The French Guy from New Jersey: Serge Lescouarnec alias Serge the Concierge shares information on Food, Wine, Travel and Life TidBits.
He also runs 'New Jersey Concierges'
I knew Dusselforf as the birthplace of Kraftwerk, the grandaddys of electronic rock.
I found a second reason to like the city when i discovered that Dusseldorf is currently offering great fares to Europe for East Coast travelers for peak vacation month of August.
For fare and flight search, I started using more and more Google Flights which I like for its simplicity and speed.
Last summer, i flew to Europe from Newark Liberty via Berlin for $625 RT.
I decided to scout other potential entry points like Barcelona, London, Brussels, Amsterdam using Google Flights and did not find anything under $900 RT.
I then checked the map of Germany and checked airports closer to France like Frankfurt, Koln and finally Dusseldorf.
Trying to stay away from United which I flew from US and back last year, I found following flights mostly aboard Lufthansa with 1 stop each way.
Here's my finds at $734 RT with departure on August 12, 2013 and return on August 26, 2013:
Outbound (August 12)
Leaving Newark (EWR) on Lufthansa for Munich at 8:20 PM , arriving in Munich at 10:20 AM on August 13
3 hours and 10 minutes layover in Munich
Flight from Munich to Dusseldorf on Lufthansa leaves at 1:30 PM arrives in Dusseldorf at 2:40 PM
Return (August 26)
Dusseldorf to Toronto on Lufthansa, leaves at 12:50 PM arrives in Toronto at 2:50 PM
2 hours and 50 minutes layover in Toronto
Toronto to Newark on United Express leaves Toronto at 5:40 PM arrives at 7:40 PM
From Dusseldorf, I then found RT to Paris for $125 on Air France.
An alternative return choice all on Lufthansa via Munich leaves at same time (12:50 PM) and gets you in Newark by 6:30 PM (an hour and 10 minutes earlier) for $756 RT
A little flexibility gives you an $859 RT ticket to Paris (or $881 using second return option).
As a comparison, on same dates best Round Trip fare (albeit non-stop) from Newark to Paris that I could find was via British Airways for $1298.
The cheapest RT fare from New York area to Paris on these dates has you leave from JFK with one stop was on Icelandair (stop in Reykjavik) for $984.
As a recent piece in The Guardian noted, some food choices (Vegan, Vegetarian) are not that earth friendly as ingredients loved by its practitioners often come from far away and in some cases (quinoa) become unaffordable for local populations because of the price inflation caused by demand abroad.
With that in mind, I looked at what is in season in March.
All vegetables (in Europe), they are green cabbage, cauliflower, leeks and the faddish kale.
In the US, blood oranges are in season.
The Eat Seasonably Wheel gives you a month by month guide to what's in season in the UK.
They suggest using some Green Cabbage to make a Bubble and Squeak for Breakfast.
Bubble and Squeak is an English term for turning leftover vegetables (often cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower plus potatoes) into a dish.
Not familiar with Bubble and Squeak, here's Bubble And Squeak Soup Recipe from Restaurant Arras in Sydney which I originally shared in June 2010.
What started as a search for earth friendly Valentine's Day gift ideas led me to wastebaskets that reduce waste.
Marrying hand-woven rattan with colorful plastic, Bow Bins designs created by Cordula Kehrer are available as wastebaskets via Areaware. They were commissioned by fair trade NGO Preda, and are made by the indigenous Aeta people of the Philippines using traditional basket weaving techniques.
Same materials are also used in One off Designs (as those above), not just wastebaskets, made in Germany by German craftsmen 'Old plastic bins are recycled and get new again - holes are mended and plastic pieces are woven together with wicker, rattan and weed. Every bin is unique.'
Like many established carriers, Air France is not ready to let new and nimbler 'budget airlines' eat its lunch.
Its latest initiative for those hopping around France (and some of Europe) is Hop! which actually combines 3 regional airline companies (Airlinair, Brit Air and Regional) from Air France group.
Starting at 55 Euros one way, prices are attractive.
At this point, a number of airports in this nascent network connect you only to 1 to 3 destinations.
