Driving in France

I concur with everything Paul said about the driving on our honeymoon. We remarked more than once about how surprised we were that there wasn't an accident every 5 miles. This applied mainly to the highways, which we learned to steer as clear of as we could, but also to the more country roads. I don't mind fast driving, if people are smart about it. But these people were just bad.

As is usually the case, I did all the driving (I get motion sick pretty easily). At times I was grateful Paul wasn't driving so he didn't have to pay attention so much to the other people on the road. With about 600 miles traversed in our second week there, most of that on back country Burgundy roads, we were only too happy to return our faithful (and surprisingly roomy) VW Golf at the airport on our last day. At least it was fun to drive -- I love stick shifts!

Honeymoon in France - Lowlights

On the whole, our 13 days in France were wonderful, particularly the time in Burgundy. There were a few lowlights, though:

Crime - On our second day in Paris, my pocket was picked on a crowded Paris subway by a young gypsy girl. The wallet was in a double-buttoned pocket in my cargo pants, but the thief took advantage of the packed train and her tiny hands to undo the buttons and work her way in. She was skilled enough to take the money while leaving the wallet. This was a clever tactic because, while I could feel something rustling in my pocket, I checked and felt the wallet, which made me mistakenly think all was okay. I was carrying too much money and was stupid for leaving the wallet in a pocket in the first place.

This is the third time I’ve been the victim of crime in Europe. A videocam was stolen out of a latched camera bag in Prague years ago and more recently I had a digital camera swiped from a checked suitcase. I guess the lesson is that you can’t be too careful in Europe.

Cost – The Euro hit an all-time high against the dollar while we were in Europe and that caused some pain. As a rule of thumb, anything that costs $1 in the U.S. costs €1 over there. So pretty much everything was 50% more expensive. I don’t think we had a dinner for under $100, and that includes modest bistro cafes. Even wine, which is usually a bargain in France, was about the same cost as in the U.S.

The countryside was a little cheaper than Paris, but food was costly everywhere. The only bargains I found were wine in Burgundy and the ubiquitous pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant), which are about €1 everywhere. There’s no sign of the Euro falling anytime soon, so visitors to the popular destinations like France and Italy should be aware of that. I understand that Spain and the eastern European countries are still a pretty good value.

Lyon – We had read good things about Lyon, which is France’s second largest city, and had planned to spend two full days there. However, our experience was disappointing. The traffic into and out of the city was terrible, and our overall impression was that Lyon is a smaller version of Paris with all of the cost and traffic and none of the magnificence. If it was the first city we’d seen in France, we’d probably have been impressed. But I thought it was a pale imitation of its cousin to the north.

Drivers – French drivers are probably the worst I’ve ever seen, worse even than the Chinese. They change lanes without warning, don’t signal for turns and drive at high rates of speed punctuated by sudden stops. Part of the problem is the narrow, twisty roads, but other parts of Europe have the same characteristics and the drivers aren’t nearly as bad. I found the Italian drivers to be speed demons and borderline maniacal, but they were basically good drivers. French seemed to be Italians without the skill.

Rudeness – I expected Parisians to be rude and certainly wasn’t disappointed, but I didn’t expect to encounter the same experience in the countryside. The two other times I’ve toured the countryside, I’ve encountered mostly warm and friendly people. On this trip, however, we were treated coldly and even rudely. The most memorable incident was at Chateau Gilly (above), which canceled our dinner reservation when a large group of British auto enthusiasts took over the restaurant. We were offered free drinks in the bar, but after finishing a second glass of wine were presented with a bill for $40. We refused to pay and fortunately didn’t get a hassle, but the whole experience left us unable to recommend this chateau.

On the whole, these were minor things. If you do travel to France any time soon, bring lots of money. And keep your wallet where you can see it.

Honeymoon in France: highlights

After spending many hours planning our honeymoon in France, it’s ironic that the highlight of the trip turned out to be a spur-of-the-moment choice. This was Perouges, a tiny walled town about 50 miles north of Lyon that is the best preserved medieval village I have ever seen. Perouges is so perfectly medieval, in fact, that I almost expected to peer behind the exposed beam walls of the tiny houses and find a Hollywood set crew.

We found Perouges quite by accident. We decided to cut short our stay in Lyon (see the upcoming post: France Lowlights) and selected Perouges out of our guidebook as a promising visit nearby. When we arrived, the town was swarming with tourists, but by 6 p.m., it was almost deserted. We elected to stay at the Ostellerie du Vieux Perouges, which is one of two small hotels in town, and we were glad we did. Our room was in a 14th century building. It was reached by climbing a long circular stone staircase. Venturing out into town at dusk, we were able to experience the delights of this historic town unfettered by tourists.

Perouges is so perfectly medieval that it has been used as the site for several films, including The Three Musketeers in 1973. What appears to be perfect preservation is actually the result of a century of restoration. The town had fallen into disrepair in the early 20^th century when a local benefactor made a commitment to restore it. They’ve done a remarkable job. While a lot of the appearance of the town today is the work of 20^th century craftsmen, many of the original buildings are still standing.

I took over 30 photographs, but no film can capture the charm of this remarkable village. If you are ever traveling through Burgundy, do make it a point to stop there. It is an experience you will never forget.

