Category Archives: Accommodation

Accommodation, Austria, Cycling, Restaurants, Sightseeing

Cycling along the Danube – Passau to Linz: the S-bend

July 18, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

We’re staying at Gasthof Dexler in Niederranna on the Danube close to the S-bend between Linz in Austria and Passau in Germany so are able to start directly from our hotel. It turns out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

The bike path in front of Gasthof Dexler

The sky is blue and it’s 22°C when we leave at 9.30 after saying goodbye to the Aussie cyclists. We come to the end of our shady cycle path at Au and take a little ferry across to Schlogen.

We cycle towards the second bend at Inzoll and take a rest stop at Gasthof Steindl and watch the river traffic.

Coffee break on the Danube at Inzoll — Coffee break on the Danube at Gasthof Steindl in Inzell

We continue on until we are opposite Untermühl. It’s wonderfully quiet and peaceful with no cars. However, by now I’m severely bitten by mosquitos because I’ve stupidly forgotten to use spray and although the little waterfalls along the way might be cute they’re a great breeding ground.

A little waterwall along the bike path between Inzell and Obermühl

We locate the ferry opposite Untermühl, but there is no sign of a ferryman so I go to a nearby gasthof where I am told in German with appropriate handsigns that I have to press the button on the intercom near the ferry.

The intercom at the second ferry crossing opposite Untermühl

Fortunately a young German couple who speak English have arrived by then and are able to interpret the message that the ferryman will be there in 10 minutes. He soon turns up on his little tractor, jumps into the ferry and takes us across while Jean Michel studies the next part of the trip.

Studying up the route on the second ferry

From Untermühl, we cycle back to Obermühl crossing a couple of rivers on the way and have the most delicious wiener schnitzel and a very cold glass of riesling on a shady terrace overlooking the Danube. By the time we get there, it’s 2.45. I just love the way they serve meals all day in Germany and Austria!

Lunch in the shade with a view of the Danube

With renewed courage, we continue on to Steinbruch where we are to take another ferry which is already halfway across the Danube.

An Austrian couple waiting to go in the other direction (Aschach) tells us in English to call the ferryman on the intercom so he can come back and get us. I ask the man if he would mind doing it for us as I am afraid of not being understood.

This time, the ferry is bigger and our trip back up the river takes about 20 minutes – a little mini-cruise in the middle of the Danube.

From our ferry on the Danube — Looking back towards Au

We get out at Au and cycle back to our hotel, a total of 59 kilometers and a cycling time of 3 ½ hours. My knees are feeling a little wobbly!

Map taken from our travel diary showing Niederramma on the left where we began and Untermuhl where we began the return journey — Map taken from our travel diary showing Niederranna on the left where we began and Untermuhl where we began the return journey

It’s only 4.30 so Jean Michel suggests we go up to a blick (lookout) near Schlogen and get a bird’s eye view of the loop we have just ridden. We park the car and walk through the forest for about a quart of an hour before we reach the blick. The view is absolutely stunning.

When we get back to the car the sky is threatening and we can only spend a few minutes on the terrace before the rain starts. I have the brilliant idea of taking the table and chairs into the room so we enjoy our apéritif watching the rain and reminiscing over our truly exceptional day.

Accommodation, Cycling, Germany, Restaurants, Sightseeing

Eurovelo 6 – Cycling around Lake Constance

July 10, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 37 Comments

We’ve left the Danube and are now staying in Moos on Lake Constance, which is called the Bodensee in German. However, we’re still on the Eurovelo 6 route from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Two years ago, on our way home from Croatia, we spent a few days cycling around Schaffhausen and Stein am Reim, where the famous Reinfall waterfalls are to be found.

