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Paris
History |
Visiting Paris With Kids (Part 2 of 2)(Continued from part one.)CircusesThe entire family can enjoy a day at one of the several circuses to be found in Paris. For children, the most attractive might be Cirque de Paris, 115 boulevard Charles de Gaulle, where they can not only attend workshops on performing in the morning, but have lunch with the stars, and then watch the afternoon show.The Cirque Alexis Gruss, allée de la reine Marguerite, is an old-fashioned circus with traditional acts, and specializing in showy displays of horsemanship. Cirque Diana Moreno Bormann, 112 rue de la Haie-Coq, has a wonderfully entertaining assortment of animals, dog acts, and clowns, with performances on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione, 110 rue Amelot, is a joint venture combining the historic Cirque d'Hiver hall, constructed in 1852, and a modern troupe of entertainers, the Bougliones, with an amazing array of acrobats, clowns, jugglers, contortionists, snakes, and trapeze artists. Theme and Entertainment ParksIf the youngsters want something more homelike, there is also an abundance of theme and entertainment parks.La Mer de Sable in Ermenonville, just north of Paris, is built on a sand deposit that has the appearance of a natural desert. The theme is cowboys and Indians, with a ranch show at 2 PM; an attack by the Indians at 4 PM; and a display of horsemanship at 5:15 PM. There are also pony rides, a steam train, water rides, the usual fairground attractions, and plenty of food and opportunities to sit down and enjoy it. France Miniature, also just outside Paris, is a fascinating display of France's historic building in miniature, replicated at 1/30th the size of the originals. Recent additions include Le Moulin Rouge (meaning "the red windmill"), Montmartre, and Sacré Coeur Cathedral. There is a free audio-visual show, and plenty of regional eateries. Futuroscope in Poitiers (a 350 km trip from Paris, but well worth it, and good as a weekend excursion), totally devotes itself to audiovisual techniques and special effects in its cinemas. The incredible, three dimensional hemispheric theatre will have your kids on the edge of their seats. "The Challenge of Atlantis" virtually propels the young viewer through the streets of the mythical city. They can experience the space station in 3-D. Or get the chills as high tech filming and surround cinema jumps off a cliff and replicates the sensations of skydiving and base-jumping. A whopping 2.9 million visitors pass through the park every year. Parc Astérix, 8.3 km north of Paris, is for the thrill seekers. Climb aboard for an 80 km/h ride over 1.3km of track on wooden roller coaster with seven loops! Grab a seat on the Menhir Express where the treetop ride, 20 metres above ground, ends at a 13 metre water slide. Or take a ride on a rubber tire down a replica of the river Styx, complete with geysers, waterfalls and plenty of surprises. And of course, if all else fails to entertain your offspring, there is always Disneyland Paris.
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For Beginners Copyright © 2004 M. Feenstra, Den Haag. All rights reserved. | ||||||||