"You Say Oyster and I Say 'Erster'

“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”
-- Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
For any true lover of Paris, upon landing, one must make a beeline for their favorite oyster bar and have a dozen or so with a glass of flinty Sancerre and crusty French bread.
For those wanting the best of the best, the (120 years old) Gillardeau family oysters ( from Rochefort) are the Rolls Royce of the bi-valves. They only grow speciales; which are plumper than the standard oyster.

Two New Finds In The Paris Suburbs - Art Deco and a Gourmets Delight

There are two new finds in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt; southwestern part of Paris.
Just 10 stops ( by metro )from the Trocadero, This industrail part of Paris sports( home of the first Renault Auto works and home to Paris's movie studios) , here you'll find a brand new restaurant that is sure to be on the Paris Restaurant radar very soon. The restaurant is ;Ducote Cuisine. Their 43 Euro three-course lunch menu is a jewel and a must for any "foodie"

After lunch, the other must see here is the new Art Deco museum; the Musee des Annees Trente; a modern complex - 5 floors of some of the best examples of the art deco period to be found anywhere in France.

Because of the old movie studios in the aera, the first major career retrospective of sex kitten/actress, Brigitte Bardot will be launched at the Landowski Exposition Hall nearby.( unitl 31 January 2010).

Roussillon (Provence) - The Village Where The Paint Bucket Fell Upon

The village of Roussillon. Perched on a hilltop on the northern side of the Luberon range, is classified as one of France's most beautiful and owes its bright wall colours to the ochre quarries located nearby. It is said that the village boasts 17 different shades of ocher ranging from pale yellow to vivid orange or deep red with all manners of peach, banana, nutmeg or rose tones in between.
Ochre is a natural pigment extracted from the earth and just outside the village, the old quarry trail provides a dramatic scenery of red and orange cliffs against bright green pine trees and vivid blue skies - a real Van Gogh palette. The village itself hosts a large number of arts and crafts studios and galleries as well as some great restaurants. It isn't hard to fall in love with the place.
One of my clients, The Steinfeld's just returned and recommended having lunch at the Hotel David in the center of town.

You ask the Question - Is Food The Only Thing I Think About When In France? OUI! OUI! OUI!

French Food critic, Francois SIMON; love him or hate him, I love his honesty and his recommendations is a frequent contributor to the newspaper Le Figaro and numerous magazines (GQ, Cassa Brutus-Japan, le Figaroscope, etc.) He also has his own television show on the French station Paris Première.He is the author of a number of works on gastronomy and the hospitality industry, the most recent of which, Pique Assiette, analyzes the conservative tendencies of certain French chefs. He has also published a novel entitled Toscane. Simon’s hallmark is never showing his face on television or in other media, so as to avoid being recognized in restaurants and to be able to maintain his independence. He is a devotee of rock and roll, and he can cook a chicken 200 different ways.
In his review of George,(Below) I hardly concur in every way. he is right on target!
Bravo! M.SIMON

He writes:

"I’ve been coming to Georges rue du Mail, near the Place des Victoires, for 20 years. And I’ll admit it – I always get the same thing. When I say always, I mean always, without exception. Everyone has their little rituals that they won’t give up. This is one of mine. Rain, snow, or sunny weather like this evening in June: I’m there! I love the place, especially the table in the entry near the window.

It’s this kind of meal you think about when you’re out of the country. As soon as I’m off the plane, I stop by to get myself back in the groove and give my stomach a treat. A cheerful welcome, a high-flying clientele, upwardly mobile and hip…In the kitchen is Alain, from Bretagne, who I’ve gotten to know. He’s going to retire soon, so get moving! "

George : 1, Rue Mail, 75002 Paris‎ - 01 42 60 07 11‎ Figure 40 euros

Temps Perdu - Howard's Style

"Americans are just beginning to regard food the way the French
always have. Dinner is not what you do in the evening before something else.
Dinner is the evening."
~ Art Buchwald

This morning as I sit here in my sunny Beverly Hills office, my thoughts turn to ,oh, so many, many years ago, when I first visited Paris on a lovely crisp Autumn day and immediately feel in love with the city and the country. On that day, I had lunch at the Le Dome Restaurant on Montparnasse Blvd.
On my first day, I made a beeline for the legendary seafood restaurant, Le Dome, whose Art Deco traditional atmosphere with overstuffed booths and large floral arrangements filling every nook and cranny was my kind of place. No fusion, no foam, no pan-something, cuisine was to be found here, but good, honest, straightforward French traditional dishes were to be found.
I was told that Le Dome had the best sole à la meunière – a simple and sublime panfried fish embellished with nothing more than its buttery cooking juices, a sprinkling of parsley, and a shower of lemon juice. Le Dômes prized fish came, I was told, from the Ile d’Yeu on the Brittany coast and had and still is a staple at this marvelous Art deco restaurant for decades.
The advice I was given was spot on and the restaurant, low these many years later, has become one that I always go to when I am in Paris. Its like going home!

