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Travel France - by Melinda

Paris - Travel France

And to close...Paris on the cheap

September 22nd 2006 22:31

Bonjour tout le monde!

L'Arc de Triomphe by day (this picture is licensed under the GNU Agreement and can be found at wikipedia.org)

Well guys, I’m very sad to say that this is my last post on TravelFrance. But to go out with a bang I’m going to give you some information about going to Paris on the cheap. Being one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is also one of the most expensive!!!

Accommodation is probably the most expensive thing. Unfortunately, I don’t have tips except to check out the youth hostels.

Shopping. Do your research thoroughly because there are often local markets held in Paris.

Going Out. There is a local gig guide which comes out every week. It’s written in French (obviously) but it’s still informative!!

Museums etc. If you’re a history buff, every Wednesday most museums let students and pensioners in for free. Definitely worth a look!!

The best research for travel on the web, though it may sound weird, is from Wikipedia. The information’s not spectacular, but it has several links for mot countries to their official sites. On the other hand, Lonely Planet is a great resource!!

How beautiful is this?! The Eiffel Tower at sunrise (this picture was taken by Tristan Nitot. It is licensed under the GNU Agreement and can be found at wikipedia.org)

Paris is an expensive city, but so is a lot of France when you think about it. But to me, it is a must see destination in the world. Thanks so much for reading my blog over the past 6 months. I’ve had a heap of fun. Check out the other posts on this blog: I'd like to think there's some useful information in them.

Just looking at that gorgeous picture makes you want to be there!!!
Best wishes and I hope you get to France one day.
Au Revoir
Melinda

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Le Lido WANTS YOU!!!

September 22nd 2006 22:21

Bonjour tout le monde!

Remember way back in March how I reviewed Le Moulin Rouge? In that article, I mentioned another cabaret place called Le Lido.

Well…Guess what? Great news!!!! Dancers are needed for Le Lido in Paris and they want Aussies!!!!

It seemed a little weird to me that breakfast television this morning kept talking about a cabaret show in Paris. Intrigued, I watched the report (Sucked in by advertising I know…) and found out a little bit more…

Le Lido is a cabaret theatre on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. It doesn’t have as grand a reputation as Le Moulin Rouge, but apparently it still puts on a great show!!!

So, if you think this is you, check out the official website and apply. A great way to work and see France I suppose!!!!

See you soon
À bientôt
Melinda

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The Da Vinci Tour Part 2

May 18th 2006 23:00

Bonjour tout le monde !
(Hello everyone)

Well, today’s post continues on from yesterday, highlighting more of the famous sites around Paris which feature in the Da Vinci Code. I’m sure many people around the world are sick of hearing about the book and the film (which got panned by many critics in Cannes and Australia.)

So, let’s get straight into the facts. There are seven other places in and around Paris which appear in the novel. These places have risen out of obscurity and have become spots for pilgrims and tourists.

Our first stop: the Ritz Hotel in Paris, where Robert Langdon received the infamous phone call, summoning him to the Louvre. The Ritz used to be a personal residence in the 18th century. In 1898, César Ritz opened the hotel which has 133 rooms and 42 luxurious suites. It’s incredibly opulent and extravagant.

After their meeting at the Louvre, Robert and Sophie drive through the Bois de Boulogne. The English translation is Boulogne Woods (Bois means woods, but I think it sounds much better in French). It is a beautiful wood found on the western edge of Paris. This park dates back to the 19th century and is still a great place to relax and unwind for Parisians. It is often called the “lungs of Paris” because of its close proximity to the city centre. Robert and Sophie missed out when they drove through, so don’t make the same mistake. One warning though: stay away from the park at night. It turns into a red light district when the sun goes down…

Another “must-see” for Da Vinci fans is the Church of Saint Sulpice. This is the place where Silas, the albino monk, (how can Paul Bettany be evil??!!) discovers a vital clue under the obelisk on the Rose Line. The Rose Line was initially the zero longitude line. Worth a look for fans of the novel. Its real name is the Paris Meridian.

Robert and Sophie flee from the French police by hailing a taxi. Unfortunately, in real life, hailing taxis is impossible. They sit in cab ranks around the city.

24 rue Haxo is the site of a 24 hour depository Zurich bank. Dan Brown has used his imagination and poetic license here. The street and number are both real, but unfortunately all you’ll find is a dilapidated old building.

A short drive out of Paris you will find Château Villette. In the novel, it is the home of a millionaire historian who is an expert on the Holy Grail. The barn’s loft where a dramatic scene unfolds, is apparently exactly like the novel. Parts of the movie were actually filmed here. It’s possible to book package deals to stay here or you can rent the entire estate out for a few nights for a tidy sum of money (if that’s your style.) For more information try www.frenchvacation.com/villette or the official site at www.chateau-de-villette.fr/

Chateau Villette (from www.frenchvacation.com/villette)

There is only one other site worth visiting and is the Gare Saint Lazare, where Sophie and Robert buy a train ticket to Lille. Unfortunately from this station, you can’t get to Lille. I’m sure this made quite a few Parisians laugh. (This detail has been corrected in the French version of the novel…)

And it is on this note that I now say with a heavy heart “Au Revoir” to gay Paris. Next week, we’ll be moving on and I get to share with you, some more exciting places to travel in France!!

