Paris History - part 6

- 1940: Nazi Germany invades Paris and marches on the Champs-Elysées.
A four-year occupation begins. General Charles de Gaulle flees to London and leads a resistance movement from abroad, sending messages to resistants over British radio.
- 1942: The collaborationist Paris government helps organize the massive deportation of French Jews to Nazi concentration camps
first assembling them at the Velodrome d'Hiver near the Eiffel Tower.
- 1944: Paris is liberated by Allied forces.
The city narrowly escapes destruction by the Nazis when
an officer refuses to obey Hitler's orders.

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Paris History - part 5

- 1799: A revolutionary general named Napoleon Bonaparte stabilizes the unruly government.
He becomes Emperor in 1804.
His emperorship puts a hiatus on France's struggle toward a Republic-- this is well-symbolized by Napoleon's moving into the former royal seat of power at Versailles.
The Emperor's taste for power and conquest lead to the colonization of large swathes of North Africa. He is defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
-Mid-19th century: The Paris that still largely remains today is constructed by Baron Haussmann, under the direction of Napoleon III.
Wide boulevards and a sewer system replace most of the narrow, cramped medieval and Renaissance-era streets of the city.
-1870: Following a disastrous war with the Prussians, the third Republic
is declared, marking the beginning of democratic institutions in France.
The Belle Epoque opens, another artistically and culturally fertile time in Paris history. Art nouveau architecture and artistic movements like impressionism take the world by storm.
-1920's and 1930's: Paris is one of the world's most important hotbeds of experimentation in art and literature. Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso
and the "Lost Generation" of English-speaking writers like Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, James Baldwin, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound make Paris their home.

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Paris History - part 4

- 1643: At age 5, Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, becomes king of France. His reign introduces a period of major prosperity-- not to mention decadence. The King builds Versailles in 1623, displacing the center of power from the Palais Royal in central Paris to the countryside.

- 1774: Louis XVI ascends to the throne.
Known for his political and social ineptitude and his curious fixation with locks and clocks
he is married to Marie Antoinette, the adolescent daughter of powerful Austrian empress Maria Theresa.
- July 14, 1789: The Bastille prison in Paris is stormed and burned to rubble, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are widely accused of rampant
decadence and indifference to the plight of the people.
- 1792: Fall of the monarchy and declaration of the first French republic.
In 1793, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are guillotined.
- 1793-1799: The Revolutionary "reign of terror" leads to thousands of executions and general chaos, and Paris is the center of it.
Religion is banned and a new calendar is established.

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Paris History - part 3

- includes the Louvre begins, surrounding the medieval city.
- Late 14th century: Nearly half of Paris' population is annihilated
by plague, also known as the Black Death.
- 1449: Joan of Arc and French troops defeat the English
at Orléans, ending nearly a decade of Norman English control over France.
The English are eventually driven from France in 1453.
- Late 15th century: The Renaissance (literally, "rebirth") begins in Paris, turning the city into a flourishing center of art, science, and architecture.
Technological advances lead to the city's sprawl.
- Late 16th century: Bloody religious conflicts between Protestants
and Catholics lead to the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.
Over 3000 Protestant Huguenots perish in the massacre.

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Paris History - part 2

-Around 250 A.D.: Lutetia is christianized. The first churches are built.
- 4th-9th centuries: Frankish and Norman invasions.
Clovis I pronounces the kingdom of Gaul and renames Lutetia Paris.
-1163: Construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral begins.
It would take almost two centuries to complete the masterpiece of early gothic architecture.
- 12th and 13th century: Other important monuments and sites are built, including the Sorbonne and the Sainte-Chapelle cathedral.
The swamp (Marais) on the right bank of the Seine is drained and the city expands north of the Seine. Around 1200, construction of a fortress that

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Paris History - part 1

Paris has been a thriving metropolis and a center
of intellectual and artistic achievement for centuries.
The city's roots reach to the 3rd century B.C., and influences as diverse as Celtic, Roman, Scandinavian, and English are woven into the city's rich heritage.
Key Dates in Paris History
- 3rd century B.C.: The area around L'Ile de la Cité is settled by a tribe of Celtic fishermen, the Parisii. The settlement is named Lutetia.
- 52 B.C.: The Roman Empire under Julius Caesar seizes the city
which becomes part of the Roman territory known as Gaul.

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Nice city - franch

Nice is a city in southern France located on the Mediterranean coast, between Marseille, France, and Genoa, Italy, with 347 060 inhabitants in the 2006 estimate.
The city is a major tourist centre and a leading resort on the French Riviera
It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice .

