A Paris, known as the City of Lights and the City of Lovers, one of the best things to do in the city: clunk yourself down in a cafe and wile away(消磨) an afternoon, sipping un café and people-watching.

 

The best way to see Paris is on foot. Skip the metro, put on a good pair of walking shoes and check out for sites. From the Arc de Triomphe(凯旋门), stroll down the Champs Elysées(香榭丽舍大道) , adds the Grand & Petit Palais(大小皇宫) to the Place de la Concorde（协和广场）. For a change of pace, get your art fits at the Louvre（卢浮宫） and the Pompidou Centre(蓬皮杜艺术中心). Cross the river Seine(塞纳河) and tour Notre Dame Cathedral(巴黎圣母院), once on the left bank visit the Saint Pont（圣米歇尔桥） before heading westward to Les Invalides（荣军院） and finishing at the Eiffel（埃菲尔铁塔）tower.

 

But Paris could just be the first stop on your personal tour de France. Cruise westward down the Loire River Valley（卢瓦尔河谷), its renaissance air chateaus(城堡) and palaces seem straight out of a fairy tale.

 

For another magical ride, take a train to the Normandy coast and Mont Saint Michel(圣米歇尔山). Rising from its rocking shores, the 1300-year-old Benedictine Abbey（本笃会修道院） at low tide is connected to the land. But as the tide rises, it transforms into an island. Over the years, it served as a monastery(修道院), fortress, prison and today one of France’s top tourist draws.

 

The south of France is famous for its Riviera（里维埃拉） beaches and jet-set resorts(富人的度假胜地), but that overlooks the area’s many other charms.

 

For a taste of opulence(富丽堂皇), see Avignon’s(阿维尼翁，城市名) Paple Palaces(教皇宫), or take a sweet-smelling tour of the historic perfume factories of Grasse(格拉斯，香水之都). If you are interested in high cuisine（高菜，精心制作的法国菜）, you can try your hand and hunting for truffles（松露）, a pungent fungus cherished by the world’s great chefs and sometimes worth more per ounce than gold.

 

Or of course you might simply relax and enjoy the beautiful countryside. France is a travelers’ delight in any season, packed with pleasures for historians, nature lovers, artists and urbanites(都市人) alike.