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Hôtel de la Paix
19 rue du Gros Caillou, 75007 Paris
tel. 1-45-51-86-17 fax: 1-45-55-93-28
e-mail: contact@hotelparispaix.com
web site
23 rooms. Singles: €105 Doubles: €150 All major credit cards accepted.

This hotel highlights just how unreliable the French star rating system is when it comes to choosing hotels. While the government only gives it two stars, the de la Paix is cleaner and more stylish than many three-star hotels I’ve been in. The interior is done in chocolate-brown leather and wood furnishings, with gleaming bathrooms that are modern and fully functional. Both rooms and bathrooms are on the small side, but that’s not unusual for Paris.

It also has many of the things you would expect from a pricier hotel, like 24-hour desk service, an elevator (tiny!) and air conditioning. About the only things it lacks are a minibar and English stations on the TV. A great budget option in the ritzy 7th district.

Overall: B
Location: B
Ambiance: B
Cleanlienss: A
Maintenance: B
Staff: A

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An archivist in Britain has found a reference to a hunchback stone carver, who may well have been the inspiration for the famous Notre-Dame bell ringer in Victor Hugo's novel.

A reader recently asked me: Our intention is to fly into Paris. We plan on renting a car to drive to Giverny, then to Normandy returning to Paris two days later and spending the rest of our vacation there. We definitely would get a rental, but would we drop it off at the airport or in Paris? Also, never having driven in Europe, is there a particular route that is better than another?

My response: Picking up a car at the airport in Paris and heading straight off to Normandy will work fine. It's expressway the whole route, first towards Paris on the A1, and then skirting to the north of the city before heading off on the A13 towards Rouen and Normandy. Figure about 2.5 hours for the drive, depending on where you go in Normandy.

The expressways in France are mostly toll roads -- you pick up a ticket as you enter the toll road, and pay when you exit (or as you approach major cities, where there is no toll). On this route it would not become toll road until after skirting Paris and heading north. You'll need cash to pay the tolls, as US credit cards often don't work.

Since you'll be freshly arrived from a transatlantic flight, and probably a bit tired, I think it would be best to head straight to Normandy and bypass Giverny. Do Giverny and Monet's Gardens on your way back from Normandy to Paris. The House and Gardens are open everyday from the 1st of April.

For Normandy I like to base myself in the town of Honfleur. It's a bit far from the D-Day beaches (60 to 90 minutes each way), but a really charming village, some good hotels and great restaurants. More convenient to the D-Day beaches is Bayeux, my second choice.

Keep in mind that there will be a surcharge for picking the car up at the airport, but this is fairly minimal, usually around Euro 20 or less. The cost should be included in what ever rate quote you get for the car rental (which I can do for you, if you'd like). There's no problem with either returning it to the airport (to avoid driving in traffic in Paris) or returning it in the city after dropping luggage at your hotel.

If you're longing for the City of Lights, Paris in 26 Gigapixels may help you out. These images were all shot during one day in late 2009 from the tower St. Sulpice church, and stitched together to make a detailed panorama of the city. Get some bread, cheese and wine ready, crank up the volume, and click the full screen icon.

Strikes in France continued for a second day, impacting some of the most visited museums in Paris, including the Louvre, the Orsay and Versailles.
Read more . . .

I love reading through old travel guides and seeing how things have changed -- or not -- in the years since their publication. I have a Baedeker's Guide to London from 1902 that claims that a frugal traveler can get by with £1.50 per day in the city, while someone who insists on the finest accommodations and dining will require twice that much.

Here's a really well-written article, based on following the world's first food critic through the streets of Paris.

Le Bistrot du 7eme
56 Blvd de La Tour Maubourg
Paris
Tel: 01-45-51-93-08
Open: 12:00 to 14:30 & 19:30 to 23:00, every day.
Average Price: €25 per person

Last night I took my group to one of my favorite Parisian bistros. I've been visiting Bistrot du 7eme for the past 10 or 12 years and, other than some slight price increases, I don't think it's changed a bit in all that time. I first happened upon the restaurant the way I find many of my recommendations: while out wandering around during lunch I passed by, and the place was packed. Not a single person seated at the tables was speaking English. I consider that a good sign in any local restaurant, so I made a note and came back to try it for dinner that night.

Bistrot du 7eme is a classic bistro, with red walls, black wooden accents, a few framed prints on the walls and one or two 19th century advertising posters. Plain wooden tables with low-backed chairs are packed tightly together, a few spilling out onto the sidewalk in front. They have a couple of a la carte items listed on the menu, but the bulk is occupied by the fixed price meal. Currently priced at €22, this gives you a three-course meal -- starter, main course and dessert -- with a list of a dozen or so options to choose from for each course. They have a modest selection of wines, all very fairly priced.

Starters include a variety of soups, salads and, of course, escargots. I especially like the Salad Auvergnate, a mix of greens, toasted walnuts, sliced apples and cubes of Roquefort cheese. Main courses range from steak and fries to duck confit. I'm fond of the veal, and have it from reliable sources that the salmon is excellent. For dessert: creme brulée, chocolate mousse, or a dozen other choices.

I once led a tour in France where it rained 19 out of 22 days. And I'm not talking little sprinkles. These were downpours of Biblical proportions. Every morning we would get up and turn on the weather, eagerly hoping for a sunny forecast. But no. For 19 out of 22 days it was sunny everywhere in France -- except where we happened to be that day.

As designer, operator and guide of a tour, I have control over many aspects of a trip. I choose the route. I decide how many days to spend in each place. I pick the style and locations of the hotels. What sights to see. What restaurants we use for included meals. But I can't control the weather. I know this in my head, as does every member of a tour. It's not my fault. Couldn't have predicted that.

Still. When someone has waited maybe their entire life for a trip to Paris, dreaming of seeing the Eiffel Tower or Notre-Dame in the flesh, their dreamy vision usually is built around a bright blue sky. So I can't help but feel a bit disappointed for them when the day turns out rainy. I'd like them to see the sights as I have seen them, a selective memory built over dozens of trips when I happened to catch this place or that one at its best.

Yesterday's bright sunshine and 70 degree bliss had, overnight, turned into an oppressive gray lid across the Parisian sky. Puddles were forming, slowly becoming small lakes. Fortunately I spent the first few hours of the day in the airport, gathering my flock as they arrived at different times and from different locations. Our drive from the airport into the city was still a moment of excitement for most, despite the rain-obscured views.

By early afternoon, luggage settled into the hotel and our sightseeing underway in earnest, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Umbrellas were tucked away as we explored the 2500-year-old history of Paris on the Ile de la Cité, and talked about the symbolism of the sculptures on the façade of Notre-Dame. We emerged from the church some time later to find the proof that God does indeed answer prayers.

The Eiffel Tower was closed again, for the second straight day, by striking workers. The worker's union, which includes about 500 tower employees, is negotiating for job stability and improved safety, as well as stronger security measures for the public.