Built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower is a marvel of the Industrial Age and trumpets progress and man’s ingenuity. Meanwhile, centered on the Isle de la Cite, Notre Dame sits atop what centuries ago was a Roman temple. For more information on the Rick Steves’ Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com. Paris Guide –
copyright 2012 Lisa B. Falour, BS, MBA all rights reserved LISA, INC. (EURL) cutecatfaith.com We spent a week in Rome, Italy once on a package tour, and the weather was very mild — we only had rain on the last half of the last day we were there (and then it was horrible!). Never visit Paris in July or August, and forget about April, for that matter. January is your bargain time here, but is not for everyone! Epiphany lasts about a week and the ambiance is pleasant and convivial, as much as you could expect from Parisians, who are notoriously shut down, anyway, and then, the horror of January sets in, with cold, bleak days and a high rate of suicide as taxes fall due. It’s known as “black January.” For cause. People die of “natural causes” the most in August in France, and January is suicide month. As long as you’re prepared to do “inside stuff,” January might be a bargain for you in Paris, France. I am a private tour guide and facilitate business here, also — among other things — all legal and declared. If you really like Spring flowers, visit here in March, but never during Easter school holidays — STAY OUT OF EUROPE DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAY TIME. By April, Spring has past, and in early May, we usually get a killer heat wave! The French consider air conditioning unhealthy, and there are no screens on the windows. The flies and mosquitoes are really nasty here. You have been warned! They eat everything which flies in France, including the flies, I’ve said for years now … Paris Guide –
The Orsay Gallery, famous for its much-loved collection of Impressionist masterpieces, fills a magnificent building once used as a train station with art from 1848 to 1914. Old World meets the modern world in these halls, resulting in conservative and revolutionary pieces side by side. For more information on the Rick Steves’ Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com. Paris Guide –
In Part 3 of this video series about traveling the waterways of France on a tug boat, Richard Goodwin first stops at the Place de la Bastille. This is the traditional venue for all Parisian street protests ever since the storming of the notorious Bastille Prison which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. Whilst we were there the famous Tour de France rode past on the final stage of their race around France. Then we visit the Faubourg St. Antoine which is the centre of the French furniture business. Then we come to one of the most amazing timber stores in the world where they have amongst other logs some mahogany from Cuba which arrived before the French Revolution in 1789. We see how they make veneers here. We then see veneering in some of the many workshops of the area and also many of the brass fittings and decorations they make to decorate their furniture. We then see my niece Elisabeth try on some fancy jewellery. My next visit in this extraordinary district was to a man who restored marble statues to their former glory. He also showed us a table top he was making with stones from all over the world, from South Africa and Oregon. One of the most famous French sons of the late 19th. century was Frou Frou, literally the sound of a woman’s skirt as she walked along. Here we see a man making the folding sheets of cardboard which are pierced to allow through the air which feeds the pipes of his mechanical organ. Then on to the cheapest food market in Paris, the A … Paris Guide –
