November-December 2007

IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Auvers Sur Oise - Ile de France

Auvers - Located northwest of Paris in the Val d'Oise department, this small and historic town is a great day trip from Paris - summer or winter. Famous for the Impressionist painters who came here, it was Van Gogh that made it most famous. Dr. Paul Gachet lived in Auvers-sur-Oise. He was acquainted with the avant-garde artists of the time. Through this connection, Vincent van Gogh moved to Auvers to be treated by him, though he considered the doctor to be in a worse state than himself. Gachet befriended Van Gogh and was the subject of two portraits, one of which, Portrait of Dr. Gachet, became one of the highest-priced paintings ever sold at auction. Van Gogh committed suicide by shooting himself in the stomach. The upper floor of the the Ravoux Inn still has the bed where he died. Auvers-sur-Oise is the final resting place of both Vincent and his brother Theo van Gogh, who died six months later. ( Wikipedia)

It isn't so easy to reach Auvers, but is possible by train. Some days there are direct trains from Gare de Nord, but most likely you must travel through Pontoise which is reached from Gare St Lazare. Day tours run from Paris as well. We can arrange private tours for small groups up to 8 places.

Places to visit:

The Church of Auvers - origins in the 11th century; famously painted by Van Gogh
L’Auberge Ravoux - last lodging of Van Gogh
La Maison du Docteur Gachet - several impressionists worked here and took inspiration on the grounds
Le château d’Auvers et son Musem of Impressionnistes -
http://www.chateau-auvers.fr/version_angl/accueil2.html
La Maison-atelier de Daubigny
Le Manoir des Colombières et le Musée Daubigny
Le Museum of "l’absinthe"

 La Tour d'Argent reopens in Paris: After several months of renovation, the historic luxury restaurant again offers its famous classic dishes like "Pike Quenelles" and "Sole Cardinale". For a virtual tour, menus and booking information: http://www.tourdargent.com/

Jules Verne Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) to re-open in December: The Eiffel Tower's haute cuisine restaurant, the "Jules Verne", is to reopen in December after several months of renovation works, its new owner the top French chef Alain Ducasse said Wednesday. Ducasse's international catering company early this year took over the two restaurants at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, "Jules Verne" and the mid-range "Altitude 95". Famous for being the only chef to have three restaurants with three stars in the Michelin Red Guide -- in Paris, Monaco and New York -- Ducasse hopes to draw back French diners, not just tourists, to the Eiffel Tower restaurant.

London & Paris are now 20 Minutes Closer - On November 14 the new London gateway to the continent opens at St Pancras Station. The trip between Paris and London is now 20 minutes shorter for an average travel time of 2 hours and 25 minutes. The new station will feature shopping, a 'champagne bar', and other experiential amenities.

New Metro Pass Zones - we are in the process of converting over all the metro passes to Zones 1-6. RATP of Paris, the operator of the metropolitan transit system, is phasing out Zones 1-5. The new pass is roughly the same price as the old Zone 1-5, but includes a little bit more. One good addition is the medieval town of Provins east of Paris. See www.gotoparis.net/visite.html for details. Discover France is an official distributor for RATP in the USA.

Christmas Markets 2007: A short list with links for full details.
Chartres (Centre) www.chartres-tourisme.com.
Strasbourg (Alsace) The original "Christkindelsmärik" is in Strasbourg and dates back to 1570. www.noel-alsacetourisme.com
Montbéliard (Franche-Comté)
Amiens (Picardie) www.marchedenoel.fr (French only) or www.amiens.fr
Nancy (Lorraine) www.ot-nancy.fr.
Noisy le Grand (Ile-de-France)
Dijon (Burgundy) www.ot-dijon.fr.
Reims (Champagne) www.reims-tourisme.com.
Montélimar (Rhône-Alpes) www.montelimar-tourisme.com
Avignon (Provence) www.avignon-tourisme.com

PARIS HOTEL PROMO - good through November - subject to Availability:

Hotel Avenir - Stay 3/Pay 2 and Stay 4/Pay 3 - including Thanksgiving Holiday period! From 124 euros/night!

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.CALL 800-960-2221 or email: contact@discoverfrance.com for availability on your dates and rate confirmation.

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