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Fueled by gluten, caffeine, and alcohol - two weeks in France

Fueled by gluten, caffeine, and alcohol - two weeks in France

Old May 27th, 2017, 05:29 AM
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Fueled by gluten, caffeine, and alcohol - two weeks in France

My husband and I just returned from a 2 week trip to France, our first visit to this gorgeous country! We were celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary.

Itinerary:

Arrive Charles de Gaulle, rent a car, drive straight to Bayeux in Normandy
4 nights in Bayeux

Drive to Amboise in Loire Valley
2 nights Amboise

Drive to Beaune in Burgundy
3 nights in Burgundy

Drop rental car in Dijon and train to Paris
5 nights in Paris

Where we stayed:
Bayeux - Hotel Particulier Poppa
Amboise - Le Vieux Manoir
Beaune - Les Jardins de Lois
Paris - Hotel de L'Abbaye

We had some wonderful meals and I will mention the restaurants where we dined as well as the places we visited.

I will try to finish this trip report - I have a habit (which I am going to try to curb) of going into too much detail and then letting life get in the way of completing them. Sorry for that!
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Old May 27th, 2017, 05:59 AM
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Nice start, Kay.

I'm particularly interested in reading what you have to say about Bayeux and Beaune as I've never been to the former, and only spent a morning in the latter. Amboise we visited years ago with our kids and stayed in a nice little hotel which we found "on spec" - those were the days.

Also looking forward, as ever, to reading about those restaurants!
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Old May 27th, 2017, 07:02 AM
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ttt
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Old May 27th, 2017, 12:21 PM
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Ready to go with you KayTKay!
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Old May 27th, 2017, 02:37 PM
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On for the ride, too, but if you don't finish your gluten privileges will be taken away.
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Old May 27th, 2017, 09:19 PM
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Following along. We stayed at Le Vieux Manoir 10 years ago and I am interested in your experience (we had a lovely stay).
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Old May 28th, 2017, 04:45 AM
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Thanks, everyone!

This is a post that adds nothing of value to the forums so feel free to skip!

However, it was part of our experience so I'm going to post it. If only as a reminder to newer travelers that not all traveling days are happiness and beauty and light and roses. Sometimes you have really bad days when traveling. Things don't always go well.

Our arrival day was one of those days.

Good news about travel day one? All planes and connections were safe and on time - and that is no small thing!

Bad news about travel day one?

1. My husband had taken his ambien (because he was supposed to be our driver upon arrival) and was already asleep - I never take anything, but was starting to doze when I began to hear a commotion directly behind me. Sounds. The sounds of a person who was sick, the sounds of a traveling companion insisting that the flight attendants get a doctor. It was obvious to me that the attendants were reluctant to make any kind of general announcement, but they quietly rounded up an older gentleman, a Marcus Welby type, who came by and quickly pronounced stomach virus.

Traveling companion was relocated, a flight attendant literally sat in the aisle for a couple of hours with the patient, administering oxygen and ice chips and concern. It was all very quiet and rather clandestine. I doubt if many people on the plane had a clue what was happening and it was obvious that the whispering flight attendants wanted it that way.

I tried hard the rest of the flight not to imagine the airplane as a closed up aluminum tube full of recirculating germs and never slept a minute.

2. Landed perfectly on time and then It took, no exaggeration, more than two hours before the bags began to come through at Charles de Gaulle. They kept making announcements to be patient and that the delay was weather related. There had been a few sprinkles as we arrived, but no rain at all during the time we waited. I have no idea what was really going on.

3. We walked over to Hertz hours later than expected to pick up the rental car only to discover...my husband's driver's license was expired. HIs birthday had been a couple of weeks prior to the trip. This meant that he couldn't drive, which meant I had to drive. Now, I am perfectly capable of driving - an automatic. No. I have never learned to drive a standard. I know, I know, don't scold me...it's on my list. This meant we had to get a different car, an automatic that I could drive. At the time I was just grateful they had one. Later - not so much.