COCO BEFORE CHANEL

A new movie opens on the 25th of September about the legendary designer, Coco Chanel, who began her life as a headstrong orphan and,through an extraordinary journey, became the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman.

Paris - Off The Beaten Track - a Lovely Museum

Paris' Musee Carnavalet, is dedicated to the history of Paris, and is housed in a unique Parisian 16th-century mansion. The luxury town house, with a typical French center courtyard, was once home to Madame de Sevigny, noted for her detailed letters to her daughter (more than 1500 of them) that tell of Parisian life in the late 17th century. The museum is located in the trendy Marais neighborhood, just steps away from the Place des Vosges.

Rarely crowded, the Musee Carnavalet is an intriguing mixture of old and new. Entire rooms have been recreated within the museum, such as an 18th century Louis XIV-style salon, complete with gold-leaf paneling, and the Art Deco early 20th century ballroom from the Hotel de Wendel. Other of the 140 rooms are devoted to such things as prehistoric artifacts from the Parisii tribe who once inhabited the Ile de la Cite, souvenirs from the Revolution, antique maps and important paintings, as well as the furniture from the room where Marcel Proust wrote his lengthy "A Recherche du Temps Perdu." There is also a spectacular ceiling painted by the French muralist Le Brun. The gardens, too, are spectacular, and are a pleasant oasis in the middle of the bustling city.
..............great to visit on a rainy day!.........
And best of all......It's Free!

My Reading List for November on France

I want to share with you, three terrific books about France that I am reading at the moment:
Paris: Wish You Were Here! ( Christopher Meason) is the ultimate postcard from the most romantic and glamorous city in the world. Filled with writings, facts, and trivia about this most sought-after destination for lovers, writers, artists, fashionistas, and travelers, Paris captures the best of the City of Lights.


A Table in the Tarn is Orlando Murrin's intimate account of how he painstakingly transformed the simple 19th-century Manoir de Raynaudes into a celebrated gastronomic destination. Beautifully written and photographed, this cookbook and food memoir includes more than 80 recipes for the Anglo-French dishes that have brought the Manoir acclaim, along with tales of the extraordinary people and gorgeous countryside of the unspoiled Tarn Valley


Savoring France: Recipes and Reflections on French Cooking. The latest entry in this Williams-Sonoma series provides a wide-ranging,look at Gallic cuisine. YUM...my dream book!

Sunday In Paris - Where You'll Find Me at 12 noon

On an Sunday when I am in Paris, you'll find me at Chez Jenny , one of the city's most famous Alsatian restaurants that was established in 1930 by members of the Jenny family. Little has changed since its inauguration except that the clientele is a lot more contemporary-looking than in the old days. Up to 220 diners can fit into this nostalgia-laden setting,( asked to be seated downstairs) where Alsatian Gemütlichkeit prevails. An ongoing specialty is the choucroute (sauerkraut) de chez Jenny, piled high with sausages, tender pork knuckles, and slices of ham, YUM!.
The local regulars have their set tables.
Also available are salmon with sorrel, grilled meats, grilled fish, and chicken supreme flavored with Riesling. Any of these tastes wonderful accompanied by one of the Alsatian wines that fill the wine list. BUT what to really have here is a Choucroute! Don't look for trendy at this establishment, its all about food, food and food!
Metro: Temple

Discover Renoir - The Later years

Organised by the Réunion des musées nationaux, the Musée d’Orsay and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Renoir in the 20th Century exhibition is sure to be the biggest popular art even for the end of 2009.
One of the most popular and well know impressionist painters, the exhibition will concentrate on the painter’s later years, especially interesting as there have been no studies or exhibitions focusing specifically on them, as has been the case for Monet or Cezanne.

