An American In Paris - Returns.............And Is Not Happy About It!

It's Sunday, 4th of April and I have just returned from an extended stay in France. My stays are never long enough and it is with a touch (always) of sadness when I have to leave my 'adopted home'. BUT.......life goes on and one must work now and then and so I am home for awhile and have lots to tell and lots of photos to share with you my readers.

Lots of new and wonderful discoveries - restaurants, hotels, new friends and some surprising areas of France, that I fell in love with.

So, dear reader, check back on Monday for the first of my reports.

So..............as we use to say in the movie industry..cue the Paris music and........enjoy!

Give Me Meat, You Philistine, Meat!

I am leaving for France for 3 weeks in a few days and my thoughts turn to some of my favorite places to spend a 3 hour lunch and one is near the spa town of Evian, over looking ( from the French side of course) Lake Geneva.

High on the hill above the lake is La Verniaz et Ses Chalets. A lovely hotel and restaurant run by the 5 generation ,Verdier family.

A treat here is ordering from "Campfire" grill menu - a large wood fire spit in the center of the restaurant that offers grilled meats.

To be honest with you, I have had one to three star Michelin meals all over France, but when it comes to the 'crunch', give me a spit roasted bird or meat dish and you will find no happier person in the world!

Dining here is one of my most cherished memories and something I come back to year after year. The good part is after a 'thrilling' and full filling ,3 hour luncheon, to be able to walk just a few paces to your awaiting room and to sleep and dream of what you just ate, is heaven on earth. Genesis was wrong, we never left the Garden of Eden, it is here in Evian.

The traditional grill room in the campfire of "La Verniaz":

Bavarian beef filet roasted on a spit (minimum of 2 persons) 30 € per person

Rack of lamb roasted on a spit, flavoured with thyme, (minimum of 2 persons) 28 € per person

Bresse poultry chicken «Miéral» roasted whole on a spit (minimum of three persons)(one hour cooking) 26 € per person

J'ai Deux Amours - I Have Two Loves!

The great American/French singer, Josephine Baker, whose signature number "J’ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris" ( I have two loves- my own country and Paris) I certainly do echo.
On Wednesday, the 17th of March I will be leaving for France for about 3 weeks. I can hardly wait! I will spend a week or so in Paris, checking out new and old favorite hotels, restaurants, museums and also taking TGV day trips to Strasbourg, Dijon, Lille and Nancy. Then for a week or so, I am driving to the Loire valley, Normandy, Bordeaux, The Dordogne, Provence and the Cote d'Azur( I don't recommend this for anyone for just a week, but I have limited time and need to see a lot within a short space), doing the same as I was doing in Paris -checking out new and old favorite hotels and restaurants. In Dordogne I am planning to be part of a truffle hunt.
I hope to send back daily reports and photos, but being a tech-no-void with computers and such, that may suffer a bit.

Chocolate-Dipped in Paris - Psst!

Opening this month in Paris, Choco-Story: A Gourmet Chocolate Museum is a delectable, sensual journey through 4,000 years of cacao bean history and everything that’s been done to it and with it since. The exhibits are divided into three parts: the origins of chocolate; its evolution once it was discovered by the Aztecs and Maya and its introduction to Europe by Cortes; and an amazing collection of chocolate “paraphernalia.”
During the visit, whose duration varies between one to two hours, you'll discovered the 4,000 year history of cocoa. Chocolate culinary workshops will be offered for both children and adults. The classes ,dates and prices have not been set yet.
                    (Psst: the chocolate boutique alone is worth the visit!)
28 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle 
Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Up a Tree In Provence – Literally!

Located on the flank of a valley, on the edge of a protected wooded zone, with breathtaking views of the perched village of Saint-Paul de Vence and of an untamed forest - devoid of any human habitation or noise.  Orion B & B propeties offers Tree House accommodations near the French Riviera. There are only 4 tree house cabins to choose from, so book early.
http://www.orionbb.com/

Burgundy Cyclorails - A New Way To Sightsee and Relax

Burgundy has an extensive network of waterways and cycle paths, but for someone like me; a French "couch" potato, here is a new way to tour the area without biking or hiking or walking,

its called Cyclorails.

Discover a new way to see Burgundy - try Cyclorail - a company that has railbikes that use former rail way sights. Trips last for  1 hour to all day. You use disused railway tracks and pedal on a 4 - mini train wheels. There are secveral routes in the Burgundy area.

