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.  

Le Louvre

Bonjour tout le monde,

When in Paris, is is almost mandatory for all first time visitors to go to the Louvre.  They see the Mona Lisa (la Joconde, in French), and then...What? What else is there to see in the Louvre?  

There are so many things to see in the Louvre, which is considered the largest art museum in the world.  However, it has not always been such a famous landmark.

Situated in the premier arrondissement of Paris, on the Rive Droite of the Seine, the Louvre, in some form or another, has existed in the same place since around the 12^th century.  Historians consider that the Louvre got its start as a fortress built by Philip II.  Legend has it that there might have been another structure on the site, but no one really knows, so Philip gets the credit.

As with any new owner, successive French kings (Charles V, François I^er, many Louis) added to and altered the palace to suit their needs and architectural style.  François I^er renovated his Louvre in the French Renaissance style, and began acquiring the art that would be the nucleus of the Louvre’s art portfolio.  That includes La Joconde, which was a gift to him from his good friend, Leonardo da Vinci.

Over the following years, the Louvre served as a royal palace, a home for artists (when the royal residence moved to Versailles by Louis XIV). During this time, since the royal attention and treasury was concentrated on Versailles, the Louvre was left unfinished in parts and began to fall into bad shape.  Just before the start of the French Revolution, the royals rediscovered the huge building by the Seine, and began restoring it.  Interestingly enough, the French Revolutionaries took interest in the Louvre.  The new National Assembly created a national museum in the Louvre.  This National Museum opened on August 10, 1793; its exhibits contained more than 500 paintings and decorative arts, much of which had belonged to the royal family and other nobles.

Napoleon Bonaparte lived in the Louvre, even as it was still a museum, and renamed it the “Musée Napoléon”.  He kept La Joconde next to his bed; he added to the museum’s collection by acquiring art and statuary through his military campaigns.

What I find most intriguing is that during World War II, when Paris was under German control, most of the artwork had already been shipped elsewhere to prevent it from being confiscated.  Art works were sent all over France and hidden in châteaux, basements, and even caves.  Huge pieces like Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo were also packed up and shipped out.  After the war, all the pieces were returned to the Louvre. 

Now the Louvre is a must-see spot for tourists.  They crowd into the room where La Joconde is shown behind bullet proof glass.  Even though you are not supposed to take pictures, flashes go off every instant.

Then what do you do?  There are so many other interesting things to see in the Louvre, including the lowest part of the 14^th century fortress, accessed by stairs.  Decorate arts – furniture and art pieces arranged in their “natural” settings.  Egyptian sculptures, even some crown jewels! 

When you’re finished, go out through the lobby level to the shopping mall and food court.  It is a little pricey, but foods from different parts of the world can be eaten for lunch – my favorite is the Middle Eastern shop with rice and couscous.   The mall has some shops that you will recognize – Fossil anyone? – and some real gems that sell beautiful bracelets and earrings. 

So, next time you’re in Paris and you go by the Louvre, just think of all the history that has taken place within the walls, and all the cool art that you can see.

All the information that you will need on getting to the Louvre, when it’s open, admission prices, etc.  http://www.louvre.fr/en

Cleaning a canal

Bonjour tout le monde
The beautiful and tourist elusive Canal Saint-Martin is closed for cleaning.  It is done every 10-15 years, and what interesting things are sighted mired in the muddy bottom.  It seems that many of the velib bikes for rent have been found among shopping carts, lost cell phones and a boom box (perhaps it got too heavy?).
There are actually fish living in the water of the canal; they had to be relocated for the three months that the canal will be empty and cleaned.
Here is a link to one of the articles on the canal cleaning:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2016/jan/06/sunken-treasures-of-paris-canal-saint-martin

And one of my favorite shots of the canal taken the first time I strolled along its banks:

PS - you can see the canal in its sparkling clean glory on the Paris-Barcelona 2016 trip!
jackiwilliams-jones.grouptoursite.com

le Nouvel An!

Bonjour tout le monde,
Et un joyeux Jour de l'An.  New Year's Eve is big in Paris.  Michael and I were able to experience the evening about 4 years ago.  We were part of a group of teachers who normally are out of the country with students and chaperones.  However, this time, it was just adults, which made things so much easier (no need to count heads, for one).
Dinner was at the traditional and fun Bouillon-Chartier restaurant.  Normally you have to wait in line to be seated, but we had a reservation.  SO much food, great service, and fun friends made it even better.  Then it was off to "une boite de nuit", a nightclub, where we wore those really funny glasses, counted down to the new year, and kissed our favorite people.  The next morning, seeing as how there are no American football games, the city of Paris was quite quiet and subdued as most folks weren't up yet. While in Paris this summer,we can definitely have a meal at this wonderfully awesome very French restaurant - prices are quite reasonable, aussi!
This time of year in France, as in many European countries, is magical.  The streets are  lined with twinkling lights, the streets are full of families strolling through the still open Christmas markets, and the wonderful odors of chestnuts roasting on kettle drums everywhere you go.
Paris is fun anytime of year, almost like the song "I Love Paris".  Thanks to my travels, I have had the chance to experience the City of Lights in all four seasons.  I think that the fall is pretty good, followed by winter (because I love to wear coats), then the spring and summer in a tie.
Here is a link to an article about all the cool things that are going on in France in 2016.  If you wish to take advantage of some of these suggestions, come with me in June 2016 to Paris and Barcelona.  We will miss the soccer frenzy, but might be able to stroll through the soon to reopen Ritz Hotel.  Then we will go on to Barcelona to enjoy all things Gaudi, experience the Ramblas, taste the sangria and devour all sorts of tapas.

Why visit France in 2016: http://www.thelocal.fr/20151229/why-you-should-visit-france-in-2016
Restaurant Bouillon-Chartier: http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/
youtube video - "I Love Paris' sung by Ella Fitzgerald and with beautiful shots of Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGIDwVUbFy4
Information on Paris and Barcelona 2016: http://jackiwilliams-jones.grouptoursite.com/

Guess who, Paris , Dec 2012

 Yes, those are the glasses!  The following photo is of a statue of the infamous head butt of Zenadine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup.  The statue was over the top huge, see how small people are.  The statue was in front of the Pompidou Modern Art museum.  Last photo is the Champs-Elysees.

Just in case you haven't gotten that perfect Christmas present!