Paris, France
Mere words fail to capture the essence: the soul of Paris. The City of Lights seduces the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelled. From amour along the Seineto street side cafes to bistros to galleries to museums to cabarets, the list of choices is inexhaustible - just like its inhabitants zest for life. Paris is the essence of all things French.
What to experience first? Is it a walk along the most famous boulevard in the world, the Champs-Elysees, lined with elegant shops and cafes?
As one looks up, the Arc de Triomphe looms in the distance. Ones heart beats faster even if not French. The La Marseillaise starts booming in ones consciousness. The theme from Casablanca plays "A kiss is just a kiss". "Vive la France! "Vive la Liberte!"
You see, Paris is for the hopelessly romantic. It is a place one loses oneself in time. It is where the cobblestones are not mere granite, but whisper, if one cares to listen. The monuments are not marble but living beings.
We saunter at leisure through the Place de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tulleries to the Louvre. The world's greatest museum. Its enormous corridors contain the history of French culture.
Will it be a stroll along the Grands Boulevards, the Passages and the Les Halles? The Passages are narrow 19th century streets and the Les Halles, the premier shopping district of Paris.
Next it's Beaubourg, the Marais and the Bastille. This is the essence of Paris life: art galleries, cafes and crowded pavements. Nightly the area of the Bastille becomes a city hotspot.
The left bank Rive Gauche represents all things Bohemian. The Latin Quarter has been the center for university life for over 700 years.
Trocadero, Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides - official residences; splendid vistas over the Seine and the Eiffel Tower. Words cannot describe the feeling of actually existing in a picture postcard.
Montmarte towers over Paris at 130 meters high. At the end of the 19th century, it was the center of Paris artistic life - Berlioz and Picasso, among others, worked and played here.
Enough browsing, walking, exploring - it's time to feast! What to eat?
How about a candle lit romantic dinner of Beef Consommé Celestine, Salmon Tartar Dijonnaise, Quail in Mustard Sauce Parisian Style, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Choux Chantilly Caramel? All this is savored while sipping a fine French wine or maybe several.
The Parisian region is the smallest, but its cuisine is one of the richest and most flavorful in Europe. The style of cooking is called la Grande Cuisine. This dates back to medieval times when royal chefs competed to concoct the most elaborate dishes. French cooking also referred to as haute cuisine, considered by many to be the standard against which all other cuisines are measured. There is also nouvelle cuisine that focuses on healthier cooking. From classic to nouvelle there is something to satisfy every craving.
To burn up some calories after several sumptuous meals there is a wide range of physical activities available. How about randonnes pedestres (hiking in groups), cyclisme (biking) and escalade (rock climbing), parachuting, canoeing, squash, tennis and more?
Wide boulevards, awe inspiring monuments, history, magnificent works of art, incredible cuisine and Paris aglow at night all beckons one. Spend a leisurely afternoon sipping Bordeaux wine, munching on sumptuous cheeses and biting into hot French baguettes. Life doesn't get better!
Experience all this while studying for a TESOL certificate. Maybe with a TESOL you will never have to leave Paris again? Learn more about Paris.
Where
- View city map
- View Paris district map
- View map of France
- Capital of France and of the historic Lle de France region
- Paris is located in north central France
- Convenient hub that connects to all points of Europe by train or air
Who
- Your fellow students come from a wide range of countries and backgrounds
- Your teacher trainers are some of the most experienced and well trained in the industry
- Your support staff is extremely helpful, courteous and will assist you wherever possible
- The locals are peaceful, friendly people who generally like interacting with foreigners
When
- Check out the Course Schedules to see the available dates.
Why
- Cathedrale Notre Dame - French Gothic cathedral the focus of ceremonial Catholicism for 700 years
- Arc de Triomphe – the meeting point of 12 avenues; commissioned by Napoleon in 1806
- Eiffel Tour - built for the 1889 World Fair commemorating the centennial of the revolution
- Musee du Louvre - arguably the world's greatest art museum
- Chateau de Versailles - the grandest and most opulent palace in France built for the Sun King Louis XIV
- Bois de Boulogne - on the western edge of Paris endowed with forested areas, paths and cafes
- Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg) - Due to its contemporary art collection one of the most visited cultural sights in Paris
- The list continues on and on, this is only to entice you
How
- Fill out application form and move closer to experiencing the wonders of Paris!
