<i>Cocktails, appetizers, main courses and a bottle of wine came to 120€ for the four of us.</i>

A good recommendation. I'll keep it in mind the next time I'm in that area.

The tapestries in the castle are worth a return trip.

Michael, between wanting to explore more of Angers and really wanting to get to the Château d'Angers, I know we will return.

Angers-funny story. Trying to reserve a rental car through Avis with our pick-up being in Angers.
After spelling it, explaining the English pronunciation if it was indeed English, and then saying Angers the way it is meant to be said, and then the same all over again, the agent said to me in a deep southern accent: Are you tryin' a speak French tuh me?
And hung up!

I was so Angery!

Keep it coming, please! Angers sounds neat.

I've been trying to hold off on reading this TR until it was finished and I could read it, in all its deliciousness, in one sitting. Alas, I couldn't hold out!

Looking forward to the next bits.

Tom,

There is no one who can write a trip report like do! A play-by-play of someone else's trip can be dreadfully dull, but you make it so entertaining.

Now for your expertise...We will be in Sarlat in June and plan to stay at Villa des Consuls. We are trying to decide between the Montesquieu and Montaigne apartments. The Montiagne has a big terrace overlooking the town, whereas your apartment looks like it has a smaller terrace overlooking an interior courtyard. Do you think the town facing terrace would make the apartment noisy? Does Sarlat even have noise in the evening?

Is there any reason you chose one apartment over the other? Thanks!

Digby, Thanks for the nice comments. I had actually wanted the apartment you are talking about, but they recommended the Montesquieu for four people. How many people are going? Our apartment was great with the terrace...and quiet. We never did see the Montaigne apartment (I had wanted to, but forgot...wine has that effect on me).

We were in Sarlat in late Sept/early October, and except for the Zorba The Greek music on one Saturday night, the town was pretty quiet. My guess is it might be noisier in June, but hopefully someone who has been there at that time can answer better. I would think there would be noise early on Saturday and Wednesday when they are getting the market day together, but that is only a guess on my part. You will love Sarlat (and Villa des Consuls) and the area around it. Have a great time.

Yes, it will be noisier in June, especially on market days, beginning early in the morning. I did read somewhere that rooms are "soundproofed," though.

Thanks for your replies, Tom and StCirq. Unfortunately, we will not be there for the Saturday market, and we are early risers, so the Wednesday market should not be a problem. I was more worried about late night revelry.

Tom--I am guessing they suggested the Montesquieu for you, because it has 2 queens as opposed to a queen and a double in the Montaigne. We will have 4 people also, but the bed size is not as important to us. Given that our two sons are over 6 feet, they won't share any size bed together. One will be on the sofa bed.

Can't wait!!

Have a great time and enjoy some Liqueur de noix!

<B>Day Thirteen - The Road Less Traveled, Stairway To Heaven, Sermon On The Mont, Addressing An Oversight, How Much Duck Could A Wood Duck Chuck, Another Oasis In A City and You Mean We Have To Walk This Far Again For Dinner</B>

My iPhone awoke us promptly at 6:45 a.m., blaring out the Old Car Horn sound (yes, I am a joy to travel with), and a little before 8 a.m. the four of us trudged through the lobby of the Hotel Continental. Although we didn’t eat there, the smell of the still baking croissants was quite enticing.

Driving out of Angers on Sunday morning, the vibrant city of the night before was gone, and it was now more like a ghost town. It was either because it was early Sunday morning or that the other drivers were warned that we would be careening our Audi through town.

Madame Bleu must not have received enough sleep, because before you could “Where the Hell are we,” she had us turning into the Château d'Angers, which, of course, was closed.

A few illegal U-turn later, we made it out of town, but Madame Bleu was all messed up. I had printed out a map from Angers to Mont Saint Michel, but like a few of my travel maps hat could have been on immense help, it was sitting on my dining room table at home. I thought about calling the cats, but their map skills are somewhat limited.

I did remember we should follow the sign for Rennes, but Madame Bleu kept sending us off on tiny roads leading to even tinier roads. I should have just followed my gut (which looking at its largeness was pretty easy to follow), but instead I stupidly listened to our GPS tease. Finally, we told Madame Bleu to “fermez votre bouche,” and Kim started guiding us toward our destination of Mont Saint-Michel.

As we got close, you could see the old Mont in the distance, and as all the books report, it was quite a sight. We parked in the new parking lot (8.50€), and then we had a decision to make. We could walk (about 40 minutes) or take a shuttle. We hopped on the free shuttle (ten minute walk from the parking lot, with one leaving about every five minutes)

A few minutes later, we were looking up at the amazing Mont Saint-Michel. Although it wasn’t used in the movie, it sure reminded me of the end of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, but I decided not to taunt anyone, even for a second time.

