Picasso Normandy Landings Leslie Caron Les Apéritifs Eco-Friendly
Picasso Normandy Landings Leslie Caron Les Apéritifs Eco-Friendly
Picasso Normandy Landings Leslie Caron Les Apéritifs Eco-Friendly
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FranceGuide<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong><br />
Retracing the steps of a master<br />
<strong>Normandy</strong> <strong>Landings</strong><br />
65th anniversary of D-day<br />
<strong><strong>Les</strong>lie</strong> <strong>Caron</strong><br />
Star of An American in Paris<br />
<strong>Les</strong> <strong>Apéritifs</strong><br />
So famously French<br />
<strong>Eco</strong>-<strong>Friendly</strong> France<br />
Welcoming a new era<br />
of responsible tourism<br />
2009
The elegance of French Style,<br />
gourmet cuisine and exquisite wines,<br />
complimentary Champagne in all classes, attention to detail<br />
MAKING THE SKY THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH.<br />
AIRFRANCE.COM
© La Lucarne aux Chouettes<br />
INTRO<br />
What made you fall in love with Burgundy?<br />
Filmmaker Jean Renoir was like a second father to me. He and<br />
his wife were my family in Hollywood. He used to talk to me<br />
about Burgundy because his mother was from there. Burgundy<br />
has a quality that Renoir had—something very solid, yet simple.<br />
It’s not flat, nor boring. It’s a countryside comprised of lovely, soft<br />
hills, full of vineyards, corn, and wheat. The farms have towers,<br />
there’s an awful lot of stone and it has remained very authentic,<br />
and has not been ruined by modern or tacky buildings. I never<br />
lived in the country and was impressed by the labor of love that<br />
goes into working the land over thousands of years. It’s very<br />
pleasing to the soul.<br />
What inspired you to create your auberge?<br />
I wanted to own something in the region, and I bought a mill house.<br />
One day, when driving, I saw these little seventeenth-century<br />
abandoned warehouses. My son and I fell in love with the humble<br />
buildings and bought them. We were going to restore and offer<br />
them to our friends for weekend places like D.H. Lawrence did<br />
for his circle. But that was extremely expensive and we had to<br />
do something commercial.<br />
Were you going for an esthetic?<br />
My main preoccupation was to preserve the building’s authentic<br />
look and not make it very fancy. It’s intimate and has a sort<br />
of rustic elegance with four bedrooms with oak beams and<br />
four-poster beds. I didn’t go far to find antique furniture because<br />
antique fairs are nearby. I either painted or bought the pictures<br />
on the bedroom walls. I love to paint.<br />
Auberge La Lucarne aux Chouettes Restaurant <strong><strong>Les</strong>lie</strong> <strong>Caron</strong><br />
© Academy of motion picture Arts and Sciences<br />
LESLIE CAROn<br />
FILM LEGEnD LESLIE CAROn TALKS ABOuT HER<br />
CHARMInG AuBERGE LA LuCARnE Aux CHOuETTES,<br />
BuRGunDy’S ALLuRE, HER EvER-FLOuRISHInG<br />
CAREER, AnD WHy SHE DOES nOT InTEnD TO<br />
SLOW DOWn.<br />
By JERyL BRunnER<br />
How do you feel about the re-release of An American in Paris?<br />
I’m thrilled about it. It may be fifty-seven years ago but it feels like yesterday. I was quite scared<br />
when I made the film. I had never acted; I was just a ballet dancer and extremely shy. I didn’t really<br />
speak English. It was only after my second or third film that I really started to know my way and<br />
enjoy filming. But Gene (Kelly) was wonderful—like an older brother protecting and teaching me.<br />
The movie was filmed entirely in California and Gene’s house was open on weekends. On Saturday<br />
nights, he and his wife, Betsy Blair, hosted great musical evenings with Judy Garland or Lena Horne<br />
singing, or André Previn playing the piano.<br />
This past October, you were honored at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at a<br />
special screening of the new digital restoration of Gigi.<br />
Gigi was one of my most satisfying movies. It’s full of joy, and about a girl who liberated herself<br />
from her background and was triumphant. I am influenced by every part I play and this role gave<br />
me an optimistic, positive attitude and was a great boost. Before I came to America, I lived through<br />
the war in France during the occupation and was a melancholy person.<br />
How do you choose roles?<br />
I always see if I can make someone humanly recognizable. I don’t like parts that seem phony. I like<br />
roles with human emotion, be it funny or sad.<br />
So what is next for you?<br />
I’m putting together a straight play in America. It’s too early to talk about but we would start in the<br />
provinces and hopefully go off Broadway. It’s a terrific undertaking but I am writing my memoirs<br />
to be published next summer. People kept telling me I ought to write them. I was always galloping<br />
forward and never wanted to look back.<br />
What do you hope people learn from your memoirs?<br />
Everyone thinks I’m so sweet and nice; they’re going to find out differently. (Laughs)<br />
Do you consider yourself an icon?<br />
Oh, dear, dear. I don’t know what an icon means. I’m not someone who could ever consider retiring.<br />
And I suppose that, in some way, people are impressed by the fact that I’m still around.<br />
1
There’s an art to the perfect <strong>Picasso</strong> tour. It begins with relaxed rail travel that starts in Barcelona<br />
and ends in Provence, allowing you to gain understanding of his masterworks while being<br />
immersed in the environments and culture that inspired them.<br />
A comprehensive journey must begin with the famous Museum <strong>Picasso</strong> in Barcelona, Spain: a<br />
museum that plays homage to the city where <strong>Picasso</strong> first apprenticed and truly discovered<br />
himself as a young artist. It was also in Barcelona where he met fellow artist Carlos Casagemas,<br />
whose later suicide was believed to have contributed to <strong>Picasso</strong>’s own depression and led to<br />
his groundbreaking Blue Period. This museum, built at <strong>Picasso</strong>’s own behest, is home to 3,800<br />
of his original works.<br />
you can then travel overnight on the Elipsos overnight train, leaving Barcelona at 9 p.m. and<br />
arriving in downtown Paris at 9 a.m., just in time for the opening of the <strong>Picasso</strong> Museum there.<br />
Housed in an exquisite 17th-century mansion, it follows <strong>Picasso</strong>’s development from 1894-1972<br />
and is dedicated solely to him with more than 250 paintings, 160 sculptures, 1,500 drawings,<br />
ceramics and his entire engraving works. Equally eye opening is the display of <strong>Picasso</strong>’s<br />
private art collection, from primitive nimba masks to paintings by Renoir, as well as intimate<br />
photographs chronicling his passion, life and intensity. Consider getting a Paris Museum Pass*<br />
from Rail Europe for entrance to this museum as well as many others for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive<br />
days—a great way to avoid a blue period of your own.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong>’s Nu assis sur fond vert (1946)—Musée <strong>Picasso</strong>, Antibes<br />
© Succession <strong>Picasso</strong> 2009<br />
ADvERTISEMEnT<br />
FOLLOWInG PICASSO’S<br />
FOOTSTEPS—By TRAIn<br />
© Rail Europe<br />
© Jean-Louis Andral<br />
Musée <strong>Picasso</strong>, Antibes
Train station, nice<br />
Still, when it comes to Paris, <strong>Picasso</strong> is only the tip of the art iceberg. With so much to see, you might want to consider a Paris visite<br />
Pass*. Choose a 1, 2, 3 or 5-day pass and see as much of the Louvre, the Orsay Museum or modern-day masters as you like while<br />
accessing Paris public transportation with ease. not to mention the time to indulge in the other famous Paris art form, dining.<br />
Leaving Paris is always hard, but at least you can make it quick with a high-speed TGv train. In less than three hours, you’ll arrive<br />
in Aix-en-Provence, home to the artist many including <strong>Picasso</strong> considered the father of modern art: Paul Cezanne. It was Cezanne’s<br />
two-dimensional compositions that later developed into cubism. you can visit Cezanne’s studio during a special <strong>Picasso</strong>-Cezanne<br />
show May 25 - September 27, 2009 at the Musée Granet. France Railpass holders will even receive a discounted entrance fee.<br />
Of course, there’s no better last stop than vauvenargues, the picturesque village castle where <strong>Picasso</strong> lived and is buried. For the<br />
duration of this special exhibit, shuttle service will be available from the museum in Aix-en-Provence to his castle in vauvenargues,<br />
usually closed to the public.<br />
From Provence, you’ll again travel on a TGv to nice. In less than three hours, you can see the fruits of a sometimes friendly but always<br />
creative rivalry between <strong>Picasso</strong> and Matisse. Touring the scenic Matisse museum will give you the context to compare approaches<br />
and techniques as they did, each man seeking to outdo the other in a painterly version of one-upsmanship. It will not only bring to life<br />
the time <strong>Picasso</strong> lived in, but the tempestuous, competitive and brilliant man he was.<br />
This journey concludes with a gentle ride on the local train from nice to Antibes, a short 20-minute trip. Here, you’ll find a stunning<br />
permanent exhibit at the <strong>Picasso</strong> Museum. Twenty-three <strong>Picasso</strong> paintings and 44 drawings that were selected and donated by<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong> himself, esteemed works that include Le Gobeur d’oursins and La Femme aux oursins. As if that weren’t enough, other<br />
important artists of the 20th century are displayed here as well.<br />
FOLLOWInG THE PATH OF An ARTIST<br />
WHO FOLLOWED nO OnE—PICASSO.<br />
This is one example of a fulfilling <strong>Picasso</strong> itinerary, but what if you’d rather plan your own? After all, <strong>Picasso</strong> never did things the way<br />
everyone else did either. Anywhere, Anytime France TM * from Rail Europe might be just the ticket. Included in its money-saving flat fee<br />
is 1st Class rail travel anywhere in France, even on the TGv. And you can book your trip from three months in advance to an hour before<br />
your train departs through an online account. If spontaneity is more your style there’s the France Pass, which gives you unlimited travel<br />
on the national rail network of France with your choice of days within a one-month period. And of course, you can always choose to<br />
buy individual trip tickets from Rail Europe for city-to-city excursions.<br />
While <strong>Picasso</strong> was a complex, intense and often difficult man, at Rail Europe we don’t think learning about him should be. That’s<br />
why we offer so many ways to make your pilgrimage comfortable, relaxing, and indulgent every step of the way. If you’d like more<br />
information or help planning your own journey, visit the European rail experts at raileurope.com. And get everything you need for<br />
a perfect trip in one single, brilliant brushstroke.<br />
*Only available for north America and the Caribbean.<br />
raileurope.com
© Pekka nuikki<br />
© MDLF/Catherine Bibollet © Courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme<br />
FranceGuide 2009<br />
Hotel, château and vinotherapy spa, Bordeaux<br />
4<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
TABLE OF COnTEnTS<br />
inTrO<br />
1 <strong><strong>Les</strong>lie</strong> <strong>Caron</strong><br />
Film legend <strong><strong>Les</strong>lie</strong> <strong>Caron</strong> talks about her charming<br />
auberge, Burgundy’s allure, and her career<br />
Jeryl Brunner<br />
8 A Taste of France in 2009<br />
A sampling of some of the most important events<br />
in France this year<br />
FrAnCe in 2009<br />
11 Chasing <strong>Picasso</strong><br />
Several major exhibitions are putting <strong>Picasso</strong><br />
in the spotlight the whole year round<br />
Julien Bisson<br />
16 Modern Art Makes it to Metz<br />
The Centre Pompidou’s sister museum<br />
opening soon in Metz<br />
Becca Hensley<br />
17 French Flower Power<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Floralies Internationales flower show<br />
Dan Heching<br />
19 Artful Detour to Troyes<br />
Masterful and sacred sixteenth-century sculpture<br />
Becca Hensley<br />
20 65th Anniversary of D Day<br />
The sixty-fifth anniversary of D day on June 6 expected<br />
to be the last milestone that war veterans will attend<br />
Steve MacNaull<br />
HiSTOry & CuLTure<br />
23 Design for Life<br />
normandy is designer Anne Fontaine’s refuge<br />
Jeryl Brunner<br />
24 A Voyage to the Heart of French Art<br />
How French craftsmanship became the benchmark<br />
for excellence around the world<br />
Marilane Borges<br />
26 Boules<br />
A centuries-old sport still popular today—it’s how<br />
the French test their metal<br />
Peter Wortsman<br />
© Photo CnAC/MnAM, Dist. RMn/<br />
Droits réservés - Succession <strong>Picasso</strong><br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
28 Where Writers Wrote<br />
Sites where great ideas were born are faithfully preserved<br />
Peter Wortsman<br />
30 Celebrity Open House<br />
The homes of some of France’s most iconic<br />
legends now open to the public<br />
Ilona Kauremszky<br />
32 The Living Horse Museum<br />
Chantilly’s monument to the glory of the horse<br />
Tom Reeves<br />
FOOD & Wine<br />
35 La Baguette Magique<br />
An unmistakable symbol of France, the baguette<br />
is on every table, at every meal<br />
Louise Gaboury<br />
36 Culinary Heritage<br />
Following the roots of food and wine to<br />
their source in Languedoc-Roussillon<br />
Terry Ward<br />
38 Crazy for Cru<br />
Le Cinq’s restaurant director Eric Beaumard named<br />
best sommelier in France and in the world<br />
Jeryl Brunner<br />
40 Bountiful Butter<br />
Butter is the magic in cooking, and the best butter<br />
in the world can be found in France<br />
Seth Fishman<br />
41 nuts about nougat!<br />
This Montélimar specialty has become one of<br />
the most popular candies in the world<br />
Julien Bisson<br />
43 Bouchons Lyonnais<br />
Lyonnais versions of the Parisian bistro deliver<br />
unique and delicious meals<br />
Sylvie Bigar<br />
44 Only the Best<br />
Chef Franck Salein demonstrates the value<br />
of quality, local ingredients<br />
Irvina Lew
© Andree Putman<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
45 Périgord Treasure<br />
Behold the gastronomic and historical treasures<br />
of the Black Périgord in Aquitaine<br />
Julien Bisson<br />
46 <strong>Les</strong> <strong>Apéritifs</strong><br />
A grand tour of France, courtesy of some<br />
of its most historic—and delicious—spirits<br />
Jim Tobler and Jessica Quandt<br />
48 Michelin Takes a Spin Overseas<br />
Michelin Guide Director Jean-Luc naret<br />
has been expanding his horizons<br />
Julien Bisson<br />
On THe gO<br />
51 Secret gardens<br />
The hidden floral landscapes of normandy, the French<br />
Riviera, and Aquitaine are secrets to you no longer<br />
Helena Lunardelli<br />
54 The Spirit of Adventure<br />
The French islands inspire dozens of outdoor activities,<br />
reminding us of the natural side of France<br />
Liz Fleming<br />
56 Ardèche Adventure<br />
River Rafting in Rhône-Alpes<br />
Becca Hensley<br />
58 Surf’s up<br />
Wine isn’t the only commonality between France and California<br />
Carolyn Heinze<br />
59 Cycling in Burgundy<br />
A natural way to tour the region<br />
is to take the green approach<br />
José Antonio Ramalho<br />
61 Volcanoes of Auvergne<br />
A quiet beauty, charming to the very core<br />
Ilona Kauremszki<br />
62 Flea Markets in France<br />
To wander through the flea markets of France is<br />
to discover a thousand and one stories<br />
Violaine Charest-Sigouin<br />
© Gracieuseté Arnaud Delmontel<br />
© MDLF/Catherine Bibollet<br />
fOOd & wINe ON THe gO<br />
OveRseas fRaNce wHeRe TO sTaY<br />
64 Dining for under 35 euros<br />
your inner epicurean will be delighted as you eat where the locals do,<br />
even while you travel on a budget<br />
Nancy Wigston<br />
67 Budget Shopping in France<br />
Insider tips from a lover of France who claims she rarely ever pays retail<br />
Suzy Gershman<br />
69 Paris Populaire<br />
Savoring local flavor in the city of light<br />
Carolyn Heinze<br />
71 Higher ground<br />
views of Paris from above<br />
Carolyn Heinze<br />
OVerSeAS FrAnCe<br />
73 A Taste of Martinique<br />
Martiniquan rum has carried the ultimate French mark of quality since 1996<br />
Eleanor Griffith<br />
76 Two Kinds of Tahiti<br />
Sunny relaxation and trekking adventure, why not do both?<br />
Carly Milne<br />
78 Sounds of the French Caribbean<br />
Kassav’ celebrates its thirtieth anniversary<br />
Chantal Martineau<br />
WHere TO STAy<br />
81 Cruising the Canals<br />
There is no greater adventure than hopping aboard a holiday boat and meandering along<br />
the canals of France on a trip that mixes gastronomy, art, culture, and the exuberance of nature<br />
Marilane Borges<br />
84 Mi Casa, Su Casa<br />
Renting your own place in France has never been so easy<br />
Louise Gaboury<br />
85 Zero-emission Hotels<br />
A variety of green (or almost) settings, without skimping on comfort or luxury<br />
Francine Nascivet<br />
PrACTiCAL inFOrMATiOn<br />
86 regions of France<br />
Everywhere you’ve been, everywhere you’ve yet to go<br />
90 What to Know before you go<br />
96 Look for Franceguide at the Select Locations<br />
© oceandimages.com<br />
© Emmanuelle Bonzami
6<br />
In a year of great changes and economic uncertainty, France and north America are still brought<br />
together by sharing our common culture and values, as well as our differing heritages.<br />
And this year is rich with great events and commemoration for the traveler, including the<br />
65th anniversary of D-Day in normandy, and <strong>Picasso</strong> exhibitions in Provenceand the Rivera.<br />
To our readers, we also want to reveal the secrets of our cities, the views of Paris from the<br />
eyes of a local, the traditional restaurants in Lyon, and the homes of famous writers and icons<br />
in Rouen, Cannes, and Ajaccio.<br />
France is also ready for a new green era, not only by sharing stories about trekking in Tahiti,<br />
and surfing in Aquitaine, but also by welcoming responsible tourism and eco-attitudes.<br />
Welcome to these new experiences and rendez-vous en France!<br />
eDiTOriAL COMMiTTee<br />
Mélanie Paul-Hus, Caroline Putnoki,<br />
Brice Cicconetti, Emmanuel Marcinkowski,<br />
Marguerite Richards, Jean-Philippe Pérol,<br />
and Mina Bouzid<br />
ADVerTiSing SALeS<br />
u.S.A.: Marguerite Richards<br />
Canada: Mélanie Paul-Hus<br />
Brazil: Brice Cicconetti<br />
For all travel information call<br />
FrAnCe-On-CALL HOTLine<br />
514-288-1904 in English and French<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
MAiSOn De LA FrAnCe in THe uniTeD STATeS - Director Americas, Jean-Philippe Pérol<br />
825 Third Avenue, 29th Fl., new york, ny 10022 - tel. 1 212-838-7800 MINEFI<br />
TONS RECOMMANDÉS (4)<br />
- info.us@franceguide.com<br />
MIN_08_1926_France<br />
Doc livré le 20/10/2008<br />
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MAiSOn De LA FrAnCe in CAnADA - Director in Canada, CRÉATION Caroline Putnoki ÉCHELLE 1/1 - FORMAT D’IMPRESSION 100%<br />
PRODUCTION<br />
CONSULTANT<br />
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1800, McGill College, #1010, Montréal (Quebec) H3A 3J6 CLIENT - + QUALITÉ* tel. 1 514-288-2026 - canada@franceguide.com<br />
CARRÉ NOIR - 82, bd des Batignolles - 75017 Paris - FRANCE / Tél. : +33 (0)1 53 42 35 35 / Fax : +33 (0)1 42 94 06 78 / Web : www.carrenoir.com<br />
MAiSOn De LA FrAnCe in BrAZiL - Director Latin America, emmanuel Marcinkowski<br />
Avenida Paulista, 509, 10° andar, São Paulo, Capital CEP 01311-000 - tel. (55) 11 3372-5500<br />
info.br@franceguide.com<br />
MAiSOn De LA FrAnCe in ArgenTinA/CHiLe - Director Argentina, Valérie Verdun<br />
Av. R.S. Peña 648, piso 9° « A », 1035, Buenos Aires - tel. (54-11) 4345-0664 - info.ar@franceguide.com<br />
MAiSOn De LA FrAnCe in MeXiCO<br />
Director Mexico, Anne-Marie Fabre - Deputy Director, Marta Barreneche<br />
Corp. Polanco, Calle Jaime Balmes 8, Of. 802, 11510, Mexico DF<br />
tel. (52-55) 21-22-82-11 - info.mx@franceguide.com<br />
Copyright © Maison de la France, French Government Tourist Office, 2009. Advertised services are offered to bona fide u.S. and Canada<br />
residents at the time the services are rendered. Offers made by Advertisers are strictly subject to the terms and conditions available by<br />
calling the telephone numbers indicated by the respective Advertisers. Some offers may be limited in time and availability. Performance<br />
may be excused by conditions beyond the Advertiser’s control. Reference herein to Maison de la France, French Government Tourist<br />
Office does not imply any responsibility on their part for the satisfactory performance of the advertised services. Advertisers are solely<br />
responsible for performance of services set forth herein or any other services promoted in furtherance of their advertisements. To the best<br />
of our knowledge, information is accurate at the time of publication. Maison de la France, French Government Tourist Office cannot be held<br />
responsible for any possible errors.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
FRAnCEGuIDE 2009 COnTRIBuTORS<br />
DireCTOr in CAnADA<br />
Caroline Putnoki<br />
DireCTOr FOr<br />
THe AMeriCAS<br />
Jean-Philippe Pérol<br />
PuBLiCATiOnS MAnAger<br />
Marguerite Richards<br />
PrODuCTiOn<br />
espresso communications & design<br />
Project Executive: Ariane Rondeau<br />
Art Director: Julie Sigouin<br />
Graphic Design: Olivia Keable and Karine Falco<br />
TrAnSLATiOn<br />
Communications Syllabus<br />
Based in new york City and Bridgehampton,<br />
writer Sylvie Bigar explores the world in search<br />
of culinary delights and vibrant destinations.<br />
She writes regularly for Food Arts, Town<br />
& Country, and Departures.<br />
Julien Bisson is a freelance writer based<br />
in Paris, after living a few years in Italy and<br />
San Francisco. He is now a literary critic<br />
for various cultural publications.<br />
Marilane Borges is a freelance editor who<br />
splits her time between São Paulo and Paris.<br />
Her articles on fashion, art, luxury travel, and<br />
French culture have appeared in the Brazilian<br />
editions of Vogue, Elle, Sax Magazine, L’Uomo,<br />
and França-Brasil.<br />
Jeryl Brunner is a freelance writer who lives<br />
in new york City.<br />
Violaine Charest-Sigouin is a Montréal<br />
journalist who specializes in tourism and<br />
lifestyle. She is an assistant editor at enRoute<br />
magazine and editor-in-chief of Doctor’s<br />
Review à la française.<br />
Seth Fishman is a writer and literary agent<br />
living in new york City.<br />
Liz Fleming, editor of NiagaraLife magazine,<br />
writes the “Gearing up” weekly travel column<br />
and features for the Toronto Star and a syndicated<br />
weekly column, “Great Escapes,” for the<br />
Canadian Press.<br />
Louise gaboury has been a travel writer for<br />
fifteen years. She lives in Montréal and her work<br />
can be read in several Québécois magazines,<br />
among them Bel Age.<br />
Suzy gershman is the author of the Born to Shop<br />
travel guides and lives part-time in the u.S. and<br />
part-time in France. She says she speaks fluent<br />
bad French and hardly ever pays retail. Her book<br />
C’est la Vie can be found at amazon.com.<br />
eleanor griffith is a freelance editor, translator,<br />
and researcher. She is also co-president and<br />
co-founder of the Griffith, Latham & Sharma<br />
Intercultural Institute.<br />
Dan Heching lived in France for three years to<br />
write and continue his love affair with the French<br />
language. Back in new york, he’s been published<br />
in several magazines, including Heeb and HX,<br />
and continues his industrious career as a<br />
Francelator at www.lostinfrancelation.com.<br />
Carolyn Heinze (carolynheinze.blogspot.com)<br />
is a freelance writer/editor.<br />
Dogged bon vivant, Becca Hensley is an<br />
Austin-based travel and lifestyle writer with<br />
a global perspective. Her enthusiasm for<br />
peerless moments in unforgettable places<br />
defines her work. She is a senior travel writer<br />
for Austin Monthly magazine.<br />
Travel writer ilona Kauremszky has visited<br />
numerous destinations but always has a penchant<br />
for France. She writes a weekly travel column<br />
for the Toronto Sun, edits www.mycompass.ca,<br />
and contributes to leading publications across<br />
north America.<br />
irvina Lew is a Francophile, author, freelance<br />
food and travel writer, and former French teacher<br />
who delights in writing about her trips to France<br />
in a variety of publications.<br />
Helena Lunardelli, a resident of São Paulo,<br />
is a florist and owner of the shop that bears her<br />
name. Her new book, entitled Cidade das Flores,<br />
will be published in 2009.<br />
Steve Macnaull is a travel writer and<br />
photographer with the Canadian Press feature<br />
wire, the service available to fifty-one daily<br />
newspapers across the country. He visited<br />
normandy during the D-Day festivals of 2008.<br />
Chantal Martineau is a freelance writer from<br />
Montréal, who is now based in new york City.<br />
She writes about the good things in life: food,<br />
wine, spirits, and travel.<br />
Carly Milne has contributed to Variety, Glamour,<br />
Business Traveler, and many more. Her memoir,<br />
Sexography, was published by Phoenix Books<br />
in 2007. When not traveling the world, she lives<br />
in Los Angeles.<br />
Francine nascivet is passionate about travel<br />
writing and specializes in spas and other holistic<br />
retreats. She has just written her first guide,<br />
<strong>Les</strong> meilleurs spas au Québec (the best spas<br />
in Quebec).<br />
Jessica Quandt is a writer and Francophile living<br />
in new york City. She also writes about France<br />
for www.franceguide.com’s u.S. Web site.<br />
José Antonio ramalho is a writer, photographer,<br />
and journalist. He has published 105 books on<br />
technology, mythology, photography, and his<br />
bicycle adventures around the world.<br />
Tom reeves has been a confirmed<br />
Francophile since he first traveled to France<br />
in 1975. His recently published book Paris<br />
Insights - An Anthology can be previewed at<br />
www.discoverparis.net.<br />
Mônica Salgado is a Brazilian journalist with<br />
an MBA in fashion marketing. As special<br />
projects editor at Carta Editorial, in Brazil,<br />
she coordinates publications such as<br />
Vogue Kids, Vogue Fashion Rio, and Vogue H.<br />
Stern, in addition to writing for Vogue.<br />
Jim Tobler writes frequently on food and wine<br />
in a wide variety of publications. His most recent<br />
sojourn was to the Champagne region, for an<br />
article that appeared in Nuvo magazine. He is<br />
editor of Montecristo magazine, and executive<br />
editor of Wine Access magazine.<br />
Terry Ward is a freelance travel writer based<br />
in Florida. She has lived in Toulouse and Biarritz<br />
and writes regularly for the Washington Post<br />
and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.<br />
nancy Wigston is a Canadian literary critic<br />
and award-winning travel writer. Although<br />
she lives in Toronto, she also feels completely<br />
at home in France, where she has enjoyed<br />
countless good times.<br />
Peter Wortsman’s travel reflection “Confessions<br />
of a Born-Again American Cowboy in France,”<br />
was included in The Best Travel Writing 2009.<br />
In 2008, his play Burning Words was produced<br />
by the Hampshire Shakespeare Company and his<br />
translation of the German classic Travel Pictures<br />
was published by Archipelago Books.
