Blogs from Île-de-France, France, Europe - page 9

A Seine river cruise through France is ideal for art, history and wine lovers alike. The weather was a beautiful and our guide Florent kept us advised in all the sights along the banks of this famous river. The Seine is France’s third-longest river, extending 485 miles from Dijon to the English Channel & still supplies about half of the water used in Paris.Tourists are often confused about the terms "right bank" and "left bank". The system is very simple and was devised because the river's curvy nature often does make orientation difficult. The trick is to remember when you face DOWNRIVER the left bank is on your left and the right bank is on your right. We saw so many iconic sights on our boat trip. The Eiffel Tower - The 324-metre tower needs no ... read more

To honor the start of the Tour de France on Saturday, here is a silly little email I wrote back in 2013. I was just starting to get serious about cycling, bought a carbon fiber road bike, and decided cycling would be my main form of exercise. Fast forward to the 2021 race, the defending champion is a Slovenian, Tadej Pogacar (pronounced Po Ga Cha). He is only 22, weighs a mere 146 pounds, but proved to be the best in 2020. My personal favorite is the sprinter, Peter Sagan from Slovakia. You can see he is built for sprints, not the long haul. Perhaps I will attend one of these years? Or take a cycling trip on parts of the TDF route? I really meant "Tour de France", the world's most famous bicycle race. Now ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 30th January Montemarte - Paris The city of Paris is a mosaic of densely populated neighbourhoods, known as arrondissements, which spiral clockwise like a snail shell from the Left Bank and Right Bank of the River Seine right up to the périphérique that encircles the city. Each arrondissement has its own distinctive personality & today with its cobbled streets full of charm & perched on the top of a hill we are in the 18th arrondissement Montemarte! With Florent. Picasso arrived in Montmartre in 1900 & rented a studio but in 1904 (aged 23), he moved into the Bateau Lavoir. Pablo Picasso was soon joined there by the artist’s model Fernande Olivier. She became his muse and subject of many paintings of this period. The original Bateau Lavoir, nicknamed 'boat washhouse' after the building's boat-like ... read more

9th January On a grey frosty day here I have enjoyed a winter sunshine walk in Paris. Virtually of course. Florent was our guide today - We started on the Pont des Arts - a pedestrian bridge which crosses the River Seine, it links the Institute of France and the central square Louvre Palace. Couples have flocked to the bridge for several years to attach a lock with a message to represent their mutual love, often throwing the key into the river for good measure. In 2014 a large section of the Pont des Arts' steel veranda collapsed into the Seine through the weight of the locks. In 2015 workers armed with bolt cutters closed off the bridge & removed all of the locks - 60 tons ! As we walked beside the Seine with the ... read more

Saturday 14th November 2020 What a wonderful way to spend a wet dreary afternoon here in England - take a virtual trip to Paris and enjoy a walk around the iconic Eiffel Tower with local guide Patrick Herpe. The weather was fine as we started in the plaza, then crossed over the bridge to just below the tower as Parisians passed us by. So many interesting facts in just 30 minutes. Just a few I recall There are 10 other replicas around the world, including one in Las Vegas and one at the Window of the World theme park in Shenzhen, China. The names of engineers, scientists and mathematicians are engraved on the side of the tower, each of whom contributed to its construction. Repainting the tower, which happens every seven years, requires 60 tonnes of ... read more