7 Reasons to Visit Paris in January

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Fewer tourists, cozy cafés, twinkling lights… all to yourself.

Source: 7 Reasons to Visit Paris in January – French Morning

1. January Sales (Les Soldes)

January Sales + Fashion Week = Unique Paris Experience in January

January Sales + Fashion Week = Unique Paris Experience in January.

Sure, you don’t have to leave the U.S. to take part in sales. But it’s Paris! On January 6, 2016, Paris shops and boutiques begin their January sales. While I’m not into shopping so much that I’d travel to Paris just to shop, I love my cape that I bought in Paris. Click here for French Morning’s suggestions on where to purchase that undefinable je ne sais quoi (I do not know what) French item that will have your friends oohhing and ahhhing.

2. Paris Fashion Week
You can’t purchase tickets to Fashion Week, but there will be plenty of fashion designers and models of both sexes walking the streets to make Paris in winter a little more interesting. Fashion Week will take place at the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall in the 1st arrondissement (Metro: Tuileries). Men’s fashion will be shown from Wednesday, January 20 – Sunday, January 24; Haute Couture from Sunday, January 24 – Thursday, January 28. Watch the fashion shows live by clicking here.

3. Warmer Temperatures during Winter Than You Might Expect
When I was in Paris during winter recently, temperatures hovered in the mid-40s Fahrenheit (about 7.2 degrees Celsius) and it tended to rain/sprinkle more than snow. Since many cafes have heated outdoor seating, you’ll see plenty of Parisians sitting outside drinking Espresso without a care of feeling cold. Besides, sitting outside during winter gives you a good excuse to snuggle up to someone you love.

4. Fewer Tourists
Are you an art lover who yearns to spend quality time in Paris museums but don’t like crowds? January would be a great time for you to go. There won’t be long lines to get in or people elbowing you for a better look. (That goes for attractions and shows of all types, too.) Click here for Paris Insiders Guide to museum exhibits in January.

5. Great Skiing 4 Hours Away
So, perhaps you want to go to Paris to beat the crowds, but your honey doesn’t want to miss snow skiing. No need! Click here for Ski & Snowboard’s recommendations for French skiing.

Mmmmmmm…..La Gallette des Rois!

6. La Galette des Rois (The Cake of Kings) is Plentiful in Boulangeries (Bakeries)
You need only to look at the picture (or should I say, “salivate over the picture”?) to know why it is so named: flaky, rich, and slightly sweet, meant to be consumed with Espresso or another hot drink to keep you toasty warm.

 

Pont de Alexandre III lit up at night.

Pont de Alexandre III lit up at night.

7. It Gets Dark at 3:30 P.M.
More time to enjoy the City of Light lit up in all of its splendor. How I love those old fashioned gas lights and the Eiffel Tower lit up at night.

 

 

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Image of Paris Fashion Week poster by Paris Insiders Guide, CCBY 2.0. Image of French Alps by David-Michael Photography, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of La Gallette des Rois by Gael Chardon, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Pont de Alexandre III by CanStockPhoto.

 

Thinking of a Destination Wedding in Paris? 9 Points to Consider

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This is the first of a series of posts on planning a destination wedding in Paris. Look for them on Fridays.

To be married in Paris is the quintessential romantic dream for many people. With a lot of planning, your dream can come true.

To be married in Paris is the quintessential romantic dream for many people. With careful planning, your dream can come true.

Thinking of planning a wedding in Paris, but not sure what’s involved? Here are a few points to consider to help you determine if planning a destination wedding in Paris is right for you.

1. You can’t get legally married in France unless you establish residency and are able to provide documents to prove it. To do this, either you or your intended spouse, or one of your parents (since 2013) must have a connection to the French town you wish to marry in, or you establish residency by living there more than 40 days consecutively near the location of your wedding. You will need to be able to provide to the town’s city hall two pieces of ID to prove this, such as: a lease, utility bill or French social security card, as well as information on witnesses. You would marry at city hall for legal purposes and then follow-up with another ceremony at the location of your choice — though you most likely can’t rent a national landmark, since they are public spaces.

