Tasty Bites

Marilyn October 6th, 2002

FRANCE
Paris:
Finding a pleasant and affordable hotel is a priority and you must book well in advance for any time of the year. We prefer to stay on the left bank of the Seine in the university quarter called The Latin Quarter. Beyond the cliches of red-checked tablecloths, bohemian writers and cute bookstores – away from the tourist trail – there is a world of gossipy village streets, food markets and Roman ruins.

It is inhabited by well-heeled lefties, ranging from politicians to intellectuals and famous journalists – the students you see in the cafes can’t afford to live here. This neighbourhood has graceful apartments and ancient streets and is one of the city’s most exclusive. Here are three boutique hotels we recommend. Be aware that Paris hotel rooms are generally small.

• Hotel Des Marron, charming small hotel with a garden courtyard – from $A290 per double. Fax: 0015 33 1 40468356 or www.hotel-marronniers.com

• Millesime Hotel, elegant, refurbished 17th century hotel with 22 rooms – from $A300 per double. Fax: 0015 33 1 46345597 or write 15, Rue Jacob, 75006 Paris France

• Grand Hotel de l’Univers, 15th century building with florid French décor – from $A320 per double. Fax: 0015 33 1 40510645 or GrandhotelUnivers@wanadoo.fr

Or a little further from the centre in Montparnasse, this hotel has been highly recommended to us:-

• Hotel Le Sainte-Beuve, chic, comfortable, renovated, air-conditioned – from $A230-$400 per double. Fax: 0015 33 1 45486752 or www.paris-hotel-charme.com

What To See: (endless of course, but here are just a few suggestions)
In the Latin Quarter along the narrow, ancient street of Rue Mouffetard, is the most picturesque food market in Paris (Tues-Sun). The market meanders downhill, ending at a lovely church, St-Medard, and the conveniently situated Cave la Bourgogne, an attractive wine bar with a sunny terrace.

For another Latin Quarter landmark head to 34 Boulevard St-Germain. Diptyque sells the world’s most delicious scented candles in aromas ranging from freesia to basil and newly cut hay. Fans include Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss and Karl Lagerfeld. Beyond the dodgy takeaways crowding Boulevard St-Michel and Rue de la Huchette, the Latin Quarter offers excellent eating. Try Le Buisson Ardent (25 Rue Jussieu) or Brasserie Balzar (49 Rue des Ecoles).

The Marais has been the Jewish quarter of Paris since the 1700s. Today it is home to some chic fashion boutiques, quaint curiosity shops, scholarly-looking orthodox Jews with bushy beards and black hats and plenty of cafes for people watching — except Saturdays when everything is closed. Mariage Freres on Rue Bourg-Tiborg offers 350 different flavours of tea from colonial-style counters and a tearoom at the back. Place des Vosges is a square flanked by stone arches, cafes and (over priced) antique shops. A less touristy option for a quiet kir is nearby Place du Marche Saint-Catherine, a lovely, leafy square full of cafes, or the more restful Georges-Cain Square on Rue Payenne.

From Paris we caught the GTV (Very Fast Train) to Bayonne on the south-west French coast, close to the Spanish border. We picked up a car and then drove into Spain.

SPAIN
Spain is a very large and diverse country with an enormous variety of landscapes and history; you would need weeks to see it all. On our recent trip we restricted ourselves to two distinctly different areas — the north Atlantic coast (Costa Montanesa & Costa Verde) that includes the Basque country in the north east, and the provinces of Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia, along the Atlantic coast. We then drove south to Catalonia (provinces of Gerona, Barcelona, Lerida and Tarragona). We were relieved to find that prices in Spain are similar to Australia. Suggestion: Combine touring northern Spain with the Dordogne area in France, and perhaps a canal trip in France.

Car Hire:
The most economical can be found on www.easyCar.com which offers only Mercedes A-Class160s for $A25 per day. However, they can only be driven in Spain, so if you are driving into other countries you will need to make other arrangements. We organised to “buy??? new a diesel Renault, which at the end is resold back to Renault. If you are touring for at least 3 weeks this is the most economical way to “hire??? a car in France. Diesel fuel is much cheaper than petrol in Europe and diesel cars are very economical to run. The Renault went like a dream. Consult your travel agent for details.

Unless you are extremely brave or foolhardy we would not advise picking up a rental car and driving out of any large city. We prefer to fly into say Paris or Madrid and catch a train to a smaller city, where we take delivery of the car. Much better on the nerves and the marriage.

Roads:
Spain has excellent freeways that makes getting from one area to another very fast, however, you will pay tolls (travelling all day from Bilboa to Barcelona cost $A80). Remember, you only use the fast lane to overtake and then must pull over to the middle lane immediately. The speed limit is 120 kms per hour which seems to be largely ignored, and many travel at very high speeds using the overtaking lane. In small towns and villages roads can be quite narrow, so even a medium sized car is a liability. Almost everywhere parking is at a premium, another reason to stick to a small car.

Trains:
Spain has many and varied trains from modern Very Fast Trains to ancient rattlers that are fun for a short trip. Ibertours is Spain’s oldest and biggest tour company. They have some marvellous train tours like a guided 8 days along the Costa Verde (Green Coast) where you sleep on board a luxury train and eat in top class restaurants in historic towns – cost $7,455 per double. Or southern Spain on a vintage train, taking in Seville, Granada and the Alhambra for 6 days. Kathy at Lets Travel Corporate Services
(3857 1444) can give you fuller details on what Ibertours offers.

