Josee Legrand

Josée secured us accommodations in a boutique hotel where I’d stayed before, Villa des Artistes in the 6th arrondissement. She had offered other, fancier places since this was an anniversary trip, but we opted for this 3-star hotel since we planned to have many outings throughout our stay and wanted to save some money for special dinners and other activities. The hotel was just as I remembered: charming, clean, and comfortable, with a supremely helpful front-desk staff, generous continental breakfast. When we arrived in France, our friendly driver, Michael, met us at the airport and brought us to the hotel, where we were delighted to be able to check in early after our red-eye flight. We immediately went out to eat delicious crêpes at La Crêperie de Josselin on a nearby side street of Rue Montparnasse, which I believe is part of what is known as “Le Petit Bréton” of Paris.

We took a cab to the meeting site to go to La Tour Eiffel. Our guide met the small group scheduled to visit the tower, and after making our way through two rounds of security checks, we went all the way to the top! The views were spectacular, and the audio guide (while a bit hokey!) helped us orient ourselves to the city. We are grateful that Josée scheduled this as our first formal experience of the trip—it was the perfect start! We decided to walk back to our hotel so that we could explore the city on foot. This was a choice we made several times throughout our stay in Paris, carrying umbrellas with us in case of rain. On this first night, we did get caught in a cloudburst just before reaching our hotel, but we scurried into a lovely restaurant, Le Dôme, where we enjoyed a beautiful seafood platter paired with excellent wine. (As an aside, although the forecast was gloomy for the 6 days we were in France, we felt very lucky that this was the only time we got caught in the rain. Quelle bonne chance!)

The next morning after a lovely breakfast in the small outside courtyard of the hotel, our guide, Agathe, met us at our hotel to take us by metro for a visit to Sainte Chapelle, La Conciergerie, and the surrounding area. She was warm, knowledgeable, and sensitive, teaching us a great deal about the sites we visited. Sainte Chapelle was breathtakingly beautiful, and we were impressed by the multimedia guides that let us see how Paris (and Île de la Cité, in particular) changed and grew over time. Agathe was careful to point out key features of the architecture, and she sought out more information when we posed questions, seeking specific bible stories in the stained-glass windows. As an aside, Agathe was also able to provide some more recent Parisian history when we encountered police blockades in several areas. She explained that this day of our visit, October 17, was the anniversary of the terrible Paris Massacre of 1961, and she provided context for us, also pointing out street art depicting the late Tunisian-French attorney and feminist heroine Gisèle Halimi, and then connecting her legacy to the bravery of Gisèle Pelicot, the survivor at the heart of the current devastating rape trial. As we walked to La Conciergerie, we stopped to buy cappuccinos at Les Deux Palais, and as we enjoyed them, Agathe oriented us to the sites we’d seen on the video in Sainte Chapelle, pointing out places on the Seine and drawing our attention to various statues. I was very glad we got to go into La Conciergerie, which had been unexpectedly closed the last time I was in Paris. Once again, we were impressed by the multimedia tools at this historic site, which let us see what the interior of the building (including the great hall and the kitchens, in addition to the holding cells) looked like centuries ago. We were also glad to see a beautiful exhibit of artwork from Benin, where we lingered a bit before heading out. Since we’d stayed a bit longer than expected at La Conciergerie, we said goodbye to Agathe and headed out on our own to the marché aux fleurs, where we made a few purchases before going to the viewing stand outside Notre Dame. It’s a shame we couldn’t go inside since construction is still underway, but we decided that’s just another reason to return to Paris again someday! Then, we made our way to Shakespeare & Co., where we happily browsed the shelves, bought a small fraction of the many books we wanted to buy due to luggage space. We walked along the Seine, stopping at a street vendor to buy an antique print, and then had an excellent lunch on the terrace of Les Antiquaires.

