As Cole Porter Once Wrote " I love Paris, Because My Heart Is There"

A Paris basic overview for 1st timers or anytimer, that is.

20 arrondissements that spiral out clockwise from the centre, Paris is often compared to a collection of villages. The most visible division, however, is into Right Bank, north of the River Seine, and Left Bank to the south, with the Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis in-between. The Louvre is roughly in the heart of the Right Bank, the start of a grand perspective west through the Tuileries up the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe.



To the east is the beautifully preserved historic Marais; to the north, villagey Montmartre. In poorer north-east Paris, tenements mix with public housing, yet this area also contains fashionable Père Lachaise cemetery, romantic Buttes-Chaumont park, and La Villette science museum and concert hall.


Over on the Left Bank, academic institutions still abound in the Latin Quarter amid medieval churches and Roman remains, spreading east to the new university and business district around the modern Bibliothèque Nationale François Mitterrand. Farther west are St-Germain with its publishers, cafés and fashion boutiques, the Faubourg St-Germain and its ministries and embassies,

Centre Pompidou

This was ground-breaking when it opened in the Seventies, both for Piano and Rogers’s hi-tech architecture and its multidisciplinary approach, and is still one of the city’s most exciting buildings. The modern and contemporary art collection ranges from Picasso and Matisse to the latest trends in installation and video, complemented by temporary exhibitions, performing arts and cinema. It also has an excellent art bookshop and the trendy Georges

Opening times: Sun-Mon, 12 noon-9pm

Admission: €10-€12

Eiffel Tower


This is the monument we all think we know and yet, when you actually see the real thing, there’s still something astonishing about the metal structure, the ride up in the vintage lifts and, of course, the views. It was the tallest building in the world when it opened for the 1889 Exposition Universelle and was originally a temporary structure, decried by many, including Maupassant, who visited every day so he didn’t have to see it from afar. Note that queues are shorter if you come late at night.

Opening times: Mid-June to August daily, 9am-12.45pm (last lift to top 11pm); September to mid-June, 9.30am-11.45pm (last lift to top 10.30pm)

Admission: €13.10 \ lift to top; €4.50 \stairs to second level


Ile de la Cité

This island in the very centre of Paris is where the city could be said to have begun, circa 250BC as the settlement of Lutetia.

Visit the Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral (most attractive viewed from behind with its flying buttresses), and, hidden amid Paris’s main law courts, two relics of the medieval palace: the glorious Flamboyant Gothic double-decker Sainte-Chapelle, with its 13th-century stained glass, and the vaulted halls and prison cells of the Conciergerie.

At either tip of the island are Place du Vert-Galant, a good place to take a boat trip, and the Mémorial de la Deportation, a sober monument to Second World War deportees.

Jardin des Plantes-Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle
Descended from the royal medicinal garden and menagerie, the botanical garden is on a manageable scale but has plenty to occupy all ages, from alpine gardens and palmy hothouses to zoo, playgrounds and cafés.

Within the park, the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution brilliantly displays stuffed animals according to their habitat, while other buildings are dedicated to palaeontology and minerals.

Opening times: Park daily, 7.30am-7.45pm (until 5.30pm in winter); museums Wednesday-Monday, 10am-6pm

Admission: There is no charge for entry to the park, greenhouses €3 ,museums €7 ; zoo €8

Montmartre

Paris’s highest hill can seem too twee to be true, but it also has a villagey charm that makes it seem closer to Provence than Paris. Avoid the crowded Place du Tertre with its pseudo-artists, and explore the small cottage-lined alleys and stairways, the bars, food and fashion shops of rue des Abbesses, the vineyard and the cemetery. As for Sacré-Coeur Basilica, while most come here to admire the view from the steps, it is worth stepping inside to admire its riot of glitzy mosaics.


Musée du Louvre

Both art collection and royal palace, including parts of the medieval castle concealed in the basement, the Louvre is mind-boggling in its scale and sheer wealth of treasures: from Classical sculpture, Egyptian relics and Mesopotamian antiquities to the unmissable galleries of Italian Renaissance paintings, Rembrandts and Rubens, medieval artefacts and French neoclassical and Romantic painting. The secret to mastering the Louvre is to combine a few key works you definitely want to see with the discoveries you make by wandering aimlessly.
Opening times: Wed-Mon, 9am-6pm; some galleries open until 10pm on Wed and Fri Admission: €9.50

Musée Marmottan-Claude Monet

This Second Empire villa is one of Paris’s secret gems, with its wonderful array of Empire furniture and the world’s largest collection of works by Claude Monet, including several vibrantly coloured water-lily canvases, most of them donated by the artist’s family. Other Impressionists with works on display include Pissarro, Renoir, Caillebotte and Berthe Morisot.

Opening times: Tue, 11am-9pm; Wed-Sun, 11am-6pm

Admission: €9


Musée National du Moyen-Age

This lovely, intimate medieval museum is appropriately housed in the Gothic town house of the Abbots of Cluny, which was built over the substantial remains of a Roman baths complex. Highlights include Limoges enamels, sculptures from Notre-Dame, and the adorable Lady and the Unicorn tapestry cycle, a convoluted allegory of the senses.

