I collected all the pictures from our 2015 France trip -
Click Here to see the album.
Enjoy!
31 October 2015
30 October 2015
Preparing for a Long Trip
Preparing for a Long Trip - or, How to Avoid a Smelly Mess When You Get Home
When I was little, my family regularly took The Great American Road Trip. We were gone for what seemed to my young eyes to be the entire Summer. One thing that I clearly remember (probably because I despised it at the time) was Dad's insistence on cleaning the house before we left. The reason was always the same - we don't want to come home to a mess, and have to clean it up after a long and tiring trip!
I guess that approach stuck, because that's what I do before every trip, and it is a huge relief at the end!
For trips of a week (or sometimes even two), a normal cleaning is sufficient. But longer trips bring special considerations.
Besides the surface stinks, you want to avoid other messes:
- Food care - About a week before you leave, start shopping for the short-term. Two or three days before, sort through your fresh and refrigerated foods to see what you can use up and what you can preserve. So I am not overwhelmed, I start the prep then, and put them in the fridge. Many vegetables can be frozen and used when you get back. I chop, ziplock, and freeze these: onions, carrots, celery, green beans, and broccoli. I do the same with raw meat, cooked meat, and cheese. I tried freezing scrambled eggs; they were OK microwaved for our first breakfast back, but not thrilling. I have frozen cooked rice, cooked squash, orange juice, spaghetti sauce, and milk, but half-and-half just doesn't thaw right. The morning you leave, put all prepared foods in the freezer and throw out all non-preserved perishables (or give them to a friend or neighbor). And don't forget to take out the garbage!
- Right before you walk out the door, run the garbage disposal and (even though it won't be full) run the dishwasher.
- If you have plants or pets, arrange for their care*.
- Make sure your bills will be paid on time (speaking of a putrid pile!). You can usually take care of this electronically, but for some of ours, we have to pay in advance.
- See if someone can housesit or periodically check on your place. They can alert you to plumbing problems and their ilk, and also deter crooks.
- Back up your computer. Sort through your wallet and leave behind anything you won't need on your trip.
- Arrange with the post office to stop or forward your mail. If you will be gone for many months, contract with a mail forwarding company - they will scan and send you your important mail.
- Fill your car's gas tank, and clean out the interior. While you're at it, this is a good time to check fluids and wipers. If your non-car trip is longer than a couple of months (or if you expect below-freezing temperatures), disconnect the battery. Parking it in a garage is ideal; otherwise, cover it and park it out of the way (e.g., don't take up the most-sought-after spot in the shared lot.
- If you have kids in school, arrange with their teachers some way to keep their studies on par with their classmates.*
~~~~
* of course, you could just get rid of them =:-O
I don't think that's much of an option for most people...
When I was little, my family regularly took The Great American Road Trip. We were gone for what seemed to my young eyes to be the entire Summer. One thing that I clearly remember (probably because I despised it at the time) was Dad's insistence on cleaning the house before we left. The reason was always the same - we don't want to come home to a mess, and have to clean it up after a long and tiring trip!
I guess that approach stuck, because that's what I do before every trip, and it is a huge relief at the end!
For trips of a week (or sometimes even two), a normal cleaning is sufficient. But longer trips bring special considerations.
Besides the surface stinks, you want to avoid other messes:
- Food care - About a week before you leave, start shopping for the short-term. Two or three days before, sort through your fresh and refrigerated foods to see what you can use up and what you can preserve. So I am not overwhelmed, I start the prep then, and put them in the fridge. Many vegetables can be frozen and used when you get back. I chop, ziplock, and freeze these: onions, carrots, celery, green beans, and broccoli. I do the same with raw meat, cooked meat, and cheese. I tried freezing scrambled eggs; they were OK microwaved for our first breakfast back, but not thrilling. I have frozen cooked rice, cooked squash, orange juice, spaghetti sauce, and milk, but half-and-half just doesn't thaw right. The morning you leave, put all prepared foods in the freezer and throw out all non-preserved perishables (or give them to a friend or neighbor). And don't forget to take out the garbage!
- Right before you walk out the door, run the garbage disposal and (even though it won't be full) run the dishwasher.
- If you have plants or pets, arrange for their care*.
- Make sure your bills will be paid on time (speaking of a putrid pile!). You can usually take care of this electronically, but for some of ours, we have to pay in advance.
- See if someone can housesit or periodically check on your place. They can alert you to plumbing problems and their ilk, and also deter crooks.
- Back up your computer. Sort through your wallet and leave behind anything you won't need on your trip.
- Arrange with the post office to stop or forward your mail. If you will be gone for many months, contract with a mail forwarding company - they will scan and send you your important mail.
- Fill your car's gas tank, and clean out the interior. While you're at it, this is a good time to check fluids and wipers. If your non-car trip is longer than a couple of months (or if you expect below-freezing temperatures), disconnect the battery. Parking it in a garage is ideal; otherwise, cover it and park it out of the way (e.g., don't take up the most-sought-after spot in the shared lot.
- If you have kids in school, arrange with their teachers some way to keep their studies on par with their classmates.*
~~~~
* of course, you could just get rid of them =:-O
I don't think that's much of an option for most people...
26 October 2015
How Long?
How Long?
When you're traveling slowly, it's tempting to think you have no limits on your trip. But some limits become obvious early on. For example, Americans can't stay in the European Union more than 90 days on a simple tourist visa. Staying longer involves much more preparation, paperwork, and bureaucracy.
In general, the longer you stay in one place, the less expensive your trip is on a per-day basis - your flight is usually the biggest cost, but that gets spread across the entire time. Renting an apartment for over a week usually saves something, and a month almost always saves more. The same is true of renting a car, or buying a monthly rail or bus pass. So, staying for at least a month can save on daily expenses.
However, we found some practical limits that aren't very obvious. The one that is foremost in my mind is car insurance (yep, read all about it here). If you're counting on your credit card to supply your collision insurance, think carefully! Ours is only valid for 31 days abroad (15 days in the USA). So, either limit your trip or plan to change your transportation part way through.
Other contracts have similar intervals. If you want a cell phone, you can buy minutes (expensive), or a 30-day contract of unlimited minutes (La Poste, in France). If you have access to an Orange hotspot in France, you can get 30 days of Wi-Fi.
Airfares are often cheaper if your trip is longer than 2 weeks. But there is also a jump in price if your trip is longer than 30 days! You get a similar jump after 60 days. And sometimes you can't buy a round trip for longer than 90 days.
**
Just to add simple convenience to the equation, our toiletries all seem to last about a month :-\ . And our packlist doesn't change much for trips longer than a week.
Our bottom line - plan a trip in 30-day intervals...
~~~~
** Airplane Image courtesy of satit_srihin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When you're traveling slowly, it's tempting to think you have no limits on your trip. But some limits become obvious early on. For example, Americans can't stay in the European Union more than 90 days on a simple tourist visa. Staying longer involves much more preparation, paperwork, and bureaucracy.
