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Noel
Spent December in Brittany/Loire Valley. No comments on Paris. I guess you have to see it, but get out of town as soon as you can and explore the Loire Valley. It's my favorite part of France.
General Advice: Read everything at Barnes & Noble, but BUY the Michelin Green Guides for the regions you'll visit. Memorize them before you go. Also buy their road maps. You can Google lots of the rest.
The Euro is great. You just don't get as many for a buck as last year. And France was expensive enough as it is.
Be nice and you'll probably get nice treatment. They have a right to be proud of a history and culure that goes back farther than Americans can comprehend. ALWAYS greet everyone (the shopkeepers, folks you ask for directions, even the toll takers!) with a bonjour. Don't just walk in and start picking things up. The French are, in general, very polite and formal. Don't expect big pats on the back and hail-fellow-well met treatment. Say Au revoir when you leave.
Cities are cities. Be specific about what you want to see, but allow plenty of walking around time. In Paris, the one place I'd not miss is the Sainte-Chappelle on the Ile. Must read book on Paris: "The Seven Ages of Paris" by I forget. But it reads like a novel. For a nice little hotel in a great location: http://www.venere.it/fr/paris/leftbank/
Rent and watch "Amelie." Maybe you'll meet Audrey Tautou. I'm always looking for Catherine Deneuve.
Driving: You'll wonder why we can't do our Interstates like they do their Autoroutes. Signage that can be understood by anyone. Well cambered turns. Lots of pull-offs for sightseeing. Just get out of the left lane when you see the blinking lights of MB's and big Peugeots a half-mile in back you you. They don't take long to catch up. Secondary roads (yellow on Michelin) are great for meandering.
Language: Ya gotta try. Just about the time you leave, you'll start getting your "ear." Frustrating to resort to baby talk when trying to describe how much you like stuff. But the guide books will tip you off on which places do better with English.
Besides, if you keep your mouth shut, you get to listen to French women talk. My God, they have beautiful voices, really sing-songy. Ahhhhhhhh.
Some specifics (BTW, I like to get off the beaten path)
In Angers, we stayed at Hotel Continental: http://www.hotellecontinental.com/en/presentation.htm . In spite of the name, it's small and friendly. Found the place in a "Lonely Planet" guide and it turned out to be a great find. The young couple that own it speak great English and are wonderful hosts, especially at preparing breakfast. Their little Shih-Tsu dog runs the show. Saab owners will fit right in.
In town, you must see the Apocalypse Tapestries. Some examples: http://sourcebook.fsc.edu/history/apocalypse.html If you read some history of the Hundred Years War ("A Distant Mirror-The Calamitous Fourteenth Century" by Barbara Tuchman), you'll appreciate them and the whole area a bit more.
Amboise is my choice as a base of operations for the Val de Loire. Good sized town with great walkaround ambience and little shops and some of the best takeaway food anywhere. In December, I bought pears from the same produce guy as I did in 1990. I asked him to pick a couple of Anjous (what else?) and he spent a good minute poring over his selection for the best ones. Croissants that fall apart in the bag if you jostle them too much on the way back your room. Visit your cheese guy, your wine guy. A few truffles for le dessert. Have a pik-nique overlooking the valley. That's France. You even get used to the coffee.
For the whole medieval town mode, I like Loches. Stay at the Georges Sand, right on the banks of the (I forget) river. Spend half a day getting into a fourteenth century mindset. It'll change you. http://www.pbase.com/image/17959996
On your way to/from Paris, stop in Chartres and take a tour of the Cathedral given by Malcom Miller, who's been giving insightful tours forever.
Be glad you can go back to English when you get back and try to help a foreign tourist visiting your city.
Go study up. It'll pay off.
Best,
Greg
For a real tourist trap, see the link:
posted by 68.193.67...
http://www.pbase.com/image/17959903
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