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Articles Tagged with City Guides

A Travel Guide to Normandy

Yesterday, my family and I returned from Normandy, a region I knew very little about, and which had not been on my childrens’ list of top-10 vacation destinations. We were there to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and while they were interested in that aspect of the trip, they argued for a drive to the beaches from Paris and an overnight stay at most. How wrong they were! Normandy is the embodiment of La France Profonde, with its heartbreakingly beautiful village streets, lined with half-timber houses and crumbling garden walls, Foxgloves and poppies grow wild along the hedgerows (which we learned had been a major obstacle as the Allies advanced towards Paris). Rows of craggy apple trees animate the landscape, and orchard owners along every tiny backroad invite guests in to sample their cidre and Calvados.

A Weekend in the Big Easy

“America has only three cities,” Tennessee Williams was rumored to have declared in the midst of writing A Streetcar Named Desire. “New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” The fact that this sentiment was also attributed to Mark Twain doesn’t make it any less true. New Orleans holds its own —even as it stands apart — as one of the great American cities.

Keith's Paris City Guide: Day 3

A Day on the Right Bank. Head for the Palais Royal for shopping and if you’re really in the mood for an iconic meal, reserve lunch at Le Grand Vefour, Paris’ oldest restaurant which boasts 2 Michelin Stars.

Keith's Paris City Guide: Day 2

Sunday shopping in the Marais is the BEST because most of the boutiques in Paris are closed on Sunday, and the vibe in the Marais is so festive on Sunday. It’s a great young quarter of the City with fantastic walkability and known for its arts schools and museums in addition to gentrified apartments and shops and restaurants. Also, the Place des Vosges is one of the most beautiful squares in Paris and it’s fun to get a coffee in a café in the arcades that line the square.

Keith's Paris City Guide: Day 1

I’ve shared this itinerary over the years with friends and family traveling to Paris, and I’ve revised it at least twice recently, tailoring it to the tastes of my two grown children who recently had their first visits to Paris without their parents, which they both argue was the only “real” trip they’ve taken to the City of Light.