Opening times: Wed-Mon, 9.15am-5.45pm

Admission: €8 


Musée du Quai Branly
The hugely popular museum of “arts premiers” (read “tribal art”, or non-Western art), in a quirky building by Jean Nouvel, goes for drama over scholarliness. The museography is a little chaotic and the labelling hard to fathom, but there’s an incredible array of sculptures, textiles, jewellery, ritual objects and musical instruments, complemented by interesting film footage.
Opening times: Tue, Wed and Sun, 11am-7pm; Thur-Sat, 11am-9pm Admission: €8.50 exhibitions €7 collection and exhibitions €10 


Musée National Rodin
The mansion where Rodin lived at the end of his life now contains an unrivalled collection of the sculptor’s work, arranged around its rooms and beautiful garden. In finished works and countless studies for the great Balzac, the Burghers of Calais or the figures that swarm all over the Gates of Hell, you can trace how he revolutionised sculpture at the end of the 19th century.
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 9.30am-5.45pm (until 4.45pm in winter)
Admission: €6





The Paris opera is a glamorous experience. Catch Tosca and Wagner’s Götterdämmerung at Opéra Bastille, or the Bolshoi ballet when it drops into Garnier.

Day trips

Versailles

If you make just one excursion, then it should be to Versailles easily reached by RER. Louis XIV’s vast château, with its extravagant ceilings, hall of mirrors and formal gardens, is an ode to royal absolutism. The town, snooty and bourgeois, is worth a look, too.


Fontainebleau

There’s another grand royal château at Fontainebleau (, a mixture of Renaissance and Napoleonic this time. The surrounding forest is popular for walking, rock-climbing and mushroom hunting. Trains to Fontainebleau leave from Gare de Lyon. If going by car, be prepared for traffic jams on the return to Paris.


St-Denis

The suburb of St-Denis is home to the Stade de France national stadium and the Basilique St-Denis (The latter, birthplace of Gothic architecture and burial place of the French monarchy, has a collection of extravagant tombs.


Reims
• TGV high-speed trains have changed the relative geography of France and mean that Reims is just 45 minutes from Paris Gare de l’Est, allowing plenty of time

Eat Among Famous Baccarat Crystal in Paris

Paris diners in search of a glamorous environment can enjoy a superb meal at the headquarters of famous Baccarat crystal. The Cristal Room Restaurant is a wonderland of designer Phillippe Starck’s imagination—from rustic brick walls and pink upholstery to glittering Baccarat chandeliers, candelabras, gilt mirrors and, of course, impeccable table settings crowned with sparkling glasses and goblets. The menu is haute French cuisine, the wine list rises to every occasion, and a special bubbly is the obvious indulgence. The Baccarat Gallery Museum, which takes up an additional four rooms in the mansion, displays more than 500 objects, including legendary masterpieces, limited editions and commissioned works. The “factory” room informs visitors on the four-element process of producing some of the world’s finest crystal.
Cristal Room Baccarat

1 Place des États-Unis, Paris

Hours: Every day for lunch and dinner

Reservations: 01.40.22.11.10

The Baccarat Gallery-Museum: Open every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day, 9 – noon, and 2 – 6 p.m.

My Favorite London Hotel is playing Host to Kate and Edward ( Royal Wedding)

My favorite of all time hotel in London is the VERY British hotel, the Goring. Over 100 years old and it's still owned and run by the Goring family. Across from Buckingham Palace is has been the favorite of Royals to stay there and was used a lot by the late Queen Mother to have her teas here with friends. What makes this intimate hotel very special is the people who work there, from the dynamic owner and manager, Jeremy Goring, to jovial GM David Hewitt-Morgan and the entire staff who makes you feel like a Duke and Duchess during your stay. So it came as no surprise to me, when it was announced today that the Middleton family ( Kate Middleton’s parents) are taking over the hotel to host the Royal wedding Party.
With only the A-listers invited to the wedding breakfast hosted by the Queen, a less elite celebration is being planned on the other side of the walls of Buckingham Palace at the Goring.. The Goring will to be hosting a garden party for friends and family of the royal couple, whose invitation does not stretch beyond the Westminster Abbey service. The hotel will host Kate Middleton on her last night as a commoner.

Avignon - Venice Of the South Without Water

Land of contrasts," the old travelogues inevitably said, but nowhere does the venerable formula apply more perfectly than to Avignon, a Provençal jewel tucked into a bend on the left bank of the Rhône.

Historically it is both saintly and wildly secular. There's the savage wind of a winter's day and the crystalline blue skies of the very next one. There's the confused jumble of medieval streets and the stately beauty of the mansions piled into them. There's the quiet of the little squares that dot the ancient city and the raucousness of the Place de l'Horloge. There's also the grandeur of its walls, the elegance of its 16th- and 17th-century facades, and the incredible banality of recent construction.
Avignon is one of my favorite cities in Provence for more years than I care to remember and my feelings about it are also a study in contrasts. For as much charm as the city holds, there's also the baking heat of a midsummer day and the vast frustration of driving to it and into it. My own voice of experience about driving says try not to. Take the train (if coming from Paris) . And if you are driving, head directly for the parking garage underneath the Palais des Papes and leave your car there. Part of the city's appeal is that the vieille ville inside the ancient ramparts is comfortably walkable. And it's the only part of Avignon that's really interesting.
High on the list of contrasts is the Papal Palace itself, the largest single medieval structure in France It still makes an impression, seven hundred years after the popes installed the Holy See in Provence in 1309, the beginning of the papal period that eventually led to competing popes during Western Christianity's Great Schism, which finally ended in the early 15th century. But for seven papal reigns over seven decades, Avignon was the center of the Christian world.
If you do park underneath the Papal Palace, when you climb the stairs to exit you'll emerge into the vast Place that faces the Palace. Pause to grasp the massive scale, and go inside for a tour now or later. The building itself is mostly what you'll see—all 3.7 acres of it, divided into Benedict's Palais Vieux and Clement's Palais Neuf. Warning: don't expect much furniture that one comes to expect in larger Chateaux. There is hardly any!

