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Everything you always wanted to know about France |
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France Voila Newsletter #53 August 2001 This issue includes - 1. Catacombs 2. Curfews 3. Cruising the Canal du Midi 4. Paris Notes - Now 180 Minutes From My Keyboard 5. Rude Tourists 6. Cell Phones in France 7. Paris Exchange 8. Hotels in France, Spain and Italy 10. Nizas - Fete and Fisticuffs 11. Weekend Sojourn in Paris - feature, by Caroline Jackson === FRANCE VOILA - is a regular newsletter which talks about life and travel in France. It evolved from the many requests and questions we receive at . . . http://rentalsfrance.com/ our first vacation accommodation site. I try to write useful and interesting anecdotes about our life and experiences in France and I do my best to answer all mail and questions personally. Please write to me at . tony@rentalsfrance.com === ARCHIVES There are over 500 features and articles in these newsletters, some of them are even useful !!! You can see the archives at . . http://francevoila.com/archives/ === 1. Catacombs One of the more macabre tourist attractions in Paris, catacombs containing the bones of 6 million Parisians, reopened last month after a $400,000 face-lift. The site was shut for four months while workers installed new electrical systems and lighting. Some 300 kilometers (190 miles) of passageways wind their way under Paris, but only 1.7 kilometers of catacombs are open to the public. Originally stone mines, the tunnels became burial chambers when the city's cemeteries became overcrowded. Millions of bones were dug up and stored underground at the end of the 18th century. Until recently medical students could help to pay their way through college by "liberating" skulls from the catacombs - but now most of the secret entrances have been found and sealed, but I am told not all of them. === AVOID THE QUEUES AT VERSAILLES. Book and pay for your tickets on-line. A really useful service which is clear, well run and very helpful is. . . http://versailles.entechfrance.com/etickets/EN/default.asp === 2. Curfews Ten French cities, including the Riviera resort of Nice, have adopted summer curfews for children to try to protect minors and cut back on crime. Nice's curfew keeps unaccompanied children under 13 off the streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.The curfew applies to several neighborhoods and beaches on the Mediterranean shore and will remain in place through Sept. 30 === TECHNICAL NOTES - Virus attacks - last month I had over 1000 e-mails containing viruses sent to my main computer which screens all the e-mail - in fact I rarely download e-mail but check it at source on the server and simply delete all the rubbish and promises to make me rich and/or sexy. Most of the ones last month were the "Sircam "virus, but I see "Snow white" is still popular and even the "Happy 99" virus is around. I would advise anyone who uses e-mail to get a copy of a good virus protection programme and install a firewall, especially if you are on cable or DSL, these will only cost $30 a year at the very most. Also I would recommend that you never never never open ANY attachments, unless you know exactly what it is and who it is from and that the file name is stated both in the relevant e-mail AND in a separate e-mail telling you to expect this attachment === 3. Cruising the Canal du Midi For next season we are working closely with . . . http://www.minervoiscruisers.com/ This is a new family company renting traditional steel hulled canal boats on the Canal du Midi in the south of France. The Canal du Midi is a world heritage site and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe. You can combine a week on the canal and a week in a gite or apartment anywhere in France . Write to us for details . . . mailto:tony@rentalsfrance.com === PEN PALS In the last newsletter I published a letter from a young man asking for pen pals - if anyone would like a penal (I suppose they should be called key pals now) please write to me and I will pass on messages. I don't publish any e-mail addresses to prevent unwanted mail Write to me at . . . mailto:tony@rentalsfrance.com === 4. Paris Notes - Now 180 Minutes From My Keyboard For August I have left Paris and I am back in the south of France in Nizas. I have even taken a few days off and sat in the sunshine and been in our pool with the kids. By TGV, Paris is just over 3 hours away from Montpellier. The TGV really is the best way to travel around France, fast, inexpensive and comfortable, even better, if it is over 30 minutes delayed you can claim back one third of you ticket price. Having used the train a lot over the last three months I am now often hoping that there will be a delay and have had the luck to have had two, one of 32 minutes and one of 38 minutes, so I am getting vouchers back from SNCF, the national rail company. I have put some photos of my stay in Paris on the site at . . . http://nizas.com/paris/ === TGV TIP - When I came back from Paris last month, I decided to bring my main desktop computer back with me, plus a load of other stuff. What I didn't then know was that the TGV, like an airline, only allows 30 kilos of personal baggage, in suitcases, per person. As I was pushing my over-laden trolly up the platform, with only 4 minutes to departure, I was stopped and told I had to go back and check all my luggage into freight and they would be delivered 3 days later. Clearly this was impossible and I would have missed the train. So - I, politely, asked the (large) official to please help me and see if he could find a way to allow me to take my baggage with me. He called five other colleagues into a conference and even got the driver of the train from his aircraft type cockpit to help. The outcome was that for a small surcharge I could load my stuff into a small compartment by the driver, everyone was most helpful and the train left on time. In France there are many rules and mountains of paperwork - to cope with this, the French people have created a lifestyle for "solving" the problems and delays. It is a matter of national pride to "find a way" for something which is "against the rules" to be done. To ask an official to "please help me with this difficult problem" becomes a point of principle for them to solve it - usually. === 5. Rude Tourists There are over 70 million visitors to France each year, that sounds a lot of people, but I just worked out that if they were all standing in one place tightly packed together then that would take up just over 5 square miles. Sometimes it just seems as if they are all in the same place at the same time. Last month my family came to stay a while in Paris, we went to Notre Dame Cathedral and my daughters, aged 13 and 15, lit candles at the shrine of St Theresa. While they were lighting the candles a "tourist" with a camera came up and told them to move out of his way so he could take a photo. He was told they were praying and he should wait, he then pushed them out of the way and said "I know what I am doing", took a photo and walked off. I wish that experience was exceptional, but unfortunately it is not - It only takes one rotten apple. === MAILBOX - I work for a European tour operator and wish to inquire about the use of RJ-11 adapters for use on lap top computers for Internet hook-up. Could you suggest a place to purchase these adapters, either on-line or suggest a retailer in France? Thank you and kind regards, Mary Campbell = Hello Mary The French telephone jack is a big lumpy horror, but you can buy a simple adaptor for RJ-11 connection in most large supermarkets and all computer shops. It is a common problem here connecting other equipment and there should be no difficulty in finding them. They cost about 50FF. I don't know where you can get them by mail. Hope this helps, Tony === 6. Cell Phones in France We get a lot of mail asking about cell phones and cell phone hire in France. Thing seem to change every time I try to write some notes, but I just got this mail from a reader and it seems to offer good advice. I would welcome information and feedback from other readers about this topic. Hi Tony, After doing a bit of research on renting a cell phone for my upcoming trip to France, I found a great deal! Per your suggestion via your VOILA newsletter, I am leasing a car through RenaultUSA-Eurodrive at a great savings (vs renting). Through Renault, I am getting a free cell phone. I only have to pay for the calls I make or receive, which saves me the $99/mo rental fee. The rates per minute are comparable to every company I researched. The company offering this great deal is called Cellhire.com http://www.Cellhire.com/ Sincerely, Gina Kurban ps. postage for the phone is free BOTH ways and theft and loss protection is included! === MAILBOX - Dear Tony: Last year you had asked about travelers' car rental fiascos and I had written an "article" regarding my being charged with extras and even blamed for damage I had not incurred with National Citer at Charles DeGaulle airport. I feel I must follow-up and say, although my Visa insurance coverage paid for the damage and I was out several fees for faxing and mailing to all I was obliged to contact.... I was finally reimbursed , just in time for Christmas 2000, the ENTIRE rental by National and thus had been granted a free AUTOMATIC car for two weeks in France last summer. I am most appreciative to both Visa Insurance Claim Service in Virginia and National Car Rental Customer Claim Services in South Carolina for researching my complaints, keeping e-mail contact, and helping bring my nightmare to a most surprising end. I haven't learned any new "French" words from this experience but it is worthwhile complaining on the local front when such results occur to help the unsuspecting traveler. Joanne Iuppa Hayden, Tennessee === 7. Paris Exchange You can log in, add and edit your own classified adverts FREE at http://Paris-Exchange.com/ Please let me