Well, you can change that quite easily by taking dinner at the home of real Parisians!

Through a number of willing English-speaking Parisian hosts, discover what a typical Parisian apartment looks like and find out what it’s really like to live in the world’s cultural and culinary capital.

During your evening, caterers will provide a delicious four-course meal made up of typical French dishes along with a bottle of wine.

Your hosts will be selected according to your age and group make-up e.g. singles, couples, families.

Make the most of this opportunity to gain a unique insight into Paris’ culture and maybe even forge new friendships with your French hosts!

After your delightful cultural and culinary evening, come back to the 4 star Hotel Bassano, your home from home in Paris, to reminisce on your wonderful evening.

Click here to book your private dinner with your Parisian hosts!

In 1793, the building opened its doors for the first time for its very first exhibition – a gathering of 537 paintings. Nowadays, the Palace hosts the world famous Louvre Museum and welcomes more than 8 millions visitors each year. Over more than 60600 square metres, the Louvre Museum houses a tremendous collection of 38000 objects and 35000 pieces of art, including Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Milo’s Venus and many other legendary masterpieces.

Organized in 8 galleries, the museum has its permanent collections, but also hosts many temporary exhibitions. To retrace the life of Emperor Alexander the Great, King of Macedon and ancient conqueror, the Louvre Museum has gathered over 500 objects drawing the portrait of ancient Macedon, with objects dating from the 15th century BC till the Roman Imperial era.

Amongst these historical marvels, you will discover sculptures, jewellery, war artefacts and other wonders testifying of the wealth of the Macedon Empire. Also take advantage of this unique occasion to visit the whole Louvre Museum, and discover a collection showing the genius and creativity of humanity from Ancient Egypt right up until modern times…

After a long day strolling along the museum’s alleys and galleries, return to the Hotel Bassano, and sip on a cocktail in the comfort of your 4 star bedroom.

For more information about the exhibition, click here

Well, boring New Year’s Eve begone! Be the complete envy of your friends (or bring them with you!) by spending New Year’s Eve 2011 at the one… the only… Le Crazy Horse in Paris!!

And 2011 is not any old New Year’s Eve at Le Crazy, it’s the legendary venue’s 60th birthday!

The creation of original owner Alain Bernardin, Le Crazy Horse is well-known as the most avant-garde cabaret show in Paris, if not the world. Witness the spectacle of the Crazy dancers and their lithe bodies as they perform for your ultimate pleasure in beautiful costumes which leave little to the imagination.

The New Year’s Eve show, Désirs, has been dazzling and delighting audiences since September 2009 with its stunning classically trained dancers and its sensuous choreography. Textured and richly colored light plays on the beautiful seductresses’ supple bodies as they move around the stage with exquisite beauty and grace.

Come to Paris to see in 2012 for what promises to be one of the best New Year’s Eves of your life!

Then, after your unforgettable night, return back to the Hotel Bassano for your first wonderful night’s sleep of 2012.

Click here for more information on the NYE show

Paris and its chocolate shops produce some of the most delicious chocolate to be found anywhere in the world. From gorgeous ganaches to melt-in-the-mouth macaroons to scrumptious slabs of the brown stuff, there’s something for everyone at these houses of heaven.

To best experience the wares of Paris’ master chocolate craftsmen, take a walking tour around the areas that house some of the best chocolatiers in the country. Several companies offer guided walking tours starting from around 25 euros. The tours usually last for around three hours where your guide will explain to you all about the history of the chocolatiers and guide you through your tasting session of many different types of chocolate. As an added bonus on these tours you may also get an explanation of the many great Parisian streets and sights you will pass by.

Alternatively, do your own chocolate walking tour! Click here for suggested itineraries and go at your own pace around these historic gourmet establishments, many of which have been trading for over 100 years.

Whichever way you decide to do it, don’t miss out on one the best and most tantalising treats Paris has to offer. And why not take some chocolate home for fabulous Christmas gifts for friends and family, or simply treat yourself – you deserve it!

After your calorific chocolate extravaganza, walk off the calories by gently strolling back to the Hotel Bassano where you can put your feet up in 4 star comfort, and maybe indulge in a cup of hot chocolate…

The historic Bois de Vincennes to the east of Paris has an English style landscape and is four times larger than Hyde Park in London. One of the park’s main features is the magnificent Château de Vincennes, formerly a second home for French royalty and a must-see for any visitor. More of the park’s attractions include a hippodrome, velodrome and zoo where you can see elephants and mouflons amongst other animals. Amongst its four lakes, you will also discover the Arboretum de l’École du Breuil which showcases an amazing variety of around 2000 different types of trees and shrubs.