In general, the longer you stay in one place, the less expensive your trip is on a per-day basis - your flight is usually the biggest cost, but that gets spread across the entire time. Renting an apartment for over a week usually saves something, and a month almost always saves more. The same is true of renting a car, or buying a monthly rail or bus pass. So, staying for at least a month can save on daily expenses.
However, we found some practical limits that aren't very obvious. The one that is foremost in my mind is car insurance (yep, read all about it here). If you're counting on your credit card to supply your collision insurance, think carefully! Ours is only valid for 31 days abroad (15 days in the USA). So, either limit your trip or plan to change your transportation part way through.
Other contracts have similar intervals. If you want a cell phone, you can buy minutes (expensive), or a 30-day contract of unlimited minutes (La Poste, in France). If you have access to an Orange hotspot in France, you can get 30 days of Wi-Fi.
Airfares are often cheaper if your trip is longer than 2 weeks. But there is also a jump in price if your trip is longer than 30 days! You get a similar jump after 60 days. And sometimes you can't buy a round trip for longer than 90 days.
**Just to add simple convenience to the equation, our toiletries all seem to last about a month :-\ . And our packlist doesn't change much for trips longer than a week.
Our bottom line - plan a trip in 30-day intervals...
~~~~
** Airplane Image courtesy of satit_srihin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Pacing Ourselves
Pacing Ourselves, or Living Life while on Vacation :-)
One thing we really enjoy about traveling Elsewhere and staying a while is the chance to see (a bit) what life might be like in that Elsewhere.
We found a long time ago that it suits us to go sightseeing on alternate days. Before we left, we made a "possibles" list. It was so long, we could have gone sightseeing every day! But we knew we needed down time, and plain living time, so we wouldn't get to a lot of those places... this time :-)
One aspect of daily living that we didn't expect was dealing with bureaucracy and traffic; we got plenty of that when I replaced my passport and credit cards :-\ Most of our down time was spent walking along the beach, or just sitting and listening to the waves - even on stormy days, it was still balmy! Our usual dose of daily life included laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, and the ongoing search for the perfect baguette.
One thing we really enjoy about traveling Elsewhere and staying a while is the chance to see (a bit) what life might be like in that Elsewhere.
We found a long time ago that it suits us to go sightseeing on alternate days. Before we left, we made a "possibles" list. It was so long, we could have gone sightseeing every day! But we knew we needed down time, and plain living time, so we wouldn't get to a lot of those places... this time :-)
One aspect of daily living that we didn't expect was dealing with bureaucracy and traffic; we got plenty of that when I replaced my passport and credit cards :-\ Most of our down time was spent walking along the beach, or just sitting and listening to the waves - even on stormy days, it was still balmy! Our usual dose of daily life included laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, and the ongoing search for the perfect baguette.
18 October 2015
Drive vs Rail
To Drive? Or Take the Train?
On our last trip to France, we relied entirely on trains, trams, and buses to get around. This time, we had a car available the entire time, but I had expected to use the train system for quite a few day trips.
My main reasons for wanting to use the train were:
- avoid the stress of driving in a city - narrow roads, traffic, parking hassles
- be able to get up and walk around during a multi-hour trip
- stations are right in the middle of town; it's easy to find your way to the sites; tourist offices are usually nearby
- no possibility of getting a speeding ticket
- no tolls to worry about (what lane to get in? do we have enough cash?)
Some drawbacks:
- if we did take an overnight trip, we would have luggage to deal with
- most stations have a lot of stairs; elevators and escalators are unusual
- you do have to be aware; confirm/stamp your train/bus ticket, get on the right train car, watch for your station, know and plan for the schedule
- to get to the train, we have to drive, then take a tram. This is usually not an issue, but if you absolutely must make a specific train time, then you end up overcompensating (especially your first few times) - you get there early, and then wait...
As it happened, we only took the train for one day trip. That was early in our vacation, and we weren't as aware of the drawbacks. We also had an appointment we couldn't be late for, and I was nervous about being able to find our way and park in time. Based on a later driving-in-a-city experience, this was the right thing to do!
Why didn't we use the train more? Well, the biggest factor was cost! I used several websites* to compare the cost of driving vs taking the train to various cities. In a nutshell, for two people, the train was nearly twice as much as driving! Notice that we already had the car, so I am not counting that rental cost...
An example is this trip to Carcassonne:
Drive (1 hr 40 min each way) = 64.80€
- gas = 15€ to + 15€ return
- tolls = 13.40€ to + 13.40€ return
- parking at La Cité = 8€
Train = 126.40€
- parking = free +
- tram = (1.60€ x 2) to + (1.60€ x 2) return
- train (1.5 hrs each way) = (29€ x 2) to + (27€ x 2) return
- shuttle from train to La Cité = (2€ x 2) to + (2€ x 2) return
The train is still a great option for one person, and it could be the best way to go even for two, if you don't need a car for any other reason. It is certainly more relaxing!
~~~~
*
- www.autoroutes.fr gives you an estimate of gas and toll costs, as well as driving directions
- www.sncf.com/en/passengers gives you rail ticket costs
- various tour books, tourist offices, and trip adviser give a sense of bus/tram and parking costs (often out of date, but still close enough for an estimate)
On our last trip to France, we relied entirely on trains, trams, and buses to get around. This time, we had a car available the entire time, but I had expected to use the train system for quite a few day trips.
My main reasons for wanting to use the train were:
- avoid the stress of driving in a city - narrow roads, traffic, parking hassles
- be able to get up and walk around during a multi-hour trip
- stations are right in the middle of town; it's easy to find your way to the sites; tourist offices are usually nearby
- no possibility of getting a speeding ticket
- no tolls to worry about (what lane to get in? do we have enough cash?)
Some drawbacks:
- if we did take an overnight trip, we would have luggage to deal with
- most stations have a lot of stairs; elevators and escalators are unusual
- you do have to be aware; confirm/stamp your train/bus ticket, get on the right train car, watch for your station, know and plan for the schedule
- to get to the train, we have to drive, then take a tram. This is usually not an issue, but if you absolutely must make a specific train time, then you end up overcompensating (especially your first few times) - you get there early, and then wait...
As it happened, we only took the train for one day trip. That was early in our vacation, and we weren't as aware of the drawbacks. We also had an appointment we couldn't be late for, and I was nervous about being able to find our way and park in time. Based on a later driving-in-a-city experience, this was the right thing to do!
Why didn't we use the train more? Well, the biggest factor was cost! I used several websites* to compare the cost of driving vs taking the train to various cities. In a nutshell, for two people, the train was nearly twice as much as driving! Notice that we already had the car, so I am not counting that rental cost...
An example is this trip to Carcassonne:
Drive (1 hr 40 min each way) = 64.80€
- gas = 15€ to + 15€ return
- tolls = 13.40€ to + 13.40€ return
- parking at La Cité = 8€
Train = 126.40€
- parking = free +
- tram = (1.60€ x 2) to + (1.60€ x 2) return
- train (1.5 hrs each way) = (29€ x 2) to + (27€ x 2) return
- shuttle from train to La Cité = (2€ x 2) to + (2€ x 2) return
The train is still a great option for one person, and it could be the best way to go even for two, if you don't need a car for any other reason. It is certainly more relaxing!
