Having familiarised ourselves with the style and the atmosphere of the bourgeois 8th arrondissement of Paris (the neighbourhood around the Champs Elysees), we are now ready to explore the other quartier that plays a key role in Marcel Proust’s In Search Of Lost Time: the Faubourg St Germain, the part of Paris where, in the…
Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time is a big book in every sense of the phrase. In 7 volumes and a total of more than 1.2 million words, it deals with a lot of large topics: memory, social and political upheaval, love and death. On top of that, it features a large cast of…
Unusual travel suggestions are missions from God. You may be familiar with this quote (it comes from Kurt Vonnegut). But the Easy Hikers have always gone one further: rather than waiting for someone to make such an unusual suggestion, we actively search for pretexts to go to places where one would not normally go. Because…
Paris, as we have documented many times, has practically everything that makes a city worthwhile visiting: great art, great food, great history, even – believe it or not – great one-day hikes. More than enough of the latter, in fact, to fill nearly a whole website. Considering all that, it feels almost rude to voice…
Returning, after some time, to a place where you have been before can be an interesting experience Last week, we were back in Paris for two days after a two-year absence and, before that, a two-decade-long stint. We were surprised how much had changed in such a relatively short while around our former neighbourhood: the…
Still searching for something to do on your next holiday in Paris? Then this might be just the ticket. Paris, more than any other of the world’s great tourist destinations, is a city for walkers. Not only is Paris relatively small and compact, with everything in easy walking distance of everything else. She is also…
Surviving the Flight Comparison Jungle A Travel Tip by Stephanie Bartup When it comes to planning your next hiking holiday, how do you start the search process? Some people use every flight comparison search engine available to try and find the best deal for the destination they have in mind, while others religiously book direct…
Themed Walks in Paris Paris by Chansons This, in a way, is our farewell note to Paris. After 20 years, we have recently moved on to sunnier climes. We will certainly come back for brief visits and a walk or two, but most of our “easy hiking” from now on will concentrate on the Mediterranean….
Themed Walks in Paris The Bastille Day Walk What better way to celebrate the 14th of July, the French national holiday, than to trace its events, following – as literally as that is technically possible – in the footsteps of history in one of our themed walks in Paris? Whatever you may think of the…
Walks near Paris An Evocative Riverside Walk The Marne for the Parisians is a mythical river, evoking lazy Sunday afternoons, boat trips, riverbank parties and men in jaunty hats straight out of a painting by Renoir. But above all, the Marne evokes the presence of the legendary guinguettes, small drinking places that serve local white…
