Archive for Magic Tricks For Kids
Paris Magic
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Paris is well known to be a beautiful and romantic city, full of history, art and good food. These are already excellent reasons for visiting the place but what I went to explore was the magic ? I mean, the conjuring and prestidigitation.
The city of light provides a fabulous backdrop for magic. There is something chic about conjuring, I think, that fits very well with the culture and stylishness of Paris.
The first port of call for my friend and me was Le Double Fond, a magic caf-bar with a theatre underneath. Magic duo Dominique Duvivier and his daughter Alexandra perform close-up and cabaret magic here, along with a constant flow of some of the top names in magic, many of them local.
Magic happens in Paris in all sorts of places, all the time. Magicians perform regularly in pubs and restaurants and frequently on stage, either within a play or doing a full magic show. The atmospheric Caves Saint Sabin host a great deal of magic and illusion, as well as medieval banquets. Check out the magic dinner-cruise along the river, the Magic Museum and, if you’re a practitioner, the excellent magic shops.
Besides magic, a myriad other pleasures await you in Paris. Because the city is so compact, you can cover a lot of ground even if you’ve only got a few days – although it does make sense to concentrate on one or two areas, rather than dashing through as much as you can fit in. The Marais district, for example, offers Victor Hugo’s house (now a museum), the Muse Carnavalet exhibiting the history of Paris, the Picasso museum, some very good shops and restaurants and some nice bars (as well as magic venues).
Having had some delicious North African food in Paris and been inspired to buy a tagine, I plan during my next trip to see the Islamic sights there. The Institute of the Arab World sounds interesting – as does the Mosque, which has not only a great caf but also a Turkish bath.
Further afield, you can spend a day at Disneyland Paris, tour a champagne vineyard or visit Claude Monet?s house. The public transport is regular and reliable, so a day trip out from Paris is comfortably doable.
Paris has a huge amount to offer and it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can stay at a very decent hotel for around 60 euros a night and some advance planning will help you to reduce other costs: getting a museum pass, for instance, is a good investment if museums are on your agenda. The magic of Paris is yours to enjoy and I recommend you get yourself over there at the earliest opportunity.
