To Catch A Thief: Take 4

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’ s Classic Film

Series Post #6

When we last saw our intrepid former jewel thief he had deftly eluded the police by enlisting the help of his housekeeper, Germaine.  While Germaine led the unsuspecting cops on a wild goose chase through some of the most picturesque villages in the south of France, Robie walked calmly to the street in front of his house to catch the bus to Monaco.

It’s during the scene on the bus that Hitchcock makes his cameo appearance in the film (seated next to Grant).

In Monaco Robie visits Bertani, a former comrade from his days in the French Resistance who is now a restaurateur.  The location of Bertani’s restaurant is at the western edge of Port Hercules in Monaco.  I’m told there actually was a restaurant there years ago, but if so, it has long since closed.  As Robie leaves the bus and walks down the steps to the restaurant (making sure to hide his face from a policeman) we’re given a clear view across the port to Avenue d”Ostende as it leads up to the casino.

During his meeting with Bertani it becomes apparent to Robie that the only way to clear his name is to catch the thief himself.  So with the police hot on his heels he flees Monaco in a boat with the precocious

More Info on Great Films

I received a very nice Email from a fellow film buff recently and I’d like to mention her blog.

http://thesis-in-progress.blogspot.com/

It’s a fine resource for anyone interested in film locations, architecture, fashion, etc.

Special attention is given to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, La Dolce Vita, and
To Catch A Thief.

Domaine St Joseph

Domaine St Joseph is a small vineyard comprising roughly 3 hectares of olive trees and well-tended vines.  The grapes from those spoiled little vines produce surprisingly sophisticated wines and aperitifs, and even if they did not, you would have trouble finding fault with this charming place.

Located in a residential area below the main village of Tourrettes sur Loup, Domaine St Joseph is the perfect stopover for those seeking a more intimate wine experience.

Call ahead to schedule a tasting.

Gérard et Julien Bertaina – Proprietors
160 chemin des Vignes 06140 Tourrettes sur Loup
Tel. 04.93.58.81.31

Still No Plans For Ringing In The New Year?

For those of you completely unaffected by the recent recession (surely a very small group) and without any plans for ringing in the new year, I strongly suggest reserving your spot now at L’Abbaye, a converted tenth century abby in the small town of La Colle sur Loup in the south of France.

A comfy double room with dinner for two on New Years Eve (with breakfast the following morning) can be yours for the paltry sum of 390 Euros (details below in French).

And why, Mr. Blog Man (that’s me), should I travel so far to spend an evening at L’Abbaye?

Simply because I say so and you should never, ever question the Le Stuff Blog Man.

OK, just in case you need a bit more convincing, it’s a great place run by nice, helpful people and the food is outstanding and hey, Brigitte Bardot was married in the Abbey’s little stone chapel.

If it’s good enough for Brigitte Bardot then it’s good enough for us, right?

I think so.

I was married there too.

www.hotelabbaye.com
Photo below by Angela Karen at www.angelakaren.com

Madame, Monsieur,

Venez passer avec nous vos fêtes de fin d’année !
Vous trouverez ci joint notre nouvelle carte ainsi que nos menus de Noël, Jour de l’An et Saint Sylvestre élaborés par notre Chef de cuisine Arnault Baldereschi et notre Chef pâtissier Marc Mauro di Mauri.

Nous vous proposons également notre forfait pour le réveillon :

Réveillon Saint Sylvestre = 390 €

Diner pour 2 personnes (hors boissons) – servis à partir de 19h30
Une nuit en chambre double – Taxes de séjour incluses
Petits déjeuners continentaux pour 2 personnes – servis de 7h30 à 11h

Offre valable la nuit du Jeudi 31 Décembre 2009 au Vendredi 1er janvier 2010

Rent A Bike In Nice

Good news for bike enthusiasts.

The city of Nice is offering bikes for rent at 90 different locations around town.  The Velo Bike System, first introduced in Paris, provides visitors with a fun, inexpensive way to see Nice.

The first half hour is free, the second 30min costs €1, and additional hours are €2 each.

Call 00 33 4 30 00 30 or go to http://www.velobleu.org for details.