The cost is quite attractive and its something the entire family can do,especially if you can get your children to pedal and you sit back.

Dining Outside in Paris - A New Choice

(outside garden dining)

In the sixteenth arrondissement of Paris, behind the discreet facade of the Marriott Renaissance Hotel ( don't let that bother you) hides another restaurant by Alain Ducasse -The Le Relais du Parc .
Once past the porch, unflods a magnificent garden courtyard with anglo-nomand charm. A little bit of  countryside in the heart of Paris. Great for lunch or dinner, if weather permits, if not,
the interior dining room offers a lovely alternative.
Menus of the day starting from:

Lunch menu - 33€ (entrée, main dish and desert) - Dinner menu – 43€ (entrée, main dish and desert)

                                                                      (Inside Dining)

The Best Gypsy Jazz Bar In Paris

With its upbeat swing of guitars, violin and the occasional clarinet or saxophone, jazz manouche is the music of Paris's Gypsy periphery that made it to the big time. This year marks the centenary of the birth of legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt and Paris has been paying homage to the inventor of Gypsy jazz.
~ Bouquet du Nord
Inhabiting the corner of a busy intersection near Gare du Nord, every Friday this brasserie plays home to some of the best and most authentic practitioners of jazz manouche. Violinist Stéphane Grappelli lived opposite and used to come in for a drink; the older men who play here, some of them tziganes (Gypsies), knew and played with him. Well-lit with friendly staff busily working the large counter, the musicians work their magic next to the cake cabinet. There is a large terrace where you can sit watching the traffic in true Parisian style. Come early to listen while you dine, or later to get these ageing jazz maestros all to yourself.
• 85, rue de Maubeuge, 70010; +33 (0) 1 48 78 29 97. Concerts every Friday from 7pm – midnight. Jam possible for experienced players. Metro: Gare du Nord.
If you have not heard this kind of music before, here are two of the most famous - Django Reinhard and Stephanie Grappelli ( recorded before World War 2)

Le Jazz Hot! - Paris Jazz Clubs

With the outbreak of World War II, the rise of the "Zazous", the gilded youth of Paris kept jazz music alive. Their name is derived from a corruption of Cab Calloway's famous scat singing style. The female Zazous with peroxide blonde hair and bright red lipstick, and their male counterparts with slick hair and zoot suits were often harassed by the Nazis for their music. This forced jazz clubs to go underground, hence why most of the jazz clubs in Paris are in cellars today.
Some clubs serve dinners; all serve drinks and cocktails. The concierge will have a weekly listing of the different jazz clubs and shows.
Here are some favorites with the locals:

Duc des Lombards 42 rue des Lombards 75003 Paris This is a Le Marais favorite with an intimate circular stage; two performances nightly. Highly recommended.


Caveau des Oubliettes 52 rue Galande 75005 Paris A former 12th century prison, this jazz club is situated deep in cellars in the heart of the Latin Quarter. There is a cover charge for Friday and Saturday nights, but the rest of the week, one can catch blues, Latin jam and jazz fusion sessions.


Caveau de la Huchette 5 rue de la Hucette 75005 Paris This divey place was a former 16th century building housing a Freemasons Lodge during the French Revolution and entertained many GI Americans still living in Paris after the war. Excellent international and local acts.


Le 9 Jazz Club 9 rue Moret 75011 Paris This new club in the 11th arrondissement has been claimed by the locals. Singers and spirited jazz piano sessions and €35 three-course dinner with wine option makes this a great place to spend the evening.

Musing On France- Wednesday Evening

“The French are a logical people, which is one reason the English dislike them so intensely. The other is that they own France, a country which we have always judged to be much too good for them.”

~ Robert Morley

THE REAL PARAPLUIES (UMBRELLAS) DE CHERBOURG

In 1963, when director Jacques Demy was making his enchanting musical film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg with Catherine Deneuve, one of the fascinated onlookers was 12-year-old Jean-Pierre Yvon, son of an old Cherbourg family whose tanneries dated back to 1800. After studies in Paris and a 10-year career as a photojournalist, Yvon returned to his hometown and opened a gift and accessories shop. In 1986, with the film and its colorful umbrellas in mind — and the wet and windy weather of the English Channel coast as an added incentive — he decided to make a real parapluie de Cherbourg. He designed three models, had them made and the rest is local history. Now manufactured in Yvon's own Cherbourg factory, Le Véritable Cherbourg has been called the Rolls Royce of umbrellas. Made with fine fabrics, engraved brass, gilt or steel fittings and handles of polished maple, chestnut and other fine woods, it can withstand winds up to 75 mph head on and 34 mph from the underside. Latest update: microcuir, a tough new microfiber fabric with a simulated leather surface. Priced at around €125, each Véritable Cherbourg is embroidered with the company's crest — a shield surrounded by a laurel wreath and a pair of crossed umbrellas.
The Department store on the Left Bank – Au Bon Marche sells these wonderful umbrellas.