~~~~
*
- www.autoroutes.fr gives you an estimate of gas and toll costs, as well as driving directions
- www.sncf.com/en/passengers gives you rail ticket costs
- various tour books, tourist offices, and trip adviser give a sense of bus/tram and parking costs (often out of date, but still close enough for an estimate)
17 October 2015
Experimental Eating
Experimental Eating - France is full of different foods, and part of the fun of "living" here is experiencing these differences in their normal contexts.
While we didn't eat out much, it seemed that each time had at least a small surprise for us.
- We definitely enjoyed a favorite discovered last time, Gardianne de Taureau - it is a stew made with the local Camargue Bull meat, which is the only meat that has an AOC* seal (these were the same stock we saw during the Autumn festival, and we drove past many of the ranches on our day trips).
- We had paella again, but I tried a different version - black rice! This isn't a variety of rice that is black, but is white rice cooked with... squid ink! And it was good!
- There was a salad place with a concept I really liked - you ordered from a list of ingredients (pick any 6), and it came in a huge bowl with lettuce. I ordered something that I knew was a meat, and what I knew was calamari, but took a chance on how (or if) it was cooked :-) . My salad showed up with absolutely delicious duck gizzard! And what I first took for onion rings (strange, I didn't think I had seen anything like that on the menu) turned out to be the calamari (Roman style).
- And there were the bulots. I was sure they were a type of seafood (we were on the coast, after all). And they were! I have now had whelks, aka sea snails - and they were yummy!
Most of our meals were either cooked at home or picnic style. I was really looking forward to cooking with different ingredients in my own kitchen. All I can say is that everything was edible, many dishes were interesting, but nothing was earth shattering :-( I had expected to shop at the farmer's market, but we always seemed to fill our cupboards from the grocery store. I did go to the local co-op a couple of times - they had fresh fish and seafood; tempting to consider, and I even sketched out a recipe to try with seiche (cuttlefish) - the stars just never aligned... One time I was prepared, and brought home a nice fillet - I looked up the name later, and discovered I was going to cook an ordinary cod! What was fun was perusing the meat aisle at the grocery store - there were slices of turkey, very tender chicken breast, duck wing meat, rabbit legs, duck breast (with or without fois gras!), and calf brain (yes, I passed on that one).
One area full of disappointment was the produce. There were hardly any green vegetables in our (admittedly small) grocery store. We always found zucchini, but only occasionally broccoli or green beans, and that was essentially it!
More grocery surprises:
- the Camargue is full of rice fields (it felt oddly home-like driving through the area), but we only ever saw instant rice in the store
- half-and-half was not to be found, but the powdered whole milk was great in our coffee
- ready-made food included tabouli (here, this is couscous with interesting seasonings and bits of vegetables) and fruits de mer (a cold mix of cooked seafood)
- deli sections sold all sorts of salads in containers, but there were no plastic forks on offer
- olives were plentiful and there were lots of interesting varieties. Rick got hooked on the Greek style - black, cured with just oil and salt, packaged dry
Perhaps the best habit we adopted was eating a picnic lunch (and often dinner). We had a wide variety of cheeses to try out; crunchy, springy, fresh bread (by law, containing only wheat, water, yeast, and salt); crunchy raw veggies; and an amazing variety of meats! We cooked chicken breast and sausages, bought serrano ham, pâté, and pungent dry summer sausage.
All of this was rounded out with quite a variety of wines - our favorites were a Roche Mazet Cabernet Sauvignon and a Demazet Viognier.
~~~~
* AOC stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, and is most often applied to French wines. It means that the product is in line with the characteristics and production method of its region.
While we didn't eat out much, it seemed that each time had at least a small surprise for us.
- We definitely enjoyed a favorite discovered last time, Gardianne de Taureau - it is a stew made with the local Camargue Bull meat, which is the only meat that has an AOC* seal (these were the same stock we saw during the Autumn festival, and we drove past many of the ranches on our day trips).
- We had paella again, but I tried a different version - black rice! This isn't a variety of rice that is black, but is white rice cooked with... squid ink! And it was good!
- There was a salad place with a concept I really liked - you ordered from a list of ingredients (pick any 6), and it came in a huge bowl with lettuce. I ordered something that I knew was a meat, and what I knew was calamari, but took a chance on how (or if) it was cooked :-) . My salad showed up with absolutely delicious duck gizzard! And what I first took for onion rings (strange, I didn't think I had seen anything like that on the menu) turned out to be the calamari (Roman style).
- And there were the bulots. I was sure they were a type of seafood (we were on the coast, after all). And they were! I have now had whelks, aka sea snails - and they were yummy!
Most of our meals were either cooked at home or picnic style. I was really looking forward to cooking with different ingredients in my own kitchen. All I can say is that everything was edible, many dishes were interesting, but nothing was earth shattering :-( I had expected to shop at the farmer's market, but we always seemed to fill our cupboards from the grocery store. I did go to the local co-op a couple of times - they had fresh fish and seafood; tempting to consider, and I even sketched out a recipe to try with seiche (cuttlefish) - the stars just never aligned... One time I was prepared, and brought home a nice fillet - I looked up the name later, and discovered I was going to cook an ordinary cod! What was fun was perusing the meat aisle at the grocery store - there were slices of turkey, very tender chicken breast, duck wing meat, rabbit legs, duck breast (with or without fois gras!), and calf brain (yes, I passed on that one).
One area full of disappointment was the produce. There were hardly any green vegetables in our (admittedly small) grocery store. We always found zucchini, but only occasionally broccoli or green beans, and that was essentially it!
More grocery surprises:
- the Camargue is full of rice fields (it felt oddly home-like driving through the area), but we only ever saw instant rice in the store
- half-and-half was not to be found, but the powdered whole milk was great in our coffee
- ready-made food included tabouli (here, this is couscous with interesting seasonings and bits of vegetables) and fruits de mer (a cold mix of cooked seafood)
- deli sections sold all sorts of salads in containers, but there were no plastic forks on offer
- olives were plentiful and there were lots of interesting varieties. Rick got hooked on the Greek style - black, cured with just oil and salt, packaged dry
Perhaps the best habit we adopted was eating a picnic lunch (and often dinner). We had a wide variety of cheeses to try out; crunchy, springy, fresh bread (by law, containing only wheat, water, yeast, and salt); crunchy raw veggies; and an amazing variety of meats! We cooked chicken breast and sausages, bought serrano ham, pâté, and pungent dry summer sausage.
All of this was rounded out with quite a variety of wines - our favorites were a Roche Mazet Cabernet Sauvignon and a Demazet Viognier.
~~~~
* AOC stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, and is most often applied to French wines. It means that the product is in line with the characteristics and production method of its region.
Parcourir la France
16 octobre 2015
Parcourir la France*
Quand nous venions auparavant en France, la conduite - arriver à notre destination - était facile et essentiellement sans stress. Nous utilisions les trains et les bus exclusivement, et ils y avaient toujours un arrêt dans ou près du centre-ville.
