Lookout Maine - Paris is to Out Do You

All the rage now in Paris is the Gourmet sandwich, done by top of the line chefs and specially take out, food to go places. 

Lobster is one of my all time favorites foods and now in Paris, I can find the traditional Maine Lobster Roll done in the French manner with Breton Lobsters at The Lobster Bar. 
Located in the 1st Arrondissement at 41 rue Coquilliere ( open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 noon to 2:30pm and then 8:00pm to 10:30pm) here is my ideal, a Lovely Paris setting and a fantastic Lobster Roll! Who could ask for anything more?

Marie Antoinette For a Day - Rowing On the Versailles Place Lake

Next time you visit the Palace of Versailles, you might consider seeing the palace grounds by row boat. 
You can rent them by the half-hour  Euro 11/45 min -Euro 13 or 1 hour - Euro 15

There are also electric carts to do self-tours of the immense grounds. 

CV-2 Tours of Paris and Outlaying Areas of Paris - a Fun Way to See the City...

"4 wheels under 1 umbrella" ... it is in these terms that Pierre-Jules Boulanger, director of Citroen in 1935, describes the concept of the 2CV in the specification book. Boulanger is a very tall man; he challenged the engineer André Lefebvre and the "golden fingered man" Flaminio Bertoni to design a small car where he could feel comfortable despite his size, and would be able to wear a hat. The bubble shape is implemented, giving the 2CV its iconic shape of "4 wheels under 1 umbrella."
http://www.4roues-sous-1parapluie.com/EN/p-our_story.html

As Jay Gatsby said: "You Can't Repeat the Past? ...Why of Course You Can!" ...in Monaco

F Scott Fitzgerald's short life was restless. He never set down roots, instead drifting from glittering 1920s New York and France to Switzerland and the American south in the 30s, with many waypoints in between. Hotels were a defining part of his existence, providing not only temporary homes, but also places to gather material and write.For those who dream of inhabiting his glamorous world, Fitzgerald left behind ample documentation of his whereabouts, including his choice of accommodations. Happily, they all continue to welcome guests – and if some room rates are a bit pricey, all have bars, restaurants and even themed events where you can enjoy the ambiance of the author's era for a few hours.

                                    (The lobby of the Hôtel de Paris, Monte Carlo)

Quick getaways around the Riviera provided diversion in mid-1924, when F Scott Fitzgerald was writing The Great Gatsby while living in St Raphaël. One such stop, Monte Carlo's sumptuous, sprawling, belle epoque Hôtel de Paris, reminded the couple of "a palace in a detective story" – a playful remark that suggests how hotels were always potential sources of material. With nightly live jazz, the hotel's Bar Américain is a good spot to make like a character from Tender is the Night. Hotel guests can access the hotel  private beach for an activity that had begun to enjoy a great vogue during the Fitzgeralds' time in the region: sunbathing.

La Rochelle and Ile de Re - A Little Bit Of Food Heaven Before Heaven

La Rochelle,( a little over 3 hours by TGV from Paris)  is a 10th-century fishing village that by the 13th century had evolved into the hub of France’s wine and salt trades, is an unspoilt gem of a town with an attractive dynamic of modern life layered on rich layers of history.

Still guarded by medieval twin towers (which you can visit, traversing the harbor on a “sea bus”), the Vieux Port is one of the most photographed harbors on France’s Atlantic coast. Once a row of fishermen’s huts, the vibrantly painted clapboard buildings now house alluring boutiques and quaint restaurants which overlook small-yacht traffic.

La Rochelle is rewarding to explore on foot; its cafés offer handy pit stops for a refreshing ice cream or citron pressé.

Known for its seafood, I always on arrival, before I head over the bridge to the Ile de Re, have lunch at my hangout seafood restaurant, Restaurant Andre  http://www.barandre.com/

There is also a 2 Star Michelin restaurant – Richard et Christopher Coutanceau right around the corner from Restaurant Andre. 

