About three months ago I received an email with a most unusual request: A woman named Catherine Jones from High Point, North Carolina wanted to know if I would take her and her girl scout troop of seven girls aged 15-21 on a tour and also find out details on how I could I become their best friend in Paris. […]

The magic day arrived last Wednesday. I decided to do two very different tours on Wednesday and Thursday, to give the girls a full experience. On Wednesday we met for my classic Marais tour in front of the St. Paul metro station, and when I arrived they were just finishing spelling out my name on individual pages of a Russian newspaper, with one letter on each page. I already knew I was in for a wonderful ride. It was a gorgeous, warm perfect sunny day. First, I wowed them with the two gorgeous hotel particuler’s (former private mansions) and a charming private courtyard in a 17th century building. Next we visited the mid-east gourmet shop Izrael with its intoxicating aromas of exotic, dried & glazed fruit, fresh olives, spices, and large variety of smoked fish.

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