Cette fois, nous avons loué une voiture et conduit presque partout. Nous avions deux dispositifs pour faire le GPS, et avions téléchargé les cartes hors connexion pour les endroits que nous voulions aller voir. Nous étions prêts ! PUIS ! Une catastrophe est tombée - tous les deux dispositifs étaient dans mon sac à main quand il a été volé :-( À part la perte, maintenant nous avons dû repenser à notre méthode des routes. Nous avons employé les outils de l'ancienne époque...
Notre premier arrêt a été une station-service pour des cartes ( oui, le PAPIER, qui se plie comme un fou ). Malheureusement, le seul type de carte disponible ici est régional ( grande échelle, pas de détail ), et spécifique de la ville d'à côté. Donc, nous n'avions toujours pas de carte détaillée de la ville vers laquelle nous nous dirigions.
Heureusement, nous avons toujours eu internet, et des dispositifs pour se connecter ! Au départ, nous essayions les cartes et les indications de Google - elles marchaient bien en combinaison avec les cartes régionales, mais échouaient horriblement en nous guidant dans les villes. Nous griffonnions les notes de virage, et gardions dans la tête les villes prochaines. Les Ronds-points sont couramment utilisés en France, et la sortie à prendre est marquée le plus souvent avec la ville prochaine. Les cartes de Google normalement donnent le nom de la rue ( prenez la 2ème sortie à boulevard Jean Jaurès ), ce qui n'est PAS marqué sur la sortie, et n'est presque jamais indiqué par un panneau de signalisation routière ultérieurement.
Même pire que les indications de conduite étaient ceux pour le métro ! Elles n’étaient toujours pas utiles – nous avons pris le train à Marseille, puis avons changé au métro, et puis avons marché un peu à notre destination. C’est facile, n’est-ce pas ? Cela aurait été probablement, sauf que nous avions les mauvaises indications de Google… Avec le métro, ça ne marche pas du tout ! ( Il ne connait jamais les entrées et les sorties du métro ! ) Nous sommes descendus du train en attendant de partir de cette gare et marcher ( à l’extérieur ) de la gare au métro ; heureusement, nous avons vu et avons suivi les signes du métro ( à l’intérieur de la gare ! ). Puis, nous sommes sortis du métro á la place ( Hein ?! Nos indications nous ont dit que nous devrions marcher dans une rue vers cette place-là, puis tourner à gauche. Mais nous étions déjà sur la place ! ). À ce moment-là, nous avons dû marcher, mais dans quelle direction ? Nous en avons choisi une, et après nous avons décidé que c’était la mauvaise direction, et nous nous sommes arrêtés à une pharmacie pour demander de l’aide. Oh, quelle magie et joie la pharmacienne nous apporte ! Elle nous a promenés dans la rue, nous a dirigés dans notre direction ( par où nous étions venus ), a montré la place ( par où nous étions venus ), et nous a dit de tourner à droite dans la rue dont nous avions besoin ( et nous pouvions le savoir par le petit café au coin ). :-)
Notre prochain grand tour a été à Montpellier – un tour de vingt minutes (chaque direction) qui est devenu un cauchemar de 2 heures. Ronds-points étaient déguisés en points de sortie, signalisations routières n’existaient pas, et la circulation était horrible ! Nous nous sommes presque retrouvés au centre-ville ( plein de piétons, les rues étroites et à sens unique, et beaucoup de situations << pas de méthode de savoir dans quel enfer vous êtes >> ) , mais nous avons fait un virage à 180 tout juste en avance. Nous sommes encore arrivés jusqu’au bord de la ville, et nous l’avons essayé une autre fois. Finalement, nous avons simplement décidé de suivre les signes sorties au quartier ce-que nous savions dont nous avions besoin. Quand il n’y avait plus rien, nous avons vu la croix verte lumineuse de notre faiseur de miracles – le pharmacien ! Ville différente, mais la même obligeance ! Il a sorti un plan bien usagé du quartier, et a pointé aux ronds-points et sorties pour nous – et nous l’avons fait ! Nous avons pris une route vers chez nous qui a pris longtemps, mais plus clair…
Cela nous avons servi de leçon ! Nous essayions des autres sites Internet pour indications. fr.mappy.com était presque aussi mauvais que Google – il donnait aussi les noms des rues pour les sorties des ronds-points. autoroutes.fr donnait seulement les indications entre les villes, mais il était formidable pour l’utilisation des autoroutes – il indiquait où étaitent les péages, et leurs coûts ! Mais en fin de compte, quelles que fussent aux indications et cartes qui nous avions, nous devions juste les utiliser, et nous nous fiions à la chance et notre expérience montante. Une grande partie de cette expérience était gagnée en tournant autour des ronds-points beaucoup de fois…
Puis, nous avons pris des captures d’écran de régions que nous pensions compliquées. Cela nous aidait, mais le problème de plus était que nous ne pouvions toujours pas savoir où exactement nous étions. Donc, souvent nous supposions que nous étions au 3ème rond-point ou le 4ème. Et la pagaille en retournant sur l’A9 de Quéribus était folle ! Même aujourd’hui, je ne peux pas décrire la succession de ronds-points que nous prenions ( Oh la la ! ).
Nous nous étions attendus à faire une chose qui marchait. Nous savions que nous ne voulions pas conduire dans les centres-villes que nous voulions visiter. Donc, nous nous dirigions vers un arrêt de tram ou bus au bord la ville, garions la voiture, et prenions les transports en commun pour le centre-ville. Là-bas, nous nous arrêtions à l’office de tourisme et recevions des cartes et des conseils à propos des lignes de bus ou métro à prendre pour voir des régions excentrées. J’avais eu beaucoup d’angoisse pour trouver les parkings pratiques, mais avec l’aide de l’office de tourisme, les idées de guide, et notre expérience accumulés, nous le faisions comme ça pour presque toutes nos excursions dans les villes !
~~~
Je voudrais remercier tout particulièrement Patricia Dardant d’avoir fait la première ( et la 2ème, et la 3ème ) correction d’épreuves.
* Mes amis francophonies, s’il vous plaît, envoyez-moi quelque chose que vous voyez qui est peu commun, bizarre, ou sans raisons ! La version anglaise et ici : http://slowtravelin.blogspot.com/2015/10/navigating-france.html
Merci d’avance !
Parcourir la France*
Quand nous venions auparavant en France, la conduite - arriver à notre destination - était facile et essentiellement sans stress. Nous utilisions les trains et les bus exclusivement, et ils y avaient toujours un arrêt dans ou près du centre-ville.
Cette fois, nous avons loué une voiture et conduit presque partout. Nous avions deux dispositifs pour faire le GPS, et avions téléchargé les cartes hors connexion pour les endroits que nous voulions aller voir. Nous étions prêts ! PUIS ! Une catastrophe est tombée - tous les deux dispositifs étaient dans mon sac à main quand il a été volé :-( À part la perte, maintenant nous avons dû repenser à notre méthode des routes. Nous avons employé les outils de l'ancienne époque...
