Podcasts about in provence

The Italian poet Petrarch hiked up Mont Ventoux in Provence on 26th April, 1332 - an event claimed for centuries to be the first time mountaineering for pleasure had been attempted.  His celebrated letter to Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro was the source, revealing Petrarch's contemplations on spirituality and the human condition amidst the breathtaking views. However, debate persists over the letter's authenticity and whether Petrarch's climb was literal or allegorical. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how, centuries later, Romantic poets revived Petrarch's tale, interpreting his ascent as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment and intellectual curiosity; consider how mountaineering in its present form evolved into a mainstream leisure activity; and reveal that climbing Mont Ventoux has become a competitive sport... Further Reading: • ‘The Fig and the Laurel: Petrarch's Search for Self-Knowledge' (The London Magazine): https://thelondonmagazine.org/article/the-fig-and-the-laurel-petrarchs-search-for-self-knowledge/ • ‘In Provence, Honoring a Poet at 6,263 Feet' (The New York Times, 2006): https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/travel/30explorer.html • ‘GW1 - Petrarch: "Ascent of Mount Ventoux"' (Douglas Parker, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhdr55jsRw We'll be back on Monday - unless you join

Are you thinking about celebrating your anniversary in Paris or maybe in Provence? You must listen to this episode with Brianne Cunningham who enjoyed a wonderful anniversary in both Paris and Provence! They packed a lot in in those few days! Do you think you could do that much in 10 days? Brianne is an elementary teacher who keeps a blog about her travels and passions. On this Anniversary trip they were in Paris for 4 days and went to Provence for 4 days and the Riviera for 2 days. This was their first trip to France (and to Europe as well) and it was wonderful as you can hear if you click play. In Provence rented a car and their home-base was in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence at a lovely hotel. She wishes they had spend more time in Saint-Rémy but they often got back after everything had closed. In Paris they stayed at this hotel in Saint Germain des Prés. They loved the location and though it was appropriate for an anniversary. For their anniversary dinner they ate at Les Ombres and it was a great choice because the food is nice and you can go on the patio for the view on the Eiffel tower. They got to see it sparkle, and they lingered for a long-time, it was a special occasion that we can call anniversary-perfect! Discussed in this Episode Avignon Pernes Les Fontaines Isle Sur La Sorgue Fontaine de Vaucluse Uzes & Pont du Gard Saint Remy de Provence Gordes Senanque Abbey Moustiers Sainte Marie Gorges du Verdon Rousillon Menerbes Bonnieux Lourmarin Cassis Grimaud Saint Tropez Antibes Cap d'Antibes Eze Saint Jean Cap Ferrat Saint Paul de Vence  Musee d'Orsay Arc de Triomphe Bateaux Parisien Seine Cruise Les Ombres Anniversary dinner Tuileries Garden Musee de l'Orangerie Ile de la Cite Sainte Chapelle Notre Dame Ile Saint-Louis (Berthillon) Rue Cremieux Breizh Cafe Picasso Museum Eiffel Tower Les Antiquaires Louvre Bouquinistes Shakespeare & Company Odette Catacombs O Chateau Champs Elysees Louvre & Seine at night Marche aux Puces Hardware Societe Place du Tertre Sacre Coeur Cocorico restaurant Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/361 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #218 ~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | YouTube | Spotify “A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit.” ― Erasmus While traveling during the past four weeks in France, I found that I was finally able to default in conversation to a handful of expressions to, on the most basic level, demonstrate I comprehended what was being said - bien sur, absolutement, parfait, ouai, je comprends, merci, de rein, à demain. Again, as you can see, a very basic level. But, there was no longer a pause before I spoke whenever any of these words or phrases was warranted. My mind no longer had to think, I just spoke.  