3 Travel Web Sites You Should Be Using Now

The Internet is an invaluable resource for travelers interested in saving time and money.  With just a little effort savvy surfers can quickly find (and book) the lowest prices on flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and much more.
Listed below are three of my favorite travel websites.

Booking Buddy
Booking Buddy consolidates numerous travel search engines onto a single page so you don’t have to maneuver from site to site when shopping for flights, hotels, cars, cruises, etc.  (Kayak.com also allows you to search over 140 different sites to compare rates)
www.bookingbuddy.com

TripAdvisor
Not only is Trip Advisor incredibly useful when you need to check out a potential hotel (or restaurant) anywhere in the world, it’s also just plain fun to read reviews from people who have actually stayed there.  In addition,

A weekend in Turin, Italy

Turin, in my opinion, is one of the great underrated cities of Europe.

Elegant and sophisticated, this northern Italian town on the Po River has much to offer.  Visitors can expect delicious food, substantive wines, ample shopping, and graceful architecture.

For those considering a long weekend in “The Capital of the Alps” I have two recommendations.

Where to stay:
Grand Hotel Sitea
Centrally located with large, modern rooms, the Grand Hotel Sitea is a solid choice for a weekend stay.  Enjoy a VERY generous breakfast buffet each morning before heading out to explore the town, and at the end of the day, the hotel bar is perfect for unwinding.
Via Carlo Alberto, 35
10123 Torino, Italy
+39 011 517 0171

Where to hang out:
Cafe Florio
Founded in 1870, Cafe Florio is the place to stop in for a drink, pastries, chocolates, cakes, tea, or anything else under the sun you might have a craving for.  The service is friendly and the atmosphere is “molto” chic.
8 Via Po
Torino, Italy 10122
Tel: +39 011 817 0612

The French Riviera: Best Drives

The south of France has everything for those of us who feel the need to add a little speed to our lives.  Think twisting mountain switchbacks, sun-drenched coastal roadways, a populace that enjoys and appreciates fast driving, and some of the best scenery on the planet.

The Corniche Road System
There are actually three corniche roads, the lower (basse), middle (moyenne), and upper (Grande), that run from Nice to Menton (the last French town before the Italian border).  In order to get the best bang for your buck from each of them you need to have a little advance knowledge.

Let’s begin with The Lower Corniche.
Timing is everything.  Really.
Don’t even consider hopping on the lower corniche during holidays, the summer season, Friday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, or at any time that could be even slightly construed as rush hour.  In fact, if you have just an inkling that there may be traffic on the road, forget it.
Properly timed, though, and a drive along the lower corniche can be exceptionally rewarding.

Travel Attitude: A Perspective

We all want to appear at least moderately competent as we go about our daily lives, but on the road that’s often not possible.  Travel to a foreign country on your own and you will undoubtedly face innumerable, potentially embarrassing situations.  Simple tasks like ordering coffee, shopping for groceries, or pumping gas can turn into cringeworthy affairs.

These uncomfortable situations often leave us searching for easy ways to explain and excuse our own limitations, which in turn, can lead to a defensive backlash of unfounded criticisms against the host country.

Developing and maintaining a negative “blanket” opinion about an unfamiliar country or culture is easy.  The real effort is in avoiding such thoughts.

Driving in France: 6 Quick Tips

1) Residents of the United States need only a valid passport and a valid state driver’s license to drive legally in France.  An international driver’s license is not necessary.

2) French police can impose an on the spot fine for driving violations and payments must be made in cash.

3) When pulling into a roundabout always yield to the traffic on your left.

4) Traffic lights in France are usually on poles on the right side of the road.  They are much less visible than traffic lights in the states that hang down from wires stretched across the street. Sometimes there are different poles for different lanes, so be alert when approaching a busy intersection.

5) A flashing red traffic light means Do Not Enter, flashing amber means Caution, and a flashing yellow arrow means Yield.

