For a couple of years, my favorite wife has wanted to spend a month in the French countryside; she is originally from Montreal, speaks excellent French and enjoys the French culture, wine and history. Anyone who has been to Paris realizes that France can be very expensive, but we found a way to live well, enjoy the countryside and keep our expenses to a reasonable level. How? One advantage was by traveling with another couple, in this case my wife’s parents. By splitting some costs, our month-long visit to rural France costs much less, about $175/night per couple.
This included car rental, meals, entertainment, accommodations, etc. Now realize, neither I, my wife nor her parents are of the age where staying at hostels and eating ramen noodles twice a day is appealing, so this was going to be an interesting exercise in tourism. This took a good deal of planning and research based on the interests of the four of us. My wife and her parents who are from Montreal enjoy wine, while I enjoy history, so the trick was to create an itinerary which satisfied all our interests at a reasonable cost. It helps to have a good map of France and to explore online the various wine areas of France. I already knew the historical parts so over a period of about 60 days, I mapped out the areas to cover and then using sites such as VRBO and Novasol, looked at dozens of houses available, matched them to our needs (separate bedrooms, baths, full kitchen, etc.) and desired areas to visit. In Normandy we needed to be nears the D-Day beaches, but also parts of the charming French beaches which are more upscale as well as being able to sample the local Calvados. A criterion was set for each of four locations stretching from west to east across France. As a property and location was settled, I moved onto exploration to other locations that would be a reasonable driving distance and offer a different view of France, again from a wine and historical context.
We covered France from Normandy to Verdun, one week in each of four different locations. Each week was spent in a fully furnished, up to date French country home either in or near a commune and no more than fifteen minutes or so from an historic French town of reasonable size with a price per night per couple between $32-45 per night. The time spent moving from one location to another varied between 1 ½ to 3 hours, all on excellent French toll roads or excellent primary country roads. Our time was our own; somedays we spent visiting chateau’s or fortifications, going to the shore, visiting battlefields (there are so many in France), cemeteries, museums, or just walking through charming towns, seeing the sights, all at our own pace, neither rushed nor harried. In short, after a month of vacationing, none of us felt we needed to go home to recover from our vacation! Before I provide you more exciting details on how we could have such a great vacation at such a reasonable price, let me go over some French Rules you should be aware of if you will spend some time in the beautiful French countryside.
French Rules
- Rule Number One is that thou shall not go food shopping on Sunday or expect to find many shops open. You had all week to shop so don’t expect any pity. Sunday is a day of rest. But then so is Monday for most shops as they are also closed. And some museums and some monuments are also closed. But then other museums are closed on Tuesday’s. It is all very complicated. Don’t depend on Frommers or the internet as changes in opening hours and days can seem to change depending on the time of year. If you are going to spend anytime driving to a special location, call ahead to make sure of the hours of operation.
- Rule Number Two is you can only have lunch between noon and one-thirty. That is a good time for lunch so just get used to it. Why would you want to eat at any other time? This is a custom widespread in Europe, especially more so in the countryside. Those two rules alone made the decision to stay at fully equipped French homes worth the effort as we could get our groceries, make our own breakfast, have fixings for dinner, etc.
- Rule Number Three is that there are not a lot of restaurants in the French countryside. The French countryside is literally dying of old age; even the beloved boulangerie (bakery) are dying out and in the past few years, move than 150,000 local French village cafes have closed. Young people are leaving the countryside so they can compete to get one of those high paying, you can’t fire me government jobs. Getting a fresh bread from a vending machine does not exactly bring up a romantic picture (yes, they do have vending machines for French loafs), but we were fortunate in one location to have front of our home, a morning French version of a roach coach which would offer fresh and hot breads. But, even if you find a boulangerie, don’t expect to also get a cup of coffee or sit and enjoy yourself. According to the French, that is something you do at home.
- Rule Number Four is beware the danger of drink! Wine and champagne are very inexpensive in France. The local supermarket offers a wide selection of wines at reasonable prices, such as about $8-10 for a good red. My father-in-law was amazed at the quality and selection and said that the same wine in Canada would be 3-4 times as much. Champagne is also a value, especially in the Champagne producing area. In that area, there are literally dozens and dozens of local wineries and most have tasting rooms. An excellent champagne from a smaller house can cost about $18 a bottle and Belgians, Germans and others drive into the area on weekends to load up their cars and vans with cases of champagne.
