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 Keep reading →
May 5, 2009
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 Keep reading →
May 5, 2009
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 Keep reading →
May 5, 2009
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. Keep reading →
May 5, 2009
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: Keep reading →
May 4, 2009
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. Keep reading →
May 4, 2009
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. Keep reading →
May 4, 2009
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 appreciates. Allowing for menu planning and appropriate staff sizing, it also assists management’s efforts to developing personal relationships with clientèle – they will know your name. There is a reason that the first thing you will be asked when entering a restaurant is: “Avez-vous réservé?” You may take this to mean that if you haven’t you should have. Not reserving does not always mean you will not be seated but there is a difference between what you must do and what you should do.
2. Meals logically start with the entrée (starter). The plat principal (main dish) follows. I do not know how the meaning of entrée became twisted in some countries to mean something other than the starter.
3. The best value is usually le Menu, a fixed price multi-course dinner. Not to be confused with la Carte, this is the menu. One may see the Formule option from time to time, particularly at lunch. With a Formule menu, one chooses an entrée and principal plate or a principal plate and dessert from among the menu choices.
4. French waiters are professionals but please be ready to order when appropriate and do so convincingly. Taking the time to mumble through the main courses without making a decision as your waiter patiently stands idle will not be appreciated.
5. Avoid special requests and asking for substitutions. The chef has taken the time to present meals which, in his experience, are perfectly coordinated. He will generally not appreciate your ideas of modification.
6. Sending food back to the kitchen is probably inappropriate. See item above. If you are served something you do not like (rognon perhaps), just leave it on your plate; say nothing.
7. Meats are generally cooked much less than the degree to which you may be accustomed. It might be difficult to convince a chef to cook all of the pink out of the center of a steak. Requests for well done stakes might be completely ignored by a serious chef. Generally (and admittedly subjectively) your cooking choices are from basically raw to medium:
- bleu
- saignant
- a point
- bien cuit
8. The greatest compliment you can pay the chef is to leave nothing on your plate. One can only speculate that this is the reason dogs are tolerated in restaurant dining rooms.
9. If the restaurant you have chosen has a sommelier, do not be intimated. This person is your ally and really does provide a wonderful service which you can use to your advantage. If you have modest means, explain to him that value is important – he’ll understand. His purpose is not to exploit you. If you are celebrating a special occasion, he can make your meal very memorable.
10. Dessert orders are often taken after finishing the plat principal.
11. Do not ask for a doggie bag. Taking uneaten food out of a restaurant is not done.
12. You must ask for the check. A professional waiter will not needlessly annoy a patron. When you are ready to leave, simply signal for the check.
13. The tip will always be included in the check total. If you were particularly satisfied, leaving an additional euro or two is appropriate. Leaving more indicates nothing other than a lack of awareness.
A final thought – menus in English. As a general rule, I avoid restaurants with menus in English. However as more and more restaurants have done this as an accommodation rather than as an enticement, I find myself ignoring my own rule with surprising regularity. Just beware of restaurants that post English menus as a draw and of restaurants with someone standing in front whose sole purpose is enticement. Restaurants should be ideally chosen for the food they serve, not the overly attentive greeting presented to tourists.
Bon Appétit
May 4, 2009
Tips for the traveler, CDG to DLP
Many people plan a visit to Disneyland Paris, arriving at Charles de Gaule airport with many transportation questions. The following is a summary of transportation options Keep reading →
May 4, 2009
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 and regional specialties.
