BEST OF paris Curated by 1492 Best of Paris, page 1 bienvenue a paris a word from your curators No other place quite captures the heart and soul like the city of Paris. It has played a starring role in European history, a muse to films and literature, and is the absolute destination for world travelers seeking life’s finer flavors. It captivates enthusiasts of the arts with a collection of museums from the historic halls of the Louvre to the indigenous Musee Quai du Branly. It is an architect’s delight boasting the golden lattices of the Eiffel Tower to the stately stonework of a Haussmann building. It is the authority of gourmands boasting innovations in the culinary arts while honoring tradition with its legendary breads, delicate pastries and decadent chocolates. Take a leisurely stroll along the Seine or down one of the many winding streets to get lost in the magic of it all, as Paris sparkles just for you, making it no mystery why it has been hailed as the City of Light. Emmanuel & Roy Best of Paris, page 2 Best of Paris, page 3 the choice is yours at a glance We thought that a drawing is always easier to understand than words. The following icons will help you to review and compare our offers. Chapter 1 - Iconic Paris 1- Getting familiar with the city of light - part 1&2 2 - Must do Museum included Transportation needed Full day 3 - Hands on 4 - The city of fashion 5 - Around the city 6 - Neighborhoud watch 7 - Titillating taste buds 8 - Romantic escape Chapter 2 - Off the beaten path Client biography needed Suitable for children Half day 1- Explore the city with fresh eyes 2 - Must do 3 - Hands on 4 - The city of fashion 5 - Around the city 6 - Inspiring figures Distance Chapter 3 - Day trips from Paris from Paris Tickets included Cost 1 - Giverny 2 - The Champagne region 3 - The Loire valley 4 - Normandy + = less than 30 minutes driving time ++ = less than one hour driving time +++ = less than 2 hours driving time Best of Paris, page 4 Best of Paris, page 5 Best of Paris, page 6 chapter 1 iconic paris 1. getting familiar with the city of light Introduction to the city of lights - part 1 Paris, The City of Lights, is the most visited capital in the world and home to some of the greatest architectural treasures. This tour, as entertaining as it is informative, gives you a great overview of the city. You will start with the emblematic Eiffel Tower, pass by Les Invalides, and make a first stop to the impressive and elegant courtyard of the Louvre. The Ile de la Cité and its narrow paved streets will be your next step until the Gothic and majestic Notre-Dame. Your journey will continue along the Seine river before heading to the hill of Montmartre where you will enjoy an astonishing view, taking in the whole city at a glance and recognizing the monument you encountered during the tour. Introduction to the city of lights - part 2 This second part of the tour will be dedicated to discovering a more authentic aspect of Paris. We’ll dive deep in the left bank on the small parallel streets, off the beaten path. There is nothing better than getting « lost » in Saint Germain and its lovely boutiques to feel like a true Parisian. You will discover La Sorbonne, The Panthéon, the lively Marché Saint Germain and the peaceful Luxembourg garden, before heading to the famous Concorde and Champs-Elysées. You will end the day by the Trocadero, to see one last time the lady Eiffel Tower and enjoy its most beautiful view. Paris will be yours by the end of the day. Best of Paris, page 11 2. must do Louvre crash course No visit to Paris is complete without a stop at the Louvre where you will be lead through the most significant collections, weaving a timeline of art and history along the way. Depending on your interests, we’ll move on to what, for many, is the heart of the Louvre: the grand galleries of Italian painting where we’ll encounter some of the greatest works of art in the western world such as Mona Lisa, the Psyche revived by Cupid’s kiss, Winged victory, raft of the Medusa, venus de Milo, Liberty leading the people, the money lender and his wife, la grande odalisque... Orsay crash course While the D’Orsay’s collection includes all varieties of wonderful artwork produced from 1848 to 1914, our visit will concentrate primarily on painting. You will admire works such as Manet’s ‘Dejeuner sur l’Herbe’ and Whistler’s ‘Portrait of the Artist’s Mother’ to the Impressionist works of Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Pissarro. You’ll enjoy the spread of Impressionism and its radical departure from traditional schools of painting. Continuing on to the likes of Cezanne and Van Gogh, discovering how early Impressionism morphed into a number of different movements such as