Montpellier a ‘favorite’

A month-long trip to France and Ireland, March 3-April 5, 2009, was the best trip of my life. The total cost was between $11,000 and $12,000, but I had a lot of individual tour guides and a driver for my entire stay in Ireland.

I visited Cork, Cobh and Kinsale in Ireland but stayed overnight only in Cork.

In France I visited the spectacular castle in Carcassonne and stayed overnight in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier, Avignon, Lyons and Dijon. I must say that I liked them all, but Montpellier was my favorite. That city in south-central France is compact and 90% pedestrian. It has a 2-line tram system, a spectacular esplanade, over 100 private mansions, sensational food and a stunning array of the arts.

It had a lot of sun, which could be quite intense, and one part of the city is beset by thieves, but I would be very glad to return to Montpellier. It also has a wonderful museum about its own Languedoc culture.

In Toulouse, I felt I had ghastly service at Hôtel Les Bains Douches (4, rue du Pont Guilheméry, 31000 Toulouse, France; phone +33 [0] 5 62 72 52 52, www.hotel-bainsdouches.com), where my room cost over $200 a night.

The woman at the front desk was supposed to call and cancel my tour with a tour company, but she never made the call, which put me in deep jeopardy with that company. Also, she never locked my room door after she agreed to do it. Though my valuables were either with me or in the safe, this still was a violation of trust.

JAY KLOSS
Madison, WI