind of mixture in a casing.
Dixie: Yes, it’s cooked rice. And if there’s liver that’s used in making this dish, then that’s what everybody loves.
Dixie: And again, there are so many stores here that make boudin, and I grew up with my mother making boudin, too.
Dixie: But also, we still have the blood boudin here as well. That’s a different kind of taste that I… I don’t care for as much, but we’ll try anything here, and that’s based on a tradition we had, and I think this is internationally, a pig slaughter, a communal pig slaughter we call a boucherie, which is still hosted here, where you use every part of the pig to prepare a dish.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. You know, my dad grew up on a farm, and they raised a pig each year. They didn’t want to butcher their own pig, so they would swap pigs with a neighbor, and then they would butcher the neighbor’s pig and have meat.
Annie Sargent: They used every part of the pig, and it was just for their family. It was for their winter food, you know? So yeah, that’s something, I mean, I’m talking about the… probably 1940-1950, when my father was a child, so.
Dixie: Yeah.
Annie Sargent: Okay, wonderful. Well, it sounds like you have a lot of, you know, similarities, close, but not exactly the same, which of course makes sense because the cultures have evolved in different ways since we’ve parted ways, I guess.
Renee: Right, and I think part of it, too, is because our influence is also from Canada, with the Cajuns or the Acadians being exiled near Nova Scotia, and just what was available in Louisiana. Like, a lot of things changed seasoning to cayenne pepper because that’s what was grown. I remember learning that, and all kinds of different things that were already used in Louisiana, they kind of had no choice but to alter the recipes by what was available.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, we don’t use any cayenne pepper in French cooking, I don’t think there I’ve ever seen a traditional French recipe that called for cayenne pepper. There might be some, but I’m not thinking of them. That’s more a North African thing.
Renee: Oh, got it. Everything we eat has cayenne pepper in it.
Annie Sargent: Delicious.
Renee: Yes.
Annie Sargent: Delicious.
(Mid-roll ad spot)
[00:17:19] Activities in Nice
Annie Sargent: All right, so to get back to Nice, if you were going totell people, like, a specific thing that you did in Nice that you particularly enjoyed, or did you mostly sit and enjoy? Like, did you actually do activities or go places?
Renee: You go, Dixie.
Dixie: Okay, we did walk to the Musée du Palais Lascaris–
Annie Sargent: Yeah
Dixie: … which was a beautiful building. Very different. There were some groups of students there, too, but basically, it’s a musical instrument museum.
Dixie: Over 500 instruments, and built in the early 17th century, located in Old Town, so walking distance from where we stayed. And beautiful art, especially on the ceilings, very decorative, staircases and balconies. And we did have someone there, a tour leader that was there because of the students, and it was very interesting there.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, I went to that museum. I loved it as well. I thought it was very interesting. They had some really cool, old instruments. It’s a pretty small museum, so you can see it in an hour, you know? It’s not a huge time commitment going into that one.
Dixie: We also jumped every day when we were in Nice because at noon, the cannon, it booms.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Dixie: And, you know, we’d forget about it, and, you know, you say, "Well, what’s going on?" Well, it’s, from what I understand, it was a custom which began in the mid-1800s as a reminder for people that it was time to eat…. I don’t know why you’d need a reminder in France, but there’s that!
Annie Sargent: My stomach will tell me.
[00:19:00] A Day Out in Eze
Dixie: Well, me, too. Renee, you wanted to talk about our day trip to Eze?
Renee: I don’t know how it’s pronounced, if it’s E-
Annie Sargent: It’s Eze.
Renee: Oh, it is, it’s Eze.
Annie Sargent: Eze, yeah.
Renee: Okay. Yes, we went to Eze for a day. I’d always wanted to go, because you always see videos of it, but, very cool medieval type of town. Just walking up this huge hill to see all these tiny little shops that are kind of, like, piled on top of each other. And then we went to the exotic garden on the top of the hill.
Renee: And that was one of the coolest parts, just seeing all of the exotic plants. But it was also just a beautiful setting, because it overlooks the ocean and the rest of the city, too.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s a beautiful place. If you go to Eze, you have to go into the garden. Recently, people have told me that it’s really, really overrun with lots of people because of the… The buses can now go more easily to Eze, because they can park, there’s a place for them to park. Was it overrun with people when you went there, or was it okay?
Renee: It was pretty busy, but it was still okay. It was still worth it.
Annie Sargent: Did you go to Monaco or La Turbie nearby?
Renee: No, we didn’t. We did go to the perfumery, which I also don’t really know how you pronounce. Fragonard?
