Ira Returns From 22 Loverly Days in Europe

Welcome back Ira. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

Ira - Use the little triangle and ask if they can change it to the other countries.

Welcome back and glad to hear that you had a great time. Looking forward to reading all about it as I prepare for my own European adventure in less than 2 weeks.

I can't wait to read about the Bodensee and the Italian Lake district!
Welcome back!!

>I do not know why it is tagged "UK".

You wrote:
>cold, damp and rainy weather

The message board detects this statement and puts it under "UK".

Its lovley right now

Logos, I love it!

Ira, can't wait for the trip report to start. It's a chilly, rainy day in Charlotte....perfect day to lose myself in a good trip report. And as I am currently pregnant with twins I won't be going anywhere for a long time so I might as well live vicariously through others.

Tracy

Oh, we can live with the UK tag.

Meanwhile, after weeks of nice weather, it turned cool, damp and rainy in Paris today, too.

Welcome back, ira. I'm looking forward to another epic trip report.

Anselm

Welcome back, Ira.

Eager to hear about Alsace; we leave on Sun. for Paris and then on to Alsace for a week.

Can't wait for this one!

looking forward to more. [or some!]

Looking forward to another great read. Welcome back, Ira.

Eagerly awaiting another marvelous report.

Cannot wait!!! Welcome home Ira!

Dawn

"more later." Oh, please, Come on Ira, welcome home, and all that, but we're all waiting!!

We're all looking forward to your report, Ira, so please finish mowing the grass and enlighten us. Welcome back, EJ

Welcome back. I hope you had as great a time as we did in France. We came home to branches and tons of acorns. We haven't seen this many acorns here in Wisconsin in 17 years. I hope that doesn't mean a bad winter.

Looking forward to your trip review.

welcome back.
where is the rest?

Ira,
Welcome home! Looking forward to another great report---Provence and the Lake District are high on the list for our next trip!

Welcome back Ira!

Welcome home, Ira! Anxiously awaiting your report.

WB Ira!

Checking in for the long haul...

Always appreciate your advise. Can't wait for your report and hopefully pictures.

Welcome back, Ira!
I can't wait to hear about your trip!

>The message board detects this statement and puts it under "UK". <

I hadn't thought of that, logos. Thanks
.............................
Thanks for the Welcomes, folks.

Welcome Home Ira! Looking forward to your report!

Welcome back Ira. SO where you've been?

Welcome back ira. I fixed your tags (I think); let me know if I left one out. Germany?

Did you mean to say "Loverly"? I can fix that too.

Looking forward to reading your report.

Hi Ira,

Looking forward to your report as I take a lot of recommendations from you. I was in the same areas as you in September. We had perfect weather and I can't wait to get back to Wengen and Bellagio.

We were picked up in Madison, GA at 2:00 for a flight departing ATL at 6:00. This is because we once left a mere 3 hrs between departure and flight time and almost didn't make it.

Arrived ATL at 3:00.

Flight over on AF was uneventful. The food was OK. Carrots with cumin were interesting.

Arrived CDG 5 min early (07:55) and were at the train station by 09:00 for our 10:40 train. Easiest traverse of CDG ever.

After a pleasant ride on the IDTGV, we arrived at Strasbourg Gare and walked to the Hotel Gutenberg (http://www.hotel-gutenberg.com/uk/index.php). It was about a 0:15 hr walk. Very nice room. Has AC and a curtain on the shower. Good service. Nice buffet bkfst.

Wandered around. Oriented ourselves. Went for dinner at the Kammerzell www.maison-kammerzell.com. Very nice room. Food, especially the choucroute, and service was good. Menu from 30.5E.

Wednesday, 09/10 Weather was cool and fair. Did the touristy walks and visits.

Discovered an Amorino gelateria at 11, rue Mercière. That enhanced our day.

Dinner at La Cloche à Fromage (http://www.cheese-gourmet.com/restous.html).
Very interesting place. As you might guess, their speciality is cheese, and my Lady Wife had her stomach set on fondue. Asking for fondue here is like asking for a coffee at Starbucks. She settled on the Fondue Bleu and a salad (29E). I had the 25E menu.

Nothing surprising about the fondue. Just a very good blending of cheeses and wine. (Caution: The fondue pot is heated by a candle. It must be adjusted regularly. If the fondue gets too hot, it will curdle. If it is too cold it will become sludge.)

The Menu was a variety of cheeses arranged in a spiral pattern, with various condiments decorating the spiral, accompanied by copius amounts of breads. A delightful young woman (working on her Master's Certificate) explained the order in which the cheeses should be eaten, the particulars and a bit of history of each cheese portion. (I have in my notes that some of these were the best I had ever had. Unfortunately, I didn't write down which. Garçon. Another glass of wine.)

Along with wine and a Baba au Rhum for dessert - a more than pleasant and interesting dinner.

Thurs, cool and mostly cloudy. Walked to the Gare to pick up the car, rented through Kemwel, at Europcar. I had ordered a Renault Megane. The very nice lady at the office informed me that they did not have a Megane, but had a Renault Clio for me.

No Megane? No VW Golf? No Peugeot 308? No Citroen C4? Only a Clio?
An inspection of the car lot showed that I could have the Clio, one of a couple of delivery vans or a 2-dr compact. I took the Clio.

It is a stripped down Megane. Handling is good. Mileage is good - about 44 mpg. It is also noisy and not very comfortable. Oh well. It served the purpose.

A Clio, BTW, is not in the same price category as a Megane. At this time, Kemwel has opened a file to refund the difference to me. They are also helping with the insurance claim. (More on that later.)

I don't know if I should be peeved or disappointed.

More to come.

Yum! Fondue in Strasbourg,and Amorino! Definitely a good start.

But uh-oh, what's this about an insurance claim? A portent of things to come...

I'm waiting impatiently for the whole saga!

>>No Megane? No VW Golf? No Peugeot 308? No Citroen C4? Only a Clio?<<

Sometimes if we arrive in a city but don't pick up the car for a couple of days later, we'll call the rental office to make sure the car we have rented will be available. If not, we'll request/demand that they drive one in from elsewhere - the airport in Strasbourg's case. I even talked to AutoEurope (from home) about this, and they suggested that we call them if the car we've reserved (or comparable) is not available - and they would see what they could do.

Stu Dudley

Hi Ira,
I now know why your Lady Wife likes to be miles too early for all flights! The experience of 'nearly not making it' must have made her vow to NEVER - EVER - go through that again!
She has my absolute approval. If I could be at the airport in the morning for a flight only leaving that evening, believe me I would be enjoying every minute!

I am very disappointed you were let down with the Megane. We hired one in Chartres and drove through to St Malo. At the time I thought it the ugliest car I had ever laid eyes on but my heart warmed as the comfortable journey progressed.

I feel your pain - not knowing whether to be very annoyed or disppointed. Disappointment comes first and then BLOODY FURIOUS eventually hits home. Do the idiots not know what the heck they are doing or take into account the agonising over"which this, which that" we vacationers go through before a decision is made!

I am so looking forward to your report continuing especially of course Paris!

Hah, I had opposite luck at that Europcar office in Strasbourg. I had reserved a small car as usual and was presented with a magnificent Alfa Romeo to drive back to Paris. In any case, they don't have many cars in that lot.

hi ira,

I took the Clio.

It is a stripped down Megane. >>

not here in the UK it isn't. Here it's a tiny zippy little thing, nothing like a Megane at all.

funny how they rebadge these things, even in different parts of europe.

we had a similar thing happen to us in vienna - we'd booked a Golf, but were offered a Fiat punto in such a way that even though we were asked if it was OK, it was obvious that the correct answer was "yes"!

Enjoying your report! I have not had fondue since I was in Aspen years ago - you have encouraged a new crave in me!!

Look forward to more of your report.....

"Asking for fondue here is like asking for a coffee at Starbucks." tee hee, sounds like my kind of place.

Look forward to reading more!

Oh my, insurance claim... looking forward to more. BTW I have a rental for next week reserved through Kemwell and they have been very pleasant to deal with. Thank you for recommending them so many times on this board.

Hi StuDudley on Oct 6, 09 at 01:09 PM .

Good point. And I can't even plead that it was my first time.

Last visit, they upgraded us to a Renault Laguna.

I can't believe you are back already. Seems like just the other day I was wishing you bon voyage.

