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French Girl in Seattle

Takes France!

To make your French heart smile

Product Categories

  • French Home Essentials
  • My Favorite Books, posters and cards
  • To make your French heart smile
  • Travel Essentials

  • Paris map tote bag

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  • Eiffel Tower Microfiber cleaning cloth

  • Take Me to Paris T-shirt

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  • Bonjour Laptop Sticker

Bonjour It’s been a peaceful couple of days in Bonjour It’s been a peaceful couple of days in Paris on the @ricksteveseurope “My Way France” tour. I welcomed our friendly group of independent travelers on Tuesday before they headed out to dinner. My Way tours are different from traditional Rick Steves tours. There’s more time to pace yourself and to enjoy the sights and our convenient hotels located in the heart of each town or city we visit. After a busy touring season that started “sur les chapeaux de roues” (in high gear) in April and five fast-paced tours since then, I know I will welcome the slower pace of this fun tour showcasing the diversity of France. Oh the places we will go between Paris and Nice! While tour members are keeping busy in the French capital today, I’ve strolled around our 14th arrondissement neighborhood and did some damage at the local outdoor market. — These markets are perfect for tour guides and travelers who hit unexpectedly hot (or cool) weather and haven’t packed their suitcase just right. As such, they can be very, very dangerous! 😉 Later today, I will reach out to vendors we will be using along the way, and catch up with our driver who’s coming into town before we depart in the morning. Until then, it’s a lovely day in the French capital, and there’s plenty to enjoy in this non-touristy corner of Paris where many hotels are sold out until October! My tour guide life. Véro #francewithvero #france #paris #paris75014 #montparnasse #tourguidelife #rickstevestours
Bonjour, Today was a special day. I got to spen Bonjour, Today was a special day. I got to spend it “en famille,” with my parents, my brother Georges and his family. Georges is lucky to live in Rueil Malmaison. I used to work there as a young professional decades ago, when my corporate career started with American Express France. From my office window overlooking the Seine river as it meanders lazily out of Paris towards Normandy, I could see la Maison Fournaise, a local institution, once a favorite spot of Impressionists artists including Auguste Renoir who immortalized the famous “terrasse” in “le Déjeuner des Canotiers” (Luncheon of the Boating party.) To me, “la Fournaise” is more than a former “guinguette” or an Ile de France landmark; it is also the restaurant where I celebrated countless birthdays and special occasions (like my engagement!) with friends and colleagues. Years later, our family had lunch there before American-born “Junior” was christened. I like it so much that exactly 10 years ago, from Seattle where I still lived at the time, I dedicated a special story to “la Fournaise” on the French Girl in Seattle blog. It remains a favorite of mine and my readers.’ Today we all returned to la Maison Fournaise as a family, as I walked down memory lane. The restaurant reopened last March, with a new interior, a new chef, and a new menu. What a treat: Attentive and friendly service, delicious food, and - bonus! - a talented band playing in the background. The humble “friture de poisson,” (small fry) once a popular dish in Parisian “guinguettes” like la Fournaise has been updated. “Le guinguet,” the cheap white wine used to push it down, has been replaced by Chardonnay or a glass of Tarani from southwestern France. Times change. No matter. It makes me feel good to know that outside the crowded city center, on the Ile des Impressionnistes, the old Maison Fournaise still welcomes guests, our gateway to a not-so-distant past. Véro Merci @maisonfournaise #francewithvero #paris #maisonfournaise #iledesimpressionnistes #chatou #iledefrance #seineriver
Bonjour, Time to pack those bags again. French ro Bonjour, Time to pack those bags again. French roads are calling! First, a weekend “en famille” in Paris, with a special lunch at a special place. By Monday, I’ll be heading downtown to prepare for my next @ricksteveseurope tour, “France My Way,” a 13-day extravaganza that will highlight the diversity of la Belle France from Paris to Nice, with many adventures in between for our group of independent-minded travelers. Truth be told, it’s been hard now and then to leave Tours so often over the last few weeks. I try and make the most of the few days I enjoy at home between tours to catch up with favorite places and favorite people. Had a lovely lunch with a friend, a former expat too, chez @tia_gourmet today. Desserts are spectacular. What better way to enjoy them than with a “café gourmand?” Took the long way home and savored favorite sights along the way. A très bientôt, Tours. Stay cool. Véro #francewithvero #tourscity #toursmaville #Loirevalley #ladieswholunch #cafegourmand #frenchdesserts #rickstevestours
Bonjour, The Westernmost point in France, Brittan Bonjour, The Westernmost point in France, Brittany has always stood apart in la Belle France, geographically, historically, and culturally. For decades, many tourists flocking here in the summer were French and quite a different crowd from their countrymen heading south to the beaches of the French Riviera and Occitanie (or so they like to think…) The word has gotten out in recent years, and more and more international visitors head west too, keen on discovering France off the beaten path. Meanwhile, lockdowns have also prompted city dwellers to leave major urban areas. Brittany has turned overnight into the Promised Land for stressed out Parisians. Cue in rising real estate prices. There’s no denying this corner of la Belle France is special, from its varied coastline to its cities and quaint, colorful villages. One of the Rick Steves tours in France stops in Fougères for lunch. This is not the heart of la Bretagne, but in Fougères, one definitely feels one has left Paris behind. A scenic town, it’s the perfect size for our travelers to explore after they’ve sampled the popular “galettes” and “crêpes” at one of the local restaurants. There’s much to see after lunch: Europe’s largest medieval fortress and its stark granite façade, churches, cobbled streets, half-timbered homes, and, as a bonus, a lovely digestive stroll linking the upper and lower towns. La Bretagne est toujours une bonne idée. Brittany is always a good idea. Véro #francewithvero #bretagne #fougères #fougèretourisme #rickstevestours #magnifiquefrance
