Christmas in Paris 2011

At Printemps, shoppers can find special offerings from Chanel.

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog www.eyepreferparis.com.

It’s holiday time again in Paris and the city is decked way out beyond the halls with boughs of holly. Blazing light displays, Christmas markets and fairs, ice skating rinks, and special holiday concerts are just a few of the joyous activities happening around the city. Here is a selection of the best and brightest for the month of December and beginning of January.

Galeries Lafayette offers rock-and-roll themed displays.

Holiday Store Windows

Galeries Lafayette is mad about rock music and this season the theme is called Noël Rock ‘n’ Mode. Animated dolls designed by New York artist Alexander Wang are fashionably dressed in rock n roll garb and strum away on their guitars and beat their drums furiously. Next door at Printemps it’s all about the eponymous fashion house Chanel. Noel Reves d'Evasion (Dreams of Escape) pays homage to Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel, and the windows have miniature Karl dolls prancing about with his camera and alternate windows show Chanel’s global locales Moscow, Los Angeles and Tokyo with clever and imaginative sets and animated dolls. On the Faubourg St. Honoré, Hermés just drips with over the top luxury with a Moroccan inspired theme including crocodile Kelly bags, ostrich motorcycle helmets, and a set of shiny gold boxing gloves.

Galeries Lafayette
40 Blvd. Haussmann, 75009

Printemps
64 Blvd. Haussmann, 75009

Hermés
24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008

Ice Skating

Sharpen those blades and put on those skates so you can cut up the ice with your fierce figure eights in the rinks of Paris. Every winter The Hotel de Ville/City Hall offers free skating on the plaza. Nothing could match the sensation of ice-skating high above the city in the Eiffel Tower with the breathtaking views. 

Hotel de Ville Rink –Till February 27
Open Monday to Friday 12PM to 10PM, Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays 9AM to 10PM
Admission free, skate rentals 5 euros

Eiffel Tower Rink- Till January 2
11AM to 9PM daily
Free for tower visitors

Holiday displays at the Place Vendome

Christmas Markets and Fairs

Shop, shop, shop till you drop and eat, eat, eat, till your tummy hurts at the fabulous Paris Christmas markets. Starting at the base of Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysees has the largest market in the city brimming with great gifts, hot wine, Christmas ornaments, cotton candy, and much more. Inside the Grand Palais is a grand fair, Jours de Fetes, much like an old fashioned amusement park with a giant Ferris wheel, games of chance, and a carousel.

Champs Elysees Christmas Market till January 2
Jours de Fetes till January 2

Holiday Concerts

No Christmas holiday in Paris would be complete without classical music pouring out of the famed churches.
 
At Notre Dame
Tuesday, December 20, 8:30PM, Admission free - Christmas concert with organist Olivier Latry
Thursday, December 29, 8:30PM, Gregorian Chants Tickets 18 euros

At Saint Chapelle
December 17 to December 30, concerts at 6PM & 8PM
Various performances including Christmas Carols, Bach, Vivaldi, and Schubert

At Saint Sulpice
Thursday, December 29, 8:45PM –Mozart Requiem
http://www.classictic.com/en/Search/France/Paris/2011-12-15/0,0,0/page1.html

The Upside of the Downturn in Greece and Beyond

When countries face economic struggles, the silver lining can often be a boost in tourism. Exchange rates become more favorable towards visitors, and local businesses are more willing to make deals.

Fox News has a list of top-value destinations for 2012, and Greece, which is battling a massive debt crisis, features prominently. The report says that Greece's hotel prices fell 4 percent across the country from 2010 (an average room now goes for $150 per night), and that rates sank 15 percent to $125 in Athens.

The Malta Independent Online is reporting that growth in visitor numbers is up by 14 percent in Greece, and that other EuroZone countries are also seeing a boost in numbers: 11 percent in Cyprus and Portugal, by 9 percent in Italy and by 8 percent in Spain, both of which have recently seen governmental overhauls.

On the flipside, German tourism numbers are also on the rise. According to CompareAway.co.uk, the figures from September 2011 show that the country had the best figures since it became a unified country more than 20 years ago. So far, the country has seen a 6 percent increase over the previous year.

