Regarding cheese: I have never had anything vacuum packed as it would be too difficult to get my little fingers on the cheese... Seriously, I'm sure at the larger cheese shops where they are used to packaging cheese for people to bring home, they would accommodate. However, we go to the little cremeries and taste and pick... We just refrigerate it (if possible) until we leave in the morning and put everything into a plastic bag until we get home. We've never had a problem. I hope this helps.

Re cheese shops: Sorry, I don't know the ones you have mentioned, Sandy, but I'm positive they are terrific! We used to go to Androuet (as I went to their original store/restaurant for a feast in 1961), but they have gotten very upscale and we do so like having a little taste of what we are actually going to bring home - hence, the small individual cheese shops which are all over every neighborhood! Hope this helps.

Best regards, Susie, Newton, MA