Real Drivers in Europe

Upon his return from Europe, D. and I were discussing driving and cars in Europe. Anyone who knows us knows we are both car-obsessed. D. once spent a five hours drive to Cape Cod describing to me every car he ever owned, sequentially, but that was about 11 years ago. We've since been buying and selling and adding to his list. D. is particularly interested in style and performance. He's owned everything from Mercedes and Cadillac, to Porsche and TVR, Jaguars, Buicks, you name it. Most automatics, but not all.

For me, I am more about driving the cars, performance and efficiency. My first car was a Chevrolet Citation, a four speed with a four cylinder engine that got 36 mpg back in 1979. It was pretty groundbreaking. Didn't drive well, not enough power, but for local driving it was fine. It was front-wheel drive which was relatively new then, and had problems in slick weather with breaking and wheels locking, causing spin-outs. My next car, a Mitsubishi, was more powerful, with a four cylinder engine, but a five-speed turbo. But it still got 26-30 mpg. Since then cars got bigger (more like the 1960s and 1970s) with lower mileage. I had a Ford Probe which got about 25 mpg but had a 6 cylinder 2.3 liter engine, with a five-speed. Unfortunately, after a car accident in that car, I switched back to automatics (Volvos) particularly for safety reasons while driving my son. Good to drive but not good on gas.

But in Europe, it is always easier to rent a manual and I am always happy to drive one again, better performance, better mileage. So in buying our Alfa, we got to discussing how in Europe, living like a European means driving a stick with diesel a TDI. Bit by bit they are being made cleaner and re-imported to the US, and with pretty high mpg.

In reality, Europeans, if they are fortunate enough to own a car, are real drivers, with manual transmissions, who keep them for long periods of time, generally take care of them, are aggressive on the road, but not dangerous. It is not uncommon to see a 20 year old car still on the road. It may not have AC, but it will still be running on the autoroute with the windows rolled down. Now it does take some driving skill to drive a stick, talk on the cell phone and smoke all at the same time, but we've seen many doing it.

For me, I'll just focus on driving the Alfa with the manual five-speed on the back roads of Provence (with AC when needed), dog in the back, like a European but without the smoke and cell phone use at the same time.

French women rejecting the G-string.

Now here's an interesting survey from France about lingerie:


http://news.yahoo.com/sexy-undies-yes-g-strings-no-french-women-164409520.html

My favorite part is the discussion about French women finding the G-string tacky.

French Version of Steve Jobs?

This article has a good explanation of French cel phone market. Clearly the cel phone services to get is "Free".

http://www.france24.com/en/20120111-free-xavier-niel-france-answer-steve-jobs-apple-orange-sfr-bouygues-mobile-phone-tech

Provence Goodies

D. has returned home with some favorites from his trip, fresh herbes de provence, Leonne Candy from Jouvaud in rose and violet flavors, and a box of Joel Durand, and lovely stories of people places and kindness throughout his trip. From purchasing and registering the car, to the restaurants and shops, the market in Isles Sur la Sorge, and even the TGV from Paris to Avignon and back, he can only rave about everyone he met and all his experiences. It brings us that much closer to the summer.

So here we are, hoping for a continuing mild winter, and dreaming, hoping and wishing the summer was now, and not five months. And the goodies will help us feel as though we are there already.

Packing for Provence

As we begin to plan again for the summer, I always do a summer clothes clean-out and organization and consider what to pack. Since my first trip with D. to Cannes in 2000, I no longer wear shorts, as few women in Europe wear them. Only recently do I see some wearing the longer ones which have become fashionable in the states, but older women never would be seen in them. Skirts, slacks, dresses, mostly linen due to the heat, mainly earth-tones. In NY, we live in black, year-round. Maybe a few colors mixed in for a change or contrast. Definitely not white.

When we spent time at the beach, especially Cannes, the attire was very New York, very high-style and expensive. Tourists from all over the world trying to demonstrate their wealth. We learned over time about the safety issues including kidnappings and robberies, and we always worried about watching the children with great care.

In contrast, Provence is low-key, many people with money who just want to relax, unwind, while fashionable, not necessarily fashionista.

In Provence, I find myself in white slacks, or either a short skirt or white long-flowing skirts, and even an-off white dress, long and light-weight. Yes, I prepare for some rain with one sweater, one pair of jeans, one long-sleeve shirt, and a shawl or two, but the weather is usually so hot and dry that comfort, while still having some style, is critical. Always included are t's courtesy of Uniqlo (in NYC( which have built-in bras, and other t-shirts purchased at Monoprix (in France) or Target,at least two bathing suits (with stylish cover-ups if we go to the beach), and nice sandals, as well as comfortable sandals, as we are always walking, and one pair of track shoes for our long after-dinner walks near the house. The uniform for a local night-time dinner excursion is definitely a black shirt with white pants. Last year I fortunately threw in the bag at the last minute some yoga-type pants which I ended up wearing for riding in the Camargue. Always at least one nice hat for daily wear, my Longchamp beach/shopping bag.

For men, the attire is similar. Definitely no shorts. Capris or slacks, jeans, relaxed light-weight shirts, t-s or short-sleeve button down, shoes with no socks or sandals. The must-have bathing suit for men - the Villebrequin - which is forever fashionable in fabulous prints.

Of course, staying in a house where we can do laundry is a huge advantage, especially when we are there for several weeks, allowing us to pack less not more than a hotel-based trip.

Just writing this, I know if I could, I would pack in an hour and leave tomorrow. I am so ready.

rever de la provence - dreaming of provence

When we return home at the end of each summer, Provence is behind us and the experiences of the summer carry us through several months. We remember the light, the food, the sensibility of Provence and France as we end the year and begin to plan the next. So, we begin January with more planning and dreaming of the next trip. So, D. is currently there making some arrangements for the summer and sending me his usual food photos from the Bistro Varieties in St. Remy, and the horses in the streets, it is still le reve, the dream for us. Maybe it is not for everyone, some don't like to travel or only travel in the US, but for us, the summer begins now in our dreams and plans so each summer is more special than the last. The sunflowers will be ready by the time we land, the markets full, and ready for shopping.

Beautiful Photos from France

Worth a look, some places to go, things to do:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-thorp/why-you-should-travel-to-_1_b_1177722.html?ref=travel#s592398&title=8_The_Samurai