Instead of salt water, MSM is surrounded by silt water, which certainly takes away from some of the beauty, but MSM is still something to behold in person. Fortunately, the causeway allows tourists to avoid quicksand on the way to it.

I was here to pay homage to my guardian angel St. Michel (aka Michael), who paid me a few visits in the hospital when I was incarcerated two years before. I wanted to thank him for not holding it against me that I was a Presbyterian and for letting me live along enough to see San Diego State finally make a bowl game.

It was now time to climb the 25,000 steps (just a guess on my part) to the top and see the abbey of Saint Michel. Looking at the daunting climb, I nearly said, “Boy, we could use a good Sherpa for this climb.” Fortunately I caught Tracy out of the corner of my eye and thought better of it.

Since the abbey was the first and most important place to see, we followed Fodorite “favorite” Rick Steves’ tip to bypass the maddening crowds. We climbed up the first set of stairs on the right after the drawbridge and followed the ramparts up, up and up some more. For a few minutes, I thought I might have to call on Michael again for a little help.

We passed by restaurants and hotels on the way to the abbey and finally (and mercifully) we reached the abbey where we paid the 9€ (3€ extra for audio guide).

The audio guide is a must (in my opinion) to appreciate the abbey. We got inside just as the priest was finishing his speech to the congregation. “Hey, we get to hear the Sermon On The Mont,” I said to no one in particular. I think Michael would have liked that one.

Afterward, we made our way down in the opposite direction and hit the most touristic part of MSM with a restaurant seemingly every five feet. We stopped for a quick bite to eat, and Kim had the famous Mont Saint-Michel Omelette that he said really shouldn’t be famous. I think I downed about 300 pommes frites. Without lunch, the climb up, touring the abbey and walking back down took about 90 minutes.

Our destination on this afternoon was Bayeux, but first we stopped at a nearby cemetery for Germans killed in World War II. The Cimetière Militaire Allemand contains the remains of 11,888 German soldiers. We walked through the cemetery, and there is a fantastic view out to Mont Saint-Michel.

Now it was on to the easy drive to Bayeux, where we would spend the following three nights. Enough gas: check! Madame Bleu back working: check! Hotel name: check! Address of hotel: Time to call the cats! Yes, my info was on the dining room table, probably sitting underneath a huge hairball.

We approached Bayeux and were in search of the Hotel Chateau de Bellefontaine. I knew it couldn’t be in the center of town, because like our b&b in Amboise, this had more of a park-like setting. Passing by the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux, we drove a little further and thankfully the TI was still open.

Similar to Manoir de la Maison Blanche in Amboise, just a few blocks out of the hustle and bustle of Bayeux was the oasis that was Hotel Chateau de Bellefontaine. Driving down the gravel driveway, we looked out on a beautiful setting complete with a small pond that had swans and ducks frolicking (or whatever swans and ducks do in their spare time).

Walking over the small bridge to the hotel, we saw a flock of beautiful wood ducks. I could only think they had it so much better than their cousins back in the Dordogne.

Our hostess was most cordial, our rooms were spacious and this was another terrific spot to plop our bodies down for a few nights. As usual, we toasted our good fortune with a bottle of wine before we headed off to town for dinner, and just like Amboise, we would get our exercise to and from our meals for three days. It was about a 25-minute walk to the center of Bayeux.

Being a Sunday night, the night where no one in France eats out, we walked down the main drag until we saw an inviting restaurant (aka one that is open), La Table du Terroir. This is another restaurant that gets crappy Trip Advisor reviews, but I think Trip Advisor is wrong more than it’s correct, and tonight reaffirmed my view.

The service was very, very professional and nice, and the food was quite good. We all started with a Kir Normand (Cassis and Calvados). Kim and Tracy each had vegetable soup and pork, while Mary had a salad with gizzards (no wood ducks fortunately) and salmon. I started with escargots that I ate at a snail’s pace, which, of course made me sluggish (it just wouldn’t be a France trip report without that oldie). I then dined on a nice beef dish. We washed all this down with a 14.50€ carafe of house wine. The bill came to, what else, 120€.

On the way back to the hotel, Mary suggested a route that seemed very Madame “Bleuish” to us, but we let her lead the way (I blamed the Calvados). Yes, we had gone in a direction that took us completely out of the way, but my bloated body size certainly needed the extra exercise.

Back at the hotel, the wood ducks were illuminated in the moonlight in our tiny pond, and we attempted to shoot some photos without falling into the water (a literal swan dive). Once again, I blamed the Calvados.

It rained for much of the night, and the sound of the drops against the window was quite relaxing. We could even sleep in a little bit the next morning on a day that we would see a beautiful cathedral, my favorite tapestry, an incredible port and a 360-degree, birds-eye view of what it was like to be in France during World War II.