The Eurovelo 6 route from the Atlantic Coast to the Dead Sea — The Eurovelo 6 route from the Atlantic Coast to the Black Sea

We arrived late afternoon yesterday and had time to cycle to Hornstaad for dinner and back. Our hotel, Gasthaus Schiff, is so close to the cycle path that we can see it from the terrace! It’s wonderful to be able to be able to set out directly on our bikes and not have to take the car. When we were staying in Niederleierndorf, it took us thirty to sixty minutes to get to the cycle path, depending on where we wanted to go. We now realise that we shouldn’t stay more than 3 nights in one place.

Our hotel from the Eurovelo 6 bike path - 1st floor on the right — Our hotel from the Eurovelo 6 bike path – 1st floor on the right

Initially, we were supposed to stay in Moos five nights, but we were able to cancel the last two so we can go further along the bike path, this time in France, near Dole where our chambre d’hôte is also very close to the Eurovelo 6 route. We’re very happy with Gasthaus Schiff, which is spacious, has a desk, a sofa, a low table and a terrace. It also has excellent soundproofing and opaque curtains that keep the light out. In Niederleierndorf, we were woken by daylight at 4.30 am! It also has the best breakfast we’ve had yet.

Breakfast on the terrace of Gasthaus Schiff

The village of Moos is very quiet and peaceful and reminds me of Magnetic Island, even though they are nothing alike. To get to our restaurant last night, we rode through hay fields full of storks, with reeds and Lake Constance in the distance.

Hayfield full of storks with the lake in the distance

We rode back into a magnificent sunset.

Today we went to the town of Konstanz, which is nothing out of the ordinary, but our ride back along the Swiss side of the lake was very pretty.

We took the ferry over to Reichenau Island after having a very expensive lunch in Ermatingen because it was 2.30 pm by then and the normal, already pricey, menu of the only restaurant we could find was no longer available. We then discovered that the ferries only run every two hours, unlike the little ones on the Danube that cross when they see someone waiting on the other side.

Two little Swiss girls selling cherries in front of their house - with Mum sunbathing in the background! — Two little Swiss girls selling cherries in front of their house – with Mum sunbathing in the background!

So we continued on to Mannebach where there was a ferry at 4.40 pm, buying cherries on the way from two little Swiss girls with their own little stall. As soon as we reached the Island, I checked we’d have a ferry to take us back to Iznang, which is only a couple of kilometers from Moos. Reinenau is connected by a bridge to the mainland on the east so we wouldn’t have been stuck on the island but it would have meant a 40 km trip back home and we’d already clocked up over 50 by then.

Our corner of Lake Constance, with Moos on the left and Konstanz on the right. The main lake is to the east of Konstanz.

And it’s a good thing I did check because the last ferry left at 6.40 pm. The island was a little disappointing. It mainly seems to consist of market gardens and nondescript villages. I was looking forward to visiting a church with 1000 year-old wall paintings but it’s only open for a few hours a day for guided tours in German and we were obviously too late.

The Swiss side of Lake Constance from the ferry

We enjoyed the 30-minute ferry ride back across the lake even though and by the time we got back to Gasthaus Schiff, we had ridden a total of 968 kilometers since starting our holiday on 17th July so we will definitely be reaching the 1000 kilometer mark.

Accommodation, Cycling, Home exchange, Hungary

Budapest – more accommodation problems

June 27, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 10 Comments

We’re driving along the motorway to Budapest pleased to have our Aschach and Bratislava accommodation experiences behind us.

This time, there should be no problems. We have organised a home exchange with an American couple who have a well-located apartment in the centre of Budapest which they let and exchange. They have kindly agreed to our arriving ahead of schedule because of the bad weather in Aschach. We can arrive on Wednesday around noon and L. will be there to give us the key.

We leave Aschach on Tuesday and stay overnight in Bratislava which is a two-hour drive from Budapest. We arrive about fifteen minutes ahead of time, park right in front of the appartment, get some florints out the bankomat, buy a couple of things for lunch and feed the surprisingly expensive parking meter.

L. arrives on cue, very apologetic. There is no electricity. His father has been looking after the apartment for A. but is now in hospital after major brain surgery and the last electricity bill has not been paid. He takes us up to the apartment, which is spacious and has everything we need, in particular a washing machine which is starting to become a major preoccupation.

