Arc D'Triomphe

IN PARIS, GO SEE

The Eiffel Tower ­ the national emblem of France

The Pantheon ­ An old Roman temple where great writers, such as Vicor Hugo and Emile Zola, are buried.

The Kinky Pigalle ­ Looking for Moulin Rouge type entertainment? This is the neighbourhood to visit.

Montmartre, a place full of history and cosy restaurants.

WHERE TO EAT

For a top of the line restaurant outside of Paris, try the Maison Troigros in Roanne, South of France.

The great wine producing regions of Rhône, Beaujolais and Burgundy also have surprising gastronomic surprises such as the marriage of pigs' ears and crayfish, or squab with truffle and foie gras.

Poitou-Charentes (Cognac country) is the only region in which one can have an entire meal, from hors d'oeuvre to dessert, with products covered by a guarantee of quality and origin.

HYPE CLUBS

Buddha Bar, Paris

A popular haunt with drinkers and diners alike, it's easy to while away the hours here over cocktails or with a dish from their well-balanced menu.

Les Bains, Paris

Les Bains is synonymous with 10 years of wild Parisian nights, a restaurant chockfull of stars and a discotheque where everyone who was anyone had to be seen dancing to David Guetta's music.

Batofar, Paris

This floating club attracts a trendy set from far and wide. It is a techno music mecca.

La Loco, Paris

This place hasn't changed for years, and still has its initial metal decor, which goes unnoticed in the muted lighting, ripped by the flashes of light, reinforced by the music: house or techno depending on the night you go. Three dance-floors, groaning under the decibels, are there for a youngish clientele to let off steam.

Banana Café, Paris

The Banana Café is not so much a discotheque as a lively bar with music (and good bar food if you feel the need to nibble), where something new is happening every evening.

PERFUME MUSEUMS

International Perfume Museum

Perfume has made Grasse and France famous all over the world. It was thus only natural to honour it by dedicating a museum to its history and the evolution of its techniques over the centuries. It unveils all the stages of perfume creation, from the harvest and the treatment of raw materials to the launching of the finished product.

The Lavender Roads in the South of France

Workshops, theme days and outings are proposed by local guides: encounters with the people working with lavender, where the connoisseurs will transmit their passion by revealing the many secrets of lavender: botany, distillation, creation of perfumes, colour compositions... http://www.routes-lavande.com/travelling/

The Fragonard Museum

The Fragonard Museum documents the making of perfume from the harvesting of flowers to the distilling of oils. The equipment used in cold pressing, steaming and various other techniques are on display. There is also a collection of ornate perfume bottles.

- 9, rue de Scribe, 75009 Tel. 01.47.42.93.40

Parfums Caron

This historic perfume shop is all gilt mirrors and glass chandeliers, reminders of more refined times. While the setting may be retro, the fragrances stand up to time

- 90, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008, Tel :01.42.68.25.68 ; 34, avenue Montaigne, 75008, Tel: 01.47.23.40.82

MUSIC FESTIVALS

August 3 - 7 : Jamaican Sunrise Festival at Bagnols sur Cèze.

Featuring artists like Ken Booth, Warrior King, Coco Tea, Sanchez, Ward 21, and Stone Love Sound System.

­ www.reggaezine.co.uk/bulletinJAsunrise.html

August 6 - 7 : Les Escales

A festival of music from the whole world on the Port of Saint Nazaire on the Atlantic Coast. More than 200 musicians take part in this event attended by more than 40 000 spectators. Festival des musiques du monde sur le Port.

- http://www.les-escales.com/

IF YOU WANT TO RELAX

Healthy Holidays in Britany

Pornic, Nantes, France. Sea-water therapy centre and 3-star hotel. Magnificent place to relax in a cosy environment and eat healthy food.

­ www.thalassopornic.com/

On a Horseback

France is ideally suited for a horseback riding vacation. It was here that the idea of equestrian travel was reborn and is most highly developed. French food and wine are justly famous and you will have every opportunity to savour them with an appetite made keener by an active day of horseback riding.

­ www.ridingtours.com/horseback_riding_destinations/francesaved.cfm