6) Blue “Peage” signs indicate a toll road.  Always have spare change on hand to pay the toll.  As you approach the tollbooth, drive to the lane below the sign with an illustration of falling coins and the word Monnai (change).  If you have exact change toss it into the basket and wait for the gate to open.  If you do not have the exact amount toss your coins into the basket, collect your change, and then drive through when the gate is raised.

To Catch A Thief: Take 3

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’ s Classic Film

Series Post #5

At the end of post # 4 the police were fast approaching Robie’s villa just outside the village of St Jeannet.

The police enter the house and ask the former jewel thief to accompany them to the station for questioning.  He agrees, but asks if they will first allow him to change into something a bit more formal.  While changing in his bedroom he fools the police into thinking he has escaped by car.  And so begins the famous chase scene that  takes viewers through some of the most picturesque villages in the south of France (apparently this was was also one of the first cinematic sequences filmed from a helicopter).

The Chase:
The first town we see is Le Bar sur Loup.  Le Bar is a picturesque, working class village that looks pretty much the same today as it does in the movie, with its dramatic, fourteenth century chateau dominating the town center.  Notice the old railroad bridge at the edge of town.

Alec Harvey Guest Post: Thoughts on France

Alec Harvey, Features Editor for The Birmingham News, has been kind enough to submit Le Stuff’’s very first Guest Post.  For those of you who are regular Le Stuff readers, you may remember I posted a story in July about the, um, transmission problems Alec encountered early on during a Spring 2007 trip to France.  I really do hate to mention it again, but honestly it’s just too difficult for me to let it go.

So thanks Alec for your contribution, and I very much look forward to our next adventure.  I encourage everyone to pick up a copy of The Birmingham News, one of the nation’s most respected newspapers, and to check out City Scene, found in the Entertainment section every Friday.  There’s no better way for hipsters like you and me to get a handle on the goings on in The Magic City.  Finally, ”Alec Harvey’s blog and column” (does this guy ever sleep?) can be read at http://blog.al.com/aharvey.

Sincerely,

Le Stuff

Two years ago, I fell in love with France .

I had visited Paris the summer after I graduated from college, and I probably fell in love then, too, but the nearly 25 years that had passed had dimmed that affection. What remained were memories of good food and a little too much good wine, but not much about the people and places I encountered.

This time, I don’t expect the love affair to end.  Visiting the countryside of France is much different from the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s greatest cities.  The villages have a quaintness that Paris can never duplicate, and their charm – and that of the people that inhabit them – is not likely to fade.

If you’re planning a trip to the South of France

Car Rental Insurance: To Pay or Not To Pay?

Isn’t car rental insurance grossly overpriced, and can’t money be saved by booking with a credit card that provides insurance on vehicles rented with that card?

Yes and yes.

Sort of.

Car rental companies do make substantial profits by charging elevated rates for insurance, and it is possible to waive the insurance coverage when picking up your car (though some companies have stopped this practice), but I only recommend doing it in certain circumstances.

Vehicles rented in the United States should fall under your personal insurance policy.  Check with your insurance carrier before booking, and if you’re covered, then by all means decline the insurance offered by the rental car firm.  If you don’t you’ll simply be wasting money on useless coverage.

Many credit cards also offer primary insurance (if the card is used to book the vehicle) on cars rented in the United States.  Call your card company for details.

The rules change when you go to Europe.

European Car Rental: The Bad News

It seems the recession is affecting everyone, even car rental companies.
A recent BBC article reports that travelers are paying substantially higher fees for vehicles or, even worse, finding themselves with no car at all due to overbooking by the rental company.

Why?

Rental firms anticipated fewer travelers this year as a result of the recession and did not update their fleets (or could not update their fleets due to tighter financing restrictions).

The result?

During heavy travel periods demand is simply exceeding supply.
The countries hardest hit are Spain, France, and Italy.  Prices are up 70% in some popular destinations.

My advice to avoid possible headaches?

As always, book early and do your homework.  Give yourself enough time to shop around and find the best deal. Also, it may be cheaper to book a larger vehicle instead of an economy car.  Smaller cars are much more in demand because everyone thinks they’ll be cheaper, so you may get a better deal if you upsize.

