I had the good fortune of traveling to Paris with my sister last month. We stayed in the charming Hotel d’Angleterre on the Left Bank, very near Notre Dame. The hotel had been the British embassy and notables like Benjamin Franklin, Washington Irving and Hemingway stayed there.
The weather was perfect — in the 70s with sunset was around 8:00 pm. Lovely long days with walks through sun-dappled Tuileries Gardens. My sister Betty abhors the metro so got around Paris on the double-decker bus. When in Paris why not see Paris? Not only can you ride till 10:00 pm up the Champs Elysees and over to the Eiffel Tower and see these sights day and night but there are two other routes. We took one to Montmartre. I’d spent my Junior Year in France and knew the city well. What was so amazing was being atop the double-decker bus, sometimes listening to the audio tours, and seeing parts of Paris I’d never seen that year or on subsequent trips to Paris. If you’re a history buff like me, you’ll enjoy Paris, the Novel by Rutherford. The history of Paris from the 12th century on is woven through the lives of five families.
We decided September would be ideal. What with the internet, it’s easy to plan a trip. Through Expedia, I booked a Vivaldi concert in the magnificent Sainte Chapelle. To see the jewel-like Sainte Chapelle with seating like a chapel (on a normal visit it’s an empty space surrounded by beautiful stained-glass windows) was an extraordinary experience. Not only did we enjoy the concert but also the spectacle of light slowly dimming in the windows, turning them cobalt-blue as night fell.
Other highlights included a night walking tour of Paris, a trip to Vaux le Vicomte and a trip to the Champagne region. Of course, fabulous meals along the way and a de rigeur stop for divinely decadent desserts at Laudere just down the street from our hotel. Tables in cafes are so close together (you’re elbow to elbow) that we chatted with countless fellow diners. Paris was a party and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
An elementary school was by our hotel and we dropped copies of Enseignez a votre enfant les tables de multiplication. We also went by bookstores including Shakespeare and Company. I left copies of the English edition with WH Smith, an English bookstore by the Place de la Concorde. As a Junior Year in France student, my friends and I would have tea and scones there.
I long for the next trip to Paris. My mission to introduce both the English and French editions to Paris was successful. I am now getting orders from France. Every order that comes in for my French edition makes me tres contente. I envision enfants sitting with their mamans learning les tables with my little book.