We walked to Musée d’Orsay. Neither of us had ever been there, and it is now one of our favorite places on Earth! The collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work is just astounding, and the audio guide was user-friendly and very enjoyable. We learned so much about familiar art and were thrilled to discover new artists. We could’ve spent many days there, happily exploring the galleries and marveling at the architecture itself. We will certainly return! And next time we will certainly add Musée de l'Orangerie to our agenda.

We walked to the launching site for our dinner cruise on the Seine. This was a beautiful, romantic night, and the food and wine were delicious. We loved taking in the sites of the city all lit up, and the servers were gracious and eager to make sure we had fun.

On Saturday we started with a gourmet food tour of Paris. We skipped breakfast and met our guide at the meeting site. Carole was a delight! Passionate about slow food, cooking, and food history, she shared a tremendous amount of knowledge and the many images she had collected on her iPad enhanced the history she shared. She showed us around various kitchenware shops, specialty food stores, and brasseries as we wended our way to Rue de Nil, where she planned to make food purchases. We worked up an appetite and were fairly desperate for coffee, having misunderstood that we would not be eating throughout the tour, but purchasing items to eat all together at lunchtime. About an hour into our tour, Carole did lead us to a good coffee shop where we bought cappuccinos, and we had the best croissants we’d ever had before going to other shops, where she bought a baguette, cheeses, butter, and meats to enjoy as a lunch paired with wine. In retrospect, we wished we’d personally bought fresh fruits, mustards, cornichons/gherkins, and olives to add to the meal, but we weren’t sure if that would have been OK. Also, my husband doesn’t drink alcohol, and his drink options were limited at the restaurant where we had our meal, but these issues were only minor detractions from an otherwise wonderful experience with an expert guide.

I wish I could give a whole constellations of stars to this experience, never mind 5. Before our photographer, Sabine, met us at the hotel, we stopped at a florist across the street, Bouquets Montparnasse. The shopkeeper made up a bouquet for me and a boutonniere for my husband on the spot! Then, we got dressed and our driver, Michael, picked us up with Sabine and we went off to Île de la Cité for our photo shoot and picnic. I hardly know how to express my gratitude to Sabine for her beautiful work. She was professional, patient, accommodating, generous, and above all, an artist in all she did for us that afternoon. The nearly 300 photos she took have given us a priceless record of our milestone anniversary, and they will be precious heirlooms for our family. After taking photos on two bridges, and then photographing our vow renewal, including a handfasting ritual, she took care to photograph various special details—the headpiece my late-mother-in-law made that I wore in her honor, our rings, the handfasting cord, etc.—and I think she stayed much longer than she’d planned. She left us to enjoy our picnic and then returned to bring us to our driver and to pick up the picnic items for the company that set up the meal. We are so very, very appreciative of her time and talents and hope you will convey our thanks to her. She truly went above and beyond, and we could not be happier with the photographs. And, I must also say that the picnic was a delight! In some ways it was an encore of the meal we had with Carole, but it also included a beautiful bouquet, fresh fruit, a lovely Normandy cider for my husband, and tasty desserts. As we enjoyed our meal and reflected on the vows we’d shared, we took time to call our family, and the entire experience left us feeling profoundly happy and grateful. Additional: After our driver brought us back to our hotel, we packed everything so that we would be ready to leave Paris the next day, and then we decided to take the advice of a cab driver we’d met earlier in the week and make our way to the Latin Quarter for some jazz music. I’d mentioned to him that I wanted to find a jazz club for our last night in Paris, and he immediately recommended Le Caveau de la Huchette. So, we walked there from our hotel, stood in a line that wrapped round the corner to enter, and ended up having one of the most fun nights out of our lives! The music was amazing, the energy of the crowd joyful and exuberant, and we even managed to score some seats in the packed room. We wished we could’ve stayed longer until the place shut down at 2 a.m., but we decided to head back to our hotel at midnight since we had to be up and ready to leave for the airport the next morning. Day 6 As it turned out, we had one more delight in store. We got up early enough to take our coffee and breakfast from the hotel to go, and we walked to Le Jardin du Luxembourg for a sunrise breakfast just as the park opened at 8 a.m.. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. I’d been sad at the prospect of throwing away the flowers from our vow renewal, and then I was inspired to bring them to our little breakfast picnic. As we left the park, we passed by a statue of George Sand, and we decided to leave toss the bouquets at the base, recalling her famous words, “Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé,” (“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”)