Even to be married in a Catholic Church in France – which is not legally binding – you need: a letter from your own church’s parish priest and Bishop, Baptism and Confirmation certificates, and a marriage certificate from your civil ceremony. France is a Catholic country, and it’s possible that not all Catholic churches in Paris (and France, in general) will allow anyone other than their church members to marry in their respective churches.

Most couples opt for a civil ceremony in the U.S. (or whatever your native country is) before their wedding in Paris.

2. Consider hiring a wedding planner. It is hard enough for most couples to coordinate the details of a wedding that takes place in their home town, much less across the Atlantic in a locale with a time and language difference. While the language barrier is lessening since more and more French people are learning English, it’s the nuances of French and English that might prove troublesome. For instance, you might be somewhat allergic to heavily scented flowers, so you ask a florist if your choice has an “odor.” Unfortunately, odeur in French means “fragrant,” so it might seem that all flowers are off your list. You need not hire a wedding planner who speaks French, just one who will triple-check details and asks questions in a variety of ways to make sure you pay for exactly what you want.

Having said that…………….

3. Be prepared for a minor detail to not be exactly what you want. I’m not saying to count on it, just that there’s a higher risk of it happening given the distance. You’ll need to be flexible. Your guests won’t know that you wanted blue and white Hydrangeas in the hotel bathrooms and instead you got Calla Lilies like the rest of your flowers.

4. Plan to overnight EVERYTHING you and your wedding party need for your big day. Don’t try to save money by checking the bridal dresses, tuxes, shoes, hair decorations, pantyhose, or the like in your luggage: if it is lost, you’ll be scrambling to replace them in Paris. You’ll want to put EVERYTHING on your bed that you and your wedding party needs, and then make a list to be sure you remember it all. Then run it by your wedding planner after you make your list to see if you’ve overlooked anything. And don’t forget several clothing steamers! Here’s one I recommend: Corporate Travel Safety’s Dual Voltage Travel Pro Steamer.

5. Check with your hotel about what they recommend for receiving your wedding party paraphernalia (#4). I would send your package(s) to arrive in Paris before you leave the U.S. so you can track the progress of your package(s). This might mean you will have to pay for a room for the hotel to put them in. Your peace of mind knowing your packages are safe will be worth the expense.

6. Give yourself at least 2 days in Paris to recover from jet lag before the ceremony. Even if you think you won’t need it – you and your spouse-to-be might be experienced travelers – your guests probably will. Think of the oldest person (or whoever will suffer the most from traveling) you’re inviting to your wedding and ask yourself: How many days will this person need to fully recover from jet lag? Then give yourself that much time.

7. Think twice before planning a wedding in Paris during the month of August: many businesses shut down for a month-long vacation. When I was in Paris during August about 20 years ago, I was astonished at how empty it was. French people take their vacation time (vacances) seriously.

8. Plan for a 15-20% emergency cushion in your spending plan (otherwise known as a budget). It always makes sense to have an emergency cushion; in this case, there might be legal fees or taxes that will take a bite out of your spending plan. Then, if you don’t need the emergency cushion, you can either save it or spend it on your honeymoon in Paris.

9. Give yourself 6 months to plan a small wedding, at least a year for a larger one. Consider who you want to be in your wedding, then find out if they have any prior commitments within the next 6-12 months. You won’t want to have secured your wedding and reception venues, only to find out your Maid of Honor or Best Man has a prior commitment.

 

Bisou Bisou!

 

Image of wedding couple, Aileen and Rafik, by Agence Tophos, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

Two Articles on Paris Attacks Aftermath: Paris is Recovering, and Why Americans Should Go

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The citizens of Paris are going back to the cafes. Rick Steves says Americans should join them.

Parisians are going back to the cafes and museums. Americans should join them.

