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We started our foodie odyssey at Hotel Lutetia, in Paris’ stylish St. Germaine district. Our room was spacious, which was an unexpected surprise considering this is, after all, Europe. During our down time, I enjoyed sitting by our large fireplace in the provided robe and slippers, reading email and editing photos with the free Wi-Fi while munching on fruit. All the while, my husband had enough room to do his extreme fitness workout. In general, it was a great hotel with all the amenities one would expect. And we could walk to everything!
We were quite close to a very upscale market, La Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marché. The food was beautiful—gastronomic haute couture! Speaking of which, there appeared to be a preponderance of six-foot-tall, thin, beautiful women in four-inch heels strolling Paris. This really seemed to accentuate my frumpy American stature, with sensible walking shoes. Foodies, beware of Paris Fashion Week, it will challenge your self-esteem. Even the food must have its own exclusive modeling contract, because they wouldn’t let me photograph it in most of the shops.
I thought I would want to seek out Michelin stars, but in reality, some of our favorite morsels were to be had while simply exploring the city. We did splurge one night on the offerings of a 1-star Michelin chef at Ze Kitchen Galerie, a French-Asian fusion restaurant. The food was layered with unexpected flavors, a French restaurant that has embedded in its flavor profile things like lemon grass and wasabi—loved it! The soups in particular were a highlight. And for the real foodie nerd, they have a windowed kitchen so you can watch the chef preparing your next indulgence.
We enjoyed beautiful after-dinner walks, and personally, I prefer Paris after dark. The “City of Lights” photographs well at night. My husband (usually graciously) toted my tripod so I could capture some of our favorite memories of walking in Paris at midnight.
Our palates sated in Paris, we rented a car for our drive to Chalon-sur-Saone in the heart of Burgundy, where we would board our riverboat. Again, Darcy’s help with all the arrangements proved invaluable. We made only one wrong turn in Paris, which is impressive by any standard. We were all very proud of my husband’s driving and Tom’s navigation skills. Besides, that one wrong turn provided the opportunity to view some of Paris’ more inspired graffiti and a completely burned-out car sitting in the middle of a neighborhood. This is not the kind of city attraction the guidebooks highlight. I wish I had taken a picture, but we tried not to linger too long.
The St. Georges Hotel in Chalon-sur-Saone was very clean and contemporary. As far as we could tell, the attached restaurant was one of the best to be found. We walked around the whole town, only to end up back at the hotel for a great meal and extensive wine list. Practically next door is a charming bakery, too. Karen and I enjoyed some chocolate and meringues as sustenance for our walk.
Darcy secured the last two available cabins for us on Uniworld’s 132-passenger River Royale. It was an excellent fit for my objective, as Uniworld has received top culinary awards. Especially noteworthy is the staff’s willingness to accommodate food allergies and intolerances. They are very knowledgeable in regard to lactose and gluten. Karen got to enjoy eating a gluten-free diet effortlessly. She repeatedly expressed what a pleasure it was to not have to think about it, and yet get such tasty and diverse alternative dishes.
Beyond that, the cruise itself was really just an exercise in “your wish is our command.” More than that, the staff thought of everything before I could even wish for it. We were completely spoiled—in a good way!
I must give kudos to whoever designed the staterooms; they were very user-friendly, with an “American” electrical outlet, an alarm clock/docking station for iPhone/iPod, a large drawer under the sink with room for everything you might need in the bathroom, and plenty of space under the bed for luggage storage. It all made for a perfect place to recharge our batteries—in every sense!
Two other things we appreciated: Large umbrellas were provided that didn’t succumb to wind gusts like my little travel umbrella always does. And I loved the “Gizmos”—the official name for those radio headset things you get for guided tours. They meant my husband could actually hear the tour guides, and I could stray and linger to take pictures while still within earshot.
Our first excursion was to Côte de Beaune, and Burgundy’s Pinot Noir region. I used to think I didn’t like Pinot Noir—as it turns out, I just didn’t like cheap Pinot Noir! The finesse exhibited in the wine of old-world pinot . . . well, there is a reason they can command such prices for it. The optional excursion included a trip to Château de Pommard, the largest private vineyard in Bourgogne. The wine here is even affordable, I think in part because they don’t have a Grand Cru designation—but from what I can tell, that’s simply wine geography. It’s respectable wine, and they are willing to ship it to the U.S.
An unexpected highlight of our trip was visiting a truffle farm. I know that might seem like the very height of foodie pretension, but not this farm. The star here was Emmi, the adorable truffle dog. She was so fun and friendly! We all acted like paparazzi (or pup-arazzi) as we snapped photos of her doing her job. We also learned a ton about truffles, thanks to our great English-speaking guide. For instance, she explained that they put truffle oil on the nursing dog’s teats to establish a comforting association with truffles even before each dog grows to fulfill its truffle-hunting destiny.