Annie Sargent: Yeah, that’s it. Fragonard, yeah.
Renee: Okay, we went there in Eze, and it was more like the factory, so you could walk around and see how everything’s made.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Renee: That was cool.
Dixie: Yeah, we learned the differences between eau de toilette and parfum.
Dixie: Yeah, which it was… It really was interesting.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, we did a whole episode about the history of perfumes in France, where Elyse goes into all the details of how that worked out. That’s very cool.
Annie Sargent: All right, anything else not to be missed in the Nice area?
Renee: I spent a lot of my time laying by the pool, just relaxing. And our hotel had the, like, thermal baths almost, like, in the basement, so that was my relaxing spot of the trip.
Annie Sargent: That’s great. That’s wonderful.
Dixie: Yeah, and they did have an on-site herbalist at the hotel, and also boulangerie, where they make their own bread. So the herbal shop had custom-made teas, so that was interesting, too. You could learn a little bit about tea, du thé, which I like.
Dixie: They had their own gardens with an herb garden and vegetables, and that was… again, you’d walk up to get to the outdoor pool, and that’s where you’d see the gardens. And then to walk to the cemetery was right behind the hotel, which was amazing. Cimetière du Château.
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Dixie: And we both love, weird that we are, we both love to go into old cemeteries.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Dixie: So it was atop a hill. It was just very artsy. Loved looking at the surnames to see if I recognized any surnames that may have been in Louisiana as well, and there were a couple. Not Poche, though. It was some other names. It was built 1783, on the site of a former citadel of Nice, and there’s approximately 3,000 tombs.
Annie Sargent: Oh, wow, that’s a lot of people.
Dixie: Yes, there were a lot of people at one time there. The scenery from there was magnificent as well.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, Nice is a beautiful place, I have to say. It’s very relaxing, and if you go… I mean, when you go and it’s super busy, you know, that might be another thing. But if you go off-season, which April would be, you know, fairly off-season, then it’s pretty nice.
Annie Sargent: It’s a beautiful town to visit.
Dixie: So you had asked about the differences or how we became accustomed to the culture there. Well, one thing I learned is the difference from being in the United States to France, whether it was Nice or Paris, don’t expect to be served right away at a restaurant. Don’t expect to get your bill right away, and that was all very welcomed, because we are so used to here rushing through life, and this was a way for us to chill, both of us. Just people-watch, just enjoy each other’s company. Even though we’re mother/daughter, we still enjoy each other’s company, on occasion, right?
Annie Sargent: Yes, and I think in the South of the US, you also use the niceties, the bonjour, the monsieur, madame kind of, you know, you’re kind of a stickler for politeness.
Dixie: Yes, especially when you go into some of the boutiques there. We would always… They would acknowledge us, so we would acknowledge them as well.
Annie Sargent: Of course, of course.
[00:24:03] Dog Culture in France
Annie Sargent: Another thing that’s interesting to me, Renee, because you are a veterinarian, you probably paid more attention to dogs and things like that. Did you find… I mean, people always tell me, "Oh, in France, dogs are so polite. They’re so well-behaved." Did you notice anything like that? What did you see?
Renee: Yeah, I agree, actually. They were very well-behaved.
Renee: In Nice, there were just dogs everywhere, like, everyone that was outdoors had a dog with them or even in the shops. Paris, not as much, I think, because it’s just more of a busy city, but I was obsessed with all the dogs everywhere. There was even a guy walking a cat on a leash, so that was perfect to me. I couldn’t think of anything better. But no, I loved how, like, even on the transportation, everyone was just okay with dogs being everywhere. It wasn’t… Like, here, we’ll get a lot of pushback in restaurants or grocery stores, that people don’t really want dogs involved, so I did like that.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, well, you don’t go into grocery stores with dogs unless they’re puppy guide dogs and in training or guiding a blind person or something.
Renee: Okay.
Annie Sargent: But restaurants, yeah, I mean, they might seat you outside instead of inside, but your dog is okay, and they will always bring the dog a bowl of water. Probably, the dog will get water faster than you will.
Renee: Yeah, that’s true. They deserve it, too. They need it first.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So did you find that dogs are bigger, smaller, mutts, more mutts, more breeds?
Renee: No, definitely more breeds. Everything in the US is all a mutt. We’re so overpopulated in every city, so you don’t see as many specialized breeds. But everywhere we went in Europe, it was all the breeds that you never see back home, so that was pretty cool to see.
