Irvina Lew

2 weeks ago | newyorklifestylesmagazine.com | Irvina Lew

A Fascination with a Beautiful History Realized By Irvina Lew Apicture book called The Châteaux of the Loire I love first lured me to the Loire Valley, in 1976; my grand-niece’s fascination with castles inspired our recent add-on trip, there, from Paris. I booked tickets for the 68-minute high-speed Trains à Grande Vitesse (TGV) via Rail Europe from Gare Montparnasse to Saint Pierre-des-Corps, outside Tours, where we picked up a Citroën rental car.

2 weeks ago | nextavenue.org | Irvina Lew

Scrolling through my daily emails last November, I lingered when I noticed the word: Sorbonne. I might as well have tasted Proust's madeleine for the way the name triggered memories of Paris 1958, when I studied French there at age nineteen. The announcement invited me to participate in the school's first l'Université d'hiver en Sorbonne, winter courses about French culture, taught in English, or French literature, philosophy or language, in French.

2 months ago | insidersguidetospas.com | Irvina Lew

My grandniece Lyndsey and I have happily shared spa adventures in the past; so, during our Paris getaway, I proposed a four-day road trip along the Loire where we could savor the region’s three best hotel spas.

Feb 1, 2025 | newyorklifestylesmagazine.com | Irvina Lew

A Week Of Culinary & Cultural Delights Via High-Speed Rail By Irvina Lew Aweek-long trip to Paris is time enough for three full days and nights in the capital and still have time for visiting some of the other amazing destinations France has to offer. France’s high speed rail system Trains à Grande Vitesse makes it easy. PARIS Paris was buzzing this November, as the first Christmas markets opened, seasonal decorations appeared, and snowflakes descended.

Jan 8, 2025 | globaltravelerusa.com | Irvina Lew

Chef Christophe Hay had already achieved an enviable culinary reputation before he transformed the former 17th-century riverfront hospice in Blois to an extraordinary first-floor namesake restaurant; it’s the centerpiece around which he built Fleur de Loire, his 44-room, 12-suite Relais & Châteaux affiliate. Our multicourse dinner at Restaurant Christophe Hay — one of Les Grandes Tables du Monde — took place last Thanksgiving.