It’s that time of year again. If you happen to be lucky enough to be in France between now (June 28) and six weeks from now, be sure to take full advantage of the fabulous sales! Only occuring twice a year, you can save anywhere from 30 - 75 % on just about everything, just about everywhere. The next sales period won’t be until January, so have fun!

The French are country line dancing? In Paris? So says Fox News. Now, anything on Fox News needs an asterix or a warning label next to it, because you never know if it is real or “faux”. But this time they have video. Of what? Of Parisian country line dancers, hats, boots, the whole nine yards.

They say it is taking Parisians by storm, and that it is influenced by Euro Disney. I have many -a - Parisian friend and they have not heard of this wave of country line dancing converting formerly sophisticated Parisians into “des cow-boys”, but …well….check out the video….c’est fou!

So, George W is in Paris? Big deal…the French are not exactly enamored with W, they are moving on…and they have moved on to “OBAMA”. They love him, love him, love him. Poor George can’t get any respect in his last whirlwind tour of this beautiful country taht he and his henchmen onced demonized with their “freedom fries”, references to “Old Europe” and whatnot. No, to the French, Obama is the man, and not only the man, the President if they could possibly have any say.

There was a great OpEd piece in today’s New York Times talking about the French point of view when it comes to George W vs. Obama. It’s a fun read and helps you understand their way of thinking!

If you live in a francophone country, or love keeping up with the most popular French music, the answer is probably “YES”. He has taken the music world by storm in France, he’s cute, soft spoken and pretty modest for a guy whose name alone elicits squeals of excitement from females of all ages.
Want to see what the fuss is all about? Here is an interview that was posted on CNN’s Web site.

Leave it to the French to have an organization devoted strictly to the promotion of the bicycle: La Comité de la Promotion du Vélo. I love the organizations in France that are all about the love of life, leisure and the pursuit of happiness. I want to join each one, especially those devoted to wine where you get to wear a costume and drink copious amounts of vin rouge…but that is another story.

So what is this Comité promoting, anyway? La Fete du Vélo!! If you are in France the weekend of June 7, look for the vélos! Vélos here, vélos there, vélos everywhere. More than 400 French cities will take part in this vélo-a-thon , with more than a million participants, all over France. What will you see? Everything from bike safety stands to bike rides in the city and country, races, lessons in dirt biking, games, competitions, etc. You name it, if it has to do with biking, you will see it this weekend.

In Paris, a meeting place for bike tours and other “velo info” will be located outside the Luxembourg Gardens. Roulez bien!!

Yves St. Laurent has died at 71, leaving Paris one fabulous designer short…

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I tire of hearing about the same old neighborhoods in Paris: St. Germain des Pres, Latin Quarter, Rue Cler, you get what I mean. They are beautiful, but they are so well known it’s almost hard to find a surprise or something new and unusual about them.

This is why I so appreciated this morning’s Frugal Traveler report from Paris in the New York Times. He tells of his adventures renting a charming apartment in the very “unknown-by-tourists” (and even locals) 10th arrondissement, and of the possibilities that abound in that neighborhood. Dining, shopping, ethnic restaurants, clubs, markets, you can find it all in this area of Paris. I marked down some of his addresses for future reference.

Only problem, with this kind of attention it very well could become the newest, chicest, hippest place to go…. But until then, check out his article from today’s NYT.

If you’re a true tennis fan, you don’t want to miss this famous tennis tournament played every end of May/ beginning of June in the Bois de Boulogne. The French Open, as we call it, is one of the “Grand Schelem” tennis tournaments. “Grand Slam” that is. Around since 1891 and played on a clay court, it has become one of the most talked about sporting events of the year.

You can find information about tickets, how to get there, the players and more at the Roland Garros Web site

This exhibit is dedicated to France’s most famous queen, Marie Antoinette. It promises to offer incredible insight to what made Marie Antoinette such a strong and complex personality. The exhibit includes 300 works from all over Europe.

If you are a true M-A fanatic, I recommend reading both “Marie Antoinette” by Antonia Fraser, as well as “Abundance” by Sena Jeter Naslund. Each gives a great perspective of the myths and realities of Marie-Antoinette’s life. They are great reads before visiting Versailles and the Conciergerie, for instance, and they would probably help make great sense of this exhibit at the Grand Palais as well.

Grand Palais
Metro :
Champs Elysées Clemenceau
www.grandpalais.fr

Parc Asterix is a French amusement park located in the suburbs of Paris. Asterix, the lovable Gaul warrior (think 50 B.C.), and his friend Obelix have been beloved comic book characters in France since the 50s. They have taught countless French children about the history of France in an incredibly fun and unique way. Asterix and Obelix’s amusement park is another way to teach children (and you!) a bit of history while having a blast at the amusement park.

Parc Asterix features all the traditional amusement park rides for big and small, plus restaurants, shopping, and even on on-site hotel. In my opinion, if you want to go to a theme park in Paris, it makes best sense to go to one that is purely French in nature and in tradition. Do something you can’t do at home!

Open every day from April 5 - August 31
After September 3, oopen Wednesdays and Weekends through October 31
Hours: High season (July/ August) from 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m., other days from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tickets:
1 day: 12 and older — 37 euros
3 - 11 — 27 euros
Reduced rates for seniors, large families and the handicapped

RER: Take RER B3 from Paris to Roissy CDG 1. Take the Parc Asterix shuttle at platform A3.
Cars Air France: Take the Air France bus to CDG 1. Line 2 leaves from Place Charles de Gaulle Etoile or Porte Maillot. Line 4 leaves from Montparnasse or Gare de Lyon. At the airport (CDG 1), take the shuttle bus at Platform A3.