Johanna

Hi All,

As you remember, in our last episode Ira was leaving the rental office in a Renault Clio. Let's listen in as he says, "How do I get back to the hotel"?

As it turned out, it was very easy. I followed the signs to the Cathedral and sopped in front og the Gutenberg. By that time, they had taken our luggage downstairs. In a few minutes, we were off to Baldenheim and Les Prés d'Ondine (www.presdondine.com).

We took the scenic route via Rosheim, Klingenthal, the Col de Steige and Selestat. Occasional fog shrouded the higher elevations of the mountaintops. Overall, a pleasant trip that didn't upset my acrophobic passenger.

Arriving at the Ondine, we found that our 80E/nite room (Mai) faced the river. In addition to the lovely view, it was quite nicely furnished. We settled in, visited Sélestat and had a snack there, returned to speak to the swans and the cat before changing for dinner.

Mr Dalibert cooks for his guests (32E). That night we had an Alsace Riesling for an aperitif. Pumpkin soup, accompanied by a Gewurtztraminer, was followed by excellent braised lamb shanks with talliatelli (Pinot Noir), salad with cheese, an apple tart with home-made ice cream and coffee. A very, very good dinner with pleasant conversation (some of the guests spoke English and the rest tolerated my French).

For those of you who are not adventurous eaters, let Mr Dalibert know of your likes and dislikes before you arrive. He will arrange for something to suit you.

Saturday broke sunny and fair. Breakfast (12E) was the usual - coffee, chocolate or tea; juices; various breads, croissants and pain au chocolate; fruits with creme fraiche and/or yoghurt; pancakes; assorted meats.

After breakfast, we drove up to Mont Ste Odile and Obernai and then down to Eguisheim before returning to the hotel. I have nothing new to add to the volumes written about the charm and beauty of these places.

Dinner at Maximilien (www.le-maximilien.com) was top-notch, first-class, top drawer. Food was well prepared, beautifully presented, and smoothly and properly served. Roberta had the Menu Entre Deux (featuring the Sole), and I had the Carré and Ris d'Agneau persillée. Along with the cheese platter and wine - 144 E. (The full menu is posted at their website.)

Sunday morning's breakfast featured Kugelhoff in place of the croissants and pain au chocolate, but we were still able to force something down.

Bidding au revoir to our host, we aimed East toward Lake Constance.

More to come.

hi Ira,

how do you find such lovely places to stay and eat? your research certainly pays off.

looking forward to Bodensee.

regards, ann

PS -you haven't told us how you got on actually driving the clio. we need to know.

Yes, and I want to know how you went about choosing and booking your stable for the night? Did it all come off the internet or some recommendations?

Will Mr. Dailbert adopt a girl? A wonderful-sounding meal!

Hi Ann, Tod and TD,

A: The Clio was OK to drive. It has decent pickup, is OK on hills, has good mileage and the breaks work.
It is noisy, bumpy and not very comfortable.

B: Finding accomodations,
Guide books, www.tripadvisor.com, google and, especially, Fodor's.

C: Mr Dalibert is taking his first vacation since he bought and refurbished the facility (about 6 years). I think that he will be back from India in December. You could ask him.

BTW, he said that he had gotten a 350E RT fare from Paris/Bombay.

From Baldenheim, we crossed the Rhine to Riegel, went to and through Freiburg to follow the 31 Eastward to Stein Am Rhein. The scenery was quite nice and the road was well marked.

Stein Am Rhein is a lovely town that is all spruced up for the visitor - painted buildings and lots of restoration. After a light snack, we headed for Lindau - following the signs all the way. Very pleasant ride along the lake.

We were warmly greeted at the Hotel Eiscafe Schreier (http://www.hotel-schreier.de/wpde/en/hotel/), and shown to the Capuccino room. Both this and Vanilla are good-sized, comfy rooms with all of the mod cons and a terrace overlooking the harbor. There are a lounge chair and a covered table and chairs on each terrace. The staff is warm, friendly and helpful. The rates are quite reasonable. The breakfast, served downstairs in the cafe, is very pleasant (breads, meets, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, yoghurts, Muesli, scrambled eggs if you want them, coffee, tea and chocolate). You can breakfast outside, if the weather is nice.

That evening, a 4-piece jazz band serenaded us from the plaza as we shook off the dust and fatigue of our travels.

Dinner our first night was at Wissinger's (www.wissingers.de/ankommen/index.php). This new resto was recommended by Mrs. Wipperfürth (a lovely lady) and did not disappoint. The room is spacious and well decorated (although a bit sparse for our tastes). The food is well prepared and properly served. The staff is pleasant without being cloying. Dinner for two (lake fish for both) with salad, a bottle of Mueller Thurgau and coffee - 70E.

There is one thing about Wissinger's though. My Lady Wife and I will both swear that we walked up and down the street and it wasn't there. We asked at two local spots. They had never heard of it. On our second walk up the street - there it was. Despite our experience, they insist that their building does not appear and disappear.

Monday. cloudy and rainy in the AM, clearing in the PM. We visited Überlingen (pretty but rather touristy), the Brianz Church (Very Rococo interior, beautiful views) and the old town in Meersburg (Über Touristiche). (So what do you expect if you go to a major tourist attraction?)

Returning to Lindau, we got some very good ice cream cones (0.8E/scoop) from the Schreir and strolled the town.

Dinner at Weinstube Frey (Maximillianstrasse 15) was very interesting. It is located in above the main street in rooms that have harbored restos and cafes since the 16th C and still retains major portions of the antique flavor. Food and service was very good. The Pinot Noir Blanc was excellent.

Roberta had the cheese spätzel and a salad. I had the Rinderfilet (sirloin) in mustard sauce and a beer, along with a goodly portion of her spätzel. (It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.) Very nice evening - 60E for dinner and drinks.

Tuesday. Weather cleared.

This time, we got to visit Mainau Insle. There is ferry service from Lindau, but it is a rather slow voyage. You can save about 1:20 hr by taking the train/bus to Meersburg.

If you have a car, you can drive to Meersburg and park at the P4 dock, for 2E for the day. You then walk down through the old town to the East ferry dock. On your return from Mainau, take the bus from the ferry dock up to P4. For 12E, arrive very early and park down by the docks.

Mainau's gardens and parks are a tribute to what can be done with taste, money and time. They are beautiful. The island was opened to the public by Count Lennart Bernadotte, and the family still live there, so you can't just wander into the Schloss. The Kombiticket (ferry and Mainau Insle) is 28E pp.

Returning to the hotel, we opened a bottle of Gewurztraminer that we had brought with and relaxed out on the terrace until it was time for dinner.

We have been happy at the Alte Post (www.alte-post-lindau.de) before, so we visited again. A very pleasant, gemütlich place, it was just right for some herring filet, (no one does herring like the Germanic peoples) and lake fish. Along with a bottle of Weisburgunder - 58E.

Wednesday opened cloudy and drizzly, so after breakfast we headed for Brienz, Switzerland.

We took the B202 through Bregenz (the little bit of Austria on the Bodensee) and again crossed the Rhine - this time into Switzerland.

After a bit of turning around and retracing our route, we got onto the 13 headed South and followed the road around the Walensee, South through the mountains to the Urnersee, along the lake to the Sarner See and, thence, to the Brienzersee and the Grand Hotel Giessbach (http://www.giessbach.ch/en/).

After about 20 km into Switzerland, the scenery becomes spectacular, the mountains get higher, the roads become twistier and your acrophobic wife gets more and more unhappy. I get off the scenic roads onto the autoroute, when available, and she was able to hang on until we got to the Giessbach.

Switzerland is so picture-perfect that it looks like a postcard of Switzerland - right down to cows being walked down from the high pastures along the roads and streets, accompanied by the clanking of their bells. As we came to the end of our passage through the hills, dales, mountains, lakes and valleys, my map directions and the road signs pointed us to a very narrow, very steep, very rustic winding road.'

Proceeding at about 30 kph and blowing my horn at every curve, because there seemed to be no room for cars to pass, we safely arrived at a crossroads. To the left, the road continued to climb up the mountain to Axalp. To the right, the road gently descended to a public parking lot. As my wife refused to keep going up, we went down.

Fortunately, there appeared a sign pointing to the Giessbach: Drive through the parking lot to the private road to the hotel. It is a large, turn-of-the-century, resort hotel that has been beautifully restored to its heyday appearance and charm. The signs direct you through the private parking lot up to the reception area.

