France

Champagne is not only a bubbly, festive sparkling wine known for celebrations and hangovers, but also a lovely and lush region in France. Here countless winemakers continue the rich tradition of méthode champenoise, the method for making champagne wine. It is important for connoisseurs to note (and follow) the number one rule of the term “champagne”: don’t call any wine (especially sparkling wine) not made in the Champagne region of France “champagne,” an important designation for regional foods protected by the EU.

Champagne is made by a secondary fermentation in the bottle (with a little help from a dash of yeast and a pinch of sugar), which creates the titillating carbonation. It has an erroneous bad reputation for inducing headaches, but it is the cheap, sugary sparkling wine, wine with big “artificially” added bubbles, consumed in vast quantities at your cousin’s wedding that is the culprit. True champagne is made only with red Pinot Noir (or sometimes Pinot Meunier) and Chardonnay grapes and is delicate with small, fine bubbles. It makes a lovely addition to a warm afternoon or a rich meal. If you are staying in Paris, you shouldn’t neglect to travel for a day or two to the Champagne area. Reims is a spectacular city with a rich history located in the Champagne region. If you head this direction, you must visit Champagne Taittinger, a spectacular champagne wine house with English tours available for their wine cellar.

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Le Loft is a sleek bar in the south of France's capital of cool, oozing style and sophistication.Cannes, most famous for its glitzy annual film festival, is home to a number of glamorous nightspots.And Le Loft does not fail to disappoint on this front. The pre-party time restaurant serving fashionable spicy Asian delicacies such as sushi, tempura and deep-fried noodles.But 11 o'clock the swish venue becomes a party-goers paradise.Regulars sip on classy cocktails and mouthwatering martinis, as the sexy and sophisticated clientele dance the night away to music that ranges from hip-hop to techno.Pop art adorn the walls,and gorgeous chandeliers glisten as guests partake in the disco madness.Other bars in the area include Les Coulisses, piano bar Le Chunga amd the chilled Le Legend. There is also a thriving gay scene, with bars such as Le Zanzibar, which is the region's oldest gay bar.

Every time my wife's grandparents travel to Paris, they stay at the Hotel Bonaparte. When we prepared to head to Paris for our honeymoon, we followed their lead and book a room for three nights at the Hotel Bonaparte. The combination of price, location (in the heart of the upscale Latin Quarter), and charm (the same family has welcomed guests for four generations) is hard to beat. My wife and I love to walk and we could easily get to the big Paris attractions (The Louvre, Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower) within a half hour. For those who prefer buses or subway, a bus stop is 50 meters from the hotel door and two metro stops are just down the street. If you travel one block east (to Rue des Canettes), a row of delicious and affordable restaurants cater to most palettes.

The Hotel Bonaparte ranks as a 2 star hotel and the worn interior is clear the moment you enter. However, the staff keeps the rooms very clean and our bathroom was clearly renovated (including a big tub for soaking). The manager remembered my wife's grandparents (even though it has been years since they stayed there) and was extremely helpful when it came to planning a walking tour or picking a restaurant. Everyone we encountered who worked at the Bonaparte spoke from functional to excellent English and were always eager to help. The croissants were a highlight of the wonderful breakfasts enjoyed in the quaint dining room or served to your room by a real French maid (complete with outfit).

If you are looking for a charming, quiet hotel in Paris that is comfortable enough for grandparents yet affordable enough for a young couple, give the Bonaparte a chance to impress you.

Fashion and the French capital have always gone hand in hand but nowhere so prominently than the city's Musee de la Mode et Du Textile.Housed in Paris' famous Palais Galiera, the museum hosts regular exhibitions alongside its longstanding displays.The collection includes some 16,000 costumes, 35,000 fashion accessories and 30,000 pieces of textile making it one of the most comprehensive clothes museums in the world.Exhibits date from the flamboyant Regency period to modern day masterpieces and are constantly bolstered by donations from private collectors, manufacturers or designers.The latter and their work also make up their own section of the museum, with catwalk innovators such as Paul Poiret, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Christian Dior all catalogued.The life and works of French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent are also charted. The revered couturier died on June 1st 2008.

It might be unusual to recommend a town with spitting locals as a holiday destination, but Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot is definitely a sight to behold this summer.Nestled in the region of Aquitaine in beautiful south-west France, the agricultural village is a desirable getaway for those hoping to experience a traditional French way of life away from the bustle of large metropolises.At no time is this heritage more overtly shown than July, when the 6,500 inhabitants gather in the centre to toast their prune-growing prowess in bizarre fashion.Approximately 100 participants take part in a competition to determine how far they can spit the fruit stones, with a prize awarded for the most impressive distance.As well as prune games, July 28th offers the more traditional aspects of a festival with music, dancing and frenzied feasting.Aquitaine, which in the Middle Ages formed its own kingdom, is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Pyrenees mountain range.