On our last full day in Paris, we went to Montmartre, a part of the city we’d never visited. (We ended up regretting taking a cab since several Seine River crossings were closed due to a road race, but we made it just in time after a half-hour drive that should’ve taken much less time.) We are so grateful that Josée scheduled this for our final morning—the juxtaposition of this part of the city with the other areas we’d been in was just incredible. Our tour guide, Florencia, was a last-minute substitute since the person who was supposed to be our guide had to cancel due to a family emergency. Florencia was nervous since this was the first-ever tour she’d led independently, but she did a wonderful job! She was knowledgeable, passionate about history, and very warm and friendly. We had just rewatched the film Amelie on the big screen a month or so ago in our hometown, so it was a special treat to see sites from that movie, and we were delighted to be introduced to the singer Dalida and her story—we’ve been listening to her music ever since! We made all sorts of connections between the art we’d seen at Musée d’Orsay and the sites we saw in Monmartre, and it was quite special to walk up to Sacré Cœur and take in the view of the city from the hill. After climbing down the long steps from Sacré Cœur, Florencia led us to a metro stop, and we went back to our hotel to get ready for our vow renewal/photo shoot, the raison d’être of our anniversary trip.

After our tour, we went window shopping at the Palais Royale before making our way to the Louvre. We asked security where to go with our “skip the line” passes and were unfortunately told that there is no such thing as “skip the line,” and that this is a marketing label with no practical impact. So, we waited in line for nearly an hour including security checks, and then found our way to the audio-guide pickup site. Unlike the audio-guide devices at Musee d’Orsay, we found the ones at the Louvre to be very difficult to use, and we ended up returning them early and just fending for ourselves. This was a fine choice! Everywhere we looked there was something wonderful to see, and we devised a thematic approach to our wanderings, deciding to look for depictions of Mary Magdalene throughout the museum since we had plans to visit La Madeleine that evening. We stayed until the museum closed, and then went back to our hotel to quickly dress up for our nighttime plans. (As an aside, we had no KimKim items on our agenda for that evening, so I had looked for events ahead of time and bought tickets to a classical music concert at La Madeleine. We took a cab to the venue, where we were astounded by the beauty of the church and excited to see more artwork, not to mention relics, of Mary Magdalene. The concert was wonderful! Les Violons de France played Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, and Schubert’s Ave Maria, accompanied by a soprano. The combination of the gorgeous music and the exquisite setting made for a night we will never forget. We walked back to our hotel even though it was a bit chilly and drizzly, stopping for a warming meal of boeuf bourguignon at a small bistro to end a long, jam-packed, beautiful day.)

This Hotel is amazing the staff were all wonderful providing my needs during my stay. The lady named, Omy kept me updated with what was going on in the area, and she worked hard keeping customer service up to par. Francis and Aman were also awesome, they were both very helpful explaining every details that I did not understand. Highly recommended!

The only golf course that is worth playing is the Le National Albatross Course. However, this golf course need to hire a Marshall to keep the pace of play going. I was following a slow golfers for both of my rounds here, and not fun, when a fast golfer like me had to wait 5 to 10 minutes on every hole. So, I would suggest to let your travel agent know to extend the time to at least 30 to 50 minutes pick up time with your driver after 4 hours if you decide to play golf at Le National Golf Course.

I have no comment on this tour because the tour guide and Eiffel Tower is amazing!

The tour guide was amazing, no other comments.

