Père Lachaise cemetery

Years ago, upon my first-ever arrival in Paris, there was no doubt as to where I would begin my itinerary ...

I went immediately to the Père Lachaise cemetery.

That's the final resting place of such luminaries as Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Sarah Berhhardt and Chopin. If I had been there during daylight, I'm sure I would have taken my time to pay my respects to each of them and others. However, it was around 1.00am, and this was a pilgrimage to what's become more of a shrine than a grave.

This is where Jim Morrison of the Doors is buried.

James Dean lived fast and died young. Kurt Cobain had succumbed, by his own hand, to stress and recurrent abdominal pains. Marilyn Monroe took too many pills. Mama Cass choked on that fateful ham sandwich. Keith Moon simply exploded from self-indulgence.

Jim Morrison was different. He lived hard so we didn't have to.


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Culinary Traditions Of France

French cuisine is the amazingly high standard to which all other native cuisines must live up to. The country of France is home of some of the finest cuisine in the world, and it is created by some of the finest master chefs in the world. The French people take excessive pride in cooking and knowing how to prepare a good meal. Cooking is an essential part of their culture, and it adds to one's usefulness if they are capable of preparing a good meal.

by: Kirsten Hawkins

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Get Started Speaking French

While you are in France you will probably make yourself understood by speaking the “Text Book” French and make much use of dictionary you armed yourself with before starting your holiday. However if you really want to impress with your language skills you could speak a little of the modern, progressive language in every day use today. Just like any progressive language, French is rich in colloquialisms and slang or ‘argot’.

Here are some examples of everyday French and simple colloquial terms to get you started:

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French Wine

by: Jeff Anderson

Since the Roman times, France has made its wines, producing it from freshly cut grapes. The Romans are the first to disseminate the arts of winemaking. Wine is generally produced from freshly picked grapes; however, today's wines also are made from watermelon, apricots, peaches and other fruits. French wine is produced with freshly cut grapes, cultured yeasts, that are converted from sugars into alcohol while the fermentation process is taking place. Commonly the yeasts are filtered out before bottling takes place. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, and Champagne offer a variety of tastes that provide luxury with any meal.

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France – Paris and Nice

by: Rick Chapo

From beaches to the alps, France has a little of something for everyone. In this article, we take a look at Paris and the beach city of Nice.

Paris

It is hard to know where to start when discussing Paris. Take a boat down the Seine River and you will pass Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and so many other notable spots it is easy to get overwhelmed. The city is simply that dramatic.

Long considered the most glamorous city in Europe, Paris has a little of everything. For the romantic, one can visit the haunts of famous writers, historical sites of just about every nature and the Moulin Rouge.

On the other hand, art lovers can spend weeks visiting the 100 plus museums in the city with, of course, the Louvre being the crown jewel. Personally, I found the Rodin Museum just as interesting, particularly since there was a much smaller crowd.

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