Love at First Sight: Paris
_ By the time I’d asked the bus driver how much the fare was to Pont de Rungis… * Excusez-moi, monsieur. Combien?* _ …and bought two RER C tickets to the 7th arrondissement… * Bonjour madam! Champ de Mars, deux billet. _ …I felt like my entire supply of French had run out. For months I […]
The Frioul Islands
The Frioul archipelago is a group of islands off the coast of Marseille. It includes the island of If, which is where the Chateau d’If of The Count of Monte Cristo fame is located. Ferries to the islands leave from Marseille‘s Vieux Port at regular intervals. Attracted by a sign in the ferry ticket office […]
Marseille
Inspiration from the Provence episode of No Reservations–where Anthony Bourdain played pétanque, toured vineyards, and dipped summer vegetables in homemade aioli–led us to Marseille, France’s second city and the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
3 Things That Will Surprise You About Paris
* * 1. The French are nice. * Parisians in particular have a reputation for being aloof and snobbish, and as tourists from a third-world country, we were prepared to be ignored or looked down on. Surprisingly, none of the French people we met were even remotely rude. Hotel receptionists were friendly and helpful. An […]