The city of Maison Laffitte, with its magnificent chateau, is very close to Paris. The area used to be called Maisons-sur-Seine – the Houses on the Seine – until the chateau (built in the 1600’s) was bought after the French Revolution by the banker Jacques Laffitte. Maison Laffitte is the city of horses and contains the largest hippodrome in the… Read More
I thought it was important to do something special with my daughter, so when we had the opportunity to get reduced-priced tickets to the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, I took the plunge and got two tickets. I promised Juliet I would get her a party dress to wear, but I didn’t have enough time to go to La Defense where there… Read More
The Palais de la Découverte (pronounced pah-lay de la day-coo-vairte) is located on Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, just off the Champs Elysées. It’s a discovery museum for children, housed in part of the Grand Palais, which was built for the 1900 World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle). I had to do a little research, actually, as I knew the Eiffel Tower had also… Read More
Marché de Noel simply means “christmas market,” and the first word is pronounced “mahr-shay.” I was first introduced to the wonders of a European christmas market when I was visiting the Kirs Kringle Mart in Heidelberg oh, so many years ago. I tasted gluhwein (hot, spiced wine) and ate something delicious – probably breaded, fried meat – and I was… Read More
Would you like to know how to pronounce the “Champs Elysées?” For the first word, you say the name “Shawn.” But right before you’re about to touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth to make the “n” sound, you swap it out with a “z” instead. Still with me? So it’s like this – shaw(n)z – ay-lee-zay. It’s… Read More
Châtelet-les-Halles is located in the centre of Paris – the 1st arrondissement, and it’s pronounced (pretty close to) shot-lay-lay-all. It’s one of the oldest parts of Paris, the “halles” part referring to a covered market. In 1137 Louis XII decided to build an open-air market in a place outside of the old walls of Paris, called Champeaux – a former… Read More
