Thursday, February 26, 2015

Packing for your European Vacation


Ever try to carry a forty-pound bag around Paris all day? Packing for a European vacation is fun, but it’s easy to go overboard and pack too much. You don’t want to spend your valuable vacation time lugging around a bag that’s got every piece of clothing you ever owned in it, so follow our three simple packing tips and pack like a pro!

1. Figure out your essentials Make a pile of things you absolutely need and can’t buy at your destination. This pile generally includes medication, glasses/a spare pair of contacts, your passport, and other irreplaceable items.

2. Use a small bag for toiletries Makeup, razors, and whatever else you need to stay fresh and beautiful should fit in a small bag. Don’t bring shampoo, conditioner, or other easily found items. Remember, Europe has shampoo!

3. Carefully pick out your clothes The first thing to pack is comfortable shoes. Next, pick out three pairs of pants or skirts, four shirts, and two sets of pajamas. Pack one nice outfit for going out. Pack socks and underthings for five days (Europe also has Laundromats)! If visiting a warm destination, pack a bathing suit. Think about the weather and pack one coat or jacket, if needed.

After all of this, put everything in your bag and see how much room everything takes. If you have extra room, pat yourself on the back, but don’t add anything else—you’ll need room for souvenirs! The everyday items you buy in Europe and bring back with you will be happy reminders of your European vacation every time you use them.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Vacationing in France IS for You!

The splendor of France is closer than you think with tailor made travel packages from Enchanted-France. There is more to France than just Paris. Granted, Paris is a must see destination for anybody looking for a metropolitan French experience, but the Riviera and countryside provide for a wonderful setting for your next vacation.

Vacationing in France is always a new and exciting experience because there is so much France can offer. If you the athletic type, enjoy one of our many hiking/biking tours including excursions to Mont Saint Michel, Dordogne, Pont du Gard and more. Enjoy golfing? Indulge in your favorite sport with a retreat to a luxurious resort in the Loire valley, Provence, Dordogne, Bordeaux or other scenic hideouts.

Would you rather relax? We have packages for you as well. Kick back on a cruise of the Provence River, the Upper Loire, Burgundy or Champagne.

In love? Our Romance/Honeymoon packages include unbelievable accommodations in the most romantic areas of the world.

No matter who you are, vacationing in France is an unforgettable experience that everyone should do at least once in their life. Take advantage of our excellent deals and uniquely crafted itineraries today and see why everyone is talking about Enchanted-France!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Moliere-the French "Shakespeare"

Moliere by
Jean Antoie Coype
1730
February 17 marks the anniversary date of the death of the greatest French playwright -Moliere.  He died almost on stage performing  his famous play the Malade Imaginaire (Imaginary Invalid). He was born in Paris on January 15, 1622  with the  given name of Jean Marie Poquelin from a well-to-do family of merchants.  Leaving his law studies, he founded a theatrical group the ""Illustre Theatre" at the age of 21 with his actress mistress Madeleine  Bejart and that is when he took the stage name of Moliere.  After going bankrupt, the troupe leaves Paris and become an itinerant theatre  playing principally in the provinces of France's  southwest.  For 12 years, from 1646 to 1658, Moliere honed his skills as an actor, playwright and  theatre director.







Moliere's armchair -courtesy
Comedy Francaise
The group returned to Paris in 1658  under the protection from the King's Brother, Philippe d'Orleans who offered the group a theatre in which to perform -- the Theatre du Petit Bourbon. Moliere performed tragic plays by contemporary playwrights like Corneille and Racine as well as his own creations- comedies like the Precieuses Ridicules.  In 1661, the  group got a new abode at the Palais Royal as the Palais Bourbon theater was being demolished to make room for the new Louvre Colonades.

Moliere's plays range from comedies to tragedies and comedy-ballets.  Moliere was a prolific author and among  his body of work are plays that are considered to be at the pinacle of France 's litterature and are as popular today as when they  were first performed.  Among the  plays that are regularly performed in France and all over the world are: l"Ecole des Femme", le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, le Malade Imaginaire, L'Avare, Tartuffe, le Misanthrope, les Femmes Savantes, Don Juan to name a few.