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Marseille City

Marseille is the 2nd most populous French city as well as the oldest city in France.
It forms the third-largest metropolitan area, after those of Paris and Lyon.
Located on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille is France's largest commercial port. Marseille is the administrative capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, as well as the administrative capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône department.
Its inhabitants are called Marseillai

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Lyon - france

Often described, even by the Parisians, as being like Paris but without the crowds
France’s second city, Lyon, is a chic metropolis but with a style and frenetic pace all of its own.
Built on the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône rivers, the city has been an important centre since Roman times, clustered around the ancient Vieux Lyon district and the baffling warren of traboules
the former heart of the silk industry. Beyond the city limits lie the rich heartlands of French gastronomy and the winelands of Beaujolais, Burgundy
and Côtes du Rhône, providing Lyon with some of the finest of fine dining.
When it comes to food, Lyon is second to none.
Literally Lyon
La Croix-Rousse in Vieux Lyon was the centre of Lyon’s silk industry, criss-crossed by narrow traboules (alleyways)
once used by the silk workers to transport their precious cargo down to the river barges.
Lyon is still a good place to buy silk scarves.

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Burgundy - franch

Located in the heart of France, Burgundy is a region of peaceful canals
well-tended vineyards and rural charm – the epitome of la vie Française.
But this rich, rolling farmland also has a fascinating history as a once powerful duchy
whose traces can still be seen in the imposing Ducal Palace in the mediaeval centre of Dijon
the beautiful Cistercian abbey of Fontenay
and the many Romanesque churches that dot the hills and plains.
Today, Burgundy’s power and influence lies in its food and wine and its wealth is contained within the rich gastronomie bourguignonne and precious Côte d’Or vintages.
Beautifully Burgundy
Burgundy is a wine and food lover’s paradise. Satisfy both passions on a one-day gastronomy tour, organised by Burgundy on a Plate
where you can sample cheese, wine and famous regional dishes to your heart’s content.

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cannes film festival - franch

The Cannes Film Festival founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals.
The private festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès
in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France.

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Cannes - france

The red carpet only gets rolled out for a fortnight a year
but the Film Festival embues Cannes with perennial flashbulb glamour.
The Regency architecture is as smart and elegant as the natives; shop for swish
brands on Rue d’Antibes, or try the old town, aka Le Suquet, for foodie and gift shops.
Sip some rosé, nibble on a salade Niçoise, sashay up and down La Croisette
where every hotel has its own beach
if anywhere allows you to star in your own movie, this is it.

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Bordeaux - france

Bordeaux is a city of grandeur and sophistication, of old money and legendary vintages
where connoisseurs can take the time to savour wines and cuisine perfected over generations.
This grande dame on the banks of the softly-flowing Garonne ages with effortless grace
its wide boulevards, majestic squares and elegant 18th-century mansions are filled with timeless charm. Surrounded
by ancient châteaux and some of the most valuable vineyards in the world, each autumn harvest brings another crop of imperious reds and sweet whites.
Beyond, the precious earth fades into the dunes of the Atlantic seaboard
where the waters are rich with oysters and seafood destined for the tables of the Bordeaux’s gourmands.
Here the good life is served on a plate and time is measured by the popping of corks.
Beautifully Bordeaux
Bordeaux is perhaps the world’s greatest wine region and you can visit numerous vineyards and châteaux.
In the Médoc region to the north of the city you can visit one of the finest vineyards at the world-famous Château Margaux
Local knowledge

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Avignon

City of history and city of theater, the fortified city of Avignon will not leave you in different. Avignon's architecture is marked by papal history.
Going through any of the seven doors of the superbly preserved
walls one discovers the city of the Popes.
The Palace of the Popes built in the 14th century overlooks a lively square.
Nearby are the museums the Petit Palais and Palais du Roure, not too far away
stands the famous Pont d'Avignon.
Avignon - Pont Saint BenezetTake your time wandering about the streets of Avignon, The ancient streets, the courtyards of the private
mansions, the renovated facades will all charm you! One of the most elegant streets is the rue Joseph Vernet, adjacent to the Calvet museum and the Requien Museum.
Don't miss the Antiquaire quarter, the Place de l'Horloge or the Chemin de Ronde which will take you to the Rocher des Doms.
From the top of the ramparts you can understand why the site was chosen for a fort:
Avignon stands high above the immense
plains of the Rhône River and is the strategic point of the whole valley.
Avignon Place et RempartsThe theater festival has made Avignon important in modern times. Started in 1947 by Jean Vilar, every year between the 10th of July and the 5th of August nearly 120,000 spectators come to discover new talent or admire those actors already known
These shows (dance, theater or music) are enhanced
by the background of powerful history and often appear renewed
or refreshed in this environment.
The Off Festival is a series ot street shows set up by would be actors and is considered to be an excellent work lab for these aspiring young people.
Late at night when the shows are over the terraces fill up with actors and spectators alike all creating a unique atmosphere
found only in Avignon in the summer.