8<br />
A TASTE OF FRAnCE In 2009<br />
© Scott Soens<br />
MARCH<br />
MArCH 27-June 28<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong> 1945-1949 Era of Renewal<br />
This is only one of several major exhibitions throughout<br />
France - <strong>Picasso</strong> is at the heart of events for 2009.<br />
For in-depth event coverage, see pages 11-14.<br />
www.antibesjuanlespins.com<br />
MArCH 10-28<br />
Grenoble Jazz Festival<br />
Dozens of venues in Grenoble and surroundings<br />
in and around Grenoble. contact@jazzgrenoble.com<br />
www.jazzgrenoble.com (in French)<br />
APRIL<br />
APriL-DeCeMBer<br />
Cadre noir Horse Shows<br />
The Cadre noir, created in 1814 as a military riding academy,<br />
remains France’s most prestigious school, dedicated<br />
to the French equestrian tradition and riding techniques.<br />
www.cadrenoir.fr<br />
APriL-OCTOBer<br />
versailles Grandes Eaux Musicales<br />
Grand display of the 50 fountains of<br />
the versailles gardens set to music.<br />
infos@chateauversailles-spectacles.fr<br />
www.chateauversaillesspectacles.fr<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
APriL 21-26<br />
Le Printemps de Bourges<br />
International contemporary music festival<br />
www.printemps-bourges.com/en<br />
APriL 4-SePTeMBer 26 (every Saturday)<br />
<strong>Les</strong> samedis de l’oenologie (Wine Appreciation Saturdays)<br />
Saint Emilion’s “<strong>Les</strong> samedis de l’oenologie,” every Saturday.<br />
visit the vineyards, underground monuments, lunch and<br />
tasting course included. Make your reservation before June 1.<br />
www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com<br />
Ben Harper - Le Printemps de Bourges<br />
© Office de Tourisme d’Antibes Juan-les-Pins<br />
MAy<br />
MAy 21-24<br />
Expo Rose<br />
International cut-rose exhibition. 50,000 roses<br />
exhibited in bouquets of 60 to 300 flowers.<br />
www.grasse.fr<br />
JunE<br />
June 5-7<br />
65th Anniversary of the D-Day Landing<br />
Annual ceremonies throughout normandy where D-Day<br />
took place. For more information, see pages 20-21.<br />
www.normandy-tourism.org<br />
June 21<br />
28th Fête de la Musique<br />
Street concerts, bands and other musical happenings<br />
in every neighborhood of most cities and villages<br />
all over France, on the occasion of the summer solstice.<br />
www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr<br />
June 27-JuLy 10<br />
Jazz à vienne<br />
Annual International Jazz Festival which takes place<br />
in the city’s Roman amphitheater. The veritable summer<br />
jazz festival kickoff event.<br />
www.jazzavienne.com (in French)<br />
Jazz à Juan<br />
JuLy<br />
JuLy 23-26<br />
Evian Masters<br />
Women’s international<br />
golf tournament.<br />
www.evianmasters.com<br />
June-AuguST<br />
Annual International<br />
Organ Festival<br />
Concerts every Sunday<br />
at the Chartres Cathedral.<br />
The last Sunday is the<br />
acclaimed International<br />
Organ Music Competition.<br />
orgues.chartres@free.fr<br />
www.ville-chartres.fr<br />
(in French)<br />
JuLy 2-5<br />
Mulhouse<br />
Automobile Festival<br />
Presentations and<br />
parades on the history<br />
of the automobile.<br />
grande-parade@<br />
ville-mulhouse.fr<br />
www.tourisme-mulhouse.<br />
com/en/mulhouse-<br />
automobile-festival.html<br />
JuLy 11-19<br />
Jazz à Juan<br />
South of France’s true<br />
jazz destination for people<br />
from all over the world.<br />
www.antibes-<br />
juanlespins.com<br />
JuLy 3-31<br />
Festival International d’art<br />
lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence<br />
60th Annual International<br />
Music and Opera Festival,<br />
Classical Operas<br />
and concerts.<br />
www.festival-aix.com<br />
JuLy 13-31<br />
25th Festival de Radio<br />
France et Montpellier<br />
Close to 100 concerts,<br />
including opera,<br />
symphonies, recitals<br />
and jazz.<br />
www.festivalradio<br />
francemontpellier.com
© solangecollery.com<br />
FOR MORE 2009 EvEnTS, vISIT WWW.FrAnCeguiDe.COM<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
SePTeMBer 5-6<br />
La Braderie de Lille<br />
Giant flea market and fair with visitors<br />
coming from all over Europe.<br />
www.mairie-lille.fr<br />
nOvEMBER<br />
nOVeMBer 13-15<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Trois Glorieuses<br />
Prestigious three-day international<br />
Burgundy wine auction at the renowned<br />
fifteenth-century Hospices de Beaune,<br />
with events at Clos de vougeot<br />
and in Meursault.<br />
www.beaune-burgundy.com<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
SePTeMBer 4-13<br />
Festival du Cinéma Américain<br />
35th annual american film festival<br />
in the city of Deauville. Deauville welcomes<br />
a host of stars, actors, scriptwriters,<br />
directors, and producers.<br />
www.festival-deauville.com<br />
SePTeMBer 3-26<br />
Piano aux Jacobins<br />
Annual piano recitals festival at Toulouse’s<br />
prestigious thirteenth-century Jacobins<br />
Cloisters.<br />
www.pianojacobins.com (in French)<br />
SePTeMBer 12<br />
Marathon du Médoc<br />
25th annual marathon through the<br />
Bordeaux/Médoc area and its legendary<br />
© G. Isaac<br />
Piano aux Jacobins<br />
AuGuST<br />
wine villages, châteaux, and vineyards.<br />
Half of the 7,500 participants will be costumed,<br />
and each village and estate on the itinerary<br />
will offer spectators music, wine tasting,<br />
parties and other events.<br />
www.marathondumedoc.com<br />
nOVeMBer 19<br />
Fête du Beaujolais nouveau<br />
Cities and towns throughout France<br />
celebrate the new wine on the day it’s<br />
released. Tradition dictates that massive<br />
barrels of Beaujolais nouveau be pierced<br />
at midnight, releasing a torrent of wine<br />
for the thirsty.<br />
www.beaujolaisgourmand.com<br />
JuLy 31-AuguST 9<br />
Festival Interceltique de Lorient<br />
Celebration of Celtic folklore and heritage in Brittany, featuring 4,000 traditional<br />
musicians, singers, dancers, and painters from every Celtic nation.<br />
festival@azimut-com.fr - www.festival-interceltique.com<br />
AuguST 19-30<br />
Festival International de Musique de la Chaise-Dieu<br />
43rd annual international classical and baroque music festival in this ancient<br />
Auvergne village known for its fourteenth-century Abbaye St-Robert.<br />
www.chaise-dieu.com<br />
Festival du Cinéma Américain<br />
© solangecollery.com<br />
OCTOBER<br />
ALL MOnTH<br />
Jazzèbre<br />
Throughout the month of October, Perpignan<br />
is the center for jazz, from contemporary, salsa,<br />
and blues, to bossa nova and international jazz.<br />
Surrounding vineyards have adopted the festival<br />
and offer jazz- and wine-themed itineraries and<br />
excursions. www.jazzebre.com (in French) or<br />
www.perpignantourisme.com<br />
OCTOBer 16-18<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Journées des Plantes de Courson<br />
Annual fall edition of Domaine de Courson’s<br />
major botanical and horticultural fair.<br />
www.coursondom.com (in French)<br />
OCTOBer 30-nOVeMBer 11<br />
Foire internationale et gastronomique de Dijon<br />
With over 560 exhibitors and an average<br />
of 200,000 visitors, Dijon’s International gastronomic<br />
fair is one of the biggest fairs in France.<br />
www.dijon-expocongres.com<br />
9<br />
Festival Interceltique de Lorient
© Succession <strong>Picasso</strong> 2009<br />
© Adagp, Paris 2008 © Henry Ely<br />
© MDLF/Jean François Tripelon-Jarry<br />
© MDLF/Catherine Bibollet<br />
10<br />
FRAnCE In 2009<br />
OuR CALEnDAR FOR 2009, On THE PREvIOuS TWO PAGES, GAvE yOu A SAMPLInG OF THE HunDREDS<br />
OF EvEnTS HAPPEnInG ALL OvER FRAnCE; nOW LET’S TAKE A MORE In-DEPTH LOOK AT SOME OF THE<br />
MOST unFORGETTABLE EvEnTS AnD ExPOSITIOnS BEInG HELD THIS yEAR.<br />
Sainte-Mère-Eglise<br />
BRITTANY<br />
PAYS<br />
DE LA LOIRE<br />
NORD–PAS-<br />
Colleville-sur-Mer DE-CALAIS<br />
Port-en-Bessin-Huppain<br />
Longues-sur-Mer<br />
Courseulles-sur-Mer<br />
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer<br />
Isigny-sur-Mer Merville-Franceville-Plage<br />
Beny-sur-Mer<br />
Bayeux<br />
NORMANDY<br />
Nantes<br />
POITOU-<br />
CHARENTES<br />
AQUITAINE<br />
LOIRE<br />
VALLEY<br />
LIMOUSIN<br />
MIDI-PYRENEES<br />
COLOr DOT COrreSPOnDS TO THe ArTiCLeS in THe LiST BeLOW<br />
Chasing <strong>Picasso</strong>, pp. 11-13<br />
Modern Art makes it to Metz, p. 16<br />
French Flower Power, p. 17<br />
Artful Detour to Troyes, p. 19<br />
65th Anniversary of D day, p. 20<br />
Point of location<br />
PICARDY<br />
ILE-DE-<br />
FRANCE<br />
AUVERGNE<br />
© Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région<br />
Philippe Pernet<br />
CHAMPAGNE-<br />
ARDENNE<br />
BURGUNDY FRANCHE-<br />
COMTE<br />
LANGUEDOC–<br />
ROUSSILLON<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Baux-de-Provence<br />
Arles<br />
LORRAINE<br />
RHONE-ALPS<br />
Metz<br />
PROVENCE<br />
RIVIERA<br />
Mougins<br />
Saint-Tropez<br />
Steve Macnaull<br />
ALSACE<br />
Cannes<br />
Vallauris<br />
Antibes–<br />
Juan-les-Pins<br />
CORSICA
© Photo CnAC/MnAM, Dist. RMn/Droits réservés - Succession <strong>Picasso</strong><br />
CHASInG PICASSO<br />
THE SPAnISH ARTIST LIvED AnD WORKED MAny A yEAR In Sun-DREnCHED PROvEnCE AnD THE RIvIERA. SEvERAL MAJOR<br />
ExHIBITIOnS ARE PuTTInG PICASSO In THE SPOTLIGHT THE WHOLE yEAR ROunD, OFFERInG A nEW PERSPECTIvE On HIS LIFE<br />
AnD WORK.<br />
By JuLIEn BISSOn<br />
When he christened one of his first major paintings <strong>Les</strong> Demoiselles d’Avignon in honor of a brothel on<br />
Avinyó Street in Barcelona, <strong>Picasso</strong> surely did not realize that he was on his way to this Provençal<br />
city; more specifically, to Sorgues—a small town only a few miles from Avignon where he spent three<br />
years (1912-14) with his friend Georges Braque. It was here that he painted his first “Arlésienne,” a<br />
feminine figure emblematic of Provence that <strong>Picasso</strong> would continue to paint throughout his life. He<br />
also accompanied his friends Braque and Derain, who were mobilized, to the Avignon train station<br />
at the dawn of World War I. The city certainly has not forgotten that <strong>Picasso</strong> spent time there; some<br />
of his paintings are currently being displayed at the new Musée Angladon.<br />
The love affair between the artist and the region didn’t truly begin however until after World War II.<br />
Regarded as persona non grata in Francoist Spain, <strong>Picasso</strong> found the sunny bucolic landscapes<br />
resembled those he knew as a child. In 1946, he lived for a short time in Ménerbes (in the heart<br />
of Luberon) and gave one of the village’s most beautiful villas to Dora Maar upon ending their<br />
liaison. nearby, lies the charming but very touristy <strong>Les</strong> Baux-de-Provence, where Cocteau filmed his<br />
Testament of Orpheus—in which <strong>Picasso</strong> played his only film role, that of a painter. More towards<br />
the south, Arles is a must-see destination. A painter like <strong>Picasso</strong> was bound to be drawn to this<br />
ancient Roman city; firstly, for its bullfighting and secondly, because the presence of vincent van<br />
Gogh (who experienced a very inspired period there) could still be felt. In 1971, <strong>Picasso</strong> donated<br />
two paintings and fifty-seven drawings to the city he was so enamored with; they can be viewed<br />
at the majestic Musée Réattu.<br />
There was however another painter in the area that <strong>Picasso</strong> was pursuing, a painter who lived<br />
in the “town of water,” Paul Cézanne. Born in Aix-en-Provence, the master of space and colors<br />
had an undisputable influence on <strong>Picasso</strong>’s work, as demonstrated in the vast exhibition <strong>Picasso</strong>-<br />
Cézanne being presented from May 25 to September 27, 2009 at the Musée Granet. At the foot of<br />
the mythical mountain Sainte-victoire, this event, boasting a hundred pieces from both public<br />
and private collections, promises to be both outstanding and original. Influenced in his younger<br />
Nature morte à la dame-jeanne, Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong> (1881-1973) - Paris, national Museum of Modern Art - Georges Pompidou Center<br />
© P. Leroux<br />
Sainte-victoire
© Claude Germain<br />
12<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
years by the “father of modern art,” notably in his evolution<br />
towards cubism, <strong>Picasso</strong> collected numerous of his mentor’s<br />
paintings, some of which will be presented at the exhibition<br />
(Vue de l’Estaque, Baigneuses, and Le Château noir). The exhibition<br />
will also showcase several themes that the two painters<br />
shared, such as their passion for still life and colorful harlequins.<br />
Towards the end of his life, <strong>Picasso</strong> would bend even further<br />
to his desire to be closer to Cézanne, moving into Château de<br />
vauvenargues in 1958. “I live where Cézanne lives,” stated the<br />
painter when he moved into the sunny abode at the foot of Sainte-<br />
victoire, less than ten miles from Aix-en-Provence. What’s more,<br />
this renowned site will be open to the public only for the duration<br />
of the exhibition. A solid building flanked by two fourteenth-<br />
century towers and surrounded by a sixteenth-century wall,<br />
the residence was chosen by <strong>Picasso</strong> in an effort to escape<br />
unwanted attention. Although he only lived there for a handful<br />
of years, it was nevertheless the place where he lovingly stored<br />
his collections of paintings. His young wife Jacqueline also<br />
chose to bury him there, in 1973, in the château’s garden.<br />
FROM LA CALIFORnIE TO L’AnTRE Du MInOTAuRE<br />
Why end the trip there when there’s so much more to see? <strong>Picasso</strong>’s journey brought him all the way<br />
to the French Riviera. He went to Saint-Tropez on numerous occasions; that is, before it became the<br />
most jet set city on the coast. In 1951, it was there that he painted Odalisque, the famous nude of his<br />
lover at the time, Geneviève Laporte. Starting in 1955, <strong>Picasso</strong> moved a little further down the coast,<br />
to Cannes, from where he enjoyed a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean. There he purchased<br />
La Californie, a sumptuous villa from the 1900s overlooking the bay. This seaside workshop was a<br />
wellspring of paintings, notably the cubist series dedicated to vélasquez’s Las Maninas. <strong>Picasso</strong><br />
rendezvoused with many of his lovers in the even more secluded medieval village Mougins, going<br />
there with Dora Maar, and finally settling there with Jacqueline in 1961 at L’antre du Minotaure<br />
(the Minotaur’s Lair).<br />
The diversity of <strong>Picasso</strong>’s interests can also be witnessed in vallauris, a seaside town known<br />
for its ceramics. Influenced by Georges and Suzanne Ramié in 1947, <strong>Picasso</strong> became fascinated<br />
with this new technique, producing over four thousand pieces in all. As a result of <strong>Picasso</strong>’s time<br />
spent there, the town drew a large number of artists and still does to this day. Be sure to visit the<br />
Musée national <strong>Picasso</strong> La Guerre et la Paix in the town chapel where, as well as rediscovering<br />
sacred art, <strong>Picasso</strong> composed the two-part mural entitled La Guerre et la Paix (1959)—his final<br />
major political painting.<br />
Atelier<br />
© Jean Claude Carbonne<br />
Musée Granet
© Henry Ely<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
The artist’s trail ends in Antibes–Juan-les-Pins, where he<br />
surely spent the happiest days of his life. Accepting an offer<br />
from Romuald Dor de la Souchère (the curator of the town’s<br />
museum) to use part of Château Grimaldi, the painter worked<br />
there for a few months, completing numerous pieces that were<br />
mostly inspired by mythology. <strong>Picasso</strong> later offered the town no<br />
less than twenty-three paintings and forty drawings that would<br />
constitute the base of the first museum in his honor, opening<br />
within the castle walls in 1966. Still one of the main exhibition<br />
sites of his work in Europe today, the museum is proposing a<br />
major exhibition—<strong>Picasso</strong> 1945-1949: L’ère du renouveau—<br />
from March 27 to June 29, 2009. Don’t miss this opportunity to<br />
discover a wide selection of pieces from <strong>Picasso</strong>’s oeuvre that<br />
bear witness to his strong connection with the south of France,<br />
where he experienced love, friendship, and death.<br />
© DR./Sainte-victoire 06<br />
Sainte victoire<br />
© Succession <strong>Picasso</strong> 2009<br />
Château de vauvenargues<br />
ADDreSS BOOK<br />
www.picassoen<br />
provencecotedazur.com<br />
PrOVenCe-ALPeS-<br />
COTe D’AZur regiOnAL<br />
TOuriST BOArD<br />
www.discover-<br />
southoffrance.com<br />
riVierA regiOnAL<br />
TOuriST BOArD<br />
www.guideriviera.com<br />
BOuCHeS-Du-rHOne<br />
regiOnAL<br />
TOuriST BOArD<br />
www.provence<br />
guide.co.uk<br />
AiX-en-PrOVenCe<br />
TOuriST BureAu<br />
www.aixenprovence.com<br />
www.picasso-aix2009.fr<br />
(in French)<br />
13<br />
Le Fumeur, Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong>
Throughout the entire year, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region plans to tell the story of<br />
Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong>’s life through exceptional exhibitions that will be organized in the places the artist<br />
lived and loved.<br />
PICASSO, 1945-1949: L’ERE Du REnOuvEAu—MARCH 28-JunE 28, 2009<br />
The Musée <strong>Picasso</strong> in Antibes, on the French Riviera, is hosting a major exhibition. The lavish<br />
renaissance symbolized by this post-war period is recounted through two hundred works (paintings,<br />
drawings, and ceramics), some of which are from the period <strong>Picasso</strong> spent at Château Grimaldi,<br />
previously owned by the princes of Monaco and now the site of the Musée <strong>Picasso</strong>. This exhibition<br />
evokes the artistic effervescence and happiness bound with France’s Liberation—a hymn to joy<br />
and creation.<br />
CHATEAu DE vAuvEnARGuES OPEn TO THE PuBLIC<br />
MAy 25-SEPTEMBER 27, 2009<br />
With its extraordinary permanent collection—De Cézanne à Giacometti—, the Musée Granet<br />
is located in the famous Roman city Aix-en-Provence. Dedicated to Europe’s twentieth-century<br />
masters, the collection will give you a chance to immerse yourself in contemporary art and portrays<br />
the constellations of artists and influences that linked the Spanish master to his contemporaries.<br />
Similarly, in 2009, the <strong>Picasso</strong>-Cézanne exhibition (close on the heels of the incredibly successful<br />
Cézanne en Provence exhibition) underlines the deep friendship between <strong>Picasso</strong> and Paul Cézanne,<br />
an artist originally from the “town of water” and the man behind the uberfamous Montagne Sainte-<br />
Victoire.<strong>Picasso</strong> collected works by this master who inspired him so much so that, in 1958, he<br />
purchased Château de vauvenargues at the foot of the mountain Sainte-victoire, an iconic site near<br />
and dear to Cézanne. A simple stroll through Provence makes it abundantly clear that <strong>Picasso</strong>’s<br />
work is passionately linked to symbolic places that he cultivated and researched like an alchemist.<br />
Amidst the impressive greenery, in the heart of the rocky landscape characteristic of <strong>Les</strong> Baux-<br />
de-Provence, Château de vauvenargues marks, like a fortress, the entrance to the valley and keeps<br />
a watchful eye over the noble soul of the greatest master of contemporary art.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
L’homme à la pipe, <strong>Picasso</strong> Pablo<br />
© The Samuel Courtauld Trust, London<br />
ADvERTISEMEnT<br />
PICASSO EvEnTS<br />
AnD ITInERARy<br />
By ESTELLE ARIELLE BOuCHET<br />
© Henry Ely<br />
Château de vauvenargues<br />
CATHEDRALE D’IMAGES, OPEn EvERy DAy FROM<br />
FEBRuARy 25, 2009 TO JAnuARy 3, 2010<br />
In 1959, <strong>Picasso</strong> made a cameo appearance in the Testament of<br />
Orpheus, which was filmed here; now, half a century later, the<br />
Cathédrale d’Images is paying homage to <strong>Picasso</strong>. The show is<br />
the perfect ending to the artist’s story. These visits will not only<br />
enchant you but will also have you returning home with a deeper<br />
appreciation of Provence’s beauty and these masterpieces.<br />
ARLES AnD PICASSO<br />
The Sainte-victoire area harbors all the symbolism of <strong>Picasso</strong>’s<br />
love for the place. Actually, his birthplace, Málaga, has been<br />
honoring notre Dame de la victoire every September 8 for<br />
centuries. Spain is omnipresent in this part of Provence; <strong>Picasso</strong><br />
was especially fond of Arles, the most Roman of French cities,<br />
and could often be spotted at las corridas (bullfights). Musée<br />
Réattu houses two paintings and fifty-seven drawings that were<br />
donated by the artist in 1971. His Hispanic roots became very<br />
evident in the final period of his life; he even chose this part<br />
of Provence, so reminiscent of his native Andalusia, to be his<br />
final resting place.
www.guideriviera.com<br />
COMITÉ RÉGIONAL DU TOURISME<br />
RIVIERA COTE D’AZUR-FRANCE<br />
Crédits photos et Copyright : Ville de Beaulieu (rotonde des jardins du Casino), photo Jean-Jérôme Orsini / “Nu Bleu IV” 1952 Henri Matisse, Musée Matisse, Nice, photo François Fernandez © succession H. Matisse /“Taureau debout” 1947-1948 statuette Musée <strong>Picasso</strong> Antibes, photo<br />
Michel Sima, © Succession <strong>Picasso</strong> 2008 / “Colombe de la Paix” Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong>, © Succession <strong>Picasso</strong> 2008 / “Victoire de Samothrace bleue” (S9) 1962, Yves Klein, don de M. et Mme Moquay Klein (Phoenix, Arizona – Etats-Unis) en 1999, Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain<br />
de Nice, © Adagp, Paris 2008 / “Erica” 1965, Niki de Saint Phalle, Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain de Nice, © Adagp, Paris 2008 / “<strong>Les</strong> Femmes au perroquet” 1952, Fernand Léger, Donation Nadia Léger et Georges Bauquier, Musée national Fernand Léger, Biot, © Adagp,<br />
Paris 2008 / “Conversation à Nice” Jaume Plensa, photo Ville de Nice / “Tête carrée” Sacha Sosno, Sculpture habitée, architectes Yves Bayard et Claude Chapus, photo ville de Nice, © Adagp, Paris 2008.
16<br />
By BECCA HEnSLEy<br />
Any art aficionado who has ventured away from the big city<br />
crowds to discover the intimate joys of hip, top-quality museums<br />
in provincial destinations will be thrilled to discover the Pompidou<br />
Museum’s new outpost in Metz. Like Renzo Piano’s Klee Museum<br />
in Bern and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Centre<br />
Pompidou-Metz delights with provocative architecture that is a<br />
piece of modern art in itself. This structure, designed by Japanese<br />
architect Shigeru Ban, tantalizes with its lopsided Chinese hat<br />
shape, forest grotto, and fairytale ambiance. Ban, who found<br />
inspiration in an antique Chinese bamboo hat discovered in a<br />
Parisian flea market, translated the chapeau’s texture and shape<br />
to the structure’s floating, vast conical roof. Light and luminous,<br />
the building offers three galleries that run seemingly randomly<br />
through the interior, suggesting that art can be found in unexpected<br />
places. Likewise, large picture windows angle outward<br />
to capture some of Metz’s most important landmarks, such as<br />
its majestic cathedral and Seille Park. Within, rising a stunning<br />
250 meters, a spire alludes to the year 1977, the opening date of<br />
the Centre Pompidou in Paris. under construction since 2003, the<br />
Centre Pompidou-Metz will open no later than 2010 with its first<br />
exhibit: Chefs-d’oeuvre, an ambitious retrospective of works by<br />
such luminaries as <strong>Picasso</strong>, Man Ray, Braque, and Matisse.<br />
As some asked why Bilbao for the Guggenheim, many wonder<br />
why Metz for the Centre Pompidou-Metz? Museum officials and<br />
the city of Metz speak of fate—perhaps love at first sight—<br />
bringing them together for this project. The Centre Pompidou<br />
was looking for a place resplendent with culture, yet far away<br />
from Parisian urbanity for their first decentralized branch. They<br />
wanted a location with easy access to all parts of Europe—and<br />
though Metz was already easy to get to, the new easterly directed<br />
TGv attracts art loving tourists from as far away as Warsaw,<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
MODERn<br />
ART MAKES IT<br />
TO METz<br />
yET AnOTHER REASOn TO vEnTuRE EAST OF PARIS<br />
—THE CEnTRE POMPIDOu’S SISTER MuSEuM IS<br />
OPEnInG In METz.<br />
© Adagp, Paris 2008<br />
© CAzM/Shigeru Ban Architects Europe & Jean de Gastines/Arte factory<br />
Prague, and Berlin, not to mention London and Brussels. The museum will be a boon for Metz and<br />
its 230,000 inhabitants, ensuring the discovery of this cultural city that has so much to offer.<br />
Born from a movement to democratize the enjoyment of contemporary art and to offer it as a gift to<br />
the people, this new museum will provide a venue for many thousands of works. Centre Pompidou<br />
officials wished to enhance their museum’s influence on the borders and to connect more people<br />
to their institution. Choosing Metz, the capital of Lorraine, achieves their goals. Known as the city<br />
of Charlemagne, Metz boasts a profound historical past and its inhabitants have a reputation for<br />
reveling in art of all kinds. Perfectly located in a part of France that embraces many cultures, Metz<br />
is a hotbed of open-minded repartee and intellectual stimulation. Truly, Metz craved a temple of this<br />
sort and the Centre Pompidou complied.<br />
While the opening of the Centre Pompidou’s sister museum has been greatly anticipated, most<br />
agree it will be worth the wait. Its innovative—even audacious—design will inspire visitors. And its<br />
commodious galleries, suffused with natural light, will offer a stimulating alternative venue to view<br />
the more than 59,000 works once reserved only for Paris.<br />
www.centrepompidou-metz.fr<br />
<strong>Les</strong> deux péniches (1906), André Derain<br />
© CAzM/Shigeru Ban Architects Europe & Jean de Gastines/Arte factory<br />
Centre Pompidou-Metz<br />
Centre Pompidou-Metz
© MDLF/Jean François Tripelon-Jarry<br />
FREnCH<br />
FLOWER<br />
POWER<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
A GREEn vISIT TO nAnTES FOR LES FLORALIES<br />
InTERnATIOnALES FLOWER SHOW.<br />
By DAn HECHInG<br />
La ‘Fontaine de verre’ d’Eric Fonteneau, nantes<br />
nantes’ premiere flower show, <strong>Les</strong> Floralies Internationales,<br />
sees some of the most striking and exotic species of plants<br />
assembled from around the globe. Started in the 1950s, the<br />
flower show graces the plant world every five years, each time<br />
with a different theme to coalesce the exotic and eyecatching<br />
displays. Following “Light” in 1999 and “Adventure” in 2004,<br />
for its tenth anniversary in May 2009, Floralies will present<br />
Le Pouvoir des fleurs or “The Power of Flowers,” capitalizing on<br />
© MDLF/Catherine Bibollet<br />
a decidedly green and therefore pertinent message: “The power of plants in their own right and<br />
their contribution to our life on Earth.”<br />
As in years past, the show will be held in nantes’ charming, open Parc de la Beaujoire, where<br />
upwards of two hundred participants will set up mini-environments that are self-contained worlds<br />
of floral beauty. <strong>Les</strong> Floralies attracts both professional and amateur exhibitors from around the<br />
world. The selection process to display at the fair is rigorous, demanding a true passion for plants<br />
as well as deep-rooted, practical know-how.<br />
The fair promises a true voyage of the senses, using plants and flowers from different countries<br />
and continents to mark the way. Employing state-of-the-art decorating techniques and an astonishing<br />
variety of colors, shapes, and textures, the scenes are sure to evoke feelings of awe, exoticism, and<br />
wonder. The area will be divided into several sub-themes, including “Contrasts,” encompassing the<br />
wide range of environments from the driest to the wettest; “Legends,” evoking a mysterious forest<br />
filled with nymphs and fairies; “Transformations,” focusing on green agriculture, eco-industries<br />
and renewable energies; “Purity,” covering plants that purify the air and water; and “Harmony,”<br />
on flowerbeds. The underlying theme of appreciating and respecting the power of plants (and<br />
the planet) will hopefully be brought to the fore.<br />
The Parc Floral, where the fair is held, was founded during <strong>Les</strong> Floralies of 1971 as a riverside<br />
addition to the main exhibition ground in Parc de la Beaujoire. This more modern park features its<br />
own varied plants, thanks to several Floralies past: irises, heather, a briar patch, and an impressive<br />
rose garden. Parc de la Beaujoire also plays host to more than two hundred different types<br />
of magnolias.<br />
Dubbed “the most livable city in all of Europe” by TIME magazine in 2004, nantes is an excellent<br />
jumping-off point for those wishing to explore the fascinatingly beautiful Pays de la Loire region,<br />
or the arresting scenery and diverse flavors of Brittany to the north.<br />
As for <strong>Les</strong> Floralies, one can count on quite a bit of activity during the eleven-day festival; over<br />
five hundred thousand visitors of all ages are expected to attend, helping to secure the show’s<br />
ranking as one of the most prestigious flower shows in Europe and the world.<br />
www.nantes-tourisme.com or www.comite-des-floralies.com<br />
17
BORDEAUX<br />
by Samantha and Travis (USA)<br />
<br />
<br />
This year, we wanted a really special vacation. Bordeaux,<br />
a UNESCO world heritage site, and its region full of<br />
world-famous castles and vineyards, were just that !<br />
Among our favourite moments : the luxurious hotel Le<br />
Régent right opposite the Opera House, a stroll along<br />
the banks of the Garonne river and a stop off at the<br />
Chartrons market on Sunday for a plateful of fresh<br />
oysters. Wine-tasting in the medieval village of Saint-<br />
Emilion is also a must. Before we went home, we had<br />
to do some shopping in Bordeaux to bring back some<br />
excellent wines and cannelés, Bordeaux’s speciality cakes<br />
fl avoured with rum and vanilla.<br />
Aquitaine, what else ?<br />
www.bordeaux-tourisme.com<br />
www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com<br />
PÉRIGUEUX<br />
by Felipe, Maria, Esteban and Esperanza (Mexico)<br />
<br />
<br />
Our last vacation among friends in Périgueux was<br />
fabulous ! Great and small pleasures to share, such as<br />
walks in the ancient Roman, medieval and Renaissance<br />
town, the colourful market on Saturday morning, cookery<br />
lessons and tasting sessions of foie gras and truffl es…<br />
Just few kilometres away you have prehistoric caves,<br />
castles and secret gardens, and a charming open-air café<br />
with live music on the banks of the river...<br />
Aquitaine, the South of France at its best !<br />
www.enjoydordogne.co.uk<br />
www.tourisme-perigueux.fr<br />
www.semitour.com<br />
BAYONNE & BIARRITZ<br />
by Luiz and Flavia (Brazil)<br />
<br />
<br />
At the gateway to Spain, the Basque people know how to party and<br />
relax ! In Biarritz we’d recommend the superb golf course, the marine<br />
spas, and great hotels with seaviews stretching to infi nity. In the evening<br />
you can eat and party in the port, or right on the beach with the<br />
surfers. Bayonne is great for a rest afterwards, with Basque songs at<br />
the covered market, or pelota games in “Le Petit Bayonne”. Aquitaine,<br />
holidays for body and soul !<br />
www.bayonne-tourisme.com<br />
www.biarritz.fr<br />
www.bearn-basquecountry.com<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
en 3h à Bordeaux<br />
<br />
We are very demanding<br />
about our vacations in France.<br />
We want to get off the beaten<br />
track. Pau charmed us immediately with its rich<br />
natural and cultural heritage. It’s a real historical<br />
journey : the nine centuries of Henry IV’s castle,<br />
the ancient English and American villas and even<br />
the excellent golf course… which is the oldest in<br />
continental Europe. It also means unforgettable<br />
views at the foot of the Pyrenees, from a café<br />
terrace or in the Jurançon vineyards set on the<br />
side of the mountains. Aquitaine, a colourful<br />
personality !<br />
www.tourismepau.com<br />
www.musee-chateau-pau.fr<br />
Aquitaine<br />
Villes<br />
Aéroports<br />
Train à Grande Vitesse<br />
Bordeaux<br />
Biarritz<br />
Madrid<br />
Londres<br />
Amsterdam<br />
Paris<br />
3H<br />
PAU<br />
by Mary Rose and Jacques (Canada)<br />
Bergerac<br />
Pau<br />
<br />
conception graphique : www.poaplume.com / crédits photos © CRTA A. Béguerie / OT de Périgueux E. Cabanes / OTC Pau/dg / CDT 64
© Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région/Philippe Pernet<br />
© Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région/Philippe Pernet<br />
© Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région/Philippe Pernet<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
ARTFuL DETOuR<br />
TO TROyES<br />
JuST OuTSIDE OF PARIS, SACRED SIxTEEnTH-CEnTuRy SCuLPTuRE TAKES<br />
uS BACK TO THE REnAISSAnCE<br />
By BECCA HEnSLEy<br />
It will be a spectacle the likes of which Troyes has not seen since the Renaissance. Located in the<br />
heart of the Champagne-Ardenne, perfectly preserved Troyes will host a gathering of glitterati that<br />
has not appeared together in centuries. This so-called glitterati, a collection of sacred statuary<br />
sculpted in the area by some of the of the Renaissance era’s greatest sculptors, will be exhibited<br />
from April 18 to October 25, 2009 in the stunning Gothic church Saint-Jean-au-Marché. A perfect<br />
backdrop for artwork of such stellar pedigree, the church sits amid quaint half-timbered houses<br />
and narrow medieval streets in Troyes’ historical district, where many of the streets are pedestrian<br />
walkways. Within the church, natural lighting will illuminate the retrospective, artistically focusing<br />
on details that might otherwise be overlooked, while stunning aspects of the church’s architecture<br />
will provide a contrast to the body of work on display. With this exhibit, art lovers will discover<br />
the depth, breadth, and beauty of sacred sculpture—the art form that many believe defined the<br />
Champagne region’s Medieval and Renaissance creative world.<br />
Proposed and implemented through a collaborative effort of the city of Troyes, the region of the<br />
Champagne-Ardenne, the state of France, as well as curators from around the world, the exhibit<br />
was initiated to illustrate Troyes’ artistic heritage. The purpose was to introduce these outstanding<br />
works to the world and to show their depth and complexity by displaying them in one place<br />
simultaneously. “The museography done for this exhibit is unprecedented,” says curator Chrystelle<br />
Laurent. In fact, special guidance came from not only the Musée du Louvre, but from museums in<br />
the uSA and Germany as well. university students from the Sorbonne provided essential research.<br />
Together, they identified one hundred statues created in sixteenth-century Champagne and<br />
arranged for them to be loaned to Troyes for the exhibition.<br />
Though Troyes is known already for its multitude of churches and its cork-shaped historic<br />
district, the exhibition will remind visitors of the significant role Troyes played as a wealthy market<br />
town centuries ago. Here, masters from Flanders, Spain, Paris, and Italy convened and influenced<br />
artists from the region. This resulted in an unusual variety of styles and very diverse interpretations<br />
in the grace of the virgins, the saints, and the passion of Christ. Most evocative are the sentiments<br />
expressed by the statues’ expressions and the details of their robes. While no statue in the exhibit<br />
is considered by experts to be better than another, those showing some of the original sixteenthcentury<br />
colors will intrigue art aficionados. Curator Laurent suggests visitors linger and take<br />
special notice of works by Dominique Florentine, whose atelier made a particular impression on<br />
the art of Troyes.<br />
www.tourism-troyes.com<br />
www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com<br />
19
© Steve Macnaull<br />
20<br />
THE SIxTy-FIFTH AnnIvERSARy OF D DAy On JunE 6 ExPECTED TO BE THE LAST BIG MILESTOnE WAR vETERAnS WILL ATTEnD.<br />
By STEvE MACnAuLL<br />
“Every five years a bigger D-Day Festival is organized, so the<br />
sixty-fifth will be special,” says Fabienne de Chassey-Schurgers<br />
of normandy Tourism. “But it will also probably be the last one<br />
where we will see any veterans. Most vets are already at least<br />
eighty-five years old and likely won’t be around or won’t be able<br />
to travel to the seventieth anniversary festival in 2014.” It is<br />
with this poignant thought that French communities along the<br />
D-day landing beaches are planning the sixty-fifth anniversary<br />
festivities for June 5-7.<br />
While every year fewer and fewer Canadian, British, and American<br />
war vets are at the party, the French are determined to keep<br />
marking the date. The festivals attract tourists and locals of<br />
all ages. For generations of French, it’s a party to thank their<br />
liberators. For international tourists, it’s an opportunity to enjoy<br />
France’s joie de vivre and tour the sites where the Second World<br />
War was won. Fireworks, parades, re-creations of military camps,<br />
picnics, and pub nights will all celebrate the liberation of France.<br />
The D-day landings on normandy’s code-named Juno, Omaha,<br />
utah, Gold, and Sword beaches are considered the most complex<br />
military operation ever orchestrated. In all, 135,000 Allied soldiers<br />
landed on and parachuted onto the beaches the morning of<br />
June 6, 1944, leading the charge to wrestle France from nazi<br />
occupation and eventually win the Second World War.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fRaNce IN 2009<br />
The Juno Beach Centre rises from the dunes and beach grasses where 14,000 Canadian soldiers landed on D day (June 6, 1944)<br />
65th AnnIvERSARy OF D DAy<br />
© Steve Macnaull<br />
D day is marked every year with cliff-top fireworks at Longues-sur-Mer.<br />
There is a jubilant mood throughout normandy in early June. Everywhere a French flag flies, there<br />
is also a Canadian, American, and British flag waving in honor of their liberators. Generally, a trip<br />
to normandy makes you feel proud to be Canadian or American.<br />
The Americans provided the second biggest number of men on D day (behind the British) with<br />
34,250 troops landing on Omaha Beach and 23,250 landing on utah. A risky massive parachute drop<br />
of men at night, cliffs on the beaches, and prepared Germans, however, meant the u.S. sacrificed<br />
and would suffer the most with 1,465 fatalities and over 5,000 wounded. The giant cliff at Pointe<br />
du Hoc would prove the toughest for the u.S.’s 2nd Ranger Battalion. under enemy fire they had<br />
to scale the elevation using ropes and ladders and were eventually successful, but suffered<br />
60 percent fatalities. The Americans rallied and dispersed, a necessary tactic that served to<br />
confuse the Germans and fragment their response. The Americans were also responsible for the<br />
first liberation of D day—the town of Sainte-Mère-Eglise—when the 82nd Airborne Divison arrived<br />
on the beachhead and drove the Germans out.<br />
The American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer has 9,387 graves marked with simple white marble<br />
crosses. Adjacent to the cemetery is the free-admission American visitor Center. Both are close<br />
to Omaha and utah beaches where 57,500 u.S. troops landed on D day.<br />
The Canadian Cemetery in nearby Bény-sur-Mer is the resting place for 2,048 soldiers. The graveyard<br />
has been customized with specially planted maple trees and perfect rows of headstones, each<br />
one surrounded by a little garden.<br />
The Caen Memorial: A Museum for Peace (admission: 16 euros) is a huge complex in the capital<br />
of Lower normandy. A fighter jet hangs in its sixty-foot airy main entrance and the vast exhibit<br />
space follows the Second World War timeline. The Pays du Bessin tour boat (16 euros), which<br />
proudly flies the Canadian, British, and American flags, leaves daily from Port-en-Bessin to cruise<br />
past the Omaha landing beach along with a D-day history commentary.
D-DAY JUNE 6 TH ,1944<br />
SIXTY FIVE YEARS AGO,<br />
YOU BROUGHT PEACE TO OUR LAND.<br />
NORMANDY WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL.<br />
WITH THE NORMANDY PASS,<br />
VISIT NORMANDY !<br />
www.normandy-tourism.org<br />
www.normandiememoire.com
© MDLF/Patrice Thébault<br />
© Olivier Boisseau<br />
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot<br />
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot<br />
© MDLF/Martine Prunevieille<br />
22<br />
HISTORy & CuLTuRE<br />
In THE nEW WORLD, WE ARE EnDLESSLy FASCInATED WITH THE DEPTH OF HISTORy THAT THE OLD<br />
WORLD REvEALS TO uS AnD WE CAn’T HELP BEInG ATTRACTED TO THE CuLTuRAL WEALTH FOunD<br />
THERE. LEARn ABOuT AGE-OLD TRADITIOnS AnD THE ABODES OF THOSE WHO HAvE LEFT A MARK On<br />
FRAnCE AnD THE WORLD.<br />
BRITTANY<br />
Granville<br />
Honfleur<br />
Trouville<br />
Croisset<br />
Rouen<br />
PICARDY<br />
Bayeux Deauville<br />
Caen<br />
NORMANDY<br />
Argentan<br />
Le Port-Marly<br />
Bougival<br />
Chantilly<br />
LORRAINE<br />
Versailles<br />
ILE-DE-<br />
FRANCE<br />
CHAMPAGNE-<br />
ARDENNE<br />
PAYS<br />
DE LA LOIRE<br />
POITOU-<br />
CHARENTES<br />
AQUITAINE<br />
Château du Clos-Lucé<br />
LOIRE<br />
VALLEY<br />
Nohant<br />
LIMOUSIN<br />
MIDI-PYRENEES<br />
COLOr DOT COrreSPOnDS TO THe ArTiCLeS in THe LiST BeLOW<br />
Design for Life, p. 23<br />
A voyage to the Heart of French Art, pp. 24-25<br />
Boules, pp. 26-27<br />
Where Writers Wrote, pp. 28-29<br />
Celebrity Open House, pp. 30-31<br />
The Living Horse Museum, p. 32<br />
Point of location<br />
NORD–PAS-<br />
DE-CALAIS<br />
AUVERGNE<br />
© SEMEC<br />
BURGUNDY<br />
Nevers<br />
LANGUEDOC–<br />
ROUSSILLON<br />
FRANCHE-<br />
COMTE<br />
Chambery<br />
RHONE-ALPS<br />
PROVENCE<br />
Ferney-Voltaire<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Savoyons<br />
Marseille<br />
Saint-Tropez<br />
La Ciotat<br />
© Peter Bates<br />
ALSACE<br />
RIVIERA<br />
Ajaccio<br />
Antibes–<br />
Juan-les-Pins<br />
CORSICA
© Andree Putman<br />
DESIGn FOR LIFE<br />
WHILE HER BELOvED nORMAnDy IS HER REFuGE, A BIT OF AnnE FOnTAInE’S<br />
SOuL REMAInS In HER nATIvE BRAzIL.<br />
By JERyL BRunnER<br />
Before she started designing perfectly tailored white shirts for women, Anne Fontaine had a<br />
different passion. “I love fashion, but my second love is biology,” she explains. Fontaine, whose<br />
father is French, left her native Brazil to study in France when she was eighteen. Before departing,<br />
she spent four months living with the Canella Indian tribe in the rainforest, sleeping on a hammock.<br />
“I learned so much from the tribe about the power of plants and their endless varieties,” she recalls.<br />
Ever fascinated by the environment, in France she spent a six-month sojourn on a ship studying<br />
whales and dolphins. Afterwards, she met her future husband, Ari, whose family owned a clothing<br />
business. “I told him I would love to design and I have a lot of imagination, but I don’t draw<br />
very well,” she recalls. One day, she found an old trunk in her mother-in-law’s attic that was full<br />
of beautiful white blouses manufactured by her husband’s family. She had an epiphany. Why not<br />
create an entire collection of white blouses? “Every woman has one white shirt in her wardrobe.<br />
It always makes you look fresh and lights up your face,” Fontaine explains. “And the contrast of<br />
white and black provides a yin and yang equilibrium.”<br />
using her creativity and ingenuity, she designed by sculpting the fabric on the mannequin without<br />
drawing. In 1993, Fontaine debuted her first collection of white shirts for women. They quickly<br />
became much-coveted classics worn by Catherine zeta-Jones and Halle Berry. Since then, she has<br />
opened sixty-eight boutiques around the world with stores in Paris and Tokyo and has expanded<br />
into outerwear, knits, handbags, belts, jewelry, and homewear.<br />
She also has spas in Paris and new york that offer several treatments that pay homage to Brazil.<br />
The Amazonian Baptism involves being wrapped in a fragrant resin containing eleven essential<br />
oils. During her time with the tribe, she received a baptism where her body was smeared with a<br />
deliciously scented green resin and covered with white feathers. The idea was for the child in her<br />
to fly towards adulthood. “It was an out-of-body experience,” she remembers.<br />
Fontaine lives with her husband, and two daughters, Clara, 9 and Ella, 3, in a four-hundred-year-old<br />
former cider press near her global headquarters in Honfleur, normandy. “Many famous painters,<br />
writers, and musicians are from this little seaside town with<br />
wonderful viking architecture, including Monet, Satie, and<br />
Flaubert,” she explains. “It’s always been full of artists. That’s<br />
why I established my company here.” Her childhood was spent<br />
in Rio de Janeiro, so she cherishes raising her children in the<br />
countryside where they keep eighty chickens, forty sheep, as<br />
well as duck andrabbits on their sprawling property. “nature<br />
and animals give you a spirit and responsibility,” says Fontaine.<br />
“When you have animals, you have to think about them.”<br />
As much as she loves living in France, a piece of her heart<br />
remains in Brazil. She adores listening to bossa nova music,<br />
speaks Portuguese with her children, and makes Brazilian desserts<br />
with them like couscous de mandioca. She is delighted that 2009<br />
is the year of France in Brazil, which will celebrate the fashion,<br />
food, and architecture of France, with over five hundred events<br />
in seventy Brazilian cities. “There is a love story between the<br />
French and Brazilians,” she explains. “Brazil loves French culture<br />
and it’s reciprocal. The French like the charm of Brazil and its<br />
people and I’m glad the governments want to share their knowledge—it<br />
will be enriching for both sides.” When asked if she<br />
feels more Brazilian than French, “I feel a mix,” she offers.<br />
www.annefontaine.com<br />
L’ABSinTHe<br />
1, rue de la ville, Honfleur<br />
Tel. 02 31 89 11 02<br />
www.absinthe.fr<br />
MArTine LAMBerT<br />
76 bis, rue Eugène Colas,<br />
Deauville<br />
Tel. 02 31 88 94 04<br />
LeS VAPeurS<br />
162, Quai Fernand<br />
Moureaux, Trouville<br />
Tel. 02 31 88 15 24<br />
www.lesvapeurs.fr<br />
© Anne Fontaine Inc.<br />
Anne Fontaine boutique, Paris<br />
Anne Fontaine
© MDLF/Style City © MDLF/Hervé Le Gac<br />
24<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
Hand made plates<br />
Perfumes<br />
A vOyAGE TO THE<br />
HEART OF FREnCH ART<br />
HOW FREnCH CRAFTSMAnSHIP BECAME THE BEnCHMARK FOR ExCELLEnCE<br />
AROunD THE WORLD.<br />
By MARILAnE BORGES<br />
France being holds handcrafted work in high esteem. It is no coincidence that its artists are<br />
known as the best in the world. All the same, the term métiers d’art is still only vaguely defined.<br />
For specialists, the term is based on the concept of “socioprofessional work with high human<br />
added value, as opposed to mass production.” Artisans consider themselves the true guardians<br />
of national heritage; and, in their workshops, they recreate the master-apprentice relationship,<br />
sharing the secrets of their craft with future generations. Their masterpieces are still produced<br />
using original processes, combining a respect for tradition and contemporary excellence to create<br />
unique pieces for which many French regions are known.<br />
Fashion lovers should travel the norman Lace Route that winds through towns and villages<br />
famous for their production of lace in normandy. The tour gives visitors the opportunity to see many<br />
sublime creations, in particular, Alençon and Argentan needlepoint, Caen’s special blonde lace,<br />
and Bayeux’s black lace: beautiful examples of the technical diversity of this refined craft whose<br />
ancient tradition has been preserved.<br />
Still in normandy, in Granville, the perfume and fashion workshops are the epitome of elegance.<br />
At the Christian Dior Museum, visitors will find two hundred years of perfume history, with<br />
fragrances such as cologne used by napoleon I; Guerlain’s vol de nuit, a tribute to Saint-Exupéry;<br />
and Christian Dior’s L’Eau Sauvage, a landmark launched in 1968. However, the real olfactory<br />
revolution is in Grasse, in southeastern France, the birthplace of luxury perfume, where clients<br />
can customize their own scents with exclusive fragrances at one of the Fragonard, Gallimard,<br />
or Molinard workshops.<br />
In the fifteenth century, Louis xI decided to build a factory in Lyon to produce silk embroidered<br />
with gold thread. This was the beginning of Lyon’s Silk Road which reached its pinnacle in the<br />
eighteenth century when Philippe de Lasalle used this fabric to decorate the Château de versailles.<br />
In 1805, another invention helped ensure the perpetuation of this craft: the Jacquard loom. named<br />
after its creator, it has become synonymous with art and is an integral part of the region’s historical<br />
culture. Lyon is the chosen site for the annual textile fairs where visitors can buy beautiful fabrics<br />
imported from Italy, see the latest fashion trends, and visit family-run workshops that keep this<br />
savoir-faire alive.