By the clock
My starting point for wandering around the city is the Place de l'Horloge, the site of the old Roman Forum and still the vital center of the city. The Banque de France sits as sentinel at the upper edge, and along the right-hand side other official buildings line up monumentally—city hall, the municipal theater. But a colorful old merry-go-round lightens the atmosphere and suggests that there's fun to be had, not just a history lesson.
If you have time and inclination, pick a café and order an express. Sit with your guidebooks, get oriented, and enjoy the passing scene. The people-watching is rewarding, especially on a sunny day. (The cafés zip themselves up inside transparent plastic wrap when it's drizzling or the sharp mistral wind whips down the Rhône and lays a Siberian chill over the Provençal plain.)
The 14th-century clock tower that gives the Place de l'Horloge its name is now part of the Hôtel de Ville, which was once a cardinal's residence. The long noisy square and the showcase rue de la République that leads directly into it offer a kind of natural divide between workaday Avignon in a welter of streets to the east, and the antique and specialty shops to the west. Don't miss either section as you wander.
Leading west from the Place, you'll find the rue Molière and the rue Corneille—statues of those great playwrights in front of the theater serve as effective street markers, guiding you to the city's elegant antique shops, high-end boutiques, intimate restaurants, grand hotels and two of the city's most important museums—the Musée Calvet and the Lambert Collection of contemporary art.
East of the Place de l'Horloge, a tangle of streets not sorted out since the days of the popes leads mazelike toward the Place des Carmes, the sumptuous houses off the rue Banasterie, the Place Pie and the central market with its strange, plant-covered vegetal wall. If your wanderings are truly rewarded, you'll happen upon the quiet, sun-dappled rue des Teinturiers. Lined with plane trees, it's only a few blocks long, and the abandoned boutiques and restaurants speak sadly of ideas that didn't quite work.

The rue des Teinturiers was once awash in dye works and textile manufacture. It parallels a short stretch of the Sorgue, the river that now runs mostly underneath the city before flowing into the Rhône. Its water now serves chiefly to keep the ancient plane trees vibrant, but once upon a time the river powered the textile mills. Four paddle wheels, rusty in their decrepitude, are vestiges of the score of print works that once brought wealth to factory owners and jobs to the working class. . The Provençal fabrics that now bear such labels as Souleiado and Les Olivades are other vestiges of that once potent industry.

Cardinal points

The Holy See brought many princes of the Church to Avignon, and each acquired a palace for himself. Later, opponents of Avignon as the Church's HQ blamed the proximity of France as a corrupting influence because it made cardinals imitate the royal court in displays of wealth and grandeur.
None of the cardinals' mansions were as grand as the Papal Palace, but many were grand indeed. In French they are called "livrées cardinalices"—and there's a choice of explanations for the term. Perhaps it was used because in the beginning the mansions were "liberated" from their owners. Or because they were livrée—delivered—to cardinals by supplicants in an early example of lobbying. Or—still another explanation, one with great metonymic flourish—because their servants were in livrée, or livery, the whole ensemble came to be known as livrées. Whatever the explanation, today's McMansions don't hold a votive candle to them.

The most striking of the residences and the most accessible is the Petit Palais, an expansive building situated next to the Papal Palace and now Avignon's major museum. Among its best treasures is an important collection of 13th- to 16th-century French and Italian paintings and sculpture.

The Hôtel de Ville was another of the livrées. You can walk inside during office hours and read the historical explanations, but it's just City Hall now and it gives no sense of medieval splendor. Any of the popular tourist guides can take you to other livrées that are still standing, like the Livrée Ceccano, which now houses a médiathèque, or multipurpose media library. Facing it, the Musée Angladon offers a collection that includes Manet, Cézanne, Derain, Picasso and Les Wagons de Chemin de Fer, the only Van Gogh left in Provence. Like other significant sites, these are marked and well explained, in French, by signs posted all over town.

Song and dance
Nowadays Avignon is also famous for its summer theater festival. For three weeks each July the city is chockablock with spectators and spectacle for what is touted as the world's biggest and most important theater festival.
Throughout the rest of the year, the colorful murals that adorn many walls around town bear witness both to famous theatrical performances of the past and the contemporary event that Avignon is best known for. Looking down on the street, the actors are locked forever in a single pose in their trompe l'oeil role playing, which takes fantasy to a high level indeed.
But for a lot of us, more than the Papal Palace and more than the theater festival, it's a song that underlies Avignon's reputation. A song, and the famous bridge, where "l'on y danse, l'on y danse". For centuries the Pont Saint Bénezet has been the archetypical bridge to nowhere, reaching only half way out toward the bucolic Ile de la Barthelasse in the middle of the Rhône.
Once upon a time, before a flood swept away all but four of its original 22 arches, the Pont Saint Bénezet spanned the entire Rhône and led to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. It was once an international crossing, from papal Avignon to Philip the Fair's France. The tower where the bridge ended still bears Philip's name. He built the tower, according to legend, as a fortress to keep an eye on the goings-on at the Papal Palace.

The song gets it wrong, by the way. Sur le pont d'Avignon, l'on y danse tout en rond — or so we sing. But it wasn't on the bridge, or sur, but under the bridge, sous, that the dancing took place. Under the bridge and on Barthelasse, once known for its guinguettes, or outdoor taverns with music for warm weather dancing.

Do pay the fee and walk out onto the bridge, or dance out if you want—chances are you won't be the only one—just to be able to look back at the medieval skyline imposed by the big palace, the little one, and of course the ramparts. As far as the eye can see it's all battle-worthy crenellations and towers, incongruously topped off by the golden statue of the Virgin above Notre Dame des Doms, the cathedral adjoining the palace complex.

