Comfort & Cuisine

The Rick Steves and French Way!

Mmmm, C’est délicieux

I'm not a foodie - but I do enjoy eating!! In fact, I was so excited to dive into the variety of cuisine I experienced in France that I was not good at taking before pictures. When I remembered, I didn't take any "after" photos as those would have just been pictures showing empty plates, my full belly, and a big smile on my face! So this page is just a sampling of many fabulous meals and food experiences - and then where we rested to be fresh for the next apertif, dinner and/or dessert!

The tour introduced us to a variety of dishes as well as how to explore the booths at market day in Sarlat, a traditional cassoulet group dinner in Carcassone (with a serious chef), and lessons about French wine including a winery tour. I also thoroughly enjoyed hunting for the best gelato or ice cream with new friends/tour members Anne and Cooper!

Statue overseeing the sea of market day booths

Sarlat after market day

Lots of Foie Gras in Sarlat

Statue overseeing the sea of market day booths

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Market Day and Sights in Sarlat

Wine Tour

We enjoyed an interesting winery tour outside of Arles, that included a very nice lunch! At our hotel in Chinon, we were given a "wine lesson" by the owners one afternoon and learned how wine is sold in France - based on the region/appellation and not the type of grape. A good lesson on pairing wine is: “if it grows together, it goes together” because the French say the wine you drink should be matched with food that is from that same region.

A Good Night's Rest

I enjoyed all of the hotels we stayed in on this tour. Perhaps Carcassone was my favorite due to proximity to the walled town and the lovely patio! A picture of the hotel is in the clue below. However, all of the hotels were centrally located making it easy to walk to just about anyplace you would want to see. Being centrally located is a plus when you have free time to do further exploration.

Connie's Clue #4

Single supplement or not?

On RS Tours, you can pay extra to guarantee a room to yourself. I have never done this as I am a budget traveler and RS assigns a roommate (so you don't have to find one). Opting not to pay the extra is a nice way to get to know a fellow tour member. Plus, I don't spend a lot of time in the room - I'm busy seeing the sights! On this particular tour, there was no one else who requested to share so I ended up having a room to myself. Just know that there are usually many solo women travelers - so I was surprised when I didn't have a roommate.