Annie Sargent: That’s nice. That’s very nice. And when people ask me, you know, "How do you get your dogs to be so friendly and whatever?" Well, city dogs, if they go out two, three, four times a day to go to the park, then they’re just used to noises, they’re used to people, they’re used to other dogs.
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: You know, the worst thing you can do is have a garden and have your dog in the garden that never goes anywhere.
Renee: Right. Exactly.
Annie Sargent: You know, they go nuts in that garden. That’s all they ever see. Their world is too small. Whereas if you live in the city or even… I mean, I have a garden, but I walk my dogs every day, and they get to sniff outside and look outside and all that, and I think that’s the only thing, is just they get out more.
Renee: People here, too, a lot of people live in apartments, so it’s not the same kind of exposure still.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, and in apartments, if you only ever take them to the same little bit of grass where they can relieve themselves, it’s not the same as, you know… I guess in the US, you have a lot of dog parks, and we don’t have that in France. It’s very rare. Like, my dogs meet other dogs on a walk, and they’re off leash, because it’s in the countryside. So, it works kind of like a dog park, but you don’t, we don’t have a place where everybody brings their dogs to let them play together.
Renee: Right.
[00:27:14] Paris Adventures: Walking, History, and More
Annie Sargent: Anyway, all right, let’s go to Paris. Let’s see what you enjoyed in Paris. Saying that you both like history and art and things like that, where did you go in Paris?
Dixie: Well, we walked around a lot. I knew our time would be precious, and I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. We didn’t go into a lot of museums. I wanted to experience the culture. I wanted to walk, and we did, and, boy, did we walk. I just wanted to really interact with people and just even something as little as the bicyclist.
Dixie: I saw so many men and women dressed up really well with their briefcase, riding their bicycle, their vélo, to work, and I thought it was just wonderful to do that, too.
Dixie: And again, another culture, everyone was friendly. We had no safety issues throughout our trip to Europe. We did, at my request, I made sure that Renee would be able to find me on the phone, on her phone, and I would do the same because I didn’t want her to lose me while I was there, sort of like Find My Phone. We did see…
[00:28:25] Paris Zoo
Dixie: Well, we did go to the zoo, which was really wonderful.
Annie Sargent: Oh, yeah, I haven’t been to the zoo in Paris. I want to hear about that. Le Zoo du Bois de Vincennes was it, or which one was it?
Dixie: It was… Well, I know where…
Renee: It’s, like, the Menage or Menagerie?
[00:28:44] Exploring La Menagerie and Jardin des Plantes
Annie Sargent: Ah, La Menagerie, La Menagerie. So was that in the Latin Quarter in the…
Dixie: Yes!
Annie Sargent: … Jardin des Plantes?
Dixie: Yes!
Annie Sargent: Okay, okay. Yes.
Renee: It was so nice. We walked to go to the garden, which was also beautiful. I think it was, like, the perfect time of year to be able to see the garden. And then went into the zoo, which was just so nice to be able to be right in the middle of the city and just walk, and take your time and relax and sit on the bench, watch animals, or going back and looking at the flowers. It was very beautiful and relaxing. I really liked it.
Annie Sargent: Did you think they were well-tended, too? Like, did they look in good shape for zoo animals?
Renee: Yeah, I think so.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Renee: I think they looked pretty good.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, when I went, there was a lot of kangaroos, but it was very hot that day. And let me tell you, kangaroos, they don’t move much when it’s hot. They were just all lying there, like, "Oh."
Dixie: I think Renee’s favorite animal, or one of them, was the orangutan, Nanette. Because she’s the biggest star there, and Renee interacted with her. Not… I mean, they would touch each other on the window, because of courser Renee couldn’t grab her, to hug her.
Annie Sargent: Well, that’s nice…. She came to you and touched your finger?
Renee: Yeah, I was showing her videos on my phone to see what she thought about that. So she was interested.
Annie Sargent: So they like videos, too, huh?
Renee: Turns out.
Dixie: Well, entertainment.
Dixie: So the zoo opened in 1794, and we did go also the aquarium. The zoo area, I mean, it’s quite a compound. It’s really wonderful, too. A lot of architectural influences of Art Deco, different buildings to house the animals, and the garden was beautiful, too.
[00:30:38] Navigating Paris: Walking and Metro Adventures
Annie Sargent: How did you make your way around Paris? Did you take the Metro? Did you walk- oh, you said you walked, right?
Renee: Mostly walked. We also did take the Metro.