Aside from the palace, the ramparts are Avignon's most visible and striking feature, and one of the best examples of medieval fortification in existence. There were walls when the popes arrived in the early 14th century, but the papacy's presence led to urban sprawl, and the new areas built outside the old walls were under frequent threat from marauding thieves.
So the popes built new walls, and those are basically what encircles Avignon today—stone walls 2.5 miles long and 30 feet high, with ports of entry in a number of the square towers. Originally there were 35 tall towers and 50 smaller ones, with a dozen gates. But restoration projects over the centuries have demolished towers and built new ones, and pierced new entries too. The moats that once provided additional security have long since been filled in, although there is a proposal to reconstruct them—a project that won't cheer anyone looking for a space in the extra-muros parking lots surrounding the city.
Although there's now a charge for the Pont Bénezet, most of the visual pleasure of Avignon requires no entrance fee.

I think of Avignon as Venice without water. The streets are as tangled and meandering as Venice's calle, and little leafy squares relieve the traffic. In your wanderings don't miss the Promenade des Papes, which circles the palace and leads through the Place Maria Casarès. There in a building known as the Manutention—which once supplied food and medicine for a military barracks nearby—a sort of artisans' colony has sprung up, with ateliers for an art restorer, a glass engraver, a sculptor and a photographer. A movie theater in the square specializes in foreign films, all presented in their original languages. And there's a café, of course, with the golden image of the Virgin hovering high above.

Bonne St Valentin!

Champagne - Enjoy The Moment

I drink Champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad," said Madame Bollinger, one of the grandes dames of Champagne. "Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty."

HOLLYWOOD’S FRANCE

France has always fascinated Hollywood. Since the birth of cinema, hundreds of American films have depicted France, often with a highly tenuous resemblance to the real thing. Times haven't changed much since director Ernst Lubitsch remarked: "There is Paramount Paris and MGM Paris, and of course the real Paris. Paramount's is the most Parisian of all." Here is a personal selection of films for a fantasy tour of Tinseltown's France.

MOST STYLISH

To Catch a Thief Alfred Hitchcock, 1955 Former jewel thief John Robie's retirement is disturbed when a series of robberies imitating his distinctive style occur on the French Riviera. Determined to unmask the copycat, he mingles with the wealthy tourists and soon finds himself pursued by a rich and beautiful American woman fascinated by his reputation. Cary Grant is Robie, Grace Kelly is the elegant Frances, the 1950s Côte d'Azur is the setting. France was never more glamorous.

MOST PARISIAN

Funny Face Stanley Donen, 1957 In this endearing musical loosely based on George Gershwin's Broadway show, three New Yorkers come to Paris for a photo shoot. The high-powered fashion editor (Kay Thompson) wants to visit the designers' boutiques, the shopgirl-turned-model (Audrey Hepburn) dreams of joining the intellectual crowd in Montparnasse and the photographer (Fred Astaire) is fascinated by the architecture. The song Bonjour Paris! brings them together at the top of the Eiffel tower and love ensues.

MOST TWISTED – My all time favorite!

Charade Stanley Donen, 1963 Reggie Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) returns to Paris from a vacation trip to discover that her husband has been murdered—and that he was a thief. Three men follow her around Paris to recover the money he had stolen, although she knows nothing about it. Feeling lost and alone, she turns to an unknown man she met on her arrival (Cary Grant)—a man who is not who he says he is. Donen's Charade was filmed entirely in Paris; in 2002 Jonathan Demme directed a remake, The Truth About Charlie, starring Mark Walhberg.

MOST HITCHCOCKIAN

Frantic Roman Polanski, 1988 When Dr. Walker (Harrison Ford) attends a medical convention in Paris, his beloved wife disappears from their hotel room without a trace while he is in the shower. The police refuse to take the matter seriously, so Walker embarks on a search complicated by the language barrier, until he finds a beautiful French girl (Emmanuelle Seigner) willing to help him. Frantic's final sequence takes place by the replica of the Statue of Liberty near Paris's Pont de Grenelle, symbolically uniting French and American thriller's traditions.

MOST ACCURATE

Le Divorce James Ivory, 2003 Isabel (Kate Hudson), the archetypal California blonde, flies to Paris to visit her pregnant sister Roxy (Naomi Watts) who has just broken up with her well-to-do French husband. Isabel discovers France and the French, and soon embarks on an affair with a married man. A witty satire, Le Divorce explores the complexity of French and American culture and lifestyles, and their widely divergent attitudes toward sex, food, fashion and the pursuit of happiness.

Others, among many...

A Woman of Paris Charlie Chaplin, 1923 (Melodrama)

Trouble in Paradise Ernst Lubitsch, 1932 (Comedy)

The Razor's Edge Edmund Goulding, 1946 (Drama)

An American in Paris Vincente Minnelli, 1951 (Musical)

French Kiss Lawrence Kasdan, 1995 (Romantic comedy)

Everybody Say I Love You Woody Allen, 1996 (Comedy)

Ronin John Frankenheimer, 1998 (Thriller)

Femme Fatale Brian De Palma, 2002 (Thriller)

Before Sunset Richard Linklater, 2004 (Romantic comedy)

Munich Steven Spielberg, 2005 (Thriller)

The Da Vinci Code Ron Howard, 2006 (Thriller)

Ratatouille Brad Bird, 2007 (Animation) - Lovely!! I Love it!