The Bois de Boulogne is the remaining part of the old oak forest of Rouvray. In Paris’ 16th arrondissement, it is 2½ times larger than New York’s Central Park. Featuring the Jardin d’Acclimatation, a large amusement park complete with ménagerie and other attractions, the park is one of the main draws for Parisians at the weekend. Here you will find city dwellers relaxing, reading, jogging, biking, rowing and picnicking. The park also hosts the Hippodrome de Longchamp and the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil, a beautiful botanical garden set within a major greenhouse complex.

Being France’s main botanical garden, it is little surprise that the Jardin des Plantes also incorporates a botanical school. Situated in the 5th arrondissement, visitors can visit the park’s part of the National Natural History Museum which encompasses the Paleontology and the Entomology Museum, the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, and the Mineralogy Museum. Further attractions include the art deco wintergarden, an Alpine garden, a rose garden and Mexican and Australian hothouses where many exotic plants flourish. The Jardin des Plantes also features a small zoo.

The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, located in Paris’ 19th arrondissement, is quite unique. It encompasses over five kilometres of paths and trailways and is one of Paris’ largest parks. Wandering around you will encounter bridges, cliffs, mounts, exotic trees, lakes, a grotto complete with waterfall and several English and Chinese gardens. The park is also home to three restaurants, two reception halls, and two Guignol theatres, making it perfect for an autumnal family picnic.

Come to Paris and experience the more natural side of the capital. The 4 star Hotel Bassano would love to welcome you and look after you during your stay.

Come to the French capital in November and experience both new and established artists alike at the incomparable Festival Les Inrocks.

Les Inrockuptibles is a French cultural magazine which started life in 1986 as a monthly magazine, with its focus very much on music, in particular new indie rock and alternative music. In 1995, the magazine went weekly and the content branched out into books, art, cinema and general society interests and comment.

Over the years, the magazine has been highly influential and effective at introducing bands like The Smiths and other similar ground-breaking bands to a wider French-speaking audience throughout the world. It was only a matter of time, therefore, that Les Inrocks decided to stage their own music festival, to bring both well-known artists and up-and-coming bands alike to the nation. Running since 1990, the festival has been bringing the cream of French and world-renowned artists to Paris and other venues in France ever since.

Past years have seen the likes of Florence and the Machine, The Kooks, Hot Chip, The Gossip, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon and The Killers all grace the stages of the festival, offering a variety of musical styles to the delight of the Inrocks crowds.

This year, new folk-rock band Dry the River, Friendly Fires, Laura Marling and Mercury Music Prize 2011 nominee James Blake are just a few of the names who will be performing at various venues including the Olympia, the Cigale, and the Boule Noire to name but a few.

From Wednesday 2nd to Tuesday 8th November, Paris will come alive with the sound of young, indie rock and folk-rock music – so don’t miss this chance to see some of your favourite artists and soon-to-be favourites in the fantastic French capital.

Whilst getting your rock fix in Paris, come stay with us at the Hotel Bassano in Paris’ famous Champs Elysées where we will take pleasure in looking after you in 4 star comfort.

To buy your tickets for Festival Les Inrocks, please click here:
http://blogs.lesinrocks.com/festival-les-inrocks/billeterie/

For more information on Les Inrocks magazine, please check here:
www.lesinrocks.com

This year, contemporary artists hailing from LA to London and Berlin to Beirut will gather at venues across the French capital to celebrate the talent of established and emerging contemporary artists in some of the most beautiful backdrops in the world.

Also in attendance at this art exhibition/trade fair are international gallery owners, art collectors, museum directors and curators, and personalities from the world of international contemporary art.

The main venues in this, the fair’s 38^th year, are the stunning Grand Palais, les Jardin des Tuileries, and, for the first time, les Jardin des Plantes. In addition to this, the fair utlises various other well-known venues in and around Paris. Go see the Munch exhibition at the Pompidou Centre, Ryan Trecartin and the sculptural works of Georg Baselitz at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, or Les Frères Chapuisat at the Centre Culturel Suisse.

For the sixth year running, the Tuileries Garden will be hosting an outdoor exhibition filled with sculptures and installations, whilst at the Jardin des Plantes in the Natural History Museum, a first-time venue for FIAC, visitors will be able to delight at the wonderful botanical collections, providing an exhibition of living nature.

In 2011, FIAC runs from 20 – 23 October. There’s so much to see, don’t miss it!

Whilst enjoying your cultural visit to Paris, come and stay with us at the Hotel Bassano, where we look forward to looking after you in 4 star comfort.

