Limeuil - One of the Most Beautiful Villages in France

Located just a bit off the beaten path in the Dorodgne , this lovely village where the Dordogne and Vezere rivers meet is worth a detour.

Francois, The Paella Man - In Paris

One of the great pleasures of being in France is to visit the weekly open air market. It's one of my musts whenever I visit. In the countryside besides the standard wonderful fare found at a French Market, are vendors who prepare food to go. Unlike the awful food to go in the United States, we are talking about a whole different thing in France. I love the Paella Man whom you see again and again at various country markets and now I am happy to report, there is one in Paris.
Twice a week at Place Baudoyer (The Marais) where a local Paris outdoor market is, Francois makes the freshest, most scrumptious, and authentic paella. He sets up his truck on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons and makes the paella from scratch with spicy sausage, jumbo shrimp, fresh mussels, red & green peppers, bay leaves, rice, peas, and the most tender chicken parts. A huge portion for one, which is actually enough for two, costs only 7 euros. One salivates as he scoops the steaming hot paella into the container. Francois also prepares excellent beef Bourguignon, chicken fricassee, chicken stew with white beans, and big sausages with lentils, but for me his shining star is the paella.
Francois's Paella Truck
Baudoyer market
Place Baudoyer, between rue de Rivoli & rue Francois Miron, 4th arr.
Metro:Hotel de Ville, St. Paul
Open Saturday 7AM-3PM- Note: paella is not ready till about 11:30AM
Wednesday 3PM-8:30PM

Sumptious Festivites at Vaux Le Vicomte - Play King and Queen for an Evening

Every year, during the summer, Vaux le Vicomte ( my favorite to visit rather than Versailles, in fact, Versailles was modeled on Vaux) opens its estate for all the visitors looking for the beauty of nature, landscape, and exceptional architecture.
As evening falls on Saturdays between May 7th and October 8th, over 2,000 candles are lit throughout the château and gardens. Tour the chateau by candlelight!
This festival of light is complemented by classical music in a section of the gardens, designed by Le Nôtre. Stretched out in a deckchair, visitors can allow themselves to be transported back in time by this magical illumination to a memorable page of history, the only party given at Vaux le Vicomte by Nicolas Fouquet, on 17 August 1661, in response to a request from the young king Louis XIV.
Possibility to eat on the Estate in our restaurant L'Ecureuil or in the gardens at Les Charmilles

Fireworks will be shot on the first and 3rd Saturday of the month around 10:30 p.m.

London Afternoon Tea with a Twist...............or an Olive

One of the major events for any visitor to London is a traditional full blown English tea and there are many wonderful ones to recommend throughout the city and I have been enjoying those teas since I was a child from the early 1950's, and those who know me well, also know that I have been drinking Martini's since I was 21, ah, some 40 years or so and so it is with great excitement, that I have discovered that at the cozy, boutique hotel - Flemings( located in Mayfair - my favorite area in all of London) not only like its neighborhood upscale hotels, offers a traditional English tea, but know also offers - a Martini Tea. It is, in the British argot, ................'Brilliant!'
I love London English teas and I also love Martini’s and so here I can experience both in one sitting. So on you next trip to London, have a afternoon Martini tea or even better yet, have one and then stay at this most wonderful boutique hotel in the city.
In the words of Lyricist Ira Gershwin…. “Who could ask for anything more?”

Here are just a few samples that I recommend:
THE MAYFAIR MARTINI £12.00
Martini’s made with Berry Bros. & Rudd No. 3 London Dry Gin, stirred
patiently with your preferred vermouth and finished with a selection of
citrus fruits/olives or even a hint of bitters.
THE FLEMINGS NEGRONI £12.00
Your choice of Gin stirred with your selection of Sweet Vermouth and
Campari, served over ice with a selection of citrus oils.
SIGNATURE MARTINI £12.00
Our signature Martini: aged Van Wee's Genever lovingly stirred through
with hints of ripe apricot, a whisper of aromatic wine and a touch of bitter orange. Finished with fresh orange oils.

A French Thought For The Day..........

