Palais Benedictine, Fecamp

It was a memorable which I will never forget. The tour guide was very adjusting, explaining everything in english too, even though I was the only English speaking person there(others looked to be all French). The liquor making process was well explained and all the facilities shown. We were given to taste the special liquor, made with various spices, in a special session with lot of explanations. In general a very beautiful, well maintained place, worth visiting.

I visited this palace together with someone who doesn’t speak neither understand french, and we were the only 2 people who said to the guide, Samantha, that we don’t speak French. I can understand french (as I speak a bit and my mother tongue is Spanish), I noticed that Samantha was giving quite more information in French than in English, what I consider as not professional guide in a touristic attraction like this. I asked her about an explanation that she made in French about where the spices come from and she said to me that I could read that information in the description of every spice. Well I was wondering why she is a guide, if I can read any information. I thought that a guide is there to explain more than what is written and to answer questions from visitors. Samantha made us feel really uncomfortable treating us like this and taking us beside the rest of visitors. I have been many times in France and I have felt myself like at home, when people speak to me about the stereotype that French people are arrogant, I was always denying such stereotype, but I guess people mean the attitude that Samantha showed me there. It is a pity. Beside that, the castle is a beautiful place and has an interesting history. As for the liquor, I guess it is a personal taste, for me it was too sweet.