For more information about FIAC, visit the website here

If you have never sampled French food in France itself, you are missing a treat to say the least. French chefs, patissiers, cheese makers and vintners pour love and passion into crafting their food, their edible creations made to delight the palette, if not the waistline…

If you have no idea about French food, or simply want to know more, there is no better way than embarking on a food walking tour in the capital itself. For three hours, you will stroll around the streets of Paris, taking in many different Parisian neighbourhoods you might not otherwise find yourself in. Your guide, a connoisseur of the best Paris’ food has to offer, will take you to a cheese shop, a wine shop, a pastry shop, a bakery, a fruit and vegetable shop and a market. These gourmet establishments provide on a daily basis some of the finest food your taste buds will ever have the pleasure of sampling.

During the tour, you will get to sample wine, cheese, foie gras and a seasonal specialty. Your highly knowledgeable expert guide will teach you about the culinary habits of the French, what seasonal events are taking place at that time, and will tell you all about the specialties made in each shop and how they are created.

The numbers on the tour are limited to eight, so you can be sure that you will be given maximum attention and there will be plenty of opportunity for all of your questions to be answered.

If you are a foodie, this is a tour that simply cannot be missed.

While In Paris, find your home away from home at the Hotel Bassano where you can enjoy staying with us in 4 star comfort.

For more details and to book this tour, please click on the link below:

http://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Paris-Food-Walking-Tour-Gourmet-French-Food/d479-3234PGT

Forget your cares and come to Paris for a long weekend and listen to some of the hottest rock and pop acts in the world today. Bask in the hot summer sun whilst getting your groove on and putting your hands in the air to the rhythm of some of the greatest rock bands of the moment.

At the 8^th outdoor Rock En Seine Music Festival, many great artists and bands will gather for three days of outstanding rock on the very doorstep of Paris, at the huge Domaine de Saint Cloud Park. From the cool sounds of pop, to the energetic sound of grunge, from the thumping tunes of modern rock, to the mellow sounds of folky blues, take your pick and choose your perfect play list for an unforgettable live experience.

This year, about 63 bands playing 63 different live gigs will simply amaze you, amuse you, or totally blow your mind. With bands as famous as Foo Fighters, The Kills, Artic Monkeys and Archive, you’ll get a great fix of high quality rock music pleasure. With artists such as Tinie Tempah and Sexy Sushi, you will unveil new talents coming from the UK with their achingly hip new sounds, or listen to the stories of his lifelong penniless travels from the ex-hobo turned US blues legend Seasick Steve

So book your tickets and get ready for three days of losing yourself in the highest quality live music to be found anywhere this summer. After your partying in the live music extravanganza, return to the calm and tranquillity of the Hotel Bassano, close to the Champs Elysées, and indulge yourself with its 4 star luxury atmosphere.

http://www.rockenseine.com/en/
August the 26th, 27th and 28th
Metro: line 10 stop Boulogne – Pont de Saint Cloud
BOOK IN ADVANCE !

Nowadays, with the advent of modern indoor cinemas, drive-ins are sadly extinct and so the opportunity to watch a film in this traditional way does not readily occur any more…

But what if, in the very centre of Paris, you had the chance to go back in time and experience this unusual and fantastically old-fashioned way to enjoy a movie outdoors?  Well this is not a dream, this is now a reality!

Now in its 21^st year, the Parc de La Villette Outdoor Film Festival welcomes you under the French summer skies to let you sink into the unique atmosphere of the 7^th art outdoors. For one month every year, the Parc de La Villette organizes outdoor projections of world famous movies that have forever left an indelible impression in international movie history.

As well as classic movies from the US, the festival features movies from France, Spain, Italy and many other countries where filmmaking is very creative but much less well known. This unique festival will have you visually wandering the globe, and will lead you to the discovery of directors you’ve never heard of before. This year, you can enjoy classic movies such as West Side Story (Robert Wise), Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese), Quai des Orfèvres (Henri-Georges Clouzot), La Lettre (Michel Gondry) and Manhattan (Woodie Allen). Then discover another world by diving into more unconventional movies such as Happy Together (Wong Kar Wai), Unknown Pleasures – Xiao Wu (Jia Zhang Ke) and Mon Tresor (Keren Yedaya).

Check the program out, and, after a long day strolling through Paris’ charming streets, relax in front of any of the movies that takes your fancy. After your under-the-sky cinematic experience, head back to the Hotel Bassano Champs Elysées, where you can lay down on a reclining chair and sip a fresh drink in your 4 star luxury retreat.

Outdoor Film Festival in Parc de La Villette,
July 19^th – August 21^st 2011
Parc de La Villette
Metro Port de La Villette, line 7 or 5

http://www.villette.com/agenda/Cinema-en-plein-air-2011.htm
(page available in French only – all movies in Original Version with subtitles)