Category Archives: Paris

Dieting, French customs, Paris, Travelling

5:2 Diet – Navigating the Metro – Double Giratoire

July 30, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

This Wednesday’s Bloggers’ Round-up brings three completely different subjects. First, on the subject of fasting and dieting, Jacqueline Meldrum from Tinned Tomatoes, introduces the documentary behind the 5:2 fast diet I’ve been talking about recently. You’ll be interested in her recipes as well. Australian B&B website Petite Paris gives a very practical tutorial on how to use the metro for newcomers to Paris while Abby from Paris Weekender explains how to navigate the confusing French double giratoire roundabout, which I have yet to experience. Enjoy!

5:2 diet

by Jacqueline Meldrum, from Tinned Tomatoes, a self-taught cook and baker, who has been cooking and baking for over 24 years and whose interest in food really developed when she became a vegetarian 22 years ago.

If you live in the UK, you may have seen the Horizon documentary on BBC2, that aired on Monday night.

Eat, Fast and Live Longer.

If you haven’t seen it, then you may have heard people talking about it on twitter or facebook. It’s a hot topic right now.

The documentary featured medical journalist and tv exec Michael Mosley, as he set himself the challenge to live longer, stay younger and lose weight. Three things that I am sure we would all like to achieve. During the one hour documentary Mosley spoke to many people including scientists and found out that a low calorie diet is the secret to these three elusive goals. Read more

Back to Paris Basics – Navigating the Metro

by Petite Paris, an Australian-based service for Australian travellers and fellow Francophiles

With so many new ‘Petite’ friends and first timers heading to Paris we have to remember to re-cap the basic essentials and practicalities of Paris … to help you plan, prepare and book for a smooth arrival and overall experience. So…no better place to start or over than the Metro System!

The Paris Metro System – Becoming familiar with the Paris Metro and a Paris Metro map is essential to any Paris visitor. However the map of the Metro may as well be in Greek, if you don’t know basic facts about taking the Paris Metro. Read more

The Perplexing Phenomenon of the Double Giratoire

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

I was on my way to Nostang, a small town in the Morbihan north of the ria d’Etel, and I came across my second double giratoire.

As many of you know, I passed my French driver’s exam in the fall, and I’m proud. Ask me anything about the French rules of the road, and I can tell you. I was certain I had seen it all — either on the road or in the practice exams.

But there seems to be a new creature in the array of options for the French intersection. At least the two examples I have driven through (and survived) were clearly new constructions. Read more

Food, France, Paris, Restaurants

Early Morning Paris

July 25, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 8 Comments

Because I work from home, I’m rarely outside in the street at 8.30 am, although I can see the Palais Royal Gardens through my office window any time of the day.

When Black Cat lived nearby, she would sometimes suggest we go to breakfast together before she went to work but she moved to another part of Paris a long time ago. Today, however, I was to meet up with some visiting Australian friends at Angelina’s in rue de Rivoli.

Paris was wearing another face. In the Palais Royal, a business man was reading the paper next to the fountain before the water was turned on. Joggers were running under the trees.

There were no children playing on the Buren columns and no tourists posing for photos or throwing coins into the water below.

At Café Nemours people were having coffee before work and half the seats were empty.

Most of the souvenir shops along Rue de Rivoli were closed.

Others were setting up their stalls for the day, mopping the floor or having a morning coffee break.

There was no one on the Big Wheel currently stationed in the fun park in the Tuileries Gardens.

When I got to Angelina’s no one was queueing!

I chose my favourite award-winning Bourbon vanilla slice (mille-feuille bourbon) and Angelina’s extra-thick hot chocolate.

There wasn’t a sole person in the boutique.

By the time I left at 10.30 am, all the souvenir shops were doing brisk business. Maybe I should go out to breakfast more often!

Accommodation, Paris

A Barge on the Seine in Paris – what better holiday accommodation can you get?

July 22, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 25 Comments

I haven’t seen my cousin Geraldine in about 50 years and it’s her first time in Paris. I advised her to try and get accommodation in the 1^st arrondissement because it’s so central. I’ve been following her adventures in Lucca in Italy on Facebook and am stunned when I see her first photos of Paris.

She is staying on a péniche – a barge – on the Seine, right in the middle of Paris. What a location! “I knew that this would be good but not THIS good”, she comments.

Lunch at Café Diane in the Tuileries Gardens

We meet up at one of my favourite lunch spots, Café Diane in the Tuileries Gardens, where you can always get a shady table and eat an excellent quiche Lorraine accompanied by a glass of cold rosé. We deserve it – it’s over 30°C!

