| FRANCE |
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| France is probably the first “foreign” Country you will have either visited or will visit. After all it`s right on our doorstep, as it were. But it is “over there” and it is different, and vive la difference!! I think it was General de Gaulle who asked how was one to govern a Country that had 326 different cheeses! Well the number of cheeses may vary, but the diversity of the country and the people persists, and long may it do so. Many are tempted to get off the ferry at Calais and go shooting down South, either to the Dordogne or the Riviera. Nice as these two regions are, it is a very great shame that more don`t take the trouble to explore what is just across the Manche (or Channel to you!) The Pas de Calais and the northern part of Normandy has some of the most delightful countryside you will ever hope to find. Avoid the motorways, and the red main roads, and seek out the yellow coloured roads on the map, and you can travel for hours without seeing another tourist, and sometimes not even another car. La Suisse Normande, is as the name implies, a part of France that is Switzerland in miniature. And where else nowadays can you see views of Oak forests stretching as far as the eye can see. Get a good detailed map and explore the hamlets that hide in these great woods, enjoy some of the finest local cuisine, with Calvados (Cider brandy), and Porc de Normande, cooked with the most delicious full cream sauce! The contrasts don`t just end there, with a population roughly equal to that of England (and I have not included Wales or Scotland) it has more than four, yes 4 times the area and if you avoid the main roads and the motorways at peak times, a whole lot less traffic. On the question of motoring, avoid like the plague the end of July and the whole of August, when virtually the whole of Paris and its environs depart for their annual month`s holiday, heading to all the honeyspots that make up just some of the attractions of France. Also, avoid trying to drive too far in one day. You will become tired, your family (and/or children) will become fractious, and you will miss an awful lot of beautiful places en route in your hurry to eat up the miles and get to your destination. With regard to maps, I have always used the yellow Michelin with scale of 1 cm to 2 km (3 miles to the inch). But with nearly 40 maps making up the full set and at nearly £4 each, it makes better sense to invest in the Motoring Atlas of France produced by Michelin on the same scale but at a fraction of the cost. I actually bought mine which covers the whole of France at a discount book store for £3.99!! The attractions of France are too many to list, and of course depends on what the individual likes. But as the pictures below show these can range from the Palace of Versailles to Disneyland, from the glamour of Paris and the Sacre Coeur to the flower-bedecked Town Hall of a Normandy village. From the plains of lavender fields to the magnificent splendour of the Gorges du Verdon with chasms some 2,500 feet deep! Do some research before you go and consult guide books for the area you will be staying in and you are bound to find some little gems that will convince you that you are the first “tourist” to discover them!! By the way, just a useful little tip if you are visiting Paris. Don`t be tempted to queue for ages to go up the Eiffel Tower (you`ll never make it walking up anyway!). For the best view of the Eiffel Tower itself (you can`t see much of it when you are at the top!) go to the Tour de Montparnasse (cost - a fraction of that for the lift at the Eiffel Tower) and on the 56th floor you will have the most breathtaking views of the whole of Paris, the Tower, The Sacre Coeur, The Arc de Triomphe - the lot! Some say that they find the French rude and not very hospitable. Well I say it depends on how you approach them. If your first words are “Do you speak English?” then I`m afraid you will usually get very short shrift, and who can blame them. After all you are a guest in their country and I think it really is up to us to make some sort of effort to speak to them in their language, however schoolboyish, and never be afraid you will make a fool of yourself. They will be thrilled you made an effort and after that will do all they can to make you most welcome. On many occasions we have been included in family get-togethers that are a feature of their lives, on Sundays generally when ALL the family get together, granny and grandpa included, and the meal which starts at about 2pm will and quite often does, go on to 2am. The different courses keep coming, and the wine keeps flowing, and the talk rebounds around the table, so that when finally you depart you really do feel part of their family. Of course, from early in 2002 France along with most of the other countries of the EU converted to the Euro, a shame I think because it will be one important thing less that will distinguish the European Countries from each other. Grappling with a strange currency and strange notes and coins has always been an enjoyable part of the many holidays we have spent in France. In September, 2001, we found a very cheap flight with GO from Bristol to Nice. We used Chez Nous which is a Directory of Adverts for English Speaking Owners of properties in all areas of France where you can book direct with the owners. Obtain your copy by phone - 0870-444-6600, or visit www.cheznous.com You really are spoilt for choice. We chose a small apartment which was an annexe to the owners` home in the Var region situated on the coast midway between Marseille and Toulon at a little place called St.Cyr sur mer. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Coyle and their three children have a lovely home there and the separate annexe offers every possible facility. They can be reached at 0033-4-91-17-22-69 or by email coyle@laps.univ-mrs.fr It is in the centre of a realtively unspoilt part of the Cote d`Azur and in a very good region for fine wine!! The first two weeks of September is an excellent time to go to this area as the children are generally back at school and the crowds have mostly gone. The weather, however, remains very warm and very sunny. Click here to see our pictures |
| ENJOY!! |
| French Tourist Office - click the Link below: |
| 178, Piccadilly, London, England, WV1 0AL Tel: 0891-244123 Fax: 0171-4936594 |