"I don't speak French that well, although I do read French Menu's well!" - H.E. Lewis

The French Riviera - How To Arrive In Style

Although I love the sun and fun of the French Riviera, I am less sanguine about the cities of Nice and Cannes. To me, those areas are one gigantic stretch of miles and miles of ugly, condo’s running along the beach. Much more atmospheric and lovely is the area east of Nice – the villages from St Jean-Cap Ferrat – Villefranche-Beaulieu and Eze. This is the Beverly Hills of the French Rivera and home to wonderful hotels.
Of course, just east of all of this is the small country of Monaco and Monte Carlo. Here 365 days of beautiful, sunny weather, chic people, shops and restaurants and just one of my favorite areas in Southern France.
One of, NO! The best way to arrive here is by Heli Air Monaco. The flights depart from the Nice airport (almost every 30 minutes) and it takes all of 7 minutes, in a spectacular ride passing the beautiful villages mentioned above. Once you land in this dream city of Southern France, there is free transportation into town or your hotel.
Even if you are not staying here, why not consider taking the Helicopter flight over for a day. You won’t be disappointed. The prices are very reasonable too.

MOTORING TREATS FOR THE RACE DRIVER IN YOU IN THE LOIRE VALLEY

 

While staying as private guests of Comte and Comtesse de Vanssay experiencing 600 years of history in their elegant Loire Valley Château,
Automobile lovers can enjoy racing a Ferrari 430GT, a Lamborghini Gallardo a Porsche or a Pescarolo Prototype around the world famous racetrack in Le Mans.
This exclusive 3 night package, priced between 525 and 725 euros per person, includes:
- Three nights accommodation in one of the elegant rooms of the château, furnished with designer fabrics and precious antiques
- Champagne welcome, flowers and port wine in your room
- a memorable Grand Siècle candlelit dinner in the prestigeous XVIIth century dining room on one night
- a wine and cheese tasting supper in the XIVth century billiard room on another night
- Daily English breakfast and afternoon tea
Additional cost per motoring event : 250 euros for 4 laps to 1200 for an entire day
Specific dates : May 21&22, Wednesday 13th of July, Monday 25th of July, Monday 31st of October, Tuesday 1st of November and Sunday 6th of November

Reims, the city of kings and Champagne - An Easy Day Trip From Paris

A quick 45-minute ride from Paris' Gare de l'Est station via the superfast TGV train, Reims offers many attractions in a relatively compact area easily navigated by foot or, if you must, by taxi. There's the Gothic masterpiece that is the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the more subdued Romanesque Basilica of St. Remi (53, rue Simon), where lies the tomb of said saint, who baptized Clovis, king of Franks. You can visit the Musee de la Reddition (The Surrender Museum, 12, rue Franklin Roosevelt), where the Germans surrendered to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, ending the European phase of World War II, or gaze on the Mars Gate (Place de la Republique), the only remaining gate to what was the Roman city of Durocortorum.
Dine in subtle but unmistakable luxury in the Michelin one-star restaurant Le Millenaire (4-6, rue Bertin — try the langoustines four ways to start) or jovially jostle elbows with locals and visitors (if you hear any English, they're likely British) at fast, affordable neighborhood boites such as Le Lion de Belfort (37, place Drouet d'Erlon — try the Gruyere cheese omelet: deliciously simple). Or Les Crayeres a 3 star Michelin restaurant and chateau in the center of town. I must admit, I always come here and have lunch when I am in Paris. Although very expensive, they now also have a lovely bistro and more affordable prices, either one is highly recommended. And don't forget the Champagne houses —— where you'll be able to tour ancient quarries-turned-wine-cellars and sip some of the bubbly that made Champagne world famous.
Dominating the city skyline is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Reims (Our Lady of Reims). Construction began in 1211. Each succeeding century has left a mark for good or ill. The cathedral was nearly destroyed by German bombardment during World War I, and it remains a restoration work in progress.
The cathedral (1, rue Guillaume de Machault) strikes me as being far more imposing than Notre Dame in Paris. The scale seems grander, with the pillars soaring upward to the vaulted ceiling high above. Nor are there the crowds and the lines you have to endure at any of Paris' historic churches.
At the neighboring Palace of Tau (2, place du Cardinal-Lucon), the former home of the archbishops of Reims, you can get a close-up look at some of the statuary removed from cathedral facade because they were too fragile or damaged. The kings of France were crowned in the cathedral, the last being Charles X in 1825. So it's natural the palais would have an exhibition focusing on the kings and their coronations.
The action is centered on the Place Drouet d'Erlon, one of the major downtown streets just minutes from the Reims train station.
Reims is friendly, but remember: English can be sparse, so learn some rudimentary French phrases, practice your pantomime and meet smile with smile; you'll be all set.
Visiting the big names
No visit to Reims at any season would be complete without visiting a Champagne house., a number of big names remain open, such as Pommery, G.H. Mumm and Taittinger. Even if you don't drink Champagne, a visit can be instructive, as the houses themselves and their luxury products reflect the culture and history of France. Just remember to reserve a tour time.
Reims sits on a large deposit of easily carved limestone. Over the millennia, residents have cut tunnels through the rock, building subterranean galleries perfect for aging Champagne. Most tunnel tours offer a quick how-to in making Champagne, complete with display bottles at various stages in the production process.
Domaine Pommery (5, place du General Gouraud) is a short taxi ride from downtown Reims. If the castle-like chateau strikes you as a touch kitschy, you're not far off. Louise Pommery, the brains behind this bubbly operation in the 19th century, had the chateau built to suggest a English manor house to attract traveling Brits.
Tours are offered. Prices start about $16.40. The sprawling complex that is G.H. Mumm & Cie (34, rue du Champs de Mars) looks more like a Hollywood movie studio. The tour comes with movies that tell the Champagne story, and the cellars offer a mini-history of how Champagne making has evolved over the centuries. Cellars are open daily. Admission is about $11.
Taittinger (9, place Saint-Nicaise) has named its cellars for St. Nicaise, a 5th century bishop of Reims who, when he found his head cut off by barbarian invaders, simply went on saying his prayers. The tour leads to a huge Roman quarry. Tours are on weekdays. A tour ticket is about $13.7

