Fashionable flappers strolling through Paris in the 1920s. Join other solo travelers for an incomparable group experience for our Papa’s Paris Tour in June 2017. Our tours aresmall – 6-12 guests – so we can mingle and get to know one another. We share a single table at meals whenever possible, play ice breaker games, and engage in general conversation. Sharing a common interest such as Hemingway and Paris ensures lively discussion. Book now and save $608 per person!
Read moreA stroll through Hemingway's Paris -- Books and Films
Hello my Travellati friends,
We are so looking forward to the fun we will have in the City of Lights this June! To get you in the mood, whether you are planning to join us in person or just in spirit, I’d like to suggest a few books and movies that you might enjoy delving into.
Epiphany Around the World
Epiphany is widely celebrated in Catholic cultures around the world, in very different ways. What is Epiphany, you may ask, other than the Eureka of a bathtub-lounging scholar? Epiphany is a celebration on the Twelfth Day after Christmas, January 6, also known as “Twelfth Night” and “Three Kings Day.” In Roman Catholicism, it marks the visit of the Three Kings or Magi to the baby Jesus.
Read moreBonne Année – A Look Forward
New Year’s Eve is celebrated with different traditions around the world. My friend Eric in France went for a nice little dip in the Atlantic on New Year’s Day, followed by hot wine and brioches. He also hosted a Réveillon dinner on New Year’s Eve, which is a dinner party with special foods such as oysters, foie gras, lobster and champagne that lasts all evening and beyond.
Read moreReward yourself! Now's your time.
“Not that she didn’t enjoy the holidays: but she always felt—and it was, perhaps, the measure of her peculiar happiness—a little relieved when they were over." You're not the only one, Mrs. Miniver! Now is the time to reward yourself and step back into the picture frame of your own life.
Read moreA Treasure Trove of Holiday Cards
Dear Travellati friends,
Over the years, I have received thousands of holiday cards, but none was so thrilling to see in my mailbox as a card addressed to me by my father. The first clue that there was something special inside was the beautiful envelope, inscribed in an elegant hand and painted with holly and ivy. I carefully slit the envelope open with the ebony letter opener my Dad made me years ago to not damage the envelope or its contents. Below are a few treasures from these years of cards that I would like to share as my holiday gift to you.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a peaceful New Year.
And hope to see you in June on our Papa's Paris Tour in which we meet Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald! Call for an individualized quote, 10% reduction if offered as a gift by Dec. 30: 914-909-5079.
Joyeux Noël!
The Secret Gardens of Paris
As I wander the streets of Paris, I often peek through gates and archways to see what is inside the cours, the courtyard. Most Parisian buildings put a stern face to the street which melt away into elegant, whimsical, or minimalist gardens as you cross their thresholds.
Read moreA Child’s Christmas in Paris – and Cincinnati
Bonjour mes amis,
At my first Christmas, I was 3 months old. A snapshot of me in my mother’s arms says on the back, “Looking at the Christmas Tree – Dec. 59.” The lights must have dazzled me.
We used real candles on the tree back in those days. The trees were scrawnier then, so it was easier to use candles without burning the house down than it would be now. We always had some full buckets of water on hand, just in case. My Dad made the star on top out of a tin can and the straw ornaments must have come from my mother’s German relatives.
For my third Christmas, we were in Cincinnati at my American grandparents’ house, but we still had real candles on the tree. I loved the popping sound the plastic chain made when I clicked and unclicked the pieces together and apart.
Back in France, I remember my father taking me to the church next door at Christmastime to look at the crèche. I remember being very awed by it. The church had rows and rows of the wooden caned chairs that French churches have instead ofpews.
Our last Christmas in Paris was in 1965. We were delighted with our American Indian themed costumes and our tear-off calendars – my brother’s was in the shape of a bear and mine in a red cone shape that represented Santa Claus. Note the paper and popcorn chains on the tree that we had helped make.
We probably got the idea from a book we had, and I still have, called “Favorite Christmas Songs and Stories.” An American relative must have sent it. I had memorized “The Night Before Christmas” and could recite it from start to finish, in English. At school, our teachers were puzzled when we drew fireplaces with stockings hanging from them instead of shoes next to the fireplace, as is the tradition in France. Our parents had to explain.
And I was thrilled with my new roller skates. That’s me wearing the skates and my Indian regalia as I watch my brother open his presents. I also tried out his drummer’s hat, which my Dad made, and his new drum. I was quite disappointed I couldn’t do a drum roll like they did in the Bastille Day parade. The sticks just went thump thump thump.
The last Christmas I remember well was on the ship SS Bremen that was taking us to the United States for the final time. We had sailed from Cherbourg on December 5, 1966, the day after my aunt’s wedding and were on the high seas for a week or so. Our parents passed our presents to the Santa onboard, who then presented them to us. I got a pretty doll with eyelids that moved, but was heartbroken once we unpacked in Cincinnati and my beloved teddy bear, “Petit Nounou,” was nowhere to be found. My mom had thrown him out before we left Paris because he was too dirty. I never played with the doll.
Christmas was never quite the same after that. We kept having real candles on the tree for a while until we became Americanized enough to buy colored strings of lights. Today, I use electric “candles” on my tree to remind me of my childhood Christmases, and German straw Christmas ornaments. And I just now realized why I bought one of my favorite tin folk ornaments: it is a red cone shape representing Santa Claus.