And as our own George Dooley posted earlier today, IATA is seeing international air growth, particularly to Europe. "Despite the euro-zone crisis, the North Atlantic and intra-European passenger segments have been the strongest performers over the past year. The driver of this performance is most likely business-related travel generated by the strong export performance of the Northern European economies," IATA said.

Time will tell which countries will come out on top in 2012, of course, but as the financial scene in Europe rolls towards some kind of stability, the appeal of different destinations will change and shift as well.
 

Five Offbeat Paris Museums

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker  living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog www.eyepreferparis.com.

Edith Piaf// All photos courtesy of the author

We all know Paris has some of the greatest art museums in the world including the Louvre, d’Orsay and the Orangerie. But did you know Paris has some of the quirkiest museums you probably never heard of? Here are five of the most unusual.
 
Edith Piaf Museum
The greatest French singer of all time, Edith Piaf had a challenging and sometimes tragic life. The Edith Piaf museum, located in a private apartment in a residential area, is more like a shrine to the late singer than a museum. The owner and curator, Bernard Marchois, was friends with Piaf during the last years of her life, and many of the items in the museum are from his personal collection.  It has lots of memorabilia including outfits from her shows, letters, furniture, jewelry, and photographs. Bernard also gives tours of the museum in French.
 
You need to make an appointment before you visit, and you will be given directions along with an access code to enter the building. Beware: you must walk up four flights of stairs to get to the museum.
 
Musée Edith Piaf

5 Rue Crespin du Gast
75011
 


Tel: 01 43 55 52 72
 
Fragonard Perfume Museum
The art and chemistry of perfume making dates back centuries and the Fragonard Museum is a fascinating glimpse into that world. It covers the full history of perfume, showing the manufacturing and packaging and how flowers, oils, and other ingredients are mixed to make the elusive magic potions. There is also a shop where one can sample and purchase Fragonard perfumes.
 
9 rue Scribe
, 75009

Tél: +33 (0) 1 47 42 04 56
http://www.fragonard.com/parfums_grasse/GB/fragonard/paris/le_musee_du_parfum_rue_scribe_et_sa_boutique.cfm

Fragonard Perfume Museum

Le Monnaie de Paris
One of the oldest institutions in Paris dating from 864, Le Monnaie de Paris is the minting/money museum. Housed in a neo-classical building designed by Jacques-Denis Antoine and built between 1767 and 1775, the museum traces the history of money in France. There are 2,000 coins, 450 medals and tokens, machines, paintings, engravings, stained glass, and sculptures.
 
11 Quai Conti, 75006
 
Paris Wine Museum
France’s most cherished product now has a museum dedicated to it. The Paris Wine Museum is situated in a former14th century limestone quarry, perfect for storing wine. The Minime brothers made the cellars into a monastery and the limestone that was mined was used to build Paris. The museum features the history of winemaking, displays of objects and tools used, and offers wine tastings. Private winetasting seminars and events can also be organized and there is a restaurant on premise.
 
5 Square Charles Dickens/Rue des Eaux
75016
http://www.museeduvinparis.com/en/
 

1930s Museum
The 1930s in Paris was one of the most fertile times for the arts, culture, industry, technology, and architecture. The museum celebrates the golden era of creativity with innovators like the filmmakers Renoir and Pagnol, industry giants Renault and Bierlot, and architects Le Corbusier and Mallet Stevens. Set in a 20,000 square foot space in Boulogne, a suburb of Paris, it has a permanent collection of paintings, objets, drawings, sculptures, and furniture. The current temporary exhibit through February 22nd, 2012 is about the legendary actress Romy Schneider who was married to actor Alain Delon.
 
28 Ave, Andre Morlzet, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt
http://www.annees30.com/index.php

On Location: Disney's Animal Kingdom Resort

It’s been many and many a year since I visited Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, but after having my proverbial socks knocked off by Aulani in Hawaii (I say proverbial only because the place emphasizes barefoot luxury), I accepted an offer to accompany some members of the Fisher Travel team to see how the theme park is holding up.

I had forgotten how massive the resort is, and how many resort hotels are included within its boundaries. For the record, Disney owns more than 47 square miles in Orlando. That’s about two Manhattan Islands. It’s seriously big.

