PARIS WALKING TOUR AU FLANEUR

I invite you to join me for a Paris walking tour au flaneur as we wend our way from one side of Seine beginning with a discussion of the importance of the café in Parisian life and the luminaries like Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Juliette Greco and Miles Davis who filled them, to the other, pausing to enjoy the obvious (the Louvre) and the slightly hidden (passage Vivienne.)

Paris is not just the most beautiful and most romantic city in the world it is a state of mind. Savor every moment of your time in the City of Light, especially those unexpected pleasures that lurk around every corner as you lift your head skyward and discover a bas-relief or water color painting one flight above the ground on a building you had passed before without noticing.

I invite you to join me for a Paris walking tour au flaneur as we wend our way from one side of Seine beginning with a discussion of the importance of the café in Parisian life and the luminaries like Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Juliette Greco and Miles Davis who filled them to the other, pausing to enjoy the obvious (the Louvre) and the slightly hidden (passage Vivienne.)

In Paris with the best, funniest, crazy, zany tourist person we ever met.

Quite frankly, he is “one-of-us,” real misbrucha’. His vocabulary spans “boychick” to “assiduous“ and the barbs that make the day very enjoyable.

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At appropriate times, he sings songs which highlight different sites and stories and he appears twice monthly at a local tavern singing all the songs in “our songbook” from Tony Bennett to Johnny Mathis.



He began his passion - becoming an obsession - studying art and European history at age 8 in Brooklyn.

He graduated from Brooklyn Tech, 1964. But he was a natural born salesman and he ultimately became a salesman in the “Schmatta” and jewelry biz for many
years. But he continued reading, studying and learning about art and the history of Europe.

For us, he gave us what we wanted - practical knowledge combined with genial entertainment.

If you are planning a soujourn to Paris, contact us for his website.

“Paris is my stage as soon as Ieave my flat every morning. I love it.” Terrence Gelenter

He’s known as your American friend in Paris but he’s better than that; a New Yorker who has been reborn in France as smoothly as he sings the nightclub classics. You could not have a more breezily entertaining guide.

-Martin Walker, The Bruno, Chief of Police series

Flaneur: a detached pedestrian observer of a metropolis, a “gentleman stroller of city streets”, first identified by Charles Baudelaire.
Paris is not just the most beautiful and most romantic city in the world it is a state of mind. Savor every moment of your time in the

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City of Light, especially those unexpected pleasures that lurk around every corner as you lift your head skyward and discover a bas-relief or watercolor painting one flight above the ground on a building you had passed before without noticing.

I invite you to join me for a Paris walking tour au flaneur as we wend our way from one side of Seine beginning with a discussion of the importance of the café in Parisian life and the luminaries like Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Juliette Greco and Miles Davis who filled them, pausing to enjoy the obvious, the courtyard of the Louvre, the slightly hidden (Passage Vivienne and the market street Rue Montorgeuil where the Rocher de Cancale mentioned in Zola's The Belly of Paris still stands and the patisserie STOHRER where Baba au Rhum was invented.
In our travels we will meet the wine merchants, galeristes, restaurateurs and eccentric personalities who have become my friends and will give you a warm welcome to the neighborhood. A day of guerrilla theater with me as director and you as an actor whose unique observations and impressions add a texture and spontaneity to our script.

 

Tour Duration: 10AM-3PM (estimated), no-host lunchHost: Terrance Gelenter
Price: 1-2 persons 350 euros
3-4 persons 500 euros
Informations and reservations: terrance@paris-expat.com

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Lucky us! Tom and I spent the morning with Terrance walking through Paris and absorbing her magic. Such a great way to start our visit. We met at Le Deux Magots for coffee to get a taste of cafe life, then headed out to explore the City with Terrance guiding. The man is amazing - steeped in French history and full of insight into Parisian life. He embodies joie de vivre, as did we strolling the Saint Germain neighborhood and over the Pont des Artes to the Louve and Palais-Royal. Terrance knows a lot about all things French - Jazz, film noir, World War Two history, literature, ancient history and so much more. He has access to all you want to do. Historical tour of Versailles - done. The best restaurants (at any price) - he'll tell you where to go. A place to stay - follow his advice. Terrance directed us to a charming apartment in Le Marais, walking distance to all we want to do or hop on the Metro right out the door.

We are thoroughly enchanted with Paris having been guided by Terrance. Such a treat to have him on hand to lead us in the most interesting directions. On Thursday, we're headed
to Duke's Bar to hear him sing. He