You may not know that our arrangements with European Waterways are made in UK pounds… and the dollar is the strongest against the pound that it has been in years… as I write this, the Aussie dollar is .56 UK pounds. This means that for example, a week on the beautiful Belle Epoque (which I know you have heard me rave about many times!!) in High Season is 2850 pounds = $5040.

A comparison? Last year, the same cruise was 2550 pounds and at that time, the exchange rate meant that the price was $5545 – so even with the price rise for 2010, you are still paying $500 less per person!!

PLUS at present European Waterways is offering 150 pounds per person off any cruise booked by end November 2009.

A barge cruise holiday is a wonderful idea for couples, special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays – and a fabulous idea for a group of friends to enjoy together – a group can charter the whole barge complete with crew (including private on-board chef) – cruises are intimate, pampering and the week is all-inclusive (including 24/7 bar – all wine and mixed drinks are included as well as superb gourmet meals and all excursions and entries). Each cabin has its own private en-suite. For a group of friends or family, barging is a unique and unforgettable French holiday – and charter prices work out cheaper per person, plus we offer further special discounts for groups!!

Do think about barging in 2010 – I know I bring it up often in my newsletters, but coming up to my 8th year of barging, I still find it one of the most marvellous ways to enjoy France!

IAN PARMENTER’S FANTASTIC 2010 “GOURMET FRANCE & SPAIN” WILL BE UP ON THE WEBSITE BY THE END OF THIS WEEK – THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT TOUR – BOOK EARLY AND AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!

  OUR NEW TOUR "FRENCH EN FAMILLE" offers the opportunity for parents to experience an unforgettable French holiday with their child, (perfect for students studying French 14 years old and above) discovering the magnificent city of Paris, French history and traditions, and the beautiful hill villages and colourful country markets of Provence; while at the same time the students practice and improve their French, immerse themselves in French culture and enjoy time with others.

Grandparents travelling with grandchildren are also welcome! So please pass on news of this new tour to your children/grandchildren!

THIS TOUR WILL ALSO BE ON OUR WEBSITE BY THE END OF THIS WEEK!

Firstly, let’s talk about economy – if you are wanting to save some of your dollars for your actual arrival in Europe, and planning to book Economy class, I highly recommend looking at one of the airlines that are operating the new A380 aircraft out of Australia – for example, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qantas. I recently travelled on the Qantas A380 and in these new aircraft, I found the simplest but most comfort-increasing innovation – a web-like foot support that replaces the old footstep that used to sit under the seat in front. The webbing actually keeps your feet right off the ground, but in a soft “floating” type fashion that is much more comfortable that resting your feet on a hard surface. It’s such a small, simple thing but it made a HUGE difference to my 14 hour trip!! The seats are definitely wider than in the old aircraft too!

The airline I would most get excited about travelling Business Class on would have to be Singapore Airlines – I have had fantastic feedback and you only have to visit their website to enjoy a “virtual” flight. Singapore is amongst the most expensive Business Classes on offer – but there are specials available at present!!

I also highly recommend Malaysia Airlines for their value-for-money Business Class – if you want to spend under $7000, they offer extremely comfortable, large seats (not quite total flat bed but very close!), excellent service and cuisine and most services from Australia operated on the Boeing 777 which is one of my favourite aircraft. Their Business Class cabin is extremely spacious. The other two good value-for-money Business Class airlines that I have had excellent feedback about are Austrian, which offers totally flat beds and an in-flight chef (and the chance for a lovely stopover in Vienna!), and Finnair, which offers excellent connections via Helsinki into Paris, and lovely in-flight service.

“French Provincial” is a gorgeous (relatively new) magazine for Francophiles that has kindly this month featured Toujours France in a double page spread. Other articles include “French Garden Chic”, “The Legendary Serge Gainsbourg”, and “A Journey into France’s Champagne Houses”.

The first five people to email me with the correct answer to this question:

“In which region of France is the village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse located?”

will receive a free copy in the post! (Hint: On one of our tours, we stay in this village for 9 nights!)

FUNNY FAUX PAS OF THE MONTH
This story comes from “France” magazine July issue – and keep in mind when reading that in French, préservatifs means condoms, NOT “preservatives”!!

A number of years ago, an English friend of my husband’s was doing time as a trainee professional cyclist in France. After finishing a race in a very healthy position, he was interviewed by a local regional TV station. Imagine how embarrassed he was when afterwards his mistake during the interview was pointed out to him – when asked about how his healthy diet may have contributed towards his cycling success, he stated very proudly “Je ne mange JAMAIS de préservatifs!!”

Hmmm… I never eat… pardon?!!!

Have a great racing season! Until next month,
 

SUE HEINE
TOUR DIRECTOR