4. Finally we were off into Paris. Close to 4 hours later than anticipated. It was now almost 5:00 pm on a Friday. Apparently there is a law that at least a third of Parisians must go to Normandy for the weekend. It took us an hour and a half to go just a few miles. During this time I mentioned several times to my husband that the car was feeling odd every time I would have to stop in the traffic and try to go again.

5. We were finally feeling a bit relieved to be getting free of the worst of the traffic when we pulled into another toll booth and after the gate opened I pushed the gas and the car died. Dead. Completely Off. Unmoving. Refusing to turn on. Unhappy French people were piling up in the line behind us as we frantically tried to get the damn car going. I finally got out to explain what was happening and my French (I only speak a little) completely deserted me. Italian (which I speak fairly well) came out instead. I'm certain that by this point I was looking a bit deranged and wild eyed and scary. I'm pretty sure that was what caused the cars to start backing up rather than my foreign language skills.

Our car eventually started again and we were able to move on, although now the approach of a toll booth caused an odd combination of prayer and cursing to come out of my mouth. My husband told me I sounded a bit possessed.

6. After arrival at our bed and breakfast I was exhaustedly unpacking and dropped and broke a rented (expensive) camera lens. So, I now own a really nice, unusable Nikon 24-70 zoom lens.

What we learned from this? A bad start doesn't mean a bad finish. The rest of the trip was lovely. And we will *always* check the expiration date on our driver's licenses before we go anywhere. And we will probably never again try to drive any distance on our arrival day because travel days are just too unpredictable. And Friday afternoon traffic in Paris might be the worst I’ve ever experienced. And scooters in traffic are scary. And toll booths with an unpredictable car are their own special type of hell.

But…we never did get sick!!
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Old May 28th, 2017, 05:06 AM
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"I have never learned to drive a standard. I know, I know, don't scold me...it's on my list. "

Oh , no. I am going to scold you anyway. You are officially scolded.

That could have been a disaster if they didn't have a real car (one with three pedals)handy. Maybe not much chance of it at CDG, but had you rented in the sticks...

Keep talking, I am enjoying it.
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Old May 28th, 2017, 05:27 AM
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rs899 - Hah! I promise you that I have learned my lesson! I was SO aware at that moment that we were on the verge of a disaster for this trip and immediately determined that learning to drive a standard was now at the top of the list of things that I plan to accomplish this year!!!
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Old May 28th, 2017, 05:28 AM
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^^ sorry, if they had ONLY had real cars handy...

I keep nagging my wife to re-learn the art, in case she ever needs to take me to the hospital and our one-and-only automatic doesn't start.
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Old May 28th, 2017, 06:25 AM
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I keep nagging my wife to re-learn the art, in case she ever needs to take me to the hospital and our one-and-only automatic doesn't start.>>

I have driven an automatic for over 10 years now but DH's old car has a gear lever so ever so often I take it out for a drive just so i remember how to do it. That comes in handy on holidays in Europe and elsewhere when it's often difficult to hire an automatic unless you want to pay an arm and a leg.

Kay - You remind me of the time, 30 years or so ago, when after a transatlantic flight we landed in Toronto at about 4pm, picked up our hire car, and emerged onto what we quickly discovered was an 18 lane highway and the Toronto rush hour. OMG. It wasn't long before we were "discussing" whose idea it had been not to spend at least one night in Toronto.

You also remind me of the trip we had to the US when DH had to do all the driving because the day before we left, I discovered that I had "lost" my driving licence. My new one was waiting for me when we got home, along with the old one which I found in about 30 seconds.

I'm glad that things got better after a dodgy start.
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Old May 28th, 2017, 06:38 AM
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"You also remind me of the trip we had to the US when DH had to do all the driving because the day before we left, I discovered that I had "lost" my driving licence. My new one was waiting for me when we got home, along with the old one which I found in about 30 seconds. "

I recall that, now some 30 years ago, on my first ever business trip which was to LA, I got in a day ahead of the other guy on the team.