Your Table Is Waiting - Alain Ducasse

I am happy to report that I know have a special relationship with the Alain Ducasse group worldwide. If you should ever need a table, a good table for sure! , at anyone of the 20 or so Ducasse restaurants worldwide, I would be glad to assit you. I do charge a small fee for that service.
AND............................
If you are in Paris on the 13th of April, When professional chefs peruse produce for their kitchens, what attracts their eyes? The answer — and insider access — will be waiting at the 2nd annual Alain Ducasse Market at Hotel Plaza Athénée in the heart of Paris . The renowned Executive Chef, who opened Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée in September 2000, has arranged for his 15 favorite food suppliers throughout France to display pick-of-the-season produce and other provisions in the garden courtyard of the Dorchester Collection address on Avenue Montaigne.
A feast for the eyes as well as the palate, the Alain Ducasse Market is open to the public and will unfold as a dream destination for foodies and gourmets. Market-goers will have access to local purveyors as they pay homage to the brilliance of French produce and the freshest products including butter, cheeses, mushrooms, wild strawberries, fish, poultry and a range of fresh-grown vegetables. The market will be displayed in the hotel's courtyard amid a glorious setting created just for the event by Pascale Benhamou, who redesigned La Galerie des Gobelins at Plaza Athénée.
While nothing will be sold at the Alain Ducasse Market, there will be plenty of opportunity to rejoice in the celebration of sustainable food, with tastings and tips on cooking and preservation to bring out the best in the kitchen. Attendees will also receive the purveyors&rsquo addresses where they can directly purchase the freshest products in France.
The 2nd annual Alain Ducasse Market at Hotel Plaza Athénée will take place on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, from 10:00am to 5:00pm. The event is complimentary and open to the public.

From El Greco to Dalí. The Great Spanish Masters - March 12 – August 1, 2010

One of Paris’ finest, yet least-known, museums – the Musée Jacquemart-André – presents a stunning exhibition of Spanish art collected by Juan Antonio Pérez Simón and showcases more than 50 masterpieces by 25 artists. Spanning nearly 500 years, the exhibit features works by El Greco, Murillo, Goya, Picasso, Miro, and Dali, this dazzling collection (appearing in Paris for the first time) represents the evolution of Spanish art through the centuries.

The often-overlooked Parisian museum gem sits just off the Champs Elyseés and houses one of the finest permanent collections of European art in the city. It was once the private home of banker Édouard André and society painter Nélie Jacquemart who left their home and its fine art collections to the Institut de France. In 1913, the home was opened to the public as a museum.

A bit of Trivia - the home/museum was used in the opening sequences for the movie "Gigi"

A Day Trip To Strasbourg - It's Like Eating In A Franco-German Folk Tale

Lunch ( or dinner) at the Maison Kammerzell is very much like eating in a Folk Tale. Located in Strasbourg; it is just an easy 2 hour and 15 min trip on the TGV from Paris. Home to the European Parliament, chocolate-box Strasbourg, France, perfectly mixes French and German culture in the Alsace region. The old town – La Petite France - on the canal-crossed island of Grande Ile, is crowded with timber-framed houses covered in decorative brickwork. Here Try smoked pork sauerkraut, and relax over local Heineken and Kronenbourg beers, or a glass of regional aromatic Gerwürztraminer wine.
Located in a 15th-century wooden faced  historic building, the restuarant Maison Kammerzell is the most arrestingly ornate of many on the cathedral square. Here, in a warren of rooms on four floors, variously vaulted and frescoed, enfolds you in a conspiracy of conviviality. You're beaming even before the baeckeoffe ( a three-meat stew) or choucroute (sauerkraut) with fish arrives. Then you're beaming some more. Beyond the Renaissance windows, the pink sandstone cathedral soars with filigree finesse.
After lunch and stoll through the old section, its a quick trip on the TGV back to Paris.

