Jill02

Points well taken!

Blue Michelin guide ordered.

We have air and accommodations. Will book trains in advance. We can decide exact visits as we go with the exception of a few special things like Wine Uncovered with Olivier and dinner at Chateaux de Vault de Lugny.

Any cooking class recommendations?

Provence is new to us so I focused on that but I would also welcome suggestions for Paris. We have seen the major sites… Any great restaurants near Vendome? We don’t care for the over-the-top tasting menus but happy to pay 100 Euro pp for a nice meal.

Also, we still have Bayeaux on the itinerary. What is the best way to get from the Park Hyatt Vendome to Gare du Nord station?

We are taking French lessons with Rosetta Stone! It will be nice to know a few words. The last time we were in Paris my husband had trouble getting service because he would not even try a greeting. When buying meats or cheeses do you ask for a few ounces? Any market tricks or key words for buying food? I think they pick it up for you. And I think the clothing boutiques are like Italy, they pull the clothes for you. I wonder if the bars are like Italy too with the counter versus seated prices…

The Michelin guide will probably cover how to pay tolls.

AJPeabody

Buying meats or cheeses by weight requires a bit of metric system knowledge plus learn your French numbers (just the round ones will be enough). For instance, the price will probably be posted per kilogram, which is 2.2 pounds. A pound is about 454 (call it 450) grams, so if you want about a quarter pound, ask for 100 grams and you'll be OK.

FTOttawa

Please tell your husband that the French think only boors would fail to greet shop personnel and other service people. And boors get, well, poor service. A “bonjour” is all that is required to bring out smiles.

“Cent grammes, s’il vous plaît,” is about right for a cheese or sliced meats. Or the server will sometimes hold up a knife against the large cheese and you show where you want it cut.

”Un demi kilo, s’il vous plaît,” will get you roughly a pound of vegetables at a market stall.

Where the price is labelled by hand — most grocers — a French 1 looks a bit like a pointy 7; a French 7 has a horizontal line through it.

bilboburgler

Bonjour and au revoir is so important and really so easy to learn. Make it a cheerful call not a mumbled/shy thing. Don't worry they will know you don't speak the language but going a little distance will make a real difference.

StuDudley

I've never see a Blue Michelin guide. But I have about 20-30 Green guides. I save older guides (for the same region) because sometimes older guides have information that the newer ones don't have.

When ordering meats, pates, cheese etc - I usually just point & indicate with my hands how long a "tranche" I want. Or the butcher puts their knife at a position and I indicate more or less ("plus" or "moins") with my hands.

No trick to toll roads. Use your charge card. There are fewer & fewer attended toll stations. Booths have cash receptacles also. Last year we waited for 20 mins behind someone who was putting all their excess small coins into the receptacle.

Same with gas stations. Pre COVID, my card would not work at an un-attended gas station because of PIN compatibility. . This past Sept, it worked at several stations. Gas up on Fri or Sat - many stations are closed on Sundays. Stations associated with grocery stores usually have less expensive gas.

Stu Dudley

AJPeabody

I think the OP meant the Blue Guide, which is not Michelin.

StuDudley

Get the Michelin Green Guide.

Stu Dudley

CaliNurse

[QUOTE=Jill02;17444068]Points well taken!

Blue Michelin guide ordered.

We have air and accommodations. Will book trains in advance. We can decide exact visits as we go with the exception of a few special things like Wine Uncovered with Olivier and dinner at Chateaux de Vault de Lugny.

Any cooking class recommendations?

Provence is new to us so I focused on that but I would also welcome suggestions for Paris. We have seen the major sites… Any great restaurants near Vendome? We don’t care for the over-the-top tasting menus but happy to pay 100 Euro pp for a nice What is the best way to get from the Park Hyatt Vendome to Gare du Nord

Jill02

Thank you! Exactly what I need to know. I used to live in Italy so I have experience with a few universal “European” things such as the funky one and commas for decimals. But I think we are all agreed… No proper greeting, no cheese.

Good to know about toll booth payments and gas availability.

