march-2011

170 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Paris
France
Temple, tel: 01 4274
4432) A trendy neobistro
overlooking the
gardens of the Picasso
Museum, specialising
in organic, free-range
fi sh, meats and
vegetables. Lunch is
more casual, while
dinner attracts the
hip Marais crowd.
UP TO €50 Julien
(16 Rue du Faubourg
St-Denis, 10th, tel: 01
4770 1206) The heart
of a bustling ethnic
market street is an
unlikely location for
a gorgeous brasserie,
but once you slope
inside you soon
forget about the
stalls outside. On
the menu are classic
French dishes
such as cassoulet,
sole meunière and
profi teroles with
Valrhona hot
chocolate. Valet
parking is available
for those who arrive
in true style.
EXCLUSIVE Les
Ombres (Musée du
Quai Branly, 27 Quai
Branly, 7th, tel: 01
4753 6800) Relax
in a striking setting
beneath a glass-andmetal
ceiling, with
views of the Eiff el Tower
and the Seine. The
exotic décor mirrors
the museum’s primitive
arts collection, but
the food is decidedly
contemporary French.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY L’Entracte
des Gobelins (75
Avenue des Gobelins,
tel: 01 4331 0229)
Located opposite two
movie theatres, this
typical French bar is
a great place to stop
for a quick meal, a
baguette sandwich
or just a drink, and is
open every day from
7am to 2am. There
are newspapers,
magazines, several
TV screens and
friendly staff , plus
a festive atmosphere
for St Patrick’s Day.
LIVE MUSIC Pop In
(105 Rue Amelot,
tel: 01 4805 5611) This
scruff y little music
bar on the edge of
the Marais and Bastille
districts has live
music DJs on Fridays
and Saturdays, open
mic nights on Sundays,
and live bands from
all over the world
on the tiny basement
stage on Mondays
to Thursdays – without
an entrance fee.
LATE & LIVELY
Favela Chic (18
Rue du Faubourg du
Temple, tel: 01 4021
3814) This popular
Brazilian restaurantbar-nightclub
near
République is one of the
sure bets in east Paris
for lively booty shaking
until dawn. Entry is
free from Tuesday to
Thursday, and €10
(including a drink) on
Friday and Saturday,
when the DJs get the
crowd up on the tables
(literally) until 4am.
THIS MONTH
SHOP If Julia Child
has inspired you to try
your hand at French
cooking, a good place
to start is with the
best cooking supplies.
Check out the newly
opened Atelier
Cuisiner de Geneviève
Lethu (Passy Plaza,
53 Rue de Passy,
tel: 01 4525 8484).
SEE Paris is the place
for cinema-lovers, and
this month you can
catch the Printemps
du Cinéma festival
from 20–22 March,
with all fi lms just €3.50
– a real bargain in this
city (printempsdu
cinema.com).
GO St-Germaindes-Prés
(6th) was
once considered the
intellectual district
of Paris, but the
existentialists and
surrealists of the
1950s and 1960s have
been slowly replaced
by high-end art
galleries, home décor
shops and fashion
boutiques. Spend an
afternoon sipping
a crème on the terrace
CHÂTEAU
D’ANGERS
ESCAPE Angers
is one of the most
vibrant towns in the
Loire Valley. Escape
the city and visit the
historic chateau and its
Apocalypse Tapestry,
the majestic cathedral
at the top of the stairs.
of historic Les Deux
Magots (6 Place
St-Germain-des-
Prés) and enjoy the
swank procession of
the Left Bank’s most
fashionable locals.
GO Bastille is not only
the historic rallying
point for all public
protests since the
French Revolution: the
neighbourhood is also
known for its many
bars and nightclubs,
the Opéra Bastille,
and one of the largest
open-air markets in
Paris (Thursday and
Sunday mornings).
ESCAPE The historic
town of Beauvais, just
45 minutes’ north
of Paris by train, is
known for its
magnifi cent Cathedral
St Pierre, which has
the tallest vault in
the world. Also
worth a look is the
contemporary tapestry
museum (beauvais.fr).
NO WAY!
In the fi rst room of
Musée Carnavalet,
which is dedicated to
the history of Paris,
you’ll fi nd a large
cylindrical ceramic
container with a spout
at the bottom. No, it
isn’t a large beer keg.
It’s what all bourgeois
households used to
hold water for the
week before indoor
plumbing was
widespread. It even
had a layer of charcoal
to fi lter the water
(which was carried
in buckets from the
Seine by the poor).
Heather Stimmler-Hall
TENUTA SAN PIETRO LUXURY HOTEL & RESTAURANT
Ideal location for: Weddings, Cooking lessons,
Wine tasting, Olive oil tasting & Relaxing weekends
Via per San Pietro, 22/26. San Pietro a Marcigliano. Lucca
Tel: +39 0583.92.66.76 | Gsm: +39 392.989.24.97 | Fax: +39 0583.92.66.78
info@tenuta-san-pietro.com | www.tenuta-san-pietro.com
Pisa
Italy
DIALLING CODE +39
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
Berlin, Bristol,
London (LGW, LTN),
Paris (ORY)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs €7.
Route 3 stops
at Pisa Central.
Tickets: €0.77.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30 Pizzeria
Bella Napoli (44 Via del
Borghetto, tel: 050 578
520) Naples claims to
have the best pizza in
Italy, and this pizzeria
creates them in the
traditional Neapolitan
way. Order the classic
margherita with
mozzarella di bufala, or
topped with anchovies
and capers, cooked in
a wood-burning oven.
EXCLUSIVE India
(52 Via Roma, tel:
050 48513) Expect
authentic Indian
cuisine served in a
sumptuous atmosphere
with traditional
music playing in the
background. Fit
for a maharajah.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Caff etteria
delle Vettovaglie (33
Piazza delle Vettovaglie)
A café in the old market
place, where you can
relax after dinner with
a cocktail or glass
of wine and listen
to great live jazz.
LATE & LIVELY La
Bugia (Via San Frediano,
tel: 050 500 220) A
great place to while
away the night with big
sandwiches, DJ music
and plenty of beer.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Upmarket shops
on Corso Italia on the
other side of the Arno
off er the new spring/
summer collection of
fi ne Italian fashion. If it’s
food you want to take
home, fi ll your pantry
shelves with typical
Tuscan products from
shops on Via St Maria.
SEE The community of
Montopoli in Val D’Arno,
in collaboration with the
Slow Food movement,
presents a gastronomic
feast from 16–17 March
(montopoli.net). If
you prefer culture
to cravings, Teatro
Politeama in Cascina
presents a rock drama
inspired by the timeless
songs of the Fab Four,
from 24–25 March
(lacittadelteatro.it).
NO WAY!
Pisa-born Galileo
Galilei was under house
arrest in Florence for
heresy, and forbidden to
discuss his astronomic
discoveries with anyone,
when he died in 1642.
Silvia Falsaperla