Bob Preston and his team at Globe Bleu arranged a fabulous trip for my family this past June, 2013.
My driver/guide to the Loire Valley was fabulous. I really enjoyed her and she did a great job explaining the two chateaux, their differences, and not rushing me from place to place. I was especially pleased with the lunch reservation at Auberge du Bon Laboureur – a much better selection than the original one at L’Orangerie.
Olivier, our driver/guide in Normandy, was amazing. Faced with a “strike” by the guides at Mont St. Michel, he took us around himself, explaining the various bits and pieces of the church. He was very flexible on our second day when I asked him to arrange a visit to a cheese farm/factory rather than our original plan to go to Honfleur. With just a few minutes’ notice, he had called an organic farm, arranged a tour, then proceeded to “fill the gap” between our visit to the Bayeux tapestry and the farm with a stop at the Pegasus Memorial and lunch at the first building liberated by the British. The D-Day visits were well-thought out – especially as I hadn’t thought to visit other cemeteries than the American – and yet, the most chilling aspect of my visit was the stop at the German cemetery. Last, but not least, he did a great job at Giverny, getting us past the crowds quickly and explaining the key points of Monet’s home.
Moshe, our driver in Paris, was a dream. I’m not sure if he had spider-sense, but he was always there whenever we exited our restaurant – we never had to call him on his cell. He got us in and out and to our destinations on time and with no stress. He confirmed our dinner reservations whenever we were running late or made them earlier if the boys were starting to starve. Further, he was very accommodating when I decided to visit the Orsay on Sunday morning rather than go to mass. I really can’t say enough about him – he was professional, polite, and a pleasure to spend time with.
Overall, I would have to say that this was one of our best trips ever! There was just enough for us to do without feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Things were well planned out, yet there was room for flexibility. I loved how the dinner reservations were taken care of and I didn’t have to worry about what I was doing when.
Thank you so very much for an excellent trip that we will be talking about for years to come.
Anne and John U. from New York