Notre premier arrêt a été une station-service pour des cartes ( oui, le PAPIER, qui se plie comme un fou ). Malheureusement, le seul type de carte disponible ici est régional ( grande échelle, pas de détail ), et spécifique de la ville d'à côté. Donc, nous n'avions toujours pas de carte détaillée de la ville vers laquelle nous nous dirigions.
Heureusement, nous avons toujours eu internet, et des dispositifs pour se connecter ! Au départ, nous essayions les cartes et les indications de Google - elles marchaient bien en combinaison avec les cartes régionales, mais échouaient horriblement en nous guidant dans les villes. Nous griffonnions les notes de virage, et gardions dans la tête les villes prochaines. Les Ronds-points sont couramment utilisés en France, et la sortie à prendre est marquée le plus souvent avec la ville prochaine. Les cartes de Google normalement donnent le nom de la rue ( prenez la 2ème sortie à boulevard Jean Jaurès ), ce qui n'est PAS marqué sur la sortie, et n'est presque jamais indiqué par un panneau de signalisation routière ultérieurement.
Même pire que les indications de conduite étaient ceux pour le métro ! Elles n’étaient toujours pas utiles – nous avons pris le train à Marseille, puis avons changé au métro, et puis avons marché un peu à notre destination. C’est facile, n’est-ce pas ? Cela aurait été probablement, sauf que nous avions les mauvaises indications de Google… Avec le métro, ça ne marche pas du tout ! ( Il ne connait jamais les entrées et les sorties du métro ! ) Nous sommes descendus du train en attendant de partir de cette gare et marcher ( à l’extérieur ) de la gare au métro ; heureusement, nous avons vu et avons suivi les signes du métro ( à l’intérieur de la gare ! ). Puis, nous sommes sortis du métro á la place ( Hein ?! Nos indications nous ont dit que nous devrions marcher dans une rue vers cette place-là, puis tourner à gauche. Mais nous étions déjà sur la place ! ). À ce moment-là, nous avons dû marcher, mais dans quelle direction ? Nous en avons choisi une, et après nous avons décidé que c’était la mauvaise direction, et nous nous sommes arrêtés à une pharmacie pour demander de l’aide. Oh, quelle magie et joie la pharmacienne nous apporte ! Elle nous a promenés dans la rue, nous a dirigés dans notre direction ( par où nous étions venus ), a montré la place ( par où nous étions venus ), et nous a dit de tourner à droite dans la rue dont nous avions besoin ( et nous pouvions le savoir par le petit café au coin ). :-)
Notre prochain grand tour a été à Montpellier – un tour de vingt minutes (chaque direction) qui est devenu un cauchemar de 2 heures. Ronds-points étaient déguisés en points de sortie, signalisations routières n’existaient pas, et la circulation était horrible ! Nous nous sommes presque retrouvés au centre-ville ( plein de piétons, les rues étroites et à sens unique, et beaucoup de situations << pas de méthode de savoir dans quel enfer vous êtes >> ) , mais nous avons fait un virage à 180 tout juste en avance. Nous sommes encore arrivés jusqu’au bord de la ville, et nous l’avons essayé une autre fois. Finalement, nous avons simplement décidé de suivre les signes sorties au quartier ce-que nous savions dont nous avions besoin. Quand il n’y avait plus rien, nous avons vu la croix verte lumineuse de notre faiseur de miracles – le pharmacien ! Ville différente, mais la même obligeance ! Il a sorti un plan bien usagé du quartier, et a pointé aux ronds-points et sorties pour nous – et nous l’avons fait ! Nous avons pris une route vers chez nous qui a pris longtemps, mais plus clair…
Cela nous avons servi de leçon ! Nous essayions des autres sites Internet pour indications. fr.mappy.com était presque aussi mauvais que Google – il donnait aussi les noms des rues pour les sorties des ronds-points. autoroutes.fr donnait seulement les indications entre les villes, mais il était formidable pour l’utilisation des autoroutes – il indiquait où étaitent les péages, et leurs coûts ! Mais en fin de compte, quelles que fussent aux indications et cartes qui nous avions, nous devions juste les utiliser, et nous nous fiions à la chance et notre expérience montante. Une grande partie de cette expérience était gagnée en tournant autour des ronds-points beaucoup de fois…
Puis, nous avons pris des captures d’écran de régions que nous pensions compliquées. Cela nous aidait, mais le problème de plus était que nous ne pouvions toujours pas savoir où exactement nous étions. Donc, souvent nous supposions que nous étions au 3ème rond-point ou le 4ème. Et la pagaille en retournant sur l’A9 de Quéribus était folle ! Même aujourd’hui, je ne peux pas décrire la succession de ronds-points que nous prenions ( Oh la la ! ).
Nous nous étions attendus à faire une chose qui marchait. Nous savions que nous ne voulions pas conduire dans les centres-villes que nous voulions visiter. Donc, nous nous dirigions vers un arrêt de tram ou bus au bord la ville, garions la voiture, et prenions les transports en commun pour le centre-ville. Là-bas, nous nous arrêtions à l’office de tourisme et recevions des cartes et des conseils à propos des lignes de bus ou métro à prendre pour voir des régions excentrées. J’avais eu beaucoup d’angoisse pour trouver les parkings pratiques, mais avec l’aide de l’office de tourisme, les idées de guide, et notre expérience accumulés, nous le faisions comme ça pour presque toutes nos excursions dans les villes !
~~~
Je voudrais remercier tout particulièrement Patricia Dardant d’avoir fait la première ( et la 2ème, et la 3ème ) correction d’épreuves.
* Mes amis francophonies, s’il vous plaît, envoyez-moi quelque chose que vous voyez qui est peu commun, bizarre, ou sans raisons ! La version anglaise et ici : http://slowtravelin.blogspot.com/2015/10/navigating-france.html
Merci d’avance !
16 October 2015
Navigating France
When we last came to France, navigating - getting to our destination - was easy and fairly stress-free. We used trains and buses exclusively, and they always had a drop in or near the center of town.
This time, we rented a car and drove almost everywhere. We had two devices with GPS capabilities, and had downloaded offline maps for the places we expected to visit. We were set! THEN! Disaster struck - both devices were in my purse when it was stolen :-( Aside from the loss, now we had to rethink our navigation method. We went old school...
Our first stop was a gas station for maps (yes, the PAPER kind, that fold crazily). Unfortunately, the only available maps here are regional (large scale, no detail), and specific to the nearest town. So we still had no detailed map of the town we were heading to.
Fortunately, we did still have internet, and devices to connect! We first tried Google maps and directions - this worked well when combined with the regional maps, but failed miserably navigating in a town. We scribbled the turn notes, and kept in mind which towns were next on the route. Round-points are used extensively in France, and the exit to take is most often marked with the town coming up. Google maps usually gave the street name (e.g. take the 2nd exit to Blvd Jean Jaures), which is NOT marked on the exit, and is almost never confirmable by a later street sign.
