Observations and Points of Interest

Marietta, GA

1. Don’t order fish in restaurants on Mondays – fishermen don’t work on Sundays! 2. Most shops close on Mondays 3. Shops in towns close for lunch and re-open around 3pm 4. Vintners plant roses with the grapes because roses show any stress (due to disease, pests, weather, etc) before the grapes are affected 5. There are very few wild rabbits seen in Bordeaux because they are viewed as a food source for humans! 6. Look for hidden storage spots in French rental cars such as a drawer underneath the seat, a false bottom in the trunk – the cars have more storage than it appears! 7. Many road signs are labelled differently than they are on the map; i.e., “9215” may be the same as “N215” 8. There are fields and fields of sunflowers growing in the Loire valley. They are harvested both for the oil and for the flowers themselves 9. It’s unnecessary to do a visite at more than 2 of the bigger wineries because the information is similar at all of them. The small growers, however, are a bit different. But, it’s great to do several degustations to taste the different wines! 10. In the Bordeaux region, be sure to take the D2 (local) roads to see the area wineries 11. Surfing is very popular in the Atlantic towns in the Bordeaux region 12. Wear whatever clothing is comfortable for you, even in Paris. Some of the nicer restaurants may have dress codes, but we saw people dressed every which way! 13. There are no fat people in Paris, Loire, Bordeaux – tourists or otherwise! We didn’t see any overweight people until we got to the South of France. 14. French food portions are NOT significantly smaller than American ones. And, the food is quite rich and filling. 15. Airconditioning is NOT de rigeur in apartments or hotels – ask when you book your reservation! 16. Bring your own Splenda! Canderelle (French artificial sweetener) tastes fake. 17. Toulouse is a very pretty but modern city – there’s lots of industry on the outskirts. Why is it called the Pink City? Is it the color of the tile roofs? 18. Having an apartment in Paris is nice, but you have no concierge to help with the little things (like ordering a taxi, getting directions, making reservations, etc.) 19. We saw no big SUVs until we got to Monte Carlo – the streets are extremely narrow and gas prices are high! 20. If you will be driving yourself in France, use Michelin’s website to map out your routes. The online maps and driving directions we printed were fantastic! We wouldn’t have been able to navigate with regular maps alone.