Bringing together about a hundred of Renoir’s paintings, drawings and sculptures, from public and private collections all over the world, the idea is to to explore a period and aspects of Renoir’s work which are little known to the public (decorative painting, drawings, sculpture…) while demonstrating his influence on other artists in France in the first half of the twentieth century :

Fish or Films? Something New in Paris to Delight

Did you know that there has been an aquarium beneath the Palais de Chaillot for years? Closed for twenty long years, it has recently opened its doors again to visitors... But don’t imagine that you’ll see the old aquarium renovated. This is a whole new venue named CinéAqua. Its originality lies in the association of aquarium and audiovisual in an innovative complex of 40 seawater tanks of different sizes, three cinemas and dozens of screens showing animated films, cartoons and documentaries. The music and cartoons are “home-made” in the “CinéAqua studios”. Activities such as the celebrated fish feeding and discovery workshops all add spice to the tour of the aquarium. Its philosophy is to respect the environment and its fragility by favouring as far as possible breeding in captivity and propagation within the aquarium. A paradise for tropical fish enthusiasts!

Friday Night Thoughts Of Paris

I leave you this evening, 28 August with the sights and sounds of Paris.
Sweet Dreams!

The Ritz Hotel is Ritzy again!

After years of neglect, I am happy to announce that the Ritz Hotel is once again one of the Grand Dame Hotels in Paris. It's a blend of traditional Classic French style with all the modern electronic conveniences you expect today in a hotel. The Ritz now is the best of both worlds.
To stay at the Ritz is to get an insight into the French Culture and its history.
Don't forget having a drink at the Hemingway Bar prepared by the greatest bartender in the world; the reknown Colin Field.

Protravel is proud to offer (based on availability) a stay for 3 nights and you only pay for two. With that offer you also get daily buffet breakfast ($65 per person value) , a welcome bottle of Champagne, VIP services and a possible upgrade to the next room level; based upon availability at time of check in.
Please contact me for details.
This is the year to fall in love with France all over again!

Hidden Corners of Paris - Ave Rapp - Art Nouveau

29 Avenue Rapp is situated in the Eiffel Tower Quarter of Paris, an area where everything is on a monumental scale. A prime example of Art Nouveau architecture, architect Jules Lavirotte has created a doorway lavish in its use of flower motifs intermingling with female figures, in a manner that is deliberately erotic and which was considered subversive at the time of its completion in 1901.
The street has other wonderful examples of this style.

Near Ave Rapp, I can recommend a lovely terrace nestled into this very Parisian district ,one of our capital’s most elegant neighborhoods. The Café Alma is found along a large avenue under the shade of century-old trees. Seated comfortably at the café, you’re just a short walk away from the Eiffel Tower, the new museum designed by Jean Nouvel and shopping along avenue Montaigne just across the bridge. Take advantage of this ideal situation to take a break at any time of day

Lake Dining In Paris

Today my thoughts go to Paris and having lunch by the waterside and there are several places in the city that I enjoy; one of them is the Le Chalet Des Iles, a fully restored Second Empire pavilion in a romantic setting of the two islands of the Bois de Boulogne. You cross by boat and find yourself admit peacocks in the charming setting where the perfume of elegant ladies of Pissaro, Renoir and Monet still floats in the air.
Open every day from noon to 2:30pm and from 8:00pm to 10:30pm. Average price: Euro50
If the weather is good, ask for a POND TABLE

A Foodies Delight - Rungis (outside Paris), The Biggest Fresh Market in the World - Tour

Les Halles was an area of Paris, located in the 1er arrondissement, just south of the fashionable rue Montorgueil. It is named for the large central wholesale marketplace, which was demolished in 1971.

After the market of Les Halles in Paris closed, the suppliers of food goods moved to Rungis (a suburb near Orly Airport) .
The market supplies Paris with nearly half of its fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and flowers. Every day 1,690,000 tons of products are delivered by 26,000 trucks, and bought by 20,000 regular buyers.

Visitors and tourists are not usually welcome, but we can offer an exclusive tour of the market, once a month, on the 2nd Friday.
There needs to be 20 people signed up before it can go, but there are usually enough sign ups, that it does go

The tour visits: include the fish/meat/dairy/fruits-vegetables and cut flower buildings plus bus transport from and to Paris – a professional guide – a blouse and cap and a traditional Rungis breakfast (cooked pork meats and cheeses- deserts and wine and coffee).
The cost is Euro65 per person for this interesting peek at an essential part of Paris, if you are a foodie!

Warning: Not for the squeamish – lots of dead animals about – fur, fowl and fish and cameras are NOT allowed.