See you Monday
À lundi
Melinda

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The Da Vinci Code Tour Part 1: the Louvre

May 17th 2006 23:00

Bonjour tout le monde!
(Hello everyone)

Well, today is the day, which has been anticipated by millions around the world. About 40 million copies of the book have been sold globally and a film, starring veteran actor Tom Hanks and France’s brightest young starlet Audrey Tautou (who you may recognise in my ID photo) is being released today.

Da Vinci Code hype is engulfing the world: millions are re-reading the book for the hundredth time, movie cinemas are full, Dan Brown has become a millionaire, churches around the world are up in arms and the whole thing may have been plagiarised. (However, this has now been disproved by the courts.) All of this over a piece of fiction: a figment of the imagination, which claims that it’s true [The film’s catch-cry “Discover the truth” and the facts listed and the beginning of the novel.]

You may be able to detect a slight hint of sarcasm in my tone as I write this post. I am a Da Vinci cynic: I have so far refused to buy into the hype. To the disgrace and utter shame of some of my friends, I have not read the Da Vinci Code and I pride myself on that fact. (BTW, there was a great article in the Heckler column of yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald [17/5/06], which dealt with this. The online version can be found by clicking here.)
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what the Da Vinci Code has to do with a travel blog. Well, tourism operators have decided to buy into the excitement, conducting tours of all the major sites in the novel. Cracking, Solving and Discovering the Da Vinci Code tours have popped up everywhere and have created a new market: Da Vinci Code tourism.

But, today, in honour of this much anticipated day, I am going to write about the place where it all began; the museum which houses the famous painting which inspired the contents of the novel and the art gallery where the infamous murder of its curator Jacques Saunière is found, murdered: le Musée du Louvre.

The Louvre and Glass Pyramid (from wikipedia.org)

The Louvre is perhaps the world’s best art gallery and museum, but too many people it can be quite daunting so they choose to go to smaller galleries. But it is in fact a “must-see” in Paris. It was built in the early 13th century as a fortress to protect Paris from the Normans and the English.

It was first used as a public museum in 1793 with around 2500 paintings. À nos jours, (nowadays) the gallery holds around 30 000 paintings. The Louvre has 7 different departments, which hold its cultural treasures: Oriental Antiques, Egyptian Antiques, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiques, Paintings, Sculptures and Art Objects from the Middle Ages to 1850. This large variety is sure to please at least one interest.

Many famous paintings from renowned artists grace the walls of the Louvre. Its most well-known resident is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (or La Joconde as it’s known in French.) Apparently, the Mona Lisa is in a tiny wing of the gallery and is actually very small. There is always a huge crowd around it, so make sure you check out the other artworks in the gallery. A recommendation from a friend: see the Venus de Milo. It’s apparently very cool.

The Mona Lisa (from the Louvre on wikipedia.org)

The Louvre has undergone many renovations over its lifetime. The Grand Louvre Project was only completed in 1997. Its most famous addition, the Giant Glass Pyramid, was completed in 1989 as an extra access into the gallery. It was designed by I.M. Pei and was initially unpopular with many Parisians. This is the Pyramid through which our hero Robert Langdon was escorted, down the spiral staircase and into the Grand Gallery to find the body of the curator. According to Dan Brown, there are 666 glass tiles on the pyramid. (Ooooooo. Scary!) Unfortunately, this is the first mistake in the novel: there are 698 tiles on the pyramid, according to the Louvre.

I have heard from my sources that the Louvre actually holds special night time Da Vinci Code Tours. I do not know any more information about this, but if anyone wants to know more, leave a comment and I’ll look it up for you. = )

The Louvre is open:
Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00am-6:00pm.
Wednesdays and Fridays: 9:00am-9:45pm.
It is closed on Tuesdays and some public holidays. One tip I have been given: there are usually huge queues at the top, near the Glass Pyramid to buy tickets. To avoid these queues, try ordering tickets online or entering via the underground entrance.
For more info go to the Louvre’s official site at http://www.louvre.fr

Hope this satisfies your Da Vinci needs for today. Tune in tomorrow when I bring you the second half of the Da Vinci Code Tour and all the other attractions around Paris.

See you tomorrow
À demain
Melinda

P.S Thanks to Channel Nine’s Getaway program for airing a Da Vinci special last Thursday 11th May. Some of the information on this blog (and tomorrow's as well) came from that program and the original transcripts can be found here and here.

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