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Report 1939: Chateaux, Rillettes, Sunflowers, Mistral and Tour de France Triumphal Finish

By Anastasia from Canada, Summer 2011

Trip Description: Anastasia spends a month in France visiting the Loire Valley, the Dordogne, and Bandol with her husband and a seven year-old son. Stops in Brantome, Arles and two nights in Paris from June 27 to July 25.

Destinations: Countries - France; Regions/Cities - Aquitaine, Dordogne, Loire Valley, Paris, Provence

Categories: Camping; Hotels/B&Bs; Vacation Rentals; Beach; Foodie Trip; Sightseeing; Independent Travel; 3-4 people; Adults and Young Children

Chaumont

I sent a few emails to inquire about preselected rentals. I found the apartment in Bandol in August 2010 and contacted the owner. His wife called me in Canada to provide me with all the information related to the rental. I thought this was good service. We signed the contract and I sent my payment of 30% in September. I wanted to ensure we got this great location. We arrived in Paris completely exhausted. Our plane was delayed by two hours and although I received an email in advance (more than 48 hours) from Air France for this, they provided us with 10$ vouchers for food. This was very nice of them.

So we spent them at Dorval airport. I have to say the food choices and quality have declined greatly in Dorval. A part from pizza and sandwiches places there was only one restaurant for international departures once we crossed security. The only restaurant offered a 20CAD hamburger as the less expensive option. Well it better be good, as in Montreal having a hamburger is very common and costs between 1.5CAD and 10CAD for deluxe versions, so I found 20CAD simply outrageous. We decided on pizza. I could get plenty of pizza and drinks for 30CAD. It’s a shame it tasted very plain, although it looked fantastic. Don't know if they use any plastic in preparation.