Dixie: Yes. We did it all. Any way of transportation, and something else we did a lot of, Renee, you want to tell them a-
[00:30:57] Aperol Spritz and Parisian Drinks
Renee: A drinking Aperol Spritz? Is that what you’re going to say?
Annie Sargent: Yes! Yes.
Renee: Oh, yeah, plenty of drinking. I love a good midday Aperol Spritz on, like, a pretty day. Nothing better.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It’s a favorite of my husband’s as well. Wherever we go, he needs to try it, see if it’s any better than the previous one.
Renee: Right. They’re all the exact same, but I love it.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s not difficult to find a pleasant drink in Paris, is it?
Renee: Mm-mm.
[00:31:29] A Day at Versailles: History and Grandeur
Renee: We also spent the day at Versailles, which I had always wanted to go to. I was always very interested in that time period and just how luxurious it was, so that was also very fun, and tons of walking. That place is huge.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, I think people who go to Versailles need to understand, it takes a whole day.
Renee: Yes.
Renee: People ask me a lot, "What else can I do that day?" I’m like: That’s it. You do Versailles, and that’s it. Full day.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s a full day. Take your time because it’s an hour to and from, even if you know exactly where the RER is. Even if you know exactly where you’re going, it takes an hour.
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: Even if the train arrives just when you hit the platform, you know, which is unlikely, probably. You’ll be on, waiting for the next train on the platform for 10 minutes, and then, you know, it takes at least an hour. I would count more like an hour and a half to, and another hour and a half from.
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: And then once you’re there, it’s ginormous. There’s so much to see. Like, just go see it all. That’s my… that’s my recommendation.
Renee: And then also, there were a ton of people there, so that slows everything down. But, it was still… It didn’t make it any worse that there was tons of people.
Annie Sargent: Did you get the audio guide? Did you listen to the audio guide?
Renee: Yes.
Annie Sargent: Yes? What was that like? I’ve never listened to it.
Renee: I like knowing all the history and, like, the small, little details about everything, so I always want… Any museum I go to, I always want the audio guide. So yeah, I listened to everything. It was very interesting.
Annie Sargent: Cool. I think it makes it, it gives it more depth and more understanding. You know, some of these audio guides can be a bit dry, but sometimes they’re really perfect to give you some context of, "What is it that I’m looking at?" And you know, showing the differences between this place and that place, and what have you.
Renee: Right. There was, like, this small, little summer house that was Marie Antoinette’s, so knowing what each room was used for or where she was during these different periods of time, you know, like, whenever they were kind of hated, I guess, by everybody.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Renee: So that was pretty cool to hear.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah.
Dixie: Yeah, and it’s amazing to know Marie Antoinette was there, Napoleon. I mean, to know these were real people, and this is actually where they lived, where they… Not where they died, but you know, a lot of history there. It was remarkable. Plus, the art, I mean, it was fabulous.
Annie Sargent: It’s beautifully done, for sure. They certainly spent a lot of, hired very good talent to decorate their apartments, let’s put it that way. Much better decorated than my house. Other favorites in Paris for you?
[00:34:11] Moulin Rouge: A Night of Cabaret and Entertainment
Renee: Ooh, Moulin Rouge.
Annie Sargent: Ah!
Renee: Always one of my favorites. I had gone before, so I was very excited. It’s such a fun night.
Annie Sargent: Tell me about that, because I haven’t been, and, you know, who should go to Moulin Rouge, in your opinion? I mean, if they love cabaret, I’m sure.
Renee: Right. I think anyone above 18 should go. It’s just, like, a really pretty show. Regardless of it being, you know, the dancers, it still is just kind of, like, mesmerizing almost, watching all the performances. And it’s more to than that. They have all these acts that go on in between the dances… that it’s just, like skaters doing these insane tricks. What do you think, Dixie?
Dixie: Acrobats. So again, it’s almost like a circus.
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Dixie: But a lot of singing and dancing, and a lot of, kind of skimpy outfits, too, which… Yeah, yeah, I’ve been to Vegas. That’s fun. I loved it. It was… We attended that on our last night in Paris…. It was just so exciting, and we shared a table with strangers, and that was great, too.
Annie Sargent: Oh, so you had dinner there?
Dixie: Yes, yes, and of course, champagne. It was a wonderful experience.
Dixie: Now, Renee said she had, when she had attended it before, there was something a little different. So at one part there’s one of the actresses that goes, jumps into this glassed-in pool?
Renee: Yeah, like a tank.
Dixie: Oh, and then Renee experienced…
Renee: It changed because the… Yeah, the last time I went, the girl that jumps into this big tank, it was full of snakes, so she would be dancing underwater with these huge snakes. But I guess animal activists got upset about it, so they cut that part out. So the whole time I was waiting for that part to happen. I thought it was really cool.
