Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Francesco, Living in Belgium, and with family in France (Le Mans and Paris) I travel there quite frequently. I think that no matter where you choose to go, you will find great landscape, photogenic towns and (except Paris) friendly people. Concerning wine tasting/drinking/touring, I have been to Bordeaux and Alsace doing just that on several occasions. In Bordeaux, I heartily recommend St.-Emillion, which has several good hotels and can serve as a good base for exploring the surrounding wine country (St-Emillion, Pomerol). Many of the chateaux are open for visitors, and in some of them you will meet the owner and not some salesperson. The ones I can recommend are Ch. La Croix de Gay (Pomerol), Ch. La Gaffeliere (St-Emillion), Clos de Madelaine (St-Emillion) and Ch. Villars (Fronsac). The Fronsac appelation represents particularly good value as it is not famous and has thus not been subject to the outrageous price inflation that has put Bordeaux out of reach for many people. Do not waste your time on the Medoc (north of Bordeaux). Most of the good chateaux there are owned by large corporations, and you will just meet slick salespeople who will give you the standard, sterile tour. Also, do not buy anything in St-Emillion itself. All the many wine shops in the town are pure tourist traps, designed to separate lazy Brits, Americans and Germans from their money. In Alsace, my preferred town is Riquewihr and my favorite wine grower is Bernard Schwach in Ribeauville, a few km from there. One note of caution: I think you would find it very difficult to tour the wine areas without a car. You really need to rent one, perhaps fly into Paris istead of Brussels and just rent one there. Driving in France is for the most part a pleasant experience, with the notable exception of La Periferique in Paris. Nathan Five Senses Productions wrote: > Friends, please don't think me a bumbling idiot > for crying wolf about going to Greece so quickly...... > My S.O. and I have changed our plans and we are > going to France for 16 days instead. Deep thanks > to all of you who generously replied to my query > about photography in Greece. > > NOW, a new set of questions.......photography and > general travel in France.......recommendations? > Yes, I have been there before, twice, but never with > my Leica......I feel like a kid going for the first time > and I know this will be the best trip so far since I'll > have my 2 M6s with me! Again, the lenses I have > to bring are my 35/2 ASPH, 50/1, 50/2, 90/2.8. I also have > an R4, 100 APO, and 180/2.8. I would love to limit > myself to an M outfit only, with 2 bodies with 2 lenses > attached and maybe 1-2 more lenses in a pack around my > waist. What do you recommend for France? I think we > will fly into Brussels, then go by train to all four corners > of France, ending up in Geneva for a flight home. Do you > think it can be done comfortably in 16 days? How have your > photographic experiences in France been? I speak fluent > English, French, Spanish, and Italian so I will not have a > language problem there. I would like to spend only 1-2 days > in Paris and the majority of the trip cruising the heartland > and the South, drinking real French wine the entire way! > Do any of you have tips, experiences or ideas to share? > Thanks, and I promise we won't change it again! > > Francesco - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium Photography page: http://members.tripod.com/~belgiangator/index.html Motorcycle page: http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/1704/index.html