Parisians are going back to the cafes and museums. Americans should join them.

Here are two articles from The Washington Post on Paris in the wake of the attacks on November 13. The first shows the citizens of Paris are not giving in to terror — they’re going back to the cafes and museums and going on with the business of living — even laughing at a defiant comedian who compared the Islamic State’s war on French culture to bringing a “philosophy of rigorous self-abnegation to a pastry fight.” The second article offers advice from my favorite travel guide, Rick Steves, on why Americans should travel to Paris after the attacks. One point worth mentioning: He says that if Americans stay home because 130 people were killed in Paris (with a population of 2 million), they’ll be staying in a country where over 30,000 people per year (or nearly 100 per day, out of 320 million) are killed each year due to gun violence.

Source: Cafes and museums of Paris, staggered by attacks, begin revival – The Washington Post

Source: Travel guru Rick Steves on why Americans should go abroad after terror in Paris – The Washington Post

Paris (and France as a whole) has increased security to keep their citizens and tourists safe. Let’s not give in to terror or to terrorists and stop traveling. If we do, the terrorists will have won.

Vive la France!

Blogging on Paris for 6 Months: I Never Would Have Known…

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Blogging about Paris has expanded my world in ways I couldn’t have counted on, like introducing me to French pop music. To me, Garou — who’s featured in the YouTube video — sounds like American singer Gordon Lightfoot — with a dash of French soul.

As of yesterday, November 29, I’ve been blogging about Paris for six months. I thought I’d share how my involvement with Paris has helped me, and some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

My trip to Paris last year saved my life. I don’t mean to overstate a point, but it is the truth. I’ve been through a great deal — including losing everything I owned prior to 2009 — and I wondered how I would ever “get my groove back.” Devastating pain made me remember what was first important to me, and France was the first thing I ever really cared about as a kid. I always wanted to hear about it, read about it, visit the country — which I first did in 1976 — and eat French food. In fact, the first thing I ever cooked was a crepe. (And I didn’t burn the house down.) With a surprise windfall, I went to Paris last year for a month and decided to write about it. As a result, I have a zest for life that I haven’t had in a long time.

Blogging (and my Paris trip) has opened the door to new opportunities. I discovered TripAdvisor and am now a Top Contributor with over 20,000 readers: My TripAdvisor reviews help to build my brand and give me writing experience. Who would have thought 20,000 people would be interested in what I have to say? Not me! Also, my website/blog has helped me improve my technological skills: I’ve learned about the technical points of digital imaging, become proficient in uploading digital images using a variety of platforms, learned WordPress, and how to use Google Maps and Google Earth (God-sends for anyone trying to immerse themselves in a foreign culture). While it has been challenging, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. In addition, the devastation I’ve faced plus the challenging, rewarding experience of blogging has opened the door to me being featured in an upcoming issue of “Women of Distinction Magazine.” I am excited and honored to be featured in it.

Blogging well is harder and more time-consuming than I thought. Any writer knows that to write well, one has to read a lot. I’ve generally been an avid reader, but I haven’t been able to read as much as I’d like. Consequently, my writing has suffered: More often than I’d like to admit, the prose has been stuck in my head. I’m going to try writing draft posts on paper like I did before I published: There seems to be something to words flowing from my head to pen to paper that gets my creative juices working. Admittedly, it isn’t just writing that takes an enormous amount of time. Sometimes I have to learn to do something new before using an image. Also, looking for just the right image for a post can set me back, since I’m not satisfied with just any image — it has to be the right one. 

I am immersing myself in French culture and I love it. I don’t want to just help people get to Paris, I also want to educate people on French culture and clarify myths and misconceptions. This means, of course, that I have to first learn (as an example) the origin of the phrase “pardon my French” before uttering a curse word came about before I can write about it. (The phrase evolved in England during the Hundred Years War between England and France in the 13th century: the English blamed all things vulgar as being from France.)