Fondue and Raclette Fun .......................Once Again

On those cold, gray, rainy Paris days – of which there are many, one of my fondest memories was dining at La Maison Du Valais where my spirits were always lifted with generous servings of Raclette ( firm, golden cheese ) that’s sliced, then melted to a fragrant creamy pool and served with steaming fresh potatoes cooked in their skins, along with a wonderful condiment of onions and mustard, ah! , not to forget the tiny sour cornichon pickles. Sadly this Swiss style restaurant closed many years ago, leaving a hole in my dining heart and stomach. Well, I am happy again, because three new Alpine-style restaurants have appeared and are serving once again, the food of the Alpine Swiss. For fondue, try Pain,Vin, Fromages in the Marais, or La Grange Saint Michel in the Latin Quarter, but my favorite is Les Montagnards near the Pompidou Center. Their raclette is just out of this world. It’s a laid back, easy going place to come in from the ‘cold’ and warm your heart!

Oyster Quartet - A Kiss From The Sea

Anyone who knows me; knows that first upon landing in Paris and my last day in Paris before I leave, I always have a few dozen oysters at one of my many favorite Fish-and-Oyster houses around the city. I am happy to report today, that a favortie that had fallen on hard times, has been bought and restored once again to a good destination for serious seafood lovers. The 4 restaurants that make up this mini-chain is called LE BAR A HUITRES. The menu has been revamped and offers a wonderful array of pedigreed bivales and the fish is not farmed rasied by wild and the taste proves that.
There are now four locations, 2 on the Left Bank.
Below is a menu to temp you on your next visit to Paris and you might be seeing me there.
http://www.lebarahuitres.com/pdf/carte_en.pdf

Rainbows In Champagne - The Town Of Troyes

The town of Troyes ( prounced Trwa) just a bit south of the Champagne country always takes visitor - French as well as foreigners - by surprise. This lively town of narrow cobbled streets, half timbered houses in ochre, pink and yellow was once the capitol of the counts of Champagne. Today’s it's an unspoiled treasure trove of art and architecture, a thriving modern city that wears its past with elegance and charm.Walking in the old quarter whisks you straight into the world the of the 'Three Musketeers.'

It’s an unvisited city by most tourists and after seeing it, one can only exclaim “C’est Epoustouflant!”….”it’s staggering.

Be sure to have lunch at Le Valentino restaurant, set in a 16th Century serving excellent French food at reasonable prices.

Marks & Sparks comes back to Paris.................The Brit's Are Coming...Again..

The words "British food and clothing" do not exactly invoke glamour in Paris but there is general pleasure over news of the imminent return of Marks & Spencer.
That most British of chain stores is reported to be about to take over a prime site on the Champs Elysées, a decade after it closed its emporium opposite Galeries Lafayette, the grand department store on the Boulevard Haussmann. The news, not yet confirmed by the group, emerged from staff at Esprit, the fashion brand, which is leaving the site. They have been told that they can switch to employment with Marks & Sparks, according to today's Le Parisien, which opened its Paris section with the news.
The group never made a profit from its 18 stores in France, which first opened in 1976, but they were a success with a certain type of Parisian. The fashion was drab and the shop was mundane, but some of the products conveyed that flavour of Britishness that Parisians find chic. This included the woolens, sensible tweed and Barbour-style outdoor jackets and especially the food. The marmalade, English cheese, salt-and-vinegar crisps (chip for Americans), chutney and mustard were popular. The English-style sandwiches were a huge success, effectively introducing Paris to such delicacies as egg and cress or Tandoori chicken wedges  Since those days, the triangular sandwich has become a Paris lunch-bar staple.
Back in 2001, fans of the Haussmann store lamented the closure. They filled condolence books with appeals such as "Brits, please, do not leave us" and "where can I buy my Cheddar now?". A few British food stores opened in Paris to fill the vacuum and Galeries Lafayette expanded a British section on its gourmet food floor, offering exotic and over-priced staples such as baked beans and Coleman's mustard as well as loads of Indian sauces and spices. No date has been set for the re-opening. Le Parisien puts that down to "la discrétion toute britannique" of Marc Bolland, the new boss of M & S. The paper says "le come-back" is set for September.

Air France Les Cars & Paris: A Bus for All Reasons

Whether travelers are flying into Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airports, Air France’s Les Cars (French for “motorcoach”) offer an uncomplicated and inexpensive way to reach the center of Paris – or vice verse. And, you don’t have to be an Air France passenger. Les Cars are air-conditioned, have special luggage compartments and do not require tired travelers to tow their suitcases up and down stairs. The ride takes between 45 minutes and one hour, time of day and traffic depending.

Details:

•TO PARIS (from Charles de Gaulle):

The coaches departing CDG leave from four different stops:

Terminal 1 - Exit 34 (Arrivals level)

Terminal 2A-2C – Exit C2

Terminal 2D-2B – Exit B1

Terminal 2E-2F – Gallery level, Exit 3

WHEN: Every half hour from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

•FROM PARIS to Charles de Gaulle:
The coaches depart from:
Place de l’Etoile, Porte Maillot, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse
WHEN: Every 30 minutes from 5:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.

•TO/FROM ORLY AIRPORT:
Coaches leave from both Orly-Sud and Orly-Ouest with stops/pick-up at:

Place del'Etoile, Porte d'Orleans, Gare Montparnasse, Les Invalides.

WHEN: Every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

•COST: From 11.50 – 18 € for adults; From 5.50 – 8 € for children

•HOW: Book online or call the reservations center in the US: 1-866-996-9727

www.lescarsairfrance.com OR www.linkparis.com/air-france-buses.htm
The only draw back is from downtown Paris station you need to taxi then to your hotel.Thus we always recommend for a family, you hire a limo ( though us of course :) and go from the airport direct to your hotel.

IF YOU WISH TO 'SPEED' IN FRANCE THIS YEAR - DON'T!

Charles Bremner, The London Times Correspondent and one of my favorite reporters, just posted this warning on his London Times Blog this morning.

