Love Music? Celebrate the Summer Solstice With Music and Dance....
21 June, Monday, is the day. This all-over-France festival started in 1982 and is now celebrated throughout Europe. You can listen and dance to just about any kind of music all over Paris. Put on your dancing shoes, ring in summer, and enjoy the Fête de la Musique where ever you are in France.

http://www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr/site-2010/

Finding Out What's 'On' In Paris

Sometimes you just want to read what’s ‘on’ and dream, even better, other times you want to know what is happening so you can actually take advantage of the abundant Parisian cultural riches during a visit.

Once you are in Paris, the best deal in town has to be Pariscope. Published on Wednesdays and available in all the newsstands, this little TV-guide like booklet is the go to source for seemingly everything that is going on. Love movies? Check. Concerts ranging from techno music to jazz to classical or world music? Check. Walking tours and special festivals? Yes. Brocantes, Art and Antiques shows? Marionette shows for the kids? Absolutely. Pariscope will be the best .60 euro cents you’ve ever spent. Sit in a café and get out your highlighter and check off far more things than you will ever realistically do. Always good to have options!

For up to date events, news about city wide and arrondissement-specific initiatives (for example, where you can find free wifi spots, or cultural development of the Parc de la Villette area) you should definitely check out and bookmark the excellent e-zine called À Paris that the Mairie de Paris publishes. Full colour, loads of content and wonderfully useful, this publication is not skewed by for-profit interests, it is simply published to promote and encourage access to all that Paris has to offer. www.paris.fr/portal/publications/

The latest issue outlines all there is to do in Paris during the summer months. Indeed, www.paris.fr is the city of Paris’ newly renovated website and this excellent resource is available in French and English.

A Good French Meal in the Latin Quarter

Sometimes the Latin Quarter seems like a tough place to find a good classic (affordable) French bistro meal. Counter-intuitive indeed, but there are lots of good Vietnamese, Moroccan, Japanese, Chinese and other ethnic options in this charmingly historic, student-dense quarter. Check out Lilane, 8 rue Gracieuse for a good bistro meal. Think confit de canard, chocolate tart, rich mashed potatoes, langoustine-stuffed ravioli, homemade Foie Gras. Menus at 16 and 20 E at lunch, 32 E in the evening.

This is just off Place Monge, home to a good small market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and, is just down the street from the amazing Maison des Trois Thés where you can sample one of a hundred plus premier oolong, Pu Ehr, yellow or white teas in a beautifully designed tea salon and shop. And you are near the Arennes du Lutece, the Mosquee de Paris, and the ever-lively rue Mouffetard market street too.

Normandy mega Impressionist Festival this summer

Love Impressionist Painters? Going to Normandy this summer? Be sure to check out the multi-venue, multi-modal Normandy Impressionist Festival that kicked off on June 4 in Rouen and runs thru September 15 in twelve different cities and locations around Normandy. Special exhibitions in museums and chateaux, music, dance, even gardens are in the mix.

www.normandie-impressionniste.fr/en/home

This looks like an amazing festival! The Euro is so affordable right now.. how can you resist?