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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Mini France

Mini France 1
More Eiffel Tower pictures for you today. With a twist. No we haven't turned into a family of giants. This is the Eiffel Tower at France Miniature a sweet little park about half an hour west of Paris and just a short drive from our house.

Mini France 2
The main feature is, like the title says, Mini France. A 3D map of France filled with models of all the top sights in France from the Eiffel Tower to the boats in St. Tropez harbour. This is Versailles. Still not that mini - can you see the girls peeking over the west wing?

Mini France 3
A pretty village in the South West that I thought we could visit on our way down to Spain next week. Forgot to note which village though. Anyone recognize it?!

Mini France 4
That's Mont St Michel over there on the right. I could go on, but the models are not the only thing to see at France Miniature. The main reason to go as far as India, Georgia and Savannah are concerned are Les Attractions. Fairground rides conveniently located just off the coast of 'Brittany' which give you great views over all of 'France' and more importantly are fun and included in the (quite high) entrance price.

Mini France 6
We were there on an overcast Monday and although the park was pleasantly busy it wasn't at all crowded and the girls got to play on as many rides as they liked for as long as they wanted. Florence even took a long nap in the stroller, Keith dialled in to work for a meeting he couldn't get out of on his day off and I finished off my photography homework. A typical family day out!

Mini France 7
Dubbed the washing machine by the girls this ride spun you round and round and they went on it about ten times.

Mini France 8
Mini France 9
The prize after a difficult climb up this bouncy climbing wall...

Mini France 10
...was to slide down the tallest and steepest slide I have ever seen. Georgia did get a bit stuck and had to rescued by a kindly French teenager thankfully saving me from the humiliation of having to try and get up there myself!

Mini France 11
A surprising detail that the girls had remembered from their visit last year is this poubelle that talks to you every time you drop a piece of rubbish in it!

Mini France 15
Perhaps the best part, or most alarming depending on your point of view, is that you get to operate the rides yourself. I can't imagine that ever happening in the USA but the system worked, everyone stayed safe and it developed a nice camaraderie between visitors as kids waiting for the ride would help out complete strangers to keep the line moving.

Mini France 12
Mini France 13

Mini France 14
The girls first visited 'Mini France' as they like to call it with my Mum when we were house hunting last year and they fell in love with the place. The atmosphere there takes me back to my childhood holidays in France when parks like this seemed to offer so much more excitement than tiny Jersey. It might not be as thrilling as Disneyland on the other side of Paris but in it's own way it's just as magical. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. Even the café serves decent food. Well it is France after all!

In other news, I am thrilled to have been invited to be a guest blogger at Farm Fresh to You's blog. Hop on over there to see my review of the Capay Tomato Festival and lots of other gorgeous farm stories.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Nicky

    The town is St Emilion. Hope you manage to visit and also enjoy the local wine!!

    Nan

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  2. Looks awesome - my kids would be pretty happy there as well. I love how you all got done what you needed to get done (love that last photo btw) and still had a great day out! It's always multi-tasking, isn't it?
    That washing machine ride makes me want to throw up just looking at it. I don't know how people can sit in those things. I'd much prefer to talk back to the poubelle.

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  3. Yes, does look like St. Emilion (only 45 East of us!) - Great village and of course, the wine...well let's say well loved!! Definitely pick up a a few bottles! Okay, again, you have given me another place to add to our list of things to see near Paris...I think we might have to spend a week up near there...and just do sites around Paris!! Enjoy Spain!

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  4. Have a great vacation! The mini Paris shots reminded me of our local Legoland! Talk to you soon-
    N

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  5. This 325 metre high structure is more than just an icon for the city and arguably for the whole of France, but a breathtaking attraction giving sublime views across the city. miniparis

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  6. For those seeking a breath of fresh air and relaxation from the hustle and bustle of the city Paris boasts a wide range of parks and green spaces which can be enjoyed at any time of the year. miniparis

    ReplyDelete

Bienvenue chez les Berries!
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A bientôt! Nicola

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