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  1. #1
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    Question " wine swilling, cheese eating, surrender monkeys !"

    10 days and counting till me and the wife take our big French vacation. We will be in Paris 3 days and Marseilles 4. A friend of mine told me Marseilles was a little dirty and said he called it a pirate town but my thought was it would be a good jumping off point for day trips ( well be renting a car there ) to the Rhone valley for some wine tasting and along the coast to check out Cannes and maybe Nice / Monaco.

    So is there any thing I should definitely do while I'm there, any pitfalls we should avoid ? just trying to minimize the fuck ups !
    Last edited by board; 05-19-2004 at 11:51 AM.
    "Do the interns get Glocks ? "

  2. #2
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    Nice is a better jumping off point than Marseilles, since Nice is so nice. Monday is the day for the flea market at Cours Saleya, great restaurants all around for lunch, particularly Safari (and don't miss the ice cream parlour around the corner, you won't believe it).

    It's well worth the drive to see Renoir's house in Cagnes sur mer.

    I'm jealous, there's nothing like a vacation in the French Riviera. You won't believe the food.
    .

  3. #3
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    The drive up through Sisteron, Gap and Briancon is well worth taking. Drive over the Lautaret to La Grave and then hit Grenoble and back to Gap before driving back down to Marseille. That will be stunning.

    The coast road up through Cannes and Monte Carlo can get wicked busy at this time of year.

  4. #4
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    I visited that area on my honeymoon. We stayed in Golfe Juan (3 miles east of Cannes), so I have some experience in that area.

    It's goes without saying, but you should definitely enjoy the food in that area. Lots of restaraunts serve relatively cheap 3 course meals with all kinds of interesting foods, so try some of those. If you're in the mood for something more familiar, but still different, French pizza is excellent (really thin crust, and not very much cheese).

    Monaco is pretty interesting experience. I don't think I've ever seen so many signs of wealth concentrated in such a small area (Beverly Hills is like a slum compared to Manaco). The casino is also worth a visit. It's a very nice building, and it's interesting to compare it to the Vegas casinos (much quieter). Plus you can pretend you're James Bond.

    Nice was kind of a dump when I visited it, but maybe I didn't go to the right places. Also, near Cannes, there are a couple of interesting towns. Grasse is known for it's perfume industry, and as boring as touring a perfume factory sounds, it's actually kind of cool. Also in the same area is Vallauris, a town pretty much devoted to pottery. There are lots of cool galleries with bightly colored pottery.

    Finally, there's Les Deux Alpes, which isn't too far from that area and has summer skiing. (I thought it would be kind of embarassing to have to tell everyone that my wife divorced me halfway through the honeymoon, so I didn't get to visit.)

  5. #5
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    Just as an aside if you were thinking of getting some turns in, the glacier at Deux Alpes isn't open until mid June.

  6. #6
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    board, I'm so jealous, have you been before my wife and I spent some time in France on our honeymoon, three days in Antibes and two days in Paris. In Paris make sure you go to the Dorsey(sp) museum, that's the one thing that I didnt' do that I really kick myself for not doing, the line was long and we went to the Louvre instead which was cool, but the art in the Dorsey is really cool. That whole city is pretty chill can't go wrong there, near the old barracks building (can't remember the real name) near the eiffel tower make sure you get your picture taken with the bust of L'Hopital founder of the famous L'Hopital's Rule.
    http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/calc/lopi/rule.gif


    I highly recommend Antibes, we were going with the flow through the south of France and we were thinking of staying in Nice and the lady at the tourist office recommended Antibes and it was the best recommendation, we absolutely loved it. Rent a little boat that you and the wife can take out yourself and cruise along the harbor and out into the bay, that was one of the coolest things we did on our whole trip. I can't remember the name of the hotel that we stayed at but it was right on the water with a view of the bay and it was less than 100 dollars a night. Let me know if you are interested in the name and I'll see if I can't dig it out somewhere.

    Did I mention I'm jealous? I thought I was going to hate France and I absolutely loved it, oh and learn to speak some French, a little humility goes a long way there.

  7. #7
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    Try the freedom fries over there, I hear they are good.

  8. #8
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    Is this some horrible mistake? Surely you meant to go to France in winter?

