Ira Returns From 22 Loverly Days in Europe
Oct 6th, 2009, 07:09 AM
#31
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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.
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.
Oct 6th, 2009, 07:19 AM
#32
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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 <b>Hotel Gutenberg</b> (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 <b>Kammerzell</b> 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 <b>Amorino</b> gelateria at 11, rue Mercière. That enhanced our day.
Dinner at <b>La Cloche à Fromage</b> (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.
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 <b>Hotel Gutenberg</b> (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 <b>Kammerzell</b> 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 <b>Amorino</b> gelateria at 11, rue Mercière. That enhanced our day.
Dinner at <b>La Cloche à Fromage</b> (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.
Oct 6th, 2009, 09:09 AM
#34
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>>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
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
Oct 6th, 2009, 09:56 AM
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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!
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!
Oct 6th, 2009, 11:36 AM
#36
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.
Oct 6th, 2009, 02:30 PM
#37
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"!
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"!
Oct 7th, 2009, 05:07 AM
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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.