Other highlights of the trip:

Beaune is a bustling and beautiful old walled city that features many delightful winding streets and some striking architecture. The highlight was the Hotel Dieu, a 15th-century hospital built to treat the poor. Its brilliantly colored tiled roof is world-renowned and there is a very nice walking tour that takes you through many of the old facilities. In fact, part of the hotel is still in use today as a retirement home. We also encountered our best hotel value here: Hotel Le Home. We rented a very large and comfortable room for only €75, and the proprietor and his wife couldn't have been more hospitable.

Sens is a lovely old town about 40 miles south of Paris. We had intended to stay overnight there, but were disappointed to find that all the rooms in town were booked. We would've liked to have spent more time there enjoying its impressive town square and cathedral. Instead, we put in at Joigny, which is a pleasant little town with a beautiful cathedral perched high on a hill. We enjoyed walking around the windy streets, admiring the beautiful flowers and the river which flows through the center of town.

Two hotels were also highlights. The Chateau d’Ige came highly recommended from Internet reviews, and we could see why. The hotel dates from the 12th century, although the original building was destroyed and rebuilt some 300 years later. There are three magnificent round towers and stone construction that is very reminiscent of a medieval castle. Our room was huge, with stone walls covered in a beautiful fabric that reminded us of the apartments at Versailles.

Our last night was spent at Chateau de Vault de Lugny, a huge country manor with a 14th century wall and real working moat. This is the closest I've ever come to staying in a real castle. At €225, the Château was the most expensive hotel on our trip, but some experiences are so memorable that they're worth the cost.

Speaking of expensive, our dinner the final night was at a restaurant that the guidebook described as the finest in Burgundy. We couldn’t validate that comparison, but there’s no doubt it was the best dinner we had in France. Of course, at €511, you’d hope it would be.

No, that’s not a typo. Dinner for two at l’Esperance in Vezellay cost over $700. That’s actually not uncommon for French haute cuisine and I have to say this experience was worth the cost. The nine-course meal was treat for the senses in every respect. A layered beef appetizer, for example, was topped by a thin disk of beef aspic and drizzled with a delicious sauce painted in a swoosh fashion. The soup was delivered in a tilted glass bowl and mixed at the table by the waiter. There were no less than nine desserts, all small and all delectable. Service was impeccable. A bonus was having the chance to meet the chef, Marc Meneau, who is a bit of a legend. He came out of the kitchen toward the end of the meal and visited with each of his patrons. Nice.

Some experiences are worth the price.

French Reflection

Everyone should visit France if they have the opportunity. And by France, I don't mean Paris.

Dana and I spent most of the last two weeks in France on our honeymoon. It was my fourth or fifth visit to the country since the mid 70s and easily the most enchanting one. We started with six days in Paris, which is kind of obligatory. Paris is impressive for its sheer scale and the dizzying number of monuments, museums, public parks and magnificent edifices it presents.

I think a lot of Americans equate Paris with France, but the capital city couldn't be more different then be countryside. Paris is magnificent, but the essence of France to me is in the tiny villages, rolling hills, stark coastline and fertile valleys that began less than 30 miles outside of the capital.

On this trip, we spent seven days in Burgundy, going as far south as the city of Lyon. Burgundy is France's most prosperous and agriculturally rich area. Its vineyards stretch for hundreds of miles, producing arguably the finest wine in the world. There are ample opportunities to taste and buy these products, for the “degustation” cellars are located almost on top of each other in spots.

Burgundy is the most historic region of France, also, featuring many Roman and Gallic ruins and little villages in which time seemed to stop 300 years ago. In reality, this charming antiquity is the product of years of careful and expensive restoration. While many original buildings remain, the charm of these older villages has been perpetuated by generations of owners who have maintained and improved their property with an eye toward harmonizing and with the surroundings. The French have a marvelous respect for their history. Even in Paris, the skyline is almost unsullied by tall buildings. The business districts are clustered on the outside of town.

Another striking characteristic of Burgundy is its lushness. I joked to Dana that you could throw a handful of seeds in any direction in Burgundy and come back six weeks later to find a beautiful flower garden. In fact, the reality isn’t all that different. In every little town we entered, we found the buildings, parks and even public roadways spilling over with floral displays. The Burgundians must have some of the finest soil on earth. I hope they appreciate this blessing, because those of us who try to coax a few flowers out of the rocky soil of Framingham, MA were indeed green with envy.

I posted about 250 photos from the trip here. In the next couple of posts, I'll talk about some highlights and low lights. I’m sure Dana will have her own observations to contribute.

See the slideshow.

www.flickr.com More of pgillin's photos tagged with france

First few days of married life

Saturday, Sept. 1, P and I get married. Which is reason enough to make the weekend amazing... But now, you see, we have finally procured Jimmy Buffett tickets -- a prize we've been after for a good long time now. So Sunday night, we're off to Foxboro. Being a huge Parrothead, I'm so grateful to finally have the opportunity to rub some of my Buffett love off on my soon-to-be-new husband! The fact that Buffett's only doing 4 shows this summer makes his 2 at Foxboro all the more special.

A special thanks to Matt Landry, who sold me the 2 tickets due to his getting better seats. A stand-up guy who made sure I wasn't a scalper before he agreed to sell me the tix.

Then Monday (or some other time that week) we're off to France for 2 weeks of honeymooning (one in Paris, one in the countryside somewhere). P's never been on a 2-week vacation in his life and I grew up with them, so that makes 2 things I'll share with him early on in our marriage.