What did Paris Look Like in the 1950's? - Join Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson and Audrey Hepburn to Find Out

Experience Normandy from a bike

Normandy is the ideal area for all cycling lovers and you will appreciate at your own pace the beauty of the green and lush landscape as well as the richness of the architectural heritage.
You will enjoy guided visits with a local leader who is passionate about regional history and nature.
The programs are only suggested and will be modified according to your interests, your aptitude and the number of participants.
A full-day tours run from 9 am – 6 pm
For example:
OMAHA BEACH SECTOR
• Departure from Bayeux in minivan towards Formigny
• Bike at POINTE DU HOC.
• Bike at OMAHA BEACH (Visit and lunch).
• Bike at AMERICAN CEMETERY .
• Back to Formigny by mini van and then to Bayeux.
Contact me for full details

The Best Way To Tour Paris............feel like a local

There are many wonderful ways to tour the city of Paris. Private car driver and guide, semi-private van and driver/guide, coach tours, but my favorite of all is hosted by a wonderful lady who does a half day and whole tour, using the transportation the Parisians use ( the Metro and buses).
For me, this type of tour is the best when trying to understand the rhythm of the city and how the locals travel within it..
The tours are for 1 to 6 people ( these are private tours) Below are the highlights of those walking tours.
Please contact me for details.

Highlights of Paris Walk – a day. (Can also be a half day)
Learn about the history of Paris starting from the Roman era to the ancient French Kings, through the ages to the occupation of World War II and how Paris evolved today. It’s an easy to follow commentary with interesting details and many anecdotes.

Starting with the gorgeous Jardins du Luxembourg, we continue through medieval streets of the majestic Pantheon and down hidden paths leading to open air markets bustling with commerce, squares with pretty fountains, boutiques, stores, cafés and many more facets of daily life in Paris. The history of Paris continues while, we make our way to the islands on the Seine. The highlights include Notre Dame, Île St Louis, Le Marais.

The Notre Dame, is a fascinating Gothic structure. Hear about the legend of the carvings in the façade, the flying buttresses, what happened to it during the Revolution and the famous rose windows. Inside you will see the glorious colours of these windows and the vast internal structure and perhaps hear the organ play.

Lunch is on the Île St Louis, the pretty village-like island behind the Notre Dame. A 17th century wonder of architecture, filled with cafes, creperies, bistros, boutiques, fromageries, hand-made chocolate shops, a store selling exquisite jams and jellies, vinegars and flavoured mustards from Provence and of course, stop off for the famous ice cream made on the island. We continue our walk into 16th and 17th century Paris while taking one of the stone bridges into the back streets of Le Marais.

In the heart of Le Marais, a magical area of narrow, medieval streets, cobbled passageways and grandiose mansions, we visit the stunning Place des Vosges. Along the way, some of the most wonderful local fashion and accessories boutiques. Wander through the Jewish Quarters and take in the atmospheric boutiques and gourmet shops finishing on top of the George Pompidou centre for spectacular views over Paris.

The Buzz On The Champs Elysees

Charles Bremmer, London Times Paris corespondent reports today Tourists were not the only species swarming on the Champs Elysées over this mid-August holiday weekend. Squadrons of bees were also enjoying the sunshine, part of a fast-multiplying population that are making honey a new Paris industry.
The Tuileries, Luxembourg and lesser gardens of central Paris are home to hundreds of thousands of bees which, like those in other urban areas, are said to be far more productive than their chemically-stricken country cousins.
"There is a huge quantity of flowers in Paris," Yves Védrenne, General-Secretary of the National Apiculture Union, said the other day. As well as the flower beds of the parks and gardens, the boulevards and edges of motorways offer bee-friendly pollen such as acacias, limes and chestnuts, he said. Not only is the city largely free from the pesticides and fertilisers that are killing the countryside bees, the extra warmth of the urban area promotes earlier breeding.
.There are some 300 registered hives in the French capital, with more believed to be undeclared as area residents try their hand at an art which can be learnt on two-day courses.
The grandest hives were those of the venerable colony on the roof of the Opéra. They were joined this month by some 140,000 bees installed high on the glass and steel dome of the Grand Palais, the 1900 exhibition hall off the Champs Elysées [top picture].
"The bees are very happy in the city. They have everything they need," Sébastien de Gasquet, director of the Grand Palais, told the media. The Tuileries are nearby and "there is enough for them in the grounds of the Grand Palais alone, he said.
The Champs Elyseés honey is to be sold under the Grand Palais label, joining other luxury miel de Paris brands which cost a steep 15 euros for a 125 gramme (4.4 ounce) pot at Fauchon and other grand food outlets.
The honey flavor is described by the experts as sweet and subtle, lacking any trace of exhaust fumes or the Métro underground smell that is a Paris signature.