Bonjour, Rick Steves’ “Paris and the Heart of Bonjour, Rick Steves’ “Paris and the Heart of France:” It’s a wrap! For 11 days, a group of North American travelers explored la Belle France, from Paris to Burgundy (where a 13th century medieval château is being built in Guédelon,) through slow-paced Bourges, Amboise and the romantic Loire Valley (with some of its star châteaux,) on to the Normandy coast via Fougères and Brittany. After an overnight stay on the Mont St Michel (where we were lucky to catch the highest tides of the month,) we headed to Arromanches, a welcomed home base during the heat wave that hit France and Europe last week. There, our travelers learned more about D-Day with a local expert. It was our privilege to visit the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer where a tour member attended a special ceremony to honor one of the fallen soldiers on behalf of her father, once his comrade in arms. Finally, we headed back to Paris and mostly beat the rain after a visit to magical Giverny before sharing a delicious farewell dinner at the “très parisien” Bouillon Racine on Sunday evening. 11 days, 5 French regions, many adventures (some unplanned.) Our visitors are going home this week, and they are ahead of the game: They loved Paris, yet they know Paris is not France, and there’s much to discover (including great food and wine) for those who explore “la province.” My job is done. I am heading home to Tours to lead a couple of private tours this week while preparing for my next adventure on the road with @ricksteveseurope travelers… Hope to relax a little bit with friends too if I can. 😉 My tour guide life. Véro See more of Paris and la Belle France. Join the France with Vero Club on Patreon where members enjoy behind-the-scenes peeks at my tour guide life🙂. Link in the Bio. #francewithvero #france #magnifiquefrance #tourguidelife #rickstevestours
Bonjour. Life is good in the heart of France. Ti Bonjour. Life is good in the heart of France. Time to slow down; breathe and savor “Les petits bonheurs.” Quoi? No crowds? Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Paris anymore… Véro #francewithvero #ricksteveseurope #rickstevestours #bourges #bourgestourisme #bourgesberrytourisme #merveilleusefrance
Bonjour. Merci Paris, et à bientôt. French ro Bonjour. Merci Paris, et à bientôt. French roads beckon, and I know 27 North American travelers who are impatient to get out of town on Monday and start exploring la Belle France. Oh, the places we’ll go! Temps are on the rise, but our air-conditioned bus will help keep things civilized. Let the “province” part of the @ricksteveseurope “Paris and the Heart of France” tour begin! A bientôt! Véro #francewithvero #france #magnifiquefrance #ontheroadagain #rickstevestours #tourguidelife
Bonjour, Back in Paris where a new @ricksteveseu Bonjour, Back in Paris where a new @ricksteveseurope tour starts later today, an 11-day extravaganza through the heart of France. Can’t wait to meet our group and share some Parisian sights with them over the weekend… until we hop on the big bus and get on the road again. My tour guide life. Véro #francewithvero #tourguidelife #magnifiquefrance #paris #parisstreets #parisvibes #rickstevestours
Bonjour, Ah, Versailles… so much more than a ma Bonjour, Ah, Versailles… so much more than a magnificent estate! Even if @ricksteveseurope’s tour members (like many visitors) spend most of their time at the palace that inspired so many other palaces in Europe (except for one, Vaux le Vicomte, and there’s a great story there,) it is a shame to leave downtown Paris and head out to Versailles without enjoying what this lovely city has to offer. As urban explorers often find out, life is good in this affluent corner of the Ile de France. Once a small village outside Paris, the elegant city we know today grew in leaps and bounds. Louis XIV dreamed it and built it with the help of a talented team, including his main architect, Jules Hardouin Mansart and gardener André le Nôtre. Historic landmarks abound in the elegant streets of Versailles, surrounded by scenes of French daily life one encounters in many towns “en province” (outside Paris.) From top-notch markets to restaurants and cafés, wine tasting places and boutiques, there’s enough there to keep discerning visitors busy for at least a couple of days. After a morning tour of the palace, as our clients head out to explore the expansive grounds, determined to follow in the footsteps of the Sun King and Marie-Antoinette, I exit through the majestic gates and take the time to enjoy a delicious lunch followed by some strolling or a “lèche-vitrines” session in nearby streets. Alas, duty brings me back - always too soon - to the train station and I hop on the suburban train, daydreaming during the smooth, 30-minute ride to Paris. One thing’s for sure: Versailles (the city AND the estate) is always a good idea. Véro Featured: Le Potager du Roi, (the Sun King’s potager) created and managed by Jean de la Quintinie, royal gardener and agronomist. Along lively rue de Satory, a delicious lunch at Crêperie Blé Noir Jeanne (where I celebrated my birthday in March 2020, 48 hours before the first lockdown. Château de Versailles #francewithvero #magnifiquefrance #iledefrance #versailles #versaillespalace #versaillesgardens #crêpes #frenchlife

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