<B>Next: Day Fourteen – I’m From The United States…of Canada, An Astounding Cathedral, My Favorite Tapestry Minus Carole King, What A Way To Go, Any Port In A Storm Of War, A Senior Moment, D-Day 360, Honoring The British and Perhaps The Best French Onion Soup…Ever</B>

Super trip report, Tom. Loving it.

To Schnauzer, who wondered some time ago about windows at the Villa des Consuls in Sarlat: This is one of my favorite hotels in all of France, and I have stayed there perhaps 10 times. I commend it highly.

Schnauzer, if you are a couple seeking lighter rooms, get one of the larger rooms (Mirabeau, Medicis or Richelieu) overlooking the rue de la République, and you will be in heaven. La Boëtie and Montaigne also are in this République category and are nice, bright and roomy (Montaigne is entered via a separate entrance when compared with the other rooms).

The smaller rooms (Colbert, Ronsard and Tallyrand) are the darker ones, especially Tallyrand, which you should avoid as it does indeed have two small windows very high up. Colbert and Ronsard, which I find quite acceptable, both have windows overlooking a courtyard (but not the street).

Montesquieu, Du Bellay and Fénelon have varying degrees of window access but are less desirable, light-wise, than the doubles mentioned above.

Finally, avoid the annex room, Remparts, as it is window-challenged.

Do contact David after reviewing the photos on his excellent website. If you do so well in advance you can probably get the room you want. Believe me, it will be worth it.

If you need more info about Villa des Consuls from a guest's perspective, email me at gnevin at gmail.com. No, I have no financial or other interest in Villa des Consuls –I just love the place and the management.

FYI, since I forgot the address at home and on my last post, the address for Hotel Chateau de Bellefontaine is 49 rue Bellefontaine.

Speaking of my disdain for Trip Advisor reviews, I was reading about this establishment this morning, and although it gets mostly positive reviews, it did get some low marks for its customer service.

As you will see in my next couple of posts (if I ever write them), that our experience was the exact opposite of the service the four of us received. I believe that most people who bitch about lack of service bring it on themselves by having a less than positive attitude and who think they're staying at the Ritz Carlton. Someone else on TA complained that the property was difficult to find. Well, once you have the address (yes, it does come in handy), you'd have to have the IQ of a gnat not to find it. I think a lot of people complain just too complain, which is why I take TA reviews with a grain of salt.

I absolutely never believe anything about TA reviews unless there about at least 40 of them to read so that I can make my own opinion about the place. In NYC, I stayed in a (cheap) hotel that had absolutely horrible reviews, but the complaints were things like "not enough light in the hallways" and "the elevators were weird colors." I absolutely loved the place.

I'm glad you liked the Château de la Bellefontaine. I remember it as one of the nicest places we ever stayed. The setting was absolutely magical, and our room was enormous! Sitting out front in the evening looking over the rose garden and having an apéro was totally delightful.

SC, it was a post by you that turned me on to Château de la Bellefontaine. The weather wasn't vey conducive to spending a lot of time outdoors there, although the ducks and swans got to know us very well. A real gem. Thanks.

and Kerouac, I'm with you on TA. Most of the things that people find "terrible" are usually minor, in my opinion, or they just make stuff up. One person on TA was upset that there was no menu at Château de la Bellefontaine, and since the servers only spoke French they couldn't order. That seemed a little odd, so I just called our traveling partners. Kim and Mary ate there the last night, and amazingly they did they get a menu. By the way, there was an English menu that I read every time I was in the elevator.

MTT, your trip reports are always a favorite and this one is no exception. I'm so glad the Fab Four are on the road again! Best wishes to you all for continuing good health.

Now, where's that promised installment?

<B>Day Fourteen – I’m From The United States…of Canada, An Astounding Cathedral, My Favorite Tapestry Minus Carole King, What A Way To Go, Any Port In A Storm Of War, A Senior Moment, D-Day 360, Honoring The British and Perhaps The Best French Onion Soup…Ever</B>

It was raining pretty hard when we woke up on Monday morning, but by the time the four of us had dressed and piled into the car, there was just a slight drizzle. We drove into Bayeux, parked and walked a short distance to get some croissants, sweets and café.

Plopping down at our table, we were seated next to a couple from England and within minutes we were chatting with them. The woman asked where we were from, and before you could say, “geographically impaired,” Mary started to say “United States,” but suddenly changed her answer and our nationalities at the same time. She replied, “Canada.”

The rest of us just went, “Eh?” It was obvious that early morning caffeine deprivation had inflicted our traveling partner, who quickly realized that California was still not yet part of our neighbors to the north.

Bidding our confused British friends, “Tally-ho,” we made our first official stop of the day at the gorgeous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux. This was the actual “home” of the famed Bayeux Tapestry from the 11th through the 18th century. It was consecrated in 1077 and has a beautiful nave and a couple of huge pipe organs.