Even non-driving directions weren't always helpful - we took the train to Marseille, then switched to the metro, and then had a short walk to our destination. Sounds easy, right? It probably would have been, except we had our Google directions... It doesn't handle the metro ins and outs well at all! We came off the train expecting to exit the station and walk (outside) to the metro station; luckily, we saw and followed the metro signs (inside the train station!). Then leaving the metro, we came off the escalator onto a plaza that was listed as the second turn in our directions. At this point we need to walk, but which way? We picked one, finally decided it was the wrong one, and stopped at a pharmacy for help. Oh, what magic and delight the pharmacist brings! She walked us out to the street, pointed our direction (the way we had come), pointed out the plaza (the one we came from), and said to turn right onto the street we needed (and we would know it by the little café on the corner :-)
Our next big drive was into Montpellier - a 20 minute (each way) drive that turned into a 2 hour nightmare. Round-points were disguised as offramps, street signs were non-existent, and traffic was horrendous! We nearly ended up in the city center (full of pedestrian only streets, narrow and one way streets, and no-way-to-know-where-the-heck-you-are situations), but we turned around just in time. We got back to the edge of town, and tried again. We finally just followed exit signs for the neighborhood we knew we needed. When those ran out, we saw the lighted green cross of our miracle-worker - the pharmacist! Different town, but the same helpfulness! He pulled out a well-worn cardboard map of the area, and pointed out the round-points and exits we needed - and we made it! We took a slightly longer, but much clearer way home...
We learned our lesson. We tried a few other websites for directions. fr.mappy.com was nearly as bad as Google maps - it also gave street names for the round-point exits. autoroutes.fr usually only gave directions between cities, but was great for using the autoroutes - it indicated where the tolls were, and how much! But ultimately, we just had to use what directions and maps we could, and trust to luck and our mounting experience. A very large part of that experience was gained by circling round-points multiple times...
Next, we took screen shots of areas we thought might be tricky. This helped some, but the biggest problem was that we still couldn't tell where exactly we were. So we often guessed at whether we were at the 3rd round-point or the 4th one. And the mess to get back on the A9 from Quéribus was crazy! Even now, I can't describe all the round-point to round-point to circling exits we took!
One thing that we had planned on worked fairly well for us. We knew we didn't want to drive in the city centers that we wanted to visit. So we aimed for a tram or shuttle stop at the edge of town, parked, and took the system in. Once there, we stopped at the tourist office and got maps and advice about bus/metro lines to take to see any outlying sites. I had a lot of anxiety about how to find these convenient parking places, but between the local tourist office, hints from guidebooks, and our accumulated experience, we did just that for almost all of our city trips!
This time, we rented a car and drove almost everywhere. We had two devices with GPS capabilities, and had downloaded offline maps for the places we expected to visit. We were set! THEN! Disaster struck - both devices were in my purse when it was stolen :-( Aside from the loss, now we had to rethink our navigation method. We went old school...
Our first stop was a gas station for maps (yes, the PAPER kind, that fold crazily). Unfortunately, the only available maps here are regional (large scale, no detail), and specific to the nearest town. So we still had no detailed map of the town we were heading to.
Fortunately, we did still have internet, and devices to connect! We first tried Google maps and directions - this worked well when combined with the regional maps, but failed miserably navigating in a town. We scribbled the turn notes, and kept in mind which towns were next on the route. Round-points are used extensively in France, and the exit to take is most often marked with the town coming up. Google maps usually gave the street name (e.g. take the 2nd exit to Blvd Jean Jaures), which is NOT marked on the exit, and is almost never confirmable by a later street sign.
Even non-driving directions weren't always helpful - we took the train to Marseille, then switched to the metro, and then had a short walk to our destination. Sounds easy, right? It probably would have been, except we had our Google directions... It doesn't handle the metro ins and outs well at all! We came off the train expecting to exit the station and walk (outside) to the metro station; luckily, we saw and followed the metro signs (inside the train station!). Then leaving the metro, we came off the escalator onto a plaza that was listed as the second turn in our directions. At this point we need to walk, but which way? We picked one, finally decided it was the wrong one, and stopped at a pharmacy for help. Oh, what magic and delight the pharmacist brings! She walked us out to the street, pointed our direction (the way we had come), pointed out the plaza (the one we came from), and said to turn right onto the street we needed (and we would know it by the little café on the corner :-)
Our next big drive was into Montpellier - a 20 minute (each way) drive that turned into a 2 hour nightmare. Round-points were disguised as offramps, street signs were non-existent, and traffic was horrendous! We nearly ended up in the city center (full of pedestrian only streets, narrow and one way streets, and no-way-to-know-where-the-heck-you-are situations), but we turned around just in time. We got back to the edge of town, and tried again. We finally just followed exit signs for the neighborhood we knew we needed. When those ran out, we saw the lighted green cross of our miracle-worker - the pharmacist! Different town, but the same helpfulness! He pulled out a well-worn cardboard map of the area, and pointed out the round-points and exits we needed - and we made it! We took a slightly longer, but much clearer way home...
We learned our lesson. We tried a few other websites for directions. fr.mappy.com was nearly as bad as Google maps - it also gave street names for the round-point exits. autoroutes.fr usually only gave directions between cities, but was great for using the autoroutes - it indicated where the tolls were, and how much! But ultimately, we just had to use what directions and maps we could, and trust to luck and our mounting experience. A very large part of that experience was gained by circling round-points multiple times...
Next, we took screen shots of areas we thought might be tricky. This helped some, but the biggest problem was that we still couldn't tell where exactly we were. So we often guessed at whether we were at the 3rd round-point or the 4th one. And the mess to get back on the A9 from Quéribus was crazy! Even now, I can't describe all the round-point to round-point to circling exits we took!
One thing that we had planned on worked fairly well for us. We knew we didn't want to drive in the city centers that we wanted to visit. So we aimed for a tram or shuttle stop at the edge of town, parked, and took the system in. Once there, we stopped at the tourist office and got maps and advice about bus/metro lines to take to see any outlying sites. I had a lot of anxiety about how to find these convenient parking places, but between the local tourist office, hints from guidebooks, and our accumulated experience, we did just that for almost all of our city trips!
Surfers or Sunbathers
Surfers or Sunbathers: on our little stretch of the Mediterranean coast, it's always one or the other!
When the winds are up, so are the waves, and out come the riders! If there is a type of surfing I missed seeing here, then I simply haven't heard of it. Right out our back door I saw: parasailers, kite surfers, wind surfers, long boards, short boards, boogie boards, wake boards, paddle boards, and body surfers... Oh yes, and wave-jumping jet skis.
When the sun is out, even just a bit, we have sunbathers - all ages and types! Bikinis and speedos dominate; women are as often topless as not; a short stroll down the coastline takes you to the "clothing optional" beach; nearly everyone is nut brown and catching rays most of the day.
~~~~
And of course, no matter the weather, the fish are biting, and people are on the breakwater to catch them :-)
When the winds are up, so are the waves, and out come the riders! If there is a type of surfing I missed seeing here, then I simply haven't heard of it. Right out our back door I saw: parasailers, kite surfers, wind surfers, long boards, short boards, boogie boards, wake boards, paddle boards, and body surfers... Oh yes, and wave-jumping jet skis.