In this instance, I was tickled. Finally, an aspect of the French language, after many years of sporadic studying, was becoming a default in my brain. A muscle had been strengthened to the point of habit. But, again, my responses were basic, simple, surface. "Doubt the default." When I heard Adam Grant utter this simple, concise, alliterative statement in his TED Talk about original thinkers, my attention was captured. It happened three years ago upon arriving in Bend and moving into my new home that I ran into a new neighbor. The circumstances were we didn't know each other, simply put, and I uttered in conversation with this perfect stranger, "trust me, I understand what you mean." At the time, I didn't think about that phrase before I said it, I didn't really consider the weight of such words - "trust me", I just said it out of habit. Default. And I wouldn't have even reflected upon this fact had the woman engaging me in conversation not said, "I don't know you to trust you." The topic of our conversation was about our dogs, but the truth was, she didn't know me, and she was fully present in the conversation. While I thought I was, the words I chose said otherwise. Ever since this conversation, I have thought carefully about what I say in conversations out of habit, filler, silence-enders, space holders. I have done my best to eliminate words such as "like" from my informal speech after I recognized how many times I would say it when, had you asked me, I would have guessed the word never entered into my syntax. Aside from the words I chose,  I began to dive into my living habits, my thinking patterns, and it was with my trip to France that I recognized many cultural defaults as well that I had not even considered addressing. Quickly, another word for "default" is a habit. By definition, a habit is something that frees our mind up to focus on other tasks. So as long as the habit is helpful and contributes to the quality of the life we desire, a habit is a very good thing. Selecting water as your drink of choice, looking for the positive, smiling instead of frowning, wearing the same uniform to work to eliminate wasting time in the morning - all very helpful habits. But habits, defaults, can also be hindering our ability to live a better life, a more thoughtful life, a more engaging life, especially when we don't even realize we have these unhelpful defaults. Below I'd like to share with you a list of potential defaults already in your life inspired by what I saw, experienced as well as caught myself doing without thinking. 1. Not taking a grocery tote into the market In France, when you go to a supermarket, they will not provide you for free with a plastic or paper bag to place your groceries. If you, as I did on my first occasion, do not bring in your canvas tote, market tote, or anything to carry your groceries, you will have to pay for their grocery bags (ones you can use on your next visit). The price was quite small - ten centimes - but it caught my attention immediately. A good habit could easily become ingrained in my memory of bringing a grocery tote to the store if I knew I would have to pay for a new bag each time I shopped throughout the week. (In one instance, I simply placed all of my groceries into my tote - handbag; and I also saw many people bringing their market baskets to the brick and mortar stores as well - multi-purpose.) 2. Expressing a negative energy during first impressions When I travel, I love to listen. When I listen, I am better able to observe, and it also enables me to see more clearly, and more accurately, someone's true nature. What do I mean by this? Having had the opportunity to meet many people from all different walks of life, it was often the first impression that upon reflection was the most accurate to their true disposition. When we don't know someone, and the environment is safe, what is your first reaction when you meet them? Most of the people I met expressed warmth which made those few who did not stick out like a sore thumb. Because it is the first impression, their negative or positive energy has little or nothing to do with me, and much more to do with where they are in their life at that moment. 3. Driving faster than necessary Driving on the roads in France, the country roads, the autoroutes and everywhere in between, it became quickly apparent that most French drivers drove the speed limit. I later had a conversation with Sharon Santoni about the laws of the road and my observation, and once she explained the drivers' point system (each Euro driver begins with 12 points and they can be lost for speeding (automatic surveillance along the roads), using a cell phone, etc.), it became clear as to why the pace of the roadways felt very civilized. No matter where in the world you drive, it would be interesting to consider the defaults you adhere to when you are behind the wheel. What is deemed acceptable, what is not? Buckling up - good. Glancing at your cell phone - bad. Driving a manual car during my entire trip which was something I am accustomed to, but my current car for the past four years here in the states is not a stick, upon arriving home, my left foot automatically began looking for the clutch without success. My brain had defaulted in four short weeks to expecting to use a clutch. This is good news. Not only can we change the defaults that are not helping us, but they can be  "reprogrammed" quite quickly with frequent, repeated practice. 