I love the fact that I did not have to drive the Vintage Car, because I have the knowledgeable driver to drive for me, and I just enjoy the sceneries, and take photos.

I did not have a good experienced on this one because, I went to the right boat, but the lady in front (who were by the entrance) told me that I am on the wrong boat, so I ran to the other boat. But the other boat staff told me to go back to the boat where I came from, which was the right boat to begin with....

Great location… a few minutes walk to the Eiffel Tower but tucked away so you were not in the chaos of the Eiffel Tower.

This was perfect! Lovely tour guide, the pastures and chocolate tasted far exceed our expectations and I think we had 9 stops! Everything was the best ever! Our biggest surprise treat was Aux Merveilleux… this is a must try!

We enjoyed this experience so much last year - was a highlight of last years trip.. I wanted to share with my daughter on this year’s trip. Unfortunately, while still enjoyable I would say the food quality was less than last year, the live entertainment was good- but so loud. It was a struggle to hear my daughter across our small table for two.. and she struggled to hear me so it was not just my aging ears! Service was fast.. and efficient but not as pleasant than last year. When we arrived back at the dock there was approximately 25 people hovering around the door to waiting to disembark, we were 2 of them. This was not the case last July when we took the same cruise. The boat is comfortable and enjoyable to be on.. and the cruise in the evening is a beautiful ride.

Very friendly staff. Rooms clean and updated.

Very bare bones type hotel. Shower was weird set up. Clean, restaurant and bar very nice option as we got in late and were flying out in the a.m. ok with staying here due to the fact that we really only needed a place to sleep. Would def not to want an extended stay here.

Hotel needs updating. Some cleanliness issues due to mostly age. Sun deck very worn and aged, Not really a nice feature.

The Hotel La Bourdonnais was elegant, clean, in a very nice and convenient location. The staff were very polite and attentive.

Karim, our private tour guide for Versailles was extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.

The Eiffel Tower itself is pretty awesome, also when seen with a miniature of the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. The views from the top are spectacular.

The Hop-on Hop-off Buses offer a really good introduction to Paris. Stop or pass by many of the main sights in Paris. Buses run frequently which makes it a very good way to get around. The issue we had was that there was no clear end-time for the buses. Seems that each driver decides when his shift is ending and ends his route at whichever stop is next at that time. So, two drivers could stop working at different times, at different stops.

The Louvre museum is one of the foremost museums in the world. It is immense, with 9 miles of corridors. You could spend days, actually weeks, admiring the artwork. Robert, our guide, was a wealth of information. He guided us through several sections of the museum, all amazing. The only let-down was the crowd at the Mona Lisa. You almost have to elbow your way through, in order to get to the front. I wish the curators would take a cue from the curators of The Last Supper in Milan, where only a small number of visitors is allowed to see the painting for a set number of minutes, then they're ushered out and the next small number of visitors is allowed in. That avoid the crowds and everyone has a front row view of the masterpiece.

The show at the Moulin Rouge was really entertaining and done in good taste. Several "circus" acts along with a lot of dance numbers with many glamorous dancers. The show was really entertaining and done in good taste.

Alex, our private guide, just like the other private guides, was extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.

Finally, the dinner cruise was unbelievable. The food was excellent, the service was very attentive, the live band was exciting and enthusiastic, and the views were unforgettable.

Parking nearby was difficult! Everything else was wonderful!!! GREAT Location!!!!

Other than walking 350 meters to parking, it was amazing to be in a 1500 yr. old monastery turned elegant hotel with the BEST French breakfast!

Loved the feel of the old farmhouse turned hotel........ had some issues with the toilet and very small space, but wonderful breakfast in the a.m.!

Pay parking is a ways away. Be prepared to walk with your luggage from the pay for parking lot. Hotel is on the busy main, old town pedestrian walk way. Lots of people watching from your balcony if it faces to the front. Front desk employees friendly and helpful. Breakfast was comparable to other Hotels in Provence.

