How much money should I bring?

Good question! Although I don't know how much you personally will want to spend, I will give you an idea of what worked for me in the past.

As far as how much money will you want for daily expenses, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how little is needed. Our breakfasts are great and very plentiful and most of our fantastic dinners are at home. These meals are already paid for in your fees. We are responsible for our own lunches and these can be very simple with cheese, breads, fruit, pastries etc. that can be purchased quite inexpensively at the market or shops in Limoux and taken along with us. Wine is very cheap! "Coca light" is not. Although traditionally dinner is served late in France, our hosts recognize that westerners prefer to dine earlier and so they accommodate us. We are responsible for just one dinner out per week at a local restaurant, of your choosing, or you can bring something home from the market.

Our daily activities and visits to villages are arranged so you will experience real French life, rather than tourist traps. Therefore, you will not have to be constantly putting out euros to pay for admission etc. Money for souvenirs is up to you, but it might be wise to use a credit card for these.

My suggestion is that you only carry in your pocket or money belt what you are comfortable with (or comfortable losing!) There is an ATM just down the street from our home base and although there is a fee to get cash, I think it wise not to carry too much money with you. My bank charges $4.00 for the service and there will most likely be a fee in France. I would rather pay $15.00 to get extra money, when I am running low, rather than risk a stash disappearing from my pocket or pack. We are in a very safe area, however it is wise to be cautious.

Do go to your bank and ask if your debit card will work in France. There are a variety of symbols on the back that your bank will check to confirm this. Also ask which account it will work with. (Most likely only your chequing account.) You will want to be sure to have money in that account. The bank card works only in bank machines and not at stores. Credit cards work at most shops.

I checked just today on the exchange rate to convert US or Canadian to Euros we are able to buy about 63+- Euros for $100.00. As the rates change daily, this will just give you an idea of the rates.

So to sum it up: bring along a few hundred euros and if you need more, walk up the street to the ATM machine. (or ask Ron for a hand-out)

Linda

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS!

Artist Palette

I have recently found this wonderful palette! It is made by Hommee (also called Heritage Palette) and is available though Curry's in Canada and Cheap Joe's in the States.

http://www.cheapjoes.com/art-supply/HWP18_4568_heritage-folding-palette-well.asp

Here's what Joe has to say about it:
The Heritage Folding Palette is a great travel palette that won’t put a crimp in your travel plans! The Heritage Folding palette is one of the nicest travel palettes that we have seen in a while. It’s unusual because the lid doubles as a hearty sized mixing area that has a clear removable plastic tray. This tray can also be used as a second mixing area! In addition the lid has a soft plastic seal, which keeps the palette from leaking and keeps your colors from drying out so quickly. Each well in this palette holds approximately 5ml. of paint. Here’s a tip! If you hold the tube over the deep end of the well then come back towards the shallow end while squeezing the tube, then hold the palette in both hands & gently tap the palette on a flat surface- the paint settles nicely in the wells. 18 Wells

Couldn't have said it better myself, so I didn't!

You may wish to fill the wells ahead of time and give the paint a chance to set up before you hit the sky.

Bring a palette that you like and that fits into a zip lock bag. You may wish to hunt around for an additional mixing surface, such as a white plastic plate. I have a tray from my last flight to France that the flight steward gave to me - honest!

I've include a collapsible water container and mist bottle in this picture - complete with their own plastic bag.

Have Paint - Will Travel

With all the changes in travel these days, it is essential to know how to transport your paints. You must put your paints in your checked baggage! You can not put it in your carry on.

That being the case, you will want to be sure that your clothes are protected from squishy paint tubes. I pack mine in plastic seal tight containers, such as Tupperware or Lock and Lock. The locked box of paints is then further encased in a zip lock bag.

Mark on the outside of the container and bag as shown: Non-combustible, Non-Toxic, Non-flammable and any other "Non" you might like to add. You may be able to get a safety sheet from your supplier it include. I have had my bags inspected regularly when flying as evident by the note that is left to indicate that it has been searched. With the paints labeled and stored in this manner, I have not had a problem. Of course there is always a first time, so let's hope everyone will pass through without an trouble.

I will post a list of my colours, but do bring your own favorite colours and brands. Artist's quality tube paints are superior! Small tubes will most likely be enough for you.

Paper

Watercolour/watercolor paper is surprisingly heavy, so consider how many paintings you might do each day. (Don't bring along old paintings! It is amazing to see how often students drag the sad old things along with them wherever they go.)
Always work with good quality rag paper. Coil pads may seem like good value, but will only result in frustration and poor results. Blocks will do, but I like loose sheets, torn to size.
Bring your favorite paper, weight and surface. My choices include Arches 140 or 300 lb cold press, Saunders Waterford 200 lb CP, Strathmore Gemini 140 or 300 lb.

Tear your paper into the sizes you like to work on before you leave home. I recommend that you work small. For travel, the dimensions I choose are - 5.5" x 7.5" and 7.5" x 7.5" the largest being 11" x 11".

The torn papers are then stacked and sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard or mat board and bound with an elastic band or tied with a string. Neat, organized and light! Each day you can select 2 or 3 pieces of paper of a variety of sizes to take along. The extras can be left behind for another day.

Brushes!

This particular brush caddy came from the drugstore rather than the art store. It is intended for make-up brushes, but I like it because it is much smaller and lighter. A rolled bamboo place mat works well too and allows your brushes to air dry. I will take along a minimum number of brushes. Fewer to carry/fewer to lose - I have also marked my name on the handles.
Best not to bring along expensive sable brushes. Of course, you may bring your own selection or styles and sizes.