4. Not greeting the shop keeper, artisan, taxi driver, etc. The many travel writers and travelers of the world, have done a magnificent job of sharing the importance of saying "bonjour" if one is in France, but in nearly every other country in the world as well, upon entering any business, vendor, etc. in order to begin to set a cordial tone. From time to time, I would notice a traveler, in my case, I zoomed in on Americans, but that's not to say other world citizens don't make the same mistake as well, immediately begin making an inquiry of the proprietor without extending a salutation. And while often, the staff would attempt to help them, an opportunity to build a better rapport was missed. I began thinking about this simple habit of focusing first on the human connection before homing in on the task which brought us to the store, market, etc. The difference is there are feelings and emotions involved that must be considered when we choose to first focus on making a human connection. And when we do this, we are being present. No, we do not know how the interaction will go, but the chances that it will go well are greatly increased. 5. Assuming a market will always be open I quickly learned that I needed to plan my grocery shopping well before my stomach became hungry. While this detail was something I remembered from my previous trips, staying in vacation rentals, I usually wanted to cook my own meals, so making sure a market of some sort was open (restaurants are usually opened each day of the week for at least lunch and dinner) was a shift from my approach in the states. In the states, if I have forgotten an ingredient for dinner on a Sunday, I don't think twice about heading to the market for a quick pick up. Having to know in some capacity that I had what I needed for my meals in advance also enabled me to just relax and enjoy a leisurely Sunday or any afternoon during the week as the outdoor markets wrapped up around 1pm and most restaurants in the small towns shut down between lunch and dinner. 6. Eating the same food year round In Provence, the melons were nearing their peak ripeness, but green asparagus season was all but over. White beans were a treasure to be purchased and savored during these months strawberries were to indulge upon like candy. However, if I were to return in November, as most of the markets are opened year-round, I would see completely different selections. Now, we know the seasons offer different fruits and vegetables, even seafood, but it can sometimes become easy to forget when we shop in a supermarket and only stick to the same food each trip. The appreciation for the food that only comes once a year is something we can celebrate in our cooking as we dine on the rich flavors. In so doing, we actually do help our waistline as we become satiated more quickly and do not overeat as we are eating real food with natural, wonderful flavor. 7. Perfect and impersonal The idea of a perfect home, a perfect outfit, perfect hair, a perfect life, as we know is a futile pursuit. And to this point, most intensely, it was the decor that woke me up throughout this trip as I appreciated the signature touches made available by the treasures one can find at the many brocante markets. Now this is not to say, one cannot decorate a home outside of France without the access to brocantes. Absolutely not, but what I think is tempting is to make everything look ideal immediately in our homes - paintings, furniture, tabletop vignettes, etc. And as Sharon Santoni and I were talking, a beautiful home that is the sanctuary for the inhabitants is one that has layers of unique and thoughtful decor choices, and these layers take time. When I stepped foot onto Sharon's property, enjoyed meals with her family, and stayed in her guest cottage, it was immediately clear that they lived there. I couldn't purchase her decor details", but I could be inspired by them because it was more than the things, it was the stories that came with them. 8. Speedy and surface conversations As I shared at the beginning of my post, it can be easy to say certain catch phrases without really thinking about what the words themselves mean. While idioms exist in every culture, sayings that mean more than what they are literally saying, it's not the idioms I am talking about here. When we are in a different culture that asks of us to reach beyond the language we are most comfortable with, often the conversation can be slow. While this may be frustrating as we want to talk quickly like locals, it shows thoughtful care. We want to make sure what we wish to say is said and not something that will offend or confuse.  I find that sometimes in conversations we say more words than our necessary. Just as in every other arena of our lives, quality over quantity. When we choose our words carefully, we can say so much more. Excessive use of superlatives (best, largest, toughest, most amazing, prettiest) waters down the actual compliment if all you use are superlatives for something you either love or loathe. Precise words and thoughtful timing of when we engage in conversation, demonstrates we are listening, we care and we are trying to understand. 