D DAY tour with a Military General

Having journeyed often thousands of miles to visit Normandy, travelers' expectations are high. To meet these expectations and adequately describe and interpret the events of D-Day through to the end of the Battle of Normandy requires a Guide with both detailed historical knowledge and first hand experiences of the friction and intensity of operations.
There are many ways to tour the historical D Day sites in Normandy, France, but one that I reccommend is seeing it through the eyes of a Military expert : Major General Graham Hollands

Gen.Hollands now lives in Normandy and conducts personalised Battlefield Tours for us at Protravel. His military service, local knowledge and interest in military history offer our clients a memorable opportunity for him to bring to life the events of a pivotal campaign of World War II. Our Tours can be personalised to the extent that you wish. No fixed timetables govern the activities. If you have a particular theme,interest, family or unit connection you wish to pursue, these can normally be accommodated.
Graham Hollands army career included service in Germany, Northern Ireland, Africa and England. His last military appointment was as the Artillery and Combat Support Commander of the multi-national NATO Rapid Reaction Corps. After leaving the Army, he was head of a large academic institution and latterly has worked in the Balkans with the United Nations. Graham Hollands has appeared on the Discovery Channel as a guest lecturer on the Queen Mary II and the BBC as an expert commentator on the events of DDay. Major General Hollands is a founding Director of an institution that is
creating, in Normandy, an internationally reputable academic, archive,
education and research centre, covering the events that took place
between June and August 1944 .