Le Cathare from Pont des Arts — Houseboats on the Seine in summer

“Do you still want to see the barge?” asks Geraldine at the end of the meal. Well, of course I do! I’ve dreamed of living on a barge since my high school days when I followed the adventures of a French family on a barge on TV. She thought that having lived in Paris so long, I would be completely jaded. Not so!

“Oh no!” says Geraldine, when we reach the barge. “They’ve all gone out and I don’t have my key. It’s in my other bag”. When she left to meet me, her husband Ian, and their daughter and her partner were watching a State of Origin football match but either the match is over or the wrong team won.

Geraldine rummaging for her missing keys

Geraldine is very apologetic as she rummages desperately through her bag, but I don’t care. I am already sitting on the deck watching the world go by. It is sheer magic. It’s amazing how actually being on the river makes you suddenly a part of Paris.

Geraldine tells me that the day they arrived, they couldn’t tear themselves away from the deck, even with the Louvre so close. I can understand that perfectly!

There are not only tourist boats (Vedettes du Pont Neuf, Bateaux Mouches, Vedettes de Paris) plying the Seine, but also the Batobus, a police boat and numerous working barges. There’s even a bullet-proof government boat taking VIPS to the Finance Ministry!

We text Ian and drag him back from the Louvre. He opens the hatch and I’m close on his heels, eager to see the inside. He good naturedly makes me coffee in the well-equipped kitchen. He and Geraldine opt for a cold beer.

The interior is surprisingly big, with an attractive open-plan galley and living room and dining area although they usually eat up on the deck. Can you blame them?

After they bought the barge in the 1970s, the owners loving restored it in perfect respect of its original style – a Dutch tjalk built in 1902. That is why the only furniture on the deck is a teak table and chairs.

There is a double bedroom down one end with a bathroom and separate toilet and two single bedrooms down the other. I see there are heaters for winter and a pot-belly stove which must make it nice and cosy. There’s also wifi and a flat-screen TV.

I have a peek into the engine room as well. I know Jean Michel will want to know what it’s like.

Ian and Geraldine living it up on the deck

Downstairs is a bit hot (but no more than any other Paris apartment in a heat wave) so we take our drinks up on the deck where I sip my coffee and eat macaroons from Ladurée. This is the life!

Sadly, Geraldine has to go back to Australia tomorrow, flying via Dubai with Emirates. “But I’m coming back”, she says. “And definitely staying here if it’s available.”

You can find house boats on the airbnb.com website from 250 euro a night. Type Paris, then enter “barge” in keywords.

Art, France, Paris

Why Daisy Came to France

July 17, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

While I was away on holidays, MyFrenchLife, a global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French, published a post that I wrote about Daisy who runs a Treasure Hunt at the Louvre Museum called THatLou. I found her story fascinating and I’m sure you will too!

Why Daisy Came to France

Although all Daisy’s early connections were with Italy, her admiration of novelist Honoré de Balzac, film producer François Truffaut and photographer Henri Cartier-Besson took her to France, where she fell instantaneously head-over-heels with the City of Light.

Daisy and I had several exchanges via Twitter before we finally met at a pretend picnic on the grass near the Tuileries Gardens. We were participating in a film shoot at the request of our friend and fellow blogger, Abby Gordon, for House Hunters International. Read more

Cycling, Food, France, French customs, Paris

Sunday’s Picture and a Song: Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale) 2013 – On the third day she rested … Bicycling in Provence: A Very Sad Au Revoir –

July 16, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

I haven’t been publishing the usual Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up for the last month because I simply didn’t have time to read any other blogs! Cycling and visiting all day and writing posts at night took up a good part of every 24 hours.

Although we arrived back on Sunday night just in time for Bastille Day, we decided to pass on it this year but Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris took some of her usual stunning photos. Meanwhile, Sylvia from Finding Noon was off on a Greek Island, eating lobster and discovering a wonderful English library. While we’ve been cycling along the Danube, Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike has been bicycling through Provence. Enjoy!

Sunday’s Picture and a Song: Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale)

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

There was a REVOLUTION of sound and explosions on the Champ de Mars last night. If you would like to relive Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale) 2013, here’s the spectacular firework show in its entirety! Read more

On the third day she rested…

by Sylvie from Finding Noon, an American living in Paris who appreciates fine art, good music, succulent food, and breath taking scenery

Not that I’m comparing myself to the Great Creator, but s/he created the world in 6 days before taking a break, where as on holiday in Santorini, Greece last week, I only made it to three before needing a holiday from our holidays.

