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Before setting foot inside La Cité des Sciences et de L'Industrie, the exterior architecture, both natural and man-made, is a stunning sight to enjoy, from the vast expanses of green lawns to La Géode, the giant dome that reflects the sky and the world from the outside, and plays host to lMAX and 3D films on the inside. It's a point of pride not only for Paris, but for all of Europe as the most prominent science museum on the continent. The museum complex is open from Tuesday through Sunday, but is closed on Mondays. It is easy to find via Métro or taxi, and is convenient to Le Méridien Etoile. And unlike so many museums around the world, La Cité des Sciences et de L'Industrie has a compelling Web site, even in translated English. It is a recommended virtual destination before you go, as it will help you digest the sheer scope of the museum complex and decide whether to focus on, say, the planetarium or the hands-on Explora area. This will save valuable time in the long run. Fun, interactive features, such as a feature that allows the user to customize the emotion and facial expression on the Mona Lisa, from frightened and disgusted to merry and most happy, also help to put you in the mood for the visit. You can also check out the activities available to the younger members of your travel entourage; La Cité des Enfants targets kids aged two through seven for the ultimate imaginative playgroup. Once there, most everything is also written in English, but audio tours are available as well.
Recently in Paris Category
Destination Spotlight - Paris - A Day at La Cité
Monday December 29, 2008
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More Destination Spotlight - Paris - An Afternoon At The Canal Saint-Martin
Friday December 26, 2008
On a recent trip to Paris I stood on a friend's balcony overlooking the Canal Saint-Martin. "That's Chez Prune," he said, pointing to a little place on the corner with a burgundy awning. "That's where the locals go to meet friends for a drink after work." I figured it would be my first stop that afternoon, but little did I know, the charms of the Quai de Valmy and Quai de Beaurepaire, which line the pretty waterway, would be the highlight of my adventure.
This surprising canal in the 10th arrondissement sits on the fringes of Paris' busy center, but seems a world away. Just over a half hour's walk through the city, from The Westin Paris, Canal Saint-Martin makes a wonderful excursion for families looking for educational ways to have fun, couples looking for a romantic footbridge to stroll across, and even solo travelers looking for some cute independent shops.
At 95, Quai de Valmy, Antoine et Lili is a vivid emporium of quirky home goods, toys, and fashions, while just down the road at number 83, Artazart is full of art and design books. A handful of stylish restaurants line the watery route, including the ultra-fashionable Hotel du Nord, and intimate La Marine. For those who prefer to explore the canal by boat, two and a half hour tours with French and English commentary depart frequently from the Musee d'Orsay and Parc de la Villette. The fascinating system of locks that buoys the boat through the canal will have the kids enthralled. If they get bored after the third lock (there are nine in all), they're sure to enjoy the tunnel which passes beneath the Place de la Bastille. With rare Belgian beer, mulled wine, and all the usual spirits Chez Prune is the perfect way to end the day.
Destination Spotlight - Paris - French Literary History at the Maison de Victor Hugo
Wednesday December 24, 2008
Victor Hugo was one of the leading French thinkers of the 19th century, prolific in the fields of arts, letters, and politics. Today, most people today know him for his work as a novelist, and his two most famous books, Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame have made him an enduring legend around the world, with stage and screen adaptations too numerous to mention. Visitors to Paris who are curious to see where Hugo made his magic should visit the Maison de Victor Hugo, the artist's home between 1832 and 1848. It was here in the former Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménee where he penned some of his greatest masterpieces, including much of Les Misérables, a depiction of the lives of the wretched poor that he had seen so much of in the wake of Napoleon's final defeat. The museum is divided into different periods of Hugo's life, with documents, photos, and manuscripts, as well as original furnishings from his living quarters. There's even a library filled with all of his published work, including several biographical works on Hugo. It's an inspiring stop on the French literary map, and a short jaunt from several Starwood properties, including Le Méridien Etoile.
Destination Spotlight - Paris - A Guide To Culinary Adventures
Wednesday December 24, 2008
If you're having trouble deciding what to eat while at Le Méridien Montparnasse in Paris — or where to eat, for that matter, considering the cornucopia of restaurants dotting the city — here are a couple helpful resources for you:
Writer Clotilde Dusoulier has risen to fame for her wonderful food blog, Chocolate & Zucchini. In addition to a cookbook, she has written a guide to "edible adventures in Paris," which should serve as an excellent companion on your own escapades. Use it to find out which farmers markets are open on which days, where to have a nice glass of wine in the 10ème Arrondissement (Le Verre Volé perhaps) and which shops have the finest delectables.
If you can afford it, you might wish to book an Edible Paris culinary tour put together specially for you by Rosa Jackson, a cookbook author and cooking instructor. Just tell her what you're interested in and she'll come up with a custom itinerary replete with maps and not-to-miss recommendations.
Cookbook author (notice a trend?) David Lebovitz not only has some restaurant recommendations for you, but also tips on what to expect when dining out in the City of Lights. You might also check out his blog for nuggets of knowledge like where to get a decent cup of coffee in Paris.
Olfactory Delights at the Fragonard Perfume Museum in Paris
Tuesday December 9, 2008
Think you've got a sophisticated nose? Then bring it to the Fragonard Perfume Museum in Paris, where you'll learn just about everything there is to know about the sweet-smelling concoctions that have made people more attractive to each other for centuries. Occupying a stunning Napolean III town house built by Joseph-Michel-Anne Lesoufaché in 1860 and filled with furnishings from the period, the museum has perfume memorabilia dating from its origins in antiquity and the Middle Ages, through the Renaissance and Enlightenment, to the advent of modern perfumery in the 19th century. It's fascinating to find out how perfumers extract fragrances from flowers, plants, and other natural materials through distillation, absorption, and other techniques to create olfactory masterpieces that evoke faraway places with one whiff. Good perfumes are that powerful, as the French figured out years ago, and a little research in this fascinating museum can go a long way the next time you're at the fragrance counter of your favorite department store. The Fragonard Perfume Museum is convenient to several Starwood properties, including the luxurious Westin Paris.
