Karen Fawcett tries to stay in Paris in August every year. She loves the more relaxed pace and the serendipity that happens during the calmer month of the year.

This week Karen Fawcett's young granddaughters and their parents joined her in Paris and she's enjoying exploring Paris with the kids. They're taking their time and are not rushing from museums to monuments. Of course they started with croissants at a neighborhood café and Karen's article reminds us of the joy of seeing Paris through children's eyes.

Every year we're asked, "What's open in Paris in August?" Paris has over 8,000 restaurants, over 250 museums and galleries, hundreds of sightseeing destinations and street markets. Nearly all will be open, but a small number will close for weeks or a month. Karen Fawcett enjoys "laid-back" August in Paris and here's her advice on how to plan August travel.

BonjourParis publisher Karen Fawcett is a travel junkie who loves travel but not the process. It's been a while since she wrote about enjoying air travel. Today she writes a rare personal recommendation that's neither advertising nor paid placement. Read on to see why Karen has made OpenSkies "her" airline.

Living is Paris isn’t for everyone. Some simply aren’t big city folks and never will be. They love the country or small towns, and why should I try to convert them?  But living here in Paris suits the way I like to live, which I admit isn’t as efficiently as I’d like. Each week is filled with surprises or, in a really good week, serendipity.



Let's face it: When people travel to foreign countries (most especially if it's for the first time), they can ask a lot of dumb questions. With the caveat there's no such thing as a truly dumb question, here are some that can't help but make you laugh. And each and every one has appeared in the Bonjour Paris mailbox.

If you read Bonjour Paris, you know we’re all for people visiting Paris as well as La Belle France. There’s so much to see and to do and if someone is bored, well…it’s his or her own fault. But, I must admit I “discovered” parts of Paris and am contemplating a "stay-vacation."

Life in Paris is glamorous. Well, sometimes Paris can be glamorous. Cold, however, is not glamorous, and I’ve been sitting at my computer wearing so many layers that I looked like the Michelin man’s puffy sister. But, even the weather improved and hopefully, now that President Hosni Sayyid Mubarak has resigned, let's hope there will be a smooth transition.

One of the most frequent questions Anglophones ask is whether they’ll be able to manage in France if they don’t speak the language. My advice has been people should attempt to learn some rudimentary French before traveling here. You know, bonjour, au revoir, s’il vous plaît, pouvez-vous me donner les indications, and, naturally, merci.