We have put together some ideas on what to experience either before you leave or while you visit this beautiful and enchanting country. From literature to cuisine, accommodations to historical attractions, or simply souvenirs, you will find it here. Simply click on a tab above to read more about the topic.
Notre-Dame and the Roman Catacombs
Notre-Dame is a masterpiece of gothic architecture. Imagined by Maurice de Sully, the cathedral was built between the 12th and the 14th centuries (1163-1345). The cathedral remained relatively unchanged until the French Revolution. Today, you can gaze upon the glorious building from the Place du Parvis. The 387-step climb to the top of the towers allows you to see an amazing view of the city as well as the statuesque gargoyles.
Roman catacombs below the Cathedrale of Notre Dame add an unusual touch to this world-renowned cathedral. An eerie reminder of days gone by, these catacombs put the reality into one of France's most incredible monuments.
Notre-Dame is a masterpiece of gothic architecture. Imagined by Maurice de Sully, the cathedral was built between the 12th and the 14th centuries (1163-1345). The cathedral remained relatively unchanged until the French Revolution. Today, you can gaze upon the glorious building from the Place du Parvis. The 387-step climb to the top of the towers allows you to see an amazing view of the city as well as the statuesque gargoyles.
Roman catacombs below the Cathedrale of Notre Dame add an unusual touch to this world-renowned cathedral. An eerie reminder of days gone by, these catacombs put the reality into one of France's most incredible monuments.
Royal Mirabeau Hotel
Surrounded by four 18-hole golf courses and overlooking St. Victoire Mountain, this first-class hotel offers comfortable accommodations for a relaxing holiday or business trip. It is ideally situated for visitors to the area and has a welcoming atmosphere with friendly and hospitable service. The hotel has excellent facilities as well as comfortable guest rooms and public areas.
Surrounded by four 18-hole golf courses and overlooking St. Victoire Mountain, this first-class hotel offers comfortable accommodations for a relaxing holiday or business trip. It is ideally situated for visitors to the area and has a welcoming atmosphere with friendly and hospitable service. The hotel has excellent facilities as well as comfortable guest rooms and public areas.
The haute cuisine of France is known around the world as the standard against which all other cuisines are measured. Nouvelle Cuisine became popular in the 1970s, which featured the rich cooking of classic French cuisine. Combining crisply cooked vegetables and fruit-based sauces as opposed to flour and cream sauces, there is something to satisfy just about every palate.
Beef Bourguignon is a tasty dish from the Burgundy region. The Provence region is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, and Provencal specialties feature the fresh seafood of the area. Try the dish choucroute (sauerkraut, pork and potatoes) which originates from the Alsace region. The many restaurants of Paris promise a variety of cooking styles and tastes.
Beef Bourguignon is a tasty dish from the Burgundy region. The Provence region is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, and Provencal specialties feature the fresh seafood of the area. Try the dish choucroute (sauerkraut, pork and potatoes) which originates from the Alsace region. The many restaurants of Paris promise a variety of cooking styles and tastes.
The Eiffel Tower symbolizes all that is grand and magical about Paris. It is a symbol of dignity, of beauty, of fine architecture, and most of all a symbol of romance. A snow globe of the Eiffel Tower is the perfect way to bring Paris home with you. A subtle reminder of all that is beautiful, what better way to bring home France than a year-round reminder of Paris in the winter.
Peter Mayle may have spent a year in Provence, but Harriet Welty Rochefort writes from the wise perspective of one who has spent more than twenty years living among the French. From a small town in Iowa to the City of Light, Harriet has done what so many dream of one day doing - she picked up and moved to France. But it has not been twenty years of fun and games; Harriet has endured her share of cultural bumps, bruises, and psychic adjustments along the way. In French Toast, she shares her hard-earned wisdom and does as much as one woman can to demystify the French. She makes sense of their ever-so-French thoughts on food, money, sex, love, marriage, manners, schools, style, and much more. She investigates such delicate matters as how to eat asparagus, how to approach Parisian women, how to speak to merchants, how to drive, and most important, how to make a seven-course meal in a silk blouse without an apron! Harriet's first-person account offers both a helpful reality check and a lot of very funny moments.
