The Paris Traveler

Today’s guest post is from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and travel blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
One of the most famous museums in the world is the Louvre, or more correctly the Musée du Louvre, and it was one of the items that was high on my Paris must-see list. It is located on the Right Bank (of the Seine) in the 1st arrondissement.
Originally a palace, the museum is now home to some of the most world-famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Aphrodite/Venus de Milo. It opened to the public in 1793, …read more

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Today’s guest post is from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and travel blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
Since a good portion of my time in Paris was spent visiting museums, the Paris Museum Pass was both a money saver and time saver.
With the pass, you get admission to a number of monuments and museums in and around Paris. Best of all — you don’t have to stand in those long lines — you get to bypass all those people and go straight to the front of the line. Temporary exhibits at the museums are usually excluded, though.
The pass …read more

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This is a guest post from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and blogger at Flyaway Cafe
 
Standing in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle (also called the Place de l’Étoile) at the western end of the Champs-Élyseés, the Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world. 
It honors those who bravely fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars.  ,  Beneath the arch is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I, marked by the very first eternal flame.  The flame burns in memory of those who died, but were …read more

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This is a guest post from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
 
 
 

Playing with photo editing software today – always a fun thing to do with travel photos.
I like making the Eiffel Tower even more artistic looking that it really is!
 
Photo credit:  personal collection
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There are so many parts of Paris that are sort of alluded to in guidebooks, but as a first time visitor, there just isn’t time to hit everything.  Being overwhelmed by all there is to see and do is understandable and expected.  The little journey I am going to send you on isn’t out of the way–it’s something that you might not know to do but can easily fit into your day.  The above photo is taken from Place de la Concorde looking down Rue Royale towards Place de la Madeleine which is where you might want to go today.

 La Madeleine’s history …read more

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In my quest to come up with the unusual that will entertain and bring all of us together in weird and wacky ways to Paris, I have found this very interesting connection between what has become an icon in contemporary culture, two architects and a museum in Paris.
Tinker Hatfield (I could not love that name more), a trained architect turned shoe designer, has been working for Nike since the mid-80’s. Originally hired to design arenas and showrooms for the company, he intuitively knew that for him shoe design was where it was at and switched gears.  He can be credited …read more

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 Do not pass Go, do not collect $100,  but immediately take yourself  to the following link and be treated to a remarkable visual tour of the beautifully refurbished Grand Palais.  It is an amazing 2 minutes of time well spent!  The new website is fantastic.  
Grandpalais.fr
Photo credit:  bratan@flickr 

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No, this isn’t some gruesome tale about an  ancient axe murder having taken  place in the streets of Paris.  Actually, it is a bit of history and I know it’s summer vacation and brains have been turned off but I think you are going to like this.  When you are in Paris, you can amaze those in your traveling party with this bit of information.  
The Axe Historique is a line of monuments that slices through the center of Paris, east to west.  It had its beginnings with the Champs Elysée, created in the 17th century.  It extended the the …read more

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 Bastille Day or “quatorze juillet”–July 14th, much like our Independence Day, is France’s most important national holiday.  It is celebrated in honor of the storming of the high security prison by the same name, Bastille, holding political prisoners whose views and subsequent writings angered the monarchy.  While the historic moment freed only 7 prisoners and destroyed the entire prison,  this event was viewed as a symbolic act of rebellion and solidarity and marked the beginning of the French Revolution.  
In modern times, the day begins with a military parade held along the Champs Elysée, led by the President, followed by …read more

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 I hold individuals that live life outside the box of what most people’s definition of “normal” might be in high regard.  Those mavericks who listen to their heart and are moved by what it tells them regardless of the judgement of others is a gift.  It may cause them great pain or great delight but they move to their inner voice and only when all is said and done will they be deemed genius or crazy!
Take Ferdinand Cheval.  A French postman, he tripped on a stone one day, admired its shape and started collecting them on his route.  First in …read more

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