I will try to make this relatively short and hit the highlights.

We flew non-stop SFO-CDG landing late morning on a Friday. Pretty good flight, typical airplane food nothing much to complain about.

On the first leg of our trip we stayed at Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais in the Marais. It was perfect with the exception of no common space. Our room was off the courtyard on the top floor. I would still stay off the courtyard on the first leg of a trip so as to insure quiet. BUT_opt for another floor as the housekeeping closet is right outside the door to our room. $142 euros a noc with optional 11 euro breakfast which was decent.

The location could not be more perfect. We were 1 block from the St Paul metro stop.

Saturday we headed to Versailles and toured the gardens. The fountains are turned on at 1530 which is delightful!

Sunday we opted to walk around Paris and get our legs about us. We headed to Quai Branly Museum which is an amazing experience. It is non-euro centric and packed with artifacts. GO..even the cafe is worth a lunch stop.

Monday we paddled around some more including the requisite falafel at L'As de Falafel in the Marais. The Marais has changed so much even in three years. Rue de Rosiers has upscale shops at its entry and Jo Goldenberg's has closed. There were still a great # of folks selling cedar branches and lemons for sukkot. BUT~I fear the neighborhood is fading.

We ate at Chez Denise on Friday night which was perfect. We had 10:15 reservations. Food is plentiful and good. There were lots of folks there for the fabric shows so we sat cheek by jowl with many of them.

Saturday night was Chez L'ami Jean(big disappointment) and Sunday was Benoit. I had been forwarned about Benoit but decided to give it a go. While my roasted wild salmon was delicious, my partner's lobster salad at $49 euros was a bust(not fresh lobster and pretty tasteless). Our bread was stale.

We left Tuesday am for Avignon and picked up our rental car.My business AmX covered CDW and supposedly extra driver. We had to sign life and limb away and opted to pay for extra driver on the spot.

We headed easily to Arles and after much driving around found our hotel, Le Calendal.
We had a $102 euro room on the top floor with a terrace overlooking the amphitheatre. It was wonderful.

We ate at L'Atelier in Arles having been wowed at La Chassagnette by the same chef three years ago. TOO MUCH HYPE!


Our favoirte place to eat is Le Criquet which has a young chef, about 20 seats and really good food. There are 16 and 22 euro menus which you can choose from.

We headed over to Uzes on Saturday stopping at the market and meeting freinds at Terroirs for lunch. This is a good spot which also features our friends' small winery wines.

We arrived at Le Ferme de La Huppe late Saturday evening and wound our way to Rousillon (because we knew it) for pizza that night. Sunday we awoke to a magnificent breakfast and had reservations for a dinner which astounded us.

We wound around tiny towns including La Coste,Menerbes and Bonnieux. Tuesday we had lunch at Auberge Loupe in Buoux. This was a tiny place hugging the hillside with a lovely wicker basket of provencal tapas from which to choose. We wandered around Apt and headed home to Le Ferme for dinner.

Wednesday we drove around Mt Ventoux and loved it. We had a 5 pm train to Neuchatel which we made in easy time. Minor glitch is that French trains do not have access to local swiss lines so our delayed train could not guarantee us travel beyond Geneva that night. It worked out.

In Neuchatel we stayed with dear friends and had a great time. Dumas described this town as a "toy town,the color of butter". It's true. Saturday they took us to L'Aubier, an organic farm for a delicious dinner.

We left for return to Paris @ 9 am on a Sunday. This leg we opoted to stay at Henri IV Rive Guache which I would not do again. The rooms are 175 euros and you do have common space but you are smack dab in the midst of the 5th honkey tonk. I would not advise it at any time.

Dinner Sunday pm was at Le Pontoise in the 5th ,a small and affordable bistro with very good food. Monday we went to L'Orangerie to sit among Monet's Water Lilies. Monday evening we wanted an early meal which would afford us lots of choices. We opted for Bofinger. It was perfect.

We returned on a 10 am flight Air France to SFO. It seemed endless.

The dollar was at its lowest and yet we still had a great time!

ttt

Welcom back Pam. I too loved the Caron and Calendal. Checkout my trip report with my comments about l'Atelier.

PamSF - regarding Benoit - I was quite dissappointed with Ducasse's "other" 1 star restaurant - Aux Lyonaise. Also seemed like everyone there was American. I think the Michelin people just hand him a star whenever he opens a new restaurant. I did't think it touched La Folie, Fleur du Lys, Gary Danko, or most other 1 star restaurants here in San Francisco.

We will be staying in a Gite for 2 weeks next year somewhat close to Neuchatel. Sounds like you enjoyed this town. Is it worth a full day for us to visit, or 1/2 day (we think Arles is a 3/4 day visit for a first-timer - as a reference point).

Stu Dudley

I just looked up Aux Lyonnais in my Michelin guide - it is not a 1 star (don't know if it ever was) - but it gets a lot of hype.

Stu Dudley

topping for Pam

Stu~wne in Neuchatel do check out Walder Chocolatier. OMG! Buy bags of the chocolate covered almonds and do take home a ctron tart!

The Saturday market is filled and our favorite cheese was a brie with a truffe filling. The same vendor sells yoguart at his shop(beginning Wednesdays) It's a must. We opted for cherry so the kids might eat some. We had to wrestle it from their rapidly moving hands. He also sells makings for cheese fondue which were divine.

I highly recommend a dinner at L'Aubier. They have a small shop in Neuchatel but the farm is a short distance from same. Our friends do not have a car in Neuch but make themselves avail the city car. We took this to L'Aubier and surrounds.

I thought of you several times as well traversed Mt Ventoux.

Mimi~I'm guessing you were underwhelmed by L'Atelier. I looked for your trip report but could not find it.


And, we absolutely agree on Caron and Le Calendal. It was the desk staff at Le Calendal who turned us on to "The Cricket". BTW~We also tried Bryn du thymes and were also most underwelmed having been incredibly spoiled by the Cricket.

I'll look for it.

Mimi~I came down with something that sounds just like yours 3 days after arriving home. I think the flu hit Provence earlier than it might here.
I'm miserable!

I found your trip report. I agree La Chassagnette was infintely more charming.

Thanks for the lovely report.We will be in Arles in 2 weeks,and want to have dinner @ Le Cricket.Should we book before we leave??Do they have a web-site ??Any particular dishes as stand-outs?? Can't wait!!

bookmarking - thank you.

Somehow I missed seeing this the other day; so glad I noticed it now. Thanks for the report. What airline did you use? I don't think I can face another connecting fight to Europe, since I only made the last one by the skin of my teeth.