Saturdays, St. Germain and Tasting Wine

Saturdays, St. Germain des Prés and wine! Celebrate your weekend with a visit to the wonderful small but very select wineshop, Le Dernier Goutte. On Saturdays, generally from 11 to 2 and 3;30 to 6-ish a winemaker from one of the top quality, smaller scale regional French vineyards will be on hand to chat and offer generous samples of their wines. Le Dernier Goutte (the last drop) is a shop that features wines from up and coming and well-know French wine regions with an emphasis on the Southwest, Rhone and other lesser-known appelations. Many of the wines are organic, in keeping with the strong interest in wines that are as true as possible to terroir and which hue to the greenest possible production principles. This is a gem of a wine shop. Informative bi-lingual staff and well chosen wines. And, complimentary tastes on Saturdays!
6 rue de Bourbon le Chateau, 6th
Phone: 011 33 1 43 29 11 62

San Sebastian, Tapas & Markets Extraordinaire!

The fish market in the La Brexta market in San Sebastian (Spain) is a sight to see.  The freshest possible fish, in a staggering variety, are sold by the bushels to diners, chefs, & shoppers of all ages. The tapas (pinchos in Basque) are bounteous and endlessly tempting. My laptop is balking at uploading images today so please google my Sally Peabody page on facebook for lots of tempting images.  San Sebastian is one sweet little seaside city. I'm here with clients on my spring Pays Basque tour and we are loving it!

Love Fabulous Olive Oils From Provence?

Check out my article on the outstanding new mini-chain of exquisite olive oil shops, Premier Pression Provence. This was just published on the Hip Paris blog.

http://hipparis.com/2010/04/09/premiere-pression-provence-the-new-parisian-mecca-for-fine-olive-oil/

Helpful tips for Paris-ophiles

The annual Rendezvous France event hosted by A Tout France, the French Tourist Board, yielded some interesting information. The Louvre is planning to implement online tickets next fall. This is great news if you don't want to purchase a museum and monuments card and don't want to stand on lengthy lines to buy your single admission tickets! I also learned that folks wanting to purchase tickets for the TGV's or other French trains can now go right to the SNCF website and order and print your tickets in advance of your trip. This should help you purchase a less expensive ticket than from other reliable intermediary online sources like Rail Europe.

You can order timed tickets for the Eiffel Tower online now. A major improvement!

The Turner and his contemporaries show at the Grand Palais is getting major accolades. Lengthy lines abound but you can always order tickets in advance from the Grand Palais website.

I'm in Spain now, about to lead a Pays Basque culinary tour. Back in Paris on 4.22. News and photos to come. Safe travels.

Paris Barcelona Cadaques Tour In September

Paris. Barcelona. Cadaqués. Three Exquisite Destinations: One Fabulous Tour.
Lovers of music, dance and art won't want to miss this very special intimately scaled tour to immerse in music, dance and art, and, to join in the festivities at Barcelona's exuberant La Merce Festival. Paris Barcelona Cadaqués is a high-access experience for 6-10 lucky guests. 3 nights in Paris, 3 nights in Barcelona. Visit hot art galleries, concept shops, not normally open to the public spots such as Sarah Bernhardt's dressing room in the Theatre de la Ville, enjoy a day trip to idyllic Cadaqués, home to countless artists and where you will visit ateliers of noted contemporary artists. Dine in charming Paris winebars, in Catalan Tapas Bars and enjoy robust Barcelona cuisine at famed Los Caracoles. Enjoy an elegant French 'Apéro' hosted in a private Parisian apartment. A private guide will accompany you every step of the way and open doors to artists and experiences that will delight. September 21-27. 2950 Euros.

Email Sally for more detail. sally@yourgreatdaysinparis.com Deadline: April 28, 2010.

The Source for Cheese and Charcuterie in Paris!

If you love redolent cheese, chosen from the vast array of French cheese and other European cheeses, head to Fil O Fromage the next time you are in Paris. This shop, run by the charming and highly skilled Cherif Bourbit, is a gem. Read my article published March 7, '10 on Bonjour Paris. And go!

http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/veritable-tour-de-fromage-13th/

Fine Tea Fine Art

Great news for lovers of fine tea and fine art... Mariage Fréres has opened a 'tea counter' in the Carousel du Louvre near the bottom of the IM Pei pyramid. Now, you can visit one of the world's greatest art museums, do some quality shopping the the Carrousel du Louvre and relax over super tea. Nice.