Favorite Sites

Destinations in the Ile-de-France

• Berthillon

  (Saturday, 11 July 2009)

  It’s hard to walk a block on Île St-Louis without seeing a sign for Berthillon ice cream, or satisfied looking pedestrians nibbling on a cone.  This ice cream shop, around since 1954, is a staple of the island, and reputed by some to be the best ice cream in Paris.  The nougat miel (honey nougat) is especially delicious, with its little bits of toffee, and the fruit flavors are refreshing (cassis is great for those who like a little tang).  If the main location is closed, just wander around the neighborhood a little and you’ll run into dozens of other cafes selling Berthillon ice cream (some cheaper than others, so look around).

• Parc Astérix

  (Thursday, 02 July 2009)

  Suffering from museum overload in Paris? Take a break from the city-center and spend a day at the Parc Astérix!

  This theme park is based on the wildly popular French comic book series of Astérix and Obélix about a village of ancient Gauls resisting Roman occupation. While the target audience is primarily families with young children, teens and young adults will also love the throwback to childhood and larger rollercoasters -- my 20-something friends and I sure did!

• Paris

  (Tuesday, 15 April 2008)

  Paris may be known as the City of Light, but it's also the City of Passion. Lovers of language, architecture, culture and history will find plenty to feed their passions in the French capital.

  The most famous tourist site is the Eiffel Tower, of course, but each of the 20 Paris arrondissements have landmarks worth a visit.

   

  To the north is the charming Montmartre, with the magnificent church of Sacré-Coeur contrasted with the lusty and exotic area of Pigalle. To the south is Montparnasse, home to countless artistic and intellectual movements of the last century. To the west is the massive park, the Bois de Boulogne and to the east, another beautiful Parisian park, the Bois de Vincennes, both gloriously huge nature areas where lovers nestle during the day.

   

• Versailles

  (Saturday, 25 July 2009)

  Versailles is not at all off the beaten path, which is instantly obvious when you realize that the entire RER train you’re on from Paris is nothing but tourists headed to the château, but it’s one of the classic Paris sights for a reason. Tickets for the attraction aren’t cheap, but it’s worth it to come and spend the whole day (don’t try to plan anything else on the day you plan to visit Versailles, because between the trains, lines, and sheer size and amount of things to see, it’ll take awhile).