9. Drama is necessary and thus inevitable Initially, it was my lack of access to the regular news sources I look to or listen to on a typical day when I am in the states that made me realize that I had been accepting the noise of problems, clashes and pain as normal. But even with the shows and books we read, we can come to expect, even look for, the clash, the conflict, the drama, that must be there somewhere. The truth is, often things to work out. In fact, it is human nature biologically to remember the instances that didn't work out more readily than the times that did for survival. But when we accept this biology, we ignore that when we are aware of why this happens, we can shift our expectations, our reactions and instead rest more easy, enjoy the steady, even balance of our lives that go well quite often. Why look for the drama when it truly doesn't need to be there? 10. Assuming an incapability I can't travel alone. I can't drive in another country. I can't live without [insert something that you cannot travel with]. Often when we travel we discover something, if not many, things about ourselves we were not consciously aware of. Many of these discoveries are awesome, exciting bits of information that awakens us to our best selves, but sometimes we discover that we have been limiting ourselves unnecessarily. If our default in our minds is "I can't" instead of even just "I'll give it a shot" when a new task or new experience is placed in front of us, we may miss out on the most beautiful London plane trees lined country roads in France (see below), or meeting Walter Wells (I ended up after attempting to walk to class at Patricia Wells' cooking class the first night, getting lost, and ended up calling Walter who came and found me and picked me up in his car to take me to their property for dinner - we had a lovely conversation). We often sell ourselves short regarding what we are truly capable of doing, and we especially do so when our default setting is immediately "I can't". Yes, you can. You may have to do a bit more homework, save a bit more money, or have some patience, but "I can't" is often more an expression of hoping that we could so badly but we just don't know how. "Default choices often remain unchanged for no reason other than being the default, either because of this lack of information or humans' status quo bias." —Marvin Ammori Adam Grant was right, we should doubt our defaults because when we don't we are either living unconsciously or not living as full of a life as we could if only we had more information to make different choices and take different actions. Kristin Armstrong states it frankly, "We either live with intention or exist by default." When we live with intention, we are living well. We may not have success on our first attempts at speaking differently, acting differently or engaging differently, but we are doing it out of a conscious choice to live more authentically, thoughtfully and more engaged with the world we are living. While traveling to France made this concept of living with defaults quite glaring to me, we don't have to travel outside of even our own town to know that we may have defaults that are not serving us or defaults that are limiting our full potential whether it be in our appreciation of life, our relationships, even our success at work. All it takes is a choice to reflect and ponder, why do I greet people the way I do? Is that the energy I want to extend? If so, that's awesome, but if you recognize you want to make a change, you can do that too. When we doubt the default, we are choosing to be selective about the habits we allow to be habits in our lives. It's when we do not know we have these habits that we step on our own toes, so to speak, and trip ourselves up without realizing we are the ones slowing our progress down. And that is great news, we each have the skills and the opportunity to stop tripping and start striding into the life we love living. ~SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY: ~20 Ways to Live Like a Parisian, episode #127 ~15 Everyday Habits to Live a Life of Contentment, episode #93 ~Why Not . . . Live a Life of Quality? ~Listen/Read more French-Inspired podcast episodes here. ~Learn more and subscribe to TSLL's weekly newsletter here. Petit Plaisir: ~Filt shopping bags (made in Normandy, France) more colors here and here A net and rope company based in Caen, France, since 1855 with a goal of creating environmentally-friendly products.   ~Sponsor of today's episode: Lola  Use promo code SOPHISTICATE to save 40% off all subscriptions

