Bonjour, c’est Véro.
I hope you are well.
I’ll be honest with you: I’ve had little time to write the monthly newsletter as I prepare for the start of touring season. By Monday April 1st I will be welcoming my first group of North American travelers in Paris for 6 days of fast-paced adventures at some of the most popular locations in the city.
Like always I will do my best to steer 25 travelers safely and efficiently through public transportation and crowded streets and educate them about Parisian life and French culture. My mission (I accept it!) is to help our guests become temporary locals so they may return later and guide friends and relatives like the Paris experts they will be.
Packing for the trip is the most challenging part of tour prep. The weather has been moodier than a hormonal teenager before Junior Prom and after a very mild, pleasant week earlier this month, chilly temps, rain, winds and “grisaille” (grey skies) have returned.
This time of year Parisians crave sun and light so much, some actually use a website that can predict accurately what café terraces will be sunnier in the city at a specific time of day. Here it is if you want to plan ahead (and impress your travel partners.) The site is aptly named “J’veux du soleil.” — I want sun. Who doesn’t?
Paris, summer 2024: Planification. Anticipation. Navigation?
The weather is the least of Parisians’ problems. There are daily reports their lives and commutes (in particular when they live “en banlieue,” in the suburbs) will be impacted during the upcoming Olympic Games.
Officials issue ominous statements and admonish “les Franciliens” (those hailing from the Ile de France) to not leave home this summer without relying on: 1. their feet (much more than usual) and 2. their “intelligence” (a word used in a recent press conference by Valérie Pécresse, President of the Paris region.) Anyone who actually commutes in the Ile de France on a regular basis already understands the public transportation network will be overwhelmed.
Planning is an important tradition in France like leaders in our rich history have demonstrated, organizing French life in its most minute details. Here’s another website intended to help locals (and visitors who speak French) plan their outings in the French capital this summer. Name? “Anticiper les Jeux.” Let’s plan ahead before the Games.
“Dites-le avec des Fleurs.” Positivity is key.
To cheer people up the Olympic committee introduced colorful official posters by French illustrator Ugo Gattoni with an idealized, cartoonish take on the French capital during what promises to be the most anticipated event this year. In typical French fashion some controversy erupted when the most observant among the press pointed out that 1. not a single French flag could be spotted in the posters and 2. The cross at the top of les Invalides’ golden dome (the Army Museum and Napoleon’s final resting place) had disappeared. Interesting debates ensued on social media in the Land of “la Laïcité” (Secularism.)
For all the talk about Parisians being anxious to leave the city during the Games a recent official update reveals 89% of guests (Paris expects 16 million visitors this summer) will be French natives and almost half of them “Franciliens.” Those who’ve decided to flee the French capital had better steer clear of other cities where competitions will also be taking place (Marseille, Nice, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille to name just a few.)
In 2023 France, the most visited country in the world for decades, reached an all time record with 100 million foreign visitors (Population of metropolitan France: 65 million.)
With other high profile events happening between June and September (80th anniversary of D-Day, Tour de France wrapping up in Nice) one wonders “à quelle sauce la France va être mangée” (what fate awaits France.)
“On verra bien.” Wait and see I guess.
As for me I am off to pack this tour guide’s bag for the first (and not the last) time this spring. “Paris, me revoilà!” (Paris, here I come.)
See you out there on French roads.
Véro
What you may have missed in March
Episode 2 of my new YouTube series (“French and Entrepreneur”) came out this month. The format? 15-minute interviews in French (with English subtitles) to introduce viewers to my favorite businesses in France. Meet their owners. Share slices of authentic French life. Practice your French. What’s not to like? In March, meet Benoît Sanchez (“le Tatoué Toqué”) the French Chef who makes the world’s Best Burger(*) in my city, Tours. Watch the video here.
Episode 3 will be released on Friday April 5. It takes us to another popular eatery in Tours. We do eat well in “the Garden of France!” (Exclusive preview for France with Vero patrons and Substack paid subscribers on Tuesday 4/2.)
(*) World Food Championship, Dallas, TX, November 2023.
In the Loire Valley where I am based everyone visits “Star châteaux.” It’s my great pleasure to explore this magnificent region and to share with readers more properties often located off the beaten (tourist) path. Welcome to the Château de Montpoupon, Downton Abbey in the Touraine (Blogpost.)
Read the story here.
Still here? Merci!
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Joyeuses Pâques! Happy Easter!
Véro
I was one of the 100,000,000 last year. I'm glad I'm not going to be in greater Paris this summer. Bon courage!
I'm bracing myself for Paris with my 14 year old granddaughter June 20-30. The chance to introduce her to travel and Paris far outweighs the heat and the crowds...at least, that's my hope!!
I love the idea of being able to check the possibility of finding a sunny terrasse...it reminds me of being in Seattle during a heat wave when our son-in-law was checking all the brewpubs for AC.