Aug 3, 2007 10:10 am US/Eastern
French President To Vacation In New Hampshire
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) ―
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will follow in the steps of several celebrities when he vacations this month at a resort town on New Hampshire's largest lake.
A source who was not authorized to speak about Sarkozy's private travels confirmed Thursday a report in Wednesday's Boston Globe that the French president planned to spend two weeks in Wolfeboro.
Current and past vacationers there include Drew Barrymore, Taiwan's Madame Chiang Kai-shek and presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The picturesque town is on Lake Winnipesaukee, about two hours north of Boston.
The source said the trip will be a private visit.
WBZ has learnred Sarkozy will stay at the 22,000 square-foot home owned by Mike Appe, a former Microsoft executive.
Rumors of a Sarkozy visit have circulated for weeks.
"We're going to have to get our French flags out, I guess," Town Manager David Owen said when asked about them last month.
A spokesman for New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch said officials knew Sarkozy was on his way.
"The governor was aware the president of France is vacationing in New Hampshire," Colin Manning said. "The governor hopes he enjoys his time here. He has offered to assist him in any way he can."
Wolfeboro is used to celebrities. Monaco's Prince Rainier and Princess Grace and author Kurt Vonnegut vacationed here. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and current presidential hopeful, has an 11-acre estate valued at more than $10 million on the shore of the lake.
Wolfeboro works to maintain its image as a quaint, New England resort. A trolley named Molly takes visitors from one end of Main Street to the other, and the town is filled with plush summer homes.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