From Agen for example you can only Hop to Paris.
Brest has Lyon and Nice within reach.
Strasbourg is luckier with Ajaccio, Bordeaux, Calvi, Figari, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes (in France) and Rome, Venice and Vienna as options.
Paint is still fresh on Hop! initiative as travelers to-from Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Venice (Italy) have to book their flights on Air France site until February 15, 2013.
We will have to wait and see if Hop! blooms.
(* Hop! visual from their Facebook page)
Maybe I will have the opportunity to test fly Hop! on my next visit to Europe.
I don't know if it is irony on the part of the publisher or the author to pick December 26 as the official publication date for Zero Waste Lifestyle (Ten Speed Press, 2012) by Amy Korst.
Granted, the book's genesis is not about the conspicuous consumption the holidays tend to drive but rather is described as "a practical guide to generating less waste, featuring meaningful and achievable strategies from the blogger behind The Green Garbage Project, a yearlong experiment in living garbage-free."
Some English words and terms getting used in France sound quite different from the way we pronounce them in the US.
Brownies someone brought to a picnic were pronounced something like 'brunnies'. It took me a minute to realize what person was talking about.
In need of a WiFi (Why Fy) connection and wanting a quick reply, ask for Wee Fee or Oui Fee as they make it sound.
If you browse through potential connections near your location on your computer, phone or tablet and see Free WiFi as one of the choices, it does not mean free access. Free is the name of the service.
A few French indiosyncracies I encountered.
(* Photo of Game Workshop, 10, rue Hautefeuille in Paris 6eme, Quartier St Michel-Odeon, taken on Monday when it is closed as it is on Sunday)
Before I hop on the plane and head to Europe, I thought it would be timely to share 10 do's and don'ts on Toulouse by someone local.
Pascale Weeks of C'est Moi Qui l"Ai Fait (French food blog) was kind enough to play matchmaker and introduce me to Mamina who pens Et si c'etait bon (another tasty French food blog)
Mamina does not live in Toulouse yet she is a frequent visitor to La Ville Rose since her daughter Anne who practices nuclear medicine moved there 3 years ago. Anne enjoys her life by the Garonne and is always happy to share her Toulouse discoveries with her mother.
Here's Mamina and Anne 10 Do's and Don'ts of Toulouse.
TO DO :
1-Must see Basilique St Sernin, beautiful sight day and night, wall, find your way there from Place du Capitole walking in the shade provided by historic homes that line the streets of the neighborhood. If you visit St Sernin on a Saturday morning, Place St Sernin hosts a flea market.
2-Place du Capitole, the heart of la ville rose and its pillar, Glacier Octave (homemade ice cream). Do not skip a stop there under any circumstances. You will find other ice cream shops in the vincinity yet nothing compares to Octave. Enjoy their ice-cream creations on the terrace or take it to go.
3-Take a walk along the banks of the Garonne river and admire its bridges especially Pont Saint Michel where you get a great view of the sights. Walk along Canal du Midi in the Rangueil neighborhood.
4-Make time for Marche Victor Hugo (food market, open Tuesday through Sunday from early morning to around 1 pm). The fish stalls are outstanding and butcher shops have few equals in France these days. Let yourself fall for charcuteries, especially Noir de Bigorre (black Bigorre pig) specialties
5-Have dinner at Au Nez Rouge (The Red Nose), a wine bar in an old 'colombage' house. This no fuss place has a very good wine selection (some by the glass or the carafe) and a simple and tasty menu. Prix fixe options are offered for lunch including 'plat du jour' at 10.50 €.
6-If you want to add to your kitchenware collection, check Maison Habiague (44, rue Alsace Lorraine), the equivalent of Ali Baba's cave for the discerning cook. Chefs and amateurs alike frequent this place in search of perfect or rare kitchen tools. Store is opened Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm. Note that as many stores in Toulouse, they close for lunch break from 12:30 pm to 2 pm Monday through Friday.
7- Fans of aviation and industrial history can take Airbus Tour on the outskirts of Toulouse.