I’m staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, an homage to African game reserves. Having stayed in several game reserves in Africa, I can say that they got plenty of details right, and that there is something utterly breathtaking about watching a giraffe amble along right outside one’s window, whether that window is in the Serengeti or in Orlando. (Though I will admit that my first thought upon seeing the giraffe was “Oh, no, if a lion comes along right now the kids are gonna be traumatized…” Fortunately, there are no lions or any other dangerous animals in the “Savanna” area of the park, but it would certainly be a good way to teach kids about the circle of life...Or maybe not.)

My room at the lodge is quite nice—smallish, and not ideal for business travel (not a lot of electrical outlets, and a dining-style table in lieu of a desk), but perfectly good for a couple or a small family. (And I already mentioned the views over the savanna—those are tops.) Oh, yes, and while the beds in my room don’t have mosquito netting all around them, there is a decorative panel of netting at the heads of each bed. It’s a pretty touch (must remember to suggest it to my interior designer), and a fashionable nod to African necessity.

After checking in, I headed over to the Saratoga Springs resort, part of the Disney Vacation Club, for a spa treatment. Elizabeth did a wonderful job working out (most of) the knots in my back, and the spa facilities look lovely. (I was pressed for time, so I didn't get a proper tour, but there seemed to be a good number of rooms, and the women's lounge was very soothing. Might go back there just to unwind in the hot tub...)

For dinner, I went with my host over to the California Grill at the Magic Kingdom’s Contemporary Resort, which nowadays looks delightfully retro. (It has undergone an extensive renovation since its 1971 opening, but maintains a few early-1970s touches.) The restaurant is huge and rather noisy (not a great option for a quiet romantic dinner), but kids are welcome and can learn about fine dining while looking down over the Magic Kingdom. (Great touch: Guests who dine at the restaurant can keep their receipt and come back at 900 p.m. for unobstructed views of the fireworks show over the Magic Kingdom.) The food is delicious, and covers a surprising range of styles. We started with a Dragon sushi roll (tuna, shrimp tempura, bell pepper, avocado and a chili soy glaze) and then tried an artisan flatbread (BBQ-flavor, delish) before moving on to the formal first course (a single, huge goat-cheese ravioli) and the main course…which, by then, we were too full to eat. (Well, I was, anyway.) The grilled pork tenderloin was just wonderful—incredibly tender, and served over goat cheese polenta with a zinfandel glaze. 

Tomorrow I’ll be going on a Wild Africa Trek around the Animal Kingdom—this is a new feature of the resort, so I’ll be eager to see what that’s like… 

Fall Cultural Events in Paris 2011

Painting by Cezanne// All photos courtesy of the author

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker  living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog www.eyepreferparis.com.

Autumn in Paris 2011 is rich with cultural events including new art exhibits at the major museums, theater, opera, and dance. From a show of sobering black and white photos to a modern tragic opera to rarely shown paintings of romantic Paris, the fall season promises worthwhile enough to take a special trip to Paris.

Here are some of our top picks for you to enjoy.

Cezanne et Paris
Cezanne is widely known for his paintings of the French countryside, Provence. However, Cezanne spent much of his formative years in Paris starting in 1861 and very few exhibitions have displayed his work of that period. Over eighty works are shown including his Paris landscapes, nudes, the banks of the River Marne, and paintings of the surrounding areas of Paris Auvers-sur-Oise and Fontainebleau.

Till February 26
Musée du Luxembourg
19 rue de Vaugirard,
75006 

http://www.museeduluxembourg.fr/en/

 

Young Man by Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus
Paris welcomes American iconic photographer Diane Arbus with her first major retrospective. Known for her gritty black and white photos in the 1950s and 60s, Arbus used New York City, her home, as the backdrop for her fascinating, sometimes harsh portraits.  She wasn’t afraid of controversial subjects and the over 200 photos on exhibit include couples, children, carnival performers, nudists, middle-class families, transvestites, zealots, eccentrics, and celebrities.

