Hello, luv!
Hi there!
My name is Martha and I am a single, retired woman from the Denver area who is a big fan of Rick Steves tours. Since my first trip to France in 2012 I have been hooked! I am in love with England and decided to take the Villages of Southern England tour in the fall of 2018.
BONJOUR, FRANCE!
Hello!
Je m'appelle Martha. That is high school French for my name is Martha! I learned the language many years ago, at college as well as public school. In classes we also heard about the culture, sights, and people of France, which ignited a curiosity in me for the country. I took the Paris and the Heart of France tour in 2012 and decided to take the Loire to the South of France trip 10 years later. This was my 10th RS tour so by now I have an understanding of how the tours work and know more how to make a trip to France successful for me.
I live a quiet life in a suburb of Denver with my small dog and I have a few confessions. I am not a foodie. I love street markets and the food I get there along with more casual fare and sometimes just snack instead of having sit down meals. I really enjoy just walking around a place, getting the feel of it, often preferring that to a museum. I actually think small hotel rooms are more cosy and comfortable than suites. And I love quirky old hotels with lots of character. I do not want to submit a stranger to my slovenly habits nor do I want to listen to another person snore so I opt to pay for a Single Supplement on the tours. As an introvert it works well for me to have a quiet space at the end of a day to recharge and organize myself. If you are curious about the hotels on this trip, I have included a page at the end with names and notes on where we stayed.
The tour started in Chartres on October 9th. The weather was overall very good with just a few days of light rain. In the northern locations it was sweater weather with it warming up considerably by the time we arrived in Nice. One thing that was a bit of an adjustment for me is that the sunrise was not until around 8am. I like to go out for a photo walk before breakfast but for this trip I had to forgo these walks. At this time of the year a lot of the tourist business is winding down. That means crowds are generally light but it also means some of the restaurants are closed for the season. In several places we were encouraged to make reservations for dinners on our own.
It was a great group!
Patrick Vidal, our main guide, has over 20 years of experience leading groups for Rick Steves and was a wealth of knowledge. As a Frenchman he is charming and can tell great stories with humor. The driver of our behemoth of a bus was Phillippe. He is amazing at getting that monster down tight roads! The picture shows Patrick on the left with his partner in touring, Phillippe.
Our final group was composed of 5 couples, 4 singles, a pair of sisters, and 2 female friends traveling together. Most were RS veterans and we hailed from Florida to Calgary with one American woman who lived in Luxembourg. Most were around retirement age and there were no "grumps" in the group. We were all very happy to be traveling again after a couple years Covid delay.
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Oh yes, Covid
Which brings us to the nasty virus that has been so dominant in life for the last couple years. By October many of the national restrictions had been lifted in both France and the US. Per the RS rules, we were instructed to sit in the same seats and wear masks at all times while on the bus. I sat towards the front so could not see everyone, but as far as I know the there was no problem with these guidelines. We were all required to test before the tour started and show results at the first meeting. Our original roster was 23 but one woman tested positive before the tour and we never even met her. Two people felt sick, tested positive and dropped out in Sarlat with their spouses. So, we were a group of 18 at the end of the tour.
The hotels were also instructed by the Rick Steves office to not provide maid service on the overnight stays. As Patrick exlained, this provided for minimal contact between the housekeepers and the tour members to prevent spread of Covid. We were encouraged to ask at the reception desk if we required any clean linens or other supplies and they would be quickly provided for us. It was a bit startling the first couple times I returned to my room just like I left it but it really was no different from being at home!
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me using the form below!
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