The old town of vaulted stone arcades and historic public buildings also features a floating Maritime Museum whose centerpieces include a weather ship, trawler and tug boat; several grand 17th- and 18th-century private mansions; the newly restored Natural History Museum; and a Fine Arts Museum.

Charming by day, the town is beautifully lit by night.

From La Rochelle, you cross a toll bridge to the small, flat Ile de Ré, celebrated by artists for the quality of its light and by  French celebrates ( looking for solitude) and families for its vast cycling trails, this is one of my favorite vacation spots in all of France or even a spot to relax for a weekend from Paris.

Over 4000 Champagne Producers in France...Where Do I Begin?

Just one hour from Paris is Champagne; a region unlike any other wine region in France.
To visit, where does one start, a few years ago I spent over a week exploring this area and tasting and barely scratched the surface. 

We all know the famous houses located in Reims and Epernay, but the real treat these days is visiting the smaller Champagne houses who are now opening their doors to the public and either don't charge for a tasting or charge a nominal fee.  These smaller producers are passionate about their product and that comes out in talking to them and their wines will make you marvel and you'll never get to taste those here in the USA. 
So check back in the following weeks as I explore some of the smaller producers. 
Near the famous village of Hautvillers, known as the birthplace of Champagne, you must stop at Au 36, a cool designer bar that doubles as a boutique ans serves food too. Have a tasting along with some regional specialties - . The food and wine tasting is about Euro 15 per person. 

Current Menu

- Foam beet / Trout
and Parmesan crumble
- cake potato ham Reims
- Laminated white pudding / Mushrooms
- paté crust
- lentillons Champagne / Reims ham and ham Ardennes
- chaource
- pink macaroon biscuits and jam Raspberry

www.au36.net

Wildlife Safaris in France

Today in France, More and more wildlife parks are now proposing lodge stays. 

                                     Right now, there are three.

Zoo de la Fleche - between Tours and Le Mans

Le Pal - In central france near Clermont-Ferrand

Planete Sauvage - In Brittany near Nantes

http://www.france24.com/en/20130511-2013-05-11-0646-lifestyle

Click the above to see a French TV channel ( in English) show you the different parks.

Paris Restaurant Find of the Month, Maybe the Year!! - A Meat and Potatoes Winner - L'Atelier Vivanda

If you are not aware of Parisian John Talbott and his food blog, you are really missing something. His tastes and mine seem to be in lock-step and so I am always checking it out for his newest picks.     http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/
Last December ( during my monthly trip In France and Paris) Mr. Talbott waxed ecstatically about a small Parisian, out of the way restaurant in the 16E ( only 20 tables) that served only meat and potatoes. Having tired of the pretentiousness cooking these days in Paris , you know foams, small portions, California cuisine, more look  than taste, so I was intrigued by his comments about L'Atelier Vivanda. It was everything he said and  more and within 1 week, I ate there 3 times. 

The menu is prix-fixe at Euro 39 ( something many bistros in Paris are doing these days) and what what a deal.
There are only three starters  six mains ( meat and chicken) and five different kinds of Potatoes  That's it folks, but what an IT it is!
The meat 3 kinds of steak ( cut from a large hanging roast over the stove), lamb, chicken and a hamburger) that's it! It's cooked in an half-semi enclose kitchen on the main floor and its cooked to perfection  no sauces used, just cooked on a flat top with lots of butter. No need to put salt or pepper on it, its was so perfect, I almost fell out of my chair. I had this huge grin on my face the entire time I was eating it. I am sure the waitstaff ( who by the way) wears large leather butchers aprons with large knives attached to them, thought maybe I was strange... To accompany the meat  one must have the Potato Vivanda - cooked in duck fat! Bien sur! The wine list is small, but well priced and very good!
Its not on the Prix-fixe menu, but also order an appetizer of Iberic Ham that is cut from large Ham ( on a machine that looks like the medieval rack) in front of you...so having this first, you know you are in for a serious meal.
The atmosphere is laid back and cozy, and you'l find mostly locals here and reservations are a must, otherwise, you'll never get in, not with only 20 tables. 