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
Delicate porcelain vases from Faenza, urbino, or Savona,<br />
faïence, or earthenware, tell stories through paintings of<br />
Romantic landscapes. The most famous are those from Gien,<br />
decorated on a black or blue background with motifs from<br />
the Italian Renaissance depicting the loves and mythology of<br />
an entire era. The artisans of Gien specialize in the art of reproduction,<br />
producing replicas at an affordable price. One-of-a-kind<br />
pieces are also created by painters and decorators who find<br />
inspiration in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century models, or<br />
even Far East faïenceries. Along the narrow streets of Rouen,<br />
visitors will be hard-pressed to miss artist workshops (they’re<br />
on practically every street corner!), where anyone interested in<br />
mastering this nineteenth-century art form will find courses and<br />
apprenticeships year-round. The town of nevers, in Burgundy,<br />
is known as the “town of art,” and is renowned for its traditional<br />
and contemporary earthenware in royal blue tones. visitors are<br />
invited to uncover the secrets of this highly esthetic and delicate<br />
craft. One of the secrets attesting to the authenticity of pieces<br />
manufactured here is a tiny “green knot” stamp.<br />
Anyone wanting to learn the art of the true musical architects<br />
should spend at least a day in Montpellier. The town boasts the<br />
largest number of luthiers (stringed instrument makers) in<br />
France, and exports their savoir-faire around the world. Luthiers,<br />
who constitute a community of artists in their own right, craft<br />
musical instruments by hand, reaching the alchemy between<br />
art, style and craft. Many beautiful instruments contribute<br />
to the worldwide reputation of this work, which requires<br />
patience and an excellent sense of music and esthetics.<br />
To conclude this trip through the métiers d’art, there is one<br />
symbol of the artistic world that cannot be forgotten, and that<br />
is Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong>. In the summer of 1947, the artist made his<br />
first foray into ceramics, leaving Juan-les-Pins on the French<br />
Riviera, every day to study the craft in the Ramiés home in<br />
vallauris. At Atelier Madoura, <strong>Picasso</strong> produced nearly four<br />
thousand original works, which can be admired at the Musée<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong> in Antibes. Another interesting fact about the city, which<br />
has one of the largest collections of art nouveau in the world,<br />
is the International Biennial of Ceramic Arts, which attracts<br />
artists of international caliber and has several workshops where<br />
visitors can try their hand at ceramics any time of the year.<br />
© MDLF/Patrice Thébault<br />
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Didier Cry<br />
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Sam Bellet<br />
25<br />
Old sewing machine<br />
French lace<br />
Colored silk thread
© Saverio Lombardi<br />
© Oktay Ortakcioglu<br />
26<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
Petanque field at Le Couvent des Minimes Hotel & Spa<br />
© Martine Roch<br />
BOuLES<br />
HOW THE FREnCH TEST THEIR METAL.<br />
By PETER WORTSMAn<br />
Like the chirp of the cicada, the clink of steel on steel is a signal sound of the south of France. “Ooh<br />
la!” they cry when a deft tireur (shooter) lands a carreau (a perfect pitch), knocking an opponent’s<br />
boule out of the way and dropping his own in its place. “Il a le biais! (He’s got the toss!)” they<br />
declare and toast his prowess with a cool pastis.<br />
But the game of boules is not limited to the Midi. As French as the baguette, it is played with equal<br />
passion—albeit by different rules and with projectiles of various shapes and sizes—on rough and<br />
smooth terrains all over France, and can indeed be said to be the national pastime. Each version<br />
has its own pitch and flavor. There are the indoor games, like boule de fort with its flattened boules<br />
and preferred in Tours and boule nantaise with its big spherical boules that are tossed on a curved<br />
asphalt court. The Bretons play boule bretonne with hard wooden boules and celebrate with cider.<br />
In the northeastern variant, boule des Flandres, they hurl a metallic disc and clink victory over<br />
beer. By far the most popular versions, jeu lyonnais (from Lyon), jeu provençal and its offshoot<br />
la pétanque (both originally from Provence) are now played everywhere.<br />
Boules has been traced back to the ancient Greeks, who hurled round stones, and the Romans,<br />
who pitched wooden balls wrapped in an iron hoop. Rusty archeological specimens have been dug<br />
up in Marseille.<br />
The oldest documented version of the game, la lyonnaise, also known as la longue (the long game),<br />
was first played in the eighteenth century in the city of Lyon and its surroundings. The rules were<br />
codified in 1850. The boules are larger and heavier than those of jeu provençal and pétanque and<br />
players take a prescribed three steps to hurl. La lyonnaise has of late gained a global following as a<br />
serious sport. In addition to the French, teams from six other nations (Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina,<br />
Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, and China) competed last summer at the lovely tree-lined boulodrome<br />
in Gap (Hautes-Alpes) during the Grand prix bouliste. And though the French team from Lyon took<br />
home the trophy, the Chinese offered stiff opposition, earning the crowd’s respect and raising hopes<br />
of one day taking the game to the Olympics.
© Karl Thaller<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
In Provence they prefer a considerably less strenuous version called pétanque (literally pieds<br />
tanqués, or anchored feet) equally prized by nonagenarians like singer Henri Salvador, stocky<br />
Marseille dockworkers, fishermen, farmhands, bankers in business suits, and bathing beauties in<br />
bikinis. Pétanque was reputedly invented in 1907 in La Ciotat (a port just outside Marseille) by a<br />
certain Jules Hughes (aka Le noir), a player past his prime who suffered from rheumatism, and<br />
so, refused to budge.<br />
you just crouch, aim and pitch. With your palm facing down and a little practice you can put a<br />
backspin on your boule to make it stop short. In fact, it’s more like horseshoes than bowling;<br />
a toss rather than a roll. A century after its creation, the game’s popularity has soared as the leisure<br />
activity of choice from the shady Place des Lices in Saint-Tropez and Marseille’s Parc Borély to<br />
the Place de la nation in Paris and every autoroute rest stop and village square in between.<br />
Like pool in America, pétanque is both an amateurs’ passion indulged for fun and a calculated<br />
hustle played for high stakes. In either case, it is no laughing matter, and like every game worth<br />
playing, a test of one’s mettle and a lesson for life.<br />
I was coached in one memorable match some years ago by my late father-in-law, a retired teacher,<br />
in the tiny Alpine village of <strong>Les</strong> Savoyons in the Hautes-Alpes. The object is to place your boules<br />
closest to the little wooden jack, called a cochonnet (literally, piglet), and scatter those of your<br />
opponent. There are two essential skills involved: to pointe (place) your boule and to tire (shoot),<br />
displacing the competition. I was lobbing and hurling with careless abandon, invariably missing my<br />
mark. “Why don’t you aim?!” my father-in-law frowned. It had never occurred to me that I could.<br />
Then to everyone’s utter amazement, not least of all my own, I did just that and pulled off a perfect<br />
carreau. What a lovely clink! Revelations are seldom so simple and sweet.<br />
© Olivier Boisseau<br />
FOr MOre inFOrMATiOn On THe gAMe OF BOuLeS<br />
AnD THe regiOnS in WHiCH iT iS PLAyeD:<br />
Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur Regional Tourism Committee<br />
www.decouverte-paca.fr<br />
La Boule Bleue: www.laboulebleue.fr<br />
And for boules in your own backyard: www.petanque.us<br />
27<br />
A group playing petanque in Paris
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot<br />
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot<br />
28<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
Alexandre Dumas’ signature<br />
WHERE<br />
WRITERS<br />
WROTE<br />
In ALMOST EvERy CORnER OF FRAnCE,<br />
SITES WHERE GREAT IDEAS WERE BORn<br />
ARE FAITHFuLLy PRESERvED.<br />
By PETER WORTSMAn<br />
“Witness of my miseries, my distresses, my great joys, of everything […] My arms almost wore it<br />
down with the weight of my writing.” That’s how Balzac described the little writing table on which<br />
he corrected the proofs of his monumental The Human Comedy in a house on a quiet side street<br />
in Paris’s sixteenth arrondissement. Covered with a second script of scratches and specks, the<br />
table bears silent witness, as does the monogrammed red-striped porcelain coffee pot that fueled<br />
his inspiration. Balzac’s coffee pot has since run dry but you can still sip a fine red wine bottled at<br />
the estate of the great Renaissance thinker Michel de Montaigne in Dordogne before climbing his<br />
tower, the ceiling beams of which are decorated with quotations from antiquity, hand-carved by the<br />
father of the modern essay himself. In Lyon, the old Hôtel-Dieu Hospital where François Rabelais<br />
penned his picaresque life of the giant Pantagruel still glows at night. And down south on the Côte<br />
d’Azur, the villa Saint-Louis (today the Hôtel Belles Rives) in Antibes retains the seaside aura that<br />
inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to compose his last completed novel Tender is the Night. In almost every<br />
corner of France, temples of creation faithfully preserve the sites where ideas germinated and<br />
great books were born.<br />
What a thrill to stand, as I did several summers ago, with an open copy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s<br />
Confessions in hand, at the bedroom window of <strong>Les</strong> Charmettes, the country house nestled in a<br />
wooded valley just outside Chambéry (Savoie), where the great Enlightenment thinker came into his<br />
own! “Here began the brief bliss of my life,” Rousseau wrote of this place, “here came the peaceful<br />
but fleeting moments that gave me the right to say that I have lived.” The rooms and grounds survive<br />
much as Rousseau described them, including the herb garden where he conducted his botanical<br />
studies and the bed into which his fickle lady love, Madame de Warens, invited the gardener.<br />
I was in good company. Literary pilgrims to <strong>Les</strong> Charmettes over the years have included the<br />
Romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine (with a house of his own on view in the hamlet of Milly-<br />
Lamartine, Bourgogne), the novelist Stendhal (whose childhood digs on the Jean-Jacques Rousseau<br />
in Grenoble, Isère likewise comprise a museum), and France’s greatest female novelist George Sand<br />
(whose recent rediscovery has drawn droves of bibliophiles to her native Berry).<br />
Aurore Dupin (aka George Sand) spent her most productive periods at her country estate in the<br />
sleepy village of nohant (Berry). The renovated manor includes her study; the padded soundproof<br />
piano room she had built for her lover, Frédéric Chopin; the flower garden she planted; and the
© MDLF/CRT Picardie/Claude Jacquot<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
theater where she and her talented guests kept themselves entertained. The dining room table<br />
is set with place cards comprising a who’s who of illustrious literati, including novelists Gustave<br />
Flaubert, Ivan Turgenev, and Alexandre Dumas, each with houses of their own to visit in Croisset<br />
(normandie), Bougival, and Port-Marly (Île-de-France), respectively. My appetite whetted, I sampled<br />
the foie gras at a nearby watermill-turned-inn straight out of one of her novels.<br />
Readers of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo will feel right at home, as I did,<br />
in Dumas’ own storybook castle, the Château de Monte-Cristo, in Port-Marly (yvelines), a short<br />
suburban train ride outside Paris. Designed according to the author’s precise specifications,<br />
the house and grounds—including a freestanding neo-Gothic writing studio surrounded by a<br />
moat, and an ornate Moorish-style sitting room—reflect his rich fantasy and lavish lifestyle.<br />
“When one has the honor of bearing the name of Dumas, one lives the high life […] and does not<br />
refuse oneself any pleasure,” he wrote. The joie de vivre is still palpable more than a century after<br />
his death. A faded menu features his favorite concoction, an oyster omelet no doubt way off the<br />
Richter scale of cholesterol counting. victor Hugo was among the famous dinner guests.<br />
Hugo’s own palatial abode on the Place des vosges is owned and managed as a museum by<br />
the City of Paris. Here he wrote much of his masterpiece <strong>Les</strong> Misérables, among other works;<br />
entertained fellow scribes, like Lamartine and Dumas; dallied with his mistress, Juliette Drouet;<br />
and conducted séances round the living room table. His reconstituted bedroom features the desk<br />
at which he wrote standing up and the bed in which he died.<br />
Bibliophile or oenophile, whatever your preference—or better yet, both!—in France, you can<br />
sample inspiration at its source.<br />
MAiSOn De BALZAC<br />
www.parisinfo.com<br />
CHATeAu De MOnTAigne<br />
www.chateau-montaigne.com<br />
ViLLA SAinT-LOuiS<br />
www.villasaintlouis.com<br />
LeS CHArMeTTeS<br />
www.litterature-lieux.com<br />
LAMArTine<br />
www.litterature-lieux.com<br />
STenDHAL<br />
www.isere-tourisme.com<br />
geOrge SAnD<br />
www.maison-george-sand.<br />
monuments-nationaux.fr<br />
FLAuBerT<br />
www.litterature-lieux.com<br />
CHATeAu De MOnTe-CriSTO<br />
www.chateau-<br />
monte-cristo.com<br />
MAiSOn De ViCTOr HugO<br />
www.musee-hugo.paris.fr<br />
29<br />
Hôtel de Rohan-Guémenée, Where victor Hugo Lived
© www.amboise-valdeloire.com<br />
© MDLF/Martine Prunevieille<br />
© www.amboise-valdeloire.com<br />
30<br />
CELEBRITy<br />
OPEn HOuSE<br />
THE HOMES OF SOME OF FRAnCE’S MOST ICOnIC LEGEnDS ARE SCATTERED<br />
ACROSS THE COunTRy, MAny OF WHICH ARE nOW OPEn TO THE PuBLIC.<br />
FROM COunTRy ESTATE TO EnCHAnTED ISLAnD, EACH unLOCKS A HIDDEn<br />
WORLD nEARLy FORGOTTEn unTIL, THAT IS, yOu PEER InSIDE THESE nATIOnAL<br />
TREASuRES AnD TAKE In THE SIGHTS.<br />
By ILOnA KAuREMSzKy<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
Clos Lucé, Amboise<br />
Clos Lucé, Amboise<br />
Mona Lisa - Léonardo Da vinci Park<br />
Clos Lucé, Amboise<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
vOLTAIRE’S CHATEAu In FERnEy-vOLTAIRE<br />
Before celebrity mania erupted over Angelina Jolie, there was<br />
François-Marie Arouet, aka voltaire. Regarded as a national<br />
celebrity and dubbed “the man of the century” by his peers, the<br />
renowned writer and campaigner was the darling of France’s<br />
inner circles until he fell out of favor with Louis xv and was<br />
blamed for sparking the French Revolution. Turfed out of Paris,<br />
the notorious writer found solace in Ferney (a hamlet straddling<br />
the Swiss border).<br />
Today, his thirty-room château situated on a fifteen-acre property<br />
offers an edifying view of his final years. Already sixty-five when<br />
he arrived, voltaire spent the last twenty years of his life here,<br />
where it is said that he wrote countless letters and plays, and entertained<br />
the highbrowed set. Casanova, Mozart, and Maréchal<br />
de Richelieu were among his many guests.<br />
The home is furnished from period collections and but a few<br />
personal items. voltaire’s bedroom, where his heart was stored<br />
for a few years before the national Library obtained it, is not<br />
to be missed. This room, in which he found much comfort and<br />
continued to write, looks as though voltaire has only stepped<br />
out for a moment. His bed, a green silk bathrobe, his portrait<br />
by painter Maurice Quentin de Latour, and a painting of Lekain<br />
(voltaire’s favorite actor) grace the bedchamber.<br />
www.ferney-voltaire.net<br />
© MDLF/Martine Prunevieille<br />
LEOnARDO DA vInCI’S CHATEAu Du CLOS LuCE<br />
In AMBOISE<br />
Leave it to the death of a Medici to spur France to adopt a son,<br />
one of the biggest brains of the Renaissance.<br />
As the story goes, upon hearing of the death of da vinci’s patron<br />
Giuliano de’ Medici, a young King Francis I, only nineteen, declared<br />
his own patronage to the renowned Renaissance man. An exhausted<br />
Leonardo trekked across the Alps carrying his beloved<br />
Mona Lisa, Saint Anne, and Saint John the Baptist on the backs<br />
of mules to France’s Amboise, which would become his final home.<br />
On the banks of the Loire River where the sunlight is reminiscent<br />
of Tuscany, Leonardo toiled and set his genius in motion at<br />
Château du Clos-Lucé as the “first painter, state mechanic,<br />
engineer and architect of the King.” Here, he designed his<br />
final masterpiece—a venice-like royal palace in Romorantin—;<br />
however, it never materialized. This new residence for the King<br />
featured a water drainage system, automatic doors, and a vast<br />
complex of buildings and gardens.<br />
Today, the mansion made of locally quarried pink brick remains<br />
one of the most furnished residences in the region and is still<br />
considered a symbol of France’s own Renaissance movement.<br />
Reproductions of Leonardo’s inventions dot the château’s grounds.<br />
The restored home harks back to Leonardo’s time with the bedchamber<br />
where he lived and died; the underground rooms that<br />
house forty machines that were four centuries ahead of their<br />
time; the workroom where Leonardo designed the Château de<br />
Romorantin; and the chapel resplendent with sixteenth-century<br />
Italian frescoes.<br />
www.vinci-closluce.com<br />
Clos Lucé, Amboise
© SEMEC<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
MAISOn BOnAPARTE In CORSICA<br />
Down a narrow little street in the old town of Ajaccio stands the<br />
home where Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, and where<br />
the French emperor returned to after conquering Egypt.<br />
“The interesting thing about this house is showing visitors the<br />
humble home that the family had before napoléon became an<br />
emperor,” explains Pierre-André of the Musée de la Maison<br />
Bonaparte noting napoléon’s famous bedroom.<br />
While most of the home was pillaged during the Revolution, rare<br />
original furnishings—taken by Bonaparte’s mother who escaped<br />
with her children to Marseille—are now on display. Inside<br />
napoléon’s bedroom, original paintings of a young Letizia and<br />
Louis adorn the marble fireplace as well as a sixteenth-century<br />
wooden desk with onyx, lapis, and marble marquetry. The house<br />
became a national museum in 1967.<br />
www.musee-maisonbonaparte.fr<br />
© Office municipal de tourisme d’Ajaccio<br />
villa Domergue, Cannes<br />
Maison Bonaparte, Ajaccio<br />
CeLeBriTieS in CAnneS,<br />
yeSTerDAy AnD TODAy<br />
31<br />
This fishing village on the<br />
French Riviera morphed<br />
into the “Hollywood of<br />
Europe” in the thirties,<br />
and ever since, celebrities,<br />
world leaders, and royalty<br />
flock to Cannes’s golden<br />
shores. Some come in<br />
search of fame, others to<br />
catch a glimpse of the glitz<br />
and glamour strutting<br />
the legendary red carpet.<br />
Villa Domergue,<br />
the Artist’s Abode<br />
The artist Jean-Gabriel<br />
Domergue searched Cannes<br />
for a home that mirrored<br />
those he had seen in Fiesole,<br />
near Florence; he found<br />
it in 1926 at the bottom of<br />
California Hill, known<br />
for some of Cannes most<br />
luxurious residences. Gina<br />
Lollobrigida and Brigitte<br />
Bardot are two of the many<br />
beautiful women who came<br />
to sit for Domergue. Today,<br />
the house belongs to the<br />
city of Cannes and is open<br />
to the public for festivals<br />
and expos, as well as on<br />
national heritage holidays.<br />
WHere TO SPOT<br />
A-LiST CeLeBriTieS<br />
At the renowned Palais<br />
des Festivals, the capital<br />
of the Cannes Film Festival,<br />
photographers gather to<br />
shoot stars as they climb<br />
the famous twenty-four<br />
steps while tourists bob<br />
to see over the crowds<br />
as a tsunami of celebrities<br />
appear daily during<br />
the two-week event.<br />
SPOT THe STArS<br />
The prestigious Palais<br />
des Festivals, Hôtel du<br />
Cap-Eden-Roc—famous<br />
for its pool and for<br />
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt,<br />
Hot-spot Bâoli nightclub<br />
MAy 13-24, 2009,<br />
CAnneS FiLM FeSTiVAL<br />
Palais des Festivals et<br />
des Congrès de Cannes<br />
www.palaisdes<br />
festivals.com
32<br />
Located in the town of Chantilly, just thirty miles to the north of<br />
Paris, the Musée vivant du Cheval (Living Horse Museum) is a<br />
monument to the glory of the horse. It is also the culmination<br />
of one man’s dream to provide a space for the presentation of<br />
magnificent equestrian shows and to educate the public on the<br />
basics of horsemanship.<br />
The museum is sheltered within the Grand Stables of Chantilly,<br />
perhaps the most magnificent stables in the world. In 1721,<br />
prince of Condé Louis-Henri de Bourbon was determined to build<br />
these stables befitting his status as a prince. He hired one of<br />
the best architects of the time, Jean Aubert, to construct them.<br />
Colossal in size, the building rises as high as ninety-two feet at<br />
the central dome and stretches six hundred feet in length. The<br />
horse is represented in all its splendor in beautiful sculptures<br />
adorning pediments over the doorways. When they were<br />
completed, the stables sheltered 240 horses and 500 hunting<br />
dogs. The last prince to live in Chantilly—Henri d’Orléans, duc<br />
d’Aumale—bequeathed the property to the Institute of France.<br />
In 1978, upon seeing that the grand stables were falling into<br />
disuse, a man named yves Bienaimé entered into negotiation<br />
with the Institute of France. As an accomplished horseman and<br />
owner of three equestrian clubs, his objective was to restore<br />
the stables to their former grandeur and to create a living horse<br />
museum. Today the museum welcomes some 160,000 visitors a<br />
year and provides them with spectacular entertainment. Trained<br />
steeds carrying elegant riders perform bows, Spanish walks,<br />
piaffes, and caprioles as well as coordinated trots and gallops<br />
around a rink measuring forty-two feet in diameter. Colorful<br />
costumes, dramatic lighting effects, and classical music provide<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
HIsTORY & culTuRe<br />
THE LIvInG<br />
HORSE<br />
MuSEuM<br />
CHAnTILLy’S MOnuMEnT TO THE GLORy<br />
OF THE HORSE.<br />
By TOM REEvES<br />
© Peter Bates<br />
atmosphere and glamour. A special Christmas performance is given each year. The theme for the<br />
2008 season was “Christmas, the Horse, and the Child,” featuring a representation of the fairytale<br />
Sleeping Beauty. The performances are a delight for children of all ages!<br />
Some thirty horses live in the museum, representing several different breeds: Friesian, Appaloosa,<br />
Spanish, Portuguese, Boulonnais, Thoroughbred, Barb, and Shetland. Also living here is the unique<br />
Marwari, an ancient breed of horse from the Marwar region in the state of Rajasthan, India. Ponies<br />
and a jackass complete the group. At any moment during the day, visitors will see them in their<br />
stables and boxes or with their riders giving demonstrations of basic equestrian art in a courtyard.<br />
These demonstrations take place from three to five times a day.<br />
The Musée vivant du Cheval also plays a role as an equestrian training center. Specialists in<br />
dressage and theatrical production, including an international judge of competitive horse training<br />
and an expert in animal behavior, guide the museum’s team of riders.<br />
It is no exaggeration to say that Chantilly is the horse capital of France. From April to September,<br />
prestigious races are held at the Chantilly horseracing track. And the nearby town of Apremont<br />
is home to Europe’s largest polo club, the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly.<br />
Across the road from the Musée vivant du Cheval stands the magnificent Château of Chantilly.<br />
Surrounded by moats and gardens, it is the home of one of the finest collections of paintings in<br />
France. And let us not forget two products famously associated with the town—Chantilly lace<br />
and whipped cream (called crème Chantilly in French). The former, Chantilly lace, was fashionable<br />
in the royal court during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The latter was invented by<br />
chef François vatel for a sumptuous party held in honor of King Louis xIv in 1661.<br />
www.museevivantducheval.fr/uk<br />
Chantilly Living Horse Museum
Glamorous Cannes - French Riviera<br />
Cannes? Yes, you Cannes!<br />
With its legendary palaces, hundreds of excellent<br />
restaurants and famous casinos, it is no wonder<br />
that Cannes has always attracted celebrities from<br />
around the world.<br />
But you, too, are welcome in Cannes. This glamorous<br />
city on the Riviera is not only for the rich and famous.<br />
Good value for all budgets can be found in the wide<br />
range of accommodations, restaurants and activities.<br />
Yes, Cannes is a surprisingly affordable destination.<br />
Come discover the hidden charm of this once<br />
sleepy fishing village. You can explore the medieval<br />
Old Quarter, the Suquet market or just walk along<br />
the beachfront. Throughout the year Cannes hosts a<br />
variety of festivals, exhibits and competitions so<br />
there is always something going on. And don’t forget<br />
Cannes is ideally located for day trips to<br />
Provence and other sites along the Riviera.<br />
www.cannes.com<br />
Cannes is a 30-minute drive from the international<br />
airport in Nice.<br />
Request a free digital magazine or other information by writing<br />
to : infotourism@palaisdesfestivals.com<br />
AS AN EXTENSION OF YOUR STAY IN PARIS IN SPRING-SUMMER 2009<br />
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N<br />
CITY ZEN CANNES<br />
2009 I YEAR OF WELL BEING
© Château de Raissac<br />
© Jaime Ardiles-Arce<br />
© Robyn Mackenzie<br />
© Office de Tourisme de Montélimar<br />
© MDLF/Jean François Tripelon-Jarry<br />
34<br />
FOOD & WInE<br />
FRAnCE IS FOREvER FAMOuS FOR ExQuISITE FOOD AnD WInE. THE FOLLOWInG PAGES WILL DEvELOP<br />
yOuR APPETITE FOR SOME OF FRAnCE’S LESSER-KnOWn FLAvORS, THE PEOPLE BEHInD THEM, AnD<br />
THE TRADITIOnS THAT HAvE WITHSTOOD THE TEST OF TIME.<br />
Fougères<br />
BRITTANY<br />
Rennes<br />
Vitré<br />
Château Pierre-Bise<br />
Arcachon<br />
Isigny-sur-mer<br />
NORMANDY<br />
PAYS<br />
DE LA LOIRE<br />
POITOU-<br />
CHARENTES<br />
AQUITAINE<br />
Domaine du<br />
Clos Naudin<br />
Clos Rougeard<br />
PÉRIGORD<br />
Bordeaux<br />
Orléans<br />
LOIRE<br />
VALLEY<br />
LIMOUSIN<br />
MIDI-PYRENEES<br />
Toulouse<br />
Castelnaudary<br />
COLOr DOT COrreSPOnDS TO THe ArTiCLeS in THe LiST BeLOW<br />
La Baguette Magique, p. 35<br />
Culinary Heritage, p. 36<br />
Crazy for Cru, p. 38<br />
Bountiful Butter, p. 40<br />
nuts about nougat, p. 41<br />
Bouchons Lyonnais, p. 43<br />
Only the Best, p. 44<br />
Périgord Treasure, p. 45<br />
<strong>Les</strong> <strong>Apéritifs</strong>, p. 46<br />
Michelin Takes a Spin Overseas, p. 48<br />
Point of location<br />
NORD–PAS-<br />
DE-CALAIS<br />
PICARDY<br />
ILE-DE-<br />
FRANCE<br />
CHAMPAGNE-<br />
ARDENNE<br />
BURGUNDY<br />
LORRAINE<br />
FRANCHE-<br />
COMTE<br />
AUVERGNE RHONE-ALPS<br />
© Pekka nuikki<br />
LANGUEDOC–<br />
ROUSSILLON<br />
Montpellier<br />
Dijon<br />
Montélimar<br />
PROVENCE<br />
Marseille<br />
© Office du Tourisme Sarlat-Périgord<br />
ALSACE<br />
RIVIERA<br />
Nice<br />
CORSICA
© Gracieuseté Arnaud Delmontel<br />
LA BAGUETTE MAGIQUE<br />
An unMISTAKABLE SyMBOL OF FRAnCE, THE BAGuETTE IS On EvERy TABLE,<br />
AT EvERy MEAL.<br />
By LOuISE GABOuRy<br />
As Paris awakens, the mouthwatering smell of fresh bread wafts through the streets. The sun is barely<br />
up and Parisians are already rushing off to the boulangerie to buy their first baguette of the day. This<br />
almost mythical bread takes six hours to make and only keeps for just about as long. To ensure a daily<br />
supply, the bakery’s doorbell will be chiming from dawn to dusk.<br />
BAGuETTE BASICS<br />
Since September 1993, the appellation of the traditional French baguette has been rigorously<br />
controlled. The length (twenty-four inches), weight (nine ounces), and ingredients (flour, salt,<br />
and water, without added fat or sugar) are defined according to a decree that prohibits additives<br />
and freezing. These regulations have contributed to the safeguarding of the true nature of French<br />
bread and have allowed artisan bakery products to set themselves apart from industrial products<br />
available in supermarkets.<br />
THE PRESIDEnT’S BREAD<br />
For the past fifteen years, the city of Paris has been honoring<br />
the city’s best baguette of the year. The aim of the contest is<br />
to highlight the work of bread artisans and the flavor of an<br />
authentic baguette.<br />
Jury members spend an entire morning randomly admiring,<br />
smelling, touching, and tasting some hundred baguettes. Once<br />
they’ve verified the baguette’s length and weight, they judge<br />
the look, smell, crumb, and last but not least, the flavor. The crust<br />
must be smooth, golden and crackling, with regularly spaced<br />
slashes. The crumb must be airy, full, and cream-colored. The<br />
happy winner becomes the supplier for a year to the Elysée<br />
Palace, the official residence of the President.<br />
France celebrates bread<br />
for one week every year<br />
starting the Monday<br />
preceding May 16,<br />
in honor of Saint-Honoré<br />
(the patron saint of<br />
bakers). This year,<br />
the festivities will take<br />
place from May 11 to 19.<br />
www.fetedupain.com<br />
© Gracieuseté Arnaud Delmontel<br />
THE SECRET IS In THE FLOuR<br />
Arnaud Delmontel won the 2007 prize for the best baguette<br />
in Paris thanks to his “Renaissance” baguette with Guérande<br />
salt and in 2008 he was part of the jury that crowned young<br />
Anis Bouabsa. “The secret of a good baguette lies mainly in the<br />
quality of the basic ingredients,” says Arnaud Demontel, who<br />
uses flour from the viron flour mill in Chartres. “Then the manufacturing<br />
process must be undertaken with a lot of precision<br />
and… love!” no doubt about it, Dumontel is crazy about bread.<br />
Even if he doesn’t particularly enjoy waking up before sunrise,<br />
the thought of breathing in the smell of bread helps him tear<br />
himself out of bed.<br />
ELSEWHERE In FRAnCE<br />
“There are 650 millers in France and their wheat yields different<br />
breads but good bread can be found all over,” he continues.<br />
Practically every region in France cultivates wheat and many of<br />
them are reintroducing local flours, many of which had sunken<br />
into oblivion. Revived in September 2007, the milling wheat<br />
of Apt is grown within the Luberon Regional nature Park on<br />
ecologically managed farms. The baguette ardéchoise was<br />
created in 2003 on the other side of the Rhone and is made with<br />
three types of flour: wheat, rye, and chestnut, which bears a<br />
stunning resemblance to breadfruit, of all things!<br />
Arnaud Delmontel Bakery<br />
© Gracieuseté Arnaud Delmontel<br />
Arnaud Delmontel
© Château de Raissac<br />
36<br />
By TERRy WARD<br />
To be sure, the French have a way with words.<br />
We are rolling along a ribbon of road outside Béziers, past miles<br />
of vineyards that are written into the dry earth like so much leafy<br />
scrollwork and poppies blooming like red exclamation points<br />
here and there.<br />
And words escape me as I take it all in.<br />
We turn down a sun-dappled gravel lane. Filtered light streams<br />
through the plane trees and irises cluster their purple heads<br />
together in the shade. At the road’s end, Château de Raissac—one<br />
of several wine-producing châteaux in Languedoc-Roussillon—<br />
stands as a quiet sentinel. It’s as if the elegant blue-shuttered<br />
building, too, is bathing in the beauty of its surroundings.<br />
“Ça me fait rêver,” breathes my companion. And I couldn’t have<br />
put it better.<br />
France is full of destinations that will make one dream. But a<br />
journey through Languedoc-Roussillon feels to me like a privileged<br />
partaking in a lesser-known side of the country’s good-life soul.<br />
At Château de Raissac, guests can stay in an authentic chateau<br />
that has been in the viennet family since 1828. The property’s<br />
wine cellar and storehouses date to the seventeenth century.<br />
And the pinot noirs, viogniers, and chardonnays nurtured in the<br />
nearby vineyards have evolved from the area’s rich patrimoine,<br />
dating back to Gallo-Roman times.<br />
Earlier, when I had told a friend who studies viticulture in Bordeaux<br />
that I would be visiting Languedoc-Roussillon, her enthusiasm<br />
poured forth like a convivial bottle of red.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
CuLInARy<br />
HERITAGE<br />
Ageing room Château de Raissac<br />
FOLLOWInG THE ROOTS OF FOOD AnD WInE TO<br />
THEIR SOuRCE In LAnGuEDOC-ROuSSILLOn.<br />
“The region has acted almost like a vanguard for re-plantation and new methods,” Sera Goto,<br />
a Californian, told me. “There are not many growing regions in the world that have made such a<br />
public, dramatic push to re-plant and restyle their approach to wine production for the purpose<br />
of competing on the global market.”<br />
“And the wines are already showing the results of the effort,” Sera said.<br />
Indeed, this south central region of France—hinged between the Mediterranean Sea, Rhone river<br />
delta, and the Spanish border—is the most productive wine region in the world.<br />
In the past, Languedoc-Roussillon was known for over-produced table wines rather than the vin<br />
de pays varietals that now command the region’s spotlight. From lighter Minervois crus to more<br />
full-bodied Corbières and Fitou appellations, the region is particularly revered for its reds, which<br />
pair delightfully with grilled meats and local sausages.<br />
With an eye (and a nose) on the Corbières region, my next stop is the Abbaye de Font-froide—a<br />
Benedictine monastery dating to the eleventh century. This is Cathar country, and the surrounding<br />
castles and vineyards of the department of Aude add to the splendid setting. After admiring the<br />
thirteenth-century cloister and rose garden, there are Corbières wines to be tasted in the abbey’s cellar.<br />
The pleasures of the table, too, are a big part of what brings me to Languedoc-Roussillon. And when<br />
it comes to gastronomy, the region’s contribution to France’s culinary heritage runs as deep and<br />
wide as its endless seas of vines.<br />
Before its wines evolved onto the global stage, this part of France was long known for the quality of<br />
its gastronomy. Dominated by the subtle flavors of Provence, the cuisine of Languedoc-Roussillon<br />
is typified by a penchant for olive oil, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs and an affinity for red meats,<br />
sausages, and seafood.<br />
Le Castellas, a family-run hostellerie in the village of Collias, remains a local secret despite its<br />
Michelin star. Chef Jérôme nutile’s menu of creative French cuisine is strong on seafood dishes<br />
such as delicately fried turbot and salt cod ravioli.<br />
For meatier pursuits, there’s the famed specialty of Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. Cassoulet—a<br />
slow cooked stew that blends variations of pork, duck, goose, lamb, and white haricot beans—is<br />
the region’s most renowned culinary calling card. And how the dish is prepared depends on the lieu<br />
where it’s served.<br />
The first time I tasted cassoulet was in Toulouse, where the region’s special sausage and rich<br />
goose confit are key to the local recette. In Castelnaudary, there’s even more emphasis on pork<br />
ingredients, extending from ham shanks and sausages to the skin itself. And in Carcassonne, duck<br />
confit is often replaced by red partridge in the dish.<br />
My only regret, as I tuck into my last savory bite, is that this trip allows no more time to ramble<br />
down the Route des Cassoulets—an epicurean’s dream tour that winds from Caracassonne to<br />
Toulouse, pointing cassoulet lovers to small inns and Michelin-starred restaurants that render<br />
the dish to its maximum.<br />
La prochaine fois, maybe next time, I think to myself. For I know my travels will bring me back to<br />
Languedoc-Roussillon.<br />
www.raissac.com<br />
www.lecastellas.com<br />
www.fontfroide.com<br />
www.routedescassoulets.com
Languedoc-Roussillon, Sud de France<br />
The art of living<br />
Basking peacefully in the vast architectural and natural<br />
showcase of the Mediterranean crescent, the<br />
Languedoc-Roussillon region offers visitors a<br />
warm, inmate and friendly taste of the South.<br />
Situated just three hours from Paris by TGV (high<br />
speed train), with services to Montpellier interna-<br />
onal airport, the region boasts a wealth of different<br />
landscapes, tradions and talents waing to<br />
be discovered.<br />
With its colourful local markets, its 300 days a year<br />
of sunshine warming its rich coastline, 220 km of<br />
fine sandy beaches, its charming villages and welcoming<br />
towns, visitors can experience a harmonious<br />
combinaon of listed architectural sites<br />
(some of which have Unesco listed status, including<br />
the forfied old town of Carcassonne, the Pont du<br />
Gard site, the pilgrim trails, the Vauban forteresses<br />
and the Canal du Midi) and the innovave architecture<br />
of Montpellier, a regional prefecture and<br />
the cultural capital of the South.<br />
In the region’s hinterland, off the beaten tracks, the<br />
visitor can appreciate at first hand the many things<br />
which make France so unique, including its smallscale<br />
wine growers, its cuisine, its popular culture,<br />
its village fesvals and local tradions...<br />
A joyous art de vivre, successfully combining the<br />
best of tradion and modernity, and underpinning<br />
the identy of a truly enchanng region.<br />
To organize your next vacaons and to discover our<br />
special offers in Languedoc-Roussillon :<br />
www.sunfrance.com<br />
www.sunfrance.com
© Jaime Ardiles-Arce<br />
© Four Seasons Hotels Limited and affiliates<br />
© Four Seasons Hotels Limited and affiliates<br />
38<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
Eric Beaumard<br />
Le Cinq<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
Wine cellar at Le Cinq<br />
Eric Beaumard’s love affair with all things culinary began when<br />
he was ten, making chocolate cakes and rice pudding beside<br />
his mother and grandmother. “I love to cook because I love<br />
to create,” says the world-famous sommelier and venerable<br />
director of Le Cinq restaurant in Paris’s George v Hotel. “Every<br />
time you cook, you tell a story. Even with the same recipe, each<br />
dish is different. It’s a representation of you.<br />
Born in Fougères, near Rennes, he worked as an assistant in<br />
various restaurants intending to forge a career as a chef. But<br />
at eighteen, his life was completely transformed when his right<br />
arm was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. “I didn’t<br />
want to change my profession. The kitchen was my passion,” he<br />
recalls. Working became a challenge. He continued cooking at<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Maisons de Bricourt for a few months, but its great master<br />
chef and owner, Olivier Roellinger, suggested a new path. “Oliver<br />
said, ‘I see your joy for cooking, but it’s too dangerous’,” explains<br />
Beaumard who had lost all sensation in his right arm. “Continue<br />
your passion, but do it with wine.” A new career was born.<br />
He devoured Guy Renvoisé’s Guide des Vins de France, worked<br />
in a wine shop and wine bars, and taught himself everything he<br />
could. “There was much to learn,” he says. “But once I started,<br />
I didn’t want to stop.” Finding work was tricky. “no one wanted<br />
to hire a sommelier who couldn’t use one arm,” he recalls. But<br />
he persevered and ultimately found a position at La Taverne<br />
de l’Ecu in vitré (Brittany). In 1987, after honing his skills, he<br />
won Best young Sommelier in France. This title garnered him a<br />
position at the Michelin-starred La Poularde in the Loire valley.<br />
He lived in the region with his wife and three children for twelve<br />
years. “The Sauvignon Blanc is amazing,” says Beaumard, whose<br />
CRAzy<br />
FOR CRu<br />
LE CInQ’S RESTAuRAnT DIRECTOR ERIC BEAuMARD,<br />
nAMED BEST SOMMELIER In FRAnCE AnD In THE<br />
WORLD, HAS TASTED OvER SEvEn THOuSAnD WInES<br />
EACH yEAR FOR TWEnTy-FIvE yEARS.<br />
By JERyL BRunnER<br />
favorite wine growers there include Château Pierre-Bise, Clos<br />
Rougeard, and Domaine du Clos naudin. “We say the Loire valley<br />
is France’s garden. The weather is not too hot, not too cold.”<br />
During his time in the region, more accolades ensued, including<br />
Best Sommelier in France (1992), Best Sommelier in Europe (1997)<br />
and the silver medal for the World’s Best Sommelier (1998). All<br />
the while, he perfected a technique for opening bottles with one<br />
arm. “A glass can be half full or half empty,” Beaumard explains.<br />
“I choose half full.”<br />
In 1999, he was hired by the esteemed George v Hotel to create<br />
the wine cellar (which now boasts fifty thousand bottles) and<br />
mastermind the wine list. From the beginning, he insisted on<br />
visiting the vineyards to select wines. He often brings executive<br />
chef Eric Briffard and sommelier Thierry Hamon. “It’s important to<br />
have a deep connection with the growers,” explains Beaumard.<br />
“So when you speak about wine to guests, you understand<br />
where it comes from, you’ve lived the landscape.”<br />
After tasting over seven thousand wines a year in twenty-five<br />
years, is there one that sticks out? One Christmas, he shared a<br />
bottle of 1969 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti with his wife and<br />
father. “The world became a dream,” he recalls. “Although the<br />
color wasn’t clear, the complexity of the nose was astonishing.”<br />
Every fifteen minutes, the bouquet changed. The sensation on<br />
the palate was velvety. And the experience continues to mystify<br />
him. “It was like when you see a great painting and can’t<br />
describe or compare it to anything,” he says. “It was the perfect<br />
experience—one I wanted to keep forever.”
