C has been on vacation this week, and instead of heading off somewhere, we decided to just do a staycation here in Paris. We've slept in, gone for walks in the park, seen a few movies and started planning our trip to the US. And on the schedule for tomorrow is a trip to Ikea.

C is a big fan of the outdoors though, which means I am now the proud (?) owner of a new pair of hiking shoes. I'd gotten him a hiking guide for the Paris region for Christmas, so we decided it was the perfect time to try it out and break in my new shoes. As you all know, I love me a good castle, so we ended up choosing an 8km hike that went by the Château de la Madeleine. It was about a 45 minute drive from Paris (or an hour if you're riding with C, lol), and the hike itself takes about 3hrs at an easy pace (including a lunch break). It was really lovely and took us past a field of horses, through a forest and past another farm before arriving at the castle.
I had to laugh though, when after lunch, C pulled out a mini camping burner in order to make himself a post-meal coffee. It reminded me of how when you see French families eating at rest stops, they usually have a huge spread going on, with a tablecloth plus real plates and silverware. Once a Frenchman, always a Frenchman!