When the sun is out, even just a bit, we have sunbathers - all ages and types! Bikinis and speedos dominate; women are as often topless as not; a short stroll down the coastline takes you to the "clothing optional" beach; nearly everyone is nut brown and catching rays most of the day.
~~~~
And of course, no matter the weather, the fish are biting, and people are on the breakwater to catch them :-)
14 October 2015
You're Insured, Right?
So, you're traveling; do you have insurance?
There are so many types of insurance to plan for when traveling abroad, some more obvious than others, some trickier than others.
One of the first that people think of is traveler insurance - this will get you home early if you get sick, sometimes it includes emergency medical coverage, and sometimes theft. We have used this at times, and sometimes we forego this coverage.
An unusual type of insurance is for a vacation rental. You can usually buy insurance at the same time you arrange for the rental - this will reimburse you if the rental is not what you expected. But another type covers the contents of the rental in case of damage, and seems to be only requested in France, by the rental landlord. This is impossible to buy unless you are actually moving to France.
Another is collision damage insurance on a rental car. Most people know that the major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) offer this as a benefit (that is, an incentive to use their card). I have used this my entire car-renting life, and it saves a great deal of money and anxiety.
HOWEVER! As we recently discovered, there are some little-known restrictions on this "free benefit." Every time we expect to rent a car, we call our credit card company to make sure this coverage is available. We always get the short list of instructions, such as (1) decline the car rental company's collision insurance, (2) make sure the driver's credit card is used, (3) reserve and pay for the rental with the credit card. We always tell them the country and the basic type of car. Never once has any representative we talked to mentioned a time limit!
Well, sure enough, on this trip, we discovered some (fortunately) minor damage to our car. We paid the charge (approximately 500€) and the rental cost on the credit card, and called Visa when we got home. As I was going through the checklist with the Visa benefits representative, I hear "this is not covered" - my brain stutters a bit at this... And why is that? Believe it or not, it's because we rented the car for over 31 days!* You'd better believe that we would have modified our plans by those few days if we had known about this. Even worse, think what would have happened if we had totaled the car?!? (I looked - 14,000€)
~~~~
*The limit is 15 days in your home country.
This (https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/card-benefits.html) links to the list of restrictions - Note that several countries, including Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Israel, and Jamaica, are not covered at all.
This is the direct line to the benefits office: (804)673-1164
Quote from above webpage: "we recommend you check with your auto rental company and the Benefit Administrator before you travel to make sure Visa Auto Rental CDW will apply."
There are so many types of insurance to plan for when traveling abroad, some more obvious than others, some trickier than others.
One of the first that people think of is traveler insurance - this will get you home early if you get sick, sometimes it includes emergency medical coverage, and sometimes theft. We have used this at times, and sometimes we forego this coverage.
An unusual type of insurance is for a vacation rental. You can usually buy insurance at the same time you arrange for the rental - this will reimburse you if the rental is not what you expected. But another type covers the contents of the rental in case of damage, and seems to be only requested in France, by the rental landlord. This is impossible to buy unless you are actually moving to France.
Another is collision damage insurance on a rental car. Most people know that the major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) offer this as a benefit (that is, an incentive to use their card). I have used this my entire car-renting life, and it saves a great deal of money and anxiety.
HOWEVER! As we recently discovered, there are some little-known restrictions on this "free benefit." Every time we expect to rent a car, we call our credit card company to make sure this coverage is available. We always get the short list of instructions, such as (1) decline the car rental company's collision insurance, (2) make sure the driver's credit card is used, (3) reserve and pay for the rental with the credit card. We always tell them the country and the basic type of car. Never once has any representative we talked to mentioned a time limit!
Well, sure enough, on this trip, we discovered some (fortunately) minor damage to our car. We paid the charge (approximately 500€) and the rental cost on the credit card, and called Visa when we got home. As I was going through the checklist with the Visa benefits representative, I hear "this is not covered" - my brain stutters a bit at this... And why is that? Believe it or not, it's because we rented the car for over 31 days!* You'd better believe that we would have modified our plans by those few days if we had known about this. Even worse, think what would have happened if we had totaled the car?!? (I looked - 14,000€)
~~~~
*The limit is 15 days in your home country.
This (https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/card-benefits.html) links to the list of restrictions - Note that several countries, including Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Israel, and Jamaica, are not covered at all.
This is the direct line to the benefits office: (804)673-1164
Quote from above webpage: "we recommend you check with your auto rental company and the Benefit Administrator before you travel to make sure Visa Auto Rental CDW will apply."
13 October 2015
Sky-Bye Marseille
We said good-bye to Marseille, with its buildings and ports, both old and new,
Its mountains,
And interesting bridges.
We passed lakes and Alps,
And more lakes and Alps...
~~~~
We flew via Frankfurt, Germany, then Houston, Texas, then finally to Albuquerque. By the time we walked in our door, we had been up more than 24 hours straight. This has definitely been the most stressful flying day we've had, both physically and mentally. It leaves us thinking of alternatives...
Its mountains,
And interesting bridges.
We passed lakes and Alps,
And more lakes and Alps...
~~~~
We flew via Frankfurt, Germany, then Houston, Texas, then finally to Albuquerque. By the time we walked in our door, we had been up more than 24 hours straight. This has definitely been the most stressful flying day we've had, both physically and mentally. It leaves us thinking of alternatives...
08 October 2015
Château d'Avignon
Well, we only drove past it eight times, but we finally turned off the road to visit the Château d'Avignon.
The first time we drove past the sign, we were surprised - we were nowhere near the city of Avignon! It turns out that this is the estate of the family of Avignon (and nothing to do with the city). From the flyer:
"Set on the western edge of the Rhône delta, the Château d'Avignon is an unexpected combination of green landscapes, technology and architecture, created by the innovative mind of Louis Prat-Noilly.
In 1893, this rich merchant from Marseille purchased a château built in the 18th century by the Avignon family. The innovative mind of the new owner contributed to a radical transformation of the former country house, which became a beautiful hunting pavilion as a result of his initiative. ... The technological discoveries introduced at the universal expositions of 1889 and 1900 are here along with the devices that resulted from the theories of that time about sanitation and luxurious decors which reveal his upper class tastes."
This is the outside of the château - we toured* the inside, but photographs were prohibited. There were certainly a lot of luxurious bedroom suites, bathtubs with hot running water, electricity, systems for using the kitchen to heat and pipe water to various parts of the house.
The owner had spent considerable effort on exotic plants for the grounds - we saw yucca, magnolias, palms, and many plants we recognized from the Americas. These magnificent trees lined the drive.
There were a number of outbuildings, including a "heating building." It contains a coal boiler that heated water for the château (and it was a good 50 yards from the château - imagine the wait!). It also contained a car garage and mechanic's shop.
These are a forge and factory, and part of the water treatment system
This had a perfect floor for dancing :-)
We figured it wasn't quite the Pont d'Avignon, but close enough for us!