Jean Michel goes into panic mode, much worse than in Bratislava and is looking furious. Neither L. nor I has A’s phone number unfortunately but L has sent her an email. Apologising profusely, L. goes off to look after the electricity problem saying he’ll be back in an hour or so.

We decide to have lunch in the meantime. Jean Michel is very pessimistic but I try to stay calm and be as nice to L as I can be. It isn’t his fault, after all! He soon returns with bad news. Even if he pays the electricity bill in cash, the electricity company will not put the power back on unless the owner of the apartment is present. L’s father has an official proxy but he doesn’t and A. is in the US. We’re in Hungary, he says.

Jean Michel wants to get out of Budapest as soon as he can. He looks up the Routard and finds an appartment to rent in Esztergon, a small town on the Danube an hour’s drive away, where we will be able to do our washing*. I have a look but am not convinced. I suggest Szentendre which is closer to Budapest and seems more promising but no apartments are listed. Jean Michel is adament, particularly after he discovers he has left his photo-grey sunglasses behind in the appartment.

Basilica in Eztergon — Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Esztergon

About a half an hour out of town, we enter a forest and the road starts winding up a small mountain. We finally come down the other side and into the very dismal little town of Esztergon. We pull up at the address in the Routard and I have another look at the description. I quote, “We don’t know why anyone would possibly want to stay in Esztergon, but if you do, here are a few addresses.” Jean Michel had not read that bit.

I start laughing and Jean Michel at last joins me. We park the car near Hungary’s biggest building, the Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so we can visit it before going to Szentendre. It is certainly huge but not particularly attractive.

We drive along the Danube to Szentendre, stopping off on the way at Visigrad and driving up a hill behind it from which there is a breathtaking view of the Danube.

The main pedestrian street in Szentender

Szentendre turns out to be a pretty little town with a pedestrian area in the middle and no fewer than five churches. After calling in at the tourist office for local bike maps just before it closes, we go to Roz Panzio the first of two hotels listed in the Routard under the prix moyens et plus chics category. We are shown two rooms and choose the largest. Then I ask about washing. The lady takes us to the hotel laundry, then phones someone on her cell. “No, I’m sorry”, she says, “not possible”.

We try the second address, Mathias Rex Panzio, which I actually prefer. Yes, there’s a double room for 50 euros including breakfast. Wifi? Yes. Parking? Yes. Washing? No. So I explain about the apartment falling through and our 10 days’ washing. “OK”, she says. “You can use our private washing machine.” I thank her profusely. The room isn’t very big, but it’s clean, it has a comfortable bed and a very interesting bathroom, that appears to be all moulded in one piece. We take it. Dinner? At Movies (actually Muvesz) down the road.

We change, take the bikes off the back of the car and off we go. It’s amazing how quickly the annoyances of the day disappear. From the height of the water in the Danube, we are lucky to be cycling at all. The whole area was obviously badly flooded.

Muvesz turns out to be an excellent address and for the equivalent of 30 euros for the two of us, we have two courses and a glass of red and white wine each. Tomorrow, we’ll visit Budapest.

*We have been unable to find a laundromat in either Germany or Austria despite a lot of time spent following up non-existent addresses.

Mathias Rex Panzio, Kossuth Lajos utca 16, Szentendre 2000, Hungary. www.mathiasrexhotel.hu info@mathiasrexhotel.hu

Accommodation, Slovakia, Travelling

Bratislava, a Memorable Experience

June 26, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

We leave Aschach for Bratislava in pouring rain, shortening our stay by 3 days. After a picnic in the car in a desolate rest-stop about 20 minutes out of Bratislava in what must be the windiest part of Austria, in the middle of an immense field of wind turbines, we follow the GPS instructions to our hotel, that we reserved with booking.com the night before and which is supposed to be ten minutes from the historical centre.