I didn't bring my Florida license for some reason (sheer stupidity as I must have rented before at age 35) and the rental agency (talk about service) brought me into town to help me get a license. I soon found out that it would be a full blown CA drivers license, with the driving test and all, just for one day! I took a cab to the hotel and waited for backup.
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Old May 28th, 2017, 07:00 AM
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Ouch! Many, many years ago on a business trip to the south of France the expected automatic wasn't available. Back then I/we managed (I learned to drive, stick, in England). Now it has been a LONG time since I drove a stick and the last time both my knees and the gear box complained. These days I don't drive in Europe or Asia - trains or buses.

Doesn't your DMV send reminders when your license is going to expire?
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Old May 28th, 2017, 12:50 PM
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well, if the car hand't been available, they would have just had to spend a day perhaps at an airport hotel until one showed up. Which probably would have been a good thing, actually, not bad, so it wouldn't havd been any disaster at all. Second choice would have just to have taken the train to Amboise (or perhaps Tours and get a car the next day at that TGV station). That also might have been just fine.

I can't drive a stick, either, or at least I haven't in so long I would not rent one on vacation. I know people think driving a car without AT is some basic life skill which is really kind of funny when you think about it, as people dont' make value judgments on other things people can't do because machines or devices have modernized in the last 100 years. No one says you have to learn out to make your own clothes and run a sewing machine without electricity or spin your own wool. How about getting out and cranking your car engine up with that tool thing in front?

IN fact, it isn't that easy to brush up or learn to drive a shift car, so people shouldn't be so judgmental. If you own one and have a person to teach you or you can use it to brush up, fine, otherwise it is practically impossible. there isn't a single driving company where I live that will teach you that skill, as I've checked (I think I found one but you had to bring your own car). But the fact is, stuff can happen, and the problems with that car could have happened with a stick shift, also. YOu have to learn to have alternatives, I think, I mentioned two that would have worked in this case. And you can't depend on an AT in real small towns, either.
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Old May 28th, 2017, 01:32 PM
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Actually, rather than learning to drive stick, it would be better to NOT plan to drive coming off an international flight. That's dangerous.
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Old May 29th, 2017, 06:20 AM
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Learning to drive a stick is something I've always talked about doing. Do I think it is absolutely necessary for everyone? Of course not, but I would like to learn and think it would be a good thing to know! At least for us and the way we like to travel. Everyone has their own style and preferences.

ann - I had to laugh a little at your Toronto story because we did have some, um, discussions while barely moving in that Paris traffic! Getting where you want to go isn't always easy!
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Old May 29th, 2017, 06:24 AM
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Hotel Particular Poppa - I would definitely recommend this lovely Bed and Breakfast. It is situated on a quiet square around a large tree lined park that has a fountain in the middle. We stayed in Room 1 which was huge with a dramatic black and white bathroom and large windows to let in the light and air. From our room and bathroom we had views of the park, the cathedral, as well as the back garden of the home.

Our hosts Philippe and Sophie were always there when you needed them, but were unobtrusive when you didn’t. They were very good at the whole bed and breakfast hosting gig! We paid about 160E per night. Breakfast was delicious. They had coffee and tea, and a wonderful selection of croissants and breads. There was also fruit, homemade jams, meats and cheeses and boiled eggs. We had trouble getting ourselves out of there in the mornings! You could sit in the breakfast room or the back garden.

I have no idea if the house had air conditioning. I never saw it, but then I wasn’t looking. It was very cool while we were there, and we slept with the windows just barely open. I suspect that a/c wouldn’t be necessary very often in Normandy. The shower was a nice size and the towels were excellent. I always notice linens and do love good ones!

Bayeux is a pretty, compact and very walkable city on the little Aure river. The city escaped bombing during the war. It was very untouristed and quiet in early May while we were there.