When I told a friend our destination she gave me a rather dry look, adding, “You know, you can’t wear heels.” The map of the nearest big city had a “No Heels” logo on its legend. What wasn’t explained, and what I didn’t ask, is why. Read more

Bicycling in Provence: A Very Sad Au Revoir

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Provence is a very easy place to fall in love with, and a very difficult place to leave. Four days here was only enough time to confirm that I should have planned on staying no less than a couple of weeks! Even though it never rains here in the summer, it rained in Bonnieux this morning. Maybe the rain was supposed to help me not feel so bad about leaving. But as I watched the fog settle over the hills, it made me want to stay even more. I was dreading the 7 km downhill ride on wet pavement. Read more

Paris, Restaurants

On-line restaurant bookings and museum tickets Paris

June 18, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

There’s nothing worse than waiting in long queues outside museums or missing out on a restaurant because it’s full when you get there, particularly when you’ve only got a few days in the City of Light.

The wisest thing is to buy museum tickets on-line and book restaurants ahead of time.

RESTAURANTS – mytable.com

A number of websites can be used to book restaurants. I recently tested www.mytable.com. It has a smart phone app and features Trip Advisor reviews. It also has a selection of the week, the latest promotions and latest reviews.

You can key in the country, restaurant name or location. In Advanced Search, you can indicate price range, region and type of cuisine, special cuisine such as gluten-free or vegetarian, and amenities such as free wifi, terrace, air-conditioning, handicapped accessible and so on.

A map is displayed with red pins to indicate restaurants. Click on the pin and the type of cuisine and price range will be shown. If you click on the name, you’ll be given more detailed information and any reviews on Trip Advisor.

Simply select your date, time and number of people and click on Make Free Reservation. Enter your details and you’ll receive confirmation by email. Nothing could be easier!

MUSEUMS

Many English websites exist where you can book on-line museum tickets but you often pay a hefty commission. I’ve chosen FNAC because it is the most popular and trustworthy French site, often chosen by the museums themselves. There is also digitik.com but I find it very confusing.

All public museums in Paris are free on the first Sunday of the month.

FNAC

FNAC is a chain of media stores across France. They also have an on-line booking service with an English translation: http://www.fnactickets.com/. The commission is usually one or two euros. Simply key in the name of the museum in the search box.

Once you have paid with your credit card, you can either print the ticket (which might be a problem if you’re already travelling), have it sent to you if you have an address in France (an extra 3.55 euro), abroad (an extra 13.50 euro!) or pick it up at one of the stores on the list.

In Paris itself, you will need to go to one of the FNAC stores listed. In the suburbs and provinces, many of the larger supermarkets offer a pick-up service: Hyper U, Casino, Intermarché, Carrefour, etc. and some tourist offices.

PARIS TOURIST OFFICE (CONVENTION AND VISITORS’ BUREAU)

The main “welcome” centre of the Paris Tourist Office is at 25 rue des Pyramides (between Louvre and Opéra just near Monoprix). It’s perfect for tickets that don’t have a time restriction since there is no price mark-up. You can pick them up at one of their six “welcome” centres including the Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est train stations.

However, not all museums or combined tickets are available. They also handle tickets and bookings for Eurodisney and the main cabarets. http://booking.parisinfo.com for more details. You may have to queue for 20 minutes or so. Choose opening time (10 am) or lunchtime (12 to 2 pm). Open from 10 am to 7 pm every day.

Musée du Louvre (11 euro at museum)

FNAC: 12.60 euro, valid one year, no restriction on days or times. MUST DE COLLECTED. You don’t have to go through the security queue, which is the main advantage. Direct entry under the arch opposite the pyramid or using the fast queue above the pyramid.

Musée d’Orsay (9 euro at museum)

FNAC: 10.70 euro, valid one year, no restriction on days or times. CAN BE PRINTED OR COLLECTED. Direct entry C.

Combined ticket with Musée de l’Orangerie (Monet’s waterlilies): 17.70 euro

Combined ticket with Musée Rodin: 16.70 euro

Musée de l’Orangerie (7.50 euro at museum)

FNAC: 9.10 euro, valid one year, no restriction on days or times. CAN BE PRINTED OR COLLECTED. Direct entry.

Combined ticket with Musée d’Orsay: 17.70

Musée de Rodin (10.80 euro at museum)

Single tickets for the museum, currently valid until 01/09/2013, are only available on-line at http://www.digitick.com/index-css5-museerodin-lgen-pg1.html. TO BE DOWNLOADED ON MOBILE.