8-Feel like Haute cuisine, Michel Sarran, his cooking will make you melt. More home than restaurant, the dining rooms are artfully decorated. If dinner prices are out of your range, try the lunch prix fixe 'Capitole', 3 courses for 49 Euros (wine and coffee included). Sommelier Jean-Luc Planelles will be happy to introduce you to local wines. Restaurant is closed from August 4 to September 4.
9-Buy cheese (if only one) at Xavier, place Victor Hugo, they do their own affinage. Francois Bourgon was named 'Meilleur Ouvrier de France' in 2011. The shop is full of 'fromage' treasures.
10-Have lunch at Chez Navarre (49, Grande rue Nazareth). It is a Table d'Hotes which means that you will eat what the chef Jerome Navarre had in mind that day at long communal tables. Opened Monday through Friday, it is closed during the summer.
DONT’S
1-Never expect to be served quickly in shops...In the south (midi), people pace themselves.
2-Don't walk alone along the Canal du Midi in the Gare Matabiau (train station) neighborhood.
3-Do not select an hotel without air conditioning. Summers are hot, sometimes very hot in Toulouse.
4- Make no mistake, Pont-Neuf is the oldest bridge in Toulouse. Garonne is a 'magnifique' river that should be crossed numerous times in various places via different bridges.
5- Do not have dinner at Bibent on place du Capitole. Serice is very often very bad and food quality lacks consistency.
8- When driving do not take 'peripherique' at rush hour. Traffic is horendous, even during the summer.
9- Don't forget that police has radars on bridges to check motorists speed when peripherique is not crowded.
10-Don't think that St Sernin and the Capitole are the only sights worth checking. Pay a visit to the stunning Black Virgin at Notre Dame de la Daurade church, visit the many museums.
A big thank you to Mamina and Anne for their guided tour of Toulouse.
(* Photos and video from respective spots mentioned in this piece except for image of Black Virgin of La Daurade from piece on Laws of Silence blog)
When I write above that 2 out the 3 European cities on my 2 weeks itinerary are in Easy to Book 'Hotel Matchmaker' site Top 15, I mean the 3 main cities I will visit.
These 3 cities are Berlin where I will land first in Europe before catching a flight to Toulouse where I will spend most of the time (10 days) before taking train for Paris where I will spend 26 hours (1 night stay) and then get back to Berlin to catch flight back home to the U.S.
While in Toulouse, I will also be visiting smaller cities like Montauban, Gaillac, Carcassonne.
Since airfares tend to be very costly in the summer (and there are 4 of us traveling), I took care of that first.
I then turned my attention to hotels.
I will book only 1 night stay in each city, Toulouse on our last night there, then Paris, then Berlin before we fly back.
Of the 3, Paris must be the most expensive.
Since I had a great experience last year in Nantes with Campanille at a brand new hotel, I looked up their locations in Paris via Easy to Book. Unfortunately, the location I liked was given bad reviews.
Continuing my search for room for 4, in $140 to $200, after browsing through reviews the only one that really received a concensus view and got my vote was Hotel Harvey near Palais des Congres around $200 a night.
In Toulouse, if you want a river view Hotel des Beaux Arts near Pont Neuf is a good pick at $132 a night for 2. If you want something even more central the Crowne Plaza Toulouse on Place du Capitole is it at $122 a night per 2. In a lower price range yet still centrally located is Ibis Toulouse Centre at $90 a night for 2.
Moving to Berlin, Old Town Apartments on Schönhauser Allee in Mitte near Brandenburg Gate seems a good pick at $122 for 4 per night.
If you are need a room where to rest for a few hours before catching a flight back home A&O Berlin Hauptbahnhof at $80 a night for 4 located near Berlin main train station should do it.
All prices I quoted are minimum prices for specific dates I checked as related to my trip.
Prices may vary.
My picks weeded out places that according to user reviews had bed bugs, paper thin walls, wobbly reservation practices, noisy surroundings, disabled air conditioning and other downsides.
This post is Sponsored by Easy to Book, one of the kind sponsors of 'Serge the Concierge' visit to Southwest France later this month.
(* Image above is of ibis Toulouse Centre in Toulouse, from Easy to Book site)
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