This water tower filtered sediment from the water and provided hydrolic power for electricity.
~~~
*while visiting the grounds was free, going inside the château was 4€ each. We aren't big fans of audio guides, so we declined them here. Well, it turns out there aren't any other explanations (no written descriptions), just some titles of the various rooms.
The first time we drove past the sign, we were surprised - we were nowhere near the city of Avignon! It turns out that this is the estate of the family of Avignon (and nothing to do with the city). From the flyer:
"Set on the western edge of the Rhône delta, the Château d'Avignon is an unexpected combination of green landscapes, technology and architecture, created by the innovative mind of Louis Prat-Noilly.
In 1893, this rich merchant from Marseille purchased a château built in the 18th century by the Avignon family. The innovative mind of the new owner contributed to a radical transformation of the former country house, which became a beautiful hunting pavilion as a result of his initiative. ... The technological discoveries introduced at the universal expositions of 1889 and 1900 are here along with the devices that resulted from the theories of that time about sanitation and luxurious decors which reveal his upper class tastes."
This is the outside of the château - we toured* the inside, but photographs were prohibited. There were certainly a lot of luxurious bedroom suites, bathtubs with hot running water, electricity, systems for using the kitchen to heat and pipe water to various parts of the house.
The owner had spent considerable effort on exotic plants for the grounds - we saw yucca, magnolias, palms, and many plants we recognized from the Americas. These magnificent trees lined the drive.
There were a number of outbuildings, including a "heating building." It contains a coal boiler that heated water for the château (and it was a good 50 yards from the château - imagine the wait!). It also contained a car garage and mechanic's shop.
These are a forge and factory, and part of the water treatment system
This had a perfect floor for dancing :-)
We figured it wasn't quite the Pont d'Avignon, but close enough for us!
This water tower filtered sediment from the water and provided hydrolic power for electricity.
~~~
*while visiting the grounds was free, going inside the château was 4€ each. We aren't big fans of audio guides, so we declined them here. Well, it turns out there aren't any other explanations (no written descriptions), just some titles of the various rooms.
07 October 2015
A Very Different Season
Fall is here, and it is a very different season at the beach! One weekend, the streets are teeming with people celebrating the Féria d'Automne, and the next, restaurants are closed for the year.
We considered going to Narbonne, but the beach was just too nice to give up - we lazed around instead :-)
We went out to lunch Friday - as usual, I took a (somewhat educated) chance on the menu, and ordered bulots. When they came, I was mildly surprised to find large, cold (but cooked) sea snails - in the shell, with a side of creamy garlic dip. They came with a sort of flat pin - I stuck it in and pulled. By the second one, I added a more successful twist (I found out later that the twist is the correct method - big surprise...). They were definitely different, and very good! But eight of them would have been a nice meal - and this was just the appetizer! The rest of that meal was fairly tame - beef kebab, fries, and then ice cream (tart lemon and dark chocolate!)
A few days later, we had a very nice storm
See, fishermen go out in any weather! Probably because they know the sun will pop out any minute)
This one did send some puddles to our apartment...
We considered going to Narbonne, but the beach was just too nice to give up - we lazed around instead :-)
We went out to lunch Friday - as usual, I took a (somewhat educated) chance on the menu, and ordered bulots. When they came, I was mildly surprised to find large, cold (but cooked) sea snails - in the shell, with a side of creamy garlic dip. They came with a sort of flat pin - I stuck it in and pulled. By the second one, I added a more successful twist (I found out later that the twist is the correct method - big surprise...). They were definitely different, and very good! But eight of them would have been a nice meal - and this was just the appetizer! The rest of that meal was fairly tame - beef kebab, fries, and then ice cream (tart lemon and dark chocolate!)
A few days later, we had a very nice storm
See, fishermen go out in any weather! Probably because they know the sun will pop out any minute)
This one did send some puddles to our apartment...
01 October 2015
So You Want to Live in France
Soooo. You have read about it, dreamt about it, and (oh, so tentatively) planned it...
You want to live in France!
What do you do? How do you go about it? Well, you talk to people. You get solid advice from those who know all the ins and outs. Moving to another country is *stressful* and full of unknowns; you want to talk about every little detail with people who know what you're going through, *and* can help you solve your problems and allay your fears.
Enter Renestance! Dennelle and her team are there to help! We met Dennelle yesterday (in person, finally :-) - she's sharp *and* very nice); she had helped us with a tricky insurance issue** with our rental apartment before we got to France. She contacted the landlady for clarification, when we couldn't (due to both time differences and the language of legal documents), and researched insurance companies and rules for us. This extra layer of information gave us some confidence and relieved a lot of anxiety about our reception here.
Please note: we have no incentive for touting Renestance, other than helping those who are interested in making their move to France easier. Having had the help of an immigration / how-to-live-here association in Costa Rica, we definitely know the value of this type of organization.
~~~
** Liability for French vacation rentals are covered by your typical French renter's (or owner's) insurance. So, many French owners expect that you have this coverage, that extends to their apartment when you rent it. However, neither English nor USA rental insurance companies expect to cover your vacation rental in France. And, they simply won't offer this coverage. So, you can be in a catch-22; you can't get insurance on an apartment that requires insurance. That's the answer. But, this is France - people are practical (and used to catch-22 situations); you can't get the insurance, but you're here. Life goes on. (More later on whether our landlady will be willing to rent in future to people from either England or the USA)
Turns out - it's easier if you are actually moving to France; then the French insurance companies will write you a year's contract...
You want to live in France!
What do you do? How do you go about it? Well, you talk to people. You get solid advice from those who know all the ins and outs. Moving to another country is *stressful* and full of unknowns; you want to talk about every little detail with people who know what you're going through, *and* can help you solve your problems and allay your fears.
Enter Renestance! Dennelle and her team are there to help! We met Dennelle yesterday (in person, finally :-) - she's sharp *and* very nice); she had helped us with a tricky insurance issue** with our rental apartment before we got to France. She contacted the landlady for clarification, when we couldn't (due to both time differences and the language of legal documents), and researched insurance companies and rules for us. This extra layer of information gave us some confidence and relieved a lot of anxiety about our reception here.
Please note: we have no incentive for touting Renestance, other than helping those who are interested in making their move to France easier. Having had the help of an immigration / how-to-live-here association in Costa Rica, we definitely know the value of this type of organization.
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** Liability for French vacation rentals are covered by your typical French renter's (or owner's) insurance. So, many French owners expect that you have this coverage, that extends to their apartment when you rent it. However, neither English nor USA rental insurance companies expect to cover your vacation rental in France. And, they simply won't offer this coverage. So, you can be in a catch-22; you can't get insurance on an apartment that requires insurance. That's the answer. But, this is France - people are practical (and used to catch-22 situations); you can't get the insurance, but you're here. Life goes on. (More later on whether our landlady will be willing to rent in future to people from either England or the USA)
Turns out - it's easier if you are actually moving to France; then the French insurance companies will write you a year's contract...
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