“I don’t like this at all”, says Jean Michel. “We’re not even remotely near the centre”. “Vous êtes arrivé”, says the GPS with not a hotel in sight, just sad-looking low-income high-rise buildings. I get out and go to Zadunasjska cesta 12, after checking it’s the right address, and a helpful lady speaks to me in Slovak. I show her the address on my iPhone and she tells me in rudimentary English that it’s on the other side of a flyover.

The high-rise buildings where our GPS took us

I get back in the car, doing my best to calm down Jean Michel. He’s convinced we’re the victims of an Eastern European con trick. We try to follow her instructions. At last, we spot the name of the hotel and eventually arrive in a parking lot in what seems to be a small shopping centre. We park the car and follow the signs, up a pedestrian footbridge and into the hotel.

I explain to the hostess that we thought the hotel was close to the historical centre and that we want to cancel. The manager comes out and says that we just have to walk across the bridge over the Danube and we’ll be in the centre – 10 minutes. She explains that with booking.com we have to cancel 24 hours in advance.

Jean Michel is looking furious so I smile and say that we’ll take the room. The hostess says there is a bus that takes 5 minutes, just two stops, to get to the historical centre. I hear a groan next to me. She gives us the key to the room. The interior is fine, if a little dark and taupe. It has good soundproofing and a decent shower. Unfortunately, I don’t recognise the stale smoke smell straight away. We go down and bring up our small overnight bag and other necessities.

In the meantime, the hostess has written out the bus instructions and shows us out the back way, where we have to negotiate a couple of broken planks at the bottom of the stairs. Thankfully, Jean Michel has now decided to make the most of the experience.

We arrive at the bus stop almost immediately, get tickets out the machine as instructed and wait for the n° 88 which pulls up within a couple of minutes. We go under and over a couple of flyovers, then across the Danube and down into a grotty terminus under the bridge.

Tree-lined pedestrian street at the entrance to the old town of Bratislava

Within two minutes, we are in the pretty though small historical centre of Bratislava. We wander around admiring the various buildings reminiscent of Austria and eventually have hot chocolate and cream cakes at Kaffee Meyer one of the city’s most reputed establishments. I figure we can give dinner a miss!

It doesn’t take long to exhaust the historical centre so we go further afield and are struck by the general grime and dereliction. We follow some people into a large church and are introduced to Slovak baroque, much darker than its Austrian and German counterpart.

Bazilika Kincstar baroque church in Bratislava

We choose Le Monde opposite the Carlton for a glass of local wine. The waiter who takes our order for a dry local white is very off-hand, almost insolent, but the waitress who brings our wine is friendly and professional. The xxx is enjoyable.

After walking along the Danube to the bridge (and incidentally not regretting that it is too chilly to cycle, as there is nothing much to see apart from the high-rise buildings opposite), we decide to walk back to the hotel since it is only supposed to be 10 minutes from the historical centre.

A half an hour later, after walking through a shopping centre full of the same middle-of-the-range shops you find in French shopping centres such as Camaieu and C&A, going over a footbridge, up and down as few staircases, under a couple of flyovers and along an overgrown path, we finally arrive at our hotel.

Jean Michel on the path back to the hotel

That is when the stale cigarette smell hits me. We keep the window open until we go to bed despite the cold outside and the noise of the expressway but I feel slightly nauseous and headachy all night. Two women talk in piercing voices somewhere until about 3 am. A sort of whining noise is repeated at regular intervals, probably due to the wind on the pedestrian walkway.

By 7.30 am, doors are banging, showers are running and toilets flushing. After breakfast, where there is only herbal tea but very good bread, we leave the Hotel Esprit and Bratislava without regret!

Accommodation, Austria, Cycling, Germany

Rain on the Danube in Austria

June 25, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

When we leave Andelfingen after six wonderful days of cycling along the Danube, the weather forecast for our next stop – Aschach in Austria – is not promising. As we’ve never been to Munich, we decide to stop for a couple of hours on the way.