A Gratie – Mandrak / Heimermann – Villa Florentine / P. Lebeau / S. Maviel – Mandrak – Getty / S. Maviel – Mandrak Studio / C. Martelet - Kalyana<br />
Rhône-Alpes<br />
in full technicolour<br />
Documentaries, reports, interviews, live broadcasts,<br />
competitions, events and festivals…<br />
Travel, Sport and Culture,<br />
the whole of Rhône-Alpes in images:<br />
www.rhonealpes.tv<br />
The Rhône-Alpes special-interest channel package
© Robyn Mackenzie<br />
40<br />
French cooking has long been at the forefront of the butter<br />
revolution. Ever since Madeleine Kamman rebelled against<br />
margarine in the early 1970s with her book, The Making of a Cook<br />
(Atheneum, 1971), the modern chef has sworn by butter and its<br />
ability to make accompanying flavors burst on the palate. The<br />
French couldn’t agree more, consuming seventeen pounds of<br />
butter per capita per year—the most in the world.<br />
And why is the world so enamored with French butter? Probably<br />
because they have the best conditions: the soil in France is<br />
well maintained, cow-friendly, and under the jurisdiction of<br />
Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC). This organization monitors<br />
pastures, feed, spring water, and gives its much coveted stamp<br />
of approval to only a handful of grazing sites in France, most of<br />
which are in normandy and Poitou-Charentes.<br />
One maker of delectable butter, Jean-yves Bordier, has a shop in<br />
the small town of Saint-Malo in northern Brittany—a beautiful<br />
location along the coast well worth a visit. As the undisputed king<br />
of butter, Bordier’s expertise is in demand far and wide. His brand,<br />
Le Beurre Bordier, starts with organic milk taken from pastures<br />
outside of Rennes, in Brittany. Bordier kneads the butter slowly<br />
with a wooden cylinder in small teak churns, all the while adding<br />
dashes of fine sea salt and often his secret ingredient—<br />
seaweed! Bordier is so passionate about his butter that he<br />
refuses to spread it on bread, and instead, says the best way<br />
to eat it is to place a small chunk on bread and allow it to melt<br />
in your mouth. you can also find his incredible butter in Paris at<br />
La Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marché, Fauchon on place de la<br />
Madeleine, Dalloyau on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Da Rosa,<br />
and the traiteur/gourmet takeout shop Maison Baillon.<br />
To continue your fine butter tour of France, head to the<br />
department of Deux-Sèvres, which is part of the Poitou-Charentes<br />
region in western France about two and a half hours from Paris<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
BOunTIFuL<br />
BuTTER<br />
by train. Aside from the fabulous street fairs in Parthenay, the<br />
International Birding Film Festival in Ménigoute, and the vast<br />
array of amazing little villages, you’ll find two of the most famous<br />
and delicious butters known to man!<br />
First, in the small village of Echiré, butter bearing the same<br />
name is made and sold throughout the world. The Société de<br />
laiterie coopérative d’Echiré, a cooperative that monitors the<br />
milk for Echiré’s butter, produces 950 tons of butter each year,<br />
a product that famous chefs like Eric Bertoïa, executive pastry<br />
chef at new york City’s Daniel, and Gregory Gourreau, executive<br />
pastry chef at Las vegas’s Le Cirque swear by.<br />
Also in Deux-Sèvres, you’ll find the Laiterie coopérative de la<br />
viette (in vouhé-Soutiers). This butter paradise has existed since<br />
1897 and is made special due to the quality of the soil and the<br />
spring water of the viette River. Pierre Hermé, pastry chef and<br />
owner of Pâtisserie Pierre Hermé in Paris, swears by La viette—<br />
try his famous lemon cream tart and you’ll be convinced!<br />
normandy has its own butter capital with the world-famous<br />
Isigny Sainte-Mère. This prize-winning collective is situated<br />
on the English Channel near Cherbourg and offers a wonderful<br />
tour of their facility, providing first-hand views of the buttermaking<br />
process and ending with a scrumptious tasting finale.<br />
The tours are given several times a day in July and August, or<br />
by appointment throughout the year.<br />
French butter is not only the best of its kind in the world; it is also<br />
created in some of the most beautiful locations and in the most<br />
fascinating of ways. A tasty trip well worth taking!<br />
THERE IS nO SuBSTITuTE—BuTTER ADDS MAGIC<br />
TO COOKInG, AnD THE BEST BuTTER In THE WORLD<br />
CAn BE FOunD In FRAnCE.<br />
By SETH FISHMAn<br />
Fun FACTS<br />
The use of butter dates<br />
back some ten thousand<br />
years to Mesopotamia,<br />
when shepherds would<br />
fill goatskins with milk,<br />
hang them from sticks,<br />
and walk through the<br />
meadows, shaking them<br />
until butter formed.<br />
eCHire<br />
www.echire.com<br />
LAiTerie COOPerATiVe<br />
LA VieTTe<br />
79310 vouhé-Soutiers<br />
Tel. 05 49 63 42 82<br />
www.laiterie-coop-<br />
la-viette.fr (in French)<br />
DeuX-SeVreS<br />
TOuriSTS SiTeS<br />
www.ita2sevres.org<br />
FrOMAgerie<br />
JeAn-yVeS BOrDier<br />
9, rue de l’Orme<br />
35400 Saint-Malo,<br />
Tel. 02 99 40 88 79<br />
www.saint-malo.fr<br />
iSigny SAinTe-Mere<br />
2, rue du Docteur Boutrois,<br />
14230 Isigny-sur-Mer<br />
Tel. 02 31 51 33 88<br />
www.isigny-ste-mere.com<br />
Guided tours are scheduled<br />
for 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m.,<br />
3 p.m., and 4 p.m. in July<br />
and August, from Monday<br />
to Friday, or by appointment<br />
at any other time of the year.
nuTS ABOuT<br />
nOuGAT!<br />
OvER THE yEARS, THIS MOnTELIMAR SPECIALTy<br />
HAS BECOME OnE OF THE MOST POPuLAR AnD<br />
EnJOyED CAnDIES In THE WORLD.<br />
By JuLIEn BISSOn<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
Although France is well known for its fine food, we often forget<br />
that it is also famous for its confections. Some of these are<br />
among the best known in the world, with the famous Montélimar<br />
nougat at the top of the list. Threatened by competitors like the<br />
Spanish turrón and the Italian torrone, this sweet (made with<br />
honey, sugar, and almonds) has even acquired AOC (controlled<br />
term of origin) status—like fine wines and cheeses—to establish<br />
its identity.<br />
Known in the Middle East since ancient times, nougat was<br />
brought by the Greeks to Marseille, which held a monopoly on<br />
its production in Provence in the Middle Ages. At the time, it was<br />
made from nuts, hence the Latin name nux gatum (nut cake), which<br />
became nougo in Provençal, and later nougat. However, it wasn’t<br />
until the beginning of the eighteenth century that nougat made<br />
its appearance in Montélimar, with the help of Olivier de Serres,<br />
an agronomist from the department of Ardèche, who successfully<br />
introduced the first almond trees to the area. As almonds<br />
keep better, they gradually replaced the walnuts in nougat,<br />
making this town in Drôme the center of nougat production.<br />
The locals will tell you quite a different, and much more colorful,<br />
story to explain the origin of nougat. Legend has it that Tante<br />
Manon, who lived in Montélimar in the seventeenth century, had<br />
a knack for making an amazing candy that was as succulent as<br />
it was mysterious. It was so good that each time she would give<br />
some to her nieces and nephews, they would exclaim: “Tante<br />
Manon, tu nous gâtes, tu nous gâtes !” (“Aunt Manon, you’re<br />
spoiling us!”) And so it came to be called “nougat.”<br />
© nougats Arnaud Soubeyran<br />
Of course, the present-day Provençal town looks nothing like it did under the Ancien Régime. It<br />
has, however, used the time to promote its specialty. Ideally situated on the famous road between<br />
Paris and the Riviera, Route nationale 7, Montélimar has had its share of tourists come to sample<br />
the nougat during summer traffic jams, which has helped popularize nougat’s taste and look.<br />
The way nougat is made has also changed. These days, nougat is made in large quantities—close<br />
to thirty-five hundred tons are produced every year—by some thirteen reputed maisons who<br />
maintain tradition. Still, the best way to discover this sweet in this little town with its traditional<br />
charm, is to tour one of the workshops like that at Maison Arnaud Soubeyran, the oldest working<br />
nougat factory. Founded in 1837, it has a real nougathèque, recounting the history of the product<br />
as well as the different steps in the nougatmaking process.<br />
More recently, in 2005, the municipality opened the Palais des Bonbons et du nougat (Candy<br />
and nougat Palace) to celebrate French confectioneries, naturally starting with the town specialty.<br />
In addition to an overview of sweets from around the world, it contains the biggest nougat in<br />
the world, weighing over a ton! It’s enough to make anyone succumb to the sin of gluttony…<br />
www.montelimar-tourisme.com<br />
MAiSOn ArnAuD SOuBeyrAn<br />
zone Commerciale Sud<br />
Route nationale 7,<br />
26204 Montélimar<br />
Tel. 04 75 51 01 35<br />
www.nougatsoubeyran.com<br />
PALAiS DeS BOnBOnS<br />
eT Du nOugAT<br />
village au Fil du Temps<br />
100, route de valence,<br />
26200 Montélimar<br />
Tel. 04 75 50 62 66<br />
www.palais-des-bonbons.com<br />
nougat confection<br />
© nougats Arnaud Soubeyran<br />
© Office de Tourisme de Montélimar<br />
41<br />
nougat<br />
nougat Arnaud Soubeyran
© 2009 Continental Airlines, Inc.<br />
GET THAT<br />
WORLDLY LOOK,<br />
ONE COUNTRY<br />
AT A TIME.<br />
The most international destinations of any U.S. airline, including daily<br />
nonstop service to Paris, France from New York/Newark and Houston.<br />
There’s something about traveling the globe that tends to rub off on people.<br />
And with over 260 destinations in more than 45 countries, we give<br />
you the world. Wear it well. For reservations and information,<br />
go to continental.com or call 1-800-523-FARE.<br />
Includes service operated by ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. and<br />
Chautauqua Airlines, Inc., both d/b/a Continental Express.<br />
®
fOOd & wINe<br />
BOuCHOnS<br />
LyOnnAIS<br />
MORE THAn EvER, THESE LyOnnAIS vERSIOnS<br />
OF THE PARISIAn BISTRO DELIvER unIQuE AnD<br />
DELICIOuS MEALS.<br />
By SyLvIE BIGAR<br />
There is molecular gastronomy, nouvelle cuisine, and the back<br />
to basics—boeuf bourguignon fan club, but for visitors to Lyon,<br />
the self-proclaimed capital of French gastronomy halfway<br />
between Paris and nice, there is nothing like the food to be<br />
had at one of the city’s bouchons.<br />
Simple, humble, and often family-run, many bouchons still have<br />
a woman heading up the kitchen. Created by some of the most<br />
famous female master chefs of the early twentieth century—<br />
Tante Paulette, La Mère Jean, or Mère Brazier (whose eponymous<br />
haunt was just bought by Michelin two-star chef Mathieu<br />
viannay)—they moved to the center of town during Lyon’s<br />
industrial boom to be near the teeming silk ateliers and factories.<br />
Restaurateurs adapted their hours to the workers’ day, opened<br />
at dawn and invented the mâchon, the Lyonnais ancestor of<br />
brunch—a simple, unpretentious, meat-based morning meal.<br />
There are many stories that try to explain the origins of the<br />
term bouchon: an allusion to the cork in a bottle of wine? A<br />
reference to the ancient inn where travelers dined while<br />
servants bouchonnaient (rubbed down) their horses? no, the<br />
best explanation is that it refers to the bunch of twisted straw—<br />
called a “bouchon” in Lyonnais slang—that innkeepers hung<br />
over their doors to indicate a restaurant.<br />
Since 1997, Pierre Grison and his Association de défense des<br />
bouchons lyonnais [Association for the Defense of the Lyonnais<br />
Bouchons] tour the restaurants, test the authenticity of new<br />
applicants, and taste their offerings to decide whether to grant<br />
the “Authentique bouchon lyonnais” plaque, based on décor,<br />
atmosphere, and, of course, cuisine.<br />
© MDLF/Michel Laurent<br />
With its terroir-based foods and strong industrial past, la cuisine<br />
lyonnaise unites some of the best ingredients of the country with<br />
simple cuts, offal, and unsung vegetables. Order gras-double<br />
à la lyonnaise (tender tripe cooked with parsley and onions)<br />
or tablier de sapeur (fried breaded tripe). For a lighter option,<br />
choose pike dumplings with a crayfish sauce, frisée aux lardons,<br />
chicken liver mousse, or lentil salad.<br />
Our favorites? The no-menu institution Café des Fédérations<br />
and its pig-themed décor, where yves Rivoiron, a larger-than-<br />
life personality, rules over œufs en meurette (red wine poached<br />
eggs) and the best rosette de Lyon (cured pork sausage). Chez<br />
Abel, opened in 1928 by la mère Abel, sits next to the Porte<br />
d’Aulnay. Its beautifully restored, warm-toned dining room,<br />
complete with an oak-beamed ceiling makes it one of the most<br />
elegant establishments in town. Savor the best pike mousse<br />
in Lyon as well as chewy veal kidneys with mustard sauce, a<br />
gigantic veal chop, or earthy and moist free-range chicken (poulet<br />
fermier) with potato gratin. Joseph viola, the new chef-owner<br />
at Daniel et Denise, has kept the historic name and the old<br />
charcuterie décor even though both Daniel and Denise are now<br />
retired. The young chef who became a 2004 Meilleur Ouvrier<br />
de France offers, in addition to the Lyonnais classics, his own<br />
interpretation of crispy lamb shoulder confit, veal sweetbread<br />
terrine, and the marvelously light île flottante, a symphony of<br />
meringues floating on vanilla sauce topped with caramel.<br />
© MDLF/Jean François Tripelon-Jarry © MDLF/Jean François Tripelon-Jarry<br />
43
44<br />
By IRvInA LEW<br />
Speak of Bordeaux and fine wines come to mind. Truth be told, the region’s food products are<br />
equally superb, though lesser known. Franck Salein, the Michelin-starred chef at <strong>Les</strong> Sources de<br />
Caudalie—the sprawling farmhouse-hotel and vinotherapy spa on two hundred and seventy-seven<br />
sculpture-studded acres of Château Smith Haut Lafitte vineyards in Martillac—serves those<br />
fabulous products to his guests. In his cookbook Flavours of Bordeaux, he introduces the top<br />
regional purveyors of Pauillac lamb, Bezas beef, Arcachon oysters, Gironde caviar, and cep<br />
mushrooms, which he prepares only nine miles outside the city of Bordeaux.<br />
For Salein, “gastronomy is the choice of products” and the purveyors whom he selects have<br />
one thing in common: a devotion to the best ingredients. The region is known for its oysters (consumption<br />
dates back to two centuries BC) and Joël Dupuch, a burly sixth-generation oysterman and<br />
author of L’Huître (The Oyster), is the chef’s choice from among the three hundred and fifty oyster<br />
farmers in the Bassin d’Arcachon. His sturgeon caviar supplier is Claudia Boucher, who developed<br />
sturgeon farming for its caviar in the Blaye area near the Gironde. After grapes, oysters, and caviar,<br />
Bordeaux ceps (special brown-colored mushrooms) are another treasure. Serge Hourteau notes<br />
that they have been sold commercially since the seventeenth century and still grow abundantly<br />
in the wild in oak and chestnut forests. Salein purchases asparagus from Frédéric Frappe, who<br />
grows them in the sandy soil in Blaye and picks them the night before personally transporting them<br />
to market. For fish, he relies upon fourth-generation fishmonger Eric Smith, who hand-selects<br />
top-quality, line-caught sea bass, sole, turbot, mullet, or langoustine from local ports in Arcachon,<br />
Royan, and La Rochelle.<br />
Salein respects each of these ingredients enough to delicately transform them into delicious dishes.<br />
Then he pairs them from an exceptional wine list that focuses on superior Bordeaux wines, including<br />
many vintages from the vineyards at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, such as the grands crus classés<br />
(great classified growths) of Graves.<br />
At La Grand vigne, the hotel’s newly redecorated forty-five-seat gourmet restaurant, which<br />
overlooks a picturesque pond with swans and one section of the vineyard, Salein serves refined<br />
classics. His gourmand menu has no caloric limitations and may include over-the-top indulgences,<br />
such as lobster, ris de veau (sweetbread), and foie gras. His unique three-course “Aux Sources de<br />
la Minceur” menu totals only five hundred calories; it may star a mousseline of scallops, a saddle of<br />
lamb with steamed, herbed vegetables and a dreamy, yet non-fattening desert. At La Table de<br />
Lavoir, where menus are written on oak wine-barrel slats, there’s a more casual bistro-like<br />
ambiance and a hearty, albeit less ambitious, menu.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
OnLy<br />
THE BEST<br />
CHEF FRAnCK SALEIn DEMOnSTRATES THE vALuE<br />
OF QuALITy, LOCAL InGREDIEnTS.<br />
© Pekka nuikki<br />
4-star deluxe Hotel <strong>Les</strong> Sources de Caudalie<br />
© Pekka nuikki<br />
Morning mist Sources de Caudalie<br />
Chef Salein’s dishes emphasize each ingredient’s intrinsic pure<br />
flavor. For this, the Languedoc native credits his Michelin-starred<br />
mentor, Michel Guérard, at the extraordinary <strong>Les</strong> Prés d’Eugénie.<br />
“[He] opened my eyes to gastronomy, gave me the taste for<br />
products and taught me to search for simplicity,” emphasizes<br />
Salein. He also credits Guérard with teaching him the rigors<br />
of preparing cuisine minceur (low-calorie, healthful cooking),<br />
which became personally important when the chef needed to<br />
reduce his own weight. now, that cuisine—along with “barrel<br />
baths” overlooking the vineyards—is what lures many guests<br />
to <strong>Les</strong> Sources de Caudalie.<br />
LeS SOurCeS<br />
De CAuDALie<br />
La Grand’vigne,<br />
Chemin de Smith<br />
Haut Lafitte,<br />
33650 Martillac<br />
Tel. 05 57 83 83 83<br />
www.sources-<br />
caudalie.com<br />
STurgeOn CAViAr<br />
Claudia Boucher,<br />
STuRIA Caviar et Prestige,<br />
21, rue de la Gare,<br />
33450 Saint-Sulpice-<br />
et-Cameyrac<br />
Tel. 05 56 30 27 94<br />
FiSH<br />
Eric Smith, Smith Marée,<br />
Pavillon des Mareyeurs,<br />
rue de la Seiglière,<br />
33800 Bordeaux<br />
Tel. 05 57 35 45 15<br />
OySTerS<br />
Joël Dupuch, Huîtres Dupuch,<br />
5, impasse de la Conche,<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Jacquets,<br />
33950 Lège-Cap Ferret<br />
Tel. 05 56 60 92 91<br />
BLAyAiS WHiTe<br />
ASPArAguS<br />
Frédéric Frappe,<br />
Le Breuilh, Pugnac,<br />
33620 Cézac<br />
Tel. 05 57 68 60 48<br />
Markets in: Saint-Loubes,<br />
Ambès, Blaye, Saint-Savin,<br />
and Pessac<br />
CeP MuSHrOOMS<br />
Serge Hourteau,<br />
Cèpes du Médoc,<br />
20, avenue de l’Estuaire,<br />
33180 Saint-Estèphe<br />
Tel. 05 56 59 70 73
© Office du Tourisme Sarlat-Périgord<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
Don’t be put off by the name; the Black Périgord has nothing to do with scorched earth or even a<br />
thieves’ den. The region gets its name from the surrounding forest’s dark, leafy trees. Located in<br />
the eastern part of the department of Dordogne, the Black Périgord is sometimes known for its<br />
latticework of small roads that wind through the oaks with their ceps and adorn the lovely scenery<br />
with a chain of peculiar, yet picturesque, burgs and villages.<br />
Discover a very special pearl: Sarlat-la-Canéda. Henry Miller called it “France’s paradise.”<br />
This ninth-century medieval town, built around an important Benedictine abbey, is a veritable<br />
architectural jewel. Despite its rich history as a nerve center during the Hundred years’ War and<br />
the French Wars of Religion, Sarlat fell into a deep slumber of sorts after the Renaissance only to<br />
awaken a few decades ago, almost intact and still cloaked in its medieval adornment. The town<br />
gates open onto a series of gas-lit alleys lined with old ochre-colored stone houses with slate roofs.<br />
Although strolling through this “swashbuckling” movie set is enough to make anyone happy, it<br />
would nonetheless be a shame to miss out on a few of the town’s famous monuments, such as the<br />
superb house, the Maison de La Boétie, or an intriguing monument called the lanterne des morts<br />
(lantern of the dead), built around the twelfth century. Tip: If you are going to visit the town, head out<br />
in the morning as the streets tend to fill up early, especially in late July during the Drama Festival.<br />
Winter is the ideal time to visit the region as it’s the season for the marchés au gras (foie gras<br />
markets) that sell the famous goose and duck foie gras, the region’s standout gourmet products.<br />
However, these are not the region’s only products, the Black Périgord is also renowned for its<br />
confits, truffles, cèpes (wild mushrooms), chestnuts, and walnuts! A meal at one of the many local<br />
inns will make you an instant fan of the region’s varied and convivial cuisine.<br />
And yet, staying in Sarlat would mean depriving yourself of the surrounding beauties. you simply<br />
must explore the two valleys flanking the town; the vézère valley is internationally renowned for its<br />
many prehistoric caves, particularly the Lascaux Cave with its legendary rock paintings.<br />
Further to the south, the Dordogne valley is home to a series of little towns often dubbed some of the<br />
most beautiful villages in France, like La Roque-Gageac, nestled under a cliff, or Belvès, perched on<br />
a rocky peak that houses incredible cave dwellings under the parade square. yet another treasure<br />
to discover in the Black Périgord where secrets are not the least of its riches.<br />
Belves<br />
© Floortje<br />
PERIGORD<br />
TREASuRE<br />
In THE nORTHEASTERn PART OF THE AQuITAInE<br />
REGIOn BEHOLD THE GASTROnOMIC AnD HISTORICAL<br />
TREASuRES OF THE BLACK PERIGORD.<br />
By JuLIEn BISSOn<br />
SArLAT AnD BLACK<br />
PerigOrD TOuriST BureAu<br />
www.sarlat-tourisme.com<br />
© Office du Tourisme Sarlat-Périgord<br />
DOrDOgne DePArTMenTAL<br />
TOuriSM COMMiTTee<br />
www.dordogne-<br />
perigord-tourisme.fr<br />
45<br />
La Roque
© newpi<br />
© Paul Johnson<br />
46<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
LES APERITIFS<br />
© Jan Rihak<br />
A GRAnD TOuR THROuGH FRAnCE, COuRTESy OF SOME OF ITS MOST HISTORIC—AnD DELICIOuS—<br />
SPIRITS.<br />
By JIM TOBLER AnD JESSICA QuAnDT<br />
American happy hour tends to unfold in a pretty predictable<br />
manner: Find the nearest bar, sip half-priced bottom-shelf<br />
martinis, order ten-for-a-dollar Buffalo wings. Just across the<br />
Atlantique in France, they have an after-work cocktail ritual too:<br />
the apéritif, or apéro for short. But unlike American cocktail<br />
hour, the apéro is the very embodiment of the famous French art<br />
de vivre. The philosophy of art de vivre is simple—relaxing and<br />
enjoying life are pretty much the only tenets.<br />
Still, the creative and indulgent cocktail is making a big comeback.<br />
Enjoy French cocktail hour anywhere, from a local restaurant<br />
to your own home, or even at one of the many Apéritif à la<br />
Française events held all over the world. Of course, any French<br />
apéritif is best enjoyed in the region where it’s produced,<br />
especially since so many iconic spirits have centuries-old ties<br />
to specific areas.<br />
© Hugo Chang<br />
Lillet, an enduring classic invented in Bordeaux, Aquitaine and<br />
launched in 1895, is a combination of local wine and tropical<br />
and citrus fruits, steeped in alcohol and then barrel aged. Both<br />
the red and white versions are usually taken on the rocks but,<br />
like many other French spirits, they provide the foundation for<br />
a host of cocktail concoctions. Even James Bond—arguably<br />
the world’s most famous martini drinker—orders his signature<br />
beverage made with Lillet in Casino Royale.<br />
In the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Byrrh was invented at the<br />
end of the 19th century, when it was marketed as a health drink.
