[quote=Jazzman]Allan, you could be forgiven for thinking Marin county reminds you of parts of Europe, especially the English countryside. There’s even an English country pub there. Not everywhere in France is beautiful, but the contrast is with the very old towns and villages, many of which haven’t changed in centuries.

Recommended trips. If you head to the Cote D’Azure, and drive along the Grande Corniche, overlooking the Med and one of the most famous “village perche”, Eze it is truly breathtaking.

Take the freeways to Provence and the Gorge du Verdon, where the river is the same incredible blue as the sea at Nice. Throw off your clothes as dive in.

Head up into the Alpes Maritime where winding roads carve their way through the hard red rock, and eventually you arrive in Megeve, an Alpine town with old chalet farmhouses, now hotels that retain so much character.

France is the envy of Europe. Italy comes in a close second IMO. If you travel, don’t go on a tour. You will NOT see the real Europe.[/quote]

Jazzman: My first posting in the Army (1984) was in the Fulda Gap, near Frankfurt am Main and over that summer and fall, I saw a lot of Europe, especially France, Italy and Germany. Armed with a Eurail Pass and a ruck, I got all over the place, including the French and Italian Riviera and on one epic occasion, a “clothes-optional” beach in Greece.

I avoided the touristy places at all costs and I especially avoided any groups of American tourists (we used to call them “ugly Americans” for obvious reasons.) I would love to go back to Europe on something unrelated to business and tramp around all those small towns and villages again.

BTW, growing up in the SF/Bay Area, the joke was that BMW stood for “Basic Marin Wheels”. The view from Sausalito is amazing, as are the houses tucked up in the hills, but until Zuckerberg responds to my request to “gift” me $10MM, I’m going to have to wait to live there.