Speaking of the French language: I am so excited to say I’m (finally) learning French! I took French a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) and my circumstances at the time conspired to force me to drop it. It is one of the things I regret most about my early life. Immersing myself in French culture helped open this door for me. I found a great workbook (“French” by Danielle de Gregory) and French flash cards (by Quickstudy), and “Learn French With Alexa” videos on Youtube is the final piece of the learn-French trifecta that brings it all together. I previously learned English by phonics; Alexa is just what I was looking for in a French teacher.  She is French and has many years’ experience teaching French. She knows what she’s doing and she’s so funny, too. I also listen to RJM French Radio on the TuneIn radio app to help me learn French. Some of my favorite artists include Garou (oh, my, I love his voice), Celine Dion, Louane (“Jour un”), Johnny Hallyday, (“J’ai oublie de vivre”), and Christine and the Queens’ “Ca ne tient pas debout.” With the release of “La Vie en Rose” in 2008, I already had been introduced to Edith Piaf, one of the greatest French singers ever. French pop music is just as delightful to my ears.

I continue to seek ways to work and live in Paris. My heart and mind are with the victims and their families of the November 13th attacks. People have asked me if I was glad I wasn’t in Paris then; to the contrary, I wish I was there to give comfort and hope where they are needed.

 

Vive la France!

The 45 Best Things To Do In Paris – December 2015

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There’s a lot to do in Paris during the holiday season. Start your planning with Paris Insiders Guide’s recommendations for best things to do in December 2015. Activities include museum exhibits, castles, a recommended restaurant, and of course, Christmas lights.

Source: The 45 Best Things To Do In Paris – December 2015 | Paris Insiders Guide

Paris on a rare snowy day.

Paris on a rare snowy day.

You might think there is less to do in Paris in the winter time, but the only thing you’ll see less of are the long lines to get into museums and monuments. As a general rule, Paris doesn’t get very cold during winter — when I was there in December 2014, the temperature didn’t get much below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7.2 degrees Celsius). It did rain a lot, however — but that didn’t deter me from enjoying the city. There’s nothing like waking up in Paris to the sound of rain hitting the rooftop and windows.

Here are four activities that caught my eye in The 45 Best Things to do in Paris in December:

Picasso's Guernica will be exhibited at the Grand Palais until February 29, 2016.

Picasso’s “Guernica” will be exhibited at the Grand Palais until February 29, 2016.

1. Pablo Picasso and the Modern Masters at the Grand Palais. Exhibit ends February 29, 2016. Metro: Champs-Elysees Clemenceau. The Modern Masters portion of the exhibit includes works by Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. Click here for the Grand Palais website and to book tickets. Price ranges depending on day of the week.

 

Chateau d'Amboise was a fortress, so it was built 81 meters (about 88.5 feet) high.

Chateau d’Amboise was a fortress, so it was built 81 meters (about 88.5 feet) high.

2. Private Tour: Loire Valley Castles Day Trip From Paris. Choose between two sets of castles (chateaux, or singular, chateau) — Amboise, Checoneau and Chambord, or Villandry, Langeais and Azay le Rideau — and enjoy lunch at an 18th century inn or at the park of Chateau de Langeais. Price varies depending on season and number of people in your party. Click here to book or see availability.

 

Chef Jerome Banctel heads Le Gabriel restaurant.

Chef Jerome Banctel heads Le Gabriel restaurant.

3. Featured Restaurant: Le Gabriel at La Reserve Hotel. The restaurant is headed by Chef Jerome Banctel and features a Japanese-French Fusion menu. The restaurant is located within La Reserve Hotel. Click here for a review by Paris Insiders Guide. Click here to see the rave reviews given by TripAdvisor users. Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 

Christmas lights on the Champs-Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe in 2014.

Christmas lights on the Champs-Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe in 2014.

4. The Christmas Lights along the Champs-Elysees are positively beautiful no matter how you view them. Walk arm-and-arm with someone you love and take in the lights. You’ll never be the same.