© Webphotographeer<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
A mixture of dry local red wine and quinine (or tonic water), it’s<br />
now known as an apéritif rather than a medical supplement.<br />
Pernod-Ricard still produces Byrrh in Perpignan in a factory<br />
designed by Gustav Eiffel, and you can stop by for a free tour<br />
and tasting if you’re in town. Byrrh is best enjoyed chilled, and<br />
can be dressed up with lemon rind or crème de cassis liqueur.<br />
In Dijon, capital of the Burgundy region, Kir is the beverage<br />
of choice. named after Canon Felix Kir, who was the mayor of<br />
Dijon from 1945-1968, it’s a mix of Aligoté (a local white wine)<br />
and crème de cassis liqueur. On special occasions locals swap<br />
the wine for champagne to create a Kir Royale. virtually every<br />
region in France has its own variant, depending on what the<br />
local white wine is.<br />
The abundant local apples are the base of normandy’s signature<br />
apéritifs. Apple cider (or cidre) is made and consumed throughout<br />
the region, but can also be distilled to make the Calvados<br />
département’s eponymous local apple brandy. Mix cider and<br />
the multi-tasking crème de cassis for a Kir normand, or try<br />
pommeau, made of unfermented cider and Calvados.<br />
In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, a spirit native to the area is<br />
the ever-famous pastis, which, though it is anise-based just like<br />
absinth, is considerably milder and less mind-bending. Pastis<br />
goes by several monikers, most famously Pernod, in which it<br />
is mixed with select herbs, or Ricard, which is somewhat less<br />
herbal and more anise driven. These drinks are best taken<br />
with an equal portion of cool water on the side for the drinker<br />
to add according to taste. The liquid turns a milky white and<br />
the bouquet rises, creating a truly memorable experience.<br />
A glass of Chartreuse in the Rhône-Alps region will take you all<br />
the way back to 1605, when monks from the Order of Chartreuse<br />
received a mysterious manuscript containing the recipe for an<br />
“elixir of long life.” The monks finally produced their first batch<br />
of the elixir for use as a medicine in 1737, and it’s gone through<br />
several variations since then. Today it’s sold in two milder,<br />
sweeter versions—Chartreuse verte (the stronger of the two)<br />
and Chartreuse Jaune—infused with over one hundred and<br />
thirty herbs, roots, and leaves. To this day, two monks of the<br />
Order of Chartreuse are the only people in the world entrusted<br />
with the secret of its exact recipe. And while a glass may no<br />
longer help to cure your ailments, it can certainly help warm up<br />
a winter night in the Alps.<br />
The bucolic and serene Auvergne region is the birthplace of<br />
Suze, which has gentle flavors of citrus, vanilla, and the gentian<br />
roots that form its base. Fernand Moureaux wanted to invent a<br />
new, non-wine-based apéritif when, in 1885, he tried distilling<br />
gentian roots instead of grapes. Suze was born, though it wasn’t<br />
named until 1889. One legend has it a vendor near the Suze river<br />
in Switzerland gave Moureaux the idea for the name when he<br />
told him, “you will see that this apéritif will flow through France<br />
like the Suze at our feet.”<br />
When visiting the French Caribbean, ordering anything other<br />
than a fittingly tropical cocktail would be unthinkable. Luckily,<br />
the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique are known for<br />
producing some of the finest light and dark rums in the world<br />
thanks to their abundant sugar cane crops and age-old distilling<br />
methods. Ti-punch is the local libation of choice and is made<br />
with rum, lime juice, and cane-syrup. Bartenders will often leave<br />
the ingredients out so patrons can play alchemist and concoct<br />
their own glass of paradise before hitting the beaches or even<br />
the local rum museums.<br />
no matter what your destination or mood, you can’t go wrong<br />
indulging the French tradition of the apéro. Just choose something<br />
local and high quality, and you’ll have the hang of that<br />
whole art de vivre thing before you know it.<br />
© Ekspansio<br />
APeriTiF TiMeLine<br />
1605<br />
Monks receive the recipe<br />
for the elixir that would<br />
become Chartreuse. The<br />
first edition of Don Quixote<br />
is published in Spain.<br />
1866<br />
Byrrh is invented in<br />
Languedoc-Roussillon<br />
47<br />
1889<br />
The Suze brand is born in<br />
Auvergne. The Eiffel Tower<br />
is unveiled in Paris.<br />
1895<br />
Lillet is launched in<br />
Aquitaine. The Lumière<br />
brothers show their first<br />
moving picture in Paris.<br />
1945<br />
Canon Felix Kir becomes<br />
mayor of Dijon. World<br />
War II ends.<br />
www.french<br />
cocktailhourusa.com<br />
www.lillet.fr<br />
byrrh.com<br />
www.suze.com<br />
chartreuse.fr<br />
www.pernod-ricard.com
© Michelin<br />
© Michelin<br />
48<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
fOOd & wINe<br />
Jean-Luc naret<br />
MICHELIn TAKES<br />
A SPIn OvERSEAS<br />
SInCE HE BECAME DIRECTOR OF THE PRESTIGIOuS FOOD GuIDE In 2004,<br />
JEAn-LuC nARET HAS BEEn ExPAnDInG HIS HORIzOnS, PuBLISHInG nEW<br />
yORK, SAn FRAnCISCO, AnD TOKyO EDITIOnS. yET HE REMAInS TRuE TO THE<br />
RECIPE THAT MADE THE MICHELIN GUIDE FAMOuS.<br />
By JuLIEn BISSOn<br />
Present in twenty-three countries, does the Michelin Guide incarnate French taste around<br />
the world?<br />
The Guide is French, for sure, but it is French in France, Spanish in Spain, and Italian in Italy. The<br />
teams consist of local inspectors who strive to represent the gastronomic variety of these different<br />
countries. In some American cities, we touch on up to forty different cuisine styles—three stars<br />
have even been bestowed on a Japanese restaurant in new york City. That being said, the chefs<br />
donning the most stars are still French chefs, like Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse.<br />
Are there any qualities that the different guides in each country look for that are the same?<br />
Of course. A star in Paris has to be at the same level as a star in new york. A restaurant’s rating<br />
is twofold: the classification, ranging from one to five “forks and spoons,” i.e., from the cozy little<br />
bistro to the luxurious restaurant; and the quality of the food, denoted in particular by Michelin<br />
stars. For the latter, we judge on the choice of ingredients, the mastery of technique and flavors,<br />
the chef’s personality in the dish and, lastly, the consistency both throughout the meal and the year.<br />
That’s why these restaurants are visited several times a year by different inspectors.<br />
Are the inspectors anonymous?<br />
Absolutely. When our readers dine in these restaurants, they are also anonymous! Our inspectors<br />
work without ever revealing their identity. Each one completes a report after the meal and it’s the<br />
compiling of all these reports at the end of the year that determines the restaurants’ rating. This<br />
system allows us to guarantee true impartiality.<br />
The Michelin Guide was founded in 1900, basically as an advertising tool. Quite an unusual story<br />
for a food guide, no?<br />
unusual, yes, but magnificent. At the start of the century, there were approximately three thousand<br />
automobiles in France. Brothers Edouard and André Michelin wanted to entice drivers to tour<br />
France’s roads (and use their tires)! They created this little red guide, which was given to drivers<br />
for free and provided practical information about their cars, but also about their destinations: the<br />
distances between towns, maps, gas stations, and where to eat and stay.<br />
What key changes have been made to the guide since?<br />
The first star made its appearance in 1926, to reward a good restaurant in its category. Two<br />
stars, created in 1931, signified “worth a detour.” And three stars, in 1933, “worth the journey.” And<br />
well, almost seventy-five years later, these ratings have the same value today. I am often asked if the<br />
Michelin Guide is going to get a fourth star. I don’t think so. Our stars have a clear and specific meaning.<br />
What are your plans for 2009?<br />
Even though the Guide was created in 1900, it will be celebrating its hundredth edition this year.<br />
It will be a very special event for us, with a few surprises that are sure to make Paris the most<br />
gastronomic capital of the world.<br />
Guide Michelin, France 1900 www.michelinguide.com
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like a person, not a passenger. This is not a plane, this is something altogether different. This is OpenSkies.<br />
Call your travel agent or 1-866-581-3596. FlyOpenSkies.com New York Paris Amsterdam
© mdlF/patrice thébault<br />
© mdlF/phovoir<br />
© robert van beets<br />
© mdlF/r-cast<br />
© mdlF/Jean François tripelon-Jarry<br />
50<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
this year is all about rediscovering France outdoors, whether it’s exploring the city<br />
like a local, the countryside like a native, or the beaches like an islander, you’ll get in<br />
touch with some beautiFul regions oF France.<br />
Cap Ferret<br />
Seignosse<br />
Capbreton<br />
Biarritz<br />
Deauville<br />
ORNE<br />
Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei<br />
PAYS<br />
DE LA LOIRE<br />
Lacanau<br />
Biscarosse<br />
Souston<br />
Hossegor<br />
Beynac<br />
Granges-sur-Lot<br />
Color dot Corresponds to the artiCles in the list below<br />
secret gardens, pp. 51-52<br />
the spirit of adventure, pp. 54-55<br />
ardèche adventure, p. 56<br />
surf’s up, p. 58<br />
cycling in burgundy, p. 59<br />
volcanoes of auvergne, p. 61<br />
Puy-de-Dôme<br />
Flea markets in France, pp. 62-63<br />
dining for under 35 euros, pp. 64-65<br />
budget shopping in France, p. 67<br />
paris Populaire, p. 69<br />
higher ground, p. 71<br />
point of location<br />
© paris tourist office/amélie dupont<br />
Sens<br />
Tonnerre<br />
Monbard<br />
Semur-en-Auxois<br />
Saulieu<br />
Pouilly-en-Auxois<br />
Saint-Arcons-d’Allier<br />
ARDÈCHE<br />
Orange<br />
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue<br />
© paris tourist office/david lefranc<br />
Menton
© mdlF/catherine bibollet<br />
secret gardens<br />
the Floral landscapes oF normandy, the French riviera,<br />
and aquitaine are no longer a secret.<br />
by helena lunardelli<br />
Flowers are mother nature at her best. truly a visual delight, they provoke a sense of fascination<br />
and contentedness that should be admired.<br />
Flower arranging—with all its infinite possibilities of color, form, and style—is my great passion.<br />
there is nothing more charming than a simple bouquet of flowers in a beautiful vase. you may select<br />
the flowers you want to use first, but it is the chosen vase or container (let your imagination run<br />
wild, but keep the flowers in mind) that will be the basis for the arrangement. always remember<br />
where you want to place the arrangement, and keep in mind its height, width, and weight. keep this<br />
in mind when walking through one of France’s secret gardens.<br />
France is like a vast park. some property owners, motivated by a great love of plants and flowers,<br />
open their private gardens to visitors, sharing with tourists and local amateur gardeners the beauty<br />
and history of these hidden places. three French regions stand out for their beautiful private<br />
gardens: normandy, the riviera and aquitaine.<br />
the Jardins de la mansonière in orne, normandy are subdivided into eleven smaller gardens,<br />
each with its own characteristics. the sub gardens include the rose garden, the garden of the<br />
moon, the garden of calm, the garden of perfume, the square courtyard, the garden of contrast,<br />
the promenade, the gothic garden, the garden of nut trees, the patio, and the stage. this<br />
clearly marked garden is simple to navigate, easily accessible and its tearoom offers a delicious<br />
conclusion to the tour. the garden is located in saint-céneri-le-gérei, a medieval town that has<br />
drawn artists since its founding in the twelfth century. every year during pentecost, the town opens<br />
its streets to painters. i recommend renting a house nearby and taking the opportunity to see the<br />
rest of normandy. the garden is closed in the fall and winter, but will reopen its doors on april 17,<br />
2009, so get ready for an intense program of lectures, exhibitions, and concerts. on some nights,<br />
the park is illuminated by candlelight, and visitors can listen to a concert featuring the music<br />
of mozart. absolutely heavenly! don’t forget your camera and your notebook to record tons of<br />
information about the plants and flowers.<br />
© mdlF/catherine bibollet
© mdlF/Jean François tripelon-Jarry © mdlF/Jean François tripelon-Jarry<br />
52<br />
if you think the riviera is only beautiful beaches, think again. the clos du peyronnet in menton, near<br />
the italian border, is a must see. this private garden, owned by the waterfield family since 1915,<br />
is an ode to subtropical vegetation, with over six hundred species brought from south africa and<br />
acclimatized to the mediterranean soil. taking advantage of the city’s exceptionally mild climate,<br />
the city offers a tour through its seven fascinatingly diverse main gardens. each garden is distinct<br />
and has its own captivating history. guided tours and special events are organized throughout<br />
the year.<br />
at the other side of the country is the region of aquitaine, and, more specifically, the small town of<br />
granges-sur-lot, home to one of France’s most beautiful and peculiar botanical gardens. Founded<br />
in 1875 by Joseph bory latour-marliac, who owned the property, this garden is a showcase for<br />
over two hundred varieties of water lilies. the beauty and fragility of the water lily’s white or lilac<br />
flowers remain unsurpassed. the painter claude monet reportedly filled the garden at giverny<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
villa ephrussi de rothschild, saint-Jean-cap-Ferrat<br />
© mdlF/pascal gréboval<br />
with water lilies from here. could this location, which so resembles<br />
an impressionist painting, have been one of the painter’s<br />
inspirations? and the region has so much more to offer: less<br />
than one hour away, you can tour the gardens of marqueyssac<br />
year-round. the garden includes hundred-year-old sculpted<br />
trees, and offers a breathtaking view of the dordogne river<br />
valley and its medieval castles, including the impressive<br />
château de beynac. a veritable trip through time!<br />
www.mansoniere.fr<br />
www.menton.fr/jardins<br />
traditional garden, calvados<br />
villa kérylos, beaulieu-sur-mer
© mdlF/eric larrayadieu © mdlF/patrice thébault<br />
54<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
sailboat in the caribbean<br />
the spirit<br />
oF adventure<br />
the French islands inspire doZens oF outdoor activities.<br />
by liZ Fleming<br />
there’s always the temptation to spend a holiday lolling on silken sands, but the diverse collection of<br />
French islands offer so many opportunities for hiking, sailing, diving, and exploring that increasing<br />
numbers of travelers are leaving their beach chairs and finding their spirit of adventure in far-<br />
flung locales.<br />
hoist a sail<br />
always wanted to run away to sea? sunny st. martin invites you to sign on for a day to crew on a<br />
genuine america’s cup twelve-meter yacht and learn to race. if you’re active by nature, volunteer<br />
to be a ‘grinder’ and crank the huge winch that moves the sails. you’ll have the wind in your hair<br />
and breathe the scent of victory!<br />
but French island sailing adventures aren’t confined to the caribbean. For those in search of serious<br />
yachting, charter companies offer cruises through the sheltered waters around new caledonia,<br />
between queensland, australia and vanuatu, just northwest of new Zealand. boasting not only the<br />
greatest number of indigenous plant species in the pacific, but also one of the world’s most dense<br />
tropical forests, new caledonia is home to the largest lagoon on the planet. what better place to<br />
drop anchor?<br />
ride the waves<br />
if surfboards are your preferred watercraft, you’ll want to head to guadeloupe. whether you choose<br />
the prime surf season (may-october) or decide to have the waves to yourself in the off-months,<br />
guadeloupe will have just the curls you’re looking for, breaking on coral, rock or lava reefs, with<br />
strong summer trade winds blowing up swells as high as eight feet.<br />
so ideal are the conditions in guadeloupe that the French surf championships are held in<br />
anse-bertrand, le moule, and saint-François every year in october. nearby st. bart’s is another<br />
great surfing destination, with the bays of saint Jean, anse des cayes, toiny, and lorient all<br />
producing great waves for serious board devotees.<br />
keen surfers care about the direction of their swells—no kidding!—so for those who love the<br />
left-curl, one of the best spots in the world is st. leu, on the central west coast of the little-known,<br />
but lovely réunion island. in the middle of the indian ocean, not far from the seychelles, réunion<br />
is just thirty miles wide but remarkable for outstanding surfing and volcanic black sand beaches.
on the go<br />
undersea adventures<br />
if you like your vacation adventures under the waves rather<br />
than on top, the French islands have a world of treasures in<br />
store. guadeloupe is a great place to begin your undersea<br />
explorations, in the Jacques cousteau underwater reserve on<br />
basse-terre, the western wing of the island. whether you suit<br />
up in full scuba gear and tanks or simply pull on a mask and<br />
snorkel, you’ll be dazzled by the vibrant displays of coral and<br />
the neon ballet created by circling schools of tropical fish.<br />
st. bart’s is also famed for its coral displays, walls, and undersea<br />
caves, particularly those around the small cape of l’ane rouge<br />
just off colombier bay and pain de sucre, an islet off gustavia<br />
harbour.<br />
looking for something truly unusual in a diving adventure? head<br />
for mayotte, a tiny French territory comprised of two islands<br />
(petite-terre and grande-terre) and approximately twenty islets<br />
in the mozambique channel. its spectacular lagoon offers not<br />
only incredible diving opportunities but also the chance to swim<br />
with sea turtles and observe humpback whales with their calves.<br />
where do those who are truly passionate about sea life go to<br />
dive? you’ll find them in new caledonia, where the world’s<br />
largest lagoon complex (almost 9,000 square miles) and close to<br />
1,000 miles of barrier reefs shelter an estimated 20,000 species<br />
of invertebrates, 350 species of coral, and 1,500 species of fish.<br />
are you a true thrill seeker? then nothing will do but a trip to the<br />
French polynesian island of bora-bora, where trained guides will<br />
sail you out to a sandy lagoon to find a rope stretched between<br />
two buoys. slip into the water with your mask and snorkel, hold<br />
on tight to the rope, and stay very still. in a few moments, the<br />
guides will toss bits of fish into the water and you’ll be joined<br />
by schools of friendly sharks who’ll swim happily around you,<br />
gobbling up the free lunch. note: this isn’t an activity for the faint<br />
of heart!<br />
hikers’ heaven<br />
hiking is the most intimate way to discover the heart of any<br />
destination, and there can be no more beautiful or contrasting<br />
trails than those that lead through the rainforests and waterfalls<br />
of guadeloupe or up the rugged heights of mount pelée, a live<br />
volcano in martinique.<br />
whether on or under the waves, in the heart of a forest, or by the<br />
side of a waterfall, you’ll find more than souvenirs and postcards<br />
in the French islands. you’ll discover your spirit of adventure!<br />
© mdlF/eric larrayadieu © mdlF/pierre-yves david<br />
© mdlF/pierre-yves david<br />
55<br />
maki monkey of mayotte<br />
sakouli beach<br />
sailboats, saint-François, guadeloupe
© mdlF/ Fabrice milochau<br />
56<br />
by becca hensley<br />
i come up for air, literally. my little canoe has just overturned<br />
in a bubbling section of rapids and i am scrambling to get out<br />
from under it. the water’s not deep though, and it doesn’t take<br />
me long to right my canoe and carry on with my trip down the<br />
ardèche gorge. most of my journey down this river, a tributary<br />
of the rhone, has been free from danger. in fact, sometimes the<br />
water has been so slow; i have had to push with my paddles to<br />
gain momentum. but every once in awhile, a surge of fast water<br />
carries my boat along and i bump, splash, and careen along<br />
wildly through the water. while i scream, my children, who ride<br />
in another canoe, laugh joyfully as if they were passengers on<br />
a disney ride. i am just happy to have a guide at my side.<br />
though many come for the sport and adventure, i have joined a<br />
guided float down this river, located in south-central France, for<br />
the view. considered by many to be the grand canyon of europe,<br />
the ardèche gorge consists of nearly twenty miles of eerily tall,<br />
narrow limestone walls that cradle a swift moving river. up to<br />
a thousand feet high, the breathtaking canyons set a surreal<br />
scene when experienced from the water. birds dive and swoop,<br />
shadows dance on the craggy, gray walls, and the surprisingly<br />
turquoise waters shimmer like gemstones. the river’s path winds<br />
in dizzying hairpin turns that add to the drama. atop some of the<br />
cliffs, ancient villages attract the eye—but don’t stare too long,<br />
or you’ll end up upside down like me.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
ardeche adventure<br />
river raFting in rhone-alpes<br />
not technically difficult, the ardèche gorge attracts people of<br />
all ages during the spring and summer. according to my guide,<br />
even children over age seven and senior citizens can join a<br />
flotilla of canoes—or rafts—as long as they know how to swim.<br />
i admit to starting out nervous on my trek, but relaxed into the<br />
rhythm of the paddling and the stunning spectacle of the view.<br />
i’m here in summer when the river is more crowded with folks,<br />
but the water is less wild. spring is for the experts—or those who<br />
enjoy a good scare. today, most everyone wears appropriate<br />
gear and some people—those on two-day camping trips—carry<br />
their food and supplies in attached yellow barrels. not an<br />
intrepid rapid rider, i have committed only to a one-day trip,<br />
and tote only a picnic lunch.<br />
the highlight for most visitors to the ardèche river is the elegant<br />
natural arch known as pont-d’arc. towering two hundred feet<br />
above the river, this thousand-year-old rock served as a passageway<br />
and battleground for warring catholics and protestants<br />
in centuries past. stories and legends abound, but the one my<br />
children like is how the winners tossed the losers from it into<br />
the river. despite the macabre tales, it’s a visual delight and<br />
makes my ride down the rapids worth the hair-raising effort.<br />
www.ardeche-tourisme.com<br />
© mdlF<br />
information<br />
for travelers<br />
vallon-pont-d’arc<br />
most river riders rent<br />
equipment and hire guides<br />
in vallon-pont-d’arc,<br />
a charming, ancient<br />
commune on the edge<br />
of the gorge. those too<br />
afraid to boat can drive<br />
the equally harrowing<br />
highway that lines the<br />
top of the canyon.
© mdlF/phovoir<br />
58<br />
by carolyn heinZe<br />
Few would argue that one of the most popular French clichés<br />
is the image of a mustachioed Frenchman sporting a beret and<br />
toting a baguette. the country’s southwest region, however, has<br />
much in common with southern california—with its sprawling<br />
beaches, quaint seaside towns… and thriving surf community.<br />
surfing in France is big business, and beach bums the world<br />
over pack up their boards and wet suits to ride the waves along<br />
the coast of the aquitaine region, where the atlantic offers<br />
favorable conditions from early spring to late fall. the silver and<br />
basque coasts—a wide stretch of sand that extends all the way<br />
down to spain—houses some of the world’s most renowned<br />
surf spots, such as arcachon, cap Ferret, biscarrosse, lacanau,<br />
capbreton, biarritz, and the popular hossegor. while the waves<br />
in this region challenge even the most seasoned thrill seekers,<br />
the ocean tends to be calmer at the height of summer, making it<br />
the perfect time for newbies to dip their toes in.<br />
arcachon<br />
one of the main sources of France’s famed huîtres (oysters),<br />
arcachon bay is a lively summer destination, drawing vacationers<br />
to its beaches, charming seafood restaurants, and arguably<br />
its most famous attraction, the dune de pyla—the highest sand<br />
dunes on the continent. much of the surfing action takes place in<br />
lège-cap-Ferret, where the surf club de la presqu’île (situated<br />
on grand crohot beach) offers equipment rentals and classes<br />
for all levels at pretty much any age; courses start for surfers<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
surF’s up<br />
wine isn’t the only thing France and caliFornia have in common.<br />
as young as six years old, who often put to shame the rather<br />
awkward efforts of beginners that are a little longer in the tooth.<br />
surFing vacations<br />
For those seeking a full-out surfing excursion, nomad surfers<br />
(an agency based in spain) offers customized itineraries for all<br />
ages and budgets, although the company notes that the bulk<br />
of its clientele is over twenty, and largely at the beginner level.<br />
its beginner surf camps offer a comprehensive overview of the<br />
sport, covering everything from its history, how to read currents,<br />
the surfing geography of the region, and, of course, how to surf.<br />
nomad surfers works with surf camps in biarritz, hossegor<br />
and soustons, and more experienced surfers may consider the<br />
organization’s guided ‘surfaris’ and boat trips, which do not<br />
include classes.<br />
mixing it up<br />
want to combine a little r&r with the rush of riding the waves?<br />
natural surf lodge is a surf school and bed and breakfast<br />
emphasizing a safe approach to surfing for individuals, families,<br />
and businesses—seasoned or not. visitors can test the waters<br />
in hossegor and seignosse, and for those who want to pamper<br />
themselves after a long day in the sea, packages that include<br />
yoga instruction and massage are also available. the best part?<br />
you can enjoy all of this in good conscience: natural surf lodge<br />
has a strong commitment to environmental awareness and<br />
eco-friendly practices.<br />
© mdlF/phovoir<br />
natural surf lodge<br />
www.naturalsurflodge.com<br />
nomad surfers<br />
www.nomadsurfers.com<br />
surf Club de<br />
la presqu’île<br />
www.surfingcapferret.com
© robert van beets<br />
on the go<br />
there are many ways to explore the region—from the sky in a hot-air balloon; by water in a<br />
holidayboat; by car. each one has its own magic. but i suggest by bicycle. explore the region at a<br />
different pace and you’ll satisfy more senses than one.<br />
my first stop by bicycle was in sens, seventy-five miles from the French capital. From there<br />
i followed the yonne river, which crosses town, toward Joigny and tonnerre, where i came upon<br />
a unique sight: the Fosse dionne, a fresh water spring dating back to celtic times. measuring<br />
approximately fifty feet in diameter and filled with sparkling blue water, the spring was enclosed<br />
during the middle ages and its water, which wound its way among the houses and buildings to<br />
form a mini venice in the heart of France, was diverted to feed the river.<br />
From tonnerre i continued along the canal to monbard. the canal is a cyclist’s paradise, where<br />
the silence is broken only by the sound of birdsong and the hum of my turning wheels. i rode away<br />
from the canal to go through semur-en-auxois. dominated by the imposing tower of its castle, you<br />
should take the time to explore this medieval citadel at a leisurely pace.<br />
the road to saulieu took me past rolling hills and wheat fields. From saulieu, i headed on to pouillyen-auxois,<br />
where i joined the burgundy canal, and rode another thirty-seven miles to reach dijon.<br />
dijon is the capital of burgundy. i recommend following the owl’s trail, a walking tour that takes you<br />
to twenty-two of the city’s attractions, including boutiques and restaurants that serve local delicacies.<br />
gastronomy<br />
in burgundy, gluttony is not one of the seven deadly sins—or if it were, it would be quickly<br />
forgiven. in addition to its famous wines, burgundy offers endless treasures.<br />
© mdlF/Fabian charaffi<br />
cycling<br />
in burgundy<br />
a natural way to tour the region is to take<br />
the green approach.<br />
by José antonio ramalho<br />
burgundy produces more than just grapes; mustard, cassis,<br />
and other spices will stimulate the senses of anyone willing to<br />
try them.<br />
Foodies should not skip saulieu, home of relais bernard loiseau,<br />
an international temple of gastronomy where visitors eat like<br />
princes and sleep like kings!<br />
so, get off the beaten track and tour the region by bicycle. or by<br />
boat! with a thousand miles of canals and lakes, this option is a<br />
must for anyone spending a few days in the area. visitors may<br />
choose between a holiday boat and a houseboat. the burgundy<br />
canal is the main thoroughfare in the region, but the countless<br />
other canals that feed it offer a leisurely alternative.<br />
as a self-confessed cycling enthusiast, i can’t help but encourage<br />
readers to explore the region by bicycle. believe me, the<br />
world seems to move at a different pace looking at it from a<br />
two-wheeler. the flat landscape and remarkable infrastructure<br />
make burgundy an ideal destination for cyclotourism.<br />
59<br />
arnay-le-duc
Sophisticated Simplicity, Capital of Cool<br />
If the 80 museums, palaces, and public square won’t lure you to Brussels,<br />
the world’s best beer and chocolate will.<br />
9 flights a day from the USA to Brussels.<br />
By train: 1 hour and 20 minutes from Paris; and less than 2 hours from London.<br />
<br />
<br />
© Charly Herscovici, with his kind authorization — c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2008<br />
The Return, 1940, oil on canvas, 50 x 65 cm<br />
<br />
<br />
Brussels will be more than ever THE<br />
capital of comic strips! Discover<br />
the many exhibitions and the<br />
comic strip museum in a historical<br />
Art Nouveau building. Tintin, the<br />
Smurfs, Spirou, Lucky Luke, Gaston<br />
Lagaffe, these are just a few of the<br />
heroes dreamed up by the Belgian<br />
strip cartoon artists. They will be<br />
honored in Brussels and in French<br />
Speaking Belgium.<br />
<br />
<br />
© Charly Herscovici, with his kind authorization — c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2008<br />
The Breast, 1961, oil on canvas, 90 x 110 cm<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
In the very heart of Brussels,<br />
the Magritte museum will bring<br />
together for the first time more<br />
than 150 works by the world<br />
famous surrealist painter.
© mdlF/pierre desheraud<br />
by ilona kauremsZky<br />
on the go<br />
auvergne volcanoes regional natural park<br />
volcanoes<br />
oF auvergne<br />
a quiet beauty, charming to the very core<br />
For centuries, the locals of auvergne have lived life in that slow,<br />
charming way famously known throughout France. even in the<br />
shadow of europe’s largest volcano, puy mary, it is the joie de<br />
vivre that is pronounced. no urgency. no emergencies. Just<br />
the sheer languid beauty of rich unspoiled nature.<br />
this is the heart of France: the Massif Central. surrounded by<br />
mountains, beneath a carpet of green plateaus where basaltic<br />
lava rocks rise like a sentinel keeping a watchful eye on the<br />
mountain villages, the locals say “le vieux géant dort,” the old<br />
giant (puy mary) is sleeping.<br />
auvergne boasts eighty dormant volcanoes and is comprised<br />
of four departments. sandwiched between clermont-Ferrand<br />
to the west and the highlands of the cantal department, des<br />
volcans manage to sleep, enveloped by a paradise that continues<br />
to lure us there.<br />
in 1878, robert louis stevenson, writer of Treasure Island,<br />
hightailed the cevennes exploring the nooks and crannies<br />
which he later documented in his book, Travels with a Donkey<br />
in the Cevenne.<br />
today, travellers can take the ten mile trail named after him, and<br />
criss-cross through the forested volcanic plateau of le puy-envelay<br />
in the lower auvergne while turning the pages to their<br />
beloved donkey-eared stevenson copy.<br />
© mdlF/r-cast<br />
“it is only a traveller, hurrying by like a person from another planet, who can rightly enjoy the peace<br />
and beauty of the great ascetic feast. the sight of the resting country does his spirit good. there<br />
is something better than music in wide unusual silence; and it disposes him to amiable thoughts,”<br />
stevenson wrote.<br />
another not-to-be-missed attraction includes vulcania, a leisure park with its own 3-d movie<br />
experience titled: The Awakening of the Auvergne Giants. near vulcania, hike the puy-de-dôme<br />
mountain, almost a mile high, and visit the roman temple de mercure. buses or cars will get you<br />
there too. nearby, visitors can take a glimpse of the puy de pariou crater.<br />
romanesque villages reveal a bygone day that is still very much alive. cowbells are heard in the<br />
distance. bakers display fresh pastries in their windows. the sound of a bouncing ball mixed with<br />
the laughter of children echoes throughout the laneways.<br />
in the cantal department, visitors can hike the mile-high puy mary. a twelve mile path system<br />
includes hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking along with discovery circuits for families.<br />
at the auvergne volcanoes nature park, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and hiking are popular in<br />
the summer and skiing in the winter.<br />
in the haute-loire department, the wild allier river winds through hilly volcanic terrain and<br />
romanesque villages.<br />
many castles pierce the scenery revealing a historic past. the charm of mountain life will have you<br />
wanting to stay for days, if not a lifetime.<br />
www.auvergne-tourisme.info<br />
www.puymary.fr/versen/volcandecantal/natpresentation.htm<br />
61<br />
puy mary
© danyel massacrier/ville de clermont/service communication<br />
62<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
secondhand dealer’s market, clermont-Ferrand<br />
Flea markets<br />
in France<br />
to wander through the Flea markets<br />
oF France is to discover a thousand and<br />
one stories.<br />
by violaine charest-sigouin<br />
the first flea market came into being outside the gates of paris.<br />
at the end of the nineteenth century, forbidden to hawk their<br />
wares within the city walls, the rummage dealers set up shop<br />
near the porte de clignancourt and founded, in 1885, les puces<br />
de saint ouen. today, this market is considered the largest<br />
gathering of secondhand dealers in the world, with some two<br />
thousand stands in seventeen distinct markets. each weekend,<br />
over 120,000 visitors descend on the chic antique dealers and<br />
curiosity shops in the hope of finding some priceless treasure.<br />
in France, antiquing is practically a national sport! next to<br />
soccer, it is the favorite French pastime. enough said—we’re off<br />
to rummage through a few French flea markets.<br />
negotiation<br />
Journalist brigitte durieux became enamored with old objects<br />
at a very young age. as a child, she would travel throughout<br />
burgundy scouring flea markets with her antique-loving grandmother.<br />
later, while writing Inoxydable Tolix (éditions de la<br />
martinière)—a book devoted to the iconic chaise a made in the<br />
thirties in the town of autun—this pastime turned into a veritable<br />
love affair. durieux still recalls the day, in a little town in the<br />
very heart of the morvan, when after much negotiation, she<br />
managed to acquire her first chaise a—a signed model from<br />
1930! according to her, although the art of negotiating is fundamental<br />
to the secondhand trade, a good collector is someone<br />
who has the ability to find the one valuable object in a heap of<br />
scrap. “Chiner (antiquing) is finding a gras or gld lamp for ten<br />
euros because the dealer thinks it is just a worthless piece of<br />
junk, whereas in reality, it’s a piece that belongs in the national<br />
collections,” she explains.
on the go<br />
nostalgia<br />
while some go to flea markets in search of a bargain, others are drawn to them for sentimental<br />
reasons. this is the case with philippe and isabelle berbudeau who, after isabelle’s father passed<br />
away in 2001, bought back the family farm near orange in the vaucluse department and turned it<br />
into a b&b. the establishment (dubbed Justin de provence after the patriarch) is furnished entirely<br />
with antiques, from the monogrammed linen sheets to the fine porcelain dishes. “Folks who come<br />
here feel like they’re traveling through time,” states isabelle, who spent months scouring local flea<br />
markets looking for treasures to furnish the premises. the couple drew much of their inspiration<br />
from isle-sur-la-sorgue, a charming island lined with large paddle wheels where, every weekend,<br />
some three hundred exhibitors display their goods. the island is bursting with life during the<br />
international fair held twice a year: at easter and mid-august. “all the city squares and parks are<br />
teeming with people from all over France. it’s the best time to get a good deal!” she adds.<br />
inventiveness<br />
in auvergne, in the town of saint-arcons d’allier, laurence perceval and pierre hermet succeeded<br />
in bringing the past back to life through an unusual project: they turned a twelfth-century hamlet<br />
and its château into a hotel. From the old shutters that have been turned into headboards to the<br />
preserving pan made into a shower, by dint of ingenuity, the hotel owners have converted each of<br />
the basalt maisonnettes into rooms that are straight out of a fairy tale. a night in this timeless place<br />
is the stuff of dreams! afterward, go treasure hunting in clermont-Ferrand or, if antique furniture is<br />
what makes you tick, check out the secondhand dealer’s market held the first saturday of the month<br />
at the place du 1 er mai. there is also the salins flea market which promises plenty of great finds<br />
every sunday morning. as you stroll among the stalls that abound with rare finds, you may just<br />
happen on a lamp that reminds you of the one in your grandmother’s living room; then refuel<br />
your engines with a fortifying mulled wine and an andouillette before moving on to a stand where<br />
bibendum (the michelin man), has the place of honor. one thing’s for sure: French flea markets are<br />
full of surprises!<br />
chaise tolix<br />
© germain<br />
address book<br />
in paris<br />
the paris saint-ouen Flea market<br />
saturday to monday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.<br />
www.parispuces.com<br />
in burgundy<br />
2009 dijon antique show<br />
may 15 to 24, 2009<br />
www.dijon-congrexpo.com<br />
mézilles garage sale and collector’s Fair<br />
august 8 to 9, 2009<br />
www.mezilles.net<br />
in provenCe<br />
isle-sur-la-sorgue antique villages<br />
www.antiques-islesursorgue.com<br />
isle-sur-la-sorgue international antique Fair and Flea market<br />
easter and mid-august 2009<br />
www.foireantiquites-islesurlasorgue.fr<br />
Justin de provence<br />
www.justin-de-provence.com<br />
in auvergne<br />
clermont-Ferrand secondhand dealer’s market<br />
place du 1er mai, first saturday of the month,<br />
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.<br />
04 73 42 63 48<br />
salins Flea market<br />
sunday, 7 a.m. to noon<br />
www.puces63.com<br />
les deux abbesses<br />
www.lesdeuxabbesses.com<br />
63<br />
isle-sur-la-sorgue
© mdlF/Jean François tripelon-Jarry<br />
© mdlF/Jean François tripelon-Jarry<br />
64<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
on the go<br />
dinner in paris<br />
oyster party<br />
dining For<br />
under 35 euros<br />
your inner epicurean will be delighted to eat where the locals do,<br />
even when traveling on a budget.<br />
by nancy wigston<br />
today’s France offers not only the world’s best cuisine, but also a wide range of affordable<br />
eateries—from the traditional to the quirky to the ultrachic. on France’s culinary road-less-traveled,<br />
you’ll discover memorable meals that won’t break the bank.<br />
bordeaux<br />
elegant and friendly bordeaux, the capital of aquitaine, treats business and pleasure with equal<br />
seriousness. star-chef nicolas Frion serves up a thirty-five euro lunch that highlights fresh fish and<br />
organic vegetables in the historic rococo setting of le chapon Fin (www.chapon-fin.com). at the<br />
very fashionable café du musée in the musée d’art contemporain, designed by andrée putnam,<br />
a seven-course sunday brunch that will satisfy art lovers can be had for just twenty-five euros<br />
(www.chezgreg.fr). dedicated foodies can learn to cook their own lunches in an airy bordeaux loft,<br />
following the lesson with a “tasting” that includes wine for nineteen euros (www.atelierdeschefs.com).<br />
pau<br />
it’s a game; it’s a restaurant; it’s a bargain. called pelote by the French, this basque sport is honored<br />
at le pilota by former champion player chef Jean-bernard hourçourigaray. at a cost of twelve<br />
euros for lunch or twenty-eight euros for dinner, guests can enjoy basque specialties like garbure<br />
in a sports temple dedicated to the game.<br />
périgueux<br />
at la table du pouyaud near périgueux, variations on local dishes include shrimp ravioli, mushroom<br />
risotto, vegetarian couscous, and luscious homemade pastries. this charming farmhouse promises<br />
a meal to remember with lunches priced at around twenty-five euros and dinners at around<br />
thirty-two euros (www.pouyaud.com).<br />
capbreton<br />
la taverne du petit homme, better known as “chez minus,” located near the port, is prized for its<br />
seafood dishes cooked à la plancha (www.chezminus.com).<br />
biarritZ<br />
known for its basque heritage and its luxury clientele, biarritz is justly proud of the fish-centered<br />
traditional basque cuisine featured at la tantina de la playa, just steps from the atlantic ocean.<br />
more information on 136 cafés and restaurants of aquitaine that not only guarantee good food but<br />
also a convivial atmosphere can be found at www.aquitaine.bienvenueaupays.fr.