Travel back in time and make your own memories in Paris! Join us in June 2017 for our Papa's Paris Tour in which we meet Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Call me for an individualized quote, 10% reduction if offered as a gift by Dec. 30: 914-909-5079.
Joyeux Noël!
Give the gift of French culture: 9 gifts that say "France"
Bonjour mes amis,
Noël is almost upon us and with it our thoughts turn to charming gifts that you can offer your loved ones to evoke a little bit of France in their lives. Some will even fit in the shoes by the fireplace (the French use shoes, not stockings). Below are 9 gift ideas for authentic French products and products that just say “France.”
1. Paris Street Style: A Coloring Book by Zoe de las Cases, $10.87 at www.amazon.com
A fun coloring book to get you in the mood for a trip to Paris or to remind you of your last trip. Or just to voyage in your imagination.
2. Marius Fabre Savon de Marseille a L’Huile d’Olive, 400 grams, $15.00 at www.french-merchants.com
Since 1900, Marius Fabre has manufactured soaps made only from vegetable oils, no coloring and preservative free. This 400gr block of olive oil based soap is made in the traditional manner and is gentle to the skin.
3. Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises, by Lesley M. M. Blume, $17.70 hardcover at www.amazon.com
From The Washington Times, “Ms. Blume spares us none of the gory details of betrayals — literary and personal — naked ambition, ruthlessness, and all manner of nastiness that went into the making of this stunning debut, all of which might leave a nasty taste in our mouths. Yet she has somehow managed to retain her admiration for it as a work of literature.”
4. Marrons Glacés Candied Chestnuts in Red Tin by Clément Faugier, $33 at yummybazaar.com
I still remember the delectable candied chestnuts of my childhood, a holiday treat. If you’ve never had them, you are really missing something! This classic French confection combines the umame taste of chestnuts with the melt-in-your-mouth texture of glacéed fruits. You can’t eat just one.
What do David Bowie, Salvador Dali, Gary Cooper (nice gams, Coops!), Ernest Hemingway, and JFK have in common?
5. Authentic Catalonian Espadrilles, $59, www.espadrillestore.com
These are the espadrilles that Picasso, Dali, Hemingway, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly, David Bowie, and anyone else traveling in Catalonia wore. They’re inexpensive, durable, and elegant. Just don’t wear them in the rain!
6. Laguiole Pocket Knives, from $69.95 at www.forge-de-laguiole-usa.com
Laguiole knives are well known in the States as steak knives, but they are better known in France for their vast array of beautiful pocket knives, in all sizes and materials, including horn, precious woods, brass, with beautiful chiseled details along the top and the famous bee that is part of the locking mechanism. I have one myself and have loved it for years.
7. 19th Century Reproduction Parisian Style Folding Bistro Chairs, chair from $99 at www.kpetersen.com
Folding chairs and tables just like the ones you see in Parisian parks, they are lightweight and relatively inexpensive. Note: not ideal for long-term sitting!
8. Riviera Side Chair, from $228 at www.serenaandlily.com
The classic 1930s European café chair, reinterpreted. Handcrafted of lightweight rattan and woven plastic seats, comfortable, family-friendly and great for the kitchen or the patio. (Just remember to store it indoors when the rains come.)
- 9. The Ultimate Travel Tour: Papa’s Paris Tour at www.travellati.com, call for quote.
Now’s her time. After a lifetime of service to others, give her a gift that she will cherish forever: a visit to Paris, Hemingway’s Paris, that is. Travellati’s Papa’s Paris Tour caters to solo boomer travelers, inspiring conviviality, great conversation, leisurely adventures, and surprise pop-up theatrical experiences. Call Liz for an individualized quote, 10% reduction if offered as a gift by 12/30: 914-909-5079.
Joyeux Noël!
How to speak "coffee" in French, part 2
Penny here from Travellati Tours. In my last post, I described a conversation I had with my friend François about the nature of the coffee shop in America versus the café in Paris. I mulled over the idea and came up with some important points for you to know about the Parisian café:
1. A Parisian café is so much more than a coffee shop. It is a restaurant and a bar, a stop in the morning and the place to gossip after work. It is where revolutions are planned and masterpieces written. The café is the social fabric of French society.
2. Many patrons stand at the bar to drink their espresso because it is cheaper than taking a table – often by a Euro or more. Beware to the guileless tourist who takes his espresso from the bar and then sits down at a table with it!
3. Learn the language of coffee. In France, un café, un café express, or un express, is an espresso. That's what the French drink, so that's what the simple word "café" refers to. If you like the taste but not the strength of espresso, order un café allongé and you'll get an espresso in a large cup which you can dilute with hot water. For something like American coffee, you can simply ask for un café américain. It’s not exactly the same, but close. If you also want milk, add avec du lait. They will give it to you on the side. This is not the same as un café au lait, which is only drunk by the French at breakfast and contains hot milk. Sugar is easy – it’s always provided.
4. The Parisian café has a long history beginning with the opening of Café Procope in 1686 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The literary class frequented the café, including Voltaire, Rousseau, Balzac, and Hugo. Café Procope exists to this day.
5. The café is a place to see and to be seen. The New York Times writer and author Elaine Sciolino writes, "The French imbue everything they do with a deep affection for sensuality, subtlety, mystery and play." This is true of the café so don’t wear your yoga pants to coffee.
Enjoy an espresso with us in Paris. Join us for our Papa’s Paris Tour slated for June 17-25, 2017, by November 30 and save $1,400. You will thank yourself!