Childhood revisited......This Is Paris

Yesterday, while at the bookstore, I came across a relic from my past; several children’s travel books ( now newly reissued) by author/illustrator M. Sasek, entitled This is…………..Paris ( London, Rome etc).
Someone once remarked, 'you can’t go home again', but they were wrong, because once I opened this wonderful book, my childhood came rushing back!

Originally published in 1959, Miroslav Sasek’s This is Paris is a leisurely tour through the city’s avenues that stops to take in landmarks, caress street cats and say bonjours to a café garcon, apartment concierge, street painter, policeman, flower girl, and the Mona Lisa. It is non-fiction presented on the sugared spoon of a cartoon with French vocabulary and history intertwined painlessly into the simple text.

The tour makes a stop in tranquil Luxembourg Garden where toy boats glide across the reflecting pond.

It paints a picture of Paris presenting the sights and sounds of its rues: letter boxes and spindly street lamps, modes of transportation from bus to metro, and various markets from Seine-side bookstalls, to the bustle of les Halles, to the colorful Sunday bird market.

The charm of Paris is intertwined with that of the 50’s: curvy automobiles and kitsch meet eternal architecture, berets, reflections like puzzle pieces on the Seine River, grey skies and leafless winter trees.

Undoubtedly some things have changed in the 50 years passed since the book was written.

Eiffel Tower Dining - another option

Because dining atop the Jules Verne Restaurant at the Eiffel Tower can be a VERY expensive experience, here is another option that is a bit less.

A new restaurant opened up on the first platform at the end of March. called 58 Eiffel Tower. It sits at 58 meters above the ground, hence the name! The restaurant is unique in that it serves products only produced in France (or French territories) so the ingredients are fresh and only what is in season.

The preparation of the food is a challenge due to the harsh constraints of all the fire regulations for the tower. There is no gas, everything is electric which any chef will tell you is not the easiest when it comes to controlling temperature, etc. They offer a really lovely fixe prix menu for 80 Euros that includes a glass of champagne, a starter, wine and water, main course, dessert and coffee. It really is quite reasonable considering where you are eating it! You can also order a la carte as well, if that is what you prefer

You must make a reservation. This reservation allows you to (a) go to a special booth where you do not have to wait in line to pick up your ticket, (b) access to a special no-wait line to access the elevator to the first platform (c) full access to the first platform. If you want to go to the second platform, you have to pay a supplement. When making a reservation, try to get a table on the outside so you have a view on Paris, rather than on the inside, which gives you a view of the interior of the tower

An Amazing New Addition to the Champs Elysees

Laduree, famous for its macaroons and tea room has a new Bar which one can escape the frantic Champs. The bar mimics the Art Nouveau butterfly cocoon with a futuristic twist. The menu offers gourmet snacks from truffle omelette's to caviar blinis along with the signature Laduree pastries and a full selection of cocktails.
13 rue Lincoln, 8e

Aépure, a new beauty concept store selling solely independent brands from around the globe

With the launch of Aepure last month, a breath of fresh air is blowing through the world of cosmetics retail in Paris. Liking simplicity, spontaneity, true stories, a young entrepreneur decided to leave his job as manager for a large international cosmetics company, in order to share with French consumers, “the best market in the world”, the creative and innovative brands he discovered in the course of his many trips abroad. For this atypical concept’s first store, retail design firm Saguez & Partners has given it the personal and original feel of a magazine. Entering 35 Rue Guénégaud ( 6e) is is like going behind the scenes of a catalogue store: wake up your senses, turn the page: lots of new things to see!

Chef Alain Ducasse's Secrets Go Public

"You don't just learn how to cook from books. It's important to try it out too" Based on this adage, the famous chef opened his own cooking school. No fewer than 4 kitchens, a wine cellar, a store and a team of chefs are available to budding cooks. There are two levels of courses and ten different themes.
Various packages run from Euro 165 per half a day and up.
www.ecolecuisine-alainducasse.com

London - "To Be Linked To Paris Metro" - London Times 03 Aug

London could be linked to the Paris Metro under an ambitious plan to run international trains on a new €20 billion line that will ring the French capital.
SNCF, the state railway network, says that under the proposed system passengers would be able to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras direct to an underground stop on the new line, dubbed Le Grand Huit (The Big Eight) because it will form a double loop around Paris.
Jean-Pierre Farandou, deputy managing director of the SNCF, said travelers would be able to get from the City to the La Défense business district west of Paris in two and a quarter hours.
“Other possibilities can also be imagined, like La Défense to Lille or La Défense to Brussels,” he said.
The 87-mile (140km) line is part of a plan by President Sarkozy to create a Greater Paris in a bid to break down barriers between the residents of the capital and their often impoverished suburban neighbors. Le Grand Huit will also link airports and new towns around the capital.
The Autonomous Parisian Transport Network (RATP), which runs the underground system, wants trains on the new line to be fully automated and driverless, reaching speeds of 50mph (80kph). The line, which will largely be underground, is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

No!, This Is Not A Jewerly Shop, but a Chocolate Shop!