FNAC: Combined with Musée d’Orsay only: 16.70. CAN BE PRINTED OR COLLECTED.

Palais de Versailles (15 euro at palace)

FNAC: 16.80 CAN BE PRINTED OR COLLECTED. You must choose a specific day and time slot.

Eiffel Tower (14.50 at tower)

Not sold by FNAC, but on the official website of the Eiffel Tower: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/en/preparing-your-visit/buying-your-tickets.html

Specific date and time (book at least 48 hours ahead of time). CAN BE PRINTED OR DOWNLOADED ON YOUR PHONE.

MUSEUM PASS http://en.parismuseumpass.com/.

You can book on-line or buy the pass at Charles de Gaulle and other outlets including the Paris Tourist Office: 2 days for 39 euro, 4 days for 54 euro, 6 days for 69 euro.

The full list includes Sainte Chapelle, Arc de Triomphe, Cluny, etc. It does not include the Eiffel Tower.

A brief calculation shows that it is worth buying a pass if you intend to go to at least 4 museums in 2 days, 5 museums in 4 days or 7 museums in 6 days.

Paris, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Everyday Paris

June 17, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

We’re about to leave on a one-month holiday, cycling along the Danube from Ulm to Budapest. Fortunately, the floods have subsided and most of the bike paths should be open again. So this Monday’s photos are of Paris – just shots I’ve taken over the last few days, mainly in my neighbourhood, the sort of “everyday” Paris that is a part of my life.

A neighbourhood spread at Place Malraux, opposite the Louvre

East European buskers who are often in the metro

French children on a school excursion drawing the law courts opposite

The conciergerie which has now been completely renovated.

My Sunday morning market at Sainte Eustache

A café in rue Montorgueil on a Sunday morning

Cycling, France, Paris, Sightseeing

How to Experience France on a Budget – Cycle Path from D-Day Beaches to Mont-Saint-Michel Open – Two books that take you off the beaten track in Paris

June 12, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

Welcome to Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up. To start, Petite Paris gives tips on how to experience Paris on a budget, with a list of free things to do. Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike then takes us from the D-Day beaches to Mont Saint Michel by bike while Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us off the beaten track in Paris, first by bike and then by metro. Enjoy!

How to experience Paris on a Budget. Without compromising quality or quantity. And free!!!

by Petite Paris, an Australian-based service for Australian travellers and fellow Francophiles

Here are our local tips and secrets on how to cut corners (and lines), avoid expensive tourist traps and overall save your precious Paris pennies with some smart, practical city advice.

TIP: sometimes a glass of red is more worthwhile than a coffee. 3-4euro per cup/glass.

a. Museum Madness

· Free entrance to museums: On the first Sunday of each month for all major museums run by the City of Paris Includes: The Louvre; Musee moyen Age; Musee d’Orsay; Musee National Picasso; Musee Rodin; Musee Quai Branly and Centre Pompidou. Read more

Cycle Path From D-Day Beaches to Mont-Saint-Michel Open

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Just in time for the summer season, a new bicycling path has opened from the D-Day beaches to Mont Saint Michel. On this route through Normandy, cyclists will have the opportunity to pass through the Regional Park of the Cotentin and the Bessin wetlands and test their athletic skills on the itinerary that runs through the Gorges of the Vire Valley. The reward at the end of the route, the magnificent Mont-Saint-Michel. The complete itinerary is about 120 miles, passing through the beautiful medieval town of Bayeux and the Abbey of Juaye-Mondaye. Read more

Two books that will take you off the beaten track: “Paris by Bike” and “Discover Paris by Metro”

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

I haven’t done a lot of cycling in Paris, mainly because I’m afraid of all the crazy drivers, but one of my best memories is of a magical afternoon when Joseph the Butler, Stéphane and I biked to the Bois de Boulogne for a picnic. Circling around the Lac Inférieur with a backpack full of cheese, foie gras, champagne and a baguette, we paused for a moment to watch a small boy diligently rowing his father across the placid lake and a family playing croquet on the shore. It felt as if we were a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets.

Closerie Falaiseau, France, Loire Valley, Paris, Travelling

Beyond the Eiffel Tower: An Insider’s guide to Paris with Frugal First Class Travel

June 10, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

Regular readers will already be familiar with Jo Karnaghan and her Frugal First Class Travel blog from my Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up series. She recently asked me if I would agree to an interview and here is the result. And click on some of her other posts while you’re there – Jo has some wonderful suggestions and information for those who like to “travel in the most luxurious way we can afford, at the cheapest price – spending money on the things that are important to us, but saving money on the things that are less important”.