Annie Sargent: Oh, yeah. Well, you have to be- ooh, you have to be quite the… Hmm, that I could not do.
Renee: It was very cool.
Dixie: Well, I know Renee could do it.
Renee: Yeah, I’d do it.
Annie Sargent: You’d do it?
Renee: I would do it.
Dixie: It’s just snakes.
[00:36:25] Wine Tasting in Epernay
Dixie: Oh, we also went by train, for a wine tasting in Epernay.
Annie Sargent: Oh, nice! So that was a day trip?
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Dixie: Yes. Renee, you want to take it from there?
Renee: Yes. So we went down, it’s the street where all the champagneries are. And so you see all these big, beautiful, it’s like mansions really, that these families would either live in or where they would all go to visit. So we did one tour, and part of it included going into the underground caves, where the wine was made and kept, and then tasting after.
Renee: And tasting’s the best part. But also very beautiful out there, it was great weather, fun place to walk around, and try different wines.
Renee: Well, it’s all champagne, which is my drink of choice.
Annie Sargent: Aha! And getting there on the train was fairly easy?
Renee: Mm-hmm, yeah, it wasn’t too bad.
Annie Sargent: So why did you do Epernay and not Reims?
Renee: Because the… I had been to that area before, and I knew that it was, like, really pretty and walkable, so I wanted us to be able to walk around, to not just be at one place.
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Renee: I know in Reims, it seemed, like, a little bit more spread out.
Annie Sargent: Yes, it is. Yeah.
Renee: So you wouldn’t be able to walk as much.
Annie Sargent: It’s true. In Epernay, it’s all along that one street, and you can hit several champagne houses. They have some very nice one, like, Moët & Chandon and…
Renee: Mm-hmm
Annie Sargent: … I don’t remember all the ones that are in Epernay, but there’s a bunch.
Renee: Yeah, Dom Perignon.
Annie Sargent: Ah, Dom Perignon is there as well.
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: Did you get to taste that one?
Renee: We didn’t do that one. It was actually sold out, and I booked months in advance. But I’m sure the tasting was probably pretty expensive, too. It would’ve been worth it.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. You know, the one memory I have with Dom Perignon is when I was quite young, maybe 15, 16, my brother worked for a fancy hotel in Toulouse, and he was a maître d’, and he often came home with bottles that were opened but not… Nobody had drank from them. They just opened them and put them on the table, and nobody drank them, like, towards the end of the night. And he often brought home, you know, various bottles of wine, whatever, but that one time it was Dom Perignon, and the whole family were like: "Dom Perignon, wow!" You know, because we were a kind of blue-collar family.
Renee: Right.
Annie Sargent: It’s not like we drank that sort of thing. And everybody got a taste, and I was like-
Renee: Kind of tastes the same as the rest?
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Well, I don’t… I didn’t, I mean, I was young enough, I didn’t know champagne. Today, it would be meaningful, but at that… like, that was, "Okay, whatever. You can drink that. I don’t care."
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: What’s the big deal? Whoop-dee-doo.
Renee: Exactly.
Dixie: Anyway. And we also, in Epernay, we visited… I think this was free. It’s a museum.
Renee: Oh, yeah.
Dixie: The Champagne Wine and Archaeology Museum, so it had a lot of history, but about champagne, but also about archaeology somewhere in there. So it had, really, it’s for anyone that’s interested in archaeology as well. A lot of wonderful exhibits, a lot of advertising memorabilia about champagne, and about the industry, and a lot about Eugène Mercier.
Annie Sargent: Uh-huh
Dixie: … Who was ahead of his time, this was interesting, the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris, he created a floating bar in an anchored hot air balloon to promote his wine.
Annie Sargent: Wow.
Dixie: Yes, yes, so really ahead of his time. We enjoyed all of this. It was a wonderful town to walk through.
Dixie: Like, we’d just go walk around after we did our wine tour. We had lunch there, too, and of course, some more champagne. So it was a great day. The weather was beautiful, so…
Annie Sargent: Do you think a day is sufficient in Epernay? Yeah, you’re shaking your heads yes.
Dixie: Yes, and we were there on a Sunday.
Annie Sargent: … Ah, okay.
Dixie: So, not every place was open, but it was wonderful.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, plenty to do and see. And taking the train is not complicated. I mean, it wasn’t your first time taking the train, was it?