Actually, that is not quite right. One is supposed to leave the car in the parking lot and proceed on foot to the reception area.

It wasn't very difficult for the staff to extricate our car from the terrace.

That road sounds like some in Italy and So. France with the beeping at every turn! Glad all is going well!

Just to clear up the Megane/Clio confusion... they are different cars. But the new Megane has lost the reverse sloped rear window a la 1966 Mercury and now has a very similar look to the Clio.

But the Megane is the larger and more comfortable car.

Thanks for keeping us entertained Ira!

Rob

try www.giessbach.ch

lovely looking place, Ira. are they suing you for demoishing the reception area?

a very long time ago we visited Mainau, but i don't remeber that long ferry trip you mention. are the gardens still as lovely as they were?

Only read part of your report so far, but jealous already

Gruezi Ira!

Giessbach Hotel is supposed to be one of the most romantic hotels in Switzerland. Does it live up to its reputation?

Hi Ann,

If you start at Lindau, the ferry makes several stops along the German coast before Meersburg. That's the long part. It's only 0:20 hr from there to Mainau. The parks and gardens are very beautiful.
........................
Hi Schu,
The Giessbach is a very "romantic" hotel - Fin de siecle styling, waterfall, funicular to the lake, the lake itself. There was at least one wedding each day we were there.
..............................
Thanks for the info, PA

It was rather foggy for most of our arrival day, but we managed to while away the hours exploring the hotel and immediate environs.

We had asked for one of the less expensive rooms (Fly cheap, Sleep cheap, Eat well), and so we were installed in the "forest view" section. The reasonably spacious room accommodated two twins made up into a queen-sizeed bed, a table and chairs, armoir, dresser, bedside tables and an ensuite bathroom.

Dinner at the Park Restaurant. You can be casual with a sweater over the shoulders or wear a jacket. The piano player has a good repertoire of older jazz tunes.

Roberta: Salad, Vegetable Ravioli, ice cream - 36E
Ira: Salad Bar, Venison, Nesselrode - 58E
Wine about 40E.

Roberta said that she could have made a dinner out of just the salad. The salad bar was even more sumptuous.

The ravioli were accompanied by various whips, purees and roasted non-protienaceous materials (eg, chestnuts, tofu in puff pastry), all of which received good to excellent ratings. The venison steak, accompanied by various vegetables and a hearty mushroom sauce, was VVG.

The Nesselrode ice cream was accompanied by "vermicelli" and a baked meringue. The vermicelli is an acquired taste.

Overall rating: VG to VG+ (but pricey).

Thursday, Sept 17. Rather overcast, cool.

We made a pilgrimage to Meiringen and the Reichenbach Falls. (Note to Sherlock Holmes Fans: I shall write this up in detail at WelcomeHolmes - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WelcomeHolmes/ ) We also visited the Aareschlucht (http://www.aareschlucht.ch/).

Meiringen, as Baedeker said about another place, has "little to detain the casual visitor" except for a small, very pleasant church, under which lie the remains of several older churches dating back to the 11th-12th C. As these ruins were not discovered until 1015, Holmes and Watson would not have seen them, when they were there.

The Aareschlucht is a rather narrow, very deep defile cut by the Aar river. As the river water flows through it, it is frothed to such an extent that it is white and foamy as it exits. You can walk along the river and look up about 1000 feet. (My Lady Wife said that that was better than being up 1000 feet and looking down.)

Since my LW was still recovering from the effects of yesterday's mountains, I struck a drive up to Rosenlaui (2330 meters) on a road described as "too narrow to turn around", in favor of a drive around the lower elevations. That is when we were clipped by a pair of caravans that didn't quite make it. The first just slapped the driver's side mirror. The second peeled back the left rear quarter panel.

No one was hurt, the police came within an hour and handled things very well, the damage was repairable on site (pretty much), and it was time to prepare for dinner, anyway. Considering the access road to the Giessbach, we decided that the better part of valor was to dine at the hotel.

I made amends to Roberta for the steep, mountainous portions of the trip by cancelling the trek to Kleine Scheidegg and having dinner at the Tapis Rouge Restaurant.

TBC

Ira,

Really enjoying your report. Too bad about the car's rear panel, but happy for you that no one was injured.

What do you mean "sleep cheap"---I can't find a room in that hotel that is cheap. Also, was your meal charged in Euros or CHF---big dollar difference

Once again, Ira, we are enchanted with your tales. Glad you and LW are home safe and sound.

tC

Wonderful reading so far! More soon please...

Clio's are tough little cars. I bought one 3 years ago for my daughters. They both learned to drive in it and we all became very fond of it.

Unfortunately the dear little car became scrap a couple of weeks ago after a cow suicidally crashed into it and put it beyond economical repair. I too am dealing with the insurance claim.

I agree 100% with tC.

Thanks so much for sharing the details -
Let's listen in as he says, "How do I get back to the hotel"?

You crack me up. Looking forward to reading more of your adventure.

Geez, Ira please get to Paris FAST, we leave tomorrow!

As usual your trip report is very charming and interesting ira. And it sounds like you felt well throughout the trip..that is the best news of all!

Ira:

Enjoying your trip and savoring your meals vicariously. I'm a "city girl", and may never make the trek to these lovely places myself. Thanks for your report. Anxious to hear more!

Hi Scat,

>.....was your meal charged in Euros or CHF......<
Thanks for catching that. All prices in Switzerland are CHF, not Euro.

The Giessbach was a splurge.
....................................................
Hi Avalon,

If you are still here, Le Florimond was very good.

When we arrived at the Tapis Rouge, the hostess gave us each a little dried up flower "to refresh your palates". I don't know if this is traditional or particular to that resto, but my mouth was refreshed to the point of numbness.

There is a beautiful view from the windows enclosing the terrace. It's even nicer when the fog lifts. As the menu offering was either a ribeye steak or a vegetarian menu, RB took the vegie menu (108 CHF) and I took the fancy vegi menu (145 CHF).

Tonight's pianist was a lady who played very pleasant classical music.

NOTE: The wine can be very expensive. Check the wine menu before ordering.

Amuse bouche: herb tempura, a small glass (tilted like the Tower of Pisa) of mango mousse, a Chinese spoon with an egg yolk that was really jellied melon juice.

RB: Pistachio -crusted roasted bean curd in a lightly spiced sauce: Pumpkin soup with a touch of vanilla bean: Chanterelles in a roasted vegetable sauce enveloped in a flavored foam. with risotto: Blackberry mousse intermezzo: Balsamic/Raspberry Granite.

IB: Roasted tomato in a cheese sauce with Lambs ear lettuce: Green pea soup: mint/lime/cinnamon sherbet in Proseco: Cheese ravioli w/Keffir lime and vegetables: Cheese plate (3 Swiss, 2 French): Blackberry mousse intermezzo: Chocolate cake with lavender ice cream.

A bottle of very good Chablis and choices of 6 kinds of rolls and herbed butter accompanied the meal.

Food, presentation and service was very, very good.

And so to bed.

Friday, 9/18
After breakfast [assortment of various breads, rolls, croissants, bretzels; sliced or diced, fresh, canned or dried fruits: soft-boiled eggs: 3 platters of different sliced meats: Gravlax (I was in heaven with the slamon)], we took the long way around the Brienzersee (green) and visited Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald before taking a look at the Thunersee (blue), and heading back toward the hotel.

Highlights: Cows being brought down from the mountains through Wilderswil, The waterfalls at Lauterbrunnen, A troupe of yodelers at the town celebration in Iseltwald, The Scenery.

The views of the mountains (Roberta just could not go up) were spectacular.

Returning to the hotel, we noticed a strange car in the lot. Upon investigation, it turned out to be a Maserati. Within the next few hours a total of 6 Maseratis (more than I had ever seen in my life until then) arrived. It was the annual meeting of the Maserati car club.

After a couple of beers on the terrace while watching the fog lift to reveal the lake and the mountains, we prepared for dinner at the Park Restaurant.

A bottle of Oeil de Perdrix (Eye of the Partridge) rosé was an very good appetizer and accompaniement.

RB: Sauté of lake fish with various vegetables and a salad.
IB: Steak Tartare with Cognac; Civet in a brown mushroom sauce with spatzel and red cabbage; baked figs with a cassis sauce and vanilla ice cream. All VVG.