Everyone wants to go to Paris. But what do you do outside of Paris? This week we chat with Barbara Weindling, a travel advisor with Ciao Bambino to learn tip for France travel beyond Paris. ON THE PODCAST 00:30 - Talking with Tamara and Kim about NYC 07:42 - Getting into and out the city 13:15 - Talking with Barbara 16:15 - Regions outside of Paris 18:45 - How many days to spend 20:16 - Classic trip 21:26 - Best times to travel to France 23:52 - What different regions are like 24:55 - Loire Valley castles 26:12 - Provence, France 29:14 - Kayaking adventure under Pont du Gard 31:34 - Relaxing in Carcassonne, France 33:30 - Driving in France 36:18 - Beaches 38:40 - Cassis, France 39:47 - Other family friendly regions 42:10 - Beauty and the Beast concept town 43:35 - Budgeting for your trip 46:50 - Tips for going to france 51:37 - Where to take a family photo 52:16 - Favorite travel gear 54:47 - Tip of the week ABOUT BARBARA WEINDLING Since she was a child, Barbara traveled extensively all over the world. She attended Lycee Francais, is fluent in French, and has lived in Paris. Although born and raised in NYC, today she lives in Providence, RI with her husband and 14 year old son. Barbara is a travel advisor for Ciao Bambino, a website and travel agency specializing in family travel. Follow Barbara on Instagram and Facebook. TIPS FOR VISITING FRANCE BEYOND PARIS The best times to visit France would be May, June, September and October. Keep in mind, if you are traveling with young kids traveling to more than three locations in a twelve day trip is not recommended. Beyond that it gets to be a little challenging with kids unless you really want to move every two days. The train is a hub and spoke system radiating out of Paris You can get to Versailles or Giverny from local RER trains outside of Paris as day trips After Paris you can go west to Normandy (best for teens), south to Brittany to see Mont St. Michelle, and continue on to the Loire Valley (see map below) Top three Castles in the Loire Valley are Château de Chambord, Château de Chenonceau, Château de Blois. You canLoire Valley also go cycling in this area and see some beautiful countryside. A typical trip would be to start in Paris for four to five days and then go west to Normandy, east to Alsace, or south to Dordogne (prehistoric cave paintings), Provence, or Languedoc-Roussillon (a more affordable alternative to Provence with castles.) A classic trip would be to start in Paris, then take the TGV to Avignon, which is in Provence. Spend four days in Provence then drive (because trains are not as convenient) toFrench Riviera and stay in the hills behind the beaches because the beach gets very crowded. If you can it would be best to fly into Paris and fly out of Nice, which is an easier airport to fly in and out of. Driving around in the south of France is very easy. It is recommended to get an international license. Two main things to know is that people coming in on the right have priority. You will also not find many street lights, instead there are roundabouts. With highways, if you go through where there is a credit card they do not take American credit cards. So make sure you have cash and go through the cash lanes. Alsace has a big German influence. There is a monkey sanctuary, birds of prey show, lots of wine and cute towns. Normandy is known for the D-Day beaches and it is the region of butter and alcoholic cider. Lavender season is mid-June through mid-July in the Luberon. In Provence, you can visit Saint-Remy-de-Provence and visit the market, modern art museum, Roman ruins, and Château des Baux where they do catapults and performances. Near there you can visit the Les Carrières de Lumières, where they project famous works of art on the walls. Aix-en-Provence is where Cezanne was born and raised. It is a university town that is fun to explore. Rent a kayak and put together a picnic and kayak on the river and under the Route du Pont du Gard and the famous aqueduct and then you can visit this three-level aqueduct and the museum. In the Languedoc-Roussillon, which is economical and family-friendly and you can visit Nimes and see the ancient Roman colosseum, visit beaches, go kayaking, see the castles and the walled medieval town of Carcassonne. You can rent independent villas or apartments that are part of a resort or farm. It is a relaxed atmosphere. Some of the beaches are topless. The French Riviera is from Saint-Tropez to Monaco. The beaches are pebble beaches and you have to rent a chair, which are side-by-side to others. They get very crowded, especially in August. From Provence you can drive down to Cassis to the beach and to see the cliffs. Bordeaux is a great wine region and UNESCO town Further south to Toulouse, you can visit the Dordogne. You can't visit the original caves with pre-historic cave drawings but they have done wonderful recreations. This is great