- Rule Number Five is that it is going to cost you to drive in France; gas is about $8.00 per gallon and what we would call freeways or interstates are toll roads. The first question our Belgian friends asked us was, “so how do you like the toll roads”. The roads are excellent (they should be with all the taxes they collect) and the toll roads have very nice rest stations where you can stock up on all sorts of fast food and some acceptable sandwiches, etc. In fact, I believe that some French folks drive the toll roads on the weekends so that they can visit the rest stations and have a party. You will see picnics and soccer games in progress, folks taking all sorts of photos, etc. It is a bit odd. But the country roads are excellent and fun to drive (no tolls). Just be careful of Rule Number Six.
- Rule Number Six is that the French love to give out tickets. It really is all rather impersonal; a large silver box by the side of the road snaps a photo of you as you go zipping by on a toll road at 110 km/hr., or a similar box nails you as you go through some seemingly deserted village over the 30 km.hr speed limit. OK, I know, the law is the law, but now I understand why the French drive like they all own original Trabants. They are scared to death of getting a ticket. What is even worse is then you are parked in a town and you find a post-it note, in French, on your windshield. You find from locals that you were in a no parking zone (a blue stripe notates that) and you should have known as that was stated on some sign, somewhere on the way into town. The blue note advises you of a citation with no details, options, etc. Getting one of those tickets was a bonding moment between the four of us and the locals as they were just as upset at that law as I. Like Americans, they view the tickets as simply a way for the local government to collect more money. You will see French traffic police, but it seems you can ignore them as in a month we never saw one stop a vehicle. I think they are there to look good, like part of the scenery.
- Rule Number Seven: If you are going to drive, get a GPS. It is an extra charge ($50 for a month) and is a life saver if you are using the country roads which can be poorly marked. A GPS will make your driving much less stressful and enjoyable and allow you to wander and find hidden gems which most tourists (especially Americans) seem to miss.
So, let’s take a quick look at four different areas of France:
NORMANDY
Normandy has a major industry called Remembering the Second World War. This was the 75th-anniversary of the D-Day invasion and once again these villages, many of which were destroyed in the battles, laid out the red carpet for Americans and others who have flocked to visit the battlefields. I last visited the area about 15 years ago and in the interim, new museums have sprung up throughout the area. Want to learn about the airborne troops? There is a special museum for them. How about the naval forces; ditto. Most of the museums are quite good, tastefully addressing their subjects and can be quite moving. Visiting the Point du Hoc battlefield, seeing those cliffs imaging the sound of machine guns and grenades as they struggled up those cliffs hand over hand up made me wonder how any of them survived let alone overcame the Germans at the top of the cliffs. Further on is the vast cemetery above Omaha Beach where nearly 10,000 Americans are buried. The grounds are beautifully kept and a tribute to those men (thousands were 18-20 years old) who did what had to be done to help free the world from the Nazi nightmare. Every village seemed to have memorials to the allies who saved them and although it is easy to believe that those flags and greetings are saving the economy of those villages, it is clear from the warm smiles that many of the locals really do remember and appreciate what was done so long ago. Although those museums are excellent, I remember one special incident as we were driving a very back road and came upon a four-way intersection. It was so rural that there was not even a single stop sign but there was a stone memorial remembering thirty-four Americans who were killed in a local fire fight with German forces; there was no name for the battle, it may not be noted in any divisional history, but the memorial is there to remind the passer by of the cost of freedom.
After visiting the battlefields, we drove up the coast a bit to the Deauville area (a beautiful seaside town) where I learned the fine points of Calvados, the
local apple brandy (should be at least 5 years old, the locals can use over 50 different types of apple and should not have more than 35% pear content) and had a very nice lunch at La Cantine Brasserie (no, not Mexican food). A nice town for strolling with high end shops if that is your desire. After a week of battlefields, we were ready to move on to the next area, the Loire Valley, about 3 ½ hours away.