To Catch A Thief: Take 2

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’ s Classic Film

Series Post #4

At the end of post #3 several policemen had been dispatched to question John Robie at his villa in the hills above Nice.  As they drive into the countryside the village of Gourdon is visible in the distance.

The Villa:
From Gourdon the scene fades and we see, for the first time, John Robie’s villa (pictured above). This is the villa that seems to generate so much interest.
The house is located

To Catch A Thief: Take 1

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’ s Classic Film

Series Post #3

The Movie Begins:
A woman screams as she discovers her jewelry has been stolen.
In a panic she runs onto her hotel room balcony where we, the viewers, are treated to an expansive shot of Nice’s world famous seafront boulevard, the Promenade des Anglais.

And so begins Alfred Hitchcock’s light hearted thriller “To Catch A Thief”.

A rash of daring jewel thefts has the entire Riviera in an uproar.
An emergency meeting is held at the Commissaire de Police in downtown Nice where several officers are quickly dispatched to question former jewel thief John Robie, the obvious suspect, at his villa in the hills above the Riviera.
As the officers leave Nice they are shown driving up a hill with a sweeping view of the city and the Mediterranean in the background.  The “hill” is actually

To Catch A Thief: Prelude

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’ s Classic Film

Series Post #2

Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, premiered in New York City in August of 1955.

It was an immediate hit.

Adapted from a novel by David Dodge, To Catch A Thief tells the story of ex- jewel thief John Robie (Grant), who is forced out of retirement by a mysterious string of burglaries in Nice and Cannes.  It seems the thief is using all of Robie’s old tricks and the police suspect him of committing the crimes.  In order to salvage his reputation, and his hide, Robie decides to track down the copy cat himself.  Along the way he becomes romantically involved with the icy, but very beautiful, Frances Stevens (Kelly).

Aside from the obvious star power of Grant and Kelly, the movie showcases the stunning scenery of the French Riviera and the villages just north of the coast. To Catch A Thief still stands, in my opinion, as one of the most visually captivating films ever made.

For those of you who are true To Catch A Thief addicts, I recommend

To Catch A Thief: The Definitive Location Guide To Alfred Hitchcock’s Classic Film

Most cyber junkies are probably not aware that bloggers have the ability to track, among other things, the search word or words used to reach a particular blog or blog post.  For example, if someone enters “Tourrettes sur Loup” into the Google toolbar and that, in turn, leads them to my July 28 post on the Auberge de Tourrettes, then I know that the title and tags I’ve used have been effective.  Being aware of “blog stats” can be very helpful in driving traffic to a blog.
The reason for this explanation?
Since my first Le Stuff post on June 10, 2009, one subject has easily trumped all other searches by a country mile.
Here are a few examples:

john robies villa in the hills of nice
where exactly is john robies villa
john robie cours saleya flower market nice
flower market john robie

I think you get the idea.

I’m sure many of you are probably scratching your  heads at this very moment and wondering “Who is John Robie?”

Quick Visit: Tourrettes sur Loup, France

I recently posted a few lines about one of my favorite places in the south of France, the Auberge de Tourrettes. One of the many things that makes the Auberge so special is that it’s located at the edge of one of the most picturesque villages in the area, Tourrettes sur Loup.
Listed below are a few helpful facts.

Population: 3,921
Altitude: 400 meters

THE VILLAGE:
Tourrettes sur Loup is located five kilometers west of the town of Vence, and approximately forty minutes from the Nice airport.  Literally hanging off the side of a cliff, this beautiful village is well known for producing more violets than anywhere else in France.  A good place to start your tour is

5 Tips: Be a Better Traveler

Ditch The Attitude  (You got a problem with that?)
We all know the type – defensive, argumentative, thinks everybody is out to get them.  The kind of person who can never settle down and enjoy a trip because they’re too busy acting like an ass.
Come on man, breathe.
While a healthy dose of common sense regarding theft, petty scams, and being overcharged for a cab ride is never a bad idea, I can assure you, everyone is NOT out to get you.
I have found that most locals are remarkably generous with their time and almost always eager to help a traveler in need.
That definitely will not be the case, though, if you com across as an arrogant tool.
And if you do get scammed?