Report On Brittany - A Forward

I spent almost 3 weeks in Brittany and the photo above was taken ( in the last days of my trip) in the northern part of Brittany, in the beautiful seaside town of Perros-Guirdec. This area is famous for its Pink Granite Coastline. The homes here have the feel of a quiant New England village or a village set on the English Cornwall coast. The photo was a view from my room and it was magnificent (day or night) ,even in the throws of a stormy winter day!

But I am getting a ahead of myself. In the following days, I will post a series of travel stories and photos about my stay in the Brittany area of France. It has turned out that this area is now one of my most favorite places to visit in France, and that's saying a lot.

So, as I recover from jet-lag in the next day or two, please check back for a colorful and wonderful journey through - BRITTANY.

New Year's Eve with a French Count and Countess in France's Loire Valley

Perhaps you are looking for a truly exclusive New Year's Eve
celebration? Not the same old celebrations you have year after year?
Then might I suggest -As private guests of Comte and Comtesse de Vanssay at Chateau de La Barre, in the Loire Valley, France, you will :
~ experience a Renaissance feast in Leonardo da Vinci's home on the 31st of December 2009,
- return back to Chateau de La Barre to usher in the New Year with champagne underneath the ancestral portraits of the Renaissance drawing room,
- enjoy a gala dinner in the XVIIth century dining room on New Years day, January 1st 2010,with all the family silver and crystal

Let me know if you would like to receive more information.

I'm Off To France - Brittany, to be Exact.

Even the most worldly-wise traveler must be continually struck dumb by the infinite variety of France.In the U.S., the standardization of goods and services has all but eradicated the once pronounced identity of individual regions, but in rural France long held customs are living, breathing forces, deeply cherished and lovingly nurtured.
The ethnic and linguistic differences from region to region are as startling as the swift and dramatic changes in landscape, architecture and cuisine. In Alsace one sips Gewurztraminer and speaks in a clipped German accent, in Nice the lyrical French is practically Italian in intonation and in remote parts of the Basque country the French language altogether disappears.
So on the 15th of November for about 2 weeks, I am off to the land of myth and legend, a wonderland of seascapes - the tides, the crashing waves, the rocky inlets, wide beaches and coastal cliffs - the area of King Arthur's legends, of an amazing array of fish and shellfish (Oysters and sardines my true love) and of people who are friendly,outgoing and completely without airs. The region of France known as Brittany.

France - "off the beaten tracks - The 3 B's!

If you have visited France before, have done the Paris - Provence - French Riviera itinerary, I'd like to suggest the following for your consideration:
BORDEAUX - BIARRITZ - BILBAO
Fly into Paris and take ( direct from the airport) the TGV (Bullet train) to Bordeaux ( 3 hours). Spend three nights at the new and wonderful Regent Grand Hotel ( in the heart of Bordeaux). Rent a car with chauffeur and spend the whole day in the vineyards( 30 minutes away),choose from (my favorite) the Village of Saint Emilion and it's medieval city or the Medoc and the Chateau road and sauternes with the best dessert wines to taste.
The enjoy 2 days in the city.
On the 4th day, pick up a rental car and drive to Arcachon, one hour away and enjoy this seaside resort and oyster breeding area, then climb the Pyla Dune,the biggest sand dune in Europe.
Then drive to Biarritz (2 hour drive away) and check in at the luxurious and famous Hotel du Palais. Spend 3 nights there and the basque country surrounding it.
Finally drive to Spain, San Sebastian and Bilbao ( 1 hour away) and on the way back try some local tapas.