Dixie: No, no, we had done that before, even in Prague and also in Poland, we had done the train.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
(Mid-roll ad spot)
[00:41:02] Mother-Daughter Travel Tips and Reflections
Annie Sargent: So, Renee, if you had some, you know, if you had a friend that was coming to Paris or France, and you wanted to give them some advice, what would you say are important things to keep in mind?
Renee: I would say to stay in a centralized area so that you can walk to a lot of different places. You would have to look through what your top, you know, favorite things were to do, to be able to pick out of all different things, like, what you want to focus on. I would definitely recommend seeing a Moulin Rouge show while you’re there. I would also recommend going to the Monet Gardens in Giverny.
Annie Sargent: Giverny, yes, yes.
Renee: I really liked that. And that was a really pretty day trip, you know, worth it. The time getting there wasn’t too bad.
Annie Sargent: On the train?
Renee: Right.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Renee: Also, I did like Versailles, so I think that’s something worth spending a whole day, if you are in Paris. But besides that, I think having time to just walk around and see everything is worthwhile.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Did you find it was difficult to pick restaurants, find places to eat, or was it… Did you just go wherever looked okay?
Renee: It was overwhelming. If you research, there’s just so many options that it’s just, you’re just like, "Okay, let’s just go walk and see where," has, like, you see a good atmosphere.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Renee: So that’s kind of more what we did versus booking restaurants in advance. It was too many options.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, I think you can really drive yourself crazy if you follow a lot of people on Instagram or TikTok or whatever, and go to all these recommended places.
Annie Sargent: Because I’m sure they are fine, but, like, that’s not where you are when you get hungry. So, it’s probably wiser to just look around where you are to see what’s here, and of the three or four places around me, which one looks most appealing, you know?
Renee: Mm-hmm. I agree.
Annie Sargent: How about you, Dixie? If you had to give some advice to somebody who’s coming to France, what would you say is important?
Dixie: I’d say what’s important is something I really did not learn, but it’s about studying the public transportation, the methods of going around.
Dixie: I mean, Renee was savvy about it, I wasn’t, to figure out, and it’s not that it’s so difficult, but it takes a little time, for the route of the buses, the subway, the Metro trains. That’s really important because, for one thing, it is an experience, and it’s a wonderful experience to be on the Metro and really interact with people, but knowing there’s an easy way to get around if you just study it a bit.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Dixie: And if you really miss your stop, you can handle it.
Annie Sargent: This is especially important for people who live in the US and probably don’t take public transportation very much. I mean, most US cities, there’s not even anything you could take. You’d be driving from A to B, pretty much. So that’s pretty different. And just getting used to how a Metro functions or how a bus system functions is not something that comes natural to some people. That’s a very good point.
Renee: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: That’s it, Dixie, that’s your main thing?
Dixie: That’s my main thing because Renee handled a lot of that, too.
Annie Sargent: You didn’t want to get lost. I get the impression you did not want to get lost.
Dixie: No, no. My daughter knows me well. This is something I’ve, I had, I guess it’s like a good luck charm. I bought a whistle when I started traveling out of the US.
Dixie: So it’s a big whistle, and it has a little compass on it.
Dixie: Now, I know that’s the old-fashioned way, but besides on my phone, using my GPS, thinking, "Well, if I know what direction my hotel is, if it’s north, I can kind of head in the general area." And it gives me a sense of security.
Renee: Now you see why I had to turn on her tracking on her phone, because you can’t find your way with a compass and a whistle. That’s not how, that’s not how it works. So that’s why I had to track her.
Annie Sargent: Well, if you ask a French person, "Where’s north?" They probably can’t tell you, because that’s not how we do it.
Dixie: Like, I lived in Utah for a long time, and in Utah, I knew exactly where the cardinal directions were because that’s how you find your way. You just, you know, "Where’s east, west, north, south?" Whatever. Everybody knows how to orient themselves.
Annie Sargent: In France, I have no idea. Just the other day, I was on a day trip with people, and she kept telling me that, her hotel was just south of the, a main plaza, and I was like, "Honestly, I have no idea where south of that plaza is."
Dixie: See? You need a compass.
Annie Sargent: Yes, I needed a compass.
Annie Sargent: Yes, we don’t use those.
[00:46:00] Mother’s Day in Paris: Shopping and Spontaneity
Annie Sargent: So my last question for you is, what was it like spending Mother’s Day in France? Did you pick a restaurant? Did you just enjoy your day? What did you do that day?
Dixie: It was all spontaneous. So even, except for going to Versailles and Épernay, which were scheduled, you know, Renee had booked those, every day we would just say, "Well, what can we do?"