LOIRE VALLEY
The Loire Valley concept of “rural” is not quite as “rural” as in Normandy and the Loire Valley is widely known for the excellent wines, chateaus, castles, etc. We stayed in a house originally built in the mid-16th-century and as you would expect, it had its own quarks. The owners had spent 15 years redoing it and, in some ways, it was still a work in progress but quite an experience.
One interesting aspect of this region is that the local rocks are quite soft and easy to work. The locals have dug into hillsides for over 1000 years to create places to live, shelter from invaders (going back to the Vikings) and to store literally millions of bottles of excellent wine! Touring the caves and passages ways is an interesting experience as you come across the “turners” (those men who rotate 40,000 bottles a day to control the sediment) and bottles covered in an inch of dust and webs, all being aged. One chateau had the deepest moat in France (18 meters) and over 4 kilometers of underground passages ways which had been used for living and concealment. Of course, the area is known for its many beautiful chateaus, perhaps the most famous Chambord. Honestly, it is wonderful from the outside but inside it is cold, impossible to heat (despite 400 fireplaces) and has none of the grace or beauty of smaller buildings.
One real find for me was the largest tank museum I have ever seen. Located in Samur and they house over 150 tanks, 35 armored cars and 35 cannons in 15,000 square meters of covered displays. Tanks from the Frist World War through today are on display and one cannot help but walk away with a feeling of awe over the engineering and the sense of power of the weapons. It is inspiring and frightening at the same time.
CHAMPAGNE
We traveled about 4 hours northeast to Hautvilles, just outside of Espernay. Our house was a very nice three-bedroom, two bath house on a hill overlooking the village. It was a joy each morning to open the shutters and gaze over the village to the valley below where the vines stretched for miles and miles. The village is where a monk, Dom Perignon (yes, he was a real person) found a way to put bubbles into a wine and the world has never been the same! In fact, the Abbey in town has his tomb. The village of Hautvilles is on a hill overlooking vineyards and is one of the prettiest places I have ever visited. The workers were rushing to bring in the crop of grapes (locals can help, no money but free food, tourists are charged if they want to work bringing in the grapes; no, I did not volunteer). A real treat is visiting the many (I mean many) brands where you can sit and sample (for a reasonable charge) a sampling of champagnes and become an instant expert! Our friends from Belgium joined us and took us to one of their favorite “houses” and we had to agree that they certainly knew their champagne. And, at about $15-18/ bottle, it was quite literally, champagne for breakfast every day! Why that same champagne is $65-90 a bottle in the US is for you to decide.
It was also fun going into Espernay and visiting “Champagne Boulevard” where all the major champagne houses have their head offices. Each firm is housed in a palatial building and gives one the sense of wealth and importance of the champagne crop to the French economy. We also took the time to have two excellent lunches at Chez Max, a local treasure where lunch takes two hours and consists of a bottle of champagne, followed by an appetizer, main course, dessert, coffee and a cognac. Oh, life is so difficult, but we certainly did not wish to offend the chef, so we dutifully enjoyed every minute of the experience. And the cost was less than going for a steak and a drink for two, at a fine steak house in L.A. or New York.
VERDUN
In a sense, this part of the trip was the most sobering, for the battlefield of Verdun was a battle from World War I that cost about 700,000 casualties. It also borders Germany and is the general area of the war of 1870 (the unification of Germany) and an area which has always been the scene of battles throughout history. In fact, you come to realize that France is one big killing ground. The Ossuary at Verdun contains the bones of over 100,000 unknown soldiers along with a cemetery containing 16,000 known bodies while a nearby U.S. cemetery from World War I lists over 1,000 unknown soldiers, their bodies so torn or vaporized that nothing was left. The Verdun area has a long history battles and one can feel a bit of melancholy in the air. Perhaps it is my sense of history, but one walks in a beautiful land surrounded by unknown warriors who have paid so much for us to live as we do today give one a sense of history and debt.
GENERAL THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS
Certainly, a month in any country is not enough to form a firm opinion about its situation, especially when one does not speak the language, but it is possible to note certain trends or concerns of its population.