Till February 5
Jeu de Paume
1 Place de la Concorde, 75008
http://www.jeudepaume.org/index.php?page=article&idArt=1471&lieu=7

The Stein Family Collection – Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso
The Stein family, including Gertrude and her two elder brothers Leo and Michael were Jewish intellectuals from the United States who relocated to Paris in the early 1900s. They were known for their close ties to artists of the day and were some of the first collectors of paintings from then unknown artists Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Gris and Bonnard. Over time they built one of the most important collections of early 20th century art and this new exhibit, divided into eight sections explores the Stein’s relationship with the artists.

Till January 16
Grand Palais
3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower, 75008
http://www.rmn.fr/english/les-musees-et-leurs-expositions-238/grand-palais-galeries-nationales-257/expositions-258/matisse-cezanne-picasso-the-stein

Merce Cunningham
The master and inventor of avant-garde dance in America, choreographer Merce Cunningham died in 2009 at the ripe old age of 90. With over fifty years of cutting edge dance, his legacy stated that his dance company to be dismantled two years after is death. This will be your last chance to see two programs of Cunningham’s most beloved pieces including Suite for Five, Quartet, Rainforest and Biped.

Program 1 – December 8 to 23
Program 2-December 15 to 18
Theatre de la Ville
Place du Chatelet, 75001
http://www.theatredelaville-paris.com/discipline-danse-1

 

Lulu

Lulu
Inspired by German author Frank Wedekind’s two tragedies about the plight of women in the turn of the century, Lulu is one of the most important operas 20th century. Composed by Alban Berg, the third act was uncompleted by his untimely death in 1937. It is led by the Danish conductor Michael Schonwandt and the cast includes Laura Aikin as Lulu, Kurt Streit as Alwa and Jennifer Larmore as Grafin Geschwitz.

October 28, November 2 and 5
Opera Bastille
Place de la Bastille, 75011
http://www.operadeparis.fr/cns11/live/onp/Saison_2011_2012/Operas/spectacle.php?lang=en&event_id=2110&CNSACTION=SELECT_EVENT

French Affairs: Atout France in Miami, Day One

The annual French Affairs conference kicked off in Miami on Sunday, with French tour operators and specialists gathering to talk about the future of the country’s travel industry, and how they all could help it grow.

Anne-Laure Tuncer, the director of Atout France USA, kicked off the event by noting that since French hotels have been allowed to go up to five stars (as opposed to the previous four), many new hotels are working towards earning that extra star.

Visits from U.S. travelers have increased, she added, with expenditure up to $68.3 million. While the economy is still struggling throughout Europe, there are “encouraging signs” of recovery—especially for agents, she noted. Seventy-six percent of agents responding to a poll reported that they had seen an increase in business this year over last, thanks to their expertise, value-for-money and value-for-time (a five minute call, Tuncer noted, can save hours of research). “An agent is a consumer’s best resource,” she added, and said that French businesses would be increasing their investment in the U.S. market.

Antoine Huet, the VP manager for global alliance sales at Air France, said that his company is working towards a five percent growth from 2009 to 2029. Notably, Air France/KLM is launching a mobile app that will work across most service providers (iPhone, Android, Blackberry) for everything involved with flying, from booking to follow-ups after landing. The airline is one of 20 in the Skyteam alliance, and Huet noted that a full three-quarters of global air traffic is now covered by alliances.  

Marketing and network seem to be dominant themes of the event, and several small panels were held on various aspects of reaching out to new clients and partners. Nathalie Poto, marketing, travel leisure manager, France Tourism Development Agency, said that the Atout France website will have “self-serve style” webinars next year to educate agents, and Stéphane Ballot, e-marketing nanager for the agency, said that other new tools for e-marketing were also on their way for next year. (He also noted that of the 23 million visitors to Atout France’s website, a full 7 million were from the U.S.) 

Gianni Miradoli, COO of Classic Holidays, rather pointedly said that tour operators need help from local tourism authorities in order to better promote destinations, and Poto said that the brand is working with partners to determine where to hold trade shows and other marketing events.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for our continuing coverage from French Affairs.

Scuba Week

During “Scuba Week,” guests can enjoy 50 percent off PADI certification, reducing the standard price of certification from $350 to just $175.

Fit Bodies – Fit Beach Week

Breezes offers workshops, certifications and continuing education for fitness professionals and a wellness retreat for the enthusiast.