Please note: It is my information that the Christmas Markets are closed due to the terror attacks in Paris on November 13.

Au revoir. 

 

 

Image of Snowy Christmas at Eiffel Tower by CanStockPhoto. Image of Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” by Martine, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Chateau d’Amboise by Christina Hsu, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.  Image of Chef Jerome Banctel by Rota das Estrelas, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Christmas lights on the Champs-Elysees by Elsa L. Fridl.

 

 

 

 

The Top 50 Things To Do In Paris November 2015

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Paris is exciting at any time of year, and there’s a lot to do in Autumn. Here are the best things to do in Paris in November, including a champagne concert at Saint Chapelle!

Source: The Top 50 Things To Do In Paris November 2015 | Paris Insiders Guide

Photographers from all over the world show off their works during November, the Month of Photography.

Photographers from all over the world show off their works during November, the Month of Photography.

Today I’m sharing Paris Insider’s Guide for things to do in Paris in November.

November is the Month of Photography in Paris, with forty exhibits around the city. You will see signs everywhere. I know because in November 2014, I went to the photography exhibit at the Grand Palais, and it was one of the highlights of my trip. To me, the Grand Palais was even larger inside than it looked from the outside. It is a beautiful space for exhibits. While I recommend the photography exhibit wholeheartedly, please note that some photographs may not be suitable for children.

A beautiful Christmas decoration at the Galeries Lafayette in November 2014.

A beautiful Christmas decoration at the Galeries Lafayette in November 2014.

While France does not celebrate Thanksgiving, American ex-pats in Paris generally do, and it is my information that many go to a shop named Thanksgiving for cranberries and other accoutrements for the holiday. (For Thanksgiving 2014, I went to my favorite restaurant in Paris, Le Basilic, and had the best veal I’ve ever had.) Americans might be shocked to see “Black Friday” sales advertised in Paris. The advent of the internet has made day-after Thanksgiving sales a global phenomenon. Sometime around Thanksgiving, a Christmas village on both ends of the Champs-Elysees comes to life where you can purchase Christmas gifts, have something to eat (try a crepe!), or enjoy a kiddie ride. Paris also puts up their Christmas decorations at this time, and the City of Light becomes the City That Sparkles.

But, I digress. Here are three Top Picks to do in Paris in November 2015 from the Paris Insider’s Guide that caught my eye. Click on the link above to see all 50 Top Picks.

58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant offers sumptuous food and beautiful views.

58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant offers sumptuous food and beautiful views.

1. (Dinner at) Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, and Seine River Cruise.
Have a leisurely dinner at Eiffel 58 while enjoying the views from the Eiffel Tower. Then see the city lit up at night on a cruise on the Seine River. Finish the evening at Moulin Rouge by taking in a performance of Feeire. From $376.17. MUST BOOK IN ADVANCE! Book by clicking here.

 

 

A Walking Tour with a guide is a great way to experience French gastronomy.

A Walking Tour with a guide is a great way to experience French gastronomy.

2. Gourmet Walking Tour
Book a 3-hour walking tour with an expert food connoisseur. Your guide will lead you through several Paris neighborhoods to visit: a French bakery, pastry shop, French caterer, wine shop, cheese shop, and a fruit and vegetable shop and market. Free snacks are included. From $101.06. Book by clicking here.

 

A dancer in La Bayadere, a ballet set in India.

A dancer in La Bayadere, a ballet set in India.

3. Nureyev’s La Bayadere – Paris Ballet at the Palais Garnier (Nov 17- Dec 31)
Rudolf Nureyev produced his version of this classic ballet that he made known with his own performance in Paris in 1961. Book by clicking here.

 

 

 

Au revoir!

 

 

Image of photographer by Xavier Alberghini, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Christmas decoration at Galeries Lafayette by Elsa L. Fridl. Image of 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant by Andi Fisher, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Paris Walking Tour: Paul Boulaingerie by Itamar Medeiros, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of dancer in La Bayadere by Simurg, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.