An exciting, vibrant city. Hundreds of choices for wonderful places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, all within a 5 to 10 minute walk. Walking at night is an amazing experience, especially along Vieux Port. Great people-watching, people from all over the world living and touring in this city.

This was in the top 2 experiences in our trip throughout Marseille and Provence. These islands are uniquely beautiful. Going in a pontoon boat can be a little bumpy but you have the opportunity to get much closer to the unique land, beaches and especially, being able to go into the caves along the coastlines. Bleu Evasion was a great cruise company. The employees are efficient, safety oriented and our boat captain, Christoph (spelling?) was very experienced, knowledgeable, friendly and engaging.......... all the attributes you want for an beautiful excursion like this!

Gille is a very talented chef who is able to share his knowledge of cooking with our group of 10 in a way that ALL of us learned SO much, from the experienced to the very inexperienced, like my husband. He came away so excited to try some of the techniques he learned from Gille. It was a great experience walking with Gille to look for the fresh fish at the Vieux Port and the fresh produce in a small square, a few blocks away and then walk to his mother's beautiful home to prepare our French meal. Wonderful experience~~~

One of our top 2 excursions in Marseille/Provence. Our driver, Robin, took us to a wonderful winery and then to Chateau des Baux-de-Provence where we saw the Luminaire exhibit in the caves of the Alpilles. Then lunch in the medieval town nearby, with a tour of the old castle after, with an amazing view of the beautiful vineyards and olive groves in the Baux Valley below....... a truly memorable day.

It was a wonderful area to visit with a lot of Roman and Medieval history and 2 different UNESCO world heritage sites to visit and walk through. Robin shared a lot of the history he was familiar with and we took a tour of the large amphitheater which has been re - done yet keeping the original structure intact so that concerts/performances are still held there today. Our only downside of the day, and which couldn't have been helped, was the high temperature the day we visited this area. Due to the sites all being outside, we weren't able to truly appreciate all that we saw that day.

Great location accessible to restaurants, grocery & transportation! Staff are attentive especially Emily!

Worth doing it! Nicolas was a great guide & photographer!

The tower & view is great. Except that it’s too crowded but it’s August peak season of tourist.

So much to see & learn from history. Guide is very knowledgeable.

Great location, great breakfast included and the staff was great!!

Loved this hotel! Rooms were super nice, breakfast was great, room service and the bar were awesome. Staff was super friendly and you can’t beat the location!

What an incredible property! We had a junior suite that was perfect for our family of four. It was huge! Everything about the hotel is top notch. The views and location cannot be best. The staff was super! We loved every second of our stay there!

THE VIEWS!! Absolutely stunning! The location is perfect. We had a suite that was perfect for our family of four. Everyone had their space. The two bathrooms/showers was awesome. Everything was super nice and newly renovated. The spa is a really nice touch.

Would have been awesome but it was pouring and cold so it was not a great experience.

Loved loved loved this! My kids really enjoyed having the audio guides. It provided us with more appreciation for what we were looking at. And you controlled what pieces you wanted to lean more about. Super easy to use as well.

It was great - we learned so much about the area that we otherwise would not have ever discovered. It’s a really great excursion. Mathias was great!

This was a super fun experience! It was great to get to sample all of the fun foods! My kids loved it!

This tour exceeded our expectations by a lot! Wow - we learned so very much about Teims from an historic context. We visited several amazing churches as well. Rafa knows a lot and was just great to spend the day with!

Wow was this amazing! The weather was perfect, the food was fantastic and Roy was super sweet! He even took my son over so he could jump off a ledge into the water. He had blankets to keep us warm as the sun was setting. It was great!!

EPIC I’m every way! LOVED LOVED LOVES this so much. The weather was perfect, the views were to die for and the getting to experience the hike and see the stuff that we did was like nothing we’d ever done. Alban was the NICEST guy - he was just awesome!

Not super helpful to only receive this a week or two before trip. Should be provided sooner.