When not serving our amazing customers and helping them plan day trips from Paris and Paris activities - like Normandy D-Day Tours or Provence overnight trips, we like to eat amazing food. Recently, we posted this picture on our Facebook page: It's a picture of the bakery case at Chocolatine, our local French bakery in Thousand Oaks, CA. When we posted the picture, we asked our followers to name their favorite French bakery in America. Here is a sample: Un je ne sais Quoi in Washington D.C. - Yumminess in the heart of the Capital Essence Bakery in Phoenix - More of a European fusion place, but looks great. Gaby Et Jules in Pittsburgh, PA - We'll take this quote directly...
We love Provence. In my dreams I own an apartment in Paris and a house in Provence. It is such a beautiful region. Here are a few images to get your travel juices flowing. There are thousands upon thousands of charming streets and homes in Provence. Just being around them is healing. This one is in the village of Vence. I know, I know. It's Provence. Marseilles. The Mediterranean. So yes, this should be a picture of a fish dish, but food in Provence is so much more than that! Fig or raisin bread anyone? Lavender is everywhere in Provence, but to see fields look like this best to be there in June or July. These ocean "valleys" in Provence...
Some photos of the Paris to enjoy on a Friday afternoon. There are hundreds of cafes like this in Paris. Sitting and watching the pulse of Paris in one of these chairs is one of the great pleasures of visiting France. Paris street signs are usually embedded on the corner of each building at an intersection. Just look up! It is a must visit, but be prepared for a crowd. The Mona Lisa room at the Louvre... Paris is wonderful at Christmas. Make sure to check out the tree at Galeries Lafayette. I love how the Eiffel Tower looks in black and white. Try it when you visit Paris. Lastly, our Normandy D'Day tour from Paris was our best selling product...
by Laura Glendinning When I was a kid I considered Europe to be a place where knights and damsels and castles were still the way people lived, with some peasants picturesquely gathering wheat in the background of a jousting tournament. There was definitely a guy with a lute hovering nearby. How that exactly makes sense given you have to take a plane to get there, well, that is kid logic. The Europeans don’t take planes. We do! It’s a big Medieval Times restaurant, right? You could just about think that on a trip to the Loire Valley, which has 300 castles scattered over a little over 310 square miles. Math whizzes will note that’s a castle every square mile...
Fodor's recently released "10 Things You Need to Know Before You Go to Paris". It is a good article. Here is a link to it and a few additional notes from us! 1. Dining - You do not need to tip in a Paris restaurant. Enjoy the freedom of not tipping! It is wonderful once you get used to it. Also, remember this phrase "une carafe d’eau, s'il vous plait". Say that and you'll be getting a carafe of water for free instead of an expensive bottle of Perrier. 2. Getting along with the French - If you speak no French at all, download the Duolingo app (it's free) and learn the "Greetings" lesson in full. A little French does...