[image via fragonard.com]
A Vision of the Future at the Centre Pompidou in Paris
Wednesday November 19, 2008Most visitors to Paris expect classic French elegance in both architecture and art, but the Centre Pompidou is something else altogether. The free-flowing architecture of this breathtaking modern building is entirely free of constraint, making a bold statement to visitors before they even enter. The Renzo Piano-designed building caused quite a scandal upon opening in 1977 and continues to stimulate strong opinions today. The center houses a public library as well as the Musée National d'Art Moderne, with more than 1,300 works by artists as varied as French Cubist sculptor Henri Laurens and French Fauvist painter Georges Henri Rouault. In a museum such as this, nothing looks the same twice, and everything makes you want to do a double-take. The Centre Pompidou is convenient to several Starwood properties, including Le Méridien Montparnasse.
Going Green in Paris
Wednesday November 5, 2008In the November issue of Travel + Leisure, which has a special focus on green and eco-tourism, Le Méridien Etoile gets a nod for installing energy efficient minibars, TVs and heating in its rooms. The article also recommended a pair of restaurants where you can carry the green theme into your Parisian dining experience.
BioArt, an all-organic restaurant in the 13th Arrondissement, offers such dishes as risotto topped with shaved truffle and diver scallop terrine — plus a gorgeous view of the Seine. You might also check out Phyto Bar, which boasts an organic beer and wine selection to go along with its all-organic, veggie-friendly menu.
Arpège takes it a step further with a holistic farm-to-table approach: most of the fruits, vegetables and herbs used in the food are from Chef Alain Passard's own farm, and the rest of the ingredients are from small, independent producers. There's nothing rustic about the food, though: Passard's refined yet innovative dishes have earned him three Michelin stars, and he's on Forbes.com's list of the world's most expensive tasting menus.
Write Your Way to ONE NIGHT PARIS with Le Méridien
Tuesday October 14, 2008
If you've ever felt like you could capture the essence of a place in words or pictures, this just might be your big break. Le Méridien is looking for creative attachés to help celebrate culture and creativity in the City of Light at their signature event, ONE NIGHT PARIS. Two winners and their companions will have an opportunity to experience the creative side of Paris in a one-of-a-kind journey curated by Flavorpill. Creative attachés will capture their Parisian experiences in a travel journal that Flavorpill will complement with your images from the trip. Upon your return, the story will be published on lemeridien.com. Winners and their guests will enjoy three nights at Le Méridien Etoile, November 30 through December 3, 2008; round trip air transportation; VIP access to ONE NIGHT PARIS; a creative itinerary to discover Paris, curated by Le Méridien + Flavorpill; a digital camera; and a $500 gift card. Sound intriguing? Submit a story that describes why you're the perfect creative attaché, along with a relevant photo, before midnight on October 22, 2008, and start dreaming of the perfect night in Paris.
Endless Treats and a Chocolate Fashion Show at the Salon du Chocolat
Tuesday October 7, 2008It's a chocolate festival and it's in Paris. Need we say more? Check your diet at the door and come luxuriate in the most mind-blowing chocolate in the world at the Salon du Chocolat. From October 29 to November 2, 2008, more than 130 of the world's best chocolate makers will gather at Porte de Versailles for a chocolate celebration like no other. Chocolate masters from Switzerland, Syria, Japan, Germany, Belgium, and of course, France, will be handing out samples and explaining the tricks of their mouthwatering trade. "From the bean to the bar, planting to palate," exhibits will show the cocoa life cycle, with producing countries like Madagascar and Venezuela on hand to promote their nation's prized beans and refining methods. But lest you think a chocolate festival is all about eating, there's also a chocolate fashion show, where fabulous ladies don chocolate and chocolate-inspired outfits and parade about in their delectable finery. Perhaps the only time when you wonder if they get to keep their outfits at the end of the day. Starwood has several Paris properties, including the nearby Le Méridien Etoile.
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More Starpick the Hotel Prince de Galles, Paris
Thursday September 11, 2008
Paris is lovely any time of year, but September is a particularly good month for a visit, with comfortable temperatures, fewer tourists, and a cultural calendar packed with events of all kinds. There's nothing more romantic than a last-minute trip to Paris, so why not grab your special someone for a weekend to remember forever? It's not such a far-fetched idea, thanks to Starpicks. That's because the Hotel Prince de Galles, Paris is one of this week's participating Starpicks properties, with last-minute rates of at least 20% off regular rates for stays during the next two weekends. This Luxury Collection hotel has everything you could ever want to have the time of your life in the City of Lights. The 1928 Art Deco building is located in the heart of Paris on Avenue George V, convenient to the many shops, museums, restaurants, and theaters that make this city great. The 138 guest rooms and 30 suites offer the best in modern amenities while maintaining an atmosphere of classic French elegance and comfort. And when it comes to dining, you can't do much better than Restaurant Le Jardin des Cygnes. Helmed by Executive Chef Benoist Rambaud, it offers refined French cuisine in a room with soaring ceilings and imposing glass doors. It's a meal fit for royalty, but you deserve it. New Starpicks properties are posted every Tuesday, so check the site for the latest deals.
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