Marienplatz in Munich during the Stadtlaufmüncher marathon

Unfortunately, there is a big annual sports event on – 10,000 people running a marathon or semi-marathon – and the main square, Marienplatz, is chock-a-block which somewhat detracts from the historical ambiance. We see the main sights beneath an overcast sky, have a picnic lunch on a bench (it’s a fast day) and continue on our way.

After leaving the motorway at Passau at the juncture between Austria and Germany, which we visited on another occasion, we drive along the Danube, much wider and navigable here, seeing the aftermath of the recent floods. The river looks muddy and there is silt on the edge of the pavements and piles of debris everywhere. Nothing like the bucolic scenery we have left behind in Germany.

At the turnoff to Aschach, large production installations loom on the right and I begin to worry about what we’ll find. From the internet photos, our hotel, Gastof zür Sonne, seemed to be right on the water but, in fact, it is across the road. A not-very-friendly young man gives us a key card and sends us up to room 4 on the second floor.

Gasthaus Sonne in Aschach — Gasthof zür Sonne in Aschach

As we walk into the room, I see the wash basin is in an open area on the left ; the shower and toilet are behind a frosted glass door on the right. The room is small with dark furniture including an open wardrobe and a view of the Danube. I go into complaint mode and Jean Michel says I have to make up my mind whether we are staying or going. By then it is 6 pm and looking for another place to stay seems a bit daunting. I go down to the desk and ask if there is another room that doesn’t have a wash basin in the entrance. It seems they are all the same.

An iron door inside the Gasthaus Sonne — An iron door inside the Gasthof zür Sonne

We bring up our luggage and bits and pieces and I empty our small case into the wardrobe so we can change into our cycling clothes, pointing out all the negative aspects of the room as I go. Jean Michel understandably starts to get annoyed so I stop complaining. It is then that I realise that an automatic light comes on over the wash basin/entrance each time you go past which means that when I get up in the night, the whole room will be flooded with light.

Even Jean Michel sees the impossibility of that! We go back down and I put on my best smile to ask how to stop the light coming on automatically. The young man comes up reluctantly to have a look. However, he immediately understands the problem and says that unfortunately all the new rooms are like that but we can have the “old” room next door. Not only is the washbasin inside the bathroom this time; the open wardrobe is hidden behind the door, the room is much bigger and we have a sofa from which we can comfortably see the Danube.

An enormous cruise ship on the Danube at Aschach

This time my smile is not forced. “Perfect”, I say. “And look, the washbasin is not in the entrance”. The young man then explains that he thought I was objecting to the bathroom being on the left, not about the washbasin being in the entrance (he didn’t know the word in English). We rapidly change into our cycling clothes and get in an hour’s cycling before dinner.

Swans on the Danube at Aschach am der Donau

That, however, proves to be the last time we cycle for several days. It rains all night and next morning, it’s 12°. Change of programme.

Accommodation, Art, Cycling, France, Paris

Where do you ride your bicycle? Velib in Paris and Hubway in Boston want to know! – escaping the tourist trail in Paris

August 28, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

In this week’s Bloggers’ Round-up, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris compares Vélib in Paris and Hubway in Boston while Caroline Lee from Escape to Paris shares her experience of staying in an unusual and little-known place in Paris. Let’s join them!

Where do you ride your bicycle? Vélib in Paris and Hubway in Boston want to know!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

With over 20,000 bicycles, the Vélib public bike sharing system is well on its way to becoming as synonymous with Paris as the Eiffel Tower. No matter the time of year or the weather, it’s easy to spot enthusiastic cyclists crossing the Pont St. Louis or making their way precariously around the Place de la Concorde. Whenever I see an impeccably dressed woman in a skirt and high heels or a man balancing a large musical instrument on the back of his bicycle, I always want to ask where they’re headed. It seems that I’m not the only one who wants to know because the official website for the city of Paris recently posted a slide show of people who responded to the question, “Tu vas où avec ton Vélib’?” (Where do you go with your Velib?”). My favorite answer was by a couple from New York who said, “We’re wandering around without a precise destination today. Maybe we’ll go to the Luxembourg or the Tuileries, we’ll see.” Read More

escaping the tourist trail in Paris…

by Carolyne Lee, from Escape to Paris, an Australian writer, teacher, and researcher who tries to spend every spare moment in France.

