Transformer for electrical products (there is a hair dryer available)
Sunscreen
Bug spray or stick (for painting on location)
Woolite for hand washables (Powder form is safer for travel)
Debit or Credit Card and PIN numbers
The debit card lets you withdraw cash from your bank account without any bank or transfer charges and at the most favorable exchange. You, of course, could get a cash advance on your credit card but would have the additional charges, depending on your credit card agreement. You can use credit cards almost anywhere and for almost anything, but sometimes there is a minimum and you will want to have your pocket money in Euros. You can use any of your debit or credit cards for cash in all the ATM machines in France and they are plentiful.
VISA is accepted everywhere, and usually MasterCard. American Express, Discovery, and Diners Club should be avoided, they are very rarely honored.
I do not recommend traveler’s checks. They are rarely accepted by merchants and we will be in some very small villages without access to a bank.
Check your daily limit and ensure that it is sufficient for any purchases that you are expecting to make.
Do not store your pin numbers with you cards.
Long Distance Calling Cards and PIN Numbers
Prepaid calling cards are usually not useable here. Even if it says “International”, the fine print normally indicates that it is to be used from a US phone; it does not work from outside the country.
Obtain, instead, a calling card from your normal Long Distance Provider AND the access number for France . The access number is the number that you dial in France to get to AT&T or MCI switches that accept your credit card.
If you haven’t chosen a package that gives you good international rates, now is the time to check that out with your Long Distance provider. I have a wonderful provider, Primus Passport. Their USA number is 888-863-1725.
Clothes
The weather is unpredictable. Think rain, cool mornings and nights, and hot days. Give more thought to layering than quantity. Dressing for pure comfort is appropriate for all the time scheduled for painting, in the studio and in the countryside. Think church retreat, or summer camp.
For the trips to Paris , Troyes , and Sens you will want to wear comfortable, casual city attire and sensible walking shoes. You might feel uncomfortable wearing shorts.
Weather permitting, all the meals at the house and many at restaurants will be eaten outdoors and the evenings can be cool. Again, think layers.
Laundry can be arranged with the housekeeper for a slight charge, but be aware that everything will be line dried, either inside or outside. Drying times are unpredictable; think lightweight, hand washable, quick drying layers.
Comfortable walking shoes are a must.
This would be my personal list of clothing for two weeks .
One pair of blue jeans or safari pants that zip off at the knees, making my one pair of shorts
Two/three pairs of socks
Four/five pairs of underwear
One pair of comfortable shoes for studio and countryside (Athletic shoes, maybe)
One pair of comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing (Not white athletic shoes)
One lightweight rain jacket or poncho
One cool dress
One pair of nice slacks
Three shells or tops
One lightweight sweater, to double for city and painting
One lightweight polar fleece type of jacket or pullover
Painting shirt
Lightweight bath robe or cover-up
Possibly warm up suit for cool evenings at the house and early mornings in the studio.
Be sure to label the inside of your suitcase with you name and address. Security at the airport may be different from your last trip. It constantly changes, but one new change is if you choose to lock you bag, you will have to accompany it at the airport through special security, they will not check it. However, you can choose to wrap it with strapping tape. This serves two purposes, one it lets you know if your bag was entered and it prevents zippers from breaking with the rough handling of airports.
Communications with home
Please remind your loved ones that France is six hours LATER than the states. 4:00 PM EST is a good cutoff time to remember.
You will have Internet access for e-mailing your friends and family. I would suggest that you open either a Yahoo or Hotmail account if you don’t already have one and give it to your friends and family. These types of accounts are free and easy to access anywhere in the world.
If you already have an email address with your service provider, be sure that you have:
User name
Password
Domain address of your service provider
Important Numbers for you and your family
Please make a copy for your billfold and leave a copy with a family member.
La Bonne Etoile
011.33.1.60.58.90.27
Krisina’s mobile number
011.33.6.09.86.49.62
Jerome’s mobile number
011.33.6.14.82.17.95
Atlanta voicemail/fax
770-216-1541
NOTE : when calling in france, drop the 011.33 and add a beginning 0 to the remaining number.