Neoimpressionism, Fauvism, and Pointillism, and Cubism. To wrap up you’ll end with these later movements, precursors to Modernism, among them Matisse, Braque, and Gauguin. Best of Paris, page 13 3. hands on Cooking class During this class, you will enjoy a moment of pleasure, relaxation, and sharing while discovering all the secrets of the signature French desserts. The class takes place in a luminous and colorful apartment filled with design furniture and pieces of contemporary art, the home of a French cook who was trained at the famous Alain Ducasse cookery school, in the heart of Paris. Around the large dining table, your cook invites you to play a game of textures, savors and colors, like a painter using her palette. Her imaginative gourmet universe has no boundaries and is full of healthy recipes inspired by French gastronomy. You will learn to cook her creative and gourmet recipes. You will discover magnificent ingredients and you’ll be told about all the chef ’s secrets. The class will end with a tasting of the fruit of your labor. Bread making class When it comes to dough-making and bread-shaping, the French are the best! You are invited to step behind the counter of a typical beautiful French bakery, a boulangerie. Curious to know more about yeast, flour and gluten? This hands-on class will show you the techniques and secrets to bake classic French breads in Paris with your home oven. In the course of the class you will make, bake and taste baguettes and time allowing maybe you’ll be able to work on some Croissants. From kneading and working your bread by hand to scarification of bread, in this workshop you will learn the terms, techniques and applications to create your very own boulangerie and baguettes. Best of Paris, page 15 4. fashion Perfume workshop History of fashion The class allows perfume fans to be initiated to the world of composition through an initial hour This introduction to Paris de luxe will cover 300 years of fashion. We will start with a private and a half course. Participants are given a guided tour by a display in front of them, Composing visit of Yves Saint Laurent’s former studio, to feel the soul of the creator in the place he truly their own self inspired scent by following or modifying some proposed compounds. After used to work. Our fashion guide will then share the history of the places where ready to wear that each one takes off with his creation, his booklet of formulas and a diploma. An artistic fashion was born: Palais Royal where the history of the first “couturiers” still echoes, then Place experience, a soft moment of creation. Vendôme for its luxury jewelry boutiques, Faubourg Saint Honoré, where you will understand the rise of the “selliers” and “malletiers”, Rue de la Paix for its fashion designers, milliners, tailors, haberdashers... You will discover the rise of diverse craftsmanship. Private fashion salon A heaven of tranquility, light and space atop the world’s greatest department store, La Suite provides its privileged guests with fashion services. This 400-square-meter apartment features four salons offering a 180° view of the city skyline, a private dressing room for trying on clothes and apparel, and an open- sky terrace overlooking Paris and Montmartre. In this collector’s apartment, fashion stylists will deploy their talents to serve you. Sessions may cover footwear, lingerie, fashion tips for a well-organized wardrobe, discreet apparel suggestions, emerging trends or ultra-chic fashions. Your personal stylist anticipates your expectations and tastes, prepares a selection of items, and invites you to a discreet, friendly session in one of the private salons. Each session includes gourmet treats, as well as alteration and delivery services. Best of Paris, page 16 Best of Paris, page 17 5. around the city Personal shopper Behind the scene Versailles castle Paris is the ultimate capital of Fashion. No stay in the City of Lights would be complete without In 1632, King Louis XIII commissioned a small, intimate hunting lodge on the limits of the a fashion tour. Our professional stylists share insights and tips that will help you accentuate Versailles forest. Four decades later the lodge was gradually transformed into one of the greatest your beauty and personality. From clothing to make up, hairstyle, and accessories, our guides will palaces of Europe. France’s most lavish palace was given its magnificence by the Sun King, Louis provide comprehensive counseling to help you create and adapt your very own personal style. XIV, calling on the best craftsmen to extend the castle, decorate its 2000 rooms and landscape its Before the visit, you will be asked to answer to a short but precise questionnaire, which will help 8000 hectares of park and garden.