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Good Morning Paris

6/26/2015

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I'm convinced, when in Paris, sleep is non-essential. 
After all, who wants to waste one precious Paris moment snoozing
when you're in the city where dreams come true.

That's why I wake early, sip a quick cup of caffeine
and head out the door at first light. 
Paris is special in these early morning hours,
just lifting her sleepy head from last night's festival of self-indulgence.
 
Just imagine.
  You can walk around Place de la Concorde without dodging traffic. 
The Louvre is picture-perfect without the crush of anxious
art lovers queuing up to see The Masters.
  At this hour, the Champs-Elysées is nearly deserted.

  And that's exactly how I like it. 

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Sometimes my early morning walks are a bit frustrating. 
- A trip to the 12th brought me to the still-locked doors
  of the Marché Beauvau, a bit of a let-down at first sight.
- There are no books for sale at Shakespeare & Company.
- Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine is nearly unrecognizable -- no
remnants of the merry-making hilarity of yesterday evening.

But so often, this is a blessing in disguise.
Forced to peek through the locked gates of Luxembourg Gardens
and Place des Vosges, I notice fresh details
I may have missed when loitering in the park. 
Without the typical crush of people, it's like visiting for the very first time.

  There are many rewards at this early hour. 
- We early-birds get to greet the baker as he opens his shop doors. 
- The Metro is a virtual banquet with a king's choice of seats.
 - The last of the die-hard late night party crowd slink by,
unshaven and achy just as you're picking up the pace,
fresh as a lily-of-the-valley in Spring.

  This Paris doesn't remember last night's blow-out bender.
It's quiet time, the daydreamer's way to ease yourself
into the remarkable feast of this great city.

Paris doesn't even sound like a big bad metropolis at this hour.
 You can actually hear pigeons coo and the wind rustling through the trees.
  Haussmann architecture is easier to admire, slowly, thoughtfully,
without dodging heavily peopled boulevards.

  Whether you choose to walk the heart of Paris or get lost
in the unmapped back streets, you're sure to find
something -- a beautiful window display, a funny moment,
a rooftop garden, a face to remember for a lifetime.

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It's easy to feel the history of a place when it's just you
and the distinctive stone walls and cobbled streets of Paris.
  History never fades from places of great glory and anguish.

  Did the king really walk this path??
Is this the Metro station where Audrey Hepburn ran away from Cary Grant?
  Could this be the actual spot where Nazis worked their evil? 
  Did Victor Hugo feel the walls talking to him like I do?
This is when and where you let go of traveler's angst
and the to-do list and just let Paris happen.

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Paris is a rush from start to finish so sometimes it's good to choose the slow lane.
   I like fresh starts best and perhaps that's why
I love my Paris mornings so much.
The genesis of a new day.
  No one to tell me where to go and what to do,
it's just me and my imagination wandering 'round & 'round the city.

I've always thought making love in the morning is the best,
the most rewarding time to let go.
  It's like that with Paris, the beautiful lady that's ready for anything. 

No matter if you're a "night person" or a "day person".
  Get to know Paris in early daytime at least once.
  I guarantee you'll discover a new beginning at first light,
a different slant on the city you think you know.

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There's an advantage to all these empty, wide-open spaces.
  It's not CIA or even Nosy-Neighbor territory --- but a chance
  to poke around everyone's business and see a more real side of Paris.
  Whatever that is.

  The subtle shades, the softer sounds, the fresh smells as the city
awakens, that's what I call happiness, your just rewards.

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The edges are softer in the morning -- or maybe your eyes aren't as focused.
  Either way, look for The Paris Effect,
the truth behind the very real feeling that
there's no such thing as too much Paris.

  It's all around --- ready for your embrace.

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Paris locals are more likely to look you in the eye.
Street sweepers busy themselves erasing yesterday's celebration.
Cafe workers unstack the terrace chairs and brew the first cup.

  A firefighter offers a welcoming smile and a "Bonjour, Madame." 
It's enough to make my day. 

