No Worries Paris

Illustrated by more than 300 color photographs, No Worries Paris takes readers on a visually luscious journey to the city s striking monuments, as well as into the cobblestone crannies of its villages and along the glamorous fashion boulevards.


Virtually all of Paris is covered in 10 Walking Tours, each with its own map. Walks take from a half-day to a day to complete, starting at one Metro stop and ending at another. The tours are complemented by 10 Promenades, which are shorter in length, taking in the sights around a single attraction, mainly on the fringes of city's arrondissiments. No Worries Paris is sure to meet expectations the famous sights s of Paris but it is also full of surprises at out-of-the way places.


Of Midi-Pyrenees heritage, Janine Duchein Sprout started photographing Paris during her student days, beginning a lifelong passion that has sustained many subsequent visits. The images do far more than illustrate the text. She has captured the many nuances of Paris with portraits that tell stories sure to lure readers in a way that words cannot. Each walk is a photographic exhibit unto itself. About half the pages are devoted to photographs.


Writer Jerry Sprout adds a text that manages to be both concise and rich with facts and vignettes. The text offers enough detail to make the walks interesting while not getting bogged down in exposition. Key locales of French history are covered, spanning centuries and involving famous figures from the breadth of Europe. Walks also point out the former hangouts of artists, writers, actors, and performers. Particular attention is paid to the many well-known Americans who have made Paris a calling. Walks visit street markets, notorious restaurants, and many film locations. The world of shopping is well represented glamorous stores, chic boutiques and galleries, as well as vintage passages.


No Worries Paris has enough content to cover several visits. Practical travel tips and get-around information are included. Newcomers will most likely want to begin with monumental strolls. Francophiles may choose something more edgy and out-of-the-way.


The common thread is that each walk is along a visually aesthetic pathway that has a story of its own to tell. Readers who want to get to know Paris by seeing it on foot pausing occasionally for a gourmet taste or perfumed sniff along the way have found the right guide.