Paris--When it Sizzles

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Paris--When it Sizzles

It’s summertime in Paris. Parisians are out, enjoying the freedom and the fun. Paris is a summertime kind of city. Markets are brimming with dazzling fruits and vegetables. Fish and fowl are plentiful. Cheese and wine are on the menu. People are soaking up the rays. Kids are playing in the sunshine. And a stroll—or a kiss—by the Seine anytime day or night is sublime.

Tourists of course flock to Paris in the summer. But what are Parisians doing? Here’s a look.

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French Love: “I’ll be a poet, and you’ll be poetry.”

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French Love: “I’ll be a poet, and you’ll be poetry.”

Passion and romance are inextricably linked in the French concept of amour. It is everywhere in France. And when I’ve been wandering around Paris alone, I even get a few appreciative glances myself (just like the woman behind me; French men are equal-opportunity flirts)!

French men ARE flirtatious. But to the French, it’s all in good fun.

Sex without romance would be considered gauche. But sometimes the French have a unique way of conducting “flirtation.”

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Wine Tasting Bordeaux Style, Part Two

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Wine Tasting Bordeaux Style, Part Two

Bordeaux Wine tasting in Southwestern France and surrounding areas is plentiful. And you will have your choice of low cost large group bus tours, small group guided tours, or intimate (and relatively expensive) private tours. We like to try several wine tasting venues when visiting an area, but our favorite is one or two personalized tours of high-end estates. These are two of our Bordeaux favorites: Château Kirwan and Château Pontet-Canet.

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Wine Tasting Bordeaux Style, Part One

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Wine Tasting Bordeaux Style, Part One

When I first made my way to Bordeaux in Southwestern France, I drove in from Barcelona, Spain. I sped west toward along the fantastic superhighway that stretches across southern France. My little Citroën soon entered the Bordeaux region via small roads cutting through the wine fields of Saint-Émilion.

Grapes!

I was enveloped immediately by ripe grape aromas and an earthy smell that hinted at dark soil, freshly mowed grass, and fermenting juices. As I passed by wine château (estates) and the local rivers that bring a palpable moistness to the area, it felt like ripe molecules were practically seeping into my pores. This is one of the most famous wine regions in the world to visit. And it does not disappoint, especially when you get to sample the liquid delights of a region that produces some of the most famous wines on the planet.

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Enchanting Bordeaux: The Paris of Southwestern France

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Enchanting Bordeaux: The Paris of Southwestern France

The lush Bordeaux region sits regally on the edge of the Atlantic in southwestern France. The city of Bordeaux (same name) has a rich history and an even richer present as the gateway to one of the most fabled wine regions of France.

This area, known as the Aquitaine. was a medieval political focal point as one of the largest regions of France helmed not by a king, but a powerful woman: Eleanor of Aquitaine. Bordeaux city served as her power seat when she married young Henry II. Soon the two reined over a French/English kingdom famed as much for courtly love, as cruelty and bloodshed (see The Lion in Winter movie, a real-life royal struggle that paved the way for the likes of Game of Thrones).

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Champagne: How to Add More Bubbles to Your Life→

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Champagne: How to Add More Bubbles to Your Life

Did you know the heart of bubbly France is less than two hours from Paris by train or car? Arrive at the airport in the morning and you could be sipping a glass of Taittinger champagne for lunch along with your lobster salad or brie en croute.

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