Pierre Marcolini is not the typical Belgian chocolatier ( now has a shop in Paris) in that he enrobes his chocolates by hand (dips the centers in chocolate) instead of shell-molding them. His flavors are full-forward (i.e., pronounced and flavorful), but at the same time beautifully refined and elegant. He uses a minimum amount of sugar so the pure flavors of the chocolate and other ingredients show through—even the milk and white chocolates are never cloying. In these respects, Marcolini is French rather than Belgian in style; and even among French chocolatiers, his level of flavor complexity and finesse is achieved only by a handful of greats. As an added wonderment, Marcolini fuses his job as pastry chef into his job as chocolatier, utilizing puff pastry and cookies as surprise bases under some of the enrobed chocolates—and the results are dazzling!
3 rue Scribe , 9e tel: 01-44710374

How To Travel On the French TGV - Bullet Trains

This video gives you a good idea of what TGV travel is like. It starts at Paris Gare de Lyon boarding a TGV for the south of France... The grey-green seats are 2nd class, the red & grey seats 1st class. The rather impressive at-seat meals are only offered in 1st class on some key business trains, but a cafe-bar with snacks, drinks, beer & wine is available on most TGVs.

Wonderful ice cream places in Paris for visitors to try this summer! (apart from Berthillon!)

one of my favorite Parisian guides offers a few of her choices for some new places to try ice cream in Paris.
Pierre Hermé has introduced his new ice cream and sorbet collection and his flavors are just as intense as his macaroons. Here are his creations to try:
• Ispahan: Litchi and rose sorbet with raspberries
• Caramel au Beurre Salé: Caramel ice cream with salted butter
• Plentitude: Chocolate ice cream with flecks of chocolate and fleur-de-sel
• Satine: Orange, passion fruit and cream cheese
• Montebello: Pistachio ice ream with strawberry sorbet
Pierre Hermé
4 Rue Cambon or 72 Rue Bonapartre
75001 Paris 75006 Paris

An unusual name, but incredible ice cream is Grom. Originally from Torino, Grom uses all-natural flavorings, which include growing some of the organic fruit they use in their sorbets and graniti, grinding up vivid-green Sicilian pistachios for the gelato and exquisite hazelnuts from Piedmont with Venezuelan chocolate for their silky-smooth version of Gianduja.
Glacier Grom
81 Rue de Seine
75006 Paris
Le Bac à Glace tucked away behind the Bon Marché is an unassuming glacier which boasts all-natural ice creams. Avocado, mango, fig and blackberry to name a few all with bits of fruit inside.
Le Bac à Glaces
109 Rue de Back
75006 Paris

Are French tourists the worst in Europe? Todays laugh

A survey released this week reveals that French tourists are the most hated European travelers. Tourism workers tell Expedia Web Site about their experiences with French tourists - tight with money, arrogant, unable to hold their drink and always on the lookout for girls.
The survey, taken out by TNS Infratest for travel website Expedia.fr, quizzed employees in 40,000 hotels in Europe and North America on the behavior of 27 nationalities when on holiday. The French were only outdone by two countries in terms of overall disagreeability - the Chinese came top of the worst, closely followed by the Indians. The French were blamed for being tight with their wallets, impolite, and unwilling to speak other languages, although they did fare well in being quiet, well dressed (Of Course!) and tidy.
The most welcome tourists were the Japanese, who came top for the third consecutive year. Runners up were Canadians, Germans and Brits - who were voted second for (surprisingly), quietness and dress-sense. The notoriously noisy Americans were indeed top of the loud pack, but they were praised for their willingness to try the local language and tip generously, coming 11th overall.
BUT, the travel experts disagree on how the Expedia survey was taken and who actually participated. , Well, to me, Howard, the story is fishy and the media is pushing hard their fondness for recycling Francophobe clichés. Although is a good media story, I would take it with a grain of salt!