© mdlF/style city<br />
on the go<br />
lyon<br />
this gastronomic heaven at the confluence of the rhône and<br />
saône rivers offers visitors its pedestrian-friendly renaissance<br />
quarter plus a myriad of affordable restaurants. here,<br />
there, everywhere are traditional bouchons lyonnais, intimate<br />
eateries that have welcomed weary travelers since the stagecoach<br />
days. their friendly service and hearty menus have<br />
seduced generals, statesmen, and michelin-starred chefs<br />
like paul bocuse. awaken your inner epicurean with lyonnais<br />
specialties (tripe, pike quenelles, white sausage with apples) at<br />
the beloved café des Fédérations (www.lesfedeslyon.com); try<br />
brasserie georges for “great beer and great food since 1836”<br />
(www.brasseriegeorges.com), or visit chez mounier (www.igougo.<br />
com/dining-reviews-b118530-lyon-chez_mounier.html), to name<br />
but a few. prix fixe menus often come with a half-bottle of côtes<br />
du rhône. www.lyon-france.com.<br />
ardèche<br />
away from bustling lyon, the culinary heart of rural ardèche<br />
resides in the Bistrots de Pays that dot this forested valley.<br />
village life thrives in the bistrot, amid a rich diversity of local<br />
produce and warm welcomes. entertainment might include<br />
theatrical evenings, storytelling, music, art, or sporting events.<br />
at their lively best in spring or autumn, bistrots serve home style<br />
hospitality along with generous portions of local specialties<br />
like charcuteries, chestnuts, and fresh berries from local farms.<br />
to discover the fifteen bistrots de pays in the ardèche, go to:<br />
www.bistrotdepays.com.<br />
paris<br />
energy and freshness illuminate the paris food scene like never<br />
before. at the popular “canteens,” for example, diners at long<br />
tables share their impressions of the cuisine while passing the<br />
jam. wine and bubbles, paris 1st; le potager du marais (a major<br />
hit with vegans), paris 3rd; la cantine du Faubourg, paris 8th;<br />
le pain quotidien, paris 4th; wok cooking, paris 11th.<br />
© mdlF/michel laurent<br />
traditionally, paris sightseers find fresh or prepared foods at<br />
open-air markets, charcuteries, and department stores, then<br />
head to the nearest park for an instant picnic. (note: organic<br />
foods are widely available.) cozy patisseries like mouff’tartes<br />
in hemingway’s old latin quarter neighborhood beckon the<br />
budget-conscious indoors with savory tarts, wine, desserts, and<br />
coffee. 53, rue mouffetard, paris 5th.<br />
marais: seductive aromas and friendly service are hallmarks at<br />
le 404, a romantic favorite with honeymooners and showbiz folk.<br />
authentic moroccan tajines (lamb, fish, beef) are slow-cooked<br />
in clay pots in this renovated sixteenth-century building. 69, rue<br />
des gravilliers, paris 3rd.<br />
ile saint-louis: inexpensive veggie options grace the table at<br />
le grenier de notre dame. all that, and heaven too (the most<br />
famous cathedral in paris is close by) at 18, rue de la bûcherie,<br />
paris 4th.<br />
montparnasse/pigalle: since 1892, brasserie wepler has been<br />
at 14, place de clichy, serving normandy oysters—its specialty—to<br />
a raft of famous artists, writers, and filmmakers. complete<br />
meals start at twenty euros; the convivial atmosphere is free.<br />
www.wepler.com<br />
montmartre: near the picture-postcard steps, you’ll find le croissant,<br />
a newly renovated 1820 brasserie. customers adore old<br />
standards, like steak tartar and chips, red mullet, and foie gras<br />
stuffed duck. sublime French food plus an excellent wine cellar.<br />
146, rue montmartre. www.lecroissant.com.<br />
gourmet museum cafés can prove to be surprisingly affordable.<br />
at the mini palais au grand palais (paris 4th), chef gilles<br />
choukroun blends the “ordinary with the modern” to create the<br />
spectacular. lunch, wine, and coffee: twenty euros.<br />
For more on eating in paris, get the inside scoop at<br />
www.parisinfo.com.<br />
© mdlF/style city<br />
© mdlF/cédric helsly<br />
© mdlF/style city<br />
65
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MEMBER
© paris tourist office/amélie dupont<br />
by suZy gershman<br />
on the go<br />
it’s time to get crafty, and find alternative ways to live, and shop<br />
well. prices outside of paris are generally 20 percent less than<br />
in the capital and, while we’ll always have paris, it can’t hurt to<br />
have a little bit of lille, deauville, rouen, or reims as well.<br />
lille<br />
located only an hour from paris on the thalys train (the fast<br />
train to brussels), lille is home to the second largest museum<br />
in France, but this industrial city is also the heart of the cotton<br />
textile industry. there are two outlet malls and plenty of freestanding<br />
outlet stores. even with a low dollar, you might be<br />
happy to find thousand-dollar sheets for a hundred dollars. if you<br />
aren’t into expensive bed linen, try the bin filled with gants de<br />
toilette (usually one euro each). pair your new washcloth mitt<br />
with a bar of French soap for the perfect gift to take back home.<br />
also consider jars of French mustard or honey (usually under<br />
four euros per jar—even for the gourmet brands!) or perhaps<br />
a crêpe pan (sixteen euros) along with a package of crêpe mix<br />
(a little over two euros).<br />
don’t forget that every september, the city of lille hosts the world’s<br />
largest round-the-clock flea market. called the braderie, the event<br />
dates back to medieval times and offers amazing bargains.<br />
deauville<br />
coco chanel opened her first shop in deauville and the designer<br />
tradition is still strong. or, you can hop on a bus to trouville-surmer<br />
(trouville is to deauville as saint paul is to minneapolis),<br />
and you’ve got less-flashy stores and a good monoprix. Brocantes<br />
(antique barns) sit on the outskirts of town.<br />
bercy village, paris<br />
budget shopping in France<br />
insider tips From a lover oF France who claims she rarely ever pays retail.<br />
© paris tourist office/amélie dupont<br />
rouen<br />
rouen is the town where Joan of arc was condemned to death by fire. i mention this now because<br />
one of my favorite souvenirs of all of France is the Jeanne d’arc brand of coffee, which is French<br />
roast! rouen (pronounced ruh-ann) is a charming old town complete with a photo-worthy clock<br />
tower, a cathedral that is one of the best in France, and a local fascination with faïence, which<br />
makes for a nice gift. Fashionistas will enjoy the handful of resale shops, the hat maker in the<br />
shadow of the cathedral, and all the French chain stores.<br />
reims<br />
another Joan of arc landmark (she had better luck in this town) is located in the heart of this city in<br />
champagne country. you can take the train into town, check out the cathedral with its chagall<br />
windows, and then shop in the wine boutiques that circle the cathedral.<br />
though airlines have made it difficult to carry on liquids, these stores have an enormous selection<br />
of “small” bottles. (you can buy four minis as per the u.s. liquor allowance.) reims (pronounced<br />
rance) is more spread out than the other towns on this list making it harder to visit without taking<br />
a taxi. the cathedral is set to one side while the modern shopping district is elsewhere; even the<br />
in-town maisons (champagne houses) and fancy restaurants are off center a tad. Furthermore,<br />
tours and tastings are not free. if you’ve never seen a cave (wine cellar) before, call it an educational<br />
experience. otherwise, you can worship at the store of your choice and create your own tasting.<br />
James bond suggests the bolly, ma chère.<br />
Frugalista tip: in the same region (champagne), but to the south, lies the city of troyes. if you’ve got<br />
a car, you can check out the medieval city and then hop around nearby villages to a bevy of outlet<br />
malls. they are only so-so but you can find some big names, such as armani and ysl.<br />
closer to paris<br />
use the metro, not the sncF, to get to the best flea markets in town, either in vanves on the edge of<br />
paris in the fourteenth arrondissement (porte de vanves, weekends only) or ‘the big flea’ (les puces)<br />
in saint-ouen (pronounced “san twan”) in the eighteenth arrondissement. many dealers in saintouen<br />
will deal with u.s. dollars at parity with euros in order to make a sale. if you prefer an oldfashioned,<br />
american-style outlet mall, the best in europe is in val d’europe; get there on the rer<br />
(about fifty minutes outside of paris near the disneyland resort). note: dogs are not welcome.<br />
67
© Bal du Moulin Rouge 2003/2009 - Moulin Rouge ®<br />
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on the go<br />
paris<br />
PoPulAIre<br />
savoring local Flavor in the city oF light.<br />
by carolyn heinZe<br />
notre-dame. the louvre. sacré-coeur. the champs-elysées.<br />
among the most famous addresses in the world, these sites are<br />
synonymous with a city that’s unlikely to lose its status as one<br />
of the most beautiful destinations. while the center of town<br />
boasts an impressive list of must-sees, paris’s wonders aren’t<br />
limited to its central core… and, thanks to a top-notch public<br />
transportation system, gaining insight into where the locals<br />
hang out doesn’t require one to venture off the beaten path.<br />
the seine, BIs<br />
spanning the nineteenth, tenth and eleventh arrondissements,<br />
the canal saint-martin links the saint-denis and ourcq canals<br />
with the bassin de l’arsenal (which subsequently flows into the<br />
seine). built in the early 1800s as a source of drinking water and<br />
commercial transport, today the canal attracts local artists and<br />
young professionals to its boutiques and trendy bars along the<br />
quais de valmy and de Jemmapes. arguably one of the most<br />
famous destinations along the canal is the hôtel du nord. when<br />
the hotel was established in 1885, it served as the quartier général<br />
(headquarters) for sailors and blue-collar workers from the area;<br />
today it boasts a hip clientele that come for French cuisine with<br />
a modern twist. across the way, the after-work crowd makes<br />
café l’atmosphère and chez prune lively spots for an apéro.<br />
over the hill<br />
the star of the eighteenth arrondissement, the village of montmartre<br />
never ceases to charm and inspire. For those wishing to<br />
escape the hustle and bustle of tourists on la butte, the district<br />
around lamarck-caulaincourt provides a nice refuge. there,<br />
residents meet for coffee or wine at any number of the cafés<br />
and bars that surround the metro station, such as the hipster<br />
favorite, chez Françis labutte or the friendly café arrosé. after<br />
lunch, take a stroll through the cimetière de montmartre, between<br />
metros lamarck-caulaincourt and place de clichy, where the<br />
© paris tourist office/amélie dupont<br />
likes of painter edgar degas, filmmaker François truffaut, and<br />
singer dalida are laid to rest.<br />
where cultures collide<br />
a stone’s throw away from the touristy grands boulevards, the<br />
neighborhood surrounding strasbourg–saint-denis and château<br />
d’eau metro stations allows one to experience a good part of<br />
the world without ever leaving town. here, those with roots in<br />
north africa, turkey, india, kurdistan, and pakistan rub elbows,<br />
creating for a vibrant quartier. with the locals rushing around<br />
doing their courses (errands) at the fruit and vegetable markets,<br />
specialty boutiques, butchers, and fromageries on rue du<br />
Faubourg saint-denis, stop for a drink at the trendy chez<br />
Jeannette, wine and dine in the belle epoque at Julien, or dive<br />
into the passage brady to sample delicacies from the colorful<br />
array of indian restaurants.<br />
old-Fashioned charm<br />
not far from the bustling place de la bastille is the marché<br />
d’aligre. built in 1779—just a decade before the fall of the bastille<br />
prison—this market, originally constructed to serve the bluecollar<br />
residents around it, is becoming increasingly gentrified,<br />
as is the entire neighborhood. still, it continues to hold its old<br />
world charm, thanks to the friendly merchants, savory delicacies,<br />
and quaint location. be sure to stop in to the nearby baron rouge<br />
for a glass of wine afterwards.<br />
hip and central<br />
situated on the edge of les halles, rue montorgueil is the center<br />
of a trendy pedestrian district populated by young professionals<br />
that render it a lively spot on any day or night. lined with lavish<br />
boutiques, cheese shops, wine stores, and numerous cafés, bars<br />
and restaurants, this is the perfect place to sit out on a terrace<br />
for coffee, conversation… and plenty of people watching.<br />
© paris tourist office/amélie dupont<br />
© paris tourist office/marc bertrand<br />
© paris tourist office/Jacques lebar<br />
69<br />
place du tertre, montmartre
ann_200x2560_GB:Mise en page 1 21/01/09 9:16 Page 1<br />
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contact : cosmetic-valley@cosmetic-valley.com<br />
© PlaineVue Communication - 2008
© paris tourist office/david lefranc<br />
higher ground<br />
views oF paris From above<br />
by carolyn heinZe<br />
on the go<br />
printemps department store<br />
it’s true that one can spend a lot of time in paris looking up—at the architecture, the minute details<br />
constructed into the most unassuming structures, the plaques declaring what famous person<br />
lived in which apartment house and when, and, of course, the monuments that are synonymous<br />
with the city itself. spend a few days in paris and you’re bound to develop a kink in your neck,<br />
but your eyes will thank you for it. and just because you may not live here doesn’t mean you’re the<br />
only one to walk around town with your gaze shifted upward; many residents—far from blasé<br />
about the beauty of their home (or adopted) town—pick a different route along their daily commute<br />
just to discover an aesthetic detail that they hadn’t noticed before.<br />
a walk in the park<br />
while the center of paris remains flat, there are a number of spots that provide sweeping views<br />
of the city to give you a break from all of that looking up! a casual promenade around the<br />
working-class (or populaire) district of belleville in the twentieth arrondissement heeds a number<br />
of impressive vistas, most notably from the large gazebo atop the parc de belleville, between the<br />
more famous buttes-chaumont and cimetière du père-lachaise. here, locals come to bask in the<br />
sun, stroll along flower-lined paths and take in the panoramic view of the city of light in the heart of<br />
a lively quartier known for its quaint outdoor market and eclectic hodgepodge of shops. an open-air<br />
theater plays host to a number of community events for both kids and adults.<br />
shop, drop, and look<br />
no trip to paris is complete without a trip to the grands magasins… and the inevitable shopping<br />
fatigue that ensues. take a load off and replenish your energy with a light lunch or snack at<br />
déli-cieux (a play on the words ‘deli’ and ‘cieux,’ or ‘skies’) on the ninth floor of printemps de la<br />
maison. the cafeteria-style restaurant boasts a large outdoor terrasse, where diners can nibble<br />
away at their salads, quiche, and sandwiches while admiring an impressive view of Gay Paree.<br />
next door at galeries lafayette, where, after admiring the store’s impressive dome that makes up<br />
the entire ceiling, you can take the escalator up to the fifth floor, walk up a flight of stairs and<br />
out onto the terrace, which offers a similarly expansive view.<br />
© paris tourist office/david lefranc<br />
arabian nights<br />
by day, the futuristic arab world institute acts as a cultural<br />
center representing France’s partnership with twenty-two arab<br />
countries. here, visitors can discover arab culture through the<br />
facility’s museum, library, language center, and exposition space<br />
featuring regular exhibits highlighting the relationship between<br />
France and the arab world. by night, the ninth-floor restaurant<br />
le Zyriab by noura welcomes diners to feast upon a rich selection<br />
of lebanese delicacies while overlooking notre-dame, the<br />
seine, and the heart of paris.<br />
towering heights<br />
ever wanted to see paris from up high—with the eiffel tower in<br />
view? with a visit to the tour montparnasse, you can do just<br />
that… and ride up the 640 feet in europe’s fastest elevator! after<br />
capitalizing on this stunning photo op, visitors can learn about<br />
paris via the various interactive displays that are installed<br />
throughout the space.<br />
déli-Cieux at printemps<br />
de la maison<br />
www.printemps.com<br />
galeries lafayette<br />
www.galerieslafayette.com<br />
arab world institute<br />
www.imarabe.org<br />
parC de belleville<br />
www.paris.fr<br />
(click on parcs et Jardins)<br />
71<br />
sacré-coeur<br />
tour montparnasse<br />
www.tourmontparnasse56.com
© oceandimages.com<br />
© oceandimages.com<br />
© courtesy of tahiti tourisme<br />
© courtesy of tahiti tourisme<br />
© courtesy of tahiti tourisme<br />
72<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
overseas France<br />
France’s overseas departments and territories span the globe, each with its own<br />
unique Flavor and tradition. they are the heart oF France you never knew—something<br />
delightFully tropical, something deliciously adventurous.<br />
Color dot Corresponds to the artiCles in the list below<br />
a taste of martinique, pp. 73-74<br />
two kinds of tahiti, p. 76<br />
sounds of the French caribbean, p. 78<br />
point of location<br />
© mdlF<br />
REUNION<br />
Saint-Pierre<br />
© youri lenquette<br />
SAINT-BARTHELEMY<br />
Fonds Saint-Jacques<br />
Sainte-Marie
© oceandimages.com<br />
a taste<br />
oF martinique<br />
ninety-Five percent oF rum in the world is industrial rum, made<br />
From molasses. martiniquan rum, made From pure cane sugar, is<br />
something special, and has carried the ultimate French mark oF<br />
quality, the aoc label, since 1996.<br />
by eleanor griFFith<br />
eleven distilleries producing over seventeen varieties of rum dot the island of martinique. begin<br />
the route des rhums with a trip to sainte-marie on the atlantic coast and a visit to the island’s<br />
oldest distillery, saint James, founded by benedictine monks in 1765. the english-speaking staff<br />
welcomes visitors with free samples rather than admission fees, and the rum museum provides<br />
an introduction to the history of sugarcane and rum that will serve as a great jumping-off point for<br />
the rest of your visit.<br />
like many great inventions, martinique’s agricultural rum was initially created in response to an<br />
obstacle. since the seventeenth century, rum had been distilled from molasses, a by-product of the<br />
sugar refining process. as rum manufacturing became colonial new england’s largest and most<br />
prosperous industry, sugarcane began to replace tobacco as the west indies’ primary crop. the<br />
advent of the steam engine in the mid-1800s, however, revolutionized rum production, making it<br />
easy to move sugarcane from field to factory—as long as a field lay near a train line.<br />
plantations excluded from the network of railways found themselves cut off from the newly evolved<br />
sugarcane market. some of these habitations began to distill the sugarcane directly, creating<br />
“rhum z’habitants,” or what has come to be known as agricultural rum. a stop at habitation clément<br />
in le François—whose main house is listed as a historic monument—will give you a feel for this<br />
time. although the distillery is no longer in operation, it was restored in 2005 as the rhums clément<br />
interpretation center and now offers tours and tastings.<br />
© oceandimages.com<br />
depaz rum distillery<br />
the nitty-gritty<br />
it takes about 22 lbs. of sugarcane to produce just one liter of<br />
rum. the sugarcane is washed of its impurities, then ground<br />
and slowly pressed. Fresh cane juice (vesou) is stored in vats,<br />
where yeast is added and it ferments to 4%-5%. it is then put into<br />
distilling columns, where it is heated and brought up to 70%-75%.<br />
distilled water is then added to bring the alcohol content down<br />
to 55%, or 110 proof.<br />
grappe blanChe<br />
(white rum) is drunk as an apéritif and also used in cocktails.<br />
rhum paille<br />
(straw-colored rum) is aged for up to two years, giving it a darker<br />
color and making the rum smoother and mellower.<br />
rhum vieux<br />
(old rum) is aged in oak barrels for at least three years.<br />
sugarcane
© oceandimages.com<br />
74<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
overseas france<br />
direct distillation of rum from sugarcane soon became recognized as the production method par<br />
excellence, and other factories followed suit, transforming themselves into agricultural distilleries<br />
to produce martiniquan rhum agricole, rather than exporting all of their molasses to the colonies<br />
for production. much credit is given to the dominican monk père labat, who helped to perfect the<br />
distillation process. a museum named after him is located on the Fonds saint-Jacques estate in the<br />
north of the island.<br />
as the rum trade grew, saint-pierre on the island’s northwest coast became the center of trade,<br />
with sixteen distilleries—all of which were destroyed in 1902 with the eruption of the volcano<br />
mount pelée. once again, martinique’s history of rum production bears witness to triumph over<br />
adversity. the depaz family plantation was among those destroyed in the eruption and young<br />
victor depaz, then studying in bordeaux, suddenly found himself an orphan and a pauper. returning<br />
to saint-pierre, he decided to rebuild the plantation and to build a replica of his childhood<br />
home. he finally moved in with his wife and eight children, twenty-one years later and a year after<br />
his rum won its first medal in marseille. the depaz rum distillery and plantation is still familyowned,<br />
and the château that victor rebuilt was opened to the public in 2008. the sugarcane fields<br />
surrounding mount pelée are today some of the most productive on the island.<br />
visit www.lostinfrancelation.com to view the “color me martinique” episode.<br />
www.martinique.org<br />
ordering guide<br />
ti-punCh<br />
three parts white rum, one part sugarcane syrup, lime, served in<br />
a small glass (short for ‘petit punch’)<br />
vieux<br />
three parts old rum, one part sugarcane syrup, and lime<br />
(served in a small glass)<br />
planteur<br />
Five parts fruit juice(s), one part white rum, a splash of sugarcane<br />
syrup, vanilla, and nutmeg<br />
seC-seC<br />
neat<br />
ti-seC<br />
little neat (with a glass of water afterward)
© courtesy of tahiti tourisme<br />
76<br />
by carly milne<br />
when booking a vacation, it can be hard to determine which<br />
side of your personality to nurture. do you give in to vacationinspired<br />
sloth and opt for maximum sun time on the beach, or<br />
cave in to personal trainer pressure and seek out something a<br />
little more rigorous? booking a trip to tahiti means you can do<br />
both. with 118 islands to choose from, there’s a vast array of<br />
land to explore… but two stand out from all the rest to nourish<br />
both your yin and yang.<br />
marquesas islands<br />
catering to the adventurer, the island of nuku hiva is built<br />
for explorative scaling. even the ride from the airport is an<br />
experience as you wind your way up and over the mountains<br />
on the island’s one and only road—some of which is unpaved,<br />
giving you unexpected 4x4 thrills! but the scenery is worth<br />
it. stopping at a lookout point to take in the view of the bay<br />
and village of taiohae, it’s hard to deny that nuku hiva’s lack<br />
of modernization is an asset. lush green forests blanket the<br />
landscape, enhanced by mythic tropical flowers and accented<br />
by the majestic sapphire blue sea.<br />
it’s definitely a sight to behold, but even better to explore. with<br />
its rocky cliff sides and hidden island gems, nuku hiva was built<br />
for hikers. though the trail isn’t intensely challenging, taking a<br />
boat ride around to a secret beach on the other side of the island<br />
to tromp through the tropical forest—wading through streams<br />
and cutting through farms along the way—is a must for any<br />
adventurer. the payoff comes in the form of the hike’s endpoint:<br />
the waterfalls of hakaui, which make for a perfect private<br />
swim (as long as you don’t mind the eel that resides there!).<br />
meanwhile, nuku hiva is also home to amazing archaeological<br />
sites, such as hikokua and kamuihei, featuring some of the most<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
overseas france<br />
two kinds oF tahiti<br />
sunny relaxation and trekking adventure, why not do both?<br />
fascinating temples you’ll ever see—including one used for<br />
human sacrifice, as evidenced by a wayward femur bone that<br />
still calls the temple home. both experiences can be booked<br />
through the keikahanui nuku hiva pearl lodge.<br />
© courtesy of tahiti tourisme<br />
sunset over a pearl farm in the tuamotus motu<br />
tuamotu archipelago<br />
once you’ve effectively broken a sweat and raised your heart<br />
rate, you’ll want to cool down on the tuamotu atoll of manihi.<br />
you can picture it if you close your eyes and imagine a small<br />
island only four miles wide, bathed in powdery white sand,<br />
flanked by crystal clear water, and decorated with colorful<br />
tropical fish. quite simply, it’s postcard perfection. you can’t help<br />
but feel relaxed in this setting, where even the activities are of<br />
the laid-back variety.<br />
taking a snorkeling expedition to the drop off is highly recommended.<br />
what could be an active adventure winds up being<br />
more of a moving meditation, as you don fins and goggles to<br />
float along with the cartoonish fish next to a massive plunge<br />
connecting you to the deep blue. it’s both a relaxing and<br />
humbling experience. even the gilligan’s island-like adventure<br />
of a motu picnic offers plenty of time for sunbathing, as you<br />
watch your host fish for your lunch and prepare it for you on<br />
a desert island while you sip from young coconuts and catch<br />
some rays. but what relaxing retreat would be complete without<br />
a spa treatment? the manea spa at the manihi pearl beach<br />
resort offers tired travelers the perfect way to rejuvenate on<br />
every level—body, mind and spirit.<br />
exploratory adventuring, decadent relaxation… the islands of tahiti<br />
can take care of both sides of your vacation personality, and then<br />
some. there’s just one problem—you won’t want to come home!<br />
© courtesy of tahiti tourisme<br />
keikahanui nuku hiva<br />
pearl lodge<br />
bp 53 taiohae, marquises,<br />
French polynesia,<br />
+689 50 84 53, +689 92 07 10<br />
www.pearlresorts.com/<br />
keikahanui/main.php<br />
manihi pearl<br />
beaCh resort<br />
bp 1 98771 manihi tuamotu,<br />
French polynesia<br />
+689 96 42 73<br />
www.pearlresorts.com/<br />
manihi/main.php<br />
www.tahiti-tourisme.com<br />
nuku hiva
In Tahiti, “table for two” takes on new meaning.<br />
There’s a point during your Tahiti vacation when you realize things are unlike anything else you’ve<br />
ever experienced. For many, it happens the moment they step on board an airline rated by travellers<br />
just like you as Best in the Pacific, six years running. Be moved by Tahiti. Be moved by Air Tahiti Nui.<br />
www.airtahitinui-usa.com 1-877-824-4846<br />
TAHITI LOS ANGELES NEW YORK PARIS TOKYO AUCKLAND SYDNEY
© youri lenquette<br />
78<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
overseas france<br />
sounds oF the French caribbean<br />
kassav’ celebrates its thirtieth anniversary.<br />
by chantal martineau<br />
if you’ve ever been to the French caribbean, the sun-dappled<br />
memories of your trip most likely include the smells of coconut<br />
and curry, grilled seafood, and fresh fruit. scent is, after all, the<br />
most nostalgic of the senses. but sound is a close second, and<br />
the seductive rhythms of French caribbean music are sure to<br />
stay with you forever once you’ve heard them. the musical star<br />
of the French isles is zouk, a popular genre with roots in african<br />
drumbeats and latin tempo, and a dash of european pop thrown<br />
into the mix. it creeps into your hips before it reaches your ears,<br />
and even if you don’t understand the words, the lyrics still<br />
manage to speak to your heart.<br />
before zouk, there was biguine. and before biguine, there was<br />
gwo ka. gwo ka is a percussion-based music genre that is made<br />
up of seven basic rhythms and often accompanies historical<br />
folk dances. gwo ka gave way to biguine, a style of music born<br />
on the island of martinique from a combination of traditional<br />
antillean bélé and polka. biguine has often been compared to<br />
new orleans jazz. in the 1970s and ’80s, the natural progression<br />
of antillean music took the form of zouk. super group, kassav’,<br />
whose fifteen-odd members come from martinique and guadeloupe,<br />
was instrumental in the explosion of zouk music. creole<br />
for ‘party,’ zouk has become the music of the French caribbean,<br />
although its popularity has spread beyond the islands to parts of<br />
kassav’<br />
© mdlF<br />
mount pelée, martinique<br />
africa, the French mainland, and the canadian province of quebec. kassav’ (whose name comes<br />
from the word cassava—a tasty mix of manioc paste and coconut) made zouk an international<br />
phenomenon with its 1985 hit Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni, literally translated, ‘Zouk is the only<br />
remedy we have.’<br />
Just before the band hit the big time, a young singer from Fort-de-France came into the picture. as<br />
a young pharmacology student in normandy, Jocelyne béroard had no idea that she would become<br />
not only the face of the biggest music group in the French antilles, but also that of the sound most<br />
associated with the French caribbean.<br />
“i think that to do this job, you must first love people, life, and the things that surround you. you<br />
must observe, watch, and take in everything with joy so that you can retransmit it that way to<br />
others,” béroard told us in an interview. “plus, our history of oppression, neglect and brutality is a<br />
source of strength for us. our view of life and of ourselves has determined our inspiration.”<br />
kassav’ celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year. the group will perform with special guests<br />
at the stade de France in may. but surely fans will be celebrating the world over, especially in<br />
the French antilles, where the sounds of zouk spreads from beachside lounges to busy clubs in<br />
bustling cities.<br />
“[Zouk] is a music that draws you in. it’s happy, even if the themes within it are sad. the major<br />
rhythm of zouk is the ‘mas a senjan,’ which is a rhythm that calls to you. some of our songs can<br />
express extremely painful sentiments if played as ballads. to the beat of zouk, however, the songs<br />
are rousing without being heavy. our themes are fundamentally universal.”