Moliere- Pere Lachaise
While performing the Malade Imaginaire, Moliere was overtaken by a fit of cough.  He died at home a few hours later
  from the ravages of tuberculosis on February 17, 1673. As it was the custom of the time, being an actor, he was refused the last rites and banned from being buried in the sacred ground of a cemetery. His widow, Armande Bejart asked King Louis XIV to authorize a burial at night . He agreed and Moliere was buried in an unconsecrated plot in a Parisian cemetery. His remains were transferred in 1817 to the Pere Lachaise.

When visiting Paris, consider attending a performance of France's classic theatre at the venerated Comedy Francaise located at the Palais Royal.  Of note, on the anniversary date of Moliere's birth (January 15), the chair on which Moliere last performed the Malade Imaginaire is brought on the of the Comedie Francaise.

#Paris # France # Moliere # Comedie Francaise #Pere Lachaise

www.enchanted-france.com


Explore the French Wine Roads

Wine has a central place in France “Art de Vivre” and is a staple of French cuisine.  France has a long tradition in the cultivation of wine that goes back to Antiquity.  Fine wine aficionados know how important and influential French wine is and they also know the intricacies of the wines across the many regions of France. Anyone who has gone on a wine tour will tell you that afterwards, you have a new found appreciation for of the "Drink of the Gods"  afterwards. So follow the Wine Routes of France and enjoy discovering some of the most iconic producing wine regions in the world. 


French wine tours through Enchanted-France are custom crafted travel packages that are sure to appeal to the wine connoisseur in all of us. See the sprawling vineyards and stay at luxurious chateaux and see where the most popular and renowned wines in the world are made.

Enchanted-France wine tours take you across the countryside to see renowned wine producing AOC's.  Vouvray and Chinon in  the Loire Valley, Margaux and Saint Emilion in Bordeaux, Pommard and Gevray Chambertin in Burgundy, Chateauneuf du Pape in the Rhone Valley, Champagne and other quintessential wine producing locales. 

So enjoy a taste the world’s most sought after wines right where they’re made! Enjoy seeing breathtaking vineyards and chateaux while you learn about the wine making process as well as the estates and the cultural significance of the wines they are making.

Discover the very best French wine tours available from Enchanted-France today!

For custom wine tours visit www.enchanted-franc.com

#travelfrance #frenchwinetours

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The King of Carnival is back on the French Rivieral!!

Courtesy: Office du Tourisme Nice
The Nice Carnival is back.  From February 13 to March 1  revelers welcome back the King and its court.   For two fun filled weeks, parades of flower bedecked floats accompanied by thousands of musicians  will snake along the coastal seafront on Promenade des Anglais and on Avenue Massena, loudly cheered by delirious crowds. This year  the "King of Music" is being  honored.  A parade 18 floats of giant figures made of colored paper-mache will rock, samba and salsa day and night in the streets of Nice . At the close of the carnival on March 1 the night sky will be illuminated by a giant firework display over the Mediterranean Sea. 

Courtesy: Office du Tourisme de Nice-Fireworks 2011

Vive Carnaval! Vive Nice! 

Visit www.enchanted-france.com for your next vacation to Nice and the French Riviera

#Nice, #Nice Carnaval , # French Riviera






Thursday, February 12, 2015

All that Paris has to offer and More!

www.enchanted-france.com
It’s hard to take in Paris and surrounding areas in the limited amount of time that some travel packages offer. For most, it has been a lifelong dream to see the city of love and romance and we believe they should have the opportunity to experience everything that Paris has to offer. We offer several luxurious packages that offer all the things that you’ve wanted to get out of the Paris experience and more.

Paris tourism is popular among many travelers around the world. From first timers to repeat visitors, and from newlyweds to families, Paris is one of the most visited cities in Europe, and for a good reason!

The sights, the history and the culture are all monumental draws to this iconic city that is Paris.

  • Art
  • Architecture 
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Food
www.enchanted-france.com

Couple these with the incomparable energy of the City of Lights and you will find yourself in what seems like a dream world. But you don’t need to pinch yourself, we swear it’s real!

