YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS

The Starhotels Castille in Paris offers luxury accommodations at affordable prices. The superior four-star hotel is part of the Italian Starhotels chain and located in the heart of the city. The hotel offers luxury amenities for every guest, including Bulgari toiletries, complimentary high-speed Internet and the luxurious down feathers Starbed. Visit www.starhotels.com/castille.

Great Places on a Budget
Irwin Patterson

aris would be my first choice in Europe for a honeymoon or romantic walks along tree-lined streets full of color and outdoor cafes, beautiful architecture, museums, a subway system that traverses the entire city, nightclub tours, buildings illuminated at night and an atmosphere that oozes romanticism.

To add excitement to the honeymoon, I suggest the groom impress his bride by making her believe he knows Paris by taking her to a very romantic location for lunch.

Walk behind the opera house to Boulevard Haussmann, and to your left you will notice the Printemps department store (www.printemps.com). Take the escalator to the top floor, passing a stained-glass domed roof as you ascend. Here you can buy a nice self-service style lunch and sit out on the roof terrace for a wonderful view of Paris below you.

After lunch, walk next door to Galeries Lafayette (www.galerieslafayette.com) department store. Go in any door towards the middle of the store and look up at its beautiful stained-glass domed roof.

Honeymooners should explore Paris on foot. Start in front of the Madeleine Church (www.eglise-lamadeleine.com). From here, walk down Rue Royale to Place De La Concorde. From this beautiful square, notice two wonderful fountains erected in 1836 and the obelisk in the middle of the square, a gift from that one stood at the entrance to the Luxor Temple in .

From here you will notice four landmarks: the Madeleine Church; to your right, the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre Museum (www.louvre.fr) housing the Mona Lisa, left.; across the river Seine, the National Assembly Building, which resembles the Madeleine Church, and the Champs Elysees, the world famous avenue leading up to the Arc de Triomphe (www.monum.fr/m_arc/indexa.dml?lang=fr). In the daytime, a tunnel walkway is open to the arch so you can stand underneath and then take the elevator to the top for a view of the city.

From the top you can see the Sacre Coeur Church, which the subway (Metro) travels close to. Suggest the Lamarch Caulaincourt Metro Station, then walk to the church through the narrow streets to a charming little square, Place du Tertre, to enjoy the artists at work.

The closest Metro station to the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) is Trocadero. A short walk takes you to the Palais Chaillot. From here you will enjoy a view of the Tour Eiffel (www.tour-eiffel.com) and the fountains in front of the Palais and many statues. Cross the River Seine to enjoy the Tour Eiffel, noting the gardens hidden to the left after you cross the bridge.

When one thinks of Paris nightclub shows, the Lido always stands out. Located on Avenue des Champs-Elysees at the George V metro station. The Lido celebrated 50 years of uninterrupted triumph in 1966. You can also take nightclub bus tours of Paris rather than going on you own. Visit www.lido.fr.

Irwin's Tips:
In , the French Government Tourist Office is in Montreal at 1981 Avenue McGill College, Suite 490, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2W9. 514.288.4264. Visit www.franceguide.com.

I spent nine nights in the centre of Paris, behind the Madeleine Church at Hotel Marigny, 11 Rue De L' Arcade, Paris, 75008 France (01) 42.66.42 71 Fax (01) 47.42.06 76. Hosts Philippe and Bernadette Maugars. E-mail: hotel-marigny@wanadoo.fr. Visit www.hotelmarignyparis.com.

www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | December 24, 2006