Way Out of Paris Destinations for "Foodies"
Introduction.
 We present here several trips to special destinations in France. Typically, these are train-then-car rental trips from Paris. All entail at least a one-night stay at the destination. However, a stay of two or three days is preferable. We've chosen destinations with wonderful restaurants
as well as interesting sights and geography.
If you are older than 60, you receive a "senior" discount from SNCF, the French railroad company. We prefer to buy first-class seats that guarantee reserved places. You can book your trip on the SNCF website at http://agence.voyages-sncf.com/. You also can arrange to rent a car at the SNCF station, «gare», where you arrive. Most SNCF stations have an Avis rent-a-car agency in
the station. Often, there also are Hertz, Alamo or Eurocar agencies at the larger stations. Be sure your rental car agency has an office at the station and that it is open at the time of your arrival and return. We find it preferable to rent the car in the U.S. using the rental company's website. Be sure to take advantage of any corporate or frequent flyer discount that you might have. If you use a gold or platinum credit card, likely, you will
not need to purchase additional insurance. (Be sure to check with your credit card company before you rent.)
Cancale.
Take the SNCF's TGV from Paris Montparnasse 1 et 2 station to Rennes. The trip on the non-stop TGV takes about 2-hours. The distance from Rennes to Cancale is 72 km (~40 miles) and takes about one hour.
At Cancale we recommend staying at either of Olivier Roellinger's hotels, Les Rimains or Le Coquillage, telephone: (332) 99 89 64 76 / info@maisons.de.bricourt.com. Les Rimains is located on the Bay of Mont-Saint Michel and has three charming rooms and one suite. Le Coquillage is larger and a short distance out of the center of Cancale. The Coquillage has a lovely, but less formal bistrot. When
making a reservation, request a window table with an ocean view.
The star of the show is Roellinger's Maisons de Bricourt. Now, with three Michelin "macaroons," one must book considerably in advance. The only way to describe the food is "amazing." Request a window table with a view of the garden.
 The little town of Cancale is lovely. If you stay at Les Rimains, you can "hike" from your hotel room to the center of the town in about 15-minutes. The walk takes you along the bay. Cancale is located on the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. The bay is truly amazing as it experiences tides greater than 15-meters
(45-feet). The oysters produced in the bay are fabulous. Just stop at one of the cafes facing the bay and order a dozen with a glass of Muscadet or stop at one of the oyster vendors who will open a dozen and hand them to you on a plastic plate. On a clear day, you can see the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel looming in the distance. It is about a one-hour drive to Mont-Saint-Michel from Cancale.
Also nearby are the cities of Dinard, St-Malo and Dinan. All are worth a stop and look around. Check the Michelin website http://viamichelin.com for more information on the area or purchase the Michelin green guide for Brittany.
 Roscoff.
Take the train from Gare Montparnasses 1 et 2 to Morlaix. The trip takes about 4-hours by fast train, TGV. There is an Avis rent-a-car agency in the Morlaix station, «gare». The drive from Morlaix to Roscoff is 28 km (~17 miles) and takes about 30-minutes.
 We recommend staying at the Hôtel Le Temps de Vivre, telephone: (332) 98 19 33 19 / contact@letempsdevivre.net, and eating at Le Temps de Vivre restaurant. The hotel and restaurant are located within sight of the Bay of Morlaix. The seafood served is great as are the views from the hotel and the restaurant.
It is a charming city on the water. This area is know for onions and artichokes.
Nearby are numerous villages that house lovely exterior cavalries where the illiterate townspeople were taught religion using these icons. In this area there also are a number of «menhirs», «cairns», «tumulus» and other relics of the pre-historic people who erected the Menec alignments at Carnac and throughout Brittany.
Moëlan-sur-Mer / Pont-Aven / Belon River / Concarneau
Take the train from Gare Montparnasse 1 et 2 to Quimper. On the TGV, the trip takes about 4.5-hours. There are Hertz and Avis rent-a-car agencies at the «gare» in Quimper. The driving distance from Quimper to Moëlan-sur-Mer is 48 km (~29 miles) and takes about 45-minutes.
 The Manoir de Kertalg, telephone: (332) 98 96 52 52 / kertalg@free.fr, is a lovely hotel with nine rooms. It is about 1/4 mile from the road with a friendly and helpful staff.
Nearby are two of our favorite restaurants. La Taupinière, telephone: (332) 98 06 03 12 / la.taupiniere@wanadoo.fr, is a simple, country restaurant run by Mr. and Mrs. Guilloux. He is the chef; she is the hostess. (It has one Michelin star!) The setting is just outside Pont-Aven set back from the road. (Note that La Taupinière is closed from
September 18th through October 13th.)
 The second is Chez Jacky, telephone: (332) 98 06 90 32 / chez.jacky@wanadoo.fr, located just outside Riec-sur-Belon. Once you've found Riec-sur-Belon, follow the little Chez Jacky signs out of town. It is a rustic restaurant situated above the estuary of the Belon River. The views at sunset are spectacular.
It is run by the widow of Jacky and has had the same serving staff each time we have visited over the last six years. There is a live fish tank, «vivier», that is part of the restaurant. The Belon oysters are like no other oysters that I've ever eaten. They are out of the water less than four hours before they are on your plate. If you are with one or more people who love shellfish, try their «fruits de mer» that will include about every shellfish
you've heard of and some that will be new.
Pont-Aven, is near Moëlan-sur-Mer. Pont-Aven is where Paul Gaugin founded his "school" and lived off the locals. It is a touristic town, but worth the visit. There is small museum that often has interesting exhibitions. Also nearby is Concarneau where we love going to the Friday marché.
 Fontjoncouse. Fonjoncouse is a village in the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France about 35 km (~20 miles) from Narbonne. There are about twenty dwellings in the village including «le Auberge du Vieux Puits,» telephone:
(334) 68 44 07 37 / aubergeduvieuxpuits@wanadoo.fr. This is an inn and restaurant created by the exceptional two star Michelin chef, Gilles Goujon and his charming wife Marie-Christine. There are 12 rooms with some located in an annex about a quarter of a mile away from the main buildings. Try to reserve one of the larger rooms that face onto the pool in the main compound.
This is the area of France know for the crusades against the Cathars in the 13th century. Known as the Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209 - 1229), it was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman
Catholic Church to eliminate the religion practiced by the Cathars of Languedoc, which the Roman Catholic hierarchy considered apostasy. There are several Cathar strongholds in the area. A nearby Cathar château that is worth a visit is Peyrepertuse.
 Not far from Narbonne is Abbaye de Fontfroide. Most of the abbey buildings were erected in the 12C and 13C in the fine
flame-coloured stone of the Corbières. It was restored in the 17C, 18C and 19C. The setting is delightful, with floral courtyards, well-maintained paths, superb terraced gardens and a rose garden with 3 000 rose bushes. Begin your visit in the Cour d'Honneur (17C) and continue into the medieval buildings: cloisters, abbey church, chapter house and storeroom. Not far is Minerve. This former
Cathar village perched on a steep hillside and reached only by a narrow bridge was the last stand of the Cathars. Worth a visit.
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