Our Paris travel packages can range from including historic sightseeing or seclusion is the most romantic city in the world. We have mastered Paris tourism with our uniquely crafted French journeys for discerning travels.

Get a better travel package – see what Enchanted-France has to offer today!


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Is the Eiffel Tower a Smoke Stack?

Paris architectural landscape is quite diverse and crosses over two thousand years of history from Gothic  to Renaissance, Classical to Baroque , Art Deco to Art Nouveau, modern to contemporary.  All together, the pot-pourri of architectural styles makes what Paris is today, a visual feast.  However, when first built these iconic Parisian landmarks :  Eiffel Tower, Pompidou Center and  the Louvre Pyramid  generated formidable controversies.  Today they symbolize Paris and are cherished by Parisians and visitors alike.

Eiffel Tower circa 1889
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the Universal Exposition (World Fair) to showcase the new method of steel building construction and the progress in France's 19th century technological advancements.  A design competition calling for a tall tower was won by structural engineer Gustave Eiffel and his partners Maurice  Koechlin, Emile Nougira and Stephan Savestre.  Many Parisians and among them prominent artists like Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas, Paul Verlaine and even Charles Garnier  of the Paris Opera were against a metallic tower in the middle of Paris that they considered would destroy the harmonious city landscape of stone buildings and monuments.  One detractor described the proposed tower as a "half built smoke stack", another a "belfry skeleton" and yet another "a truly tragic street lamp".  Local residents who worried  that pieces of metal would fall on their nearby buildings even sued to halt construction of the tower.  It took two years (twice the time it was originally planned) to build the monument  but right from the opening day of the fair, naysayers were proved wrong as the tower became a huge success.   At 300 meter high it was the highest structure in the world until New York Chrysler Building was erected in 1930.

At the conclusion of the World Fair, opponents demanded that the tower be destroyed but Gustave Eiffel fought to keep the tower for scientific experiments - Subsequently the top of the tower  has been used as a weather station as well as a platform for telephone, radio and TV transmission.

Today the Eiffel Tower stands as  the symbol of Paris and more than 6 million tourists visit it each year.

A Colorful Skeleton
Pompidou Center-Enchanted France
The Pompidou center also known as Beaubourg Museum was inaugurated in 1977.  a brain-child of President Pompidou (1969-1974), this museum is dedicated to modern art and is the largest of its kind in Europe. From its conception, the structure was the subject of much controversy.  First, its  location was criticized by many as the building and nearby underground shopping complex was to be erected on the site of Les Halles -- the 800 year old  Parisian central market.   Many Parisians were opposed to moving the old central market to the suburbs thereby destroying an iconic neighborhood of Paris. Secondly, the building designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers was not to the liking of many who felt that the exposed exo-skeleton of boldly colored pipes and tubes clashed with the traditional buildings surrounding it.  Today, the museum is one of the most impressive structures in Paris attracting 26,000  visitors daily who come to admire its amazing contemporary art collection as well to soak up the  lively and entertaining atmosphere  that takes place outside on its plaza.

A Pyramid for All Ages
Louvre Pyramid-Enchanted France
President Mitterand had great architectural ambitions for  Paris when he was elected in 1981.  Under his 14 years presidency, Paris undertook major architectural transformations notably with the building of Grand Louvre, Defense Arch, the Opera Bastille and  the National Library, now known as the Francois Mitterand Library. It is the Louvre project that generated much controversy notably the building of the glass pyramid in the center of the Louvre main courtyard.  Chinese-American architect I.M Pei's design was selected from among many entries submitted by international architectural firms.   The pyramid was conceived to serve as the main entrance to the museum. Up until its inauguration, critics of the Pyramid concept felt it would clash with the classical architecture of the Louvre Palace.  These critics were proven wrong when the Grand Louvre was inaugurated in 1989 to much international acclaim.   The New Times described it as an "exquisite object, less a real building than an elegant abstraction, floating in the Louvre courtyard amid a set of new reflecting pools and fountains."  The pyramid is today an iconic  Parisian landmark as much as the Eiffel Tower.

For your next visit of Paris and the French countryside contact www.enchanted-france.com 

tag: #Paris, # Eiffel Tower, # Louvre, # Pompidou Center