ART-TEA PARIS WALKING TOUR - Conference Call; Wednesday, March 13, 2013

>>>CONFERENCE CALL<<<

A CONFERENCE CALL has been set up for a presentation on our
travel program to Paris, FRANCE
September 28 - October 4, 2013
    
The group travel package is through GO  AHEAD  TOURS 
with PAPER ARCHITECT as group coordinator.
There are currently 18 spots still available.
Check out pricing and information on our website:
http://paperarchitect.grouptoursite.com 

And we will cover details for 
the 4 day ART-TEA PARIS Walking Tour 
directly through PAPER ARCHITECT.
https://www.paperarchitect.com/ART-TEA_PARIS_TOUR.php


There will be time for questions and instructions for registration.
The presentation will be approximately 90 minutes.

DATE:  Wednesday, March 13, 2013
TIME:  7pm PDT / 8pm MDT / 9pm CDT / 10pm EDT
 

Please RSVP to:
contactus@paperarchitect.com 

We will send back a confirmation email with call-in details,
travel package and walking tour information
for your review prior to the call.

Join us even if you just have an interest in visiting Paris
and see if this might be the type of tour for you!

. . . à bientôt

old post from September 22, 2005

J'ai arrive a Paris ce matin

Bonjour,

As I was waiting for my luggage at the turnstile, I noticed a small suitcase that had stuff coming out of it. I thought, look at that piece of crap. Then it was painfully clear that piece of crap was mine. If I had taken a collapsable bag with wheels like I wanted I wouldn't have to go searching for a new suitcase. I hope I didn't lose anything out of it.

I love taking the shuttle from the airport. Both times I've taken it, I've been the last one to be dropped off which is perfect. I get a tour of different neighborhoods, check out where others stay and find places I put on my list to go as well as new ones to add to that list.

I'm staying my first night in a hotel on the rue Cler -- Rick Steve's favorite, Grand Hotel Leveque. Arrived there around 10am but I can't check in until 3pm. Left my bags in the storage room wishing I would have gotten lucky and checked in right away. Only having about 4 hours sleep over a 3 day period (counting time difference) I can barely keep my eyes open. So forced to occupy the next several hours, I asked the hotel clerk where was the nearest internet cafe and a place that sells luggage. The internet cafe was closed until noon so I scoped out the neighborhood. What a great area! It has everything and so convenient. Walked by the apartment I will be moving in tomorrow. If the outside is any indication of the inside, I will be in heaven. Trying not to have high expectations. . . tomorrow will tell.

To save time/$, I sat to write this at a cafe then stayed for lunch. At home, I don't buy bread unless I'm having company and rarely eat bread except at restaurants where it's fresh and hot. But my first bite into real French bread today and I can eat it all day. Great lunch. Wanted to keep the tradition and go to Laduree for lunch but not really dressed for it and not ready to tackle the metro. I think I'm a little hesitant because of getting mugged last time and I'm so tired I wouldn't be up to it.

Noticed in today's newspaper here that the US was the front page headline -- United States on state alert. If anyone has the time, please let me know what's going on. Sounds like Texas is the target.

Oh and thanks to all of you who sent me bon voyage wishes. Really was great to hear from you.

2 FEVRIER -- French Candlemas / La Chandeleur or Crêpe Day

On February 2nd / 2 Fevrier, 

the French celebrate Candlemas Day / La Chandeleur 

or also known as Crêpe Day.

The Catholic holiday of Candlemas is a feast 

to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary 

and the presentation of baby Jesus.  

In France, this holiday is called La Chandeleur, 

Fête de la Lumière, 

or jour des crêpes.

Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on Chandeleur, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them.  

It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, 

and flip the crêpe into the air. 

If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, 

your family will be prosperous 

for the rest of the year.

There are all kinds of French proverbs and sayings for Chandeleur; 

here are just a few.  Note the similarities to the Groundhog Day predictions made in the US and Canada.

À la Chandeleur, l'hiver cesse ou reprend vigueur
On Candlemas, winter ends or strengthens

À la Chandeleur, le jour croît de deux heures
On Candlemas, the day grows by two hours

Chandeleur couverte, quarante jours de perte
Candlemas covered (in snow), forty days lost

Rosée à la Chandeleur, hiver à sa dernière heure
Dew on Candlemas, winter at its final hour

Crêpe-Throwing Game / Celebrate Chandeleur 

with a Group of Friends, Francophiles

Here is a fun way to celebrate Chandeleur - all you need are a crêpe recipe, ingredients, paper plates, and a small prize (such as a book or $5) 

1. The day before, ask a couple of guests to make a pile of crêpes and bring them in to party (or make them yourself). For fairness, the crêpes need to be the same size, about 5 inches in diameter.
    
2. Give each guest a paper plate and write his/her name on the bottom.  The object of the game is to catch a crêpe in the very center of the plate.
    
3. Stand on a chair about 10 feet away from the guests and throw a crêpe, frisbie-style, for guests to catch. Once they catch the crêpe they can't jiggle or flip it to try to reposition it on the plate.
    
4. After each guest has caught a crêpe, ask two adults (non-participants - you and another person) to judge which crêpe was most perfectly centered. The winner gets a prize.
    
5. Then you can all celebrate by eating crêpes with an assortment of toppings (fruit, whipped cream, chocolate, butter, sugar, jam, etc).

The crêpe-throwing game was kindly shared by its inventor, Ed Cepress, a French teacher at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Minnesota. Merci bien !

This info from Ask.com