'Watch out if you are one of those foreigners who to treat French motorways as an invitation to drive flat out. You may find a new beast in your rearview mirror.

The Gendarmerie have just bought a fleet of pumped up ... er, Renaults, that will enable them to catch up with all but the fastest law-breakers. All right, the words Renault Mégane smack more of the school run than race track, but the gendarmes have a special edition of the already sporty RS version, which they say will do 255 kph or 160 mph. That should be enough to collar most of the Britons, Dutch and others who blast down the autoroutes of France believing they are immune to the speed limit (while speed cameras now force the poor French to obey it more or less). Only the Porsches, Bentleys and other expensive bollides will be able to outrun them.

The French have taken a while to catch up with police forces in other countries who long ago adopted high-performance cars. It's still rare to see patrols on the motorways and when you do, they are usually vans or family estate cars and there even still a few ancient Renault 4s around. For the past five years, the gendarmes have been running a few fast Subaru Imprezas. These will be replaced by 70 Renaults.

The Gendarmerie has also finally given up its attachment to dull blue, thus near invisible, patrol cars. The new Renaults are decked out in high visibility stripes, though they keep the military blue as the overall colour. In another concession to modernity, the cars will have a signal panel which can order drivers to "Suivez-Moi" (Follow Me) . The instructions will be in French only of course.
The national police (quite distinct from the Gendarmerie) have also lately adopted new paintwork for their vehicles, which patrol the towns and cities. This consists of the same old white with tasteful red stripes but the effect is more stylish. Still, nothing as vulgar as the dog's dinner in Day Glo that is sported by British police and emergency vehicles. "

Bike, Eat, Drink and Sleep - Come and Join Me On A Burgundy Bike Trip.

Not being one prone to do any exercise, it’s the Lewis Code, Mind You - A few years ago I was forced to do a biking weekend in the wine country of Northern California and after much hand wringing and digging my feet in, I did it and found.... I loved it. Not only was the pace slow and at your own speed ( the scenery was fabulous) and you could do as much or little biking as your wished to (there was always a van behind you to take you back to your deluxe hotel for well deserved rest and drink –( great wine - and food). Now, I am thinking of doing a bike tour, this year - in one of my favorite regions of France, Burgundy in September. This is not camping, NO INDEED, the digs will be deluxe, the food Michelin starred and the wine- well what can I say, It's Burgundy. Andy Levine, owner of Duvine Adventures (an expert in boutique French bike tours) said he would be happy to put together a trip for myself and a few clients/friends. I think no more people than 12 at the max. That means more wine to share!

The bike tour would be about 6 days and include bikes, guides and van, hotels, food, wine, site seeing specials and more…….. The cost per person would be in the range of $4200.00

So I am just tossing this out to see if anyone might be interested in joining me.

We would Bicycle through two millennia of viticulture in Burgundy through this incredible region of France. Imagine cycling along gently rolling hills, wooded paths, and passing vineyards as far as the eye can see, you'll even bike right by a coveted vineyard of Charlemagne.

Our Burgundy bike tour route traces the saga of wine itself, from its introduction by Celts and Romans to the refinement of winemaking at local monasteries. The real Burgundy oenophiles can identify more than 1,000 vineyards by the taste of their wines. You'll take a step into that world as the wine and food on your Burgundy bike tour samples the fruits of history; enjoy tastings in Pommard, Vosne-Romanée, Aloxe-Corton, and other famous villages. Each night, we delight in luxury chateaux and dine in the region’s finest restaurants. This is the Grand Cru of all European bike tours.
What's included on your Burgundy bike tour: 6 days
~ Deluxe accommodations in luxurious properties with the best amenities
~ Aluminum bicycle, handlebar bag, water bottle, lock, patch kit with spare tube, lightweight helmet and optional toe straps
~ Breakfasts, lunches, Apres Velo cocktails and gourmet dinners including wine - I'll buy the first round of Romanee Conti.
~ Blingual guides who will look after our every need
~ A route review with our guide each morning

~ Highlighted regional maps
~ Support vehicle that sweeps the day's route distributing refreshments and offering lifts
~ Entrance fees to historic sites, museums, parks and all other exclusive events
~ Transportation from rendezvous to final drop-off
~ Gratuities for baggage, porters, and hotel service
~ Baggage transport

Your Valid Passport, MAY NOT BE VALID....BEWARE

VERY IMPORTANT;
Because of the state of the world today, when traveling, many, many countries now require that your valid passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you return to the US. If not, you need to re-apply right away.

Winter In France - Means Only One Thing - The World Is Your Oyster

As Cole Porter once wrote:
“I love Paris in the springtime.

I love Paris in the fall.

I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,

I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.........................”
Ah, but for me, Paris in the winter, means oysters, crisp and appetizing......., I eat them all year round, but in the winter, the cold months, they are at their best. My first stop in and out of Paris during this season is always heading toward my favorite brassiere and having my quest for the briny oyster fulfilled.
In France the accompaniment for oysters on the half shell is a simple combination of diced shallots and red wine vinegar called Mignonette. But I stay away from this, to me adding anything to an oyster is simple pollution. Each flavor to me is a hymn to its own watery terrior, but yes, a coup Champagne is a nice addition to go along with the oyster.
Eating oysters....as a wise sage ..............it’s like kissing the sea on the lips.

England - VAT Rises to 20% for 2011..................Bah Humbug!

( last minute shoppers on Oxford St before the 20% VAT goes into effect)

My trip to London in October was brightened because in 2010 was the first time in a long time that I was able to purchase once again all my clothes  ( I prefer London cuts of men's clothing) in an affordable manner.
BUT....in 20111, the Govt. is rasing the VAT tax to 20% from 17.5% and once again, it making shopping, hotels etc ( food is exempt) impossible for the visitor.
Bah HUMBUG!