The restaurant in the 1890's!

The World’s Most Sinful Hotel Suite? In Paris, of Course!

It must be One by the Five, in Paris’s Latin Quarter. No detail is overlooked: champagne and berries to prepare your own love potion; a perfume-stocked dressing parlour; a dedicated salon for dancing; even a naughty bedside camera, so you can play back your horizontal salsa next morning. The main event, though, is the ethereal “floating” bed, which hovers cloud-like beneath a deep blue ceiling twinkling with stars.

Suite starts at  per night, Euro 760 ( based on 3 night stay)

SECRET PARIS: Museum of Letters & Manuscripts

My wonderful agent in Paris has just advised me of this new musuem:
The first museum of its kind in Europe, this treasure-trove of rare letters and historic manuscripts is cloistered away in a lovely 1608 residence in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter. There are more than 250 originals to be ogled, including: letters by Napoleon and Voltaire; calculations by Einstein on the Theory of Relativity; a Mozart score; and General Eisenhower's cease-fire command on May 7, 1945. 222 Boulevard Saint-Germain

Hours: Wednesday, 1pm-9pm; Thursday – Sunday, 10am-6pm.

Zorro Comes to Paris!

ZORRO – LE MUSICAL!
The Folies Bergère hosts the fabulous theatrical extravaganza, ZORRO, complete with Flameco dancing, fencing matches and sword fights, incredible sets, music by the Gipsy Kings, and direction by Christopher Renshaw.WHEN: through April 30, 2010

Prices from E24 – E125 For tickets: http://www.zorro-lemusical.fr./
Note: The best seats always for the Folies ,are the ones that come with dinner, but of course, are more expensive.

A Romantic Apartment in Paris - The Truth

Paris Apartment rentals – The Truth
Renting an apartment in Paris or a Villa in France can be another exciting way to experience the French way of life and sometimes can be a more economical way to budget for a longer stay.
But I must caution you ‘wild-eyed, Romantics” out there -
A serious word of caution. The rental of apartments in Paris can be a delicate affair. In no other area of French property rentals is there so much potential for disappointment and misunderstanding.
The problem, I believe, lies in the gap between American travelers' romantic fantasies of a typical Paris apartment, and the unfortunate reality. When people think of Paris, they imagine a city which more than any other in the world epitomizes style, elegance and unfailing good taste in all things related to the decorative arts. This perception is actively fostered by Parisians and borne out in innumerable ways, from the way Parisian women dress to how galleries and antiquaires arrange their merchandise in store display windows. But alas, when it comes to apartments offered for rental, nothing could be further from the truth.
Having been in the business for over 40 years and I and my agent have inspected scores of apartments in Paris over the years, we have found many to be drab, dreary and not up to normal standards of cleanliness. Even if they are located in fine neighborhoods or are offered at exceptionally low rates, I do not offer such properties for rental. There are many rentals companies, but I only use two agents in France who specializes in rentals and whom I trust and have a good track record with. My apartment rentals are not cheap and I will not sell lower priced, sub standard apartments. My reputation and Protravel’s reputation depends on it. That said, my mission is to turn your fondest dream about renting a home/apartment in France into a living reality.

HOLY RUSSIA EXHIBITION IN PARIS AT THE LOUVRE

From March 05 to May 24. 2010
Russian Art from the Beginnings to Peter the Great. As part of France's "Year of Russia" celebrations, the Louvre is hosting a major exhibition devoted to the history of Christian Russia, from the 9th to the 18th century.

The exhibition begins with the appearance of "Russians" in the historical record and the rivalries and power struggles between Latins, Vikings and Byzantines. There followed the early conversions in the Kievan Rus', culminating in the famed "baptism" of Vladimir the Great in 988. Rus' then became definitively Christian, borrowing its ecclesiastical model from Constantinople. Christian art flourished in Kiev, Chernigov, Novgorod, Pskov, Vladimir, Suzdal and elsewhere, wavering stylistically between Byzantium and the temptation of the Latin West. After a hiatus during the 13th century with the invasion and subsequent domination of the region by the Mongols, Christian art returned in all its splendor in the major Russian centers, notable figures being the painters Theophanes, Rublev and Dionysius. This renaissance was accompanied by an unprecedented proliferation of monasteries and the gradual ascendancy of Moscow. In 16th-century Moscow —the self-proclaimed "Third Rome" and "New Jerusalem"— the reigns of Grand Princes Basil III and Ivan IV the Terrible ushered in a new artistic golden age which reached its high point with the crowning of Ivan as Tsar (1547) and the establishment of the Moscow Patriarchate (1589). After the "Time of Troubles" interregnum came a 17th century of conflict and revival—the rise of the Romanovs, the religious reforms of Patriarch Nikon —then the sweeping political and aesthetic changes imposed by Peter the Great.

