On the road again: pre-departure musings
Switching hats and embracing the return of touring season
Bonjour, c’est Véro.
“En avril ne te découvre pas d’un fil” (Till April's dead, change not a thread.)
Quite. We’ve gone through fall, winter, summer and back to fall again this month in France.
I wonder (asking for a friend:) Does popular wisdom in this well-known maxim the French stubbornly adhere to apply to hats as well?
For the last three years (when the world reopened and international travel resumed) I’ve been switching hats every few months. April is the time I stop teaching online French conversation classes (they will resume in the fall) as I prepare to return to my main activity, being an itinerant tour guide and introducing groups of North American travelers to life in la Belle France as we criss-cross the country in spacious, air-conditioned coaches.
The adult educator becomes a tour guide (yet remains a teacher.)
Continuity.
Stubbornly resistant to routine I welcome this change of pace even if hitting the road on and off (a lot!) for the next couple of months means I will be missing the arrival of spring in the beautiful Touraine region where I am based and fun gatherings with local friends.
From late April to May alone I will spend about 40 days on the road. Pas mal. Not bad.
This tour guide’s notes and materials are ready.
Packing bags for the ever-changing weather conditions and itineraries that will take us from the Loire Valley to Normandy, or from the Perigord to Provence and the French Riviera causes a few headaches.
I smile when I see the plethora of articles by self-proclaimed experts sharing tips and “Paris capsule wardrobes” with travelers anxious to blend in once they land in the French capital. Hint: If the word “layers” is not mentioned, skip the article. Layering is what you need in France in the spring. Oh, and an umbrella too!
In the end, this tour guide’s bag always gets packed somehow.
Packing is hit and miss.
Good news: I work in France and speak the language fluently. With a credit card in my wallet I can correct packing mistakes swiftly by picking up a spare shirt (or sweater) at the local market.
Bad news: Swiftly is not always the answer. Here’s the pretty shirt (made in Italy) I once found at a Paris market in the 14th arrondissement an hour before boarding the coach with the group. An unexpected heatwave was in the forecast.
Here’s what tour members saw on my back when I took out the shirt and started wearing it on the coach a few days later. I had omitted to check the pattern thoroughly inside the market stall.
C’est la vie.
I make mistakes and I learn from them.
In fact I learn every day on the road with each challenging question I am not prepared for and will research later, with each last-minute change of plans, unexpected road block, protest (What better way to introduce our clients to modern French life?) or impromptu discussion with the group as the big coach glides along French roads to our next destination.
Flexibility is key, a lesson many travelers learn the hard way (however reluctantly) when they fly to Europe and other parts of the world. Fact: International travel will school you better than your parents ever did.
Bring it on 2024 touring season (my 4th as a Rick Steves tour guide.)
I am ready for you and look here, my bag’s packed!
Véro
What you may have missed this month
Episode 3 of my new Youtube series “French and Entrepreneur” came out this month. The owner of the local small business I feature in April scored big with viewers. Meet Clémence, owner of “Beurre Noisette.” 20-minute interview in French with English subtitles.
A road trip in the Anjou
People often refer to “la douceur angevine” (the sweet life in the Anjou region.)
They are right.
I took a road trip to two must-see destinations in the Anjou an hour away from Tours, my home base. Check out France with Vero social media channels for (musical) reports on quaint Turquant, a troglodytic village near Saumur.
Then follow me to the renowned royal Abbaye de Fontevraud, once the largest monastic city in Europe. I was fortunate to spend the night on site at the only hotel available on abbey grounds. That night I filmed a new virtual tour - with no one around! - as I met the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine and other members of the Plantagenêt dynasty. This was a magical moment I won’t soon forget!
Watch the 20-minute tour below.
Like always, stay in touch with France with Vero on Facebook, Instagram or on the blog. For behind-the-scenes peeks at my tour guide life (and exclusive content) join our fun community on Patreon. Over 430 happy club members can’t be wrong!
Happy spring!
Love the story about the shirt! Enjoyable, informative read. Merci !
Love the Calavera Véro! You are ready for Mexico! I had such a laugh when I saw your shirt! Love the shirt!