Passing through Paris not long ago, on my way to Toulouse, I needed a bed for a night, and stayed in a miniscule but lovely studio in a three-storey house in a street which my Paris friends later told me they had never heard of! It also seemed that tourists hadn’t heard of it, although as well as L’Hotel Particulier, where I stayed, I noticed another of the houses functions as a hotel, Hotel Mignon, mignon translating as ‘cute’. That certainly describes the whole street. It’s rue Cremieux, close to the Gare de Lyon, a street of former workers’ houses, now gentrified, all painted different colours–some quite startling. Some even had various quirky decorations, and the whole effect was sublime. Many of the houses are owned and lived in by families, so even though it looks a bit theme-parky, it wasn’t like that at all. Children were playing in the street, neighbours were chatting, a few people even said ‘bonjour’ to me. My pictures will tell the story much more eloquently… Read more

Accommodation, Art, Italy, Travelling

My Genuine Italian Fresco

July 11, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

I told you recently about the beautiful impressionist painting by John Modesitt we have just bought. It is the first oil painting I’ve bought, but I have other original artworks that I am very fond of. One of my favourites (but they’re all my favourites!) is an Italian fresco.

We were in Italy a couple of years ago , almost at the end of a four-week holiday and were staying in a marvellous B&B near Parma called Corte Bebbi. The bedrooms were large and comfortable and beautifully decorated, there was a swimming pool to cool off in, a little kitchen next to our room that we could use, an outside eating area for picnics and grills and a rose-covered terrace for a delicious breakfast. Our hostess, who speaks English, was friendly and extremely helpful. Our only regret was that we didn’t stay there longer!

One of the places we visited was Sabbioneta, 30 k north of Parma, which reminded us of Vauban in France with its grid layout, a perfect example of practical application of Renaissance urban planning theories founded in the late 16^th century and included in the World Heritage List in 2008. Its most interesting monument is the Teatro all’antica (“Theatre in the style of the ancients”) which was the first free-standing, purpose-built theatre in the modern world.

But the place I enjoyed most was an amazing antique/secondhand dealer on Palazzo Ducale several stories high with the most incredible mixture of real antiques and junk. The owner was more interested in showing people around than selling anything. There was an outside section as well with fountains and stone tables and chairs. He was even selling a clock with twin bells on top and the inscription “Non omnis moriar” – I will not die completely (as in part of me will live on through my poetry or whatever).

In the meantime, I had spied a (closed) shop selling frescoes and had asked for one of them as a belated birthday present. We tracked down the owner who came and opened up for us. It is her father who paints the frescoes in the traditional style. A fresco, from the Italian word for fresh, is a form of mural painting in which earth pigments are painted directly on fresh, wet, lime plaster. As the plaster dries, a chemical process bonds the pigment and plaster together. You usually find them on a wall, of course, but they are a bit difficult to transport! Even so, Relationnel was a bit worried about getting it back to France, but we were just able to fit it into the car.

It has not found its rightful place yet although it is currently hanging in our entrance in Paris but one day I’ll find the perfect setting in Closerie Falaiseau, our Renaissance home in Blois!

