On our morning walks, a needed ritual these days, we often talk of places we want to visit in the future. France is one of those places with a powerful allure. I’ll share a little of my favorite France, “ que cela t’inspire.” We’ll begin in my favorite city then hit the road. May all of your virtual travel and dream trips become a reality soon!

PARIS…T.S. Eliot once said,…“The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant.” No matter how many times you have visited Paris it has a unique, possibly even guileful, way of drawing you back. There is always something new to see or experience. Even if you have seen it before it will feel quite different the next time.

You need to decide which hotel or apartment to book. I recommend splurging a bit at the enchanting Hotel de la Reine in the heart of the Marais, or the Hotel D’aubusson in the 6th. For a superior apartment contact Paris Perfect. We also like VRBO. Now let’s go out to explore. I came upon this little spot while walking to dinner with my friend Philippe in the Tuileries Gardens. It was almost deserted except for the commanding Gaston Lachaise sculpture.

Parisians take their food very…very seriously. There is no better city in the whole world for exploring wonderful food markets & weekend food streets, especially if you have rented an apartment. Almost every arrondissement has interesting food markets and streets. The Rue Poncelet Market in the 17th is a great one.

Patrons line up to get into the amazing specialty food store, Maison Pou, on Avenue des Ternes, adjacent to the Rue Poncelet market. I have never seen such beautiful and artfully prepared food!

Some travel writers believe the very best food street is Rue des Martyrs and there is even the best selling book about it, Elaine Sciolino’s, “The Only Street In Paris.”Artist and blogger, Carol Gillott, created this whimsical map of the street.

Enjoy a leisurely stroll down the Rue Saint Andre des Arts from the Place Saint-Michel.

Paris is unique in having hundreds of plaques commemorating famous events and people. They are easy to miss. I find the plaques about resistance fighters who died trying to liberate Paris especially moving!

Marla takes a peek in the window of Gerard Mulot on the Rue de Seine. Incredible pastries!

The Montmartre area can be very crowded with locals and tourists but you can find a few quiet spots like Place Dalida. Dalida is a fascinating story itself! Marla and I visited her gravesite in the Montmartre Cemetery.

We have friends living near Parc Monceau in the 17th. I love the Roman style colonnade.

Most tourists miss the Jardin des Plantes and the Natural History Museum. I find this area very interesting and historical.

Coffee or tea?

Before leaving Paris I highly recommend a very long lunch at La Tour d’Argent. 105 Euros may seem steep for a 3-course lunch but believe me, you will never forget the cuisine, the unforgettable views, the history, and one of the very best wine lists in the entire world. There were 3 sommeliers at lunch the last time we visited. Marla and I LOVE this place for a special lunch, but dinner is ridiculously expensive.

Now it is time to explore. The Loire is a great to begin our explorations. The Loire River and valley is dotted with enchanting chateaus and the wines are wonderful. I recommend driving or booking multi-day tours.

The department of the Vendee, southwest of Nantes on the Loire, is a little off the usual tourist radar and features beautiful coastlines and rolling countryside. Marla and I once hosted a designer trip to the 900-year-old Chateau de la Flocelliere. The Vicomte et Vicomtesse Patrice VIGNIAL hosted a Medieval dinner one evening. We all dressed up in custom pre-fitted costumes for a period candlelight dinner.

Exploring the ancient hill towns of the Cote d’Azur are fascinating.

One of the prettiest places in France is Lac d’Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region. Annecy Town is shown above. The water is the cleanest of any lake in France. You can hop on a small ferry to visit other areas of the lake or even cycle around it on a beautiful bike trail.

Talloires is one of my favorite areas on the lake. Pere Bise is a gorgeous hotel to stay in Talloires and their restaurant is superb!

We love the Cote d’Azur. The picturesque town of Menton is our new favorite place to stay. Italy is only a 30-minute walk. Menton’s Mirazur restaurant was ranked #1 in the world in 2019!

The old town of Menton is a fascinating place to explore and the views are sensational. The nearby hill towns are a must visit as well!

We began taking our girls to Cannes when they were quite young. Yes, it can be crowded in season, and overly glitzed up, but you can explore the old area of town called Le Suquet and have dinner on the ancient street of Rue du Suquet. Riviera Beach, shown above, has been our go-to beach club for years and is less expensive than on the Croisette.

Men play “petanque” (similar to boules) in town.

This looks like a staged shot for the quintessential French village. The town of Saint Guilhem le Désert in the department of Languedoc is all of this and more.

This is one of the tiny lanes in town.

The southwestern region of France is amazing and should be on all Francophile lists!

The Canal du Midi was once a royal waterway. The town of Ventenac en Minervois, near Narbonne, is pictured above. Many travelers take multi-day canal barge tours. This is a very pretty part of the Languedoc region and the wines are outstanding!

I loved castles as a kid so visiting Carcassonne in the Languedoc region was a real treat. It can be a little touristy but the castle is wonderful for touring. One of my favorite dinners of all time was at the 2 Star Michelin restaurant “La Table Franck Putelat. You can stay overnight there as well.

You never know what you might run into (literally) when driving in rural France. The cows had the right of way on this day in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in the Alps.

War memorials for World War 1 deaths are in every town in France. Over 1,400,000 French died in the war. This one was especially poignant!

Oh,…you have one last night evening in Paris before flying home? Let’s make it memorable! Chez Dumonet is one of the great classic style restaurants in the city.

A celebration on your last night in Paris, Chez Dumonet style.

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.