I always find crossing things off my ‘things to do before I die’ list extremely satisfying. I’ve had this list, annually reviewed and updated, since I was in my teens. Little did I know that on a recent driving holiday through France I would have this chance. While planning our next move during our stint…
The newest member of the World’s Leading Hotels opened in Paris today at the fashionable address of the Champs-Elysees and Avenue George V. The Hôtel Fouquet’s Barrière offers all the best in fashion, luxury and culture that is so integral to living in Paris. There are 40 suites among its 107 rooms, with many amenities…
Sometimes, when you’re on the road, your life can be threatened in ways you never imagined. More of my scariest travel moments: • Risking death by hitchhiking in Dunkirk, France: Landing in France at 1am after crossing the English Channel on a delayed ferry, my brother, two friends and I were picked up by an…
In France, smoking is as intrinsic to the culture as wearing berets, drinking red wine, and eating gastronic delights. Even when I was in Paris recently, the smoke in the restaurants was incessant, but accepted. Other countries in Europe have already banned smoking in all public places. Now, a French parliamentary committee has approved a…
This was my third visit to the Louvre. I remember the first time I got busted by a security guard for snapping a photo of The Mona Lisa. That was years ago, and on this most recent visit, Ms. Mona had relocated to her own space in the Salle des Etats. The lines to see…
In Spring of 2006, travel journalist Sue Frause spent three weeks in Europe. Her travels took her to Paris, Brugge, Hamburg, Berlin and Dusseldorf. Over the next few months she’ll be sharing her thoughts and photographs about the people and places she met along the way… PARIS — Although I’m a travel writer, I seldom…
The French are fanatics for drip coffee, champagne, croissants, chocolate, fine cuisine, sidewalk cafes,… and blogging. According to a story today by Thomas Crampton in the New York Times, “Les Blogs Herald France’s Newest Inalienable Right,” Comscore reports that 60% of French Internet users visited a blog in May, ahead of Britain with 40% and…
If you’ve ever craned your neck skyward to view the Eiffel Tower (in France, not that fake one in Vegas), the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, or any of the other famous sites in Paris, then today’s storybook ending for American Floyd Landis to the Le Tour de France is even more poignant. I was…
From Anne at Papilles et Pupilles – mon httpblog, the 6th edition of “Bordeaux fete le vin” (Bordeaux Celebrates Wine) was held last month at the biggest festival in Europe, the “Place des Quinconces,” and on Garonne’s piers in downtown Bordeaux. This festival takes place every other year, alternating with the river festival. “Bordeaux fête…
Today is Bastille Day to Francophiles everywhere. You can watch the Tour de France on TV. Or here in San Francisco, you can celebrate in a variety of ways: • Join thousands of revelers at Plouf and the other international restaurants lining the city’s newly named “French Quarter” on Belden Alley, between Bush & Pine…
Imagine a French vintner from Bordeaux trying to turn a rocky field he called “totally no man’s land” into a winery. Now, imagine that this patch of dirt was subject to harsh winters of -20 degrees Celsius, was within sight of the Great Wall of China, and was about 70 kilometers northwest of Beijing. That…
About 10 years ago, my wife and I were vacationing in Christchurch, New Zealand. Full of lamb and tired of seafood, we happened upon a Mexican restaurant. To our surprise, it was fantastic, from the margaritas to the guacamole to the burritos. Turns out the chef had spent time in LA and learned from local…