Corte Bebbi, Azienda Agricola “Conti Morini Mazzoli” CORTE BEBBI – Via Lazzaro Spallanzani, 119 – Barco – 42021 Bibbiano – (RE), Tel. 0522 243056 – Fax 0522 246183 – Cell. 3485606321, http://www.cortebebbi.it/ENG/index.html, – info@cortebebbi.it – P.Iva 01688540358

Accommodation, Belgium, Cycling, France, Sightseeing, Travelling

Liege-Guillemins – Europe’s Most Impressive Railway Station – Fougères and the St. James American Cemetary, Brittany – Cycling the Atlantic Coast: Likes, Dislikes and What I Would Do Differently

July 10, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

In my bloggers’ round-up this week, we start off in Liège in Belgium with a description of an iconic railway station by Kathy Standford from Femmes Francophiles who also shares her impressions of the Thalys train service. Abby from Paris Weekender then takes us on a trip to Fougères, which is also one of my favourites, discovered by accident on a return trip from Brittany. Experience France by Bike then sums up her recent trip along the Atlantic Coast.

Liège-Guillemins – Europe’s Most Impressive Railway Station

by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles a fellow Australian and Francophile who is spending 3 months in Europe, based in France

In just over 2 hours after boarding the Thalys train at Gard de Nord in Paris, I arrived in Liège, Belgium at the spectacular Liège-Guillemins station. It has been described as one of the most impressive railway stations in Europe – and I would have to agree. Designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava Valls, it was inaugurated in 2009. Nestled against a tree-covered hill, the station is described to be in the shape of a woman lying on her back. It is easy to see why with its steel, glass and white concrete, wavelike structure rises 32 metres and extends 160 metres. Read more.

Fougères and the St. James American Cemetery, Brittany

by Abby from Paris Weekender, a collection of ideas for Paris weekends: staying put and getting out of town

Near the border of Brittany and Normandy in the department of Ile-et-Vilaine (Brittany), equidistant between Rennes and the northern coast, lies the medieval city of Fougères. I had often driven right past Fougères. It’s hard to drive all the way to Brittany and not head straight for the coast. Yet Fougères makes a perfect stop for a few hours on the way to Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo, Dinan or further west. Read more.

Cycling the Atlantic Coast: Likes, Dislikes and What I Would Do Differently

by Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Looking back at my recent bicycling trip along the Atlantic Coast of France, the first word that comes to mind is adventure. This is funny because that really wasn’t what I had in mind as I embarked on this trip! This was my first trip to explore “La Velodyssee”, the French portion of EuroVelo 1, stretching from Roscoff to the Spanish border and I really had no idea what to expect as far as the route was concerned. I researched the route thoroughly, knew which deviations I wanted to take, and, like all cyclists, hoped that the weather would cooperate. Read more.

Accommodation, Art, Loire Valley

A Painter Comes to Stay

July 4, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 16 Comments

Closerie Falaiseau was almost ready for rental when I received a phone call from an American and his wife who wanted to stay for nine days, starting just two days later. I was having dinner at L’Embarcadère with Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles. Relationnel had already gone back to Paris to work. I frantically tried to remember what still had to be done to receive our first guests but it seemed “do-able”.

When John Modesitt and his very charming Japanese wife Toshiko arrived on the Sunday, everything was ready. I showed them around and they immediately loved the house. Toshiko seemed intrigued by the Henri II mirror in the living room and she also liked the fact that you could see the kitchen through the original oak beams. John loved all the wood everywhere. He mentioned to Kathy that he “painted” but it was not until a few days later that I discovered that he is a well-known American impressionist artist and the only living impressionist to auction in Christie’s impressionist auction.

Relationnel and I returned to Blois while John and Toshiko were still there and we were delighted to see his recent paintings spread out on the floor of the kitchen to dry. They had two days left before returning to San Diego which is the time needed for an oil painting to be dry enough to roll up. John was out in the countryside finishing off his last painting. Toshiko explained to me that he had spent a lot of time working on the colour green this year. There are many different shades of green in the French landscape that are difficult to render on canvas.