The Baguette to Bistro: Culinary Traditions of Paris

Paul Bennett has started a walking seminar tours in the major capitols of Europe, called Context Tours.
http://www.contexttravel.com/
. The plus with his wonderful tours are:
~ small groups - ( or private if you wish) of no more than 6 people, with a hands-on conversational experience
~ No tour guides, but scholars or specialists with PH'D.s or terminal degrees in their field of study
~ theme tours to hidden parts of the city.
~ Priced very reasonsable
One of my favorite is the ..................Baguette to Bistro tour.
See me for details of other faninating tours offered.
Paris is synonymous for gastronomic refinement and elegance firmly built on its traditions. From les grands restaurants to the thousands of exquisite specialty shops to the neighborhood boulangerie, Parisians make food an art. On this 2.5-hour walk we will delve into the fascinating and delectable world of Parisian culinary traditions in the company of a true food expert.
Our walk takes place in the chic Left Bank of Paris, where we will visit some of the city's finest food shops. Our docent, a trained chef or food journalist, will introduce us to some of the basic concepts of French cuisine, from discerning the proper cheese to understanding what's on display at the butcher's. Our immersion begins with a staple in any French diet: la Baguette. Though found on every Parisian table, all baguettes—governed by a surprising melange of history and law—are far from the same. We will learn how to tell them apart at one of Paris' best bakeries.
Our walk takes place in the chic Left Bank of Paris, where we will visit some of the city's finest food shops. Our docent, a trained chef or food journalist, will introduce us to some of the basic concepts of French cuisine, from discerning the proper cheese to understanding what's on display at the butcher's. Our immersion begins with a staple in any French diet: la Baguette. Though found on every Parisian table, all baguettes—governed by a surprising melange of history and law—are far from the same. We will learn how to tell them apart at one of Paris' best bakeries.

From here we may visit a range of other culinary shops among them a 100-year old cheese shop where we will sample some of their regional cheeses carefully selected and aged in its on-site cellars. We could have a look at this season's wild game in the window of a real butcher shop or slip inside to taste some homemade rillettes. We might enjoy a cone of chocolate mousse made with Equatorial chocolate at the city's only mousse bar. We may also have a chat with a wine seller over a small glass of cognac or awe at the perfect culinary creations of the delicatessen Dallayau.

On our way, our conversation will range from the historic roots of French cuisine, the influence which the 1789 revolution and the bourgeoisie play in its evolution to the contributions early great chefs such as La Varenne, Carême or Escoffier had in revolutionizing menus. We may also discuss how this legacy has evolved in today's dining trends such as bistronomie and get clear on the differences between a brasserie, bistro, and restaurant.

We will end our walk at the Grand Epicerie of the Bon Marche department store, a veritable palace of gastronomy, where we will be able to put into practice some of the knowledge acquired with our docent.

The Best Terrace in Paris For Viewing The Eiffel Tower

Chez Francis, located in the 8e on Place Alma is a wonderfu brasserie that is a major mecca for the lunch business crowd and after theatre patrons. Beautiful interior (if the weather  is off) , good honest Brasserie food, great for people wathcing or just looking at the Eiffel Tower.

Les Entrées

Gaspacho de Tomates 12€
Avocat / Champignons de Paris / Tomates 12€

Tomates / Mozzarella di Buffala 14€

Salade Niçoise 14€

Melon Nature ou Serrano 14€ / 16€

Tomates oubliées / Artichauts / Parmesan 15€

Sardines grillées 13€

Saumon BIO d’Ecosse fumé 20€

Tartare de Dorade au Piment d’Espelette 17€

Terrine de Foie Gras / Pain au Levain grillé 21€

Salade de Homard frais / Pois gourmand 26€


Les Poissons
Langoustines de Loctudy cuites minutes à la vapeur / Riz BIO 28€
Filet de Saint Pierre / Wok de légumes 32€

Belle Sole petit bateau grillée ou meunière / Pomme purée 36€

Saumon BIO vapeur / Ecrasé de Pomme de Terre au Basilic 30€

Dorade grise de ligne des côtes bretonnes grillée / Riz BIO 30€

Merlan de Saint-Gilles façon Colbert / Pomme purée 26€


Les Viandes

Carpaccio de Bœuf / Roquette / Parmesan 20€

Tartare de Bœuf aux herbes cru ou aller-retour / Frites / Salade 21€

Poulet BIO rôti / Jus de Thym / Pomme Grenaille 25€

Rosbif de Normandie / Pomme Purée 28€

Foie de Veau poêlé / Roquette et Oignons frits des Cévennes 29€

Entrecôte de Normandie / Béarnaise / Frites 29€

Côte de Bœuf de Normandie grillée pour 2 personnes / Canon d’os à moelle 64€

Selle d’Agneau grillée / Haricots verts frais 29€

Côte de Veau de Corrèze / Wok de légumes 30€


Les Desserts
Saint−Marcellin de la mère Richard 10€
Café Gourmand 12€

Faisselle nature, Miel ou Coulis de Fruits rouge 9€

Glaces et Sorbets maison 9€

Salade de Fruits frais sans sucre 9€
Clafoutis aux Cerises 11€
Crème brûlée à la Vanille Bourbon 12€

