It does not happen too often but today Parisians woke up to thier city covered in a nice coat of snow. These pictures were taken in and just around the Luxembourg Gardens, which was busy with snowball fights and children building small snowmen. In general the city did not even really flintch at the accumulation but I would love to see what would happen at 20 or more cm (6 inches).
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Hello Travelers,
Happy holidays from iKangaroo Travel Media. We look forward to bringing you more travel information that will make your trips even more fun in the coming year. Enjoy the following video showcasing beautiful Paris all decked out for Christmas.
Have a great holiday season.
By Chris
Rue Mouffetard in Paris’ 5th arrondissement is the definition of the beaten path. It does not have undiscovered nooks with kindly shop-keepers who serve up surprisingly delicious food or have piles of rare antiques with that certain something that you have been searching the world over. Instead it is a touristic production line that churns through 1000s of visitors in its countless bistros, restaurants, bars, pubs and sidewalk cafes. To the uninformed and travel elitist it is merely a Left Bank cliche full of indifferent service, mediocre food and cheap souvenirs. However, if you’re able to accept, as my recent tour guide Alex said, that “you are a tourist” than you’ll find that rue Mouffetard is an exceptional opportunity to enjoy Paris on a budget. It certainly has some good finds and overall great deals set in a bustling neighborhood that was born in Roman times close to 2000 years ago. A walk from the top of Mouffetard to the bottom will give you ample opportunity to take in small fun cafes and inexpensive restaurants. Here are some I want to share.
Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most famous churches in the world. Known for its flying buttresses, gargoyles and as the home to Quasimodo in Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Gothic cathedral has been standing guard, sometimes under serious threat of destruction, as Paris has grown and evolved over the last 700 or so years. As with any great church the stories that are told in the art are rich with meaning. Click the above video for a short tour of some of the details in Notre Dame’s facade that might not get noticed as you get overwhelmed by the magnitude of one of Europe’s finest architectural achievements.
Hello Travelers,
We have just found out that St. Christopher’s Inns’ ‘The Village’ hostel on Borough High Street has won the prestigious title of Best Budget Accommodation in London - for the second year in a row.
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A New Festival from NolaBulls– the same crew who created NOLA Running with the Bulls– and the Reverend Psycho Ward.
St. Andrew was the first apostle and is the patron saint of Greece, Scotland, and Russia. His feast day Andrzejki (pronounced an-dzey-ki), celebrated on the night of the 29th through 30th of November, is the biggest party day of the year in Poland and is now being imported to New Orleans.
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By Chris–
To a large degree being Catholic gives a traveler advantages in navigating the ABC’s of European travel. The ABC’s? All the Bloody Churches. Why does being Catholic help? Because where there are churches there are relics and ceremonies that have protocol that even the most latent Catholic can remember quicker than you can say, “Hail Mary.” For an accidental Catholic - a non-Catholic who is an accidental participant in Catholic ritual - finding yourself in what may look like a Holy aerobics session may be awkward because of all the sitting, crossing, kneeling, hand motions, etc. Recently, even I, a Catholic, was caught off guard when I went to the Veneration of the Crown of Thorns so I have put together these tips for getting the most out of your visit to see the Relics of the Passion at Notre Dame de Paris.
By Chris–
While working through, and getting lost in Paris’s Cimetière du Père Lachaise, I finally found my destination after hearing the giggles of some young American girls who were about to leave their madness of kisses on Oscar Wilde’s grave. This was a twist because the great author, playwrite and poet would have rather gotten kisses from young, swarthy and dangerous young men. At least this irony was understood by the girls who laughed at their male companion when he asked if they thought if it would be okay for him to kiss the headstone. “Actually”, one girl chuckled, “he may have liked that more.” “Why?” he asked, and then he must have gotten it because his face turned as red as the lipstick. “What did you get in that class again?” and “Go ahead, you may as well just kiss it now that you have my lipstick on” were what I heard as I walked off thinking that Oscar Wilde must have turned over in his grave.
By– Chris
Paris, France
I knew I was in a place hardly touristed when a friendly group of French at Bar du Centre gently mocked me for diluting my pastis with too much water and asked me, “What are you doing here? You wanted to know the real deep France?”. I responded, “Isn’t this festival des fromages famous?” The students, seeming a little puzzled looked at one another, snickered and their spokesman said, “Maybe in this region.” This scene occurred at the 10th Annual Festival des Fromages de Meulan where we (i.e. Sarah and I) may have been the only two foreigners (American anyway) enjoying the ‘deep France’ experience. With the quirkiness of a small town fair paired with world-class cheese and wine along with a jovial atmosphere this festival is a worthwhile excursion if you find yourself in or around Paris during the second week of October.
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