Discover this year’s latest models in the sailing world at the Salon Nautique International de Paris, one of the most important sailing exhibitions in France and Europe.
More than 271,000 spectators are expected to attend the event, which will feature more than 1200 exhibitors and 1400 brands, all representing around 25 countries.
The annual show has expanded this year to accommodate new exhibitors, leaders in the sectors of motorboating, fishing and diving.
Read the rest of this entry »
Montmartre is a fascinating mixture of old and new, seedy and sacred, bizarre and blas?. Within this section of Paris, technically the 18th arrondissement, there is everything from Moulin Rouge and Mus?e d’Erotisme to the Sacr? Coeur Basilica. There are several art shops, a Dali museum and even a winery.
(Note: An ‘arrondissement’ is a district, laid out around Paris clockwise, with the 1st at the center of the clock face.)
There are steep hills in parts, so be prepared for a hike, particularly up to the Basilica. But there are cobblestoned streets, too, with antique shops and ‘bistros’.
Whether seen by a long, leisurely walk or from one of the many excellent tour boats, the view along the Seine in Paris is a delight.
The river flows nearly 800km (480mi) from Dijon through Paris and into the English Channel. But even the short section through the city provides enough sights to satisfy the most discerning traveler.
La Tour Eiffel can be seen changing shades from cocoa to gold as dusk fades to dark. The lights along its four pillars melding into the spire are only one of the many sights not to be missed.
Tags: Paris, The, Seine, RiverSecond only to the Eiffel Tower as the recognized symbol of France, the Cath?drale Notre Dame is both a tourist destination and a working church.
Built between 1163AD and 1345AD the Gothic masterpiece remains today one of the world’s great structures. The enormous interior can seat 6,000 at the base. But, for many, the major attraction is the 387-step climb to the top of the famous towers.
Once reached via that winding, narrow passageway the visitor enters a large area dominated by a huge church bell and spectacular sights. From here it’s easy to imagine the fictional Quasimodo (the Hunchback of Notre Dame) ringing the 13-ton bell and clambering on the gargoyles around the perimeter.
Tags: Paris, Notre, DameTranslated from the French, the title means ‘City of Lights’. By now a commonplace description, there’s nothing commonplace about the place. Paris, for those who love… well, anything, is stellar.
With over 2 million inhabitants, 11 million in the Ile-de-France region overall, Paris is a metropolis second to none. A center of world culture for centuries, it hosts the most up-to-date museums alongside its ancient sites and sights.
Despite the enormous population and the ever present cars, there are nonetheless numerous oases scattered around the city. Even today, parts of the Seine can offer a quiet walk down the banks of one of Europe’s most famous rivers. Here the many bridges are both artistic and functional, in true Gallic style.
Tags: Paris, Ville, Lumi??re‘Maison’ is French for ‘house’. In this case the word is slightly misleading. While no palace, though sited in the Place des Vosges - originally known as Place Royale - the site is no simple domicile. These sprawling apartments were the home of the famed writer between 1832 and 1848. Hugo fled from the revolution in that year.
Hugo was the author of such well-known (if less widely read) works such as Les Mis?rables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also penned lesser known, but far superior works, such as Ninety-Three and The Man Who Laughs.
A treat even for those with only a passing interest in literature, the Victor Hugo museum is chock full of drawings, mementos, 19th century furniture and more. The Chinese salon from Hugo’s house on Guernsey has been relocated here, as well.
Tags: Paris, Maison, Victor, Hugo
As you approach the gates of Versailles you inescapably have the feeling of entering not a palace but an entire city. The impression is justified given the massive scale of the building and the even larger grounds.
Beginning as a modest ch??teau of stone and slate to serve as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII (13th), Versailles blossomed - figuratively and literally - during the reign of his son. By 1682, after 20 years of work, the ‘Sun King’ took up residence… and then building really began.
Tags: Paris, Versailles
Though less artistic than its older cousin of Porte Saint-Denis, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile is the more famous and far larger. Set atop the hill of Chaillot it forms the center from which radiates a dozen busy Parisian avenues.
There are in fact several “Arc de Triomphe’s” in Paris. A large arch with two thick towers surmounted by a large horizontal section has been a popular architectural feature since the time of Louis XIV (the ‘14th’) in the late 17th century.
Tags: Paris, Arc, Triomphe
Not merely a boulevard, the Champs-Elys?es has justly earned its name. In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields was the resting place of heroes who dwelt in perfect happiness. Fortunately, visitors don’t have to die to reach it. Though you may think so after making your way through the French airports and into Paris.
This tree-lined avenue begins at the Arc de Triomphe and ends 2km (1.2mi) east at the Egyptian Obelisk, through the 8th arrondissement. An ‘arrondissement’ is a district. Paris is divided into twenty with the first at the center and the others winding clockwise around it.
Tags: Paris, Champs-Elys?esKnown to Parisians simply as Beaubourg (after the neighborhood), The Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges-Pompidou is a museum of modern art rivaling the best in New York or London.
By design, so to speak, the architecture of the 1977 building is in sharp contrast to the traditional surrounding houses of Paris’ oldest district.
Looking like a cross between a hyper-modern factory joined to a low-rise office building, it accurately reflects its contents. The red, blue and green pipes on the rear are only one example of the tradition busting goals of its makers.
Tags: Paris, Pompidou, Center