Fly & Drive.<br />
(Discover France at unbeatable prices starting at $ 645)<br />
www.sixtusa.com<br />
For further information and reservations call <strong>Picasso</strong> Tours at 1 800 995 7997
© mdlF/catherine bibollet<br />
© mdlF/daniel gallon - dangal<br />
© mdlF/crt picardie/didier raux<br />
© louise gaboury<br />
© louise gaboury<br />
80<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
where to stay<br />
you can always expect a warm welcome in France and, when choosing your accommodations,<br />
we invite you to explore new avenues and opt For unique locations, many oF<br />
which are aFFordable as well as eco-<strong>Friendly</strong>.<br />
BRITTANY<br />
La Gacilly<br />
Nantes<br />
Le Havre<br />
Honfleur<br />
PAYS<br />
DE LA LOIRE<br />
AQUITAINE<br />
NORMANDY<br />
POITOU-<br />
CHARENTES<br />
Bordeaux<br />
Rouen<br />
<strong>Les</strong> Andelys<br />
Giverny<br />
LOIRE<br />
VALLEY<br />
LIMOUSIN<br />
MIDI-PYRENEES<br />
Toulouse<br />
Color dot Corresponds to the artiCles in the list below<br />
cruising the canals, pp. 81-82<br />
mi casa, su casa, p. 84<br />
Zero-emission hotels, p. 85<br />
Saint-Cybranet<br />
point of location<br />
NORD–PAS-<br />
DE-CALAIS<br />
PICARDY<br />
ILE-DE-<br />
FRANCE<br />
Figeac<br />
© louise gaboury<br />
AUVERGNE<br />
CHAMPAGNE-<br />
ARDENNE<br />
Ouche Valley<br />
Vandenesse<br />
BURGUNDY<br />
ARDÈCHE<br />
LANGUEDOC–<br />
ROUSSILLON<br />
Béziers<br />
Le Somail<br />
Narbonne<br />
Homps<br />
Trèbes<br />
Carcassonne<br />
Castelnaudary<br />
La Petite-Pierre<br />
LORRAINE<br />
FRANCHE-<br />
COMTE<br />
Saint-Jean-de-Losne<br />
RHONE-ALPS<br />
PROVENCE<br />
Marseille<br />
© la pérouse hotel<br />
ALSACE<br />
Vosges du<br />
Nord Regional<br />
Nature Park<br />
RIVIERA<br />
Grasse<br />
Nice<br />
CORSICA
© emmanuelle bonzami<br />
cruising the canals<br />
by marilane borges<br />
if you’re sailing down the garonne river, the only way to get<br />
to sète is to take the canal du midi near toulouse. located in<br />
southwestern France, this canal is a 150-mile extension of the<br />
garonne, connecting the atlantic ocean to the mediterranean<br />
sea. pierre-paul riquet built this artificial canal in the seventeenth<br />
century as an economic, military, and political solution<br />
for the transport of merchandise to avoid having to head onto<br />
the strait of gibraltar and the open seas. located in France’s<br />
midi-pyrénées region, it is the oldest working canal in europe.<br />
the canal promotes nautical tourism in regions such as<br />
languedoc-roussillon, midi-pyrénées, and aquitaine, as well<br />
as in important economic and historic centers such as béziers,<br />
narbonne, toulouse, le somail, homps, trèbes, carcassonne,<br />
and castelnaudary. sailing through these areas makes any trip<br />
even more bucolic, giving travelers an opportunity to take in the<br />
works of art—the bridges, lochs, and aqueducts—on the edges<br />
of enchanting towns.<br />
boat traffic in France is getting heavy, especially with the advent<br />
and success of hotel boats—authentic means of transportation<br />
transformed into luxurious suites that can rival any five-star<br />
hotel. a perfect alternative for anyone wanting to see France’s<br />
villages is to hop aboard these floating hotels which boast<br />
first-class service to boot. the suites come complete with a<br />
dressing room, living room, mini-bar, and large bathroom (some<br />
even include bathtubs!), making for a very comfortable and<br />
pleasant trip.<br />
one of the tours takes passengers through béziers, a city<br />
that resembles an open-air museum with its belle epoque<br />
architecture, and known for its roman amphitheatres where<br />
the famous bullfights are held. be sure to spend a full day in<br />
toulouse so you can witness every shade of color that the<br />
“pink city” dons as the day progresses. near toulouse, it’s<br />
worth visiting the citadel of carcassonne, whose fortresses<br />
bear witness to the passage of the celts, gallo-romans, and<br />
visigoths. Cassoulet is the gastronomic specialty in languedoc<br />
roussillon, where the towns of carcassonne, toulouse, and<br />
castelnaudary have been arguing for centuries over which<br />
of them really created the dish. castelnaudary, for one, has<br />
proclaimed itself the “world capital” of cassoulet.<br />
another option is to travel back to the impressionist era. more<br />
specifically, visit the late nineteenth century while drifting<br />
along the seine river to normandy in the footsteps of the great<br />
painters, from monet to renoir, who left their mark on the<br />
regions of France. visit historical towns, such as giverny, where<br />
claude monet lived from 1883 until his death in 1926; check out<br />
the water lilies and azaleas in his garden, along with the famous<br />
Japanese bridge.<br />
Follow this up with a visit to château gaillard in the small town<br />
of les andelys. a true twelfth-century medieval fortress and a<br />
symbol of medieval architecture, the chateau was built by the<br />
duke of normandy, better known as richard the lion-hearted.<br />
next stop: rouen, the regional capital that was built during<br />
castelnaudary<br />
there is no greater adventure than hopping aboard a holiday boat and meandering along the canals oF France<br />
on a trip that mixes gastronomy, art, culture, and the exuberance oF nature.<br />
© mdlF/Fabian charaffi<br />
© mdlF/crt picardie/didier raux<br />
canal du midi<br />
amiens
© mdlF/catherine bibollet<br />
© mdlF/daniel gallon - dangal<br />
82<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
where to stay<br />
canal du midi, languedoc-roussillon<br />
the fourteenth century, and where Joan of arc was martyred and condemned. the birthplace of<br />
impressionism, rouen will be one of the main stages for an art event being planned for the summer<br />
of 2010 at the musée des beaux arts, Normandie Impressionniste, which will include works from<br />
France and the united states’ foremost museums.<br />
upon leaving rouen, the tour heads toward le havre, a unesco world heritage site considered<br />
to be the second largest port in France, after marseille. musée andré malraux, with its canvases<br />
by French impressionists and fauvist artists, is a must. a short distance from le havre—by car<br />
or train—is the picturesque town of honfleur. located on the southern bank of the seine, it is a<br />
favorite stop with tourists, with its narrow alleyways brimming with flowers, charming restaurants<br />
along the quay, and delicious local gastronomy. don’t miss musée eugène-boudin with its collection<br />
of paintings by nineteenth- and twentieth-century norman artists, le Jardin des personnalités<br />
(a veritable garden of boats), and the architecture of the eglise sainte-catherine.<br />
ninety-three miles southwest of paris, continue along the burgundy canal (which connects the<br />
saône and yonne rivers) for exotic landscapes surrounded by vineyards as far as the eye can see.<br />
on this nautical tour—which starts on the saône river at saint-Jean-de-losne, and contours the<br />
ouche valley, dijon, pont-de-pany, pont-d’ouche, and vandenesse all the way to pouilly—sail past<br />
medieval castles that are home to the nectar of the gods. on the agenda: touring vineyards and<br />
toasting to good food.<br />
beyond the vineyards, historical burgundy consists of bresse’s rural architecture, morvan’s forests,<br />
and farmland, as well as the green and luscious landscapes of the charolais and brionnais regions,<br />
or even the côte-d’or’s striking fields and fully restored medieval neighborhoods.<br />
after this journey through history, art, and culture, the best thing to do is to take it easy on a hotel<br />
boat and dream about this region—a true ode to life.<br />
canal d’ors, poitou-charentes
© louise gaboury<br />
84<br />
mi casa, su casa<br />
realiZing the dream oF having your own place in France, For a<br />
couple days or a couple oF weeks, has never been so easy.<br />
by louise gaboury<br />
a pad in paris or nice, an attic room in tarn, a townhouse in drôme, a château in dordogne, a<br />
maison de gardien in the camargue? From modest abodes for two to large villas with private pool—<br />
the options are endless.<br />
throughout France, the people, proud of their heritage, have converted old buildings into cozy<br />
homes or created contemporary spaces to make visitors feel right at home. country homes or<br />
farm buildings, they all share that magic touch we call l’art de vivre à la française: traditional<br />
yet fully-equipped kitchens, an arbor where you can enjoy an apéritif, a terrace overlooking the<br />
majestic land of gentle France.<br />
solo or with others… and resolutely green!<br />
a sign of the times, cottages now rent by two and four, or by five or six. For large families, there are<br />
the big adjoining houses, each with its own pool, like the one in andressac, near Figeac. the trend<br />
even goes so far as to group together cottages in hamlets or villages. some of these establishments<br />
offer workshops and local tours.<br />
gregarious eco-vacationers will appreciate charming, environmentally-friendly housing, like<br />
le hameau des coquelicots that boasts three lovely and tastefully decorated houses built on a<br />
magnificent piece of land overlooking a natural pool with a sandy beach. in saint-cybranet, the<br />
domaine du Fraysse offers distinctive cottages housed in fifteen- to nineteenth-century buildings<br />
that circle a vast garden opening onto an eco-friendly pool. everything is up to standard according<br />
to bio-hôtels and hqe, haute qualité environmentale, the standard for green building in France.<br />
les maisons de marie, near Figeac - www.lesmaisonsdemarie.com (in French only)<br />
le hameau des coquelicots - www.lehameaudescoquelicots.com<br />
domaine du Fraysse - www.domaine-du-fraysse.com<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
where to stay<br />
paris apartment<br />
© louise gaboury<br />
before renting<br />
inquire about any additional charges: the deposit, extras for<br />
electricity, heating or air conditioning, housecleaning, bedding,<br />
linen rentals, and taxes.<br />
a web site doesn’t always tell the whole story. do some extra<br />
research in guides, on discussion forums, or through the local<br />
tourist bureau. www.tourisme.fr<br />
find out more<br />
true to their name, the citadines apart’hotels are set up in town<br />
and can be found in aix en provence, bordeaux, cannes, grenoble,<br />
lille, lyon, marseille, montpellier, nice, paris, strasbourg, and<br />
toulouse. www.citadines.com<br />
the clévacances label covers close to twenty-four thousand<br />
cottages in ninety-two departments and twenty-two regions<br />
of France. www.clevacances.com<br />
gîtes de France includes 43,800 rural cottages ranked from one<br />
to five swords. www.gites-de-france.com<br />
interhome boasts five thousand properties in France, a hundred<br />
of which are in paris. www.interhome.fr<br />
pierre & vacances offers apartments in vacation villages.<br />
www.pv-holidays.com<br />
For more good addresses: www.franceguide.com, click on<br />
holiday homes.<br />
also<br />
tree houses at château gauthié<br />
www.chateaugauthie.com<br />
Furnished desert tents at camping les ormes<br />
www.campinglesormes.com<br />
gypsy caravans at château d’uzer’s philomène camp<br />
chateau-uzer.com.sd2i.net<br />
domaine de Fonroques<br />
www.roulottes-fonroques.com (in French only)<br />
tree house
© ecolodge des chartrons<br />
Zero-emission hotels<br />
hotels are going green, without skimping on comFort or luxury.<br />
by Francine nascivet<br />
where to stay<br />
whether a trend-setter or an organic-savvy globetrotter,<br />
travelers looking for eco-holidays are invited to step into the<br />
coveted world of ecologically responsible hotels.<br />
recharge your batteries<br />
among the olive trees<br />
ideally located on the edge of grasse, a small town just inland<br />
from cannes, the club med village opio is the first vacation<br />
village in France to be awarded the european eco-label in the<br />
tourist accommodation service category. obtaining this green<br />
label rests on eighty-four strict criteria ranging from efficient<br />
energy management to selective sorting of waste and the<br />
preservation of a pesticide-free environment. what’s not to love?<br />
nature preserved<br />
the vosges du nord regional nature park is home to,<br />
la clairière, France’s very first certified bio, or organic, hotel.<br />
top-notch cuisine and accommodations go hand in hand with<br />
a variety of treatments and ayurvedic massages, all with the<br />
utmost respect for tradition. a wonderfully organic holiday<br />
destination for the ultimate well-being experience.<br />
pure altitude<br />
at the foot of the aiguille du midi, at an altitude of 3,200 feet,<br />
le morgane hotel has every right to be proud of its esthetic<br />
and environmental transformation. Featuring natural materials<br />
(granite, slate, and wood) and vast spaces, this resolutely<br />
ecolodge des chartrons<br />
© la pérouse hotel<br />
modern building, which reflects high mountain architecture,<br />
boasts a neutral energy balance with zero co 2 emissions and a<br />
healthy serving of fresh air to boot. a feeling beyond compare!<br />
Fair Food<br />
situated in the heart of nantes, la pérouse hotel flaunts its<br />
values and responsible approach, both inside and out. start<br />
your day with a light but energizing organic and fair trade<br />
breakfast before hopping on a bicycle to take in some culture<br />
and shopping—the perfect carbon neutral alternative to a taxi!<br />
true to its origins<br />
spanning twenty-two acres in the breton countryside, the yves<br />
rocher eco-hotel is graced with an organic vegetable garden,<br />
medicinal plant gardens, green roofs, and semi underground<br />
rooms. equipped with state-of-the-art bioclimatic technology,<br />
the establishment leaves nothing to chance. Zen fans will love<br />
the spa that caters to all five senses. instant relaxation!<br />
as good as it gets<br />
smack in the middle of the antique district, in the heart of bordeaux,<br />
this stately nineteenth-century house attracts authenticity-<br />
seeking tourists. tastefully renovated, with a penchant for mottled<br />
furniture and natural eco-friendly materials (wool insulation,<br />
environmentally friendly paint, lime plaster, and natural latex<br />
rubber mattresses…), the ecolodge des chartrons is sure to<br />
make a lasting impression.<br />
© le morgane hotel<br />
Club med opio<br />
www.clubmed.fr<br />
la Clairière<br />
www.la-clairiere.com<br />
le morgane<br />
www.morgane-hotelchamonix.com<br />
85<br />
la pérouse hotel<br />
le morgane hotel<br />
la pérouse<br />
www.hotel-laperouse.fr<br />
yves roCher<br />
www.yves-rocher.com<br />
eColodge des Chartrons<br />
www.ecolodgedes<br />
chartrons.com
© crt nord-pas-de-calais/J.p. duplan<br />
© cdt moselle/J.c. kanny<br />
86<br />
nord-pas-de-Calais<br />
From its pristine côte d’opale to<br />
the wooded mountains of its natural<br />
parks, nord-pas-de-calais combines<br />
tradition with modernity. Just an hour<br />
from paris, you will find walled cities,<br />
medieval belfries and a people who<br />
have cultivated the festive spirit<br />
of carnival.<br />
nord-pas-de-Calais<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.northernfrance-tourism.com<br />
contact@crt-nordpasdecalais.fr<br />
lorraine<br />
lorraine is a popular venue for<br />
tourists seeking something that’s<br />
a little bit different for a weekend<br />
break, a touring holiday or a longer<br />
stay. its spa towns, lakes and forests,<br />
winter sports resorts, artistic diversity<br />
and cultural heritage are just some<br />
of its extraordinary attractions.<br />
its main cities metz and nancy are<br />
only ninety minutes from paris on the<br />
tgv est. they offer a rich cultural<br />
heritage with, for example, the world<br />
heritage place stanislas and art<br />
nouveau architecture in nancy<br />
and the cathedral and historical<br />
city center in metz.<br />
lorraine regional tourist board<br />
www.tourisme-lorraine.fr<br />
contact@tourisme-lorraine.fr<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
regions of france<br />
regions oF France<br />
© J.y.desfoux/cdtmanche.jpg<br />
© crt/Zvardon<br />
normandy<br />
two thousand years of history are<br />
very much alive wherever you go in<br />
normandy. there are castles, cathedrals,<br />
and abbeys, the most famous<br />
of which is mont saint-michel.<br />
normandy is also the birthplace of<br />
impressionism. claude monet’s home<br />
and garden is in giverny, on your way<br />
to rouen. you can also explore all the<br />
places painted by the impressionists:<br />
etretat, le havre, honfleur, trouville, etc.<br />
this year marks the 65th anniversary<br />
of the d-day landings.<br />
normandy regional tourist board<br />
www.normandy-tourism.org<br />
info@normandie-tourisme.fr<br />
alsaCe<br />
a visit to alsace is a journey back in<br />
time, touched by French and german<br />
heritage: prestigious vineyards,<br />
gourmet cuisine, natural parks, the<br />
vosges mountains and some of the<br />
most charming gingerbread-house<br />
architecture in the world.<br />
alsace regional tourist board<br />
www.tourism-alsace.com<br />
www.abcoffrance.com<br />
crt@tourisme-alsace.com<br />
© crt picardie/guy François<br />
© spiegelhalter erich/crtb<br />
piCardy<br />
picardy has a strong cultural and<br />
architectural heritage that can be<br />
appreciated through its museums,<br />
cathedrals, painters, writers.<br />
discover a place to breathe. enjoy<br />
outdoor activities in the baie de<br />
somme, the compiègne and retz<br />
forests, numerous parks and<br />
gardens, and la route touristique<br />
du vignoble, a wine road.<br />
picardy regional tourist board<br />
www.picardietourisme.com<br />
documentation@picardietourisme.com<br />
brittany<br />
brittany is a peninsula that has been<br />
shaped and reshaped by the sea for<br />
millennia, its coasts redrawn twice<br />
a day by the tides. under its sky of<br />
changing colors lie expansive bays<br />
of muted shades, capes of granite<br />
and gray rose, dunes that are home<br />
to numerous species of birds and rare<br />
animals, hundreds of islands and the<br />
best preserved coastline anywhere.<br />
it is a land of legend, rich in history,<br />
where painters such as gauguin,<br />
monet, matisse, sargent, and<br />
picasso flocked in search of<br />
new sources of inspiration.<br />
brittany regional tourist board<br />
www.brittanytourism.com<br />
tourism-crtb@tourismebretagne.com<br />
www.discoverbrittany.com<br />
© F. poche-atelier culturel/photothèque vinci<br />
© crt centre/e. mangeat<br />
paris-ile-de-franCe<br />
since the French presidency of<br />
the european union in 2008, parisile-de-France<br />
puts the spotlight on<br />
european art and culture, exhibiting<br />
several european artists’s works:<br />
see italy or die—the grand tour<br />
and ’max ernst, a week of kindness<br />
at the musée d’orsay; waldmüller<br />
and the imaginative world of ariosto<br />
at the louvre; asger Jorn at the<br />
centre pompidou; and many other<br />
cultural events.<br />
paris–ile-de-france<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.pidf.com<br />
info@pidf.com<br />
loire valley<br />
loire valley is the lush, green garden<br />
of France. the wines from here are<br />
considered by many connoisseur<br />
to be among the best in France.<br />
in the royal châteaux country,<br />
awe-inspiring castles are surrounded<br />
by world-renowned gardens.<br />
loire valley regional tourist board<br />
www.visaloire.com<br />
crtcentre@visaloire.com<br />
© crt champagne-ardenne/michel Joly<br />
© J.p klein/sem régionale des pays de la loire<br />
Champagne-ardenne<br />
in champagne-ardenne, forty minutes<br />
east of paris on the tgv est, centuries<br />
of history are still alive: in the medieval<br />
city of troyes; in sedan, which is<br />
home to the largest castle fortress<br />
in europe; in the reims cathedral,<br />
where twenty-five kings of France<br />
were crowned; and in hundreds of<br />
internationally famous champagne<br />
houses and vintners’ cellars.<br />
Champagne-ardenne<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.tourisme-champagne-<br />
ardenne.com<br />
www.abcoffrance.com<br />
contact@tourism-<br />
champagne-ardenne.com<br />
pays de la loire<br />
less than two hours from paris,<br />
explore the treasures from the past:<br />
castles in the loire valley, vibrant<br />
cities like nantes, angers or le<br />
mans, wines from saumur, anjou<br />
or muscadet. enjoy la loire à vélo:<br />
a cycling route through a natural<br />
and historical landscape. wide, wild<br />
and wonderful—that’s the pays de la<br />
loire’s sandy atlantic coast with the<br />
freshest seafood and two beautiful<br />
islands, noirmoutier and ile d’yeu.<br />
pays de la loire tourist board<br />
www.paysdelaloire.co.uk<br />
infotourisme@sem-paysdelaloire.fr
© crt bourgogne/a. doire<br />
© crt poitou-charentes<br />
burgundy<br />
how easy it is to fall under<br />
burgundy’s spell? superb wine<br />
regions, unesco world heritage<br />
sites, unspoiled nature—all easily<br />
admired from a hot-air balloon,<br />
a boat on a canal, or a bicycle.<br />
burgundy offers an unforgettable<br />
adventure of contemporary<br />
pleasures steeped in history.<br />
burgundy tourism<br />
www.burgundy-tourism.com<br />
www.abcoffrance.com<br />
ptel@centrerelationsclients.com<br />
poitou-Charentes<br />
poitou-charentes in western France<br />
is a richly diverse region. From<br />
the vineyards of cognac, where<br />
the famous brandy is made, to the<br />
beaches on the atlantic coast with<br />
la rochelle, the islands of ré and<br />
oléron, the region has an outstanding<br />
romanesque heritage and numerous<br />
towns of historic interest like poitiers.<br />
do not miss the quiet marais poitevin,<br />
also called the green venice.”<br />
poitou-Charentes/Cognac Country<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.visit-poitou-charentes.com<br />
crt@poitou-charentes-vacances.com<br />
© crt Franche-comté/e. chatelain<br />
© bort-les-orgues/crdta<br />
regions of france<br />
franChe-Comte<br />
vauban, ledoux, bartholdi, pasteur,<br />
le corbusier, peugeot—for centuries,<br />
great figures have shaped this region.<br />
surrounded by the vosges and Jura<br />
mountains, this is a rich land colored<br />
with shades of blue and green.<br />
Franche-comté is yours for recreational,<br />
cultural and gastronomic discoveries.<br />
franche-Comté<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.franche-comte.org<br />
info@franche-comte.org<br />
auvergne and limousin<br />
Massif Central Original France<br />
dreaming of the green pastures<br />
of France? plunge into auvergne<br />
and limousin for the lushest vacation<br />
you could ever imagine. indulge in<br />
the richness of “hidden France,”<br />
a region of national landmarks.<br />
it is a playground for all kinds of<br />
outdoor activities. discover great<br />
local food, amazing castles and<br />
romanesque churches, as well as<br />
the tapisserie d’aubusson and the<br />
porcelain and enamel of limoges.<br />
auvergne and limousin<br />
regional tourist boards<br />
www.auvergne-tourisme.info/uk<br />
courrier@crdt-auvergne.fr<br />
www.tourismelimousin.com<br />
tourisme@crt-limousin.fr<br />
www.massifcentral-tourisme.com<br />
© crt riviera côte d’azur<br />
© otva/y. tisseyre<br />
riviera<br />
rich in natural diversity, the French<br />
riviera is a land of contrasts; you<br />
can gaze at snow-capped peaks<br />
from the sea. From sunny beaches to<br />
hilltop villages to the stunning azure<br />
alps, riviera offers a rich palette of<br />
landscapes, leisure activities, cultural<br />
exhibitions and international events.<br />
riviera Côte d’azur<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.guideriviera.com<br />
info@guideriviera.com<br />
rhone-alpes<br />
located in the heart of France,<br />
the rhône-alpes is a diverse region<br />
that includes the French alps and<br />
the rhône valley. lyon, the capital<br />
city, is a unesco world heritage<br />
site. the region is famous for its<br />
gastronomy, vineyards, gorgeous<br />
mountain views, ski resorts, lakes,<br />
historical cities and breathtaking<br />
landscapes.<br />
rhône-alpes regional tourist board<br />
www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com<br />
info@rhonealpes-tourisme.com<br />
© crt languedoc-roussillon/richard nourry<br />
© F. poincet/ot bordeaux<br />
languedoC-roussillon<br />
languedoc-roussillon, a sun-blessed<br />
mediterranean region, has a rich<br />
historic heritage (pont du gard,<br />
carcassonne, canal du midi), cities<br />
bridging the past and the present<br />
(montpellier, nîmes, perpignan,<br />
mende), and numerous museums,<br />
as well as 135 miles of beaches,<br />
regional parks, the camargue<br />
and the cévennes. in 2008,<br />
villefranche de conflent and the<br />
citadel of mont louis was named a<br />
unesco world heritage site.<br />
languedoc-roussillon<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.sunfrance.com<br />
contact.crtlr@sunfrance.com<br />
aquitaine<br />
one of the most varied regions<br />
of France, aquitaine stretches from<br />
the pyrénées to the gentle valleys of<br />
the dordogne. discover the countless<br />
vineyards around bordeaux, such as<br />
médoc and saint-emilion; historic<br />
cities such as sarlat, pau and bayonne;<br />
castles and charming villages<br />
in the périgord or the basque country,<br />
and prehistoric caves and some of<br />
the most spectacular beaches<br />
in europe.<br />
new! bordeaux is now on unesco’s<br />
world heritage list. come and<br />
discover the beautifully restored<br />
capital of aquitaine!<br />
aquitaine regional tourist board<br />
www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr<br />
tourisme@tourisme-aquitaine.fr<br />
© crt paca/matthieu verdeil<br />
© s.t.c/ville de toulouse<br />
87<br />
provenCe-alps-<br />
Cote d’aZur<br />
in the south of France, between<br />
the sea and the mountains, lies a<br />
land of luminosity that has always<br />
attracted numerous artists. the art<br />
de vivre, the richness of the local<br />
heritage, and the beautiful natural<br />
sites come together to make the<br />
provence-alpes-côte d’azur region<br />
one of the most visited of France.<br />
provence-alps-Côte d’azur<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.discover-southoffrance.com<br />
information@crt-paca.fr<br />
midi-pyrenees<br />
From the dordogne to the pyrénées,<br />
midi-pyrénées is the home of<br />
medieval villages, d’artagnan and<br />
the three musketeers, armagnac and<br />
roquefort, and the canal du midi.<br />
en route to santiago de compostela,<br />
visit the capital city of toulouse and<br />
nearby albi with the toulouse-lautrec<br />
museum. make a pilgrimage to<br />
lourdes, the second-largest<br />
christian shrine in the world.<br />
midi-pyrénées<br />
regional tourist board<br />
www.tourism.midi-pyrenees.org<br />
information@crtmp.com
© comité du tourisme des Îles de guadeloupe/<br />
J. m. lecerf<br />
© koch valérie<br />
88<br />
guadeloupe<br />
experience guadeloupe! sail<br />
or water ski on the crystal turquoise<br />
sea, lounge with a book on the<br />
sparkling white sands, discover<br />
forests and nature, immerse<br />
yourself in tradition and heritage,<br />
and savor the delicious flavors<br />
of the local cuisine!<br />
the guadeloupe islands<br />
tourist board<br />
www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com<br />
info@lesilesdeguadeloupe.com<br />
reunion<br />
right in the middle of the indian ocean,<br />
497 miles east of madagascar, the isle<br />
of réunion makes up, together<br />
with mauritius and rodrigues, the<br />
mascarenes archipelago. a stillactive<br />
volcano, the famous piton de<br />
la Fournaise occasionally comes to<br />
life, offering a magnificent spectacle,<br />
without danger. explore the heights<br />
on horseback, by mountain bike or<br />
4-wheel drive, walk its 621 miles of<br />
waymarked trails, go paragliding,<br />
or take a helicopter or microlight<br />
flight over the majestic mountainous<br />
terrain, go surfing, fishing…<br />
réunion tourist board<br />
www.lareunionvousattend.com<br />
crt@la-reunion-tourisme.com<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
© markus gregory<br />
© suze piat<br />
regions of france<br />
st. martin<br />
situated 137 miles north of guadeloupe,<br />
st. martin is an undiluted dream in the<br />
archipelago between the caribbean<br />
sea to the west and the atlantic<br />
ocean to the east. Famed for its<br />
regattas, it is an essential meeting<br />
point for lovers of sailing. also known<br />
as the “island of painters,” its colors<br />
have been a wonderful source of<br />
inspiration for the artists who exhibit<br />
in its many galleries.<br />
st. martin tourist board<br />
www.st-martin.org<br />
info@st-martin.org<br />
new Caledonia<br />
in the middle of the south pacific,<br />
if there is an archipelago swimming<br />
in an immense emerald green<br />
lagoon with golden highlights, you<br />
are in new caledonia. it can only be<br />
described with a litany of superlatives.<br />
the biggest lagoon in the world, the<br />
greatest number of plant species in<br />
the pacific, one of the richest tropical<br />
forests in the world…<br />
new Caledonia tourist board<br />
www.nouvelle-caledonie-tourisme.com<br />
info@sponline.com<br />
© astrida valigorsky<br />
© kent steffens<br />
st. barthelemy<br />
north-west of guadeloupe,<br />
st. barthélemy is a tiny island, just<br />
over 15 sq miles. it is divided into<br />
valleys usually dropping down to<br />
the sea and each valley has its own<br />
particular character. its flora, its<br />
habitat and its architecture are<br />
unique. an ideal place to practice<br />
many water sports.<br />
information available at<br />
www.comstbarth.fr<br />
contact@comstbarth.fr<br />
tahiti<br />
the territory of French polynesia<br />
extends over a sea area of<br />
2.5 million sq miles, composed of<br />
tahiti and 117 islands grouped into<br />
5 archipelagos: the society islands,<br />
tuamotu archipelago, marquesas<br />
islands, austral or tubuai islands<br />
and the gambier islands. surprises<br />
in store for water lovers include:<br />
whales, manta rays, sharks, shoals<br />
of multicoloured fish and corals.<br />
For those who like to walk, ride<br />
horses or go mountain biking, there<br />
is every opportunity to explore the<br />
mountains, valleys and waterfalls<br />
of the high islands.<br />
tahiti tourist board<br />
www.tahiti-tourisme.fr<br />
© martinique promotion bureau/océan d’images<br />
© photothèque atc/r. huitel<br />
martinique<br />
surrounded by the caribbean sea<br />
and the atlantic ocean, this island<br />
of flowers welcomes all who dream<br />
of island magic. bouquets of color,<br />
perfume, spices and flavors of<br />
this caribbean flower are yours<br />
to be picked.<br />
martinique promotion<br />
bureau/Cmt usa<br />
www.martinique.org<br />
info@martinique.org<br />
CorsiCa<br />
corsica, a lush mediterranean<br />
island, has a rich and distinct<br />
culture best experienced through<br />
its gastronomy, crafts, languages,<br />
music and lively traditions. corsica’s<br />
heritage and history fuel an unflinching<br />
local devotion to the island, which<br />
is also known as “beauty island.”<br />
Corsica tourist board<br />
www.visit-corsica.com<br />
info@visit-corsica.com<br />
© stephanie rousseau<br />
© mdlF/philippe maille<br />
frenCh guiana<br />
a paradise for eco-tourism, French<br />
guiana is in the northeast of south<br />
america between surinam and brazil.<br />
rolling out the infinite green carpet of<br />
the amazon rainforest, French guiana<br />
reserves many of its charms and<br />
mysteries for those who are prepared<br />
to take the time to explore it in the<br />
only traditional way: by waterway.<br />
french guiana tourism Committee<br />
www.tourisme-guyane.com<br />
ctginfo@tourisme-guyane.com<br />
st. pierre<br />
and miquelon<br />
at the mouth of the gulf of<br />
st. lawrence, a stone’s throw<br />
from the island of newfoundland,<br />
is the most northerly of France’s<br />
overseas destinations. you will see<br />
astonishing sub-arctic landscapes<br />
with their sharp relief, from which<br />
the houses of various hues stand out,<br />
like colorful confetti. the population,<br />
engaging and warmhearted, keeps<br />
French traditions alive in north<br />
america. people live with the sea’s<br />
rhythms, respecting the natural<br />
world and in harmony with the<br />
maritime environment.<br />
st. pierre and miquelon tourist board<br />
www.st-pierre-et-miquelon.info
90<br />
passports and visas<br />
all u.s. and canadian citizens,<br />
including infants, need a valid<br />
passport to enter France.<br />
visas are not required for<br />
american and canadian visitors<br />
staying in France for up to 90 days.<br />
For more information, contact your<br />
nearest French consulate. a list<br />
of local French consulates in the<br />
united states is available in the<br />
practical information section<br />
of us.franceguide.com.<br />
it is mandatory in France to carry some<br />
form of identification at all times.<br />
if you lose your passport, the nearest<br />
u.s. consulate will issue americans<br />
a limited-validity replacement if<br />
travel is imminent or a full-validity<br />
passport if further travel is not within<br />
two weeks. when in France, please<br />
carry a photocopy of your passport<br />
separately from your passport. the<br />
copy will facilitate issuance of a<br />
replacement ($75 fee for adults,<br />
$85 for children). the american<br />
embassy in paris is at 2, avenue<br />
gabriel, tel. 01 43 12 22 22. the<br />
passport section is nearby at<br />
4, avenue gabriel (open 9:00 a.m.<br />
to noon, monday to Friday). there<br />
are other consular offices in<br />
bordeaux, lille, lyon, marseille,<br />
nice, rennes, strasbourg, and<br />
toulouse that provide assistance<br />
to u.s. citizens.<br />
all canadian citizens must meet the<br />
same requirements as u.s. citizens<br />
regarding passports and visas. the<br />
canadian consulate (open 9:00 a.m.<br />
to noon, monday to Friday) in paris<br />
is located at 35, avenue montaigne<br />
(métro Franklin roosevelt or alma<br />
marceau), tel. 01 44 43 29 02,<br />
www.ambafrance-ca.org.<br />
Customs<br />
entering france: travelers from<br />
countries outside the european<br />
union (eu) must declare certain<br />
articles when entering France.<br />
duty and import taxes are levied<br />
on items not for personal use that<br />
individually or collectively exceed<br />
175€ in value. certain categories<br />
of items for personal use (tobacco<br />
products, alcoholic beverages,<br />
perfumes, coffee and tea, etc.)<br />
may be brought in untaxed up to<br />
certain authorized amounts. the<br />
following are forbidden or subject<br />
to strict control: drugs, radioactive<br />
materials, firearms, endangered<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
practical information<br />
what to know beFore you go<br />
species, plants, ivory, meat and<br />
dairy products. carry prescriptions<br />
to authenticate any controlled<br />
substances. monetary instruments<br />
equal to more than 10,000€ (whether<br />
brought into or taken out of France)<br />
must be declared. when in doubt,<br />
consult the French embassy<br />
(ambafrance-us.org), a French<br />
consulate or the French customs<br />
and excise service’s info douanes<br />
service in paris at tel. 08 20 02 44 44<br />
(8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., monday to<br />
Friday), www.douane.gouv.fr.<br />
re-entering the united states:<br />
returning u.s. citizens who have<br />
been away for 48 hours or more<br />
are allowed to bring back, once<br />
every 30 days, $800 worth of<br />
merchandise duty-free. you’re<br />
charged a flat rate of duty on the<br />
next $1,000 worth of purchases,<br />
and any dollar amount beyond that<br />
is subject to duty at whatever rates<br />
apply. on mailed gifts, the duty-free<br />
limit is $200. have your receipts or<br />
purchases handy to expedite the<br />
declaration process.<br />
note: if you owe duty, you are<br />
required to pay upon your arrival<br />
in the united states using cash,<br />
a personal check, government or<br />
traveler’s check, or money order;<br />
some locations also accept visa<br />
or mastercard.<br />
bringing your pets<br />
to franCe<br />
travelers may bring dogs, cats,<br />
and ferrets into France. each<br />
family is limited to five animals,<br />
which must have valid rabies<br />
vaccination certificates and be<br />
identifiable by a microchip or<br />
tattoo. For more information,<br />
including details about traveling<br />
with pet rodents, reptiles,<br />
birds, or other species, visit<br />
www.ambafrance-us.org or<br />
contact the French embassy.<br />
eleCtriCity<br />
requirements<br />
electricity in France runs on a<br />
220-volt, 50-hertz ac current rather<br />
than the 110-volt, 60 hertz ac<br />
current used in the united states<br />
and canada. France also uses<br />
a type e plug (round pin and<br />
receptacle with male grounding<br />
pin) versus the type a or b plugs<br />
(flat blade/with round grounding<br />
pin) in north america. if you bring<br />
electrical appliances, you will<br />
need a plug adapter. you may also<br />
require a transformer, although<br />
today, most major appliances have<br />
one built in. when in doubt, check<br />
with the manufacturer. if you are<br />
bringing a computer and it is still<br />
under warranty, you may need to<br />
register it with the manufacturer’s<br />
international warranty department.<br />
national holidays<br />
in 2009<br />
new year’s day January 1<br />
easter sunday april 12<br />
easter monday april 13<br />
labor day may 1<br />
veterans day may 8<br />
ascension may 21<br />
pentecost sunday may 31<br />
pentecost monday June 1<br />
bastille day July 14<br />
assumption day august 15<br />
all saints’ day november 1<br />
armistice day november 11<br />
christmas december 25<br />
tourist information<br />
and ordering<br />
broChures online<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
frenCh government tourist<br />
offiCe in the united states<br />
825 third avenue, 29th Floor<br />
new york, ny 10022<br />
France-on-call hotline: 514-288-1904<br />
us.franceguide.com<br />
frenCh government<br />
tourist offiCe in Canada<br />
1800 mcgill college avenue,<br />
suite 1010<br />
montreal, qc h3a 3J6<br />
France-on-call hotline:<br />
1-866-313-7262<br />
ca-en.franceguide.com (in english)<br />
or ca.franceguide.com (in French)<br />
throughout franCe<br />
almost every town in France has a<br />
tourist office (office de Tourisme or<br />
syndicat d’Initiative). it is usually in<br />
the city center and easily identified<br />
by an “i” on a blue background.<br />
besides providing information about<br />
local attractions and services, many<br />
tourist offices can book hotel rooms<br />
and sell tickets for events. the web<br />
site of the Fédération nationale des<br />
offices de tourisme et syndicats<br />
d’initiative has links to thousands<br />
of local tourist offices:<br />
www.tourisme.fr (in French).<br />
lodging<br />
the approximately 18,300 hotels,<br />
inns, and motels in France are<br />
government-classified according<br />
to five levels, indicated by stars:<br />
luxury (****l), first class (****),<br />
good tourist quality (***) and budget<br />
(** and *). note: in 2009, France will<br />
add a fifth star, which will become<br />
the highest rating for hotels.<br />
there are also many chambres<br />
d’hôtes (bed-and-breakfasts), gîtes<br />
(country cottages and farmhouses),<br />
auberges de jeunesse (youth hostels),<br />
and private châteaux with guest<br />
rooms. in larger cities, especially<br />
paris, short-term apartment rentals<br />
are available through specialized<br />
agencies. For specifics, click on<br />
house/villa at us.franceguide.com.<br />
For the outdoorsy types, camping<br />
is very popular in France and campgrounds<br />
are very common. hikers<br />
also take advantage of refuges<br />
and gîtes d’étape (mountain huts)<br />
along trails. For more information,<br />
visit www.campingfrance.com or<br />
www.gites-refuges.com.<br />
Note: It is normal practice for<br />
hoteliers to ask for your passport<br />
at check-in.<br />
arriving in paris<br />
most visitors to France, whether<br />
staying in the capital or traveling<br />
elsewhere, fly into one of paris’s<br />
airports: paris-charles de gaulle<br />
or orly. both have direct bus and<br />
train service to paris and excellent<br />
connections by plane, train, or road<br />
to other cities throughout France.<br />
there is a train à grande vitesse<br />
(tgv, or high-speed train) station<br />
right at paris-charles de gaulle<br />
airport. general airport information:<br />
tel. 01 48 62 22 80 or 01 70 36 39 50,<br />
www.aeroportsdeparis.fr.<br />
paris-Charles de gaulle<br />
airport<br />
airport transfers by taxi<br />
paris-charles de gaulle airport<br />
is 15.5 miles (24.9 km) northeast<br />
of paris. a taxi ride to the city<br />
center takes 45 to 75 minutes and<br />
costs about 50€. allow for a 15%<br />
increase between 7:00 p.m. and<br />
7:00 a.m., as well as on sundays<br />
and public holidays.<br />
abeille radio taxi: 01 45 83 59 33<br />
alpha taxis: 01 45 85 85 85<br />
taxis bleus: 08 91 70 10 10<br />
taxis g7: 01 47 39 47 39<br />
(handicap accessible)<br />
taxis 7000: 01 42 70 00 42<br />
airport connection services<br />
(minivan): 01 43 65 55 55,<br />
www.airport-connection.com<br />
(must reserve in advance).<br />
rer suburban express train<br />
the rer departs regularly from<br />
two locations at the airport: the<br />
rer/tgv station at aérogare<br />
(terminal) 2 and the rer station<br />
near aérogare 1. if you arrive at<br />
aérogare 1, take the free navette<br />
(shuttle bus) to the rer station<br />
called aéroport charles de gaulle<br />
1. From there, rer line b (roissy<br />
rail) stops at the gare du nord,<br />
châtelet les halles, st michel,<br />
and denfert rochereau métro<br />
stations every 10 to 15 minutes<br />
(from 4:56 a.m. to 11:56 p.m.;<br />
25 to 45 minutes; 8.40€). www.ratp.fr<br />
air france Coaches<br />
buses to and from porte maillot<br />
and the arc de triomphe depart<br />
every 30 minutes (from 5:45 a.m. to<br />
11:00 p.m.; 40 to 60 minutes; 15€).<br />
buses to and from gare de lyon<br />
and gare montparnasse depart<br />
every 30 minutes (from 7:00 a.m. to<br />
9:00 p.m.; 45 to 70 minutes; 16.50€).<br />
www.cars-airfrance.com<br />
roissybus<br />
buses to and from rue scribe near<br />
the opéra garnier depart every<br />
15 to 20 minutes (from 5:45 a.m. to<br />
11:00 p.m.; 45 to 60 minutes; 8.90€).<br />
tel. 08 92 68 77 14<br />
noctilien<br />
night buses cover the dark hours<br />
(from 12:30 to 5:30 a.m.; 50 to 80<br />
minutes; four “t+” tickets totaling<br />
6.40€) along three lines: n120 (to<br />
orly via gare de l’est, châtelet, and<br />
gare de lyon), n121 (to versailles<br />
via gare de l’est, châtelet, and<br />
gare montparnasse) and n140<br />
(to gare de l’est via stalingrad).<br />
each service runs only once an<br />
hour, so check times. www.ratp.fr<br />
tgv<br />
high-speed trains (tgvs) from<br />
paris-charles de gaulle airport<br />
offer direct service to grenoble,<br />
lille, lyon, marseille, bordeaux,<br />
toulouse, nantes, rennes,<br />
montpellier, nice, and other<br />
cities. www.voyages-sncf.com
hotels<br />
there is one hotel at the airport<br />
(sheraton paris airport hotel,<br />
tel. 01 49 19 70 70) with others<br />
reachable by shuttle, including<br />
the hilton (tel. 01 49 19 77 77), ibis<br />
(tel. 01 40 19 19 19), and sofitel<br />
(tel. 01 49 19 29 29).<br />
orly airport<br />
airport transfers by taxi<br />
orly airport is 10.3 miles (16.6 km)<br />
south of paris. a taxi ride to the city<br />
center takes 20 to 45 minutes and<br />
costs approximately 35€. allow for<br />
an increase of about 15% between<br />
the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.,<br />
as well as on sundays and public<br />
holidays.<br />
orlyval and rer b<br />
an automated train departs from<br />
the airport every 4 to 7 minutes and<br />
connects at antony station with<br />
rer line b, which then stops at<br />
the denfert rochereau, st-michel<br />
notre dame, châtelet les halles,<br />
and gare du nord stations (from<br />
6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; 35 minutes;<br />
7.40€-9.60€).<br />
shuttle bus to orlyrail<br />
a shuttle bus connects orly with<br />
rer c (orlyrail), which departs<br />
every 15 to 30 minutes and stops<br />
at the Javel, champ de mars-tour<br />
eiffel, invalides, musée d’orsay,<br />
st michel notre-dame, and gare<br />
d’austerlitz rer stations (from<br />
5:01 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; 40 minutes;<br />
6.10€ for the shuttle, the rer, and<br />
the métro).<br />
air france buses to and from orly<br />
buses to and from orly and gare<br />
montparnasse and the invalides<br />
métro station depart every<br />
30 minutes (from 6:00 a.m. to<br />
11:30 p.m.; 30 to 45 minutes;<br />
11.50€). tel. 08 92 35 08 20,<br />
www.cars-airfrance.com.<br />
orly bus<br />
buses to and from the denfertrochereau<br />
métro station depart<br />
every 15 to 20 minutes (from 6:00 a.m.<br />
to 11:30 p.m.; 30 minutes; 6.30€).<br />
tel. 08 92 68 77 14<br />
Jet bus<br />
buses depart every 15 minutes<br />
and connect with métro line 7 at<br />
the villejuif–louis aragon station<br />
(from 6:15 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.;<br />
15 minutes; 6.40€).<br />
practical information<br />
noctilien<br />
night buses pick up where other<br />
services leave off (from 12:30 to<br />
5:30 a.m.; 30 to 60 minutes; three<br />
“t+” tickets totaling 4.80€. paris<br />
visite tickets are also valid<br />
depending on the zones selected)<br />
along two lines: n120 (to parischarles<br />
de gaulle airport via<br />
gare de lyon, châtelet, and gare<br />
de l’est) and n31 (to gare de lyon<br />
via place d’italie). each service<br />
runs only once an hour, so check<br />
times. www.ratp.fr<br />
hotels<br />
there are two orly airport hotels:<br />
the hilton (tel. 01 45 12 45 12) and<br />
the ibis (tel. 01 56 70 50 60).<br />
air franCe buses between<br />
paris-Charles de gaulle<br />
and orly<br />
buses between paris-charles<br />
de gaulle and orly depart every<br />
30 minutes (from 6:30 a.m. to<br />
10:30 p.m. on weekdays and<br />
from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on<br />
weekends; 45 to 60 minutes; 19€).<br />
www.cars-airfrance.com<br />
getting around<br />
in franCe<br />
by Car<br />
roads in france<br />
paris and the main towns and cities<br />
throughout the country are linked<br />
by 7,500 miles (12,000 km) of wellmaintained<br />
highways (most with<br />
tolls). distances are in kilometers<br />
(1 km = 0.62 miles; 1 mile = 1.6 km).<br />
unless otherwise indicated, speed<br />
limits are 50 km/h (31 mph) in towns,<br />
80 km/h (50 mph) on the paris<br />
périphérique (beltway), 90 km/h<br />
(56 mph) on undivided main roads,<br />
110 km/h (68 mph) on two-lane<br />
divided highways, and 130 km/h<br />
(81 mph) on autoroutes. these<br />
limits are reduced by 10 to 20 km/h<br />
in poor weather.<br />
driving in france<br />
a valid driver’s license (permis<br />
de conduire) and passport are<br />
required to operate a motor vehicle.<br />
minimum age for drivers is 18.<br />
proof of insurance is necessary.<br />
carry your identification, license,<br />
insurance certificate, and vehicle<br />
registration (carte grise) with you.<br />
seat belts must be worn in both<br />
the front and back seats of all<br />
automobiles. children under ten<br />
may not ride in the front seat. if<br />
you are on a motorcycle, scooter,<br />
or moped, you are required to wear<br />
ALL INCLUSIVE CAR PROGRAM,<br />
NO TAX<br />
MINIMUM AGE 18, NO MAXIMUM<br />
FULLY COMPREHENSIVE<br />
INSURANCE WITH NO DEDUCTIBLE<br />
24/7 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE<br />
IN 44 COUNTRIES<br />
RENAULT EURODRIVE<br />
www.renault-eurodrive.com
92<br />
a helmet. all cars must also carry a<br />
safety jacket or warning triangle at<br />
all times. For more information, visit<br />
the practical information section of<br />
us.franceguide.com.<br />
renting or leasing a Car<br />
reserving your rental car before<br />
you leave can mean substantial<br />
savings—most international<br />
car-rental agencies discount<br />
standard rates if you reserve<br />
ahead for a minimum number of<br />
days and pay in advance. For longer<br />
trips, some car manufacturers offer<br />
leaseback arrangements, which<br />
can mean big savings. gas (essence)<br />
and highway tolls are about twice<br />
as expensive as in the united<br />
states and canada.<br />
note: to rent a car in France you<br />
must be at least 21 or 25 years<br />
old (minimum age varies by rental<br />
agency), and have a credit card in<br />
your name. some agencies may require<br />
you to have had your driver’s<br />
license for at least one year. check<br />
specific rules with individual rental<br />
companies before booking.<br />
taxis<br />
in paris and other major French<br />
cities, taxi stands are plentiful<br />
and easily visible. rates are based<br />
on time and distance and vary<br />
depending on the city or suburb<br />
and whether it is day or night.<br />
rates are displayed inside the<br />
car as well as on meters.<br />
when called to pick up passengers,<br />
taxis add the cost of that journey<br />
to the fare. extra fees for baggage,<br />
animals, or a fourth person are<br />
routine.<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
practical information<br />
what to know beFore you go<br />
kilometers<br />
distanCe between prinCipal Cities<br />
miles<br />
tipping is customary but completely<br />
at your discretion. 10% to 15% is<br />
generally acceptable.<br />
if you lose something in a cab<br />
(or other public space) in paris,<br />
go to the police’s service des objets<br />
trouvés at 36, rue des morillons<br />
in the 15th arrondissement, open<br />
monday to thursday from 8:30 a.m.<br />
to 5:00 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m.<br />
to 4:30 p.m. tel. 08 21 00 25 25,<br />
métro convention<br />
by train<br />
France’s sncF national railroad<br />
has the most extensive rail network<br />
in europe, with its high-speed trains<br />
(trains à grande vitesse, or tgv)<br />
serving more than 150 cities in<br />
France and neighboring countries.<br />
sncF trains are extremely<br />
comfortable and efficient, and<br />
their frequent departures make<br />
travel fast and convenient.<br />
rail europe, the sncF’s subsidiary<br />
and official representative in north<br />
america, offers a wide variety of<br />
economical rail passes like the<br />
France railpass and the eurail<br />
global and select passes, as well<br />
as discounted passes such as the<br />
France youth pass (age 26 and<br />
under), France senior pass (age<br />
60 and over), France saverpass<br />
(for two or more passengers),<br />
and France rail ’n drive pass<br />
(combining rail and car travel).<br />
discounts are available for groups<br />
of six or more. tickets are also<br />
available all across the high-speed<br />
train network, including the tgv<br />
méditerranée (paris to avignon/<br />
marseille), eurostar (paris/lille<br />
to london), tgv est (paris to<br />
strasbourg/Frankfurt/munich),<br />
tgv lyria (paris to switzerland),<br />
paris lyon marseille bordeaux lille nantes nancy<br />
paris x 289 483 362 137 237 191<br />
lyon 465 x 195 334 424 407 252<br />
marseille 777 314 x 400 621 597 445<br />
bordeaux 583 538 644 x 497 199 526<br />
lille 220 683 1000 801 x 373 261<br />
nantes 382 655 961 321 600 x 420<br />
nancy 308 406 717 847 420 676 x<br />
tgv atlantique (paris to bordeaux),<br />
thalys (paris to brussels/cologne/<br />
amsterdam), artesia (paris/lyon to<br />
italy), and many other trains.<br />
passes must be purchased<br />
in advance, before leaving the<br />
united states and canada. to place<br />
an order or request information on<br />
fares, schedules or passes, visit<br />
www.raileurope.com and then<br />
speak to your travel agent or call<br />
rail europe at 1-800-622-8600 in the<br />
united states or 1-800-361-rail in<br />
canada (monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m.<br />
to 7:30 p.m. est). For groups of<br />
10 or more, call 1-800-462-2577<br />
(monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to<br />
5:30 p.m. est).<br />
pickup and delivery of luggage<br />
from your hotel to your final<br />
destination can be arranged for<br />
delivery in 24 hours by contacting<br />
the sncF baggage service at tel.<br />
36 35 and say bagages or key in the<br />
number 41.<br />
senior Citizens<br />
travelers aged 60 and over can<br />
buy the carte senior, which grants<br />
25% to 50% reductions on first- or<br />
second-class domestic rail travel,<br />
depending on the day and time of<br />
travel and on how early reservations<br />
are made. 25% reductions are<br />
also available on train travel to<br />
25 european countries on the<br />
railplus network. cards are for<br />
sale in France only at railroad<br />
stations and at French travel agencies<br />
for 56€ and are good for one year.<br />
even without the carte senior,<br />
travelers aged 60 and over are<br />
eligible for the découverte senior<br />
discount—a 25% reduced fare on<br />
many tgv trains. proof of age is<br />
required. www.senior-sncf.com<br />
other discounts<br />
it is worth checking on the<br />
availability of other discounts,<br />
especially for children (under 12)<br />
and youth (12 to 25). at the time of<br />
research, carte enfant+/découverte<br />
enfant+ and carte 12-25/découverte<br />
12-25 reduced fares were similar to<br />
those of carte senior/découverte<br />
senior. carte escapade/découverte<br />
séjour opportunities exist with<br />
more restrictions for travelers<br />
aged 26 to 59.