Whoops - I got a blue guide as recommended but, you’re right, it’s not Michelin. Amazon can fix that in a jiffy!

shelemm

With buying cheeses, or a terrine/paté for example, just ask for "une tranche". Tranche has the same meaning as in English, a slice. They will then show you how much of a slice as a starting point (before cutting), and then you can gesture bigger or larger. They will show you how much they plan to cut before cutting.

It's same here in the US if you go to a Farmers Market.

Depending on what kind of meat you want, you can say "deux portions." Or however many you want.

flygirl

I would keep the Blue Guide. It's a very good guide. Maybe have both?

Underhill

The Blue Guide to which I referred is NOT by Michelin; that would be the red guide to hotels and restaurants, with a bit of tourist info tucked in as well.

maryado

I realize that your itinerary is already quite full (and it sounds like a wonderful trip) but one of my favorite experiences was the light and sound show in the caves at Les Baux. I’d urge you to at least check their website to see if that would interest you, too.

Jill02

We made it to the caves and loved the show! We had a phenomenal meal nearby afterwards. My memory is already fading so I’m not inclined to write a trip report but we had no regrets! I was doubtful that you could visit so many hilltop villages without it feeling monotonous. Every village was truly unique. Yes, we hit one on a Sunday and it was closed and we absolutely loved strolling around in solitude. It felt like we couldn’t lose. The community gave us so many recommendations, and everything worked out like a dream.

lrice

What a fabulous thread! Jill, it sounds like you all had a wonderful time. What were your favorite towns/villages/cities? How did Burgundy compare to Provence for you?

Jill02

It really was one of our favs! Now that we can look back, the most prominent memories are biking the Grand Cru Road and the cooking class in Beaune. So, Burgundy was a major part of our trip. For the villages, I enjoyed the tour and lunch in Aix very much. Les Baux was special. Avignon did not resonate with me all that much. Arles would probably have lacked luster had we not booked a super fun photography tour. Our lodging in Luberon enhanced our experience with friendly innkeepers who brought us a breakfast basket every morning. We preferred that location over Saint Remy. I think the common theme is always positive human interactions. At the end, Paris was not bad but not memorable. Except for the killer deal on a Burberry trench!

tomboy

6 trips of experience here.

Some folks here in the US think the French are rude. (of course, one needs to LISTEN to them to sense that......or NO? I met a woman here who wondered, "why don't all the French speak English?" I asked her how much French she knew; she found that irrelevant.. Turned out she thought the ENTIRE world should speak English, so that she could understand all. Seems she felt the world revolved around her. I finally asked her, "if a Bulgarian guy visited our town with that same frame of mind, repeating his Bulgarian phrases to communicate, would't you think him odd?.....
I find the French cordial, a tad formal (until you get to know them), and friendly. But....you have to be willing to go halfway.
Meaning, you (AND YOUR HUSBAND) should learn a few words to get by with. Makes a huge difference.
Pronounciation? just do your best. but do it. I'm sure that, at an outdoor market, if the fromagiere (cheese lady) holds up a cheese and I say OON POO, she knows instantly 1) I'm a Yank; 2) I want just a little cheese. AAnd she'll smile. I don't care if she's smiling at my pronounciation, or friendliness. On the other hand, if I keep shouting English at her, she's highly apt to scowl. So would I.

As bilboburgler pointed out above, say bonjour (both of you) when entering a shop, and au revoir when leaving. Soon the habit will take hold. At some point you WILL find that that smal courtesy paid off. Don't worry about the pronunciation....the French will simply appreciate the effort, (and think, at least SOME Americans have some grace. Remember, you're an ambassador.

flygirl

What was the name of your photography outing in Arles? Who led it? Thanks!

tomboy

OP- another suggestion for your husband....I'm sure he'll find that, if he makes those simple efforts to meet with the "French expectations" mentioned above, he'll have the opportunity to meet some very nice people, and to have some very enjoyable experiences, that he would not experience without extending himself a little. Sometimes those experiences can make the difference between "a trip to europe" and "a wonderful experience in Europe".

Jill02

It was Karina Leigh. We just found it on Trip Advisor.

… and fear not, my husband did great with his French this time!