The Saucier's Apprentice - Heaven In A Bowl - A French Favorite

It's been a long week at work, good, but long and tonight I am going to treat myself (a Lewis Brother’s tradition,mind you) to a pot of homemade Berrnaise sauce and eat it straight with lots of crusty French bread and of course, a 6 to 1 Gin martini!
I don’t want to hear any oh’s! Out there, it’s my stomach and it has been treated to this tradition for over 60 years.
Béarnaise sauce is a hot emulsified butter sauce made of Clarified butter, egg yolks, and a tarragon, shallot, chervil, peppercorn and wine vinegar reduction.
"A Béarnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar. but It takes years of practice for the result to be perfect," wrote the restaurateur Fernand Point (1897-1955) in Ma Gastronomie. Béarnaise is a traditional sauce for steak or straight out of the bowl!
The sauce was likely first created by the chef Collinet, the inventor of puffed potatoes (pommes de terre soufflées) and served at the 1836 opening of "Le Pavillon Henri IV", a restaurant at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, not far from Paris. Evidence for this is reinforced by the fact that the restaurant was named for King Henry IV, a gourmet himself, who was born in the former province of Béarn.The sauce has appeared on US restaurant menus since 1882,

Charming Islands Off The French Coast

The newest issue of Conde Nast Travler magazine highlights the many charming islands off of the coast of France.

I have visted two of them ( Ile de Re and Belle-Ile)  and found them charming, BUT, you need to spend at least 3 to 4 days to really enjoy them ( it should be a vacation just in its sefl) and I find that most visitors to France (unless they have been to France many times) do not have the time to spend within their vacarion period for that kind of stay.

Dreamin' Of French Chickens!

Visiting the Ferry Building food hall in San Francisco this weekend, I am reminded again, how much I love the French open air weekly markets. A tradition since the Middle Ages, the many open-air food markets in France are bursting with fresh produce, cheeses, meats and other delicious looking edibles and seasonal foods. Displaying a tempting array of all kinds of food—from a fresh soft goat cheese, to ripe strawberries and freshly picked green beans—browsing the outdoor markets of France is one of my very favorite morning activities.

Especially, my chef brother and I, love, no make that, are mad about the roasted chickens with their dripping’s falling on roasted potatoes. We can stand mesmerized for hours just looking and sniffing that most heavenly scent.

If you have never attended a French open air market, you have not discovered the soul and essence of France and the French people!

Bourdain On Brittany

Anthony and a Plateau de Fruits de Mer

I adore the small baby lobsters called Langoustines ( those pink looking shrimp in the photo) served with Mayo..heaven!!

Available also in Paris!

On Monday, the 25th of January, tune into the Travel Channel at 10PM EST to see Anthony Bourdain's show on Brittany, along with host Olivier Roellinger ( famous chef and hotel owner in the region). They highlight and tour some of my favorite places and restaurants in Brittany.

Julia Child's - First Meal in France

If you enjoyed (as I did) the recent movie ‘Julie and Julia’ - in the opening moments of the movie, you see first time France visitors; Julia and Paul Child (soon after disembarking from their transatlantic ship), having lunch at a restaurant and having a dish of Sole Meuniere and at that very moment, both discovering and falling in Love with France and its cooking!
That restaurant they ate in, is still around, in fact it’s been around since 1345!
It’s Located in Rouen (just 1 hour west of Paris).
Leaving or arriving from America (in and out of Le Havre – home to the big transatlantic liners during those glorious days) passengers have always stopped-over in Rouen (nearby) for lunch at "La Couronne", enjoying, among other classics, their most classic dish - "Canard à la Rouennaise" From time immemorial, France's oldest inn, registered 1345 on the most ancient bill of sale found to this day, has been a legendary place... where Kings and Queens, heads of states, politicians, artists, stars, writers, sportsmen, came for lunch or dinner.
From Sophia Loren to John Wayne, from the last Emperor of Ethiopia to the Prncess Grace of Monaco, from Foujita, Juan-Manuel Fangio, Jacques Anquetil, to Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet, from Jean-Paul Sartre to Jean d'Ormesson, as well as Serge Gainsbourg to Patrick Bruel, Francis Huster or Patricia Kaas : all went through "La Couronne.