1) Overview of the Country: The four areas we were in ranged from basic agricultural (let’s say upper lower class economically) to upscale agricultural. France gives the overall impression of a rich country because of its beauty and agricultural bounty. The people seem to live well with plenty of excellent food and have a solid work ethic. The country does have major points of conflict regarding immigration and the economy. The French overall give the impression of being torn by immigration, with a concern about how to keep the best of their Western culture. This does not seem to be a concern of their President who has stated that there is “no French culture” which is news to the world. Most immigrants are in the major metro areas with few in the rural areas, perhaps because to live in the rural areas require traditional hard labor disciplines.
Another concern is the “green agenda”; France is doing well regarding carbon emissions, thanks to the fact that they get over 80% of their electrical power for atomic energy. Their goal to have all electric vehicles in 10-20 years is not realistic. In one month covering over 2400 kilometers, I saw two electric car charging stations, each over 200 miles apart.
In speaking with some friends from Belgium (itself a nation with major political problems such as not having a government 300 days after a national election, due to the leftish French and conservative Flemish groups not speaking to one another), when asked if they would move to France to escape their political problems, stated a strong “No” as they view France as having more long range problems. Hopefully France can turn it around (re immigration, economy, etc.) as it is a beautiful country which has so much natural wealth.
2) Problems in the countryside: Many French villages are dying, quite literally. The young are moving out to the cities due to a quest for jobs. Non-agricultural jobs in the countryside are few and often go begging. Two reasons immediately jump out; the high cost of gas (about $8/gallon) and the high cost of the major roads which are toll roads. Simply living in the countryside and commuting is not an option. This was part of the cause for the Yellow Vest protests and will not easily be addressed. Taxes on the gas chew up over 80% of the money so while the roads are in wonderful condition (really excellent), using them is costly. Companies are reluctant to locate in the countryside as transportation costs are high.
3) Religion in France: Simply put, there does not appear to be any active Christian church in France. France is a secular country by law, but that law does not preclude the practice of religion, yet in the countryside, there are few priests. Many parishes see a priest only for births, deaths or marriages. Churches are closed and if lucky, they may have an active caretaker. As one Frenchman said, “no one goes to mass”. That being said, a visit to open churches (there is one in each village) is a beautiful experience as you can see the former power of religion in the beauty of the churches the people built, be it the Cathedral at Reims or more humble churches. The power of faith created beauty and showed a belief in something higher than us. It also makes one all the angrier at the pure evil that the child molesters within the church acted on and covered up. They betrayed the very basic foundation of their religion and one can only hope for a higher judgment to be brought against them.
4) Timing: When in France, watch your time; be prepared to have lunch only between noon and 2PM as restaurants close and apparently you are not allowed to be hungry. After 2 PM until dinner you can only drink. The same for shopping. Shops are closed on Mondays (grocery stores on Sunday) and when the shops do open, it might be 10 or 11AM and they close from noon to 3PM. Then of course there are the museums which are normally closed on Tuesdays but may only be open from 2-6PM. Be sure to check on-line for the latest hours as printed times are not reliable and subject to change or whim. We have it so easy in the US!
5) Cost of Living: Gas is expensive, a head of cauliflower is between $3-5 but a good wine can be as little as $4-5 and excellent champagne is available from the vineyards at about $16/bottle. Real estate taxes are huge and at our last dinner, VAT and other taxes added about 30% to the bill. Yet despite the complex tax code, half of all French citizens pay no income taxes (as in the US).
6) The U.S. and France: Aside from the French battlefields, you will find many American battlefields, where Americans have fought and died to free France and end two wars. Walk into an American cemetery, see several thousand graves, then over 1000 names chiseled on a chapel’s walls; who were those thousand men? Men whose bodies could not be found as they were vaporized by shell fire. The U.S. has a lot invested in France and the return is our freedom.
The trip was amazing; new adventures everyday controlled by us and at a reasonable cost. The planning took time, but it was an investment which was well worth the effort. We have taken other trips like this for shorter periods of time to Scotland, Italy, etc., but France is a large nation which much to see and appreciate. We would all redo the trip again and feel that we were visiting some old friends who we loved and missed.
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