To be continued

Mmmmm

Hi Ira,
I love reading your trip reports. I always want to follow in your "footsteps." Guess you must be feeling great as you seem to be eating and drinking very well indeed. Thanks for sharing all the details. Waiting for more.

IRA - we are leaving for Paris in the morning, AF through Atlanta by the way. After 3 days in Paris its on to Florence & Umbria. Any last minute words of wisdom? Betsy

Hi BG,

Enjoy your trip.

AF food is better than the usual, even when going from the US.

ATL can be a mess. Just stay calm.

Where are you staying in Paris?

We (Mom & teen boys) are staying in an apt near Rue Cler.

I will be attempting to stay calm the whole time. In Italian I have learned vino bianco. I suppose chardonnay is the same in french.

Enjoying your report, Ira. When I was in Switzerland for 2 weeks about 20 years ago, I thought it was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen (all parts, all over) and vowed to go back at least once a year. Never did! I seem to always end up in France these days. But if I DO make it back to Switzerland, I'm definitely not driving. I think I'm like Roberta. I would totally freak out on those narrow winding roads.
Guess I would have to forego that gorgeous hotel you stayed at!

Anyway, looking forward to the rest of your report. I'm leaving for Paris Saturday for 2 weeks. I'm taking my little "Netbook", so I'll be able to keep up with the Fodor's reports! Looking forward to the rest of yours.

Scatcat,

I'm puzzled at your statement about the Swiss Franc, "---was your meal charged in Euros or CHF---big dollar difference?".

Not so much, as the exchange rate today is 1 USD - 1.01 CHF.

Today's exchange rate is 1 € = 1.49 USD big difference

Ira, we spent 8 wonderful days in a chalet in Brienz a couple of years ago so I am reading your Swiss chapters with delight. As the song says - "Thanks for the Memories".

My mistake, Scatchat. Somehow I was thinking Dollar vs. CHF. No excuse other than all of those brain cells have been destroyed over the years by too much wine and not enough travel.

Book airfare and your brain cells will be wide awake. I just booked my April trip to Italy and Nice, so my brain cells are hopping.

Ahhh yes, the Giessbach Hotel! So lovely! We were there this past summer. With the terrace overlooking the falls on one side and the lake on the other, it's really quite a spectacular location!

Agree about the winding road to the parking lot. We too honked around every turn, thankful to make it unscathed.

Did you happen to see the llama ranch there? We saw quite a few pretty big llamas. And how about that campsite right at the walkway entrance? I couldn't believe when I saw an axe -- that's right, an actual axe (attached by chain) for folks to use to cut their firewood. Would never see that here in the States. Did you walk both ways in the Aareschlucht?

Welcome home!

What a nice thread. These are the threads that make want to spend a few hours with you when your visiting Switzerland. I'd love to take you all to an alpine hut where we can taste the cheese made from the summer milk and share a cup of Cafe Zwetchgen while sitting on a wooden bench outside and revelling in the beauty around us.

The expense of Switzerland scares a lot of people off, but it shouldn't. Careful planning can keep the expenses perfectly reasonable.

We went to Switzerland this past summer knowing that it is a very expensive country to visit. However, we planned our trip so that we wouldn't be spending a lot of money on hotels and meals. We spent 3 nights at Berghaus Alpiglen, a place that most tourists would never consider staying at. We will cherish our experience and memories of that place for the rest of our lives. It was magical -- being in the mountains with nothing around us but unspoiled scenery. We also didn't spend a lot on food, and in return, we didn't experience great meals. But we weren't in Switzerland to eat our way through the country. Yes, Switzerland is expensive, but there are ways to watch the expenses.

I am anxiously awaiting the rest of Ira's report.

shuler, what time should we plan to arrive? LOL

Hi swisshiker on Oct 14, 09 at 09:29 PM

Didn't see the llamas or the ax. I guess we shall have to return.

Hi all,

Sorry to be so tardy. We have been having very strange weather here, requiring me to do more work on the house and yard than I expected. Have also had to help the neighbors - one of whom fell off his roof and is now in a wheel chair. Nothing terrible. He will be hors de combat for a while, though.

Enjoying your report so much - hope the recent floods I've been hearing about on the news are not affecting your neck of the woods - how sad for your neighbor!

In our last episode, our heroes had just finished dinner at the Park Restaurant. Let's listen in as Ira says, "I have got to stop eating so much".

Sure.

Saturday broke partly overcast. After bkfst, we hopped into the car and headed off for Gruyere Castle. A quick dash down the A8 took us to Wimmis, where we got onto the 11 and just kept going West.

The scenery ranged from merely beautiful to picture-postcard perfect. The Jaunpass was easily navigated, but the heights and the steepness proved a bit dicey for Roberta. The approach to Gruyeres is great. The castle sits atop a hill, and was nearly backlit as we approached the town.

It was mobbed. The road into Gruyeres was blocked to all but residents. The nearest parking was almost 3 km away - an uphill walk to boot.

OK, you can't see everything.

We did a little souvenir shopping and then took the Rte de Fribourg along the lakes, through the town and onto the A12 around Bern. From there, we followed the A6 down to Spiez, and on to Giessbach.
The return journey was nothing to write home about.

So, to make up for it we had dinner at the Tapis Rouge.

We must have done something right, because our waitress from the last time had made up two scrolls of parchment on which the evening's menus had been photocopied and tied them with a ribbon. In addition, our table had a different colored cloth on it.

Starting with a Dole Blanche Pinot Noir (a slightly pink white wine) as an aperitif, and working our way with knives and forks through the amuse bouche, the terrine of mushrooms wrapped in leeks with pumpkin oil dressing, the soup of "chou de Milan" and sweet potato (a very pretty pale orange), the breast of wild duck in a sherry sauce (and various roasted vegetables), and the creme brulee, and the little sweets and the coffee, we persisted until all of the other guests had left.

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Sunday, Sept 20 Cloudy and cool.

The lake mist lifted as we were breakfasting, so that we had clear weather as we aimed our valiant Clio toward the Sustenpass and the long way to Italy.

TBC

I'm eager for the next part of your report as we were in an unexpected snow storm driving via the Sustenpass early September 2008. I'm enjoying your report as always!

I've had to loosen my belt one notch just reading this Please sir, I want more...

the price of your feast, if you please, monsieur?

My heck, Ira, I'm glad your neighbor wasn't more seriously injured--hope he's going to be okay.

Sorry about your car accident. Too bad, given your diplomatic skills, you couldn't sweet talk an exchange of that Clio for a Maserati. Really enjoy reading your report!

Hi Ann,

>the price of your feast, if you please, monsieur?<

A lot. About $250.

ooo la la!

Hi all,

Again, I apologize for being so slow with this report.

A few more words about the Giessbach before we head off to Italy.

The waterfall and the lake views are, of course, gorgeous.

In the old days, one got to the hotel by taking the train to Interlochen and then a boat to the Giessbach pier. From there, one took the funicular up to the hotel terrace. You can still do that today. The hotel will give you one free RT pass pp when you register.

We followed the 11 through the Sustenpass (gorgeous) to rte 2, headed South to rte 19 and turned East. Needless to say the drives up, down and through the mountains was, at times, breathtaking, but mostly just very beautiful. The passes were easily managed. On the West side of the mountains there were no major drops until about 5 km from the top. The first km down the East sides were also precipitous.

At Tamins, my TC having had enough of steep switchbacks and mile-high drop offs, we got onto the A13 and took the fast and easy, although still very pretty, route to Italy.

Just follow the signs to and through Locarno. Admire the views of Lake Maggiore through Verbania. Follow the signs to Omegna, but don't go there. Take the 229 into Orta San Giulio. The La Bussola is just past the parking lot, on the right.

We were met at the entrance by Signora Anna, who helped with unloading the car showing us to our room and directing me to the private parking lot. Her English is very good. She took good care of her guests. Her husband did not speak English as well. However, this did not prevent him from being a good wine steward.

At the risk of spoiling the town for future generations, I will say that, as beautiful as Lake Maggiore is, Lake Orta is much nicer and far less crowded.

We had rm 212 at La Bussola. It is a reasonably large, pleasant room on the upstairs corner of the building. From one window and one balcony, you look down on the town. From the other balcony, you
can look across the lake. Isole San Giulio is visible from all three stations.

Our only complaint was that there was no minifridge. This somewhat reduced our consumption of white wine. However, upon leaving, I was asked if we had used anything from the mini bar.
"What mini bar?", says I.
"The one in the cabinet under the right side of the desk".

