Ira,

It sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. Please keep us informed. I returned from Italy and
France in August. It was a glorious
time. Beauty beyond words. Have a
great time!

One more item to add to gabriele's list: the muscat(best chilled)wine is very good in the region that you're visiting Ira.
Salut!

Very good, Patrick, really. A nice show of empathy and humor. I remember experiencing the same frustration as ira.. gosh, it's been a year now. Time to go back!

Ira, I was so looking forward to your trip report & you certainly do not disappoint; eagerly anticipating the rest. Hilarious, as always!

Bonne journée!!

Thanks for posting, Ira. I hope you are able to enjoy Carcassonne, even though it's touristy. I really liked it.

I'm looking forward to devouring a long, food-focused report from you when you return.

Thanks, Ira, for the report in process. I am interested in hearing more about this area especially after reading about the area - and the Cathar religion - in this month's France Monthly which came yesterday. http://www.francemonthly.com/n/0905/index.php
Having just read this yesterday, it was fun to hear more about it today from several of the posters.

Hi all,

We are back from a great 2 weeks in France and a week in Paris.

I shall start my trip report soon.

Good point from USNR about M. Viollet-le-Duc. The man managed to imprint his beliefs about what medieval architecture should have looked like all over France.

Some of what he did is readily apparent to the untrained, ignorant eye.

((I))

Welcome back Ira. I'll be checking the "top 50" for your report.

Welcome back! Strangely, I missed you. I missed your input and wise-cracks. Cannot wait for the report!

Oh whew! So glad you've returned. There are lots of people who are looking for cheap accommodations in Florence, and you haven't been here to recommend the Peterson!

Eagerly awaiting your trip report.

Welcome back! I missed you too. It’s not the same here without you. I’ve got a pair of untrained ignorant eyes eager to be taught. Can’t wait for your trip report.

Hi ira
welcome back.
At which hotel did you stay in Paris?

:-d

And while you were away we've gossiped behind your back on USA forum :)

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34685027

I've been out of pocket with travling, so I'm just now getting a chance to get caught up.

Welcome home Ira. It sounds like you had a wonderful time!

So where is the rest of the bloody trip report? I am waiting, Ira. I see you took a supply of lightbulbs with you.

Welcome home ira. I asked a Happy Valley pottery fan about the Watkinsville gelato shop - and stopped on the way home from Athens. Yummy! Thanks for letting us know about it.

Hi guys,

Glad you liked the gelato in Watkinsville, S.

Hi F,

Thanks for the link.

I have a picture of a busload of Fodorites taking the Tour of Homes, bussing out to Social Circle for the Blue Willow and up to to Watkinsville for gelato.

Our little town will never be the same.

((I))

Trip Report: SW France and Paris.

We flew into Bordeaux via CDG, rented a car and drove to the Chateau de Roques (http://www.chateau-de-roques.com/accueil_a.htm)
in Puisseguin near St. Emilion.

Three days later we drove down to Narbonne Plage, backtracked to Carcassone (http://www.lemontmorency.com/carcassonne/hotel.html)
for a night and then motored to Albi (http://www.hotelgeorgev.com/en/georgev.html)

We then went through the Gorges du Tarn (http://www.aubergecascade.com/index.htm) to St. Chely du Tarn and then to Conques (http://www.moulindecambelong.com/)
from where we drove to Figeac and down the Célé Valley to Cahors (http://www.balandre.com/).

We then went West through the Lot Valley before turning North to Beynac and Cazenac (http://tinyurl.com/dfrh6)where we stayed for five days before dropping the car in Libourne and taking the TGV to Paris.

During our week in Paris we stayed at (all together now)... the Hotel Bonaparte.

I think I've mentioned that, although we have been to Paris many times, this was our first visit to France.

The countryside is beautiful, the people are (for the most part) friendly and accomodating (not just in the tourist centers), the food is marvelous, the roads are well maintained and well marked.

Overall, a wonderful visit.

Day 0

We were scheduled for a 17:30 pickup for the 21:30 AF flight out of ATL. It's normally about a 1:30-hr drive to the airport.

For some reason, the driver came at 16:30. This worked out well, because we were caught in traffic on I20 and didn't get to the airport until 20:15 - with only 15 min before check in closed.

Two double Martinis calmed our nerves and we boarded our flight for an uneventful flight to Paris. We were given dinner (not bad for airline food) at 22:15 and fed again at 09:00 local time. Since this was 03:00 by our clocks, it was a little early for breakfast.

We were supposed to arrive at CDG2E and put on a shuttle bus to CDG2F so that we wouldn't have to go through Immigration. "No problem at all with a 90 min connection time", said the folks at AF.

Actually, we arrived somewhere outside of Roissy, were herded onto buses and stood for 45 min before we got to Terminal E. From there we walked through endless corridors to get to Immigration, where we were given forms to fill out, then to Security where the endless lines moved at a snail's pace. Fortunately, we were able to make our Bordeaux connection because our plane left late.

On the Bordeaux flight we were given a light lunch at about 14:00 (08:00 our time). I think the idea is to fill you so full of food that you are stupefied and more easily herded.

Day 1
Arrived BOD, found the Europcar agency and picked up a new Peugeot 307 Diesel. Very nice car. Quite sufficient for two people with one large, one small and one very small suitcase. We could have brought two other people along, if they didn't have luggage. No trouble finding the parking brake (on the center console) or reverse gear. It took two readings of the manual to find out how to open the hood to check the oil and water, though.

The car has a dash-mounted information center. About every two days the information it reported would change. Sometimes we got elapsed time and mileage. Sometimes we got litres/km. Sometimes we got km until empty and km until the oil needed changing. My Lady Wife says it was because I kept pushing buttons, but I swear I didn't (hardly).

Despite my having printed out detailed maps, and the Europcar people giving us two maps, we got lost leaving Marignac airport. It took about 2:30 hr (and 3 stops to ask directions) to find the perimeter road. From there it was easy to get to the Chateau Roques, as the route was clearly marked all the way.

I later discovered why we got lost. Being a well-prepared Boy Scout (Life rank), I had brought a small compass and a suction cup to suspend it from the rearview mirror. I, of course, relied on my compass to point me in the right direction. The Peugeot, however, has its own magnetic field. The compass always pointed the same direction when it was inside the car. After I discovered this, I would hold the compass out the window to make sure I was going the right way.

The Chateau de Roques is a 2* hotel with a Logis de France 2 chimney rating. It is well run by Josef and Geraldine, a very nice couple. The cooking was as good as we had hoped for, especially the local cheeses and the house made ice cream.

And so to bed.

TBC

((I))

Looking forward to more episodes of this trip...I'm planning a similar one for next fall and will rely on your good tips!


ELAINE!! You crack me up!!

Hello,
Welcome back, Ira. We are just back from my 1st trip to London & Paris. Stayed @ the Hotel Bonaparte from Sept. 25 -29th. Apparently we were there @ the same time! The hotel suited us very well. Wonderful location between the Churches, helpful staff & the hotel rate fit the budget.
We had room #4 on the 1st floor. I'm curious as to what the rooms are like on the higher floors. We are already planning a return visit to Paris.
Thanks to all who provided answers to my travel questions. We had an amazing time in London & Paris.