My kit includes, from left to right:

- A rigger or signature brush
- 1.5" flat skyflow type brush
- 1" flat skyflow
- A small stiff craft brush for spatters and lifting
- Round brushes - sizes 14 and 10 - your choice of size, but go for big, rather than tiny.
- One or two 1" badger type brush. (Kemp Badger or a Skipper from Cheap Joe's Art Stuff)

Packing your Gear

Have you started to think about what painting gear you will need to take along?

It is very important to think minimal and keep it light! You will need to carry your things as we tour villages and out in the open. There will be times when we will just take out sketch books, but most likely you will want to throw your kit into the van just in case.

I will post my complete list of supplies soon, but to get you started here are a few ideas to keep things simple and portable.

1. A rolling backpack works well to cart painting equipment.

2. A small water flask for drinking or painting. There will be jugs available in the van, but you may wish to have a small container.

3. Watercolour paper.

4. A small piece of plexi-glass cut to size to fit your pack.

5. Brush caddy and brushes.

6. Light weight wooden board. Cut to fit in your pack.

7. Clips or clothes pegs to stop your masterpieces from blowing away.

8. Palette.

9. Sketch book(s) and marker.

10. Collapsible water container and small water sprayer.

11. Pencil case with pencils, markers, sharpener, watercolour pencils if you wish to use them etc.

12. Paints in a sealed container.

13. Small sack or paint bag to use when travelling extra light.

14. Tissue! Bring several packages - multi purpose... there may be times when there is no TP in the public toilettes. Here is a bit of reading to bring you up to speed: http://www.travellady.com/Issues/June05/1520atoilettimidtourists.htm

http://gofrance.about.com/od/travelplanning/ht/toilet.htm

Don't worry - once you get the hang of it you might actually enjoy the adventures that each new day brings!

15. Binoculars/bird watching book for Karin and Pat.

16. Paper towel and a terry-cloth hand towel. The cloth towel works well to sit on if you find yourself on a hillside or other natural perch.

17. Wet wipes

18. How about your camera? Of course I used mine to take the pix!

** note that most things go into your kit in zip-lock bags so as to protect the rest of our equipment and clothes.

No doubt there are more things you will want to add - a light rain jacket, snacks, sun screen, bug repelant (you can purchase small individual wipes rather than bringing big heavy bottles), candy for the teacher...

If you can think of things that I have left off the list, please leave a comment. Why not leave a comment if you can't think of something/anything.. or even if your mind is blank?

L.

An Update on Paris Museum Passes

My Parisian partner Nicolas suggested that this pass might be of interest to some of you:

http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php

Apparently it allows one to visit any of the national museums and comes in 2, 4, and 6 day packages. It is a much better price than the other passes that we looked at this winter so it is an option if you want to spend short periods of time in multiple museums.

Answers to Your Queries

Myra asked if she should consider purchasing a 4 day pass to the Louvre to avoid potentially long lineups.

While this is definitely a good idea, I would say that it is probably not necessary (unless you want to spend that much time exploring the galleries! I know I will!).

I have been to the gallery many times (and, in fact, I have a one year pass myself) but I have never noticed lines that were too terrible. They have plenty of self serve kiosks in the building so if you have a credit card you can use those (as a side note, you can't just swipe and sign in France. In most cases you must have a PIN set on your credit card in order to use it in a shop or at an ATM so you might want to set that up with your bank if you haven't got that feature already.)

If you are worried, I would suggest that you should just buy a single ticket online in advance. It takes a bit of advanced planning (I'm not sure if they mail you your ticket or if you just print it out) but you could save yourself some cash.

You can find the information here: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/pratique/billetterie.jsp


Karin (the debit queen) asked for advice about how to handle the money situation while in Europe as she is concerned about not being able to use a debit card and having to carry around large sums of money.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST AN OPINION BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION TO GET THE REAL SCOOP.

Your debit card WILL work in Europe as long as your card has a "Cross" trademark symbol on the back of the card somewhere. 95% of cards will have this. The only issue with debit is that there are relatively heavy surcharges for using ATMs that require a currency exchange (around 10 euros per transaction in Paris I believe).

My advice would be to bring enough cash to do you for at least half the trip. Keep as much cash as you think you will need for the day in your wallet and all of your extras in a traveler's money pouch that you wear under your clothes (you can get them at most luggage stores-I find soft canvas ones that go around your waist to be the most convenient and comfortable but there are lots of fancy types). This will stop any pickpocketing issues but keep your cash handy.

You can then hit an ATM part way through the trip if you need to. I don't know what the banking situation will be like in the country, but it is obviously not going to be a problem in the city. If you have a bank card you will not be stuck for cash (unless you don't have any money in your account!).

I personally wouldn't deal with traveler's cheques. Nobody in a small French village is going to want to take them off your hands. You will have to cash them in a bank and not in stores. Its up to you, of course, but I wouldn't bother.

Hello Gang! Greetings from Jamie.

Ron asks "How do I leave a comment? Do I need to sign up to do this?"

Thanks for your question Ron - to leave a comment find the line at the end of each section that
says something like: "Posted by Linda Kemp at Sunday, March 23, 2008 1 million Comments"

Click on Comments - that will bring up a new page. You will be able to read the comments others have left and add your own in the box to the right. You will need to fill in the silly jumble of letters that appear in red in the box to the left of WORD VERIFICATION. This is to prove the comment is not made by a robot or some other mechanical being (honest!).

Next click in the small circle beside Anonymous so you will not need to sign up for any accounts etc. but please be sure to sign your name after your comment so we know who has written.

Now click on the orange PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT

That should do it! (OK so I exaggerated on the number of 1 million comments we expect to receive, but you get the idea.) Please email me if it doesn't work.
Linda