So, for those of you for whom a minibar, along with a flat screen TV, is important, they have them.

After a stroll around the town, we retired to our room to watch, from our aerie, the sun set and the towns light up before going downstairs to dinner. This came from the 1/2 pension menu. Choices were:

A deconstructed tart
Minestrone or pasta
Crab puffs or sliced steak
Amaretto/chocolate mousse or cheese tray.
A very nice bottle of a local wine, La Favorita, accompanied the meal (at extra cost).

And so to bed.

Monday was overcast and drizzly.

We wandered the town (the hotel will give you a route that takes you around back where the big villas are) and took a drive into the countryside between lakes Orta and Maggiore - don't bother.

Dinner was at Ristorante Olina. It is a good idea to confirm your reservations the morning of your your meal. (This is Italy.)

Aperitif
Flight of 3 wines - good idea
Amuse bouche of ricotta and various condiments
Carpaccio of boar (shared) -- Very, Very Good
Gnocchi with clams (RB) - Very Good
Tortelloni with clams and mussels in cuttlefish ink (IB) - Very Good
We each had a different fish - (sea bass/pike perch) - Xlnt
Portions were very generous - no room for dessert.
120E

Tuesday dawned clear, sunny and pleasant. After breakfast, we headed for Bellagio.

We took the A8 toward Milan, the A4 around Milan and the S36 NB from Cinisello Balsamo.
The best to be said for the route is that one gets to see how "real" Italians live.

From Lecco, we drove up the East branch of Lake Como to Bellagio. This ride is not unlike the Amalfi Coast Rd, but wasn't as scary for my Lady wife.

We parked at the bottom of the town and walked up. (Make sure to pay the parking fee at the ticket machne.)

This is a very pretty place to visit. As expected, it is filled with tourists of all shapes, sizes and nationalities. We had a bit of lunch at a small place on one of the streets. The street was so steep that the resto was one small room at ground level; walk up one flight to another small room at ground level; walk up one more flight to another small room at ground level.

There are beautiful views of the lake. The town is a mix of houses, villas and ships from various time periods. Flowers bloom in abundance. Even though it was only about 75 F, the sun was very hot. Wear a hat. An umbrella is even better.

We spent longer in Ballagio than I had anticipated, and we skipped Villa Balbianello. We took the 4:15 PM ferry across to Cadenabia, followed the S340 South under Como onto the A9 and then to the A8 toward Lake Orta. A very nice drive along the Western leg of the lake, and a fairly quick drive back toward Orta got us to our resto about 19:45.

Dinner was at a little place (recommended by a friend) called "Poncetta", just South of Orta san Giulio. Signor Anna had made reservations for us, and both she and the lady who owned the resto wondered why we had bothered. If we hadn't, she would have closed.

Being the only customers that night, we dined in regal splendor before a large window, open to the cooling lake breezes, as we watched the purple dusk of twilight fall upon the mountains and the lake.
The room is not fancy, but the food was good.

Antipasto plate (shared) - VVG
Consomme (RB) - G
Ravioli in butter sauce (IB)- VG
Lake trout (RB) - VVG
Veal (IB) - VG
2 L of house white (we must have been thirsty)
Service was xlnt. - 70E.

Wednesday - sunny and hot.

After breakfast we visited a small farmer's market at the parking lot just above the hotel (cheese, fruits, vegies and flowers), bought a few goodies for our travel to France and a pansy for Signora Anna. After loading the car and saying goodbye, we haeaded South toward the A4 and France.

Fuel notes: Gasoline averaged about 1.26E/L. We found a "Q8Easy" station for 1.21E. Self service. Their machine takes banknotes. Open 24/7.

The drive to Briançon was almost entirely on major highways - giving my Lady Wife a chance to look at mountains and not go up and down them.

The ride was pleasant and reasonably scenic. We arrived at our hotel without incident.

TBC

Great stuff, Ira. Anxiously awaiting more.

Welcome back ,ira!! I also came back from Paris few days ago.We,my grandaughter and I, stayed again for a couples of nights at the Bonaparte.

Their cat is now enjoying the Sunshine of South France.

Thanks, Ker.

Hi Kis,
I hope that you enjoyed your stay.

The Edelweiss was recommended by one of our posters. I apologize for not writing it down. I further apologize for forgetting who.

It is a very pleasant little hotel, with a parking lot, aboout 1.5 km down the very, very steep hill from Old Town Briançon. This is not a major fault, as there is parking in the old town. For some reason, parking was free that Wednesday and Thursday.

We had asked for a double ensuite room (70E). That is what we got. It was tiny, overlooked the trash bins and had a makeshift sliding door for the bathroom. The trash bins were emptied about 05:00. When I asked about the newer, larger rooms (about 10E/nite more), I was told that they were almost all twin beds, which is why they didn't suggest them. Live and learn.

The folks at the Edelweiss were very pleasant and helpful. They suggested the best routes for wandering through the Old Town (very steep) and a few restos.

Dinner was at Le Rustique (www.restaurantlerustique.com). A not difficult drive up a steep and winding road along the ramparts to a small square filled with cars. I stopped and went indoors to ask about where to park. I was given a card from the resto to put on the dashboard and told to leave the car where it was. (Love that small town living.)

Le Rustique is an interesting place filled with knick knacks, bric-a-brac and brocant to interest everyone. The olde-tyme school room is not without interest.

We had the fondue (25E pp) made from the local cheese (Bleu du Queyras, the Roquefort of the Hautes Alpes) and a bottle of rose wine. Dessert was house-made apple tart. Mme Claudine, a very cheerful and pleasant lady of a certain age, provided an aperitif. Very, very good dinner - 70E.

Returning to the hotel, I found a car in my parking spot and nowhere to park. This was rectified within 10 min, by rearranging a couple of vehicles.

And so to bed.

Despite the cramped quarters and the 05:00 trash pickup, we were well-rested for breakfast. I got up early and followed Stu Dudley's advice to go up to the Col du Galibier, knowing that my Lady Wife would not be interested.

It is a beautiful drive into very stern and harsh country.

After a pleasant breakfast, we set off for Provence, again following Stu's advice to take the Route des Grand Alpes. I loved it. Roberta would have been happier had I taken her up to the Col du Galibier.

From Briançon to Guillestre we very slowly drove up, and up and up and then down and down and down through some of the most amazing mountain scenery I have ever seen. It must be spectacular in the early spring when the mountains are still covered with snow.

It is a slow route. Even the motorcycles drop to about 40 kph on the turns. I averaged about 30 kph.

At Guillestre, my TC having had enough of mountains for a lifetime (our next trip will be a cruise) we went West over to the N94, followed it to the D942 and went SW to the A51. We waved at Sisteron as we went by (very impressive perch up on a mountain) and picked up the D4100 to and through Forcalquier.

This route is not as grand as Stu's suggestion, but it is faster and reasonably pleasant. Especially if you prefer looking at mountains from a distance.

From Forcalquier, we took the N100 and followed the signs to Apt, Avignon, Chateaurenard and Graveson. The road was well marked, and not without its occasional charm. We easily found Le Cadran Solaire (www.hotel-en-provence.com/uk/index.php) our second time around Graveson. (How can one get lost in such a small town?).

TBC

Now you are on roads that I know quite well. I hope the weather was still nice, because they are a total delight in the summer sun.

Hi K,

As you will see from below, it was just great.

The Cadran Solaire (http://www.hotel-en-provence.com/uk/index.php) proved to be a lovely place for a visit.

Elisa and Jean-Claude have put a lot of thought and effort into making their guests feel welcome and comfortable in their home. Ours was the deluxe suite (rm 10, first photo on the "rooms and suites" gallery). This is a laaarge room on the European first floor, overlooking the front garden. It has a big, comfy bed, a sitting area with tables, chairs and a couch, a separate WC/shower, and a big old-fahioned tub. (This was very useful for storing various items brought back from our travels.) My Lady Wife would have been happier with another armoire for hanging things, but this was not a major problem. In truth, all of the rooms, especially the ones with terraces, are very, very nice.

After settling in, there was still time to visit the Pont du Gard. Checking with Jean-Claude about the route I had gotten from "viamichelin dot com", I was shown another, easier way. (Note: Always check with Jean-Claude before going anywhere.)

