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French Leave Finesse
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DIY publishing is precarious. In 1980, when I
started, 38,000 new books were published in the UK; in 1995 - 90,000! Guides
to France? The choice today is ten or more times greater. To make matters
worse my recent research costs have been sky-high. So, for this final edition
of French Leave, commercial realities must prevail: production and
paper costs (the latter alarmingly high) must be kept to a minimum; the price
must be competitive; the front cover must pack a sales punch; and the finished
guide must look and feel “good value” (hence the new format). French Leave
Finesse (FLF) will also be the last “Chiltern House” guide sold
in bookshops. Future publications, if any, will only be available directly
from the author; if you would like details please send me your name and address
(to Leamington Spa - see page 2). FLF is in an A-Z format. The regional
introductions in French Leave Encore (FLE) have been dropped
- as have the wine notes and maps; so please keep your copy of FLE
for future reference. Lists and notes on the cuisine, specialities and cheeses
of France’s mainland regions are on the grey-edged pages at the back of the
guide. No establishment pays to be included and, for the first time, every
entry gets equal “democratic” coverage. With my eyesight not as effective
as it used to be, the new layout makes for much easier reading - for both
of us. La guillotine has fallen on many previous entries (particularly the
more expensive places). Please also note the following: 1: Over 75 entries
are Franc-Wise (FW) recommendations. These offer clients one
or more value-for-money, quality cooking menus (see pages 3 and 5). The French
have the ideal label to summarise exactly what I mean: rapport qualité-prix
(RQP). The key word in RQP is qualité. 2: The Non-FW entries include
scores of “Base” hotels - all sans restaurant and, with few exceptions, in
either quiet or secluded locations (see pages 22/23); over 50 recommendations
with a cooking rating below the minimum required for a FW award; and
more than 130 others, including hotels where comfort is of a high standard
and restaurants where prices exceed the FW ceiling - many by just
a whisker. 3: A few caveats. FLF is for the independent motorist.
I deliberately do not direct you into the centres of cities and the largest
towns - where noise, traffic, thefts from cars, parking and navigation are
all nightmares. When I use the word basic to describe bedrooms, that’s exactly
what I mean. Finally, a big “thank you” to all those readers who
“inspected” many of the new FW entries - and to the four-figure number
of readers who each year, send me invaluable feedback on all earlier
recommendations. |
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