Dixie: We’d start with a, first of all, for Mother’s Day, a really good breakfast at the hotel, and that was everything we wanted. Maybe not the champagne then, but that was for later. And just we went shopping. We did a lot of retail therapy, trying on clothes, and again…
Annie Sargent: Where did you go shopping?
Dixie: Oh, so in Paris, what district, Renee, if you remember?
Renee: Don’t remember what area, but all of the boutiques would have their, I guess, last season’s stock. So it’d be lower price, but very nice clothes. So that’s where we went, all of those shops, and we went a little crazy.
Dixie: I bought five dresses.
Annie Sargent: Five dresses, wow!
[00:47:07] Marker
Dixie: I know, because it… well, I’m short, and petite, and they just… I just loved it. It was something different from what we have here. We also enjoyed, we went to a maquillage, makeup.
Annie Sargent: Aha.
Dixie: A certain brand, and just went to town with that, too.
Dixie: So trying that, too. We would walk, I like going to, well, flower…farmer’s market type is what we call it here. We did a lot of that, too, flea market, outdoor markets…
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Dixie: … just to walk around…
Annie Sargent: Right, you just ran into it and looked at it, right? Like, it’s not like you were planning to go to that one flea market or whatever. You just happened upon it. If you walk, you will happen upon things like that.
Dixie: And that’s what we both enjoyed because, again, both of us, especially Renee, lives in such a regimented schedule, it was good to be free.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Dixie: Not free from each other, though. I was attached to her.
Annie Sargent: You’re… you’re so cute. I love it. I love it.
Renee: I had to babysit her…
Annie Sargent: Yes
Renee: … so she wouldn’t get lost.
Annie Sargent: Well, you didn’t lose her, did you? That’s wonderful.
[00:48:27] Final Thoughts and Farewell
Annie Sargent: Well, ladies, thank you so much for talking to me. It was a delightful experience learning about your trip, and I guess you would recommend people go on mother-daughter trips as well, right? A good thing to do.
Renee: Yes.
Dixie: Yes, and to build in some time to have apart from each other. You know, because it can be too much company with each other sometimes, too.
Annie Sargent: You can only take your mom for so long, yes.
Dixie: Renee acknowledges that, but it was fabulous. It’s the longest mother-daughter trip we’ve taken.
Annie Sargent: Aha. That’s the great thing about France, is you get out, and there’s going to be… Especially if you stay centrally, like you mentioned, Renee, you’re going to be in a central area. There’s going to be stores around. There’s going to be opportunities for shopping, for
Annie Sargent: just, you know, enjoying the day without thinking about it too much, which is always a wonderful thing to do.
Dixie: Yes.
Annie Sargent: Thank you very much, Renee and Dixie, and happy travels to both of you.
Dixie: Thank you so much.
Renee: Thank you very much.
Annie Sargent: Merci, au revoir!
Renee: Au revoir.
[00:49:37] Thank You Patrons
Annie Sargent: Again, I want to thank my patrons for giving back and supporting the show. A special shout-out this week to my new Join Us in France champion, Martha Dupecher.
Annie Sargent: Now, you have to give me some leeway here. Her name is French, Dupecher, and so how would you say that in English? Dupecher, Dupicher? Mm, Dupecher.
Annie Sargent: Okay, thank you, Martha.
Annie Sargent: If you want to skip the ads and join our live Zooms or even get a private France consult with me, check out all the fun perks at patreon.com/joinus. The perks start at just three dollars a month, and merci for keeping the adventure alive.
Annie Sargent: And to support Elyse, go to patreon.com/elysart.
Annie Sargent: This last week, I had my Zoom with patrons and announced some French conversation time and a book club for patrons. It’ll be fun to try something different.
[00:50:41] VoiceMap Tours Reviews
Annie Sargent: Somebody left this review on my Eiffel Tower tour.
Annie Sargent: Person wrote, "First time using this app and will definitely be recommending it to friends that travel anywhere."
Annie Sargent: This was more about the VoiceMap app than my particular tour, but it’s important to hear. The VoiceMap team does a great job and makes it easy for people like me to write fun tours that you can enjoy on your own time, really inexpensively. I went to book a private tour in Lyon, where I’ll be going for a week in March.