We arrived just before the sunset; just in time to walk through the park from the parking lot to catch a few pictures of the viaduct. As night settled, we crossed over to the other side for dinner at Le Vieux Moulin This is a hotel/restaurant that has come under new management and been recently renovated. They have a very nice outdoor area for sipping an aperitif bedore dinner.

Dinner was
oysters on the 1/2 shell, a tart of pâtisson and summer squash,
lobster 2 ways, roast loin of suckling pig
a shared ice cream souffle
the wone was a viognier St Firmin (20E)

The evening's entertainment was a field mouse that snuck in and decided that Roberta's toes were particularly enthralling, for she discovered it snuffling around her feet. When she looked to see whaat it was, the timid little thing began running about the dining room, much to the amusement of the guests and the chagrin of the maitre d'.

The act was repeated before everyone left.

VG+ rating on the food, the ambience and the service - 115E w/tip.

We were able to return to the parking lot with the aid of strategically placed lamps, drove back to the hotel via Tarascon, and so to bed.

TBC

Ira

Did you visit the wonderful museum at the Pont du Gard?? As I recall, you are an ex-engineering professor. You might have enjoyed all the info about how/why the Pont was built the way it was.

Stu Dudley

Hi Ira, I just have to tell you how much I look forward to reading your trip reports. They are so well written with such self-deprecating humor. Most of them I have re-read numerous times. While I'm here I also want to thank you for your monumental amount of help on this site. Keep traveling.

Hi Ira, just catching up on your report after returning from Italy last night. I'm enjoying reading today and recovering from the flight and jetlag.
Thanks,
bfrac

Hi Stu,

We just stopped by the one time. We shall stop by longer on the next visit.

Thanks for the kind words, CH and bf.

Catching up on your report Ira, after returning from 'the bush' where I have been watching diners of another calibre.
Never seen so many lions munching on their zebra legs, giraffe necks and buffalo rumps!

I am looking forward to more glorious details of your divine meals, descriptions of the lovely places you saw etc.
I could easily say that if anyone would like a really lovely holiday they could quite simply duplicate yours!
On reflection, is there anything you would have liked to change?

Our visit to The Cadran Solaire turned out to be truly enjoyable. It is highly recommended to all and sundry (or sunwet).

From Graveson, we visited Eyragues, l’Isle sur la Sorgue, Fontaine de Vaucluse, Village des Bories, Gordes, Rousillon, Uzes, Gorge de l’Ardeche, Arles, Lourmarin, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Menerbes, Oppede le Vieux, Les Baux, St Remy, Tarascon, Maussane les Alpilles (Olive oil), Glanum and Stes Maries de la Mer.

So many folks have reported on Provence, that it would be pretentious of me to submit anything more than a few words on what we thought were the highlights. There are no lowlights, just some places that are not as nice as others.

Village des Bories (http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/luberon/village-des-bories/gb/)
This is a reconstruction of a village that was inhabited for at least several hundred years before it was abandoned in the early 20th C. The buildings are stacked dry stone. The reconstruction shows various types of buildings used for farm animals, storage, etc. Quite interesting.

Les Saintes Maries de la Mer (http://www.beyond.fr/villages/stemariesmer.html)
Jean -Claude poo-pooed this town as being little more than a commercial enterprise of beachside hotels, restos and souvenier shops frequented by French tourists taking a holiday at the sea.

He was absolutely right - and it is a nice place to relax and enjoy.

We had an excellent seafood lunch across the street from the main church, watched a few weddings, took a walk on the beach, photographed the birds (mostly pink flamingos) and the tourists photographing the birds at the local marsh, and had a very nice time.

For those who like to ride horses, the Camargue is the place.

Gorge de l'Ardeche (http://www.vallon-pont-darc.com/site/) is quite beautiful. Parts of it are very easy and parts of it were a wee bit too much for my Lady Wife. We didn't visit the nearby cave, Aven d’Orgnac.

I had meant to do more, but had/have to go do other stuff.

More to come.

Oppede le Vieux (http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/vaucluse/oppede/oppede.htm) - Once ruined and abandoned, this town is now being restored and renovated. People are living here. You can drive up to the village, but only residents are allowed to park. There is parking in a nearby lot. Proceeds go to restore the town. Two little cafes provide a pleasant place to sit in the shade with a cuppa.

Forgot to mention that we also toured Aix-en-Provence.

Glamus has lots of fans. It is an archaeological site. If archaeology is not your passion, park in the lot (2.2E) and see a couple of monumental artifacts. Cross the road to the Italian resto. Have something to drink and take some pix of the archaeologists doing whatever it is they do. Save 7E pp.

One of the best things to do in Provence is to walk or ride along the country roads in the shade of the Plane trees. (http://www.inmagine.com/rds001/rds001461-photo)

The next best thing is to visit the markets. There is a small "supermarket{ in Graveson. Like here in the US, it has the usual run of produce, meats, fish, canned goods, frozen foods, beverages, bread and household stuff.

Leaving my Lady Wife to her toilette, I went off to conduct my researches in "contemprary consumer pricing".

They had some lovely Cote du Ventoux Rose for about 2E ($3) per bottle. Overall, the prices for wine was equal to or better than a California Trader Joes.

Spirits are quite expensive.

Produce goes from much cheaper (4.5E/kg (about $2.98/lb) for Belgian Endive vs $4.98 in Madison) to about the same (plums, grapes, mangoes). However, it was all much, much fresher than at home.

Cheeses were of much better quality for about the same price.

Bread was far superior and much cheaper.

Fresh meat and fish was expensive.

You could save some Euro by doing your shopping in the major supermarkets in nearby St Rémy, Chateaurenard, or other larger towns.

The really, really best thing is to visit the restos and let them transport you to another plane of being.

I had written Jean-Claude with a list of proposed places and asked him to comment and make suggestions. He changed them all - mostly to places in St. Rémy. This created a bit of a problem for us as there was a major festival in town and the center was closed off to traffic.

However, after getting very lost the second time, we just drove past the barricade with the "deviation" sign and parked in town.

L'Oustalet Maianen in Maillan - is a very pleasant room, modern yet warm, with excellent food and friendly professional service. It was Roberta's favorite.

Fresh olives and some bread
Amuse bouche of tomato mousse

Menu - 26E
Poached salmon and grilled sea bream w/veggies in a Balsamic reduction
Housemade ice cream

Menu 34E
Divers scallop with a pumpkin quennelle in a sauce of pumpkin oil and mint
Grilled breast of wild duck in a forest mushroom sauce w/veggies
Wine-poached pear w/ice cream.

Wine, water, coffee (little goodies), etc

The food ranged from VVG to XLNT - 100E
Note: Just after we left, M Garino came running after us. We had been overcharged by 20E, and he had a 20E note, and a great deal of apologizing, for us.

Le Maison Jaune (www.lamaisonjaune.info/) Michelin 1*.
A very nice place on 2 floors. Upstairs is a dining room and a deck. Unfortunately, the festivities drove us indoors. The decor is contemporary, the service is properly formal and professional. The food and wines are VVG -> XLNT

House white for aperitif - VG
Amuse bouche of fresh olives in garlic

36E Menu
Baby asparagus with various tropical fruits
Lightly grilled Scotch salmon with olive oil, accompanied by white beans and other goodies
Goat chees with marmalades
Pear William with fruits

I didn't want pigeon, and they were out of chicken, so I was forced to have
66E Menu
Thinly sliced, cured Scotch salmon with olive oil, topped with sliced of smoked trout
Carré d'agneau de Provence with grilled peppers, fava beans and lentils (XLNT)
Plate de Fromage (6 kinds of local cheese)
Marinated pear with a homemade ice cream lightly flavored with sage and various fruits

With coffee (little goodies) and a very nice Rosé from Cassis - 160E

On Sunday, the fair was closed so we could enter St Rémy. The resto is on the ring road on Blvd Mirabeau. (Note: in the dark it is easy to mistake signs for Blvd Marceau for Mirabeau.) We very readily found a nice parking space 180 degrees from where we wanted to be.

Grain de Sel (http://www.graindesel-resto.com/anglais.php)
You can't not like this place. the decor is relatively modern and spare, but touches of New Orleans' brothel keep it from being cold.

Mme Miriam is a first class cook.

Amuse bouche: Tuna salad w/toast

Roberta had the Bouillabaisse Provençal - 26E: A very generous dish of various fish and seafood in a stock flavored with white wine, cream and herbs, accompanied by rouille and toast. - She says that she doesn't care for bouillabaisse, but she left me hardly a taste.

