Video Visits: Discovering France

List Price: $14.99 Buy For: $13.49
Usually ships in 24 hours


Add to Cart


Compare New & Used Prices From All Available Merchants:

Starring: Discovering France
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Studio: Questar
Release Date: 2001-02-27
Running Time: 120 minutes
Explore the country where love, art and pleasure are considered national treasures. Visit the northern regions, with stops at Chartres Cathedral and Normandy's World War II battleground. See Paris, the "city of light," and the royal palace at Versailles. Tour the vineyards of Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux. Watch French chefs prepare mouth-watering delicacies. View the spectacular French Alps and the pastoral region of Provence. DVD extras: Romantic Paris, Carnival at Limoux, Favorite Cities & Regions. 120 minutes.

Travel Guide or Time Machine?
When I viewed "Video Visits: Discovering France," I wept, but not with nostalgic tears of joy. Rather, I was disappointed to see images of the France of yesteryear. The inclusion of the word "video" in the title should have been a clue.

More than a few scenes smacked of mid-'80s glitz and early-'90s bohemia. Yes, I loved the '80s, too. Prince, Michael Jackson and Boy George were my demigods; Donna Summer, Madonna and Boy George my demigoddesses. However, when I spend my hard-earned money on a travel DVD in anticipation of a forthcoming trip to France, I expect to view a contemporary perspective on a constantly evolving nation, including controversial issues.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that I shuddered through a Paris fashion segment featuring early-'90s outfits. Why stop with the '80s and '90s? Why not reach back to '50s Paris and show Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir at Cafe Flore, decked out in their bourgeois-best duds while engrossed in an intense, caffeine-induced dialogue?

I was so annoyed with the "Video Visits" DVD, that I gave up on reminiscing my own trip to France and settled for fiction: the Hepburn-Astaire classic "Funny Face." Now, in THAT film, I never mind watching the fabulous fashion parade of yore.

Thank heaven for the Travel Channel.

Comprehensive & Informative
I had watched the Paris and France videos by Rick Steves and Globe Trekker before I took the trip there. I found this video very informative, covering various cultural aspects as well as places not mentioned in the other videos.

True, some portion of the video footage appears to be taken years ago, but the commentary is much better in depth than all the others. I wish I had this video before my trip. Highly recommend.

Wow ! France is so beautiful !!!
Before this DVD, I hated the others country. But right now, my only desire is to go to the France. It's the most wonderful country in Europe and i'm sure that the frenchs are very very cool ! Buy it !