We arrived in Paris at the Gare de Lyon in the hustle and bustle of a Friday afternoon in a train station.  So many people coming and going!

We looked at the metro to get to our hotel and when we realized it was two different changes, we said, all right, one taxi coming up!  It was only our second taxi in the whole trip, so we thought we’d earned it.

Across the Seine and up into the Latin Quarter, past so many buildings I recognized and streets I knew.  That is my part of Paris, where I feel at home.

I hadn’t been to the hotel in 3 ½ years, but we found it just fine.  I’ve been going to this hotel for at least twelve years and it is exactly the same each time, clean, very simple and the best deal in Paris.  But certainly not fancy.

But we did have a TV in our room, so were able to watch the end of that day’s stage of the Tour de France, which has been getting more exciting each day, as it is closer and closer to the end.  We were pulling for the Australian and it turns out he won!  Now that I’m an Aussie, I felt proud.

We walked down the street and found a restaurant that I’d been to before, right near the Pantheon.  Chicken, frites, salad and a glass of wine with a very polite waiter—not always the case in Paris!We strolled down Boulevard St. Michel to the Seine and stood watching the Bateaux Mouches glide by underneath.  The Notre Dame Cathedral, always majestic, was just down the street and the Seine glistened with the sunset light.

I’ve been to Paris many many times and only two other times in the summer.  I remembered why it’s better to go off-season–we were surrounded by tourists!  All the Parisians were ‘en vacances’, places like the Cote d’Azur, or Alsace—or Annecy!  Paris is always beautiful, but in fall, winter or spring, you are a part of the real city, with Parisians going about their lives.  That feels different.

I got my one scoop of real “vanille” ice cream and we headed back to the hotel.  I never liked vanilla ice cream until I discovered real French vanilla ice cream.  Very rich and creamy and those tiny bits of vanilla beans give it a distinctive flavor.

The next morning we took the RER train to Charles De Gaulle airport and got checked in for our flight to Miami and then on to San Francisco.  Almost twenty hours later, we arrived at our friends’ house in Marin for a much needed rest before the drive home.

Such a magical trip, even if summer, we discovered that we could have experiences where we could blend into the culture and feel it from the inside out.  I’m so going to miss that “pain au chocolate”each morning.  But there’s always next year!

Read the whole series:

• Part 6: The Most Romantic Village in France
• Part 5: Biking the French Alps
• Part 4: France by Train - Across the French Countryside Aboard the TGV
• Part 3: England to France (subways, trains, and still no automobiles!)
• Part 2: England: Trains, Subways, Bicycles, Feet – and no automobiles
• Part 1: England and France by Trains, Planes, and… No Automobiles!

——————-

Diane Covington
Award Winning Writer and Photographer
American Society of Journalists and Authors
Contributor Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011

We said goodbye to the owners of our little hotel in Veyrier du Lac and caught the bus for the six kilometers around the lake to the village of Valloires, which has been called “the most romantic village in France”. The easy fifteen-minute bus trip, cost only 4.20 Euros for the two of us–so much greener and cheaper than that taxi the first day in Annecy, which cost twenty euros.

Landon’s friend met us at the bus and drove us to his hand built home overlooking the lake and the village. From our perch up on the hillside, we marveled at the breathtaking views, watching the lake change from blue to green to gray as rain clouds danced across the sky.

One of the advantages of staying with “locals” is discovering jewels that you could never find on your own. That was the case when the next day, our friend drove us up into the hills, on rough and windy roads that required four-wheel-drive, up past fat cows wearing giant cow bells, till we ended up at a tiny chalet and farm, for lunch.

The menu of the restaurant centered around the Reblochon and Tomes cheeses, specialties of the region. Normally in the summer, we would have eaten outside, looking out over the spectacular view to the lake below. On this rainy and misty day, we crowded into the tiny wood-beamed bar, cozy and warmed by a woodstove.

The family run farm, which produces the special cheeses, has practiced their farming methods for generations—in this case, since the early twentieth century. The robust cows are milked twice a day, then graze in the hills on all of the rich herbes covering the landscape giving the cheese a ‘terroir’ flavor, similar to the concept of ‘terroir’ in wine.

The cows that produce the rich milk that becomes the delicious cheese, all grazed nearby or mooed from the milking barn, adjacent to the restaurant. Their huge cow bells clanged from around their necks as they mosied along; a collection of cow bells decorated the outside of the barn.

For lunch, we chose between bubbling fondues, tartiflettes (a casserole made with potatoes, onions, cheese and bacon), and omelettes, all enriched by the aromatic cheeses. When our omelette, salad and bread arrived, the omelette was as puffy and high as a soufflé. As a grande finale, we ordered hand made raspberry and blueberry tarts.

Ooh, la la and a good thing we’d been biking all week!

