Bastille Day in Paris

Bonjour tout le monde!
France's national holiday is July 14.  We call it Bastille Day in the USA, but to the French, it's just the 14th of July.  The weather is usually very nice, the trees are full of green leaves, and the French are ready to have fun.
There are many activities leading up to July 14.  The day before, on July 13, the firemen open the firehouse doors to Parisians and tourists alike, and there is dancing in the streets.  Other streets are full of revelers who dance to live music, sit at cafes, and just enjoy the energetic atmosphere.
There is even a chance to get some artistic culture, as the Louvre is not only open, but free to all.  See the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo, the French crown jewels (from Napoleon III), plus some awesome Egyptian relics. For. Free.  And the Louvre isn't the only free thing in Paris.  You can see a free dance performance at the Opera Garnier, or go see the Alvin Ailey group (which might not be free, but I know how you can find out).
The biggest happening is the military parade that goes down the Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where there are stands for special guests and dignitaries.  If you want to see the parade, be prepared to be on your feet, and to wait for several hours. But I bet that it is one of those things that might be better on television!  If you get close, be sure to look up and see the "Patrouille", France's Blue Angel flight group.  They fly wingtip to wingtip, trailing the colors of the French flag - blue, white and red - 3 planes each color.  Then there are the vintage planes from WWII, newer jet fighters, state of the art helicopters, you name it!  Bringing up the rear of the parade are the firefighters, marching in sync in reflective boots.  Perhaps you'll spot the guys that you danced with the night before?
If you want to see how the French celebrate their national holiday?  Join me in Paris (and then in Barcelona) for 9 days, July10-18, 2016.
To see more about what July 14 activites, click here.
To book your spot on an awesome tour to Paris and Barcelona, click here.  Don't overthink this - just $300 reserves your spot. See you at the airport!

July 14th fireworks (in Lyon)

LIttle known parts of Paris

Bonjour tout le monde!

Paris is a beautiful city; there are so many places for tourists to visit.  Neophyte tourists will hit the big ticket items - the Eiffel Tower, Mona Lisa in the Louvre, walking down the Champs Elysées and visiting the Louis Vuitton store located there. There are more sites that bring history to life: Les Invalides, with the tomb of Napoléon Bonaparte; the Musée d’Orsay, which holds the masterpieces of Impressionist painters; the Opéra House designed and built by Garnier; Sacré Coeur and Montmartre.

There are other places to go within this vibrant metropolis:

Le village de Saint Paul – a small street lined with medieval archways that leads to a courtyard bordered with cafés, boutiques, and apartment buildings.  Once you pierce the veil through the archway, you can travel back into time while enjoying a meal in one of the courts.  This little gem is located in the Marais (4^th arrondissement) section of Paris.

One of the little cafes found in the Village St.Paul

The Canal St. Martin – connects the Canal de L’Ourcq to the Seine River.  It was the brainchild of Napoléon I^er (Bonaparte) who needed to create a waterway to supply an expanding Parisian city with fresh water.  The canal, built from 1802 to 1825, was used to supply Paris with food, building materials and other things.  They were brought in on canal boats. The Canal fell into disuse, and almost filled-in and paved over.  Today, the Canal continues to flow from the Ourcq to the Seine, and is covered for part of its journey.  Intrepid tourists can take a guided boat tour and see the newly cleaned Canal.

Canal St. Martin

The Promenade Plantée – similar to the High Line in New York, it is an elevated walkway on the remains of railroad tracks.  From 1859 to 1969, freight trains ran on this line connecting the Place de la Bastille to a station in Saint-Maur, outside of Paris.  Abandoned and overgrown, the rail line became an eyesore.  Then, in the early 1990s the railway was transformed into the Promenade Plantée and the Viaduct des Arts.  The Promenade is 4.5 kilometers long and runs along almost the entire 12^th arrondissement.  Those who venture out onto the Promenade get a perspective of the city that is only available from this verdant path, walking by old and new buildings, through forest like areas, and offering spectacular views of Paris.

Therefore, the next time you are in Paris, besides seeing the old standards, pick one of these lesser known areas and spend some time there. You will never think of Paris the same way.

By myself but not alone

Bonjour tout le monde
Yesterday, one of my friends called me.  She has been eyeing my (now) July tour to Paris and Barcelona. She had some concerns since she would be signing up for the trip as a single traveler.  In her mind, that meant that she was traveling by herself, and that she would be "alone".
The coolest thing about group travel is that you are as alone as you want to be.  Sure, you have that single room with a bed all to yourself, and if our tour included any bus time, you might be able to score the one double seat all for you.  But you are never alone. Unless you want to be.
City stay tours are just a little different from the tours that start in one place, then go through a series of towns with several hotel stays.  We are going to two places - Paris and Barcelona - and are flying between the two.  When we don't have a group activity, travelers are free to explore the cities on their own, or with new friends in the group.
When you travel with me, however, things are just a bit different.  My group is a "group within the group".  As Madame's group, we often cruise through the town together.  Together. So you are never alone.  Unless you want to be.  And that is the genius and joy of traveling with me to Paris and Barcelona this coming July.

There is still room on the Paris and Barcelona tour; 9 days, leaving LA on July 10 and returning on July 18.  We visit the two cities, and take an internal flight between the two, so there is no time wasted!  See the beauty of Parisian architecture, the genius of Gaudi's buildings in Barcelona; experience the tastes of both places, and even delight in some people watching from a cafe, or on the Ramblas in Barcelona.

For more information, and to put down your $300 deposit, visit here.  And I will see you at the airport and we travel to Paris and Barcelona - together.

The Canal Saint Martin; one of the hidden gems of Paris.