Shoe-Lovers Dream in Paris

Shoe-worshipping shoppers now head towards the Galeries Lafayette Department Store in Paris! A space devoted to 12,000 pairs of shoes.
In a boutique atmosphere, with large aisles, brown wengé wood and white varnished furniture and comfortable chocolate brown leather sofas, any style of shoe under the sun can be found. From 10 Euro flip flops to 1000 Euro boots, hundreds of brands are gathered in this immense area dedicated entirely to shoes. Among these, 25 brands are new and exclusively distributed at Galeries Lafayette. Here, all of the must-haves of the season can be found in a very “Cinderella” like ambiance, where the models are arranged by theme and displayed on tall podiums decorated with fringes of crystals, beads and sequins. Slippers have even made it into the fashion scene (20% of shoe sales in France are for slippers) with a new area entirely devoted to sequined clogs, multicolored ballet slippers, sophisticated mules and embroidered oriental slippers. A special area “leather and foot care!” offers everything needed to take care of your shoes and feet: special brushes, shoe creams in all colors, foot-care lotions and so on…

Hip I Ain't - But This New Left Bank Restaurant Is!

La Société Restaurant Draws Fashion Crowd!
The Costes family, the hip restaurateurs behind many of Paris’ most fashionable canteens, has opened a new hot spot only steps away from left-bank legends Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots.

La Société, a 130-seat eatery located in a 19th-century building across from the historic Saint Germain church, has already attracted the Fendi family, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Bernard-Henri Lévy and former French justice minister Rachida Dati.( who in my opinion is drop dead gorgeous!)

French interior designer Christian Liaigre, the man behind Selfridges in London and the Mercer Hotel in New York, gave the place an artsy bent with contemporary sculptures like Marc Rebollo’s “Never Die” marble work and Sara Favriau’s marble cubes. Meanwhile, the patina finish of the parquet floors and the leather and mahogany furniture lend a modern and loungelike feel.

The menu, which includes lobster and herb salad and shrimp risotto, will not surprise Costes regulars, but there are a few additions, including a “Le Club Saint Germain” sandwich or the Paris gratinée (French onion soup), that are a wink to the Saint Germain spirit.

Uniqlo, Tokyo Style Opens In Paris

The trendy Japanese mass market leader has just opened there third store ( Tokyo and New York) in Paris near the Opera.
This ultra-design brand has been all the range in Tokyo and New York - their reasonably priced cashmere in all colors of the rainbow are a great buy.
The collections are constantly renewed ,customers enjoy endless choice.. Men love their screen-printed T shirts and jeans with high-quality weaves, while women swoon over its quilted jackets and knitwear.

A Wine Tasting Tour Of France in Paris - In the Cellar of King Louis XV's Sommelier

O Chateau Wine tasting - Just a block from the Louvre Museum, Taste-Master Olivier MAGNY has several wine tasting courses available, held in a moody warren of vaulted stone rooms that were formally the personal cellar of the sommelier of King Louis XV. called the Caves du Paradis.
There are several two-hour presentations - for example
~ Wine and Cheese tasting lunch
~ Tasting Grand Wines
~ Tour de France - tasting wines of 6 different regions of France
~ Champagne tasting
~ A beginners course in wine appreciation
............ and many other courses are offer plus private tastings.
Prices range from 20 Euros to 90 Euros per person
http://www.o-chateau.com/caves-du-paradis.php

Sweet, Cool & Stylish - A new "hot" Paris Patisserie!

The brand new,Left bank, Patisserie des Reves is today the most buzzed-about pastry shop in Paris. Owned by the former Michelin-starred chef, Phillipe CONTICINI, he is a man who knows how to whet his clients appetites and the decor at his shop is every bit as delicious as the day's bake.
His mission, he says, is to reach peoples souls through their taste buds. You just try his melt-in-the-mouth Tarte Tatin served with a dollop of lime-flavored Chantilly mascarpone.
93 rue du Bac, 7e.

Vitre - A Day Trip From Paris to Vist the Best Preserved Medieval Town In Brittany

An historic day trip by TGV (Bullet train - a little over 2 hours)from Paris to Vitre.

Vitré is perhaps the finest medieval town in Brittany, with a very attractive old-town centre and lots of narrow streets lined with medieval cottages. The old town is brimming with cafes and bars - and positively overflowing with lovely colombage (half-timbered) houses. It is one of the few places where you can see a complete Gothic town.

The town is a listed Artistic and Heritage town and has many 15th and 16th century buildings remaining from the days when it was one of the most powerful towns in Brittany. A significant part of the original ramparts of the town is still intact.