As we drove back down the hill, we spotted people ‘paragliding’ off the cliffs, drifting and circling through the sky down toward the lake. It’s possible to take a week-long course to learn to do the sport “solo” or to do a jump “tandem” with an experienced paraglider. I made a vow to try that next time. Even though I know I’ll have butterflies, it looks peaceful and amazing to sail through the sky like a bird, catching updrafts above the sparkling lake and next to the granite cliffs.

The village of Thalloires centers around the “plage” or beach at the lake. Set up for family summer fun, the large grassy area includes a swimming “pool” area along the edge of the lake, a diving board, slide and even ping-pong tables.

From our friend’s home, I could walk down for an early morning swim in the clear, clean water, and be the only person swimming in the lake. Then stop at the boulangerie for fresh warm bread and pain au chocolate on the way back up the hill.

At the end of our three-night stay, we caught the bus for the fifteen-minute return trip to Annecy to connect with the TGV train to Paris. The bus station is right across the street from the “gare” or train station, making it easy.

Now we’re settled into our comfy seats, gliding across France, watching the green landscape pass by. My computer is plugged in as I write and we’re about to enjoy our picnic at the table between us. It feels like a magic carpet ride. So much better than driving!

• Part 5: Biking the French Alps
• Part 4: France by Train – Across the French Countryside Aboard the TGV
• Part 3: England to France (subways, trains, and still no automobiles!)
• Part 2: England: Trains, Subways, Bicycles, Feet – and no automobiles
• Part 1: England and France by Trains, Planes, and… No Automobiles!
• Coming up next – finé

Diane Covington 2011

Our demi-pension option at the hotel, which includes two meals per day, is very reasonably priced—120 euros for two, including the room, and the food has been excellent. We’re getting very spoiled—walking downstairs to enjoy a four-course dinner on the terrace, as we watch the sun set over the lake.  After a few days, we feel like part of the family ourselves and have gotten to know the staff and some of the other guests.  I get a chance to practice my French, which is always a treat, though they do speak some English.

On the night of Bastille Day, July 14^th, we enjoyed the “feux d’artifice” or fire works show above the lake from Annecy, right from our little balcony.

To get to Annecy, we can take a bus, ride our bikes or take a “water taxi”, which is the most fun option.  Last Friday, July 15, I took the water taxi over to Annecy for the day.  Landon was going on a four-hour grueling bike ride up a mountain. After my bike tour of the lake, I was going to the open market and the spa.

The tiny cobblestone streets of the vielle ville or old part of town were crammed with stalls selling luscious cherries, peaches, nectarines, melons and every sort of fresh vegetable from the region.  Olives, sausages, cheeses, breads, candies–everywhere I turned I was temped with another sort of delectable treat, presented in the crowded bustle of the farmer’s market.

My spa visit, at L’Espace Premium in Annecy, turned out to be better than I could have imagined.  Here in France, they call spa treatments ‘soins’ which translates to ‘care’ and I felt so taken care of for two and a half hours.

I relaxed in a “hammam” or steam room, then was scrubbed with sea salts, then lounged in a bubbling bath, then laid on a table that massaged me up and down.  The ‘piece de resistance’ was a forty-five minute massage.  I was so relaxed that I barely wandered back to the water taxi for the jaunt home.

Since Annecy is such a popular tourist destination, the tourist office offers free guided tours in English several times a week.  There are markets almost every day and lots of cultural events, lake cruises, a casino, good shopping—whatever you’d like to do, it’s right there.  And yes, the spa—such a French wonder, not to be missed.

Our plan to rent bikes and take day trips out of Annecy has turned out to be perfect.  When it rained one day, we waited till late in the day and then went out for a late afternoon ride.  The hills around the lake look like scenes from the Sound Of Music.  We are enjoying our rides together and individually–the terrain around Annecy offers challenges for any level of cyclist.  My partner even did a climb that was a part of the Tour de France a few years ago (and I did a little of it).

We rented from Roul La Poule, where we chose from three different levels of bikes, ending up with the two best.  They were very helpful and friendly, speak some English and came and rescued us once when we had a breakdown—very important! http://www.annecy-location-velo.com

More soon, from Talloires, called the most romantic village in France, just a few kilometers further around the lake!

More in this series:

• Part 4: The French Countryside by Train
• Part 3: England to France (subways, trains, and still no automobiles)
• Part 2: England: Trains, Subways, Bicycles, Feet – and No Automobiles
• Part 1: London and the Advantages of Packing Light

Diane Covington 2011

July 14, 2011

We left Normandy early on the 13th for the two-hour train trip back to Paris, then connected by metro to the TGV train to Annecy, in the Haute Savoie, almost to Switzerland.

The TGV or fast train, the marvel of the French National Railroads, makes the journey from Paris to Marseilles, about four hundred miles, in just three hours.