  9. #9
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    France in General,
    people are nider than rumoured, unless you speak french just point & smile & enjoy

    Paris must see Musee de Orsay & George Pompedeu.
    must, must must

    Be prepared for the beaches in Nice, they are rocks, like river rocks, no sand & 95% of the women who are topless you wish were not
    While Nice visit the Chagall Museum there. unbelievable large multi faceted work. beautiful rich & detailed

    Monaco should be experienced for sure.
    go at night, they have fireworks (huge shows) for no reason
    Last edited by Woodsy; 05-19-2004 at 01:01 PM.

  10. #10
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    When in Monaco, drop in on my friend Prince Albert (I actually know him).

  11. #11
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    Re: " wine swilling, cheese eating, surrender monkeys !"

    Originally posted by board
    So is there any thing I should definitely do while I'm there?
    Yes. Teach them about bathing and deoderant. Whenever I hunt in Cham, I always have to eat the tourists instead of the natives... dirty frogs.
    I WILL EAT YOU!

  12. #12
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    Originally posted by iceman
    When in Monaco, drop in on my friend Prince Albert (I actually know him).
    I actually have one.

  13. #13
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    Originally posted by Spicoli
    I actually have one.
    Google brings back a bunch of miscellaneous things, one of which is a forum discussing genital piercing.

  14. #14
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    Cool

    Jodi lives in Monaco, too and I have a standing invitation to stay with her and Axel...if I ever make it.
    Daniel Ortega eats here.

  15. #15
    Originally posted by Spicoli
    I actually have one.
    a friend?

  16. #16
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    Thanks for the ideas everyone ! seriously though is Marseilles a dump ?

    as for skiing My wife has made it perfectly clear there will be no skiing, no talk about skiing, no pining for skiing, no longing for snow, no copies of Powder mag on the plane. Apparently she wants some "us " time. What a needy bitch !

    Iceman I'll be sure to drop your name !
    "Do the interns get Glocks ? "

  17. #17
    just kidding.

  18. #18
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    Originally posted by board
    Iceman I'll be sure to drop your name !
    Um, I don't think "iceman" will work, though...

  19. #19
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    Originally posted by iceman
    Um, I don't think "iceman" will work, though...
    not even if I introduce myself as Board ?
    "Do the interns get Glocks ? "

  20. #20
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    "Hi, I'm board."
    "I'm bored too, I think I'll take a nap."

  21. #21
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    If you can change your hotel reservations in Marseilles, I recommend changing to Nice (PM me if you want info on an amazing hotel that's around 100 euros a night - truly beautiful with garden and very romantic). edit: Hotel Windsor

    I second the vote on the Chagall museum.
    Last edited by yogachik; 05-19-2004 at 01:49 PM.
    .

  22. #22
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    Originally posted by board
    Thanks for the ideas everyone ! seriously though is Marseilles a dump ?

    I found Marseilles not to be that bad though didn't spend much time there. Yes a bit industrial, bit dirty, crowded... port city so don't walk around at night. Quite a bit more ethinic than X Provence where we we staying , which is supper nice but a bit inland.
    Mrs. Dougw- "I can see how one of your relatives could have been killed by an angry mob."

    Quote Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy View Post
    dougW, you motherfucking dirty son of a bitch.

  23. #23
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    I will third (or fourth) the suggestion to hit the Musee d'Orsay. The building itself (a converted train station) is worth the admission and the size is perfect. Not too big, but chocked full of very nice art work. The Louvre can be overwhelming.

    Hit Versailles. Very toursity, but it is truly so over the top that you can't help but understand why the peasants revolted. The Mirror Room is spectacular.
    Last edited by Cosmic Bandito; 05-19-2004 at 02:19 PM.

  24. #24
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    Originally posted by board
    Iceman I'll be sure to drop your name !
    If that doesn't work, drop your pants instead.
    Daniel Ortega eats here.

  25. #25
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    I've never been to Marseille, so I can't comment on it, but if you want a nice quiet seaside village, Golfe Juan was where we stayed, and it was a small, friendly place. I think our hotel went for about $75/night and it was just a few blocks from the beach. If you want more info, PM me.

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