rearview mirror | Aussie in France

Paris Day Trip: Parc de Sceaux

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local

If you can bear to leave Paris for the day but still want a typically French experience, Parc de Sceaux is a great spot for a classic picnic of baguette, cheese and wine. Although the park is a popular weekend destination for Parisians, it’s not widely known to visitors of the city. It’s worth a trip if you’ve already visited much of Paris and are looking for something different or if you want to see the stunning cherry blossoms in spring. Read more

A passion for France

by Pierre from Paris on Demand, aimed at helping tourists and Paris lovers to get to know the city of Light under a different perspective, offering news and updates on exhibitions, museums, restaurants, off-the-beaten-track addresses, events and tips to prepare their trip and understand the Parisian way of life

Starting on April 16th, the Orsay Museum will host one of the most awaited exhibitions of the 2013 Spring as it has gathered 70 masterpieces from the Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection. The Hays are an American couple from Nashville, Tennessee, who have developed a passion for art and France. Spencer has become a business mogul by selling, among other things, men’s suits, books and health insurance. Since the 1980’s century and as his fortune grew, he and his wife have gathered an amazing collection of works from the 19^th and 20^th century. Read more

The Sainte-Chapelle of Paris – in Photos

by Marie-Eve from Europe Trip Tips is a something Canadian, full-time travel blogger, amateur photographer, translator and copywriter living as an expat in France who’s been to over 17 European countries and keeps adding new ones every other week.

The Sainte-Chapelle had been a long standing item on my Paris to-do list, but for some reason, I’d never got around to it. I had deemed Notre-Dame and Sacré-Coeur more worthy of my attention – the former for its free entry, and the latter for the views.

It wasn’t until my most recent trip to Paris that I finally managed to visit the gorgeous Ile de la Cité, skip Notre-Dame altogether, and focus my visit on the well-hidden Sainte-Chapelle. Read more

A break from Barcelona for this week’s bloggers’ round-up, starting with Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, who ferreted out the most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris. Abby from Paris Weekender tells us how to go about getting a driver’s licence in France. Don’t forget to read Part 2 as well! Andrea from Rearview Mirror takes us to Marseilles, one of the European capitals of culture for 2013. Enjoy!

The most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been pounding the pavement and scouring the city for the most original Valentine’s Day chocolate. Peering through store window after store window, all the while trying to keep my cravings at bay, I’ve seen chocolate hearts, shoes, dresses, cigars, wafers with “I Love You” written in multiple languages, hearts appearing to be on fire, Eiffel Towers, birds with heart-shaped nests, and, did I mention, hearts?

Just when I was about to throw in the towel and give up on finding anything truly innovative, I paused in front of A la Mère de Famille on rue de la Pompe to look at what I thought would be more chocolate hearts. Studying the window, I noticed some chicken wire festooned with red roses, white hearts, and …. what’s that? Read more

Getting a French Driver’s License – Part 1

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in New York and Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

If you have been residing in France for more than 1 year, you are required to get a French driver’s license. There are two ways of doing this. The first and easiest option is to trade your current driver’s license in for a French one – but this route is only available for EU license-holders, license-holders of select other countries and holders of licenses from a handful of the 50 United States. (When I last checked, the list included: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.) The second way is to re-do driver’s ed. Read more

European Capital of Culture 2013

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

It used to be that there was one European Capital of Culture per year until 2000 when they went a little crazy and made 9 different cities the ‘capital’. In recent years there have been two or three per year and last year was the first time I got to visit one of the capitals when I went to Guimarães in northern Portugal. The title of European Capital of Culture 2013 is held by both Marseille, France and Kosice, Slovakia.

European Capital of Culture 2013: Marseille-Provence

It’s not just the city of Marseille which is the Capital of Culture but also the surrounding area including Aix-en-Provence, Arles, La Ciotat, Martigues and Aubagne. Read more

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Paris Day Trip: Parc de Sceaux – A passion for France – The Sainte-Chapelle of Paris