Soupe de Fraises 13€

Assiette de Fruits Rouge 13€

Mi-cuit Chocolat coeur de Guanaja 13€


Les Huîtres
Les Marennes Oléron
Fines de Claires N°2 Les 6 : 20€
Fines de Claires N°3 Les 6 : 17€

Spéciales N°2 Les 6 : 29€
Spéciales N°5 Les 6 : 17€

 Les Plates

Belon N°0 Les 6 : 34€

Belon N°2 Les 6 : 24€

Belon N°4 Les 6 : 16€

Creuses de Normandie

Huîtres d’Isigny « Spéciales » Les 6 : 17€

Les Coquillage et Crustacés

Moules d’Espagne (Les 6) 7€

Clam (La pièce) 5€
Palourdes (Les 6) 17€
Bulots 9€

Oursins Prix selon arrivage

Tourteau entier 19€

Langoustines tièdes 26€

Bouquet de Crevettes rose 19€

Praires (Les 6) 19€

Les Plateaux
Le Plateau Dégustation 28€
3 Belons N°4 , 3 Fines de Fines de Claires N°3 , 3 Creuses N°3

Le Plateau du Mareyeur 54€

3 Belons N°4 , 7 Creuses , 3 Moules d’Espagne , 1 Clam , 4 Palourdes

Bulots , 2 Langoustines , 3 Crevettes rose , 1 Tourteau

Le Plateau Royal (2 personnes) 105€

6 Belons N°4 , 14 Creuses , 6 Moules d’Espagne , 2 Clam , 8 Palourdes

Bulots , 4 Langoustines , 6 Crevettes rose , 2 Tourteau

Some Of London's restaurants still blaze with the EDWARDIAN SPIRIT

After my most recent gastronomic excursion to London in October, I can still reliably report that you can still dine out like Royalty in the most Royal of cities. Although many of my favorites of past years are now long gone (such as The Savoy Grill, Café Royal Grill Room, Overtons’ and L’Aperitif at Browns Hotel ) or have changed to the new type of modern cuisine ( that bores me stiff) a few still remain and still thrill.The places I visit and relish are the great Edwardian restaurants, places that recall an era of polished mahogany, heavy silver, sparkling crystal, swallow-tailed dress and personalized service, where French and English chefs provide the sumptuous dishes that I savor and enjoy.The Edwardian era, associated with Edward VII was also the era of Epicureanism, lasting from the late 19th-century to the early 1920’s. It was an era of enormous wealth and prosperity, unequaled creature comforts, magnificent personal attire and an opulent elegance of setting. Two of my favorites of this era and are still around are Rules and Wiltons. Rules (established in 1798), the ultra-classic English restaurant in Covent Garden, remains as crowed today as ever. Here still, is served roast grouse (in season) and woodcock, meat puddings and chicken pies, ribs of Scottish beef, jugged hare, rich and Sherry trifle with thick Devonshire cream. Tradition and continuity are what Rules is all about and as you perch comfortable on a red banquette ( # 22 is my favorite) , surrounded by hundreds of caricatures, engravings and old programs from the Queens theatre, mounted antlers, glossy wood paneling and antique stained glass, its easy to imagine Edward VII and his mistress, Lily Langtry dining casually at their favorite table by a lattice window on the first floor (portraits signed by each still grace the walls). This restaurant is what I come to London for, when I am hungry and the kitchen proves that there is more to classic English Cooking than a joint of meat with two veggies.
http://www.rules.co.uk/
Check back for my review of Wilton’s.

You say Monet and I say Manet................

                 Exceptional Manet Exhibit Opening at the d'Orsay Museum

Une petite reminder... The extraordinary exhibition: “Manet: the Man who Invented Modern Art” opens at the d’Orsay Museum in Paris on April 5th. This will be a hugely popular museum event, so you'll likely want to reserve tickets online in advance or obtain tickets from your  hotel concierge.