Paris Sings - Step back In Time and Enjoy Singer Berthe Sylva

French Countryside Beauty and then the Reality of War

Last December, while staying in the Normandy peninsula of Cotentin, I made a day trip across the lush peninsula from the west coast to the east coast to visit an area that my D-Day paratrooper father fought in; the famous D Day village of Ste-Mere-Eglise. 
During my drive, I passed through a lovely village of Bricquebec and was startled by a large fortress right in the middle of town. It just loomed high above the village square. It was breathtaking, I must say. After a short visit I continued on the Ste-Mere-Eglise. Just outside of Bricquebec I saw what I thought was a partial model plane attached to a high flagpole off to the side of the road. Curious, I stopped and found it was a model of a doomed B-17 bomber that crashed here ( during the D Day invasion) killing all the crew and the locals erected this site to honor them. It was quite emotional to me to be there and then 20 minutes later it got very emotional to see the paratrooper museum in Ste-Mere-Eglise.
The area in the Cotentin is so beautiful and peaceful, it was hard to imagine that a  great battle ever took place here.

The Art Within Nice - Night Tour by Tram

There is no better way to get around Nice than on the modern tram and every Friday night visitors can join a guided tour that combines a trip round the city while a guide explains - in French and English - the 13 monumental sculptures, many bewitching illuminated  that spread all over town. Nice already boasts two of France's top museums, dedicated to Matisse and Chagall, and  this 'open-air' museum of contemporary art features the works of international artists such as Ben Vautier, Jaume Plensa and Yann Kersale.
The tram ticket and guided tour cost Euro 10, make your reservations at the Office of Tourism in Nice.

Tour de France - Dates Where Hotels Will be Impossible to Get Rooms

I want to let you  know that this year the route of the Tour de France visits some of the most popular places in France. You may want to keep this in mind when booking a France stay. Accommodations will be very hard to find (seriously, almost impossible) and driving in these areas during the Tour will be horrific. Here are the dates and places to be aware of: 
July 2: Nice 
July 3: Marseille 
July 4: Aix en Provence 
July 10: Mont St. Michel 
July 11 & 
July 12: The city of Tours in the Loire Valley
The finale is July 21 when the cyclists all arrive in Paris.

It is easy to disdain Monaco...BUT............

It is easy to disdain Monaco. To be honest, I used to do so, dismissing the principality as nothing but a high-rise ghetto for tax avoiders, zillionaire security obsessive’s, a comic-opera royal family and all the glamour that is Roger Moore. But such cynicism is silly. Of course, the place is a packed little bubble of extravagance, luxury and many policemen. But it’s also a show, an engrossing spectacle unique in Europe. Naturally, you must suspend disbelief to appreciate it fully. And that’s the secret to visiting here, so, if you do, you’ll have one terrific time! I spent 3 days this month and must apologize to the local tourist office for my past poo’d poo’d of the place, it was in fact - fantastic and I’ll be returning again and again. I will admit that Monaco takes itself terribly seriously. With so many extraordinarily rich people to look after, it has no choice. In common with other ordinary mortals, I/we can’t be a Monegasque. But we can all have walk-on parts in the never-never-land production. And, at least once in our lives, we should. Although it’s a home to some of the richest people in the world ( you can tell that by the mega yachts, the $100,00 sports cars that seem to be everywhere and the designer shops lining all the boulevards, and has 4 hotels who cater to them), BUT don’t think its out of your price range, because its not. If you enjoy visiting Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive or New York’s 5th Avenue or London’s Mayfair, then you’ll enjoy Monaco. A day trip; will not suffice to really be honest with you, to enjoy Monaco, you’ll need at least 2 to 3 days to complete your fantasy. To start off your fantasy, you must, are you listening now?, you must take an Air Monaco Helicopter flight from the Nice airport to Monaco; its a 7 minute trip that will wow you and it’s almost the same cost as a taxi from Nice to Monaco! This is the only way to make an entrance here! Monaco SBM hotels (The Société des Bains de Mer) - there are 4 of them, one for every taste and pocketbook, and all are ‘drop-dead’ gorgeous to be honest with you. The Spa is a must and if you don’t partake of it, you’ll miss one of the great luxuries in the world. Monaco is barely two miles long and a little over half a mile wide at its very broadest. (It is 2nd to the title of World’s Smallest Nation only by the Vatican.) It is, therefore, not enormously challenging to walk – as long as you stay by the sea. Even a few yards inland, streets may start going up quite steeply. (You will recall that there are Alps tumbling into the sea here.) In the next series of blogs, I‘ll highlight and give you more in depth information about my new found ‘home away from home’.

