Here is coming another weekend ,actually just realise its the first weekend of 2013, and came home early from work. Some of the nicest activities coming up, many I have taken part in the past.
This is the museum of hunting and nature or musée de la chase et nature; hunting under the Croates, until March 31 from tuesdays to Sundays from 11h to 18h except Holidays ,night out on Wednesdays until 21h30, it is located at 62 Rue des Archives near metro Rambuteau, webpage http://www.chassenature.org/site_musee/infos-prat.html
There is a beautiful show on fashion at the museum of decorative arts or musée des Arts Décoratifs, ” Two centuries of European fashion 1700-1915″ or Deux Siécles de Mode Européenne 1700-1915. Located at 107 Rue de Rivoli at the pavillon Marsans extention of the Louvre. webpage http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/francais/accueil-292/une-486/francais/mode-et-textile/expositions-70/actuellement-447/fashioning-fashion-deux-siecles-de/
The best new place tried lately is Le Repaire de Cartouche at 8, boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire, angle to the rue du Pont-aux-Choux ; here all is orange and nice chic, you need to try these terrine de lièvre au chocolat , you have about 50€ per person here but all is worth it. Here is the webpage on the site I write in French reviews, and my blogroll address, http://club.cityvox.fr/restaurants_paris/le-repaire-de-cartouche_2257/Profil-Lieu
Another marvel for a morsel and a glass of wine is Le Dauphin Wine Bar, 131 avenue Parmentier, by Canal St Martin, Bastille, Republique, you need to reserve your table, nearest metro line 11 Goncourt. offers lunch Tuesdyas to Fridays and dinner Tuesdays to saturdays. webpage http://club.cityvox.fr/restaurants_paris/le-dauphin_200130230/Profil-Lieu
For the near term the Musée Picasso 5, rue de Thorigny Hôtel Salé closed since November 2011, has been renovated with all the space dedicated to collections and expositions, the main plaza inside or cour d’honneur, the garden, historical decorations, all will be ready by September or October 2013. Webpage http://www.musee-picasso.fr/
The Musée Galliera located in a mansion of the duchess de Galliera, and now the fashion museum of city of Paris or the Musée de la mode de la Ville de Paris 10 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie ,re open with an expo dedicated to Azzedine Alaïa.Same time around Sept Or Oct. 2013. webpage http://www.paris.fr/loisirs/musees-expos/musee-galliera/p5854
The wines of Alsace or the Route des vins d’Alsace is celebrating 60 years in 2013. It was officially started on May 30 1953 and its the oldest wine route in France. It is 170kms long starting from the town of Thann, then Marlenheim, passing by Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, and Barr. In June 2nd there will be a course on foot thru the vinyards done by the tourist office and the wine council. Here is the offical site of the route de vins http://www.vinsalsace.com/spip.php?page=route_des_vins&id_article=96&id_rubrique=86&gclid=COXVysyU4bQCFYXLtAodA00Ahg
Go over closer to me at the Loire, the famous valley of the kings, but not just kings. Here the great Jean-Armand du Plessis known as Cardinal Richelieu has built a castle around 1630. RIchelieu had powers beyond cardinal, as he was the Prime Minister of king Louis XIII as well. THe castle was the biggest castle built in France before Versailles!!! It housed the important collection of works of arts of the Cardinal. It was abandoned in the French revolution, and demolished in 1835 except the dome, the orangerie, and the chais that you see as you walk around the place today. IN 1877 a rich man banker MIchel Heine buys the property,and starts a period of restoration from the 19C. It is about 50 minutes from Tours on the A10 autoroute sortie/exit Sainte-MAure. Open all year from 10h to 19h except Nov to mar 10h to 18h FREE Admission.http://office.tourisme-richelieu.fr/contenu.php?id=sncf and his official site in French, http://cardrichelieu.free.fr/page%20accueil.htm
see the wonderful Demeure de Ronsard, Prieuré de Saint Cosmé . From its foundation in 1092 to the 18C there was a community of monks at the prieuré in route to St James de Compostelle. Many French kings came here from the 15C to the 16C especially for the coming of Pierre de Ronsard that became priest in 1565 here. The “Prince des poètes” or the prince of poets received here the visit by Catherine de Médicis and her son the King Charles IX. At this place Ronsard saw his last days and died December 27 1585. the prieuré is dismantled from 1742. It stays as is until the bombing in WWII in 1944. In 1951 after many long renovations it opened to the public again. Admission is 5€ ,and you get here by bus La Riche, close to Tours on bus 3A – Pléiade, webpage in English, http://www.monuments-touraine.fr/page.php?id_noeud=112
At the Chateau de Saché, you have Balzac. He was born at nearby Tours in 1799,he the author of the Human Comedy or ” La Comédie humaine” stay close to his region all his life. From 1825 to 1848, he visites regularly Jean Margonne, friend of his parents in the château de Saché. He stayed at the room in the second étage or floor (USA third floor). Here he does Le Père Goriot, Louis Lambert, César Birotteau , and Illusions perdues . The chateau de Saché serves as inspiration for his work in the romance of ” Le Lys dans la vallée” . Admission is 5€ , and you get here by the A85 sortie Chinon, then the road D751 direction Saché, its about 15 mins from Azay-le-Rideau and 25 mins southwest of Tours. In summer bus I of Filverts takes you on the run Tours Saché , webpage http://www.musee-balzac.fr/
And who can forget Rabelais, the writer François Rabelais was the son of Antoine Rabelais attorney at the royal seat of Chinon. He was born at the end of the 15C (around 1483 or 1494, the date is uncertain) at La Devinière. He passed the early years of his life here, located in Seuilly in deep Chinon country. He left this Touraine country around 1510 to learned and gained experiences at Angers and Poitou then he writes at the faculty of medicine at Montpellier learning the medical sciences. It is at Lyon that he writes his first two romances called Pantagruel (1532) and Gargantua (1534). He was censured and condemn by the theologist of the Sorbonne for heresy. He made several trips to Italy and then re entered France and received the status of Doctor in 1537. The work Tiers Livre, Quart Livre is published while still living and the Cinquième Livre comes out after his death in 1553 at Paris. Admission is 5€ and you get here on the A85, sortie/exit n° 9 Chinon, direction Chinon by the D751 ,only about five minutes from Chinon and 15 mins from Fontevraud. webpage http://www.musee-rabelais.fr/
Hope you enjoy and sorry for the script I change everything hitting some button and can’t bring it back, tech tech tech lol!!! where is my typewriter ::)
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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