Cannes - In The Know Experiences

Between Nice and Cannes, I prefer Cannes, not only is it the glamour capitol of the French Riviera, but also unlike the rocky pebble beaches at Nice, it has beautiful sandy beaches. It also has its share of glamorous hotels, like the 100 year Carlton InterContinental. Any guest of Provtravel gets a full Champagne buffet breakfast daily, upgrade subject to availability, in room FREE internet and the best of all, free access to the Carlton Beach club and lounges ( normally 60 Euros per day for hotel guests). One of my favorite excursions in Cannes is visiting the old market - Marche Forville. It's open every day until 12 noon, but its best ( if your dates work out) to visit on Sundays. Extra tables are set out and the market offers tapas to munch on during your visit.

                                          Marche Forville Cannes
Hidden away in Cannes la Bocca (the main quarter of Cannes) is the Marche Forville. This is the best Provencal market in Cannes. It is also be considered one of the best, if not the best, on the French Riviera.
This is very much a market for local people. It is virtually tourist free. The Sunday market is a rendezvous for many Cannois. From the local tradesman, restaurant owners and hoteliers to the mayor himself may be seen here mingling and buying fresh local produce. Guests are welcome to the local market for local people
Local merchants and producers pack the covered Forville Market once a week, on Sunday. The best of the newly arrived flowers, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats and fish are on display and sale here. Most have been caught, grown or produced locally and are of great quality.
This market is a true taste of local Cannes. There is a specific taste of provence and the Riviera here that you can taste and smell. If you want a real feel of the real town, this is the place to get it.

The only warning that should be given is "watch your elbows". The frenzy of local French people reaching for fresh market produce plays havoc on them.

Extra TIP! If you are in Cannes during July/August, the city has ( on weekends) fireworks in the bay and one must take a table at the beach club at the Carlton and watch the fireworks!

Art to Dine with..................

I love the French domestic arts and this spring I am excited to see and visit two new museums one ( in Alsace) devoted to Rene Lalique glass creations ( he is my favorite of all) and another museum devoted to 2000 silver pieces of Christofle ( located in Paris)
The Musée Lalique, the first museum solely dedicated to René Lalique's glass and crystal work, will open in the town of Wingen-sur-Moder in Alsace in spring 2011.
Situated in the 18th-century glassmaking site where Lalique first started his now celebrated work, the new museum will trace the history of glassmaking, as well as display nearly 600 pieces designed by René Lalique
The 900-square-meter Musée Lalique will welcome a permanent exhibition that will present the history of the glass, and showcase never-before seen vases and jewelry, much of which were created during the Art Nouveau period between 1890 and 1905. Many of Lalique's famous works will be exhibited, such as his jewelry, Art Deco glass designs, perfume bottles and statues. A separate temporary exhibit space will display a variety of other glass pieces, updated one to two times per year.
The items presented in the museum will include donations from the Lalique Company and from various Paris museums such as the Musée des Arts et Métiers and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Also featured in the exhibits will be audiovisual and multimedia documents, which will help visitors gain a more comprehensive view of the historical, artistic and technical context behind Lalique’s work. A guided tour will also be available for visitors to explore the site and uncover the history of glassmaking in the area.

A New Food Fad – Snail Egg Caviar

The Champagne area of France , more specific The city of Reims, is host to many illustrious Champagne houses, but foodies in the know have also discovered that this city is also one of the gastronomic capitals of France, specializing in unique sweets and surprising local delicacies.
Locals, Dominique and Sylvie Pierru quit their day jobs to become snail farmers. The next three years they spent on perfecting a way to harvest the eggs of their 60,000 gasteropods, being specially fed on a diet of herbs and cereals to maximize their taste.The result is about 200kg of small, cream-colored pearls . They are sorted, salted (using Guerande salt – best quality refined salt), cleansed and perfumed with rosemary essence before being packed. The producers described the taste as “the subtle taste of nature, experiment the nature of a walk in the forest after the rain, mushrooms and undergrowth oak leaves hints.”
They are being sold under the name of De Jaeger-Caviar D’escargot and can be found at Hediard ( in Reims) and maybe nowadays also at their store in Paris.

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