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In the early light of morning, you can shop without spending money.
  Louis Vuitton is all yours.
  Ralph Lauren is at your beck and call.
  Feel free to make a face at those long and lanky idols in the window
who just stand around looking gorgeous all day.
  Parisian mannequins may look flawless 24/7 but with your just woke-up
coif and yesterday's clothes, you've got the edge.
  Absorbing the culture of a city looks good on everyone.
  Who needs bling when Paris gives you bang.

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Find another city to sleep in.

Good morning, Paris!

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Flying High in Tourrettes-sur-Loup

6/20/2015

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Serenity.  No crowds.  A view to die for.  Great food & wine.
  Call it luck.  Or maybe fate.

  Early into our recent trip to France, we made a three-day stop in tiny
  Tourrettes-sur-Loup, staying at a B&B in the mountains overlooking Nice.
  Hoping for a quiet refuge from an itinerary filled with cities and too-many tourists, we discovered a medieval village lost in time, a gift that rewarded us with
nature's bounty and unexpected new friends.

Let's face it.  When we travel, we gamble.
  Figuring out where to go and how best to spend
your time and money is the $64,000 question.
  We chose to stop at Tourrettes-sur-Loup because it was off the beaten
day-tripper circuit, close to Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Grasse,
two towns I've carried on my wish list for many years.
 Since I always try to stay in at least one small village to get the
  feel of "la France profonde", I guessed (correctly)
that taking the path less traveled would be better
than staying in the more jacked-up, lionized towns nearby.
Winner Winner, this one added true authenticity to our overall experience.

And guess what.
Tourrettes-sur-Loup far exceeded our expectations.
We fell in love with this little-hyped community, a breath of
fresh air that's far from the usual tourist highway.
  I liked the other more acclaimed towns of course--- but for a real cultural
experience, it's sometimes better to book the "cheap seats" --- destinations
few have discovered, special places without the tour book ink.

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In my personal journal, I described this place as "heaven on earth".
  Our hostess met us at the post office to show the way up the winding
  road, past countless fields of green, scarlet and yellow to our "castle". 

The views were mesmerizing -- Nice, Monaco, even Corsica
could be seen from our own private patio. 
  Our hosts probably could have thrown sleeping bags on the patio and called
it a day-- but yes, we had a small private room in a cozy turreted tower -- which
we abandoned for the great outdoors every chance we got. 
The innkeeper's border collie immediately adopted us,
encouraging an on-going game of puppy soccer.
  Bird song and frogs were our musical playlist and the smell of flowers ---
lush, delectable, supernatural--- was everywhere.
A perfumed paradise.

It was a good reminder of why we travel.
  A good trip intermittently raises (exciting cultural experiences)
and lowers the pulse (relaxed living, gentle harbors).
  Road trips are best when all your senses are in gear.
  In Tourrettes-sur-Loup, it's easy to be an over-achiever without lifting a finger.
  Every single sense effortlessly engages, rewarding you
with a warm feeling of celestial bliss.

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Spectacularly situated in the Alpes-Maritime region of Provence,
Tourrettes-sur-Loup is an artisan village perched on a rocky
plateau, fewer than 20 miles from Nice.
  The tourism economy dominates, yet never feels touristy.

  The pedestrianized vieux village with its arched passageways
and impossible landscapes can be walked in less than an hour.
  But you'll want to spend days here, relaxing in the sun and chatting up the locals.
There's an ooh and an aah around every corner of the half-moon circuit.

It's a friendly place, starting with the owners of our B&B.
  Former Parisians, Guylène and Michel made their way here
for the very same reason we did.
We arrived as visitors and left as friends.

  Tourrettes-sur-Loup is a sanctuary, remarkable for its simplicity,
made memorable by its peaceful tranquility and privileged theater in the sky.

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Mountains, sea, and violets are key ingredients in the Tourrettes-sur-Loup recipe.  Situated on the bluffs above the more splashy towns of the Cote d'Azure,
there's an astonishing view of the blue sea every where you turn.