BEYOND THE EIFFEL TOWER: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO PARIS

Hi Frugalistas!

Do you wish you had a best friend who lived in Paris? One who could fill you in on all those places that only locals know about? Or are you someone who is terrified at the thought of tackling Paris on your own? Either way, help is at hand! Rosemary of the blog Aussie in France agreed to an interview with me recently to share some of her favorite secrets with we Frugalistas. Having lived in Paris since 1975, Rosemary is the perfect person to help us find the best of Paris beyond the Eiffel Tower and I was delighted she was willing to share her experience with us. Read more

Art, France, Paris, Sightseeing

Acting French in Paris – Creating the French look – Chateau de Mery and Auvers-sur-Oise

May 28, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

On this Wednesday’s blogger round-up, we have Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney giving us tips on how to make the most out of a visit to the Eiffel Tower, Jill from Gigi’s French Window giving her interpretation of French decorating styles and Abby from Paris Weekender describing a visit to Méry and Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh lived his last days before taking his own life. Enjoy!

Acting French in Paris

by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider

One of the great things about living in the French Alps is that it’s so totally different to life in big French cities. When I go to Paris, I’m a tourist: loud noises grap my attention, the Metro is confusing, and I need a map to know where I’m going.

If this alternative angle photo of one of the world’s most recognised landmarks doesn’t already give it away, I spent the weekend in Paris with the French in-laws who live there. Read more

Creating the French look

by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life

At the moment I’m working my way through a book titled Creating the French look by Annie Sloan, which covers eight different french decorating styles, inspirational ideas and 25 step-by-step projects. A great read.

I purchased it because I was curious to see which would stand out to be MY favourite style, but as it so happens , I appear to have a ‘mélange’ of french tastes. I should have known it wouldn’t be as clear cut as that! I mean to say, there are EIGHT different styles……and none are exactly what I would choose??? Let’s have a look together, and you tell me which style resonates with you :). Read more

Château de Méry and Auvers-sur-Oise

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

This weekend, I was invited to the beautiful wedding of two close friends at the Château de Méry in Méry-sur-Oise, located about 30 kilometers or 45 minutes north of Paris on the SNCF (local train) in the Parc Vexin. With its traditional château and chapel and ultra-modern hotel on the château grounds, this made for the perfect wedding venue. Congratulations, my friends!

As the wedding was in the evening, a friend and I decided to take advantage of the first sunny day in the Paris area in three weeks, so we headed to the Val d’Oise (Valley of the Oise River) in the morning. After leaving our bags at the château, we walked about 15 minutes through the town of Méry and across the Oise River to Auvers-sur-Oise, famous as the residence and final resting place of Vincent Van Gogh and his younger brother Theo. Read more

5:2 diet

by Jacqueline Meldrum, from Tinned Tomatoes, a self-taught cook and baker, who has been cooking and baking for over 24 years and whose interest in food really developed when she became a vegetarian 22 years ago.

Back to Paris Basics – Navigating the Metro

by Petite Paris, an Australian-based service for Australian travellers and fellow Francophiles

The Perplexing Phenomenon of the Double Giratoire

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

Why Daisy Came to France

Sunday’s Picture and a Song: Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale)

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

On the third day she rested…

by Sylvie from Finding Noon, an American living in Paris who appreciates fine art, good music, succulent food, and breath taking scenery

Bicycling in Provence: A Very Sad Au Revoir

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

RESTAURANTS – mytable.com

MUSEUMS

FNAC

PARIS TOURIST OFFICE (CONVENTION AND VISITORS’ BUREAU)

Musée du Louvre (11 euro at museum)

Musée d’Orsay (9 euro at museum)

Musée de l’Orangerie (7.50 euro at museum)

Musée de Rodin (10.80 euro at museum)

Palais de Versailles (15 euro at palace)

Eiffel Tower (14.50 at tower)

How to experience Paris on a Budget. Without compromising quality or quantity. And free!!!

Cycle Path From D-Day Beaches to Mont-Saint-Michel Open

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Two books that will take you off the beaten track: “Paris by Bike” and “Discover Paris by Metro”

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

BEYOND THE EIFFEL TOWER: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO PARIS

Acting French in Paris

Creating the French look

by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life

Château de Méry and Auvers-sur-Oise

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

from the Tropics to the City of Light