Christmas in Paris in 2 Minutes

Christmas - a Return To Sanity in Paris

If you were in Paris last year ( as I was) I was very unhappy with what was done along the Champs Elysees. So, I was very pleased this morning when French TV announced the following:

'The Champs Elysees are to get their traditional Christmas lights back, after a one-year avant-garde experiment was grumpily received by Parisians, the avenue's traders association said on Thursday.
Actress Diane Kruger will turn on the lights on November 21, changed back to "reinforce the Christmassy feel".
Last year the avenue was kitted out with a conceptual light display by design duo Koert Vermeulen and Marcos Vinals, each of its 200 trees hung with three huge colored energy-saving hoops.
But two thirds of passers-by questioned in an IFOP survey at the time said the display -- while innovative -- had moved "too far away from the traditional image of Christmas."
This year's display has been revamped to bring back a more "fairytale quality," explained the traders' group.
In addition to the colored hoops, the trees will be decked out with seven metres (yards) of sparkling garlands, creating giant curtains of light running down the famed avenue.
As was the case last year, the entire set-up will be fueled by a solar farm, part of a drive that has slashed the annual display's energy consumption by 90 percent since 2006.'

Autumn In Burgundy - Is There Anything More Beautiful

Here is a photo from Burgundy taken by the best guide there - Colette BARBIER

My Paris Tradition...Cafe Sitting and Dreaming...

I am off to Paris in a few weeks, and one of the many things I look forward to is cafe sitting. One of my favorite cafes to sit in and watch Paris wake up is at
Café Le Nemours, one of the most famous cafés in Paris. When you round the corner at Rue Richelieu and see it across Place Colette, it’s easy to understand why. As beautiful as it is during the day, there’s something magical about the warm light at night. Add rain, ( I love rain in Paris) and it just about brings you to your knees.

Rouen - A Must Visit When In Normandy...

I am off to France to visit Normandy and Brittany in a few weeks and I can't wait. Any visit to the Normandy region must include a visit to the historic city of Rouen.
Founded before the Romans has even conquered Gaul, Rouen is Normandy's largest and sophisticated city. The tangled streets of Rouen's medieval core - part authentic and part restored (after the Allied bombing that almost leveled the city)  - remain recognizable from the days when Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. The city's most impressive landmark, the cathedral of Notre Dame, holds the tomb of Richard the Lionheart and was repeatedly painted by Claude Monet - on summer nights, it's lit up to resemble Monet's Impressionist rendition.
 Of course, after your visit, lunch at the Michelin starred restaurant, GILL, is a must!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMflvTci8MI - a larger version of the film of Rouen

Be-Breizh is the Breton Word for Brittany

Would you expect a 9 year old  in the USA to eat and enjoy an oyster? Naw, that is why I love France and its people,culture, food, and especially Brittany!


 Truth be told, of all the places within France and I have a love for so many of its regions (it's like asking who is your favorite child?) , if pushed to the wall, I must admit that Brittany is on top of my list, of course always, after Paris!

Love The Life - I Am Off to France and.............

To visit two of my favorite areas - Normandy and Brittany. As the old Chinese saying goes, one picture is worth a 1000 words, so in that case, here are 1000 pictures of one of the areas I love - Normandy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNZoCNO_9HQ - for a fuller picture, click here.

