Q and A
Biking in France
Q.  I am planning a bicycle trip with friends through the foothills of the French Pyrenees. We would like to rent 18-speed mountain bikes with racks to accommodate panniers for our clothes. Rentals in such cities as Toulouse, Tarbes, Pau or Bayonne would fit the bill. -- Gerald Stillman, Maplewood, N.J.
A.  Of those cities mentioned, neither Pau nor Bayonne seems to have a bike rental store, but you will find one in Billere, about a mile west of Pau, and two in Biarritz, five miles west of Bayonne.
All the following stores, which unless specified otherwise rent 18-speed bikes with luggage racks, said it was a good idea to rent as soon as possible because they often deal with large groups in the summer.
Toulouse: A2L, 54 Rue de Cimetiere St.-Cyprien, 31300 Toulouse, France; telephone 61.59.33.99, no fax. Rates are $20 a day, calculated at 4.78 francs to the dollar, and $125 for two weeks. A security deposit of $210 is required in cash or by check in francs.
Biarritz: Capdeboscq, 16 Avenue Jaulerry, 64200 Biarritz, France; 59.24.13.64, no fax (ask for the owner, Gerard Capdeboscq). Rates are $17.75 a day, $146 for two weeks. Call at least 48 hours in advance to insure getting a bike with a baggage rack. A piece of identity, usually a driver's license, is required as a security check.
Sobilo, 24 Rue Peyroloubilh, 64200 Biarritz, France; 59.24.94.47, no fax. Rates are $12.50 a day, $125 for two weeks. A $210 security deposit is required and it can be put on a credit card.
Tarbes: Cycles Labbe, 11 Avenue Bertrand Barere, 65000 Tarbes, France; 62.93.00.57, fax 62.51.35.82. Rates are $21 a day or $157 for two weeks. A deposit of $315 or $420, depending on the value of the bike, is required. Credit cards accepted.
Billere: Pedegaye, Boulevard Charles de Gaulle, 104140 Lons, France; 59.32.48.74, no fax. Rates are $21 a day, $104 for two weeks. A security deposit of $210 is required, either on a credit card or by check in francs.
Arette: Pierre Tillous Velos, Arette, 64570, France; 59.88.90.61, no fax. Rates are $16.75 a day, $157 for two weeks. They will ask to see a driver's license, or, if you arrive by car, they will ask you to leave it behind. Karen Blixen Museum
Q.  I finally have the opportunity to go to Copenhagen and I want to visit the Isak Dinesen (Baroness Blixen) house. When are the house and grounds open? -- Janet M. Roberts, Philadelphia
A.  The house, home to Karen Blixen for most of her life, was opened as a museum in 1991. Called Rungstedlund, the house is in the town of Rungsted, 15 miles north of Copenhagen.
The writer, using the name Isak Dinesen, was the author of books that included "Seven Gothic Tales," "Winter's Tales" and "Last Tales." Born in the house in 1885, from 1914 to 1931 she was a resident of Kenya, where she lived on and later managed a coffee plantation. It was from her experiences there that in 1937 she wrote "Out of Africa," later a successful film.
The museum, (45 42) 57 10 57, fax (45 42) 57 10 58, is open 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. every day from May 1 to Sept. 30; 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Wednesday and Friday from Oct. 1 to April 30 and 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday the rest of the year.
Admission is $5.50, calculated at 5.4 kroner to the dollar; children under 12 are admitted free.
To get there from Copenhagen take a train to Rungsted; the museum is a five-minute walk from the station.
Trains leave every 20 minutes from Copenhagen and the one-way fare is about $6. San Diego Lodgings
Q.  My husband and I visit San Diego a couple of times each year and usually stay with relatives, but so as not to become burdensome I would like to rent a small studio with a kitchenette or stay at a bed-and-breakfast in the Balboa Park area or La Jolla. Can you help? -- Florence Bloom, Roosevelt Island, N.Y.
A.  For bed-and-breakfast information you should contact the Bed & Breakfast Directory for San Diego, Post Office Box 3292, San Diego, Calif. 92163, (619) 297-3130 or (800) 619-7666. The 20-page directory lists information on 30 homes and inns throughout San Diego County, renting from $49 to $350 a night, with weekly and monthly rates available. Call (619) 299-1564 for information or send $3.95 for the directory.
In the Balboa Park-Hillcrest area, there are at least two options:
Park Manor Suites Hotel, 52 Spruce Street, San Diego, Calif. 92103, (619) 291-0999 or (800) 874-2649, fax (619) 291-8844. The hotel, which is opposite Balboa Park and the zoo, has 80 units, including studios, all fully furnished with kitchens. Rates, which include Continental breakfast, are $69 a night for two people, $400 a week and $1,100 for a month.
Sommerset Suites Hotel, 606 Washington Street, San Diego, Calif. 92103, (619) 692-5200 or (800) 356-1787 in California, fax (619) 299-6065. Studios, all with fully equipped kitchens, rent for $69 a night for two people, $62 a night on a weekly basis and $1,650 a month with tax.
In La Jolla you could try La Jolla Cove Suites, 1155 Coast Boulevard, La Jolla, Calif. 92037, (619) 459-2621 or (800) 248-2683, fax (619) 454-3522. Studios at this oceanfront establishment rent for $95 to $120 a night ($125 a night after May 26). Weekly rates are $743.75. Rates for a 30-day month are $3,187.50; a 31-day month is $3,293.75.
For a detailed list of rental properties throughout San Diego County write for a free copy of the San Diego Official Visitors Guide, to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, 401 B Street, Suite 1400, San Diego, Calif. 92101; (619) 232-3101, fax (619) 696-9371. All those listed are members of the bureau. River Cruising in Europe
Q.  We will be aboard the Queen of Holland in June going from Amsterdam to Vienna on the Rhine and Danube. Can you tell us what the weather will be like then and also what the evening attire will be aboard ship? -- Ann. H. Sharko, Bernardsville, N.J.
A.  You can expect weather conditions to be remarkably similar along your route, with highs in the mid- to high 70's and lows in the low to mid-50's. Precipitation on average varies from a low of 2.3 inches for June in the Amsterdam area to 4.9 inches in Munich, which will be the site of one of your planned excursions.
In Vienna, which is in the driest part of Austria, with conditions similar to those found in southern Germany, the average highs in June are 73 degrees and the lows 56. Precipitation averages 2.6 inches.
Evening attire, according to Sea Air Holidays of Stamford, Conn., which puts the tours together, will be informal. TERENCE NEILAN