practical information<br />
what to know beFore you go<br />
publiC transportation<br />
in paris<br />
the métro<br />
simple and safe, the paris métro<br />
runs daily from about 5:30 to 1:00 a.m.<br />
a single ticket costs 1.60€, a carnet<br />
of ten tickets, 11.40€. keep your<br />
ticket handy; you may be asked<br />
to show it to a transit inspector.<br />
passengers without tickets may<br />
be subject to fines, and tickets<br />
are sometimes needed to exit<br />
métro turnstiles.<br />
mobilis tickets are valid for unlimited<br />
travel on métro, bus, tram, and rer<br />
suburban train lines during a single<br />
day within a set number of zones. For<br />
travel within the city, the minimum<br />
two zones (5.80€) suffice, but for<br />
travel beyond, five zones (12.90€)<br />
is enough to reach the airports,<br />
disneyland-paris, and versailles.<br />
basic paris visite passes are<br />
also good for unlimited travel,<br />
but available for longer stays of<br />
one (8.80€), two (14.40€), three<br />
(19.60€), and five (28.30€) days.<br />
paris visite passes that extend<br />
further are 18.50€, 28.30€, 39.70€,<br />
and 48.40€. unlike mobilis tickets,<br />
paris visite also gives you reduced<br />
fares for some museums and<br />
bus tours. passes for children<br />
4 to 10 years old are half price.<br />
children under four travel free.<br />
www.ratp.info/touristes<br />
passes and tickets can be<br />
purchased at airports, the paris<br />
convention and visitors bureau,<br />
the métro, the rer, railway stations<br />
and in the united states (ask your<br />
travel agent or tour operator).<br />
tel. 08 92 69 32 46, www.ratp.fr<br />
buses and trams<br />
bus and tram maps and information<br />
are available from the paris<br />
convention and visitors bureau.<br />
bus/tram fare is 1.60€; métro<br />
tickets may be used. note that<br />
the new white tickets (as opposed<br />
to the old purple ones) allow for<br />
multiple bus and tram rides with<br />
90 minutes of first use.<br />
balabus<br />
the balabus tourist bus, in service<br />
on holidays and sundays from april<br />
to september (inclusive), stops at<br />
selected regular bus stops (marked<br />
bb) near main paris tourist sites:<br />
gare de lyon, st-michel, musée<br />
d’orsay, louvre, concorde, champselysées,<br />
charles de gaulle-etoile,<br />
porte maillot, and neuilly. the fare<br />
is 1.60€ (free with the paris visite<br />
pass); métro tickets may be used.<br />
batobus<br />
From February to January, the city<br />
of paris operates a boat service<br />
from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (longer<br />
hours in summer, shorter in winter)<br />
on the seine river called batobus.<br />
it passes every 15 to 30 minutes,<br />
with stops at the eiffel tower,<br />
musée d’orsay, st germain-després<br />
(quai malaquais, on the left<br />
bank opposite the louvre), notre<br />
dame, Jardin des plantes, hôtel de<br />
ville, louvre, and champs-elysées.<br />
the fare is 12€ for an all-day pass,<br />
14€ for a 2-day pass, and 17€ for<br />
5 days. children under 16 are half<br />
price. tel. 08 25 05 01 01,<br />
www.batobus.com<br />
transportation<br />
in other Cities<br />
lyon, lille, marseille, rennes,<br />
rouen, and toulouse have subway<br />
systems with stops at major tourist<br />
sites. trams are making a serious<br />
comeback with functional networks<br />
in more than 15 cities, including<br />
bordeaux, cannes, grenoble, lyon,<br />
marseille, nice, strasbourg, and<br />
toulouse. cities throughout the<br />
country have efficient bus service.<br />
maps and information are available<br />
at local tourist offices.<br />
by plane<br />
air France controls the lion’s share<br />
of France’s domestic flights, which<br />
have an average duration of one<br />
hour. reservations can be made<br />
in the united states, canada, or in<br />
France. airports are often beyond<br />
city limits, but are well served by<br />
shuttle services. most airlines offer<br />
a discount when tickets are bought<br />
more than 30 days in advance.<br />
senior discounts of up to 10% for<br />
those aged 62 or over are available<br />
in all classes of most domestic<br />
flights; proof of age is required.<br />
youth or student discounts are also<br />
available on many domestic flights;<br />
inquire when making reservations.<br />
air France in the united states:<br />
1-800-237-2747; in France:<br />
tel. 08 20 82 08 20, www.airfrance.com<br />
by biCyCle<br />
there are more than 18,600 miles<br />
(30,000 km) of marked cycling<br />
routes in France. For information,<br />
contact the Fédération Française de<br />
cyclotourisme at tel. 01 56 20 88 88,<br />
www.ffct.org (in French). bikes<br />
may be carried on many trains<br />
in France, sometimes either for<br />
a small fee or for free on certain<br />
trains with space provided, but<br />
otherwise partially dismantled and<br />
packed in large purpose-made bike<br />
bags. on some trains with special<br />
space provided, like some tgvs,<br />
bike reservations are necessary<br />
(up to 10€) and should be made at<br />
the same time as you make yours.<br />
bicycles can also be shipped ahead<br />
(provide 48 hours for their travel)<br />
using the sncF baggage service<br />
(39€ to 49€). For information within<br />
France, call the sncF (tel. 36 35) or<br />
visit www.velo.sncf.com (in French).<br />
velib’ in paris<br />
in 2007, paris debuted a new<br />
self-service bicycle transit system<br />
called velib’ for use on its over<br />
230 miles (371 km) of bicycle lanes.<br />
there are velib’ stations about<br />
every 900 feet, for a total of 1,451<br />
locations and 20,600 bikes. access<br />
cards are available from street-side<br />
meters and cost 1€ for one day or<br />
5€ for a week. the first 30 minutes<br />
of each use are free, after which<br />
the first additional half hour is<br />
1€, the second an additional 2€<br />
and each 30 minutes beyond that<br />
an additional 4€. your account is<br />
debited when you return the bike,<br />
150€ being secured if the bike<br />
is not returned after 24 hours.<br />
in 2009, the velib’ program began<br />
an extension to about 30 additional<br />
communities surrounding paris.<br />
www.velib.paris.fr (in French).<br />
versions of the program have also<br />
been added to other major cities such<br />
as lyon, marseille, aix en provence,<br />
caen, rouen, and toulouse.<br />
For other bike rentals in paris, try:<br />
roue libre - www.rouelibre.fr<br />
Fat tire bike tours -<br />
www.fattirebiketoursparis.com<br />
paris à vélo, c’est sympa -<br />
www.parisvelosympa.com<br />
money matters<br />
banks<br />
banks are usually open weekdays<br />
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. in<br />
many cities outside paris, banks<br />
open an hour earlier and close for<br />
an hour or two at lunchtime. most<br />
paris banks are closed saturdays<br />
and sundays; banks outside of<br />
paris are often open saturdays<br />
and closed sundays and mondays.<br />
atms<br />
atms (known locally as distributeurs<br />
automatiques de billets) often have<br />
the best exchange rates. think<br />
of withdrawing directly from your<br />
savings, not from your credit card,<br />
which treats the transaction as<br />
a cash advance. if you do plan to<br />
obtain cash on your credit cards<br />
using an atm, contact the credit<br />
card company for instructions and<br />
to let them know your intentions.<br />
virtually all atms in France take<br />
mastercard and visa, and most<br />
are linked to the cirrus and plus<br />
systems. american express has<br />
atms in major cities.<br />
note: most French atm keyboards<br />
have numbers only, so if your pin<br />
contains letters, remember the<br />
number equivalents. Four- and fivedigit<br />
pins are acceptable in France.<br />
exChange<br />
banks and bureaux de change<br />
generally charge at least a 1%<br />
commission (or a minimum<br />
commission) on currency exchanges;<br />
those charging no commission<br />
often use very unfavorable exchange<br />
rates. traveler’s checks are safe but<br />
many banks charge a service fee<br />
to cash them, and not all hotels,<br />
restaurants, and shops accept them<br />
for payment, even if they are in euros.<br />
all sums, unless otherwise noted,<br />
are in euros. consult www.oanda.<br />
com/convert/classic for daily<br />
exchange rates.<br />
Credit Cards<br />
credit cards are accepted in<br />
most hotels, restaurants, stores,<br />
and shops; the exchange rate is<br />
favorable. to avoid trouble, it is<br />
wise to contact your credit card<br />
companies prior to departure and<br />
advise them of your travel and<br />
spending intentions.<br />
For information or to report lost<br />
cards, 24 hours a day, seven days<br />
a week:<br />
eurocard-mastercard -<br />
tel. 08 00 90 13 87<br />
visa - tel. 08 00 90 11 79<br />
diners club - tel. 08 20 82 05 36<br />
(customer service) or 08 10 31 41 59<br />
(lost or stolen cards)<br />
american express -<br />
tel. 01 47 77 70 00 (customer service)<br />
or 01 47 77 72 00 (lost or stolen cards)<br />
you will need your credit card<br />
numbers, a record of which should<br />
be kept separately from your cards.<br />
tipping<br />
almost all restaurants include tax<br />
and a 15% service charge (service<br />
compris) in their prices. if a meal<br />
or service has been particularly<br />
good, leaving another 1.50€<br />
(2% to 3%, or up to 5% in expensive<br />
establishments) is customary, as<br />
93<br />
is leaving the waiter the small<br />
change from your bill if you pay<br />
in cash. if service is not included<br />
(service non compris), a 15% tip<br />
is appropriate.<br />
in hotels, tip porters 1.50€ for each<br />
bag, and chambermaids 1.50€ a<br />
day. taxi drivers should be given<br />
10% of the fare on the meter. tip<br />
hairdressers 10% and assistants<br />
5%. small tips of up to 1€ are<br />
reasonable for cloakroom and<br />
washroom attendants, ushers,<br />
and museum tour guides. it is<br />
standard practice to tip tour guides<br />
and bus drivers after an excursion,<br />
generally 1.50€ to 3€, depending<br />
on the level of service.<br />
shopping<br />
sales<br />
France has major nationwide sales<br />
(soldes) in January and July.<br />
tax free<br />
non-european union residents<br />
over the age of 15 who stay<br />
in France or elsewhere in the<br />
european union (eu) for less than<br />
6 months can get a refund of the<br />
value-added tax (vat, or tva in<br />
French) on purchases amounting<br />
to more than 175€ at any single<br />
store. in most cases, the refund<br />
represents 16.38% of the purchase<br />
amount. when making purchases,<br />
ask the store to complete a vat<br />
refund form, then submit the form<br />
to customs (within 3 months of the<br />
date of purchase) when leaving<br />
France or the last eu country you<br />
visit. if leaving from an airport,<br />
arrive before your check-in time<br />
and be prepared to show your<br />
purchases. customs will stamp the<br />
form, which must then be mailed<br />
to the store where the purchases<br />
were made within 6 months of<br />
the date of purchase. refunds<br />
are credited to your credit card<br />
account or are sent by mail within<br />
a few months.<br />
staying in touCh<br />
post offiCes<br />
post offices are marked “la poste”<br />
and most are open from 8:00 a.m. to<br />
7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m.<br />
to noon on saturdays. (in small towns,<br />
weekday hours may be 9:00 a.m. to<br />
noon and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.). mailboxes<br />
are yellow. major post offices can<br />
cash or send international postal<br />
checks and money orders and have<br />
fax, telex, and telephone facilities.<br />
in paris, the main post office at 52,<br />
rue du louvre is open 24 hours.
94<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
practical information<br />
what to know beFore you go<br />
stamps can also be purchased at<br />
café-tabacs, hotels, and some<br />
newsstands. at the time of publication,<br />
a normal letter of less than 20 g<br />
cost 0.55? to destinations within<br />
France, 0.65? to elsewhere in the eu,<br />
and 0.85? to all other countries.<br />
www.laposte.com<br />
using telephones<br />
all French telephone numbers<br />
have 10 digits, starting with a 0. to<br />
call within the country, just dial the<br />
10 digits. to call France from the<br />
united states or canada, omit the<br />
initial 0 of the French number. For<br />
example, dial 011 (the international<br />
access code), then 33 (the country<br />
code for France), and then the<br />
telephone number minus the<br />
initial 0 (9 digits instead of 10).<br />
note: throughout this magazine,<br />
French phone numbers are listed<br />
in their 10-digit format.<br />
most public telephones only accept<br />
phone cards, called télécartes or<br />
cartes téléphoniques and which<br />
are sold at post offices or cafétabacs<br />
for 7.50? (for 50 unités)<br />
or 15? (for 120 unités). note that<br />
numbers beginning with 08 have<br />
per-minute rates slightly higher<br />
than standard domestic numbers.<br />
0800 numbers, though, are toll free.<br />
to call the united states and canada<br />
from France, dial 00, then 1 plus<br />
the area code and phone number.<br />
when using long-distance phone<br />
companies, you must use their<br />
toll-free access number:<br />
at&t direct - 08 00 99 00 11<br />
sprint - 08 00 99 00 87<br />
mci - 08 00 99 00 19<br />
canada direct - 08 00 99 00 16 or<br />
08 00 99 02 16<br />
ColleCt Calls<br />
to make a collect call (en PCV)<br />
within France, dial 3006 from any<br />
phone in France (private or public),<br />
record your name, then dial the<br />
number. For collect calls to the<br />
united states or canada, use the<br />
toll-free access numbers above<br />
and follow the prompts.<br />
mobile phones<br />
France (and the rest of europe)<br />
uses gsm 900/1800, which is<br />
incompatible with the north<br />
american gsm 1900. check with<br />
the manufacturer and your service<br />
provider to see if you can use your<br />
mobile phone in europe. if your phone<br />
can be used, ponder purchasing a<br />
local prepaid phone kit, complete<br />
with sim card charged with a<br />
specified amount of credit, from<br />
one of the three major mobile<br />
providers. credit can be recharged.<br />
in France, you pay nothing to receive<br />
domestic calls on your mobile phone;<br />
however, it is therefore much more<br />
expensive to call a mobile phone<br />
than a landline. mobile phone<br />
numbers always begin with 06.<br />
there are three major mobile<br />
phone providers in France:<br />
bouygues - tel. 08 10 63 01 00,<br />
www.bouygtel.com<br />
orange - tel. 08 00 83 08 00,<br />
www.orange.fr<br />
sFr - tel. 08 00 10 60 00,<br />
www.sfr.com<br />
internet aCCess<br />
privately operated internet cafés<br />
can be found just about everywhere,<br />
with rates between 3? and 5? per<br />
hour. many French post offices also<br />
have a card-operated cyberposte<br />
(see www.cyberposte.com, in<br />
French), and netanoo’s borne<br />
internet (www.netanoo.com,<br />
in French) is a joint operation of<br />
France telecom and orange that<br />
you can pay for using a normal<br />
télécarte. dial-up access from<br />
your own computer is possible<br />
through local access numbers<br />
of service providers like aol<br />
and earthlink, but also through<br />
short-term membership to local<br />
providers like Free (www.free.com)<br />
and wanadoo (www.wanadoo.<br />
fr, in French). wireless access<br />
is on the rise, and is available in<br />
many hotels, cafés, and even some<br />
mcdonald’s restaurants.<br />
the outdoors<br />
hiking & baCkpaCking<br />
enjoy more than 37,000 miles<br />
(60,000 km) of Grandes randonnées<br />
(grtm)—well marked trails dotted<br />
with hotels and inns—as well as<br />
more than 25,000 miles (40,000 km)<br />
of regional paths and about 47,000<br />
miles (75,000 km) of local paths. For<br />
additional information, contact the<br />
Fédération Française de randonnée<br />
pédestre at tel. 01 44 89 93 93,<br />
www.ffrandonnee.fr (in French).<br />
For a resource in english, try<br />
www.sentiersdefrance.com. good<br />
hiking maps are published by the<br />
institut géographique national<br />
(ign), the French government<br />
mapping agency, at www.ign.fr.<br />
golf<br />
contact the Fédération Française<br />
de golf at tel. 01 41 49 77 00,<br />
www.ffg.org (in French) or visit the<br />
golf section of us.franceguide.com<br />
under what to do.<br />
horsebaCk riding<br />
For horse-related activities,<br />
contact the Fédération Française<br />
d’equitation at tel. 01 58 17 58 17,<br />
www.ffe.com (in French) or the<br />
comité national de tourisme<br />
equestre at tel. 01 53 26 15 50.<br />
For a resource in english, try<br />
www.tourisme-equestre.fr.<br />
white-water aCtivities<br />
rafting, hydrospeed, canyoning,<br />
canoeing, and kayaking are favorite<br />
white-water activities in many<br />
regions. contact the Fédération<br />
Française de canoë-kayak:<br />
tel. 01 45 11 08 50, www.ffck.org<br />
(in French).<br />
national parks, reserves,<br />
and regional nature parks<br />
France and its overseas departments<br />
have 9 splendid national parks—<br />
cévennes, mercantour, vanoise,<br />
pyrénées, ecrins, port-cros,<br />
guadeloupe, guiana amazonian<br />
park, and réunion national park—<br />
as well as 147 reserves that offer<br />
opportunities to take walks and<br />
enjoy the flora and fauna. the<br />
44 regional nature parks sustain<br />
the beauty of fragile environments<br />
while accommodating visitors.<br />
For more information, visit the<br />
web sites of the French natural<br />
reserves and the Fédération des<br />
parcs naturels régionaux de France<br />
at www.reserves-naturelles.org and<br />
www.parcs-naturels-regionaux.tm.fr.<br />
eCo-tourism<br />
France has developed a healthy<br />
awareness of the need for tourism<br />
to adhere to and promote responsible<br />
and ethical practices. if you<br />
are in search of organizations,<br />
destinations, and lodges in France<br />
that espouse respect for the planet<br />
and its human and animal citizens,<br />
start by contacting the association<br />
Française d’ecotourisme at tel.<br />
05 61 23 22 59, www.ecotourisme.info<br />
and look at their interactive map<br />
of select locations in France—<br />
and around the world—at<br />
www.voyagespourlaplanete.com<br />
(in French).<br />
meetings &<br />
inCentive planning<br />
the meetings and incentive<br />
department of the French<br />
government tourist office provides<br />
complete advisory services for<br />
companies looking to organize<br />
conferences, conventions, seminars,<br />
exhibitions, incentives or product<br />
launches in France. the goal is to<br />
promote France as a destination<br />
for the corporate, association and<br />
incentive market and to support<br />
meeting and incentive planners in<br />
every way possible. the meetings<br />
and incentive web site has direct<br />
links to more than 150 French<br />
companies (members of the French<br />
convention bureau) specializing in<br />
business tourism.<br />
for more information<br />
meetings & incentive department<br />
French government tourist office<br />
825 third avenue, 29th Floor,<br />
new york, ny 10022<br />
tel. 212-745-0961, Fax 212-838-7855<br />
us.franceguide.com<br />
meetings.nyc@franceguide.com<br />
travel tips for the<br />
budget-ConsCious<br />
restaurants<br />
most restaurants have prix fixe<br />
menus that make meals considerably<br />
less expensive than ordering<br />
à la carte, especially at lunch.<br />
always look for a reasonably<br />
priced house wine, but check<br />
the cost—sometimes the house<br />
carafe or pichet (pitcher) is more<br />
expensive than wines on the<br />
regular wine list.<br />
general information<br />
also check the prices of bottled<br />
water (specify gazeuse or nongazeuse<br />
for sparkling or still water,<br />
respectively), aperitifs, coffee,<br />
cognacs and liqueurs before<br />
ordering. these extras may add<br />
up to more than the cost of the<br />
meal itself if you’re not careful.<br />
in cafés, if you are seated at a<br />
table, even soft drinks and bottled<br />
water may be expensive; prices<br />
are often lower when you stand<br />
at the counter.<br />
museum passes<br />
there are several enticing passes,<br />
including the paris museum pass<br />
(collections of 60 museums and<br />
monuments in paris and the<br />
surrounding region), the carte<br />
musée côte d’azur (access to<br />
more than 65 museums in the<br />
French riviera), the carte passemusées<br />
nice (all the nice city<br />
museums), loire valley châteaux<br />
pass clefs des temps (valid at<br />
10 monuments) and the lyon city<br />
card (for one to three days of<br />
travel and attractions in lyon). ask<br />
at the local tourist offices for more<br />
details.<br />
free ConCerts<br />
many churches and cathedrals in<br />
paris and throughout France offer<br />
free concerts, especially in the<br />
summer. in paris, free organ<br />
recitals are given at notre-dame,<br />
st eustache, st-merri, and eglise<br />
de la madeleine on sundays.<br />
check with local tourist offices<br />
for more information.<br />
For information on individual regions and cities throughout France<br />
and links to their local tourism offices, visit us.franceguide.com<br />
and click on discover France. there you’ll be able to view<br />
information on France categorized by both region and city.<br />
french government tourist office www.franceguide.com/us<br />
martinique promotion bureau www.martinique.org<br />
Customs www.ambafrance-us.org<br />
french embassy in the united states www.ambafrance-us.org<br />
french embassy in Canada www.ambafrance-ca.org<br />
french ministry of Culture www.culture.fr<br />
french phone directory www.pagesjaunes.fr
emergenCy phone numbers<br />
throughout franCe<br />
medical emergencies and samu<br />
(24-hour ambulance) ...............15<br />
police ............................17<br />
fire department and<br />
other emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18<br />
in paris<br />
sos médecins<br />
(24-hour medical house calls)<br />
national tel. 36 24 (0.12€/min.)<br />
sos dentaire (dentist)<br />
8:00 to 11:00 p.m.<br />
tel. 01 43 37 51 00<br />
sos help (in english)<br />
3:00 to 11:00 p.m.<br />
tel. 01 46 21 46 46<br />
www.soshelpline.org<br />
physiCally Challenged<br />
pharmacie anglo-américaine<br />
37, av. marceau, 16th<br />
tel. 01 47 20 57 37<br />
american hospital in paris<br />
63, boulevard victor-hugo, neuilly<br />
tel. 01 46 41 25 25<br />
british/american pharmacy<br />
1, rue auber, 9th<br />
tel. 01 42 65 88 29<br />
24/7 pharmacy<br />
84, av. des champs-elysées, 8th<br />
tel. 01 45 62 02 41<br />
in France, special consideration is given to people with restricted mobility and<br />
wheelchairs. this thoughtfulness is observed in many public spaces and in such<br />
adaptations as special access ramps, elevators, toilets, parking spaces, and<br />
phone booths. to learn more about this and the tourism et handicap label,<br />
visit www.tourisme-handicaps.org (in French). For information in english,<br />
go to us.franceguide.com/what-to-do and click on special needs.<br />
Travel is more than just A to B,<br />
Travel should take you to your passion.<br />
Our 463 rooms, each one as elegant as the next, have furniture, colours and materials inspired by the great artists<br />
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51- 57 rue de Courcelles 75008 Paris - E-mail : info_adt@hilton.com<br />
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96<br />
California<br />
aimee’s, 800 s. pacific coast hwy., redondo beach, ca 90277<br />
bernard’o restaurant, 12457 rancho bernardo rd., san diego, ca 92128<br />
blessac, 1788 e. 46th st., los angeles, ca 90058<br />
Cavaillon restaurant, 14701 via bettona, suite 200, san diego, ca 92127<br />
C’est la vie, 373 s. coast hwy., laguna beach, ca 92651<br />
Cote sud, 4238 18th st., san Francisco, ca 94114<br />
la bastide, 10006 scripps ranch blvd., san diego, ca 92131<br />
la frite Cafe, 22616 ventura blvd., woodland hills, ca 91364<br />
la frite provencale, 2310 e.t.o blvd., thousand oaks, ca 91362<br />
le Chêne, 12625 sierra way, saugus, ca 91350<br />
maitre d’restaurant, 5523 la Jolla blvd., la Jolla, ca 92037<br />
pascal restaurant, 1000 bristol st., newport beach, ca 92660<br />
st James hall french gourmet, 960 turquoise st., san diego, ca 92109<br />
st-tropez bakery & bistro, 3805 Fifth ave., san diego, ca 92103<br />
Colorado<br />
Cafe aimee, 1614 miner st., idaho springs, co 80452<br />
l’absinthe, 1800 broadway, suite 150, boulder, co 80302<br />
le Central affordable french restaurant, 112 e 8th ave., denver, co 80203<br />
mateo, 1837 pearl st., boulder, co 80302<br />
florida<br />
bay Cafe, 233 alconese ave., Fort walton beach, Fl 32548<br />
bistro bisou, 9519 s. dixie hwy., miami, Fl 33156<br />
Cafe de paris, 715 e. las olas blvd., Fort lauderdale, Fl 33301<br />
Chez vincent, 533 w. new england ave., winter park, Fl 32789<br />
fresco California bistro, 1744 sw 3rd ave., miami beverly hills, Fl 33129-1415<br />
gazebo restaurant, 4199 Federal hwy., boca raton, Fl 33431<br />
l’anjou, 717 lake ave., lake worth, Fl 33460<br />
la parisienne, 60 hypolita st., st. augustine, Fl 32084<br />
illinois<br />
barrington Country bistro, 700 w. northwest hwy., barrington, il 60010<br />
brasserie Jo, 59 w. hubbard, chicago, il 60610<br />
Cafe bernard, 2100 n. halsten st., chicago, il 60614<br />
Cafe pyrenees, 701 milwaukee ave., vernon hills, il 60061<br />
Cafe matou, 1646 n. milwaukee ave., chicago, il 60647<br />
Chez Joel, 1119 w. taylor st., chicago, il 60607<br />
Cyrano’s bistrot, 546 n. wells st., chicago, il 60610<br />
d-J bistro, 466 s. rand rd., lake Zurich il 60047<br />
froggy french Cafe, 306 greenbay rd., highwood, il 60040<br />
Jacky’s bistro, 2545 prairie ave., evanston, il 60201<br />
la Creperie, 2845 n. clark st., chicago, il 60657<br />
la sardine, 111 n. carpenter st., chicago, il 60607<br />
les deux autres, 462 n. park blvd., glen ellyn,il 60137<br />
le titi de paris, 1015 w. dundee rd., arlington heights 60004<br />
le petit paris, 260 e. chestnutb st., chicago, il 60611<br />
niche, 14 s. third st., geneva, il 60134<br />
sofitel Chicago water tower, 20 e. chesnut st., chicago, il 60611<br />
saint viator high school, 1213 e. oakton, arlington heights, il 60004<br />
university of Chicago, 1116 e. 59th st., chicago, il 60637<br />
maryland<br />
Cafe de paris, 8808 centre park dr., columbia, md 21045<br />
Cafe normandie,185 main st., annapolis, md 21401<br />
la miche restaurant, 7905 norfolk ave., bethesda, md 20814<br />
les folies brasserie, 2552 riva rd., annapolis, md 21401<br />
new york<br />
Cafe des artistes, 33 w. 67th st., new york, ny 10023<br />
Cafe loup, 105 w. 13th st., new york, ny 10011<br />
escoffier restaurant, 1946 campus dr., hyde park, ny 12538<br />
fada bar Cafe resto, 530 driggs ave., brooklyn, ny 11211<br />
french roast, 78 w 11th st., new york, ny 10011-8630<br />
www.franceguide.com<br />
look For Franceguide at these select locations:<br />
Jolie restaurant, 320 atlantic ave., brooklyn, new york, ny 11201<br />
la bonne soupe, 48 w. 55th street, new york, ny 10019<br />
la mediterranee, 947 second ave., new york, ny 10022<br />
le gamin, 132 w. houston st., new york, ny 10014<br />
l’express, 249 s. park ave., new york, ny 10024<br />
l’orange bleue, 430 broome st., new york, ny 10013<br />
madison bistro, 238 madison ave., new york, ny 10016<br />
montparnasse, 230 e. 51st st., new york, ny 10022<br />
park bistro, 414 s. park ave., new york, ny 10016<br />
patois, 255 smith st., brooklyn, ny 11231<br />
pigalle, 790 8th ave., new york, ny 10036<br />
provence en boite, 236 smith st., brooklyn, ny 112131<br />
rouge french bistro, 10702 70th rd., Flushing, ny 11375<br />
tout va bien, 311 w. 51st st., new york, ny 10019<br />
the wine messenger, 371 north ave., new rochelle, ny 10801<br />
texas<br />
bistro le Chef, 11112 westheimer, houston, tx 77042<br />
bistro louise, 2900 south hulen, Fort worth, tx 76109<br />
la madeleine, 3072 mockingbird ln., dallas, tx 75205<br />
lavendou restaurant, 19009 preston rd., suite 200, dallas, tx 75252<br />
le rendez-vous, 5934 royal lame, suite 120, dallas, tx 75230<br />
saint emilion restaurant, 3617 w. seventh st., Fort worth, tx 76107<br />
alberta<br />
belgo brasserie, 501 - 8th ave. sw, calgary, ab t2p 1g1, 403-265-6555<br />
la bohème restaurant - b & b, 6427-112 ave., edmonton, ab t5w 0n9, 780-474-5693<br />
normand’s, 11639a Jasper ave., edmonton, ab t5k 0m9, 780-482-2600<br />
rouge, 1240 - 8th ave. se, calgary, ab t2g 0m7, 403-531-2767<br />
saint germain, 115 - 12 ave. sw, calgary, ab t2r 0g8, 403-290-1322<br />
the Creperie, 111, 10220 103 st. nw, edmonton, ab t5J 0y8, 780-420-6656<br />
british Columbia<br />
Cassis bistro, 420 w. pender st., vancouver, bc v6b 1t5, 604-605-0420<br />
le Crocodile, 100-909 burrard st., vancouver, bc v6Z 2n2, 604-669-4298<br />
pastis bistro, 2153 w. 4th ave., vancouver, bc v6k 1n7, 604-731-5020<br />
provence mediterranean grill, 100-4473 w. 10th ave., vancouver, bc v6r 2h8, 604-681-4144<br />
ontario<br />
arlequin, 134 avenue rd., toronto, on m5r 2h6, 416-964-8686<br />
batifole, 744 gerrard st. e., toronto, on m4m 1y3, 416-462-9965<br />
bb33 bistro + brasserie, 33 gerrard st. w., toronto, on m5g 1Z4, 416-585-4319<br />
biff’s, 4 Front st. e., toronto, on m5e 1g4, 416-860-0086<br />
Chartreuse restaurant, 10512 islington ave., kleinburg, on l0J 1c0, 905-893-0475<br />
gamelle, 468 college st., toronto, on m6g 1a1, 416-923-6254<br />
le montmartre, 911 sheppard ave. w., north york, on m3h 2t7, 416-630-3804<br />
le paradis, 166 bedford rd., toronto, on m5r 2k9, 416-921-0995<br />
la petite france, 3317 bloor street w., etobicoke, on m8x 1e7, 416-234-8783<br />
le saint tropez, 315 king w., toronto, on m5v 1J5, 416-591-3600<br />
le trou normand, 90 yorkville ave., toronto, on m5r 1b9, 416-967-5956<br />
matignon, 51 saint nicholas st., toronto, on m4y 1w6, 416-921-9226<br />
michelle’s brasserie, 162 cumberland st., toronto, on m5r 3n5, 416-944-1504<br />
midi bistro, 168 mccaul st., toronto, on m5t 1w4, 416-977-2929<br />
provence délices, 12 amelia st., toronto, on m4x 1e1, 416-924-9901<br />
restaurant nice bistro, 117 brock st. n., whitby, on l1n 4h3, 905-668-8839<br />
for a more complete list of partner locations, visit www.franceguidemagazine.com.<br />
for addresses in Canada, go to http://ca-en.franceguide.com, then click on publications.<br />
if you wish to become a distributor of franceguide, please write to<br />
publication.nyc@franceguide.com.
Paul Gauguin<br />
Fun<br />
www.martinique.org<br />
Rain Forest<br />
The Sweet Life Comfort Flowers<br />
Pristine Beaches<br />
Ti-Punch<br />
Creole Cuisine<br />
Cette publicité est cofinancée par l’Union Européenne.<br />
L’Europe s’engage en Martinique avec le Fonds européen<br />
de développement régional.<br />
Saint-Pierre, the little Pompeii<br />
For information and free brochures on Martinique, please send your request to<br />
info@martinique.org or visit: www.martinique.org
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