2011 Happy New Year!

My Find for Paris - 2010.......A wow!

In October of this year, I visited a new 5 star boutique hotel on the right bank  called Le Burgundy.Just walking in the hotel lobby, all I could say was WOW!, the restaurant and bar - a WOW!, the rooms..a WOW! I have never in such a long time been bowled over by a hotel ( and I love the Paris Four Seasons, le Meurice, Crillon to name a few) in years. It has all the bells and whistles of the major luxury hotels in Paris plus its cozy and intimate and the kind of place you never want to leave. Located on rue Duphot, the elegant and forever fashionable spirit of Paris is evident at Le Burgundy, a boutique hotel that opts to whisper its charms as opposed to shouting them from the rooftops. Make sure to check out the indoor pool which offers color therapy.

Paris is well known for its fashion, romance, song, cuisine, and appreciation for the arts. What outsiders sometimes miss, though, is the grace and balance its residents and purveyors exude when displaying them to the world. This display is very evident at Le Burgundy, a virtual case study in what makes Paris great. Firstly, the arts: Le Burgundy honors them by way of Guy de Rougemont's marble puzzle sculpture in the front lobby. And one cannot over look the culinary arts, which get their fair share of exposure at the Restaurant and Winter Garden, where Parisian classics are prepared with a creative spirit.

Architecture and interior design can be experienced in any room or suite, where classical lines add drama among various brightly colored fabrics, flower arrangements, and artworks.

Paris and its residents always strive to look their best, and guests of Le Burgundy will have every opportunity to follow suit at the Spa & Fitness Club. Swim, sweat, steam, soak, or limber your way to a more graceful and glamorous you.



Merry Christmas From Paris..............Joyeux Noel & Bonnes Fetes de Fin d'Année

Photo of a rose in the Place Vendome after some snowfall the night before

France...A" Few Of My Favorite Things"......................

As Christmas approaches, the lyrics to one of Rodgers and Hammersteins most beloved songs...'My Favorite Things..' I start to think about some of 'my favorte things' of France and one of them is the lush Loire Valley filled with it's many magnificent Chateaux....
Perhaps the most famous of the Loire Valley chateaux, after Chenonceau, Chambord is a vast Renaissance extravagance started by Francois I in the early 16th century as a hunting lodge (seriously) it contains over 400 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases. All this for a residence only used for about 2 months during Francois’s reign. He created sumptuous hunting grounds, surrounded by an uninterrupted wall of 32km to contain his potential prey of deer and wild boar plus a stable for 1200 horses which were used for riding and hunting within the grounds. You can cycle or walk the grounds via the marked out paths but even the shorter walks can take over an hour, such is the size of the park. Wear sensible footwear for this visit and take plenty of water. You can also ride horses or take a horse-drawn cart from the stables where, during the summer months, there is an equestrian show. Inside the chateau the only furnished rooms are the chambers of Francois I and Louis XIV plus a room dedicated to the toys of the Royals as the chateau had apparently been ransacked of its furnishings during the Revolution. That said you cannot fail to be impressed by the decoration, fittings and internal architectural features of even its spacious empty rooms. Its famous double spiral staircase is said to have been influenced by Lenardo da Vinci who was a guest of Francois I at Close-Luce near the royal residence at Amboise. It is interesting to send your partner down one set and for you to take the other - and pass each other without touching! The views of the external architecture from the roof terraces are breathtaking---why so much detail Francois?—I suppose because he could! As with all popular les chateau of the Loire it is better to visit before the large tourist parties arrive or after they have gone. Each evening in July and August, of 10 p.m. to midnight, the chateau façade is lit up in a way that blends the building to the forest through a sound and light show. You can also hire bikes and boats within the grounds.

Jardin ( gardens) of France - Loir et Cher - Notes from an Unabashed Romantic

On my recent trip to France, I stayed in Paris and also spent a week in the area just north of the Loire Valley, called Loir-et-Cher. Its rarely visited by American tourists, but is really a treat for all your senses. I love gardens and here, I found two romantic ones that are a 'wow'. The Jardin du Plessis Sasnieres is said to be France’s most ‘English’ garden. Featuring a lake, rose beds and walled kitchen garden, it is the home and creation of Rosamee Henrion who spent part of her childhood in England. An expert in trees, she is also a devoted gardener and got both inspiration and tips from various English gardens including Highgrove, home of Prince Charles. So instead of being formal like a traditional French garden, hers has lawns with neat English-style edges and there are intricately clipped yew trees.Mme Henrion’s daughter-in-law cultivates fruit and vegetables, making chutneys and jams that are sold in the shop. Visitors are invited to help themselves to any spare produce and can enjoy home-made fare in the farmhouse tearoom.
I was staying with the Count and Countess of Vassay ( more on that later) and the countess, Marni, suggest I visit the ( English garden) Jardin du Plessis in Sasnieres ( just 40 minutes from their chateau) and the Jarden d'Atmosphere du petit Bordeaux ( 50 minutes away).
If I had to propose to someone, either of these exquisite gardens would be the place.

The Jardin d’atmosphère du Petit Bordeaux, is approximately 20 km due South of Le Mans, at the village of St. Biez-en-Belin. Another privately owned Garden, by Michel Berrou, and a garden that, frankly, gave me goose-bumps. It has everything, and all the brainchild of the owner. The garden is laid out in a structured way, but one can't fail to be impressed by the sheer diversity he has achieved in a relatively small space.

