Category Archives: Restaurants

La Gourmande – the best Crêperie in the south of France

Certainly there are a good number of Crêperies in Brittany.  However in Le Grau du Roi, there is a crêperie that is every bit as good as anything found in St. Malo or elsewhere in Brittany. La Gourmande is not … Continue reading

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le départ, destination le Grau du Roi

It’s the end of the first week in Jun, today we depart for Paris and connect through to le Grau du Roi in the south of France along the Mediterranean coast.  Le Grau du Roi has been a six year … Continue reading

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Amboise – a tourist ghetto?

Many of us who have had a relationship with the Loire Valley for many years have not been overjoyed with what has happen to Amboise (now a tourist ghetto) or to Tours (unfortunate victim of urban sprawl). Accordingly I have … Continue reading

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How I learned to love mussels

No one enjoys a bowl full of mussels more than I do, I have consumed millions of the things (well, almost). One evening, many years ago, my wife and I had just been seated at a small brassier on the … Continue reading

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Chez Germaine and the story of aligot

Many years ago when I was studying in Tours, a friend of mine from Amboise invited me to his home for dinner.  We were very young and he still lived at home with his parents who were originally from Auvergne. … Continue reading

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Sarastro’s 13 lucky rules for dining

How is dining in Paris different than in other locations?  Here is a short guide which will help you feel right at home dinning among the Parisians. 1.  Always reserve.  Always.  Reserving is a simple courtesy that a restaurant operator … Continue reading

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Recommended hotel networks

One of the first steps when vacation planning is to find appropriate  accommodations.    I should like to share my list of favored hotel networks offering charming accommodations throughout France, most are moderately priced and most have restaurants serving local produce … Continue reading

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