I had the Special Salad built around duck - 29E
The ingredients are available at the website. It was large, it was varied, it was excellent.

With aperitif, wine, coffee, etc, - 100E

La Gousse d'Ail (www.la-goussedail.com/)
The merry-go-round in the back of the room adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

27E menu
Onion Tart and roast Guinea hen
Fruit soup with sorbet

Bouillabaisse with salad
Lemon tart with meringue

With 2 aperitif, a pichet of house wine, coffee and small glass of Marc - 90E
Worth every eurocent.

More to come.

To use Ira's links above... copy and paste the urls but delete the first and final curved brackets eg: ( and )

Oh, I am so sorry you missed Villa Balbianello. Such a beautiful location and a compelling fomer-owner (Guido Monzino).

I am bookmarking for later, glad you had a nice time.

Wht a great trip report, ira! So glad I "stumbled" upon it! Thanks so much for sharing, for great descriptions, and for bringing back memories!

Did you see the Rheinfalls while at nearby Stein Am Rhein?

Hi ParisAmsterdam on Oct 29, 09 at 11:43am

Thanks for posting. I didn't notice that the computer was included the final ")" in the URL.
.........................................
Hi ET,

Didn't visit the Rheinfalls. (Have already been to Niagara. )

Ira,

Glad I could help such a wonderful report in such a small way. ;^)

Rob

Last week, as you recall, Ira and his Lady Wife had managed to find their way to dinner in St. Rémy, despite the closed roads, detours and festival.

Today we find them returning to St. Rémy. If you set your decoder rings to Cassolette
53 Rue Carnot, 04 90 92 4050, you will see the name of the restaurant.

It is a very pleasant, upscale room with an outside terrace.
salad of Roberta went for the Provençal fish soup and "Grande Aioli", and I decided on the salad of duck served 3 ways and the Daub = 22E each. The food was VVG, as was the service.

The GA (http://www.epicurean.com/featured/grand-aioli-recipe.html ) was accompanied by a generous portion of fish and a couple of escargot. The Daue) (http://provence-cuisine.com/tag/provence-recipe/ ) was XLNT.

My Lady Wife says that the Grand Aioli was worth the visit to St. Rémy.

Desserts were Lemon cake with whipped cream layers and a chestnut clafouti - both woth a sauce of creme anglais flavored with vanilla, cinnamon and lavender.

The house rosé was only so-so. OTOH, the vin blanc de maison was quite pleasant, and the Vacqueyras (17E) was VVG.

80 E for a very nice dinner. NOTE: Cash Only.

As we approached our car, the festival closed for the night with a 15 min fireworks display. Very nice of them to do that for us.

The next morning we bid goodbye to Jean-Claude and Elisa and headed off to Lyon.

TBC

OOPS,

The smiley face is supposed to read ".....escargot. The Daue)......"

ira,We enjoyed our stay at the Bonaparte and both nights we went back to leon for Mussels and frites.I have eaten a lots of Mussels in this trip.

I am sort of hoping that people are realizing from Ira's fantastic report that although it is nice to have a list of places to see or at which to dine in that whole area of Provence, it is not necessary to trek to exactly all of the same places, because there is quite a bit of fine dining in the south of France and pleasant villages to visit without obsessing about every detail.

And I am quite sure that it is possible to discover some truly excellent sights and restaurants that nobody has ever mentioned on this site. Yes, it can be hit & miss, but it is great to discover your own place from time to time.

I'm not sure I understand your point, kerouac.

How does one "discover some truly excellent sites' without the use of guide books, trip reports, suggestions from others - if you're only going to be in a region for 3-4 days and don't have much time for too many "misses"?.

Just about every inch of Provence is in one guide book or another - so why not take advantage of "hits & misses" than others have encountered.

Many of us love the planning process too.

Stu Dudley

Welcome home Ira! I look forward to hearing all about your trip because me and my wife and two teenage daughters are planning a very similar trip this July. I would like to hear all your tips.

Thanks, Bob

My planning usually consist of seeing all the major sights, other than that I like to wander around the city without having any schedule to follow.It is the same with restaurants.

Food, when I travel to Europe is not my major concern, I can be happy with a good panino, good cheese, good wine and some fruits..
Perhaps because I grew up there therefore I dont need to discover or try different types of food.

However, I must point out that when I stop to various cities to spend few days with members of my family that reside in Italy and France, I will be eating Gourmet meals..

Boy I am lucky!!

so why not take advantage of "hits & misses" than others have encountered.

Many of us love the planning process too.

Yes, I know that, Stu, but some of us hate the planning process and need to feel that we are wandering when we travel to new places, rather than going to places where we have been told to go. My own take on going to recommended places is that it increases the chance of disappointment.

Kerouac

I agree with you about restaurant recommendations from someone I know nothing about. Also, I've dined at several restaurants that were "written up" in US national magazines - and I've almost always been dissappointed (place was usually packed with Americans too).

However, my experience is different from yours when visiting "places" (Paris, Provence, etc). There is sooooo much info in guide books & on Fodors, that I can usually tell if I'm going to like it or not. Unlike you, (and me), most people on Fodors are only going to be in a region for a couple of days. Many will not return. The "misses" will impact them a lot more.

Stu Dudley

I just like to read well-written trip reports because they are fun to read. They help me revisit old places with new eyes or visit new places with new eyes.

Thanks, ira, for your wonderful report so far. My husband and I stayed in St. Remy in mid-September a few years ago and encountered a week-long festival while there. I believe it's a yearly event. We, too, got lost because of the detours and we were staying in the center of town. Trying to explain our dilemma, in our almost non-existent French, to a police woman, who spoke little English, was certainly one of those little adventures that make traveling so interesting.

I'm looking forward to the rest of your report!

I absolutely love your restaurant reviews----pistachio crusted bean curd? You've taken us on a food journey extrordinaire!!!

Wonderful journey! Thank you Ira!

Ira: thoroughly enjoying "traveling" with you again.

The Cadran Solaire looks like quite a find. Question, though: We will likely be in Paris next year, late November. (Grandchildren on study abroad program and want us to come for Thanksgiving.)

My sister will likely never go again and she really wants to see Provence. We're thinking of taking the train directly from CDG upon arrival and spending 4 or 5 nights down there. Would have a car.

What do you think? Would this hotel be a good location that late in the year? I've thought perhaps a hotel right in town (maybe St. Remy) might be better. Would appreciate input on this. Thx.

Jeanne

In late November, I would stay in a larget city - like Avignon, Arles, or Aix. St Remy would be OK, however.

Stu Dudley

Hi JB,

Lucky you. You will be in Paris for "Le Jour de Merci Donnant".
See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/23/AR2005112302056.html

There is a good connection from CDG to Avignon. See www.voyages-sncf.com.
From there, it is about 0:30 hr to Graveson.

If you wish to stay in Graveson or St. Remy, you will need a car.

If you go in late Nov, you will not be seeing Provence a la Peter Mayle, That is rather late in the season.

As Stu suggests, you might be better off in one of the larger cities. OTOH, the towns, the sites, the food and the people won't be much different.

It is more important that you go, than where you choose to stay.

Enjoy your visit.

Thanks, Ira and Stu.

Even though it's way off-season, we'll happily spend a few days down there. We will have a car and will be out and about during the day, seeing the different sites.

I was thinking more about the nights. We could either stay in a town, with several restaurants around. Or we could choose a place with good offerings on site and simply return there each night. I think I prefer the in-town option, simply for the variety.

We're considering this place, walkable to center of St. Remy
http://www.hotel-charme-provence.com/en/hotel-bb-rooms-france.html

PS: That's not to say we might not be adventurous one night and drive to a particularly delicious-sounding restaurant farther afield!

Ira: LOL!

We'll certainly give thanks to "Kilometres Deboutish" in Paris!

Art Buchwald...what a trip.

I've found that French restaurants do not have the variety of choices that most US restaurants have (we dine in France around 30 times each year). If you stay in a hotel/restaurant out in the countryside and expect to eat there most nights, you may be eating the same items on the menu. Often for a fixed price menu, you have limited choices. Two nights would probably be fine, but I would not want to dine at the same place for 4 nights if food variety is important (which it is to me).

Stu Dudley

Hi JB,

The hotel you found looks very nice.

The Cadran Solaire is about a 15 min drive from St. Remy.