Pressed Duck - The Last Bastion of This Wonderful Dish is only now in One Restaurant In Paris - Enjoy!

The La Tour d'Argent is, YES!  maybe a very touristy ( but so is the Eiffel Tower and Mont Saint-Michel) and over priced ( for sure)  but what a better way to live and enjoy life than experience their famous Pressed Duck. The video is by London Guardian Newspaper Food Writer, Tim Hayward

Any Month is Always April In Paris for Me

Happy Friday......................

Club Med In Provence - NOW, Wait, before you say no ....

First of all, Club Med is not what it use to be ( get that out of your mind) - today its a an 124 acre resort all-inclusive vacation for all ages from infants to 90 year olds! The rooms are generous and well appointed, there are even suites and large family rooms. There are children s programs, from babies from 4 to 23 months, Petite club for 2 to 3 years, Mini-club for 4 to 10 years and Juniors club from 11 to 17. Activities run all day and well into the evening for adults and children alike.  Sports- tennis, golf, trekking, archery and an circus school - health and fitness areas, 2 pools, a L'Occitane Spa ( at an extra cost) , gourmet meals with full open bars with premium beverages. 
                                               All of this and its all-Inclusive!

Ballerina For A Day - For Young Ladies Of All Ages

Adults have monopolized Paris as one of their favorite playgrounds for so long that we tend to forget all the amazing experiences and discoveries the city has to offer to the younger generations. Protravel has crafted a multitude of activities specifically centered around children's interest.
                          One for example is: BALLERINA FOR A DAY.

An example of what that day may offer is:
** Stop at the most famous Ballerina store to pick out the perfect outfit for the day
** Have a make up session at a professional make up studio that specializes in stage make up
** A private dance lesson with a professional teacher in Paris's most famous dance school.  based on the age and level of the young lady, a little choreography accompanied by a live piano as is the custom at the French National School of Ballet.
Prices start at Euro 400 per child

Vespa Tours Of Paris

                                              Driving a Vespa!!!
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck popularized it in the 1950's with 'Roman Holiday' and now you can do it in Paris with 'Left Bank Scooters'. Tours for a half a day run about Euro 150 per person. Email me for more details.

The Cotentin Peninsula - Normandy - Seaside France - Unspoilt

Located between Normandy and Brittany, this unspoiled region is rarely visited and yet offers sandy Atlantic beaches, dapper little ports and charming seaside resorts. Here besides the beaches, you'll find empty roads through peaceful countryside of high hedges and sunken lanes. 
I am off to this area in November, so check back with this site in December for more information

Pilot Your Own Boat - On the Canals Of France

I know, I have said it once, if not twice and now three times, but one of the best vacations I have ever had in France ( and I have done this multiple times, mind you) is renting a small cabin cruiser and plying the most 'knock-your-socks-off canals anywhere in Europe. No previous boat experience is necessary, just the adventure spirit and being a bit self-sufficient. 
The following video by le Boat (The company I always use in France) will explain and tease all!

My Thought For The Day

Food to me, is a source of gratification and thus that is why I love France.
In France ( as far as I'm concerned)  mealtime is the highlight of the day, not simply a break from the days activities.

Visit France's White House - The Elysee Palace

In Paris, The President's home, the Elysee Palace will be open to visitors once a month, the last Sunday of the month. The French, not only visitors have been attending the open house and the crowds have been very large. 
Please check back for more updated information.

Mont St-Michel - Experienced From Another Point Of View

Explore the secret side of France's most visited site, Mont St- Michel. An island topped by an 11th-century abbey built by Benedictine monks and linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway, yet it is only when it is seen from the sands that you experience it as the builders intended. We offer guided walking day tours from 2 to 4 hours ( round trip walking or one way walk and bus trip back) with an experience local  guide to discover this most unusual way to see this famous site.  Tours depend on the tidal times and are subject to change.