Even before I met her, it had been an extraordinary adventure...

I had led a spirited group on a Journey to Hidden Provence. And before that a previous client had hired me as a private guide to another part of Provence. Then I explored an island in sunshiney Italy. And now I was back for my last two days in Paris before heading home to the U. S. of A.

I'd returned to bustling little bistro in the Latin Quarter that I liked... it was full of atmosphere, the food was good, and the price was right. It was one of those places that has big long tables lined with chairs, so you end up sitting next to strangers, which often opens the doors to interesting conversations. I waited my turn at the entrance.

"How many?" demanded the owner to the family in front of me. "Four," they answered, and he looked around and pointed them to a cluster of four empty seats. "Sit there, s'il vous plait!" he ordered.

I was next. "How many?" he demanded again (all this was in French, of course). "Un," I responded: "One". "There, s'il vous plait!" he said, pointing to an empty chair surrounded by other people. I dutifully plopped down, ordered my meal, and smiled at the pretty long-haired French lady sitting across from me.

Soon she and I were chatting away, discovering our many common interests: travel, language, architecture, and so forth. She told me later she had noticed me at the front door, intrigued by this skinny guy who spoke French with a strong accent while dropping a fair amount of Italian words into the mix.

By the time we were finishing dessert, we'd made plans to meet the next day, at the steps of Saint Germain de Pres, to go for a walk and continue the conversation.

At the rendezvous I noticed again how pretty she was, with her long black hair, intelligent brown eyes, and slim figure. One of our first stops was to pick up a bright red coat she had ordered. That impressed me, too, because the French generally prefer basic black... it pleased me she wanted a color that was so lively.

We walked and yakked the rest of the afternoon, all in French. I knew she spoke English fairly well because she was reading, for pleasure, a thick novel in English. But in fact I didn't hear her speak English until many months later, when she came to visit me in California, and we went out to dinner with a non-French-speaking friend.

As dusk fell we found ourselves strolling the cobbled byways of Montmartre. We settled into a cozy little restaurant for dinner. There was even a piano player singing songs in the corner, glancing at us with a smile on his face. How romantic can you get?

By the end of the meal, I was holding her hand.

And then I kissed her.

And now she's my wife!

Et voila. That, my friends, is how to marry a Frenchwoman.

Why not join me for an adventure in France? Hidden Provence and Paris await.

Of course, I can make no guarantees as to romantic encounters. I will tell you that the couples who have joined me come home snuggly and content. And that a few single ladies have been flirted with by dashing Frenchmen. And if you'd like I'll show you the two restaurants mentioned above ... now THAT'S Hidden Paris, for sure!

Contact me now to make your reservations.

Merci beaucoup et a bientot!

--Steve
Trip Leader and Director of the French Festival

Other Services:
Travel Slide Shows: Dynamic, fast-paced, beautifully photographed programs. Entertain your club or group. Paris, Provence, Italy, Mexico, South Pacific and more. Please inquire.
Private Trip Consulation. Please inquire.
Special Artist's Trips. Please inquire.