Visit www.breezes.com/specials

Repeater’s Week at Breezes Grand Negril

Repeater’s Week at Breezes Grand Negril, from Dec. 1-7, celebrates loyal repeat guests.

Packages include welcome gifts for all repeaters and a 20 percent discount at the Blue Mahoe Spas.

Visit www.breezes.com/specials

On Location: A Visit to the Aulani Spa

Aulani celebrated its grand opening tonight with a beachfront ceremony that started off with a real rainbow stretching over the resort. I can only assume that Disney now controls the weather, too.

The day started out with more chances to talk with the Aulani team. Korri McFann is the worldwide marketing & business development director at Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, and he is helping to create Aulani’s weddings and honeymoon packages. The first wedding at Aulani is scheduled for the first week in October, and four weddings are schedule for 11/11/11. Nice touch: For families who already have children, McFann says that her team is developing weddings that marry not just the couple, but combine two families into one. Naturally, the ceremonies include little Disney touches, like little Mickey Mouse crystals in the bouquets (below). While the resort doesn’t have any dedicated honeymoon packages set in stone yet, McFann believes a five-day honeymoon vacation should be around $2,000 per couple, and will probably include spa time, private beach cabanas, beverages and excursions.

Jeff Morosk is the director of landscape architecture for Disney, and he helped create the overall aesthetic of the resort. The finished product, he says, is “about the many facets of Hawaii—its history, its present and its future.” Native plants are featured throughout, little “menehune” (mythological Hawaiian characters) are hidden in the gardens, and animals are subtly carved into the rocks along the paths. Bo Bolanos, the principal concept designer for Walt Disney Imagineering, estimates that there are more than 300 of these hidden animals throughout the resort, and adds that even he’s not sure where they all are. “It’s a discovery for me, too.” One challenge Bolanos faced with designing Aulani was working on a significantly smaller scale than he might at any of the company’s other resorts. Instead of 300 feet of space to work with, he had to find ways to create the same effect in only 60 feet.

After chatting with the “Imagineers,” I headed over to Aunty’s Beach House, a dedicated children’s space at the resort. The house has many rooms with different kinds of activities for different ages and interests—board games, computer games, videos, toys, sports equipment…just about anything a kid could need to stay entertained while mom and dad unwind on the beach or in the spa. Coolest part: There's even a tool shed for arts and crafts. I get the feeling Aunty's will be a bit more inventive than macaroni pictures. (I didn't get to chat with Aunty, a new Disney character created for Aulani, but reportedly she and Uncle come by regularly to tell stories to the kids. Are grown-ups allowed to listen in?)

And then there's the spa. Laniwai (meaning “freshwater heaven”—water is a dominant theme) is fairly large as spas go, so there’s never a sense of over-crowding. Upon check-in, guests get a small stone with a word carved into it, and they are asked to meditate on that word during their stay. (Mine was “Balance.”) In the middle of the spa is a small pool, and guests can put their stones in the pool before heading off to their therapies. Design-wise, the real novelty at Laniwai is the co-ed hydrotherapy garden, which is included in all treatments but can be booked independently. The garden has six distinct motion-activated showers guests can wander through before jumping into either a warm Jacuzzi or a cold-water plunge pool (depending on preference), and several herbal soaking tubs. It’s a really lovely way to spend an hour or so before or after spa treatments, and guests should budget extra time to unwind outside. (Nice touch: Guests also get a custom-made scrub when they check in. I opted for a maile sugar scrub—it smells a little sweet, but not cloying. Quite nice.)

Inside, the sauna and steam room areas have little refrigerators filled with towels, making the heat much more bearable. And the main lounge has a full range of lotions and hairsprays and whatnot, so guests don’t have to leave the spa looking like they’ve just…well, left a spa.

Teenagers have their own dedicated spa at Laniwai. Painted Sky has special treatments just for younger guests, and kids can try their hand at making their own perfumes. (Be afraid. Be very afraid.)

I opted for a hot-stone massage, and largely passed out while my therapist did her work. Turns out, hot stones really are soothing. I can actually move my shoulders again. 

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more on the opening and the beach and the "Waikolohe Valley" pools tomorrow!

Visit resorts.disney.go/aulani