France Travel Guide
7/02/2008 at 8:45 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Maternity Travel, Super World Travelers, Brangelina, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie (all tags)
They faked us out once before, so we'll be super careful in announcing that allegedly Angelina Jolie checked into a hospital yesterday to go on bed rest before she gives birth to the latest Super World Travelers, the twins she is expecting with Brad Pitt.
The babes, reportedly twin girls, will have dual French citizenship because she's currently resting in L'Hopital Lenval in Nice.
"Entertainment Tonight" led the charge in late May to declare that the twins, reportedly due in August, had already been born. Turned out it was just a rumor, possibly spread by an ex-Super Traveler sidekick (er, assistant). This time it was the French media's turn to jump the gun on the planned expansion to America's real first family. But if she were just there for a checkup, would her obstetrician be giving a press conference? We think not!
Related Stories:
· Angelina Jolie's Doctor in France to Give Report [Examiner.com]
· DEBUNKED: Angelina Jolie's Twins Born in France [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of Jolie and daughter Shiloh in May: Just Jared]
by egw
6/30/2008 at 11:15 AM
Tags: Festivals, Summer Travel, Food Travel, Paris Travel, Boats (all tags)
If you're over hot dogs, burgers and beer for the Fourth of July, go all out this year and jet to Paris for Gastronomy by the Seine, which kicks off Friday on various yachts dotting the river.
The festival is brand new, and this year's theme is New American Cuisine. Each day of the weekend offers roundtables with industry bigwigs like Gael Greene, Michael Batterberry and Jean-Luc Naret, as well as cooking demos, tastings and tours of related Parisian museums (like the Musée Baccarat) and outdoor food markets (like rue Mouffetard and Place Monge). On the 4th, you can toast to the US with an evening cruise down the Seine aboard Le Paquebot, with a five-course menu celebrating American food.
As you might have guessed, gastromony isn't cheap: Day passes start at about $221, and the dinner cruise will set you back $379. Still, five amazing courses while floating down the Seine sounds like the perfect excuse for a summer splurge.
Related Stories:
· Gastronomy by the Seine [Official Site]
· Datebook: Paris [NYT]
· Fourth of July coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: f0t0grafr]
by sedona
6/30/2008 at 9:45 AM
Tags: Culture Travel, Summer Travel (all tags)
Get out your jousting staffs! The city of Rennes, France is stealing the standard proudly flown over the UK for its exhibit, "King Arthur: A Legend in the Making," which claims to be the first to examine the famous defender of Great Britain.
The exhibit, opening July 15 at the Champs Libres in Rennes, will explore Arthur in his various retellings from Welsh lore to Tennyson to, one can hope, Disney. Anglophiles might fear, however, that Rennes, in the Breton region, is seizing the glory of Arthurian legend for France. Undoubtedly it will be a matter of discussion at the 22nd congress of the International Arthurian Society, held at nearby Rennes University the July 15-20.
You could accept exhibit curator Sarah Toulouse's anti-poetic explanation for the guy who beat back the Anglo-Saxon invaders, as delivered to the Telegraph:
King Arthur is a mythical character who was invented at a certain point in history for essentially political reasons. If he had really existed there would be more concrete historical traces of him.
Related Stories:
· Britain's King Arthur Rides in France [AFP, via France 24]
· King Arthur Is Propaganda, Say French [Telegraph]
· Movie Set Travel: The Last Legion [Jaunted]
[Photo from "The Sword In The Stone": Virgin Media]
by egw
6/20/2008 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Super World Travelers, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie (all tags)
They enrolled the kids in schools there. One of them worked there. And rumor had it they were going to get married there. But nothing can hold Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie back from what they were born to do: crisscross the globe.
That's why after 2 years, the Super World Travelers and their brood have sold their New Orleans home and, Pied Piper-style, have drawn the paparazzi presence around them to France.
The couple had become involved in post-Katrina rebuilding efforts in New Orleans, dedicating their names and money if not their time. But maybe Angelina wanted a more secluded location, like southeast France, for when she finally gives birth to her expected twins?
Related Stories:
· Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Sold Their New Orleans Home [Celebitchy]
· Brangelina Sets up Shop in New Orleans [Jaunted]
· Brad Pitt, New Orleans Eco-Warrior [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: PopCrunch]
by egw
6/12/2008 at 1:45 PM
Tags: Airbus, Nicolas Sarkozy (all tags)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy had an embarrassing plane related mishap last year, and now, he's getting a new ride--sort of. France is upgrading its thirty year-old Presidential fleet, but according to the newspaper Liberation, Sarko's new plane, an Airbus A330, will be bought used.
Sarkozy might be ashamed flying around in a pre-owned plane, but it'll definitely be better than his old jet. Up until now, Sarkozy's been doing his traveling in a short-haul Airbus A319.
On his first official trip to China last year, Sarkozy's Airbus had to stop for refueling in Siberia while journalists covering his voyage enjoyed a non-stop journey. Quel dommage!
Related Stories:
· France Upgrades Presidential Aircraft [NYT]
· Nicolas Sarkozy coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of A330: caribb]
by Hunter Walker
6/12/2008 at 11:20 AM
Tags: Paris Travel, Music Festivals, Music Travel, Live Music (all tags)
Summer music festivals are a dime a dozen but we haven't come across many that also pack pro-social punch. Paris' Solidays Festival does. The anti-AIDS event held over 4th of July weekend is part fundraiser, part concert and, this year, part anniversary: It's the festival's 10th birthday.
Last summer, artists as diverse as Lily Allen, Lauryn Hill and Sum 41 joined in solidarity at Longchamp racetrack to support HIV awareness. This year the top billers will be reggae masters Toots and the Maytals along with Asian Dub Foundation, Cesaria Evora, Yael Naim and 200 other performers.
Staying for the full three days is a no-brainer, as passes are cheap ($70) and days are jam-packed with anniversary events. Fireworks, mimes, circus performers and AIDS lecturers will help you pass the time, plus, it's Paris.
Related Stories:
· Solidays Festival [Official Site]
· Music Festivals coverage [Jaunted]
· Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Osislash]
by CourtScott
6/11/2008 at 12:30 PM
Tags: Paris Travel, Bars, Nightlife (all tags)
We think cave dwelling is tres cool, particularly when it involves excessive amounts of vin rouge and loyal Parisians dancing on tables to old French and Hebrew songs. You'll find it at Chez George, one of Paris' oldest wine bars in the relatively tourist-free Mabillon section.
Legend has it that "the house of George" was once a hiding place for Jews during the Nazi occupation. Be it an old barman's tale or accurate fact, we loved the cavern's dimly lit narrow passageways and smoky underground crannies. We also liked that the doorman thought twice before letting us Americans in, a sure sign that we were entering a "locals only" zone.
Related Stories:
· Chez George one of the World's 10 Best Bars? [Parisist]
· Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Bars coverage [Jaunted]
by CourtScott
6/10/2008 at 10:32 AM
Tags: Paris Travel, Coffee, Coffee Shops (all tags)
What do raw mushrooms, inflatable palm trees, Gorgonzola and coffee have in common? That's what we were asking ourselves Saturday when we made a caffeine pit stop at the Louvre's underground Starbucks--and found a full-fledged free-sampling luau in action.
Apparently the bizarre celebration was a promotion for a new Hawaiian coffee flavor which, according to Parisian baristas, goes exquisitely well with two of Hawaii's delicacies, raw mushrooms and pungent cheese. Huh?
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by CourtScott
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