for outdoorsy families that also like history and culture. BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO In front of any castle is a great way to get a family photo. Though, Barbara’s favorite place to take a family photo would be in front of the Pont du Gard. FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR Barbara loves to wear her leather Aco sandals, which are great for both walking around during the day and the still work with nicer outfits and going to dinner. Sundresses are great and comfortable to wear all around. In the winter Barbara has Paul Green loafers that work well for both indoor and outdoor. TIP OF THE WEEK If you plan on taking the TGV train in France, the earliest you can buy tickets will be 90 days in advance. You also should reserve tickets to the Eiffel Tower in Paris for a timed entry ticket in advance. These also open up for sale 90 days in advance. Ticket Site MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Château de Chambord Château de Chenonceau Château de Blois Château des Baux Carrières de Lumières FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook Introduction Renting an apartment in Paris is a great option, especially if you're planning on staying in Paris one week or longer. It is probably not ideal for first-time Paris visitors who don't know the area yet, but even for them, it can be a good option if they are coming with children or extended family. In this episode Phil Goldsmith shares the secrets to finding an apartment in Paris and he breaks it down into simple steps that anybody can follow. If you've rented apartments in Paris and would like to share your own nuggets of wisdom, call the voice mail line 801-816-1015. Also stay tuned until after the interview with Phil to hear from Inaugural Tour Member Sue Walsh. Enjoy the show! What You Will Learn about in Today's Episode 40" On today's episode, Phil Goldsmith shares his tips and secrets for finding an apartment in Paris. 43" Our next Paris Tour is scheduled for Oct 1 through Oct 7th 2017; we would love to have you join us in France, not only through the podcast but also in real life. 2'16 Interview with Phil Goldsmith starts 5'11 Why rent an apartment and stay at a hotel? An apartment gives you more of a chance of living like a local. Hotels are a lot more anonymous. Apartments are also more likely to be situated in a residential area rather than a business/commercial area. For instance there are few apartments for rent in the 2nd arrondissement, but there are lots of hotels there. When staying in an apartment you probably won't get your breakfast at a café, but you may walk to the local bakery and get a chocolatine while observing real life. 7' It is true that there is nobody living on the Ile de la Cité who is not either a millionaire or someone staying at a hotel. 7'34 Will renting an apartment save me money? We'll come back to this question later in the episode also, but renting an apartment doesn't so much save you money as it gets you better value for your money. Renting is cost effective for people who are staying for several weeks. 8'50 If you're going for just a few days, just get a hotel. Finding the right apartment takes a long time. There is no standard rating system for apartments, each agency does things their own way, you have to spend time looking into the place you are considering renting. 9'54 You get more room in an apartment than in a hotel. Apartments are great for kids or extended families too. Apartments make it easy to accommodate bigger groups. 11' Gite de France are made for families, they typically have mom and dad and two or three kids. Those are mostly in the countryside. 11'38 Because apartments are a little less expensive, you can leave the apartment for a few days and explore other areas nearby. 12'12 The disadvantages of renting an apartment: You have to do a lot of research to find an apartment. People sometimes wonder if this is a legitimate rental. You're better off going through a reputable agency than Craig's List! 2-bedroom apartments are harder to find, but it can be done. The apartment will be quirky or charming depending on how you want to look at this. 13'36 Some of the crazy places Phil has rented in the past: rickety tiny stairs and steep stairs without handrails or bathroom where you have to go out on the terrace to get to the bathroom. 15'30 Be prepared to deal with a security deposit. Different agencies handle this differently: some put a hold on your credit card, some what you to bring cash to give to the owner that you will get back when you check out. For some of the longer rentals there may be charges for cleaning and electrical bills. You know about this ahead of time if you read the website. 