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Versailles - franch

Versailles is the palace of the versalmonator, means a power house or a chateau.
In the older days, Versailles was a small village, it is only now that
it is a sub urban part of Paris which is the capital of France.
Versailles in late 17th century
was considered the strongest political power house where the monarch used to sit
when the royal family was enforced to come back to Paris.
The political side to the building has made it so famous that tourists like to pay their visit to this building.
The building covers a total area of 110,000 square meters with 700 rooms in it with 67 staircases and more that 200 windows.
The Versailles for sure is a grand place worth visiting.
The building has lots of paintings, handmade sculptures, drawings, objects and furniture.
It was during the year 1038, when for the first time, the name Versailles was coined. During this period, the villagers of this village was on a small castle and there was a church which was governed by the local landlords of the village.
Versailles was built by the French men and it was also called the unofficial capital of France.
It is only ten kilometers away from Paris.
The way in which the streets of Washington DC are made have been based upon Versailles’ model of streets. The city welcomes its visitors with open arms
and provides one of the best luxurious hotels, food & site seeing facility to them.
Whenever visitors plan to visit this part of the city, they make
it a long holiday so that they can spend quality time in the Versailles.

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Versailles Quick Facts

The Palace of Versailles
A half hour outside of Paris, the Palace of Versailles is one
of the world's grandest historical museums.
- In 1624, Louis XIII, the king of France, began the building of a hunting lodge in the small village of Versailles
- There are 18,000 square meters of history in the Palace of Versailles
-Versailles is half an hour by rail from the Gare St Lazarre station in Paris
The Palace of Versailles began as a modest hunting lodge. Well, as modest a lodge as one could expect from a French King.
Then Louis XIV enlarged and enrobed the old lodge, turning it into the great
Chateau we know today. In 1837, Louis-Philippe converted the whole
deal to a museum of French History in what may have been the historic starting point for the development of mass tourism.
And world war I was ended here with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

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Mont Saint-Michel - Normandy

Mont Saint-Michel is an "island" off of the coast of Normandy in France.
When most people hear Normandy, WWII is the only thing that come to mind.
France is actually split into regions much like the United States is split into states.
One of these regions happens to be Normandy
which is where we invaded and where Mont Saint-Michel happens to be located.
Mont Saint-Michel was first used in the sixth and seventh centuries as a place for the Romano-Bretons could have culture and power.
Basically as a place of status, and was invaded by different groups for a couple hundred years.
At the end of the eighth century, construction began for the first monestary.
The monestary was firmly established
during the eleventh century and turned into a prized posession by kings of France.
The English tried to invade it many times unsuccessfully
which just added to the pride in the piece of land.
Finally, by the time of the French Reformation, there were barely any monks living at the monestary.
So, to be efficient, the French turned it into a prison to hold people against the current regime.
The prison was closed in the mid 1800s and became a national monument.
It has since become a much visited spot for
tourists to see culture as well as natural and man-made beauty.

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Honfleur Harbor

Honfleur is located on the mouth of the river Seine, to the south of Le Havre.
Honfleur is an old fishing port with a beautiful harbour.
The old town is outstanding with cobbled streets sporting shops, art galleries and and so many restaurants that on a recent visit we lost count.
Whilst those on the harbour front offer the best views
the best value may be found at restaurants away from the quayside in the little streets behind the Quai Sainte- Catherine like La Tortue, 36 rue de l’Homme de Bois.
Our recommendations: Honfleur is a good place
for people watching – check out the cafes and fish restaurants on the harbour front from where you can watch the pleasure craft coming and going.
For a different view of the town head along one of the minor roads to the south where you can also see the impressive suspension bridge over to Le Havre – the largest in Europe

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Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle - france

No introduction is really needed for the Haut-Koenigsbourg
which is one of France's most widely visited monuments attracting 600,000 visitors per year.
The castle occupied a strategic position when it was built back in the 12th century.
Its purpose was to protect the wine and wheat routes to the north, and the silver and salt routes running from west to east.
It was reduced to rubble by the Swedes during
the Thirty Years War and abandoned.
In 1899, Kaiser Wilhelm II decided to have the castle fully
rebuilt with the aim of making this a museum and a symbol of Alsace's return to Germany.
Although built relatively recently, the castle has remained true to the spirit of mediaeval architecture.
Inside the building, the sheer refinement of the rooms is extremely impressive, with their wall paintings, Renaissance furniture and enormous cast iron stoves.
A collection of mediaeval weapons is located
in the basement including crossbows, swords and armour of all kinds.

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