Justifiably famous for violet production, the delicate flower
has been cultivated here for over 100 years.
Just like its hometown flower, Tourrettes-sur-Loup
looks, smells and tastes divine.

Artistic creativity reigns.
  Dozens of local artisans live and work behind the pretty stone walls.
  You'll find shops and galleries with paintings, pottery, jewelry and sculpture.
Not at all cheapened by these enterprises, the town
and its artisan abodes feel just right.
 
A violet museum -- La Bastide aux Violettes -- has a greenhouse and garden
filled to the brim with the pretty purple blooms.  There's a medieval church
(St. Gregoire - 12th to 15th century) along with a charming chapel (Saint-Jean)
  that features engaging murals of locals woven into biblical stories.

But the joys of Tourrettes-sur-Loup don't lie in sensational museums or
fancy restaurants (though they do boast a Michelin starred restaurant). 
It's in the weekly farmer's market where you'll stare in awe at the stooped,
elderly local pulling her cart back up the steep hill after the weekly market.
  It's on the petanque court where the unshaven "gang" doesn't
pay a moment's notice when you point your camera their way.
  It's in the bored faces of the local youth, dreaming of an urban escape.

This is a place to stop and smell the roses -- literally.
Try the crystallized violet candy, sample the local organic goat cheese,
buy a jar of the local honey or candied fruit, it's all good.

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I fell in love with the stone houses with their wee doors and pots of hanging flowers.
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Home Sweet Home
There are imaginative day-trips not far from the village, starting with artsy and glamorous St. Paul de Vence, the number one tourist destination in all of Provence. Perfume capitol of the world, Grasse is an easy day-trip for anyone interested
in the aromatic and profitable world of scents.
  A crazy winding ride up to Gourdon, another village perched on
the edge of the world, is pretty much a must-do.

 But then again, you'll likely find it hard to leave.
The 1300-foot altitude and narrow roads of Tourrettes-sur-Loup are
not for amateur drivers or scaredycat passengers.
  Buckle up, drive slowly, carefully, thoughtfully --- and be
rewarded with some of the best views in France.

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Clovis, the Michelin one-star restaurant
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The cinematic masterpiece "To Catch a Thief", starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly,
used Tourrettes-sur-Loup for some of its most crucial scenes.
  Little wonder producer Alfred Hitchcock was able to evoke mystery and beauty,
his vision of the local paradise we call Provence.
  The romance of the region is front and center in the film, crucial to the story, helping
make this production THE movie you think of when the name Provence is mentioned.

And if you prefer French cinema, one of the all-time great
movies was conceived and filmed nearby. 
"Les Enfants du Paradis", though mostly filmed on a film set in Nice,
is connected to Tourrettes-sur-Loup through
screenwriter/poet Jacques Prévert and director Marcel Carné.
  Allegedly, the movie's Jewish set designer and film composer were living
nearby (under assumed names) while the movie was produced -- a
  harrowing two-year period under Nazi occupation.
Some of the film extras were Resistance agents weaving the web of their
covert plans as well as collaborators that Vichy had assigned to keep watch. 

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Yes, of course, I'd love to go back. 
Perhaps next years' Paris-Nice race?
  If you love The Tour de France, why not dodge the crowds and
show up for France's premiere Spring cycling event?
  The well-respected Race to the Sun is an eight-day event that features many of
the same Grand Tour contenders we see in the standing-room-only Tour de France.  I've been on the Champs-Elysées for the big event, crushed by the crowds. 
For my money, I'll take Paris-Nice and wait in a nice comfy chair high up
on the beautiful hills of Tourrettes-sur-Loup. 
Dreams do come true, don't they?

Or perhaps I'll return for the Fête des Violettes, a festival that
boasts carnival floats made of violets, a traditional market
and dinner & dancing in the streets.

Maybe I'll return for no reason at all.
  A glass of wine on my perch ....
a game of soccer with my new canine friend....
a taste of la vraie France.


Tourrettes-sur-Loup
A Special Place in the Sun

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    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

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