know if this would be a useful service on our sites. . mailto:tony@renatalsfrance.com === QUESTION - Tony Myself and five friends are interested in grape picking and or fruit picking this summer. Could you possibly send me some information on any vacancies and details of the jobs. Thank you very much for your help, Matt Broome ANSWER - Hello Matt It is getting harder each year to get any work harvesting as most is now done by machine and the few remaining jobs jealously guarded by local families. We do not know of any available work this September and we live in the middle of the biggest wine producing area in the world. Just come and relax Best wishes, Tony === 8. Hotels in France, Spain and Italy You can now reserve hotels on-line from our site in France Spain and Italy . . . http://goto-france.com/hotel/ === QUESTION - Tony I have been receiving your newsletter and appreciate your insights. I have leased a villa in Bonnieux for 7 weeks. Our friends leased the villa for the last 2 weeks and told us that there were mice all over the grounds at night, and that they discovered that the mice ate their clothes/shoes in the closets. The owner/broker has said that mice are "just part of living in the country". That seems like an excuse! Please tell me if this is common in Provence. If it is, how can they be stopped? We have nice clothes and we have a 1 year old who I would not like to lose to the mice! Thanks for your help. Jeff ANSWER - Dear Jeff, No it should not be normal for any property you rent to be infested by mice. This is most unacceptable and you should insist that this nuisance is dealt with. To be told this is "normal" is incorrect and a very poor excuse. We deal with a large number of properties in Provence and I know of no other property in the region where this is a problem as you describe. Of course there are mice in the countryside and in all towns as well, but they should never be a pest and certainly not invade homes and damage property. The local Marie (town hall) should be notified and they will probably insist that a specialist is paid to deal with this. Mice and rats were certainly a problem once, most houses and villages would keep cats to deal with this and you will find in old houses in France a "cat hole" at the bottom of every door to allow the cats free range through all houses in the village. There are specialists who deal with any infestation and you should insist that this is dealt with before you arrive. However, this is the annual vacation for most businesses and it may be difficult to arrange at short notice. It also sounds as if the agent is not being very helpful. In any French town the Marie is the first place to ask for help. You can contact the Marie of Bonnieux through their site at . . . http://www.bonnieux.com/bonnieux.htm You can then go higher to the Departmental (Vaucluse (84) and then up to the Regional (Provence Alpes Maritimes Cote d'Azur). They all have specialists dealing with tourism and take these sort of things very seriously. All these have web sites you can find from http://www.cg84.fr/ I do hope this helps and wish you a great vacation in France best wishes, Tony === 10. Nizas - Fete and Fisticuffs Here I am, back in Sun drenched, wine filled, sausage eating Nizas. Last week we had the village fete of Nizas. Each year on the first weekend of August Nizas has a fete, three days of no sleep, wine drinking, dancing, singing and "eccentric" behavior. A huge paella is made to feed over 250 people in the village square, unlimited free wine is put on the benches, even Alain the cafe owner is seen smiling at the hoards of customers. Flags and banners are hung everywhere. Not everything runs smoothly - this year there was the incident of the bowl of melon pips which was tipped of the head of the mayors wife, followed by the mayor being punched. There is also the matter of another village "dignitary" sticking a screwdriver through the tyres of parked cars that "offended" him. However all were friends again the next day and the village is now working and preparing for the vendange (the harvest) and wine making in September, plus the wine festivals. === 11. Weekend Sojourn in Paris - feature, by Caroline Jackson "Bonjour, Mesdames, Messieurs. Welcome to the execution, pardon, the excursion aboard Paris Vision this evening." Our guide, dressed in a chic little black number, had a voice as gravelly as the songbird, Edith Piaf. Waving her microphone around like a baton from her podium atop the open-top bus, she proceeded to enlighten her attentive audience about her beloved city, . . . . . You can read this feature by Caroline Jackson, travel writer, at . . . http://francevoila.com/features/ Caroline's own website is at . . . http://www.axion.net/crestlynn/ === Our aim is to provide you accurate and relevant information about France. If there is anything you think we should write about or if there is anything you would like help with, please write to me at mailto:tony@rentalsfrance.com" A Bientot Tony |