If you happen to be heading over to Paris this month, be warned that you are going to see an amazing amount of signs similar to this one, telling patrons that yes, indeed, it is August, we are French and by God, we are going on vacation for the entire month!! That’s it. Shops and cafs will draw the curtains, their owners will flee the city in search of sun and fun, usually in the south of France where chances are, the sun will actually shine and the city will feel different–quieter. I moved to Paris in August and the culture shock of seeing so many places just close their doors for a month was odd but amazing. I knew I was going to like it here.

I, too, have caught the need to get away bug and my sign is being posted right here. My sign is one of a more permanent nature, however. This will be the last post for The Paris Traveler. It is with regret and sadness that I take my leave. I have so enjoyed sharing my passion for this magnificent city with you and hope that you have found some of what I wrote about helpful. Most important, I hope you always felt welcomed to my world. Writing this blog was for me like talking to my friends on a daily basis.

There truly is no other place like Paris–even you crumudgeons who have nothing good to say about France would walk away entranced by something. The curious thing–you wouldn’t be aware anything was happening to you until, oops, too late! It works its magic in mysterious ways.

Since we are going separate ways, I hope these last weeks of summer are oodles of fun for you. I also hope that if in your dreams, Paris is a destination for you, your dream comes true.

Come visit mehereand don’t be strangers!!

A bientt.

Photo credit: degrs 360@flickr

Share This

Ptanque, is a game that captivates Frenchmen ( I am alluding to the male species as I have never seen women playing). If you see a gaggle of men looking at the ground in various parks and gravelly areas throughout Paris and France, with very serious and concerned looks on their faces, you can pretty much bet an intense game is going on. Cigarettes are usually involved. which accounts for the haze surrounding the area. It is a unifying event, bringing men of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds and cultures together to have their moment in the ptanque sun.

The game is simple, not inferring that one must be simple to play, but not much goes into it. It is a form of boules, where one must stand with feet together in a small circle and throw, toss, pitch whatever, metal balls as close as possible to a wooden ball called a cochonnet. The game needs to be played on gravel which is why parks throughout Paris are perfect.

That’s it. That’s the game. Men spend HOURS doing this. And not only that. They spend YEARS spending HOURS doing this. Do you think they want to be out of the house or Madame wants them out of the house

Photo credit: Zobocop@flickr

Share This

There are so many parts of Paris that are sort of alluded to in guidebooks, but as a first time visitor, there just isn’t time to hit everything. Being overwhelmed by all there is to see and do is understandable and expected. The little journey I am going to send you on isn’t out of the way–it’s something that you might not know to do but can easily fit into your day.The above photo is taken from Place de la Concorde looking down Rue Royale towards Place de la Madeleine which is where you might want to go today.

La Madeleine’shistory has created the sense of it being a bit of a lost soul, by what a beautiful one it is. Initially built under the reign of Louis XV, it was meant to be a church modeled after a Roman temple. Clearly, that is what one is reminded of as they come upon this massive structure, surrounded as it is by 52 Corinthian columns. Throughout it’s life, La Madeleine was slated to become a bank, parliament building, theatre, stock exchange and just one more symbol of Napoleon’s conquests, but at the end of the day, it is still a church. A massive square surrounds it which is equally fun to visit as it has become a shopping mecca withFauchonandHediardcompeting for your tastebud’s attention right across the street from one another, while Ralph Lauren, Cerruti, Eres and other designers tempt you with their fashion offerings. It can be a heady day, to say the least. Underground at Metro Madeleine, you’ll findDartywhich is the equivilent of Best Buy in the states. It was weird buying my DVD player at a metro station, underground and then haul it back home, but such is life in Paris.

Not to take away from this beautiful building, you first need to pay homage to it’s beauty and history and then participate in all the fun shopping surrounding La Madeleine. A stone’s throw from Place de la Concorde, you really won’t be going too far out of your way!

Photo credit: tim mcmlv@flickr,Wikipedia

Share This

Awhile back, I wrote a post about a gem of a website,The Little Bookroom, which features beautiful volumes devoted to travel, food, wine, shopping and equally beautiful journals that easily inspire one to jot down thoughts that could be a future title on this charming site.

Previously, I mentioned a book by Gilles Pudlowski,Pudlo’s Paris, a guide to all that is yummy in Paris–restaurants, bars, cafs and gourmet shops. A foodie’s Paris bible if there ever was one.

Now, Mr. Pudlowski has taken his show on the road. Pudlo’s France, just out last month, is a comprehensive journey through the entire country, listing places to lay one’s head and fill one’s tummy all across France. The size of a brick, this book will not fit in your back pocket. But it will provide you with a well thought out listing of the good, better and best restaurants and hotels to fit most budgets, arranged in alphabetical order according to town, highlighted on glossy maps that take trip planning from headache to pure pleasure.

In my humble experience, I would have to say that getting someplace and throwing one’s suitcase on a saggy mattress that saw better days in the 60’s and metal folding chairs were considered the equivalent of “comfy” takes the joy out of travel. Equally disappointing is taking stabs in the dark as to what restaurants to try as you spend as little time as possible in your hotel room. I love food–I don’t want to make meal mistakes. I want my mouth to dance with culinary delights that are awaiting me whether they be at a Guy Savoy establishment or a mom and pop caf that feels like you have been invited to dinner at some-one’s home. Mr. Pudlowski has been gracious enough to eat and sleep his way through France so we can eliminate our own personal travel catastrophes.

I must say, the man is a genius–he did not suggest the hotel my daughter and I stayed in on our trip to Menton. That alone is worth the price of the book. Trust me.

Photo credit: Little Bookroom

Share This

I’ve mentioned before, I am a bigger fan of Paris when the sun goes down and the city is bathed in a beautiful golden hue from all the creative lighting they use. Certainly not eco-friendly and plans are in the works to dim some of that glow. I suggest you get here sooner than later to see some of it. If that isn’t possible right now, I am about to send you to a site that will bring Paris up close and personal, literally, while it astonishes at what can be exposed through a camera lens.

Jean-Franois Rauzier, a renowned photographer, took his art one step further by adding his computer and creating images which he calls “hyperphotos“, hundreds of close-up photographs taken with a tele-photo lens that he crops, redesigns and reassembles into photo canvas’s that reveal more than the human eye could ever take in. The result, as you will see, is eerily voyeuristic. Keep clicking your mouse to creep up closer and closer and be sure to check out the red boxes.

The above photo is taken from the Eiffel Tower. Monsieur Rauzier’s photo is taken from the vantage point of the skyscraper’s you see in the distance, staring right back at us!! Enjoy and be amazed.

Additional information: Hyper-photo.com

Photo credit: alexi1982@flickr

Share This