Our trip, from Paris to Annecy, with a few stops, just under three hundred miles, also took three hours. The drive would have taken at least six, along winding mountain roads.

We used our French Rail passes, bought from Rail Europe, where we can travel any four days in a month in France, any distance on those days. We got a discount by buying a “saver pass”because we are traveling together and the rail pass ends up being much more economical than buying individual tickets.

The train is also less expensive than driving, when you take into consideration the cost of renting a car, gas, toll roads and parking. And in addition to being economical and fun, taking the train is much more “green” than driving.

As we sped across France, we sat back in plush seats facing each other across a table, chatting, laughing and enjoying the beauty of the countryside as if unfolded in front of us.

We passed bright fields of sunflowers, turning toward the sun, and rural cottages with tidy gardens and laundry flapping in the breeze. We watched the sky change as rain clouds danced across it and majestic mountains came into view.

We walked to the restaurant car for breakfast, then wandered back and snuggled back into our seats to read. As the train rocked and rattled along—we both drifted off for a delicious nap.

It began to rain and I was so grateful to be cozy in the train and not trying to figure out rural round abouts and French road signs in a tiny rental car.

When we arrived in Annecy, the rain was coming down hard and we did break down and take a taxi to our hotel, which is four kilometers from Annecy, in Veyrier du Lac, on the other side of the lake.

Annecy is renowned, not only for its pristine mountain lake, but for the excellent cycling opportunities in the area. We plan to rent bicycles for a week of riding each day, returning back to our hotel each evening. My partner Landon looks forward to the challenging rides straight up mountain passes, some of which have been included in the Tour de France. I am excited about riding around the lake, about 38 km or 25 miles, of relatively flat terrain and trying out some of the less difficult mountain rides.

Our two star, family run hotel, The Acacias Bellevue Hotel and Restaurant, which I found on the Internet, is quaint and clean, with a friendly staff. We chose to do the “demi-pension” option, which means that we have breakfast and dinner each day at the hotel.

Our tiny room has a balcony with an expansive view of the lake. We’re headed down for a swim and looking forward to beginning our bicycling adventure in this beautiful region.

For all the information on rail passes, visit RailEurope.com

More in this series:

• Part 3: England to France (subways, trains, and still no automobiles)
• Part 2: England: Trains, Subways, Bicycles, Feet – and No Automobiles
• Part 1: London and the Advantages of Packing Light

Diane Covington 2011

La Cadière d’Azur

The village of La Cadière d’Azur was our last stop before we had to head back to California. Nestled in the hills just a few kilometers from the Mediterranean, it glowed like a precious gem.

It is so rare to find a village that hasn’t been influenced or changed by tourism, and feels like a true ‘village Provencal’. La Cadière d’Azur does.

Wander down the narrow alleyways and up some stone steps and discover the 16^th century Church of Saint André. Its bell, the oldest in the Var region, tolls the hours and dates from 1458.

There is only one hotel in the village, L’Hostellerie Bérard & Spa, a family-run enterprise. The parents started it 40 years ago and now the son, like his father, has become a chef. Their daughter also came back to work with her parents, so you are being welcomed ‘en famille’—to a real French family, and that is how it feels.

After you enter the cozy reception area, you can wander into the bar and restaurant, with an expansive view of the vineyards and farms in the valley below.The 37 rooms of the hotel are tucked into four historic buildings next door– they are just part of the village.

The father, renowned chef René Bérard earned one Michelin star for the restaurant and his son, Jean-Francois is following in his footsteps.The family offers classes in cooking, wine, painting and there are opportunities for bicycling, hiking and other outdoor sports in the area.

Their Aroma Spa, combines aromatherapy with hydrotherapy treatments, also incorporating music and color into the programs. All of the herbs and oils used in the treatments come from their nearby organic farm—even the rose petals that decorate the mirrored surfaces are grown by the family. They offer a full menu of massages, body wraps and scrubs, facials—so many choices.

We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch, then a massage and a relaxed sojourn in the spa’s hammam, sauna and Jacuzzi soaking tubs . The hotel was booked, so we could only go for the day, but I look forward to going back to stay—for as long as possible.

I already want to return and explore this region of Provence again. It would be fun to plan a trip around wine tasting or ‘ degustation’ and really take the time to discover the wines of the Var region. Leisurely days of wine tasting, spa treatments and wonderful food, not to mention classes at the Hostellerie, well, if this isn’t ‘l’art de vivre’ that the French are so famous for, what is?

Some great websites that can help you to plan ahead and make sure that the Hostellerie is not booked up, are: Tourismevar.com (in French) and Var-Prestige.com (in French and English).

For more information, you can contact me at my website: DianeCovington.com.

Till next time, au revoir and happy traveling!