Considering that the days will be rather short in Nov, you might be best off in town, where there are a number of restos to choose among rather than out in the country, where you would be in the dark both ways.

Have fun.

Due to a variety of time constraints (oversleeping being one of them) we took the highway to Lyon. (Graveson to Chateaurenard to the A7 NB. From then on, follow the signs.)

The tolls were a bit steep - 17E.

We stayed at the Axotel Perache (http://www.hotel-lyon.fr/axotel/axotel_perrache_acc.htm ) - less than a 10-min walk from the Train/Metro/Tram station.

Using a conveniently located open space on the street, we checked in, unloaded the car, and took our things up to our Prestige room.

This turned out to be a very nice place to stay. Our room was large, with a living room section with a coach easy chair, desk and chair. Beds were comfy. Facilities were new. The hotel has "parking available", but not its own garage.

Using directions from one of the very helpful ladies at the reception desk, I drove SB through the truck depot area to a gas station (very reasonable rates) and back up to the Eurocar office at Gare Perache. The depot area is a sort of dreary place, but is populated by a fairly large number of very friendly presentable young women (some of them very young). All of them took time from their busy schedules to smile and wave at me.

Who says that the French are standoffish and formal?

Having unloaded the car, my Lady Wife and I wandered the immediate neighborhood until it was time to get ready for dinner.

George's (http://www.brasseriegeorges.com/ ) is several minutes walk from the hotel. It is a very large room, dating from far back enough to have been renovated in Empire, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.

The staff is very well trained. Watching them navigate among the tables is like being at a stage show. Not one dropped dish all night.

Roberta had the "The Traditional" seafood plateau - 25E - 2 ea of 3 kinds of oysters, 3 mussels, 4 snails, 3 red shrimp, 3 grey shrimp, a bowl of periwinkles, a bowl of teeny, weeny shrimpies (sort of like popcorn), lots of bread, butter and the usual condiments. The oysters were particularly good.

I had the "Menu Lyonnais" - 25E - A salad with herring, lentils, greens, beans and calf's foot (XLNT), Choucroute of smoked fish (Yes, you can mix fish with sauerkraut), cheese, Rhum Baba for dessert.

With aperitifs and a bottle of dry Muscadet fuissé -100E.

The hotel's buffet breakfast was quite pleasant. We then visited the outdoor market on rue Charlemagne and then on to the metro.

At the Perache Metro, we bought day passes - 4.5 pp - and headed up to the Old Town. We arrived at the Cathedral St. Jean le Baptiste in time to watch the clock strike 12:00. Very interesting.

After that, we had a snack in the square and went on to Le Fourviere. Very impressive.

We had a very nice walked down from the hilltop.

Dinner was at the hotel. At the time, the kitchen was still a work in progress. If it gets itself squared away, it will be a very nice, reasonably priced resto.

The next morning, my Lady Wife always insistent that we can't afford to be late for a train, we left an hour early for the 10 min walk to the Gare Perache. Not much to do there for 0:45 hr.

The ride to Paris, through very pleasant countryside, was uneventful.

At the Gare Lyon, we walked out to the taxi line, where we were approached by a large gentleman who seemed to be the dispatcher. I handed him a note with the address of the Hotel Bonaparte. He wheeled our large suitcase to the rear of the first car on line and gave the driver the note.

In appreciation of his pains, for which I had absolutely no need nor desire, i gave him 1/2 euro. He gave me a dirty look. I suggested he give me back the tip. He walked away.

Our taxi driver took the direct route to the hotel. I gave him 2E extra. He was pleased.

We were warmly greeted at the Bonaparte (http://www.hotelbonaparte.fr/ ), which has been recently spruced up - new paint, flat-panel TV, new bathroom fixtures. Still no shower curtain.

We walked around a bit, window shopping and people watching, checking out the changes in the neighborhood. Stopped off for a cheese plate and some wine at a local cafe (Le Pré au Clercs) - 20E for a 1/2 L of Chablis?

Thanks to everyone who recommended dinner at Le Florimond (19, av de la Motte-Picquet ). It was more than well worth the metro ride. The Place Ecole Militaire was a large, busy, foggy, drizzly conjunction of 4 large and 1 small streets. Walk NE, away from the Ecole Militaire, to find the resto. It helps if you have remembered to bring your compass.

Le Florimond is a small, pleasant, cozy, very gemutlich place, presided over by Pascal and Benedicte. The people who can walk there are very lucky.

Roberta had the pumpkin/potato soup (flavored with mint), bar (fish) in tarragon sauce, lavender-flavored creme brulee.

I had the mini boudin sausages with apples, the stuffed cabbage*, a poached pear stuffed with chocolate in a chocolate sauce with a madeline that Proust would have savored.

with aperitifs, coffee and 1/2 bottle of St. Veran and 1/2 bottle of Bordeaux - 130E. An excellent evening.

*The stuffed cabbage was large, slightly peppery and accompanied by an excellent brown sauce. I found the recipe in my Escoffier Cook Book. The secret is the foie gras.

The next morning gave us time for breakfast and packing before boarding our shuttle to the airport. Nothing further to report other than that one shouldn't eat airplane food after visiting Le Florimond.

I take it you and your wife are extremely well off and don't know any better or they saw you coming! Fondue is cheap wine and cheese scraps. $18 for breakfast and $150 for dinner not including wine. Are you trying to impress us or maybe the waiters? Us people in the restaurant industry think someone was ripped off. Glad you had fun. Should have taken all the money you wasted and placed one bet at a casino and given the winnings to charity.

Hey a,

Chacun a son gout.

well, Ira, i personally have enjoyed reading about your travels AND your meals and hope that you keep travelling and eating for a long time to come.

Your meal descriptions made me swoooooon.

Can't say the same for the thought of betting at a casino. To each his own, indeed.

Ira....

I mouth is watering for Le Florimond! I'll be in Paris in May and believe me, a meal at Le Florimond is at the top of my list...we only live once right?

Thanks for another wonderful and informative trip report.

Lovely conclusion to a great report Ira! I guess Le Florimond will be one of those closed in August?
Since checking up on a couple of eateries I have found that if a restaurant has a website it gives their holiday closure which is a great help. Glad you enjoyed your dinner!

Bravo, Ira. For me, I don't mind hearing about everything in a trip report. If I haven't been to the place, it gives a "face" to things I read about. If I have been, I love the vicarious return.

Ira, did you like Aix? We loved the big square that was a market during the day and an outdoor cafe in the evening!

Hi TD,

The day we visited, Aix was crowded and busy. (OTOH, having spent so much time in small towns, it might have just seemed crowded and busy.) We strolled the avenue under the Plane trees, saw the fountains and had a gelato at Amorino (57 Cours Mirabeau).

We shall return and do the town properly.

I was remiss in not thanking all of the Fodorites who helped me plan this trip.

Thanks to you all.

Thanks Ira - glad you had a good trip!

Thank YOU, Ira, for another great report!

FYI my trip report (http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/trip-report-a-provence-sandwich.cfm) covers Aix where we made our base. I did say that had Cours Mirabeau been the only part of Aix I'd seen, I would not have "beat feet" to return. We liked returning to it from day trips a lot.

Anyway, congrats again on a nice TR. Glad you are recovered so quickly and fully (if reading your report is any indicator).

I have saved a lot of your reccomendations for my upcoming trip there in MArch.
I am sure to pick your brain as the gets closer.

Really enjoyed the report!

So sad the trip is over, but probably not as sad as you are that it is over.

Will you be back on the South America forum soon planning your next trip?

Hi HT,

Thanks for asking.

SA has been scrubbed in favor of a different trip for an upcoming BIG BIRTHDAY.

Details will be revealed as plans firm up.

I look forward to reading about the BIG BIRTHDAY plans.

Dear Ira,

I have thoroughly enjoyed dining vicariously with you and Roberta from Lindau to Lake Maggiore and onward to Paris.

Thanks for sharing.... I enjoyed every morsel.

gruezi

Hey Ira, Just found this TR and really enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time do describe all the yumminess of the food and drink, oh so worth it all...

and agile, STFUA figure it out bigshot.

Thanks for the kind words, all.

Hey Mama,

Stufa - Iike that. Word play in both Italian and English.

Ira, Another wonderful trip report. I've just found it as I have been concentrating on the Asia board working on an upcoming trip to S. E. Asia. I've gotten so many wonderful ideas from your previous posts. Now I'm really inspired to replicate this journey. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Glad you liked it, P