Our first day in Bayeux happened to be Saturday which was also market day! We spent part of the morning at the market and I highly recommend stopping by if your time in Normandy falls so that you can. We mingled with locals out buying their fruits and vegetables and cheeses, meats and fish, as well as calvados, cider, and live ducks, chickens and rabbits. There were beautiful flower stands and prepared foods as well. We had a great time just wandering from stall to stall and letting the French language wash over us. People were lined up all around the paella stand - Oh my goodness it smelled so good! And looked amazing as well, rice simmering in sauce in huge low, slope sided paella pans with tons of fresh seafood going into the rice! We had barely finished breakfast so we didn’t get any and I still regret it! The moral is: buy and eat it when you see it!

The tapestry is a MUST see. Fascinating. You pay and get a headset which is well done and explains each panel. My only complaint was that it often moved you around too quickly. I wanted more time to examine each panel and to really look at each of the figures. This definitely would have been possible as there were not many people there on the day we visited. Talking with my husband afterward about this we realized that neither of has had even once tried to pause the headset! Is it pausable? I have no idea! But if it had been we would have spent a lot more time looking at the Tapestry. There is a museum as well and a short film that they offer in English from time to time.

The cathedral in Bayeux is quite impressive! My husband is a builder and fascinated by architecture so always a big part of our trips is talking about how things were built, examining structures, and asking questions of anyone who might know the answers about how things were constructed. The cathedral is massive, very clean and light and peaceful, has interesting crypts and murals and gorgeous exterior lighting in the evenings.

La Moulin de la Galette. This makes a nice lunch spot as it is across from the tapestry entrance and has a very pretty location on the river near a picturesque water wheel. There is a very small space to eat inside, but we sat outside on a covered patio underneath one of the heaters to take the chill off on a cool day. It is a lovely location, atmospheric, the service was pleasant. My husband had the lunch special which was fish and chips and I had a galette - didn’t write down the exact name, but it had a couple of types of cheese and bacon and an egg. We both had cider. Everything was good. Solid place.

La Maison Blanche - our hosts made two last minute suggestions for us for dinner. The first was full, this was the second. Although the place was busy, mostly with english speaking tourists, we were able to be seated in a little alcove in the back. We looked at the wine list which was described by the quirky owner (possibly owner, manager?) as being all the expensive ones and the bad one. We were encouraged to try one of the 21E specials from the top of the piano. Hmmm. Is this a way to foist off cheap wine to unsuspecting tourists? However, we went with one of the “specials.” It was a burgundy, Pinot Noir, and it was fine. I had the seafood bisque as a starter which was ok, then veal in normandy sauce (a mushroom cream sauce) which was better, and an apple tart for dessert which was a huge miss, not good at all. My husband and I shared and he took one bite. I gave it two and we were both done. My husband started with a mussel volute with saffron which was quite good, perhaps the best dish of the evening, then beef with rum pepper sauce as his main - another decent choice. The wait staff was pleasant. Again the owner? was quite a character, we liked him, but later our hosts asked what we thought of him and our impression was that they might have had some previous guests complain about him. He would stop and play the piano once in a while and brought us (and everyone) an excellent homemade pear liqueur at the end of the meal which he said was made by his family - it was so good. After discovering that my husband plays the piano (he plays very well) the owner insisted that he play something - apparently this is a regular thing for him to do. The whole experience was interesting, even pleasant, but we were still waiting for a meal in France to wow us.
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Old May 29th, 2017, 06:40 AM
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if it doesn't have butter and cream in it then it isn't from Normandy ;-)
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Old May 29th, 2017, 08:14 AM
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Thanks, KayTKay. I don't remember being able to pause the listening device provided for the Bayeux tapestry. People moving, eh?
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Old May 30th, 2017, 05:35 AM
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bilboburgler - we definitely discovered that!

TDudette - I did some research on this and from what I could find they allow you to pause the headset during the off season, but set it so you can't during the busier times. I found some people that said they will let you go through a second time. I don't know any of this first hand obviously!
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