Beginning this week, I narrate our 4 week stay in the south of France. The food, the beach, the lifestyle – all as seen by Sarastro.
Daytrips from Paris
I could very contentedly spend weeks vacationing in Paris without ever feeling compelled to leave. Many visitors though wonder about the surrounding country side and there are some fascinating destinations just an hour or so from the center of Paris.
Here is my list, sanitized from long, boring, and expensive tour bus rides which offer little but the reward of fatigue and the advantage of hours of transportation boredom.
Auvers-sur-Oise
For instruction on how to reach Auvers-sur-Oise by train
Chantilly
For instruction on how to reach Chantilly by train
Chartres Continue reading
Filed under Destinations
Spending in Euros
Though certainly no expert, I have followed the topic of money exchange carefully for some time now and have drawn several conclusions. Here is a summary of money exchange options and how you may benefit from the advantages of each one:
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Credit Cards
1. While your bank may not charge a currency conversion fee, Visa and Master Card does on all transactions made outside of the US whether the charge is in dollars, euros, pound sterling, or any other currency.
2. Most banks, particularly the large well known variety, add a 2%-4% service fee to all international charges Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Alerte Résa
For those who are already familiar with the PREM fares sold by the SNCF (French Rail) and the fact that fares go on sale 3 months before any given departure date, SNCF has an interesting service which may interest you – Alerte Résa. Simply fill out the form Continue reading
Filed under Transportation
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 compiled a list of excellent locations from which to base one’s self when touring the valley. Tours is included but avoid anywhere except the old center of town.
1. The Cheval Blanc in the small village of Bléré, between Chenonceau and Tours. Bléré is much quieter and less touristy than Amboise. This hotel/restaurant changed hands in early 2008 with the long-time owners retiring. Under the new owners, (Hélène et Fabrice Tavernier) the service is reportedly much more efficient but Continue reading
Filed under Hotels, Restaurants
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 left bank Continue reading
Filed under Restaurants
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. From the local grocer, his mother had specially ordered a very young, almost creamy cow’s milk cheese (I believe it was Cantal). For our dinner that night she blended the cheese with mashed potatoes, continuously mixing in a circular fashion. As she stirred, she never altered the direction of her motions, always clockwise. She explained that by so doing, the integrity of certain longitudinal filaments in the mixture was maintained. Continue reading
Filed under Restaurants
Car rentals
If you can avoid picking up a rental at either a train station or an airport, you can save the pickup surcharge fee of 30€ to 60€. Expect to pay a one time road tax of about 10€ as well as a small fee for declaring additional drivers.
Automobiles running diesel not only get better mileage (kilometrage) but diesel fuel is widely available and usually costs less than gasoline. If you plan on picking up in one city and dropping off in another, Hertz and Avis usually have one way fees. Other companies probably have no such fees as long as the the pickup and drop off locations are within France.
Here is a list of rental companies operating in France: Continue reading
Filed under Transportation
Driving in France?
Driving in France is really no different that driving anywhere else (OK, excluding the UK, Australia and other drive-on-the-left locations). Here are several points which might make your experiences on the highway a bit easier:
1. Purchase a map in book form (1:200,000 scale). GPS has become a popular rental option but European maps might be available for the portable GPS unit you are currently using.
2. Request a diesel; it will save a great deal of money in operating costs. Diesel fuel is sold everywhere gasoline is sold. You may check current fuel prices at any French city. Continue reading
Filed under Transportation
Your mobile phone in France
There are many options for those wanting to remain in contact by phone: roaming with a North American provider, VoIP, Télécartes, or using a French mobile network just like the French do. Here is a rundown of providers offering pre paid cellphone plans:
Just a quick review of the requirements. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
