Versailles high season has arrived and the place is very very crowded...
Several of my tour guides have warned me about the big crowds at the Chateau de Versailles.SO..................
If you want to ENJOY a visit at Versailles I recommend either an early morning or an early afternoon reservation to avoid the long lines to get into the chateau and this EVEN with a reservation. The big buses usually arrive around 10am.
My ideal scenarios are:
- Morning tours:
Have my guide pickup you up at the hotel at 8:30am for a 9:15/9:30am reservation or if you are not early risers is to start at 9:30am – visit the gardens first & then get a resavation for the Chateau after 11:30am.
- Afternoon tours:
Pickup from your hotel at 1:30pm for a 2:15pm resavation
ALSO, avoid visits on Tuesdays if possible. Versailles is closed on Mondays so Tuesdays are usually more crowded.
"This is what you do on your very first day in Paris. You get yourself, not a drizzle, but some honest-to-goodness rain, and you find yourself someone really nice and drive her through the Bois de Boulogne in a taxi. The rain’s very important. That’s when Paris smells its sweetest."AUDREY HEPBURN - SABRINA -
Chantal Voisin-Simon is from the third generation of Simons to run the Parapluies Simon boutique on the boulevard Saint Michel, and she’s been doing so since 1958.
Her grandfather opened up shop in 1897. The boutique Simon sells “créateurs” umbrellas, some from Chantal Thomass, some from Jean Paul Gaultier, but 95% of their wares come from small altelier-workshops that have small productions. Chantal likes working with these small productions for the care and detailed attention they put into their work, trying to inovate in colors and designs every year. But there are a small amount of Simon-made umbrellas that are made by the house, stunning handmade pieces that are pure luxury.
http://www.parapluies-simon.com/
Today marked the 18th “Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française de la Ville de Paris”, the annual competition to select the best baguette in Paris. Every year a panel of judges—mostly bakers and a few food celebrities—gather on the Ile Saint Louis to deliberate over who makes the best baguette in Paris, not an easy feat considering there are roughly 1,200 boulangeries in Paris. The baguettes being judged are not just any baguettes, but baguettes de tradition, bread which according to a French law enacted in 1993 must be mixed, kneaded, leavened and baked on premises, without ever being frozen. They must be additive-free and can contain only four precious ingredients–wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. So, if you are going to buy a baguette, make sure it’s a baguette de tradition.
Unfortunately, asking for a “une tradition” doesn’t guarantee you’ll get good bread. It may seem hard to believe, but a lot of mediocre bread can be found in France. Walk into your average corner bakery and if you don’t know what to look for, or to ask for, you risk walking away with a very average, and at times inedible, baguette.That said, every neighborhood has a great boulangerie, you just need to know where to go and to be willing to walk a few blocks out of your way to find one.
A true baguette is thin, measures between 50 and 70 centimeters and weighs between 240-300 grams. According to Steven Kaplan, an American Professor considered to be the world’s authority on bread, there are several things to look for: appearance, aroma, a dense yet aerated cream-colored crumb, and of course the taste.
So without further ado, this year’s winners for the best baguette in Paris goes to:
1st Place: Pascal Barillon, Au Levain d’Antan” 6, rue des Abbesses, Paris 18th
And the runners up are:
2-Gaétan ROMP, 14 rue de la Michodière Paris 2nd
3-Pascal JAMIN « les saveurs du 20eme, 120 rue de Bagnolet Paris 20th
4-Gontran CHERRIER 22 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18th
5-Le Fournil du village, M.RISSER 12 place J.B Clément Paris 18th
6-Les Gourmandises d’Eiffel, Gilles LEVASLOT, 187 rue de Grenelle Paris 7th
7-Jean-Noël JULIEN, 75 rue Saint-Honoré Paris 1st
8-Philippe MARACHE, 92 av de la République Paris 11th
9-Philippe BOGNER, 204 rue des Pyrénées Paris 20th
10-Le Grenier à pain Saint-Amand 33 bis rue Saint-Amand Paris 15th
Musicians are found everywhere in Paris, in the Metro, on street corners and squares and on the bridges (Ponts). Everything from Classical, to folk, to rock; well you just name it. It has always been part of the city rhythm and one of the things that makes this city so magical.
L'Heure- Bleue" that beautiful soft evening light in Paris that seems to go on for hours. this group of "plus vieux parisien" are happily performing Blues music on the Pont-Ile-Saint-Louis.
Paris and Springtime and what better time than to indulge in a picnic. Now you could, browse the Paris markets gathering cheeses, wine, desserts, breads and spreads for our Sunday picnic on the quays, but sometimes, it’s nice to let someone else do all of the work.
Someone with good taste like Arnaud Delmontel, (39 rue des Martyrs in the 9th; 57 rue Damrémont in the 18th, or 25 rue de Lévis in the 17th). He offers a €59 gourmet picnic basket for 4-5 people stuffed with all the drinks and munchies But don’t forget to bring, a corkscrew, cutlery, cups, napkins, and a picnic blanket. Please Order the night before. Other traiteur/delis in Paris offer pre-made “panier pique-nique” (check at Hédiard, Fouchon, or BE Boulangepicier,)