Rouen can be reached easily for a day trip from Paris by train. This historic city is the capitol city of Normandy and it mixes magnificent Gothic architecture, charming half-timbered houses and contemporary bustle like no other city in France.

                                                                    La Couronne - today

                                    

Art Musuems Closed in Paris for 2010 and beyond!

If you are planning to visit Paris this year (I Hope so!), please be aware that for museums lovers, there may be some disappointments ahead for 2010.The Palais Galliera (The fashion museum) and the Picasso Museum have closed their doors for a massive renovation that will continue until 2011 and 2012.

As already noted, the Musee d’Orsay is undergoing a year long makeover and its roughly 220 Impressionist and Post Impressionist masterpieces will vacation overseas at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. The Dejeuner sur l’Herbe ( see painting above) is staying put! Hurrah!

But on the better art news front: Giverny is hosting a big Impressionist show with some of the D’Orsay loans in April and there will be a major Monet exhibit at the Grand Palais in September.
The long awaited Cite de la Mode et du Design will open in May in the re-vamped dock house on the Quai d’Austerlitz.

Old Time Food Bargains In Paris - Bouillon Chartier

What with Three Star Michelin Chefs closing down their haute Cuisine temples and opening bistros. The times are a-changing in Paris and high time in my opinion!

One of the best bargains is housed in an 1890's restaurant with prices stuck in the 1950's!

The traditional Paris dish of steak/frites is a good deal, as long as you like it the way the chef cooks it, you won't be asked and if you asked, you'll be ignored.

Bouillon Chartier, 7 rue Faubourg-Montmartre 75009

A sample menu is below:

http://restaurant-chartier.com/www/visit/atable.php

Yves Saint Laurent - YSL - Retrospective - It's Not Fashion, It's Art!

If you missed the fabulous retrospective of the fashion of Yves Saint Laurent in San Francisco last year at the DeYoung Musuem, you'll have a second chance this year in Paris at the Petit Palais.
300 outfits and well as a number of drawings, documents and films will be on exhibtion at the Petit Palais from March 11th to August 29th.
This show pays a fitting tribute to the greatest couturier of the second half of the 20th century.
If you think that fashion is not art, wait until you see this exhibition. I promise you, you'll come away looking at his creations with a different view.

TURNER & THE MASTERS COMES TO PARIS

National Galleries, Grand Palais: February 22 – May 24
One of the world’s great landscape painters, J.M.W. Turner’s work is also considered a segue into the Impressionist style to follow. The magnificent exhibition at the Grand Palais showcases the artist’s work as it evolved into his unique signature style through more than 100 paintings. Hanging alongside them are works by many of the artists who influenced him, including Titian, Canaletto, Poussin and Rembrandt.

Hours: Fri. – Mon. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tues., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wed., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thurs. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

France Festivals - If You Thought The French Were A Serious People..Forget It!

 
Marathon-running and wine-tasting aren’t usual bed fellows, but at the Marathon du Medoc that is exactly what is on the menu. The race follows a path through some of France’s most famous vineyards and instead of the usual high energy drinks poured over their heads, runners stop along the way to taste the various appellations and local produce. If you fancy a challenge, sign up at www.marathondumedoc.com for this year’s race on September 11.

READY!.....SET!........SALE!....OOH LA LA!

Unlike in the US, where there is a sale every 10 seconds, its not that way in France...........so in January, it's

SALE! SALE!

It’s an annual ritual for the locals and a rite of passage for travelers lucky to be in Paris in January. More than 1,000 stores will post their “SOLDES” signs, from January 6 until February 10. Shoppers line up early in front of their favorite stores (both large department stores and trendy neighborhood boutiques) where clothing, accessories and house wares can be found at discounts from 20 to 70 percent.
Here are a few good shopping strategy tips to share with travelers:
• Browse a couple of days before the sales begin to get acquainted with shops and merchandise that has personal appeal
• Shop during the week, rather than weekends.
• Focus on specific neighborhoods.
• Wear comfortable shoes for the lines and those marathon runs to the next store.
(Did you know that the French government regulates the sales event and that the big bargains are offered only during specific times in January and July?)