Travel Tips

Some of the notable experiences and events we enjoyed most are included here as our "travel tips". These added to the experience of learning about all things French. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Monsieur Patrick

If it sounds like a duck, walks like a duck, and flaps its wings like a duck, and you are on a Rick Steves Best of France Tour, what is it?

TIP: Patrick ".....don't be shy!"

Road Safety du Minerve

On our arrival at the village of Minerve, we had a few moments to view some of the local color. These small trucks were being used for the grape harvest. It is well known that farmers get every last bit of value out of their equipment; the French are no exception. This truck looked like something that may have survived WWII; however, note the condition of the tires! Perhaps is is time to use spare tire.

TIP: If you encounter these trucks hauling heavy loads of grapes on the narrow, twisting, one-lane roads to the winery, give them all the respect they deserve!

Old Nice

Local Time du Canunes-Minervioisas

One morning (about 8:30 am) in Canunes-Minervioisas as we walked to the bus we noticed the time indicated on the high-tech, digital, state-of-the-art, electronic, illuminated time piece above the door of the city hall building.

TIP: Do the math.

3 Basic Food groups

The three basic food groups for a Rick Steves Tour are coffee, gelato, and dark chocolate. When it comes to dark chocolate, the best comes from Europe. It is important to keep the cocoa content high enough to be real dark chocolate but not so high as to make it bitter.

TIP: Keep the cocoa content between 70% and 80%.

Innovative Laundry

It sometimes takes considerable effort to get your hand-washed clothes dry. In this case there wasn't any good place to rig the close line and the weather wasn't cooperating. With the help of a handy lamp we got the job done!

TIP: Do your laundry the first night you arrive in the hotel; otherwise it might not get dry.

Diet Coke and Ice du France

If you actually get ice whe you order a diet coke, you will only get 1 or 2 cubes. Diet Coke is hard to find, usually tastes funny, and is often more expensive than beer or wine. Try bottled water "with gas".

TIP: You are visiting France, not Burger King - so you don't always get "it" your way.