After putting in a couple of more euros in the parking meter, we walked over to the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux to see the Bayeux Tapestry that Tracy and I had viewed in the late 90s. It was, and I’m happy to say still is, one of my favorite things I’ve seen on all our European trips, and it depicts the Norman Conquest by William The Conqueror, the Battle of Hastings and poor, old Harold II.

First there was a 16-minute movie on what we were about to see, and afterward we entered the darkened room where the tapestry is kept. Tracy and I both thought that the floor moved around the tapestry the last time we were there, but this time you set the audio guide on start and keep following along by foot.

The audio guide goes pretty fast (probably to keep the crowds moving along during the heavy tourist season), but you can pause to get a better look at the scenes being depicted. As you get to the end, you see Harold II with that famed arrow protruding from his eye, although historians have some dispute as whether it was him or not. In any case, not a fun way to go whomever the victim happened to be.

Tracy and Mary liked it so much (the tapestry, not necessarily the arrow in the eye) that as Kim and I exited, they walked back and went through one more time. Afterward, Kim took the obligatory stupid picture of me standing next to a knight on a horse holding my eye like I had been mortally wounded. Maturity is not our strong point.

Walking into town, we all grabbed a sandwich, and then hopped in the car to visit a famous World II site. Arromanches is about a half hour drive from Bayeux, and it is the spot where the British erected an artificial harbor known as Port Winston (named after Churchill, not the cigarette).

Code-named “Mulberry,” this was one of two artificial harbors erected a few days after the June 6 invasion (the American one at Omaha Beach was destroyed less than two weeks later, but remnants of this one can still be seen today). More than two million soldiers landed here over the next ten months.

We walked down on the beach to take some photos so that we could get near some of the pieces of the harbor that still remains. Just as we got down there, a beautiful rainbow appeared over the water. Pretty cool, indeed!

We bypassed the museum at Arromanches, electing instead to walk up to the Arromanches 360 Circular Theater, and when I say up, it was up. A steep 20-minute climb and we arrived out of breath at the theater. “It won’t be lung now,” I said to Tracy. I was pretty excited to get .50€ deducted from the 4.30€ ticket because I was 60 (it was my first ever senior discount anywhere).

We waited for about 15 minutes and then all entered the circular theater that shows a film entitled “The Price Of Freedom.” We stood near the center of the room, and the announcer said that it would enhance the experience to walk around a bit during the film, looking at various screens depicting the action.

At times you were on the boats with the soldiers arriving at Omaha Beach reliving some of the horror, or at Pointe du Hoc or in a village as liberating soldiers walked through. It was a mesmerizing film and something I highly recommend people see when they visit the region.

As we drove back to Bayeux, we remembered driving past a British cemetery as we momentarily floundered about in the quest to find our hotel. On the Ring Road (I believe it was the southern part) of Bayeux is the British War Cemetery. Nearly 4,000 British soldiers (along with a handful of soldiers from other countries) are buried here. Interestingly, there are also nearly 500 German soldiers buried here.

I walked across the street to the Bayeux Memorial that faces the cemetery. There is an inscription (in Latin) that reads (I had to look this up because if I’m terrible at French, Latin is completely out of the question), “We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror’s native land.” It’s hard to escape old Bill here in Bayeux.

Amazingly, we still got back to the Château de Bellefontaine in time to get a little nap. Soon, however, it was time to lace up our walking shoes for the 25-minute walk in to Bayeux.

Our very nice hostess at the chateau had booked us reservations at Le Petite Normand, 35 rue Larcher. It’s located just across from the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux, and the lighting was such that I ran out to take a few pictures.

Le Petite Normand was a winner from the very start. I had the best French Onion Soup I have ever tasted, a “Wow” dish to be sure. I followed that with a tasty beef with three-peppercorn sauce and a panna cotta that threatened to put me on a Weight Watchers Watch list.

Tracy opted for the salad with carrots and a pork dish with mustard sauce and a pear crepe. Kim also had a pork dish with Camembert and apples, while Mary had the poulet with apples and raisins. This was a fantastic meal and only cost 90€, which included a little vin rouge and a Kir Normand for yours truly.

We took the direct route back to the hotel, and the wood ducks were waiting for us, posing like wood ducks do. As we fell into bed, we were excited about the next day’s agenda. I wouldn’t have to worry about our group not wanting to wake up early tomorrow, because our day was going to begin with a four-hour tour of D-Day sights. We would also dine at the best restaurant we visited in our nearly three weeks in France.

<B>Next: Day Fifteen – Walking In The Footsteps Of History, Checking Out the city of Bayeux and An Inventive and Incroyable Dinner</B>

Thanks for continuing to share. I laughed out loud at the thought of the camera pose with the eye.

Thanks Irishface. At this juncture, I'm just happy that anybody is still reading. I have to go on shorter vacations!