18' What you need to know about rental agencies: there are countless numbers of them. They are either direct rental platforms like AirB&B or managed apartments. You may have heard of VBRO or HomeAway, AirB&B, Home to Go: those are the big ones. There are also a lot of local Paris-based agencies that are in the managed apartment business. They manage the apartments on behalf of the owner. They all seem to have the word Paris in their name: Paris Attitude, Paris Stay, Paris à la carte, Paris Perfect, Vacation in Paris, etc. They know the Paris market better and their websites are designed for the quirkiness of the area. Their apartment descriptions are usually more detailed. 21'4 Some agencies will take the reservation with a credit card. Some will require an international wire transfer. Sometimes transferring money between the US and France is a pain, it can be done. 22'55 There will be some cancellation policy imposed by the agency. It's not usually unreasonable, but you need to understand it. With a hotel room you normally only lose the first night, with a rental you may lose the whole thing. 24'30 Where do you want to stay in Paris? If it's your first time in Paris you need to understand how the city is organized. Look at the map and learn what the arrondissements mean and why it matters. The Latin Quarter is close to everything you want to see. If it's your first visit to Paris, stay as close as you can to Notre Dame. 28' If you plan on taking the RER between the CDG Airport and the center of Paris, you have to know that it stops in the 5th arrondissement, so it's an easy transfer. So long as you don't have to change lines you should be OK. 29'35 The Ile de la Cité is a business area, in the day-time it is bustling. But at night it empties and you're left with just tourists. It is the opposite on the Ile Saint Louis. 30'50 You can choose a busy street or a quieter side street. You will also have the choice of facing the courtyard or the busy street. Pay attention to that. 31'43" Ask yourself what goes on at night on that street. You may pick a quiet street next to a night-club and if you're not used to city life you won't enjoy it. Make that choice carefully. 32'30 None of these apartments have parking. Take a walk of the neighborhood using Google Street View before you rent. 35' Once you've found an apartment you're interested in, you need to decipher the listing. It'll give you the number of square meters (multiply by 9 to get the square feet). A studio apartment might be around 35 square meters. By comparison, the average hotel room in the center of Paris is 8 square meters! 37'25 Most apartments are non-smoking and most do not allow pets. Many are not air conditioned. Some apartments can supply a crib if you wish. 38'15 It is important to Phil to know what sort of building you're staying in. Is it a Haussmann building? Is it more recent? That makes a lot of difference in terms of ceiling height, decor, and light. 40'25 Some of the buildings will not be lit well because French people are obsessed with saving electricity. There will be timers in the halls. Use your cell phone as a flashlight in some of those older buildings with stingy occupants. 42' The first floor in France is what Americans call the second floor. There may be some stairs involved even if the building has an elevator. If this matters to you, inquire about that. 43' Passcode lock: most places nowadays have a passcode lock instead of a key. Some of the listings have floor plans, most only have photos. Look at the photos really carefully. AC is rare in France but WiFi is common these days. French locks are very different from American locks. If you're not used to a simple American lock and don't live in a high security building, you will probably be surprised by what it takes to open a door in France. Most places have security locks.  Some places have locks where if you don't move the door handle all the way up, it will not lock. You may have to have somebody show you how it's done if it's not immediately obvious. Make sure you have a number you can call if you run into a problem. 47' From the photos, take a good look at the quality of the furnishings. If there are slip covers or a sheet on the sofa, it indicates that it's not great. 48' Many rental apartments will not have an oven. Some will not have a microwave. Take a close look at what's there. 49' Bed sizes in France. In the description you'll often read that the bed is King, Queen or Double, but those descriptions are an indication of size, it will not be what you're used to. Double beds are the most common size you'll see. French size are 140 (double) or 160 (queen) or 180+ king. French people never have enough pillows in apartments. 51'40 Water closet is separate in France. The bathroom is where you'll find a shower or bathtub + a sink. The toilet is separate. This is because French people think it's filthy to go to the bathroom where you brush your teeth. 