It's Good To Be King, or at least a Prince or Princess - Chateau de la Barre

In October, on my recent visit to France, I had the great good fortune to stay with the Count and Countess ( Marni and Guy, if you please) at their palatial chateau in the Loir valley ( just 1 hour north of the Loire valley). Hidden away in the midst of the idyllic wooded hills of the Perche, between Chartres and Tours, at the entrance to the Loire Valley, Château de la Barre progressively unfolds its history. For centuries, its parkland has protected it from noise and disturbance, and it now emerges as an historical haven, close to the small Loir Valley and the famous Loire Valley Chateaux. Although having born witness to the Hundred Years War, the Religious Wars, and the vicissitudes of the French Revolution, Chateau de la Barre could tell countless tales, and delights most in joyfully extolling a preserved way of life. Today, the Count and Countess de Vanssay (she is Anglo-American, he is the twentieth generation at his family chateau), welcome you to their home, where the rooms combine elegance and authenticity with all the important modern comforts. The living rooms, with portraits of various family ancestors, rival in grandeur with the immense dining room, a veritable chef d'oeuvre of the 18th century, complete with its monumental buffet displaying an exquisite collection of china:
Just driving into the property, you take a long road through lovely pastoral land replete with grazing sheep and somehow, you feel transported back the 17th Century, The Sun King and all that. The chateau looms on the horizon and then the magic really begins.....

There are 5 bedrooms (very cozy) and each one is different. It's like sleeping in a museum, everything is original and in the Counts family for hundreds of years. Note: There is no TV, phones, internet (to speak of), its living in a true home, albeit a royal one. A perfect getaway from the madding world!
Guy and Marni are the most wonderful hosts and nicest people you’ll every meet. They make the stay perfect!

Now you can cross the street anywhere in Paris......................HA!

Charles Bremner, my favorite London Times Reporter from Paris, wrote this this morning..................................................

"If you have ever tried to use a pedestrian crossing in France, you know that cars don't stop -- no more than they do in Russia or other third world countries. The pedestrian is an inferior creature who deserves to be crushed. This reality has rather softened the impact of a revolution that was announced by President Sarkozy's government this week. Henceforward, all drivers in France must give way to anyone who crosses the road even if it they are not on a pedestrian crossing. Failure to stop will cost an automatic 135 euro fine and four points from the 12-point driving licence.This is a classic case of Gallic practice prevailing over theory. Even before this week's decree, the highway code said that French drivers must yield to anyone using a pedestrian crossing. Very few drivers, at least in the cities, have obeyed unless there were traffic lights denoting pedestrian priority. So the idea of making everyone everywhere stop for pedestrians has been greeted as a joke. "I'd like to see the first person try to walk across the Place de l'Etoile," said a news presenter on RTL radio. He was referring to the homicidal traffic circus around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
There are a couple of qualifications to the new rule. A pedestrian does not have priority over the traffic if there is an official pedestrian crossing within 50 metres. The walker must also show "a clear intention to cross". This is defined as "an ostensible step forward or a hand gesture". This will be quite a novelty because hand gestures on French traffic are usually applied after the event not before.The new rules stem from the noble intention of taming French traffic. Another new regulation will enable cyclists to turn right at a red light if the intersection carries a special sign. Again, this will have little impact since few cyclists in Paris stop at red lights, whether turning right or left or going straight ahead. I know, because I am one of them".

La Maison d’Elise – A restaurant to Satisfy Both the Spiritual and Secular ( Le Mans)

On my recent visit to France, I stayed in the Loir Valley (not to be confused with the Loire Valley – although they are only 1 hour apart and easily visited) during my stay at a 400 year old Chateaux hosted by owners the Count and Countess Vassay ( Guy and Marni to their guests, please!), Marni suggested ( as she knows I live for great food) to spend the day in nearby Le Mans, visiting this famous Plantagenet city and then having lunch at the charming La Maison d’Elise.

The outlaying area of this large city, is somewhat grey , dull and modern, but at it’s center is the old city and here ( where Henri II of England was born and Richard the Lionhearted lived) one finds oneself entering a time tunnel with a myriad of streets each with houses with magnificent stone or wood carvings. This Plantagenet city serves as a stage set for numerous films such as the Man In The Iron Mask, The Three Musketeers and basically any film taking place in Paris of the XIVth to XVIII centuries. Walking the streets, makes you want to don a cape and sword. It’s quite magical. At its center is the Cathedral St Julien with the oldest stain glass window of the Ascension. Although I must admit that Churches and Cathedrals are not a major sightseeing activity for me, I must also admit that St Julien is quite over-powering. After spending a couple of hours it this remarkable and captivating old city and Yes, even its churches, I was ready to have an over-the-top lunch and what better place, that a cozy restaurant right next door to the cathedral.

The restaurant is La Maison d’Elise is housed in a former 18th-century mansion. Hosted by chef, Jean-Yves HERMAN, you are in for a treat. I had a lunch based on fish alone, in many courses and each course topped the previous one. I love a cozy restaurant, with tables spaced nicely apart, of starched table cloths and heavy silverware and sparking glasses and fresh cut fresh flowers on the table and of course- perfect service.
And may I add, a fantastic Lunch for only Euro 29!!

                                                                            My table- #11

London's new Pedi-bus Tours

Having just returned from a wonderful trip to the French Loire and Eure-et-Loir valley and then on to London for a few days, I will report more in detail on my trip, but I want to advise you of a new and fun way to tour the city. It's by a Pedibus ( see below). I did not take one (to much exercise for moi!)  but saw plenty of them all around the city. They have theme tours, like  a pub crawl or market tour. 

With a seating configuration similar to that of a dinner table, The Pedibus is the most fun and sociable way to cycle, chat and hang out with friends or people you have just met.