Later in the week, we enjoyed an olive farm and an excursion to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an historic town in the southern Rhone Valley famous for its full-bodied reds. These are big wines that an American palate can really swoon over, and in most cases, even afford. We found a great wine shop in Avignon, Le Vin Devant Soi (www.levindevantsoi.fr), which even has a tasting station. It’s only a few blocks from where the ship docks, and Larent helped us make some great selections.
Next, it was on to Barcelona! Once again, we tempted fate as we crammed all our belongings into a rental car and drove along the picturesque coastline from France to Spain. Darcy had recommended a wonderful apartment in Barcelona. The owners, John and Josefina, met us there and proceeded to give us the grand tour of the apartment. Some of the little things we appreciated were the washer/dryer, and that they even provided detergent and fabric softener and refilled mid-week. By this time in the trip, we needed to do some serious laundry.
They also had a troop of ladies come in mid-week to tidy up. It was like having the comforts of home with the services of a hotel, all served up by two people who are proud of their city and eager to help you any way they can. The couple also has tons of helpful guidebooks and such available.
Another thing we appreciated—the apartment had a den with Wi-Fi and a fully functioning computer and printer. We thought we would just use it to print boarding passes for our departure, but here’s a tip—online reservations! The line around Sagrada Familia is typically a mile long, but we printed up our reservation and brought it at our specified time, and presto—we entered without so much as a pause. My friend made online reservations for dinner (in Spanish), and we were rewarded with complimentary Cava (Spanish champagne) with our meal.
Our apartment’s location was very convenient—less than two blocks from Casa Batlló and an easy walk to Sagrada Familia. We found several really nice markets nearby, and a jewel just down the street is a famous deli called Mantequeria Ravell. It’s been around since 1929, and I was told they supply the meat to a plethora of famous chefs in the area. Sam was delighted by their selection of chorizo—his perfect pairing for Spain’s Rioja and Priorat wines.
Tapas, tapas, tapas—love them! It is my favorite way to eat, maximizing the flavor diversity of my day. I’m still craving my Barcelona snacking trifecta: Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, and assorted olives. The seafood in Spain is exceptional, and the northwest part of Spain produces great white wines most people have never heard of—Godello, Albariño, Hondarrabi Zuri—all wonderful with Barcelona’s delectable seafood offerings. I did have a revelation involving a lobster salad in Lyon that rivaled the seafood in Spain, so the bar was set high already.
Speaking of setting the bar high . . . this entire trip was full of superlatives. I figure I work very hard during my non-vacation life, so I can justify enjoying such luxuries on vacation—superb wines, delicious dining experiences, and top-notch places to lay my head at night. For me, toting a backback, eating peanut-butter sandwiches, and packing one pair of jeans for three weeks just isn’t a vacation. If you’re reading this as a Hideaways Aficionado, I suspect you, too, might enjoy the type of accommodations Darcy arranged for us. It’s all a matter of how you choose to “carpe diem!”
Michelle’s food-and-wine-focused trip is just one example of how Hideaways Travel Services can tailor a vacation to fit your needs. Your personal Travel Specialist will help you find the perfect home-away-from-home from among hundreds of Paris and Barcelona hotels and apartments we can book. Just call Hideaways Travel Services (800-843-4433) for helpful advice and first-hand recommendations.
Tale of a Travel Agent
By Hideaways Travel Services Manager Darcy Allen
No two trips are ever alike, so we at Hideaways Travel Services (800-843-4433) take particular care to listen not only to the types of places a person wants to visit, but also the sort of experience they are looking for. There are several river cruise lines we might have chosen, but when Michelle said she specifically was interested in food and wine in France, Uniworld seemed a good fit for her travel style and her particular dates. Her travel party also had the time and desire to explore before and after their cruise, so I recommended the Hotel Lutetia in Paris, which is located in the Latin Quarter, known for its pedestrian-friendly streets filled with cafés, restaurants, flower shops, bakeries, and more.
For their stay in Barcelona, I recommended that particular apartment because I have worked with the owners in the past and have had positive feedback from members. So anytime I have a family or group that is the right size and the apartment is available, I recommend it for those looking to live like a local—and very comfortably—for a few days or more. The owners are very nice and go out of their way to assist our clients. By the way, this apartment is not listed on our website—most apartments we work with aren't, simply because there are too many!—so I recommend calling Hideaways Travel Services, and we can help you find just what you’re looking for. |