I had already seen some of John’s paintings on his website so I knew that I liked his style. When I saw the actual canvasses, though, I knew I wanted one! There were several I liked but one in particular took my eye. Relationnel preferred another painting but it was of Amboise and I wanted one of Blois! So we went away and thought about it. From time to time while John and Toshiko were out, we’d steal a look through the glass door of the kitchen and finally decided which one we wanted. “The Loire at Blois, Noon”. It depicts a scene that we see each time we take the lovely drive from Closerie Falaiseau into Blois along the Loire River.

John just had the time to stretch the canvas for us before he left. Now all we have to do is frame it. We are extremely happy to have this beautiful work of art for more reasons than one. First, we both love the painting itself and that is surely the best criterion! We love the composition, with its brightly-coloured turn-of-the-century house and tall poplars up on the left , the steel truss bridge spanning the Loire, Relationnel’s favourite river, with its sand banks in the middle and overgrown vegetation. And you can almost see the clouds moving across the top of the canvas.

Second, it was painted by someone we have met and like. Third, the artist told us it is a “special” painting for him. Fourth, it was painted by our very first guest. And last, but not least, it is a symbol of our future life in the Loire Valley where we will be living permanently when Relationnel retires in October 2014.

You might also like to read my interview with John published on My French Life http://www.aussieinfrance.com/2012/07/profile-john-modesitt-american-impressionist-painter-in-france/

John Modesitt http://www.americanimpressionist.net/

Accommodation, France, Sightseeing, Travelling, Uncategorized

Travel Tip for Biking in France – My New Paris Baby – The Marais Poitevin

June 12, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

Interesting posts from other Anglophone Bloggers on France this week include a travel tip for biking in France from Experience France by Bike, but it’s not restricted to cycling -getting a chip credit card can make life a lot easier! Next Petite Paris introduces her “new baby” – a B&B in Paris that I’d just love to try if I didn’t already live in the City of Light. Then Abby from Paris Weekender takes us to the Marais Poitevin which has been on my list of places to go for some time. I’ll let you discover it for yourself!

Travel Tip for Biking in France – Get a Chip Credit Card

by Experience France by Bike

If you are planning a bicycling trip to France or anywhere in Europe this summer, simplify your travel by getting a credit card with a chip. Often referred to as smart cards, this type of credit card has been in widespread use in Europe for several years. Unknowing Americans often miss trains, are unable to pay for gas at the pump, and cannot rent bikes at public kiosks all because the machines do not accept credit cards without a chip. Sometimes the problem causes an inconvenience, sometimes it can result in a major disruption to a trip. Missing a train because you cannot retrieve or purchase a ticket can really be a problem. Read more

My New Paris Baby

by Petite Paris, an Australian-based service for Australian travellers and fellow francophiles

Coucou friends!!

I feel like im constantly announcing new B&B! Oui, but I am! We have landed another 4 in the last 2 weeks alone 🙂 Its so exciting and I really do feel as though each one is my new special little one! hehe

This latest addition to the ‘Petite’ family is so incredible. The ‘like’ ratings are going through the facebook roof! 😀 Its a complete package… in a nutshell: You have your own private entry into your 2 bedroom apartment, ensuite bathroom, free wifi, delicious breakfasts served in the FABULOUS salon with sunny 30m balcony around the entire apartment! Foral and green and happy!

Martine your sweet hostess lives next door and offers guided tours of her secret spots in the neighbourhood and around Paris, as well as French lessons! (additional hrly cost). Read more

The Marais Poitevin and Angles sur l’Anglin

by Abby from Paris Weekender, with her collection of ideas for Paris weekends: staying put and getting out of town

The Marais Poitevin, aptly nicknamed la Venise Verte or Green Venice, is a magical place, a large network of intertwining canals. Marais, like the neighborhood in Paris, actually means “swamp” and the Marais Poitevin is indeed a swamp. Yet miraculously, there are no mosquitos! When I first heard this, I knew I was going to love this place

The architecture of the towns around the Marais Poitevin (Coulon and La Garette, for example) looked surprisingly Provençal to me. Perhaps the bright sun and warm weather helped that impression. And we had never seen so many roses in bloom! Read more

Aussie in France