Annie Sargent: The person came highly recommended, great, wonderful, but, goes through one of these, GetYourGuide things, that probably takes most of the money anyway, and he charges thirty-five euros per person and has a minimum of two people. That all makes sense, but that means that for me to go alone, I need to pay seventy euros, which seems like a lot, so instead, I’ll get a Lyon City Card, which for four days will cost me sixty-four euros and give me access to twenty-seven museums, all public transportation, one in-person guided tour from the tourist office, one self-guided audio tour, from an app that they use, not VoiceMap, they have an app.
Annie Sargent: I love a good value, so that’s what I’ll do. And seeing that the US dollar is rapidly losing value against the euro, I think some of you would make that calculation as well. I mean, I don’t need to remind you probably, but about a year ago, you could trade a dollar for a euro twelve, and right now, you can trade a dollar for eighty-one or eighty-two cents.
Annie Sargent: So things have come a long way in the devaluation of the dollar.
Annie Sargent: I really like VoiceMap because it’s like having your own private tour guide in your pocket. You can pause it whenever you want. You can grab a coffee, explore a side street, and the tour picks right back up when you’re ready. No rushing, no schedule to follow.
Annie Sargent: It’s really cool. And podcast listeners get an exclusive discount when you buy these tours directly from my website. Take a look at joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
Annie Sargent: You can also hire me as your itinerary consultant, again, at the boutique.
[00:52:52] The Last Newspaper Seller in Paris
Annie Sargent: Here’s a Paris story that made me smile.
Annie Sargent: The last newspaper seller who shouts the headlines in the streets of Paris, yes, that still exists, has just been awarded the Ordre National du Mérite, and he received it in person from the president.
Annie Sargent: His name is Ali Akbar, and if you’ve ever spent time around Saint-Germain-des-Pres or the Latin Quarter, you may have heard him before you saw him. The president, Emmanuel Macron, called him "the accent of the Sixth Arrondissement", which is a very nice description. Ali arrived in France at twenty after a very tough childhood.
Annie Sargent: He ended up in Paris, met the wonderful, eccentric professor Choron from Charlie Hebdo and Hara-Kiri, those are two satirical newspapers, and he started selling papers à la criée near Sciences Po.
Annie Sargent: That was fifty years ago, and he never left. He became part of the soundscape of the neighborhood, famous for rewriting headlines with humor to catch people’s attention.
Annie Sargent: Paris used to have about forty newspaper criers. Today, Ali is the last one, and he’s officially retired. Lives on a modest pension, but he still goes out every afternoon with Le Monde under his arm, selling a few dozen papers a day, mostly because he loves it.
Annie Sargent: I’m glad the president recognized that Paris is made great by people like him, just by politicians and monuments, but voices, characters, and everyday rituals that give a place its soul.
Annie Sargent: Have you ever heard him? I wish I had. I don’t think I have. Hmm. Hopefully, one day.
[00:54:37] Driving in France: Do NOT Speed!
Annie Sargent: Recently, I had to explain to an American who has been living in France for about two years now, that the reason why they keep getting flashed at speed traps is that in France, there is no allowance for driving five or ten above the speed limit.
Annie Sargent: Their response was, "Really? You’re kidding. No allowance for going over the speed limit?" Uh, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the fact that you’re getting flashed should have alerted you that you were doing something wrong, hmm?
Annie Sargent: This person also told me that they’re not in a hurry to get a French driver’s license because they’d surely lose all their points with all the flashing they’re getting.
Annie Sargent: Now, I’m sure there are more people who think that way than dare admit it, but that’s really wrong. You should not drive in France on your US driver’s license past the first year of residence. You will get caught eventually, probably when you have an accident, and then whatever insurance you had will not cover you, or the damages you cause, might even sue you. Just don’t do it.
Annie Sargent: Now, let me be very, very clear. If you’re just visiting, you can rent as, you know, as many vehicles as you’d like with your American license. This is just for people who move to France, who are residents in France.
Annie Sargent: My thanks to podcast editors Anne and Christian Cotovan, who produced the transcripts.
[00:56:05] Next week on the podcast
Annie Sargent: Next week on the podcast, an episode about owning a slice of Paris, the world of fractional apartments with Marie Tartar. Another French name, Tartar. Tartar, yeah.
Annie Sargent: A fascinating, fairly recent development in France that I was learning about. She was telling me about this, and it seems like a great option for some people.
Annie Sargent: Those who aspire to spend more time in France should not miss this episode.
Annie Sargent: Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you join me next time so we can look around France together. Au revoir!
[00:56:40] Copyright
Annie Sargent: The join us in France Travel Podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Annie Sargent and copyright 2026 by Addicted to France. It is released under a Creative Comments, attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives license.
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Episode PageCategory: Family Travel