Eating in Spain:
The custom is for breakfast to be served after 8am, lunch from 1-4pm and dinner from 9pm til midnight. Aclimatise by adjusting to “Spanish time???; the sun rises later – it was dark until 8am in mid September. So get up later than you would normally, and go to bed later. Eating small snacks (tapas) in bars earlier in the evenings is not only fun but kills the hunger pains until dinnertime.

Accommodation in Spain:

We prefer Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides (previously named Eyewitness), available for most countries and in all Australian bookshops. These list reliable hotels in various price categories, as well as sightseeing, eating, maps, shopping etc. However, when in Spain do stay in a few Paradores for a really special experience. This is a network of “hotels??? originally set up by the Government to preserve their national and artistic heritage, whilst promoting quality tourism. Paradores are historic fortresses, medieval castles, convents and monasteries, old palaces and ancestral homes that preserve the architectural traditions of each region. This is not cheap accommodation but if you want to live a bit of history, worth the price. They are often booked well ahead and you can get a directory by contacting Ibertours Travel, Level 1-84 William Street Melbourne. Vic.3000 phone: 03 9670 8388. E-mail: ibertours@bigpond.com

Costa Montanesa (coast from San Sebastian to Gijon):
We picked up a new Renault in Bayonne (returning it weeks later to Perpignan in southern France) and drove along the coast into northern Spain. This lush green coastline, dotted with fishing villages, medieval towns and the green rolling hills of the hinterland is one of the prettiest in Spain. A freeway makes driving fast and easy.

We stayed 3 nights at a perfectly preserved medieval town called Santillana del Mar, using it as a base for touring nearby places of interest. Many of the noblemen’s mansions have been turned into hotels, restaurants and museums. It is quite small and crowded with tourists during the day, which somehow did not detract from the charm of the place. It is like stepping back in time; narrow cobble stoned roads wind around the town and cars are only allowed in to deliver baggage to your hotel.

The Altamira Caves, featuring the famous prehistoric cave paintings, are just outside the walls of Santillana del Mar. An outstanding new museum gives a most fascinating glimpse at how a forefathers lived.

There are a number of close fishing villages of great charm, including Comillas which also has the Palace of Sobrellano (well worth a visit) and next door is a manor-house,
El Capricho, designed by Antonio Gaudi and currently operating as a restaurant. Get yourself a guidebook and just potter.

We stayed at Hotel Altamira, situated in the centre of Santillana del Mar, in a 17th century building with 32 bedrooms. Price $A110 per double – Fax: 0015 34 942 84036 or www.hotelaltamira.com. We also recommend Hospederia Santillana, 200 metres on the edge of the town, small and charming. Price $A90 per double – Fax: 0015 34 942818831 or www.periplo.com/hospederia.

Costa Verde (the coast to A Coruna):
We did not have time to continue along the coast heading west but we are told that it is the most beautiful in Spain with many historic points of interest. We instead visited the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa and then drove south-east to Barcelona.

Barcelona:
This is one of the most interesting cities in Europe; it is very popular however so book well ahead. You will need a week to even scratch the surface or if you have less time, do your homework and pick the eyes out of the things that interest you. Some things to consider: the Gothic Medieval section of the city is full of tapas bars, palace museums (the Picasso Museum is a world-beater), trendy shops and hotels. The Ramblas is an avenue lined with Gaudi buildings, shops, buskers and restaurants. Barcelona is a port city and The Barcelonetta, on the water, was once a fishing village but now is residential with some of the best eating in town.

Barcelona Bus Turistic is a double decker bus company that covers all the main attractions and includes a commentary. For a day ticket of about $A25 you can hop on and off buses that run constantly around the city. In addition you get with your ticket a book of discount vouchers to most of the museums, Gaudi buildings, cable cars, funicular, boat tours on the harbour, Park Guell etc. Inevitably Barcelona is full of tourists. You are also advised to watch your handbags and valuables.

Shopping is excellent with the exchange rate for the Australian dollar much more generous than in France. Stylish boutiques and department stores offer to facilitate tax refunds for tourists – generally 16% discount that you claim back at the airport. Keep the unused items in your hand luggage in case they ask to see them. You must go to a special desk at the airport to claim back the VAT you have paid.

We then drove along the Costa Brava back into France. Much of the Costa Brava is an ugly cement mess; sadly progress during Franco’s time took precedence over preserving the natural beauty and history of this wonderful coastline.

FRANCE

We stayed with relatives who live just across the Spanish border in France, in the region of Roussillon. The coastline here is just as spectacular as that of Provence, further east, but not as crowded and expensive. Generally we found that 3-star hotels were the minimum we wanted to stay in for comfort but one 2-star, Hotel Les Caranques, had such a spectacular position overlooking the harbour of Collioure that we recommend it: www.les-caranques.com or fax: 0015 33 4 68820092. Cost $A110 per double room. Closed from mid October to Easter. Visit the Collioure fish market 4pm every day.
Carcassonne is a walled Medieval city, somewhat inland, which has been beautifully restored. Worth visiting for its history, eating and shopping. For a real experience stay overnight at the Hotel de la Cite (an Orient Express Hotel) Fax: 0015 33 4 68715015 or www.hoteldelacite.com. Cost for this 4-star hotel is from $A550 per double summer rates.
Perpignan is the nearest city, where we caught the TGV (Very Fast Train) back to Paris to fly home. A 5 hour trip at up to 300kms per hour, this is a very pleasant and relaxed way to travel and see inland rural France. It is necessary to book but go 2nd class, which is quite luxurious and not much different to 1st class in comfort. These trains are expensive but may be cheaper if booked from Australia.
Marilyn & Francis Domenech – Oct 2002

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