53'47 Take a look at the reviews, most people will say it was great, what's even more important is that this place has been rented in the past. 55' Checking in and out. There is no concierge or front desk, you need to make arrangements to meet someone. Allow enough time to get to the apartment from Charles de Gaulle airport (typically 90 to 120 minutes). Most apartment managers will ask you to call them when you are on your way. 56'44 Deposit in cash can be a problem because you'll have to carry the cash, but then what do you do with the cash when they give it back to you at the end? Ask if you can pay your cash deposit if dollars, so at least when you get it back you don't have to convert it back before you can use it. 58' There is usually a house rules binder in the apartment that will explain how things work in the apartment. Avoid using the small home dryers, they are awful. Just wash and hang dry. 60' There are very few American food items that you can't find at French grocery stores. Chili powder is one, coffee creamer is another. 61' When you checkout, set a time with the apartment manager. Some places will ask you to replace things that you finish. They may ask you to strip the beds and empty the garbage. 63' In Provence rentals are very expensive April thru November and cheap thru the winter months. 64' Annie's arguments against renting an apartment: If you're going the apartment route, you may be tempted to stay somewhere longer than you need to. Some place won't rent for less than one week and there are lots of places in France where the only way to make that work is if you rent a car and you use the apartment as a central point to go visit lots of things. For people who already know that they know and like France, it's good to stay a while, but if it's all new to you, don't stay too long in one place or you'll get bored. Conclusion Phil likens the process of renting an apartment in Paris to the fast, good, or cheap paradigm. You need to decide if it's most important to you to have your apartment with easy access to attractions (fast), how many amenities you want (good) or how much you're willing to pay (cheap). You can have two of the three, but probably not all three at the same time. With this episode you're now better equipped to decide which two matter most to you. There are more show notes for today's episode here. THANK YOU for listening to the show!

It’s all about herbs this week on We Dig Plants. Hosts Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus-Krieg welcome writer, author, and all around herb-lover Ellen Spector Platt to talk about the uses and ease of use, even in small urban environments, of planting herbs. Her favorite herb right now? Lavender. She’s even written a book about it! Learn all about this fragrant herb and others on this episode of We Dig Plants. This episode is sponsored by Fairway Market. “It’s a lot of bang for your buck with herbs.” “In Provence lavender is used in a lot of savory things like stews and chicken.” –Ellen Spector Platt on We Dig Plants

J Keats read by Classic Poetry Aloud: Giving voice to the poetry of the past. www.classicpoetryaloud.com -------------------------------------------- fromThe Eve of St. Agnes by John Keats (1795 – 1821) XXXIII Awakening up, he took her hollow lute,— Tumultuous,—and, in chords that tenderest be, He play’d an ancient ditty, long since mute, In Provence call’d, “La belle dame sans mercy:” Close to her ear touching the melody;— Wherewith disturb’d, she utter’d a soft moan: He ceased—she panted quick—and suddenly Her blue affrayed eyes wide open shone: Upon his knees he sank, pale as smooth-sculptured stone. XXXIV Her eyes were open, but she still beheld, Now wide awake, the vision of her sleep: There was a painful change, that nigh expell’d The blisses of her dream so pure and deep At which fair Madeline began to weep, And moan forth witless words with many a sigh; While still her gaze on Porphyro would keep; Who knelt, with joined hands and piteous eye, Fearing to move or speak, she look’d so dreamingly. XXXV “Ah, Porphyro!” said she, “but even now “Thy voice was at sweet tremble in mine ear, “Made tuneable with every sweetest vow; “And those sad eyes were spiritual and clear: “How chang’d thou art! how pallid, chill, and drear! “Give me that voice again, my Porphyro, “Those looks immortal, those complainings dear! “Oh leave me not in this eternal woe, “For if thou diest, my Love, I know not where to go.” XXXVI Beyond a mortal man impassion’d far At these voluptuous accents, he arose, Ethereal, flush’d, and like a throbbing star Seen mid the sapphire heaven’s deep repose; Into her dream he melted, as the rose Blendeth its odour with the violet,— Solution sweet: meantime the frost-wind blows Like Love’s alarum pattering the sharp sleet Against the window-panes; St. Agnes’ moon hath set. First aired: 20 February 2009 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2009