 |
Everything you always wanted to know about France |
|
|
RF Newsletter, #29 June 7, 2000 This week 1. Changes on the web site2. Long Term rentals 3. The Gardens of Menton 4. Last Minute Bookings 5. Is it Safe 6. Advertise your property === Welcome to Newsletter #29 about Life and Living in France. === 1. Changes on the web site I am trying to make our site at a really useful site with information about France with links to other sites which can help visitors . The "Index" page has lists of our pages on the site covering 64 subjects from "About us" to "Yoga Courses". The links pages are now catalogued into 42 subjects from "Art Courses" to "Wine" and I am adding to these every day, we now have over 400 links to sites which are selected for their information about France. I have added a forum and a page where you can "ask about anything" and you can ask for a link to be added to your site. Many of these changes come directly from the requests and advice you have given me over the last few months and I am always happy to hear from you and to learn what you wish to find on our site. Please write to me about anything you like (or don't like) ==== 2. Long term Rentals Most properties for rent are only available for a few weeks each year when the owners are away. Some properties we do not consider suitable for winter letting as the heating is inadequate, but there are a few properties which are available all year round and which the owners are prepared to offer for a special price. If you a re planning a stay in France for longer than 3 months do contact us and ask for help. We have a 4 bed roomed house available from July in Sorède, near the Mediterranean in the Southern corner of France. contact mailto:tony@goto-france.com ===== 3. The Gardens of Menton This piece about the gardens of Menton was sent to me by the owner of a superb villa in Menton "Villa Paraisette" which you can see on our site at... http://goto-france.com/paraisette/ Paraisette is still available for August it is one of the best family homes in the South of France and the view........... = Menton, Cote D'Azur It is often said that the Cote D'Azur is overbuilt, overcrowded and overpriced. This is unfortunately true for a large part of the French Riviera, but there are some exceptions and Menton is one. Perhaps because it is as far from Paris as can be that the town has been spared the onslaught of speculators which has destroyed large parts of the Mediterranean Coast. Menton is very close to Liguria, a little known corner with worthwhile sights, cuisine and wines. Menton has spectacular scenery particularly its Eastern part known as la Vieille Ville (old Town) and it enjoys a micro climate, mild and frost free. Because of its climate, Menton boasts one of the most extraordinary sets of gardens in the world These gardens are one of the lesser known highlights of Menton. For a start, you have the Botanical gardens of Val Rameh which are right in town (in Garavan), near the Chapelle St Jacques.They are open daily, but closed at lunch time. The villa and gardens used to belong to a British ambassador; they are now run by the Museum d'histoire naturelle" of Paris. Karen Baar said this in a recent issue of " Sky magazine, the former owner - "reated a lush collection of fabulous plants. The range, shape, textures and colors is almost overwhelming. Just a little further out are the Giardini Hanbury (La Mortola, Italy). This garden is a must. If you have time for only one garden, pick this one; in the Summer try to avoid the hottest hours. These very beautiful gardens are in Italy. Cross the border at Pont St Louis; the village of Mortola Inferiore is about 4 km down the beautiful Aurelia. Currently owned and run by the University of Genoa, the gardens present a unique collection of exotic plants originally gathered by the Hanbury family. There is a beautiful Villa, unfortunately closed to the public. You walk down through a series of sometimes steep alleys admiring the trees and plants, most of them marked with their Latin and Italian name. There are flowers and blossoming trees year round. There is a simple cafeteria at the bottom where you can get some refreshments (panini, soft drinks and local wine) before going back up They give you a map at the entrance which suggests a relatively easy (and shaded) way back to the entrance. A little further out, going towards Nice, you will find the Exotic gardens of Monaco and those of Eze (both of them biased toward thorny plants). Also worth a visit is the Villa Ile de France Ephroussi de Rotschild in Cap Ferrat and the Jardin Thuret in Antibes (run by INRA, the Agronomic Research Institute). Not far either but a little harder to get into is the garden Les Colombières. It is a beautiful Villa and a garden built in the 1920's which, unlike most of the other gardens, is strictly Mediterranean with interesting landscapes. It has recently undergone major renovation, and has re-opened for guided tours. Inquire at the Maison du Patrimoine, or at the Tourist Office. Additional gardens include Villa Maria Serena which is close to the seaside Italian border. This Villa built by Garnier (the architect of the Opera in Paris and Montecarlo) has a very interesting garden which can be visited through guided tours which normally take place every Tuesday morning. Fontana Rosa also known as Villa Blasco Ibanez or "Jardin des Romanciers" is also in Garavan. It is undergoing ever-lasting renovation; this estate was created by a novelist who was world famous in the 1920's. Can be seen with guided tours. Frankly not nearly as interesting as the others. On the West end of town are the "Serres de la Madonne", an exotic garden surrounding a Villa. Very beautiful. Guided tours only, highly recommended. A little harder to get into are Le Clos du Peyronnet,a rather extraordinary garden which belongs to William Waterfield, a highly respected botanist who is also a very nice person. There may be guided tours from time to time; inquire at the Tourist Office. This just one of the many attractions of Menton. Do go there, for an afternoon, for a week, even much longer, you won't regret it! ==== 4. Last Minute Bookings Due to a cancellation we have accommodation available in our own home in Nizas - from June 18 to July 8 from June 25 to July 8 http://goto-france.com/villette/ ===== Property for Sale Recently I have been writing about the old "Master" houses and Workers houses for sale here in Nizas. I have added some more of these bargains on our real estate pages. When we moved here the villages were all full of traditional houses, many of which had been left empty for a generation. These are now disappearing rapidly as this region becomes recognized as the most attractive part of France. The main reason for this are the new roads and the new high speed rail links to Paris. Next year the new motorway, "La Meridienne" will be open and this will cut 2 hours of the drive from Paris to Languedoc. More airports are opening for scheduled flights and "low cost" airlines like RyanAir and Buzz have a daily service to the region, UK have been told that EasyJet will be joining them. Toulouse is the center of European aerospace and Montpellier is rapidly becoming the silicon chateau of France. Have a look at the website for the French Space City at As in Bordeaux , Champagne and Burgundy the high quality vineyards here will protect the medieval villages from over development. This is why these old homes are such a bargain, they stopped making them a hundred years ago. ===== 5. Is it safe? I get a lot of questions each week and I do my very best to answer everyone personally. I will print some relevant ones in the newsletter. --- ===Hi Tony, I love reading your newsletter. It has been FULL of information. I haven't been able to find any info on needing any shots to go to France from Washington state, USA. Do you know of anything? Also, is there any problem with Drinking your water, different bacteria from ones own country to another? Silly questions but I have gotten sick from the water in south America. Thanks so much for all you are doing with your newsletter. Ariane=== Hi Ariane You do not need any shots to come to France from the USA, we had over 50 guests from Seattle here last year and they all survived the experience, however we did have to explain what that yellow globe was in the sky. The tap water is fine. You are wise to realize that any change of environment can bring problems and it may be sensible to just keep to bottled water, it is plentiful and cheap in france, but wine is probably even better (and cheaper). Just come here and enjoy, best wishes. Tony ===== 6. Advertise your Property I am now accepting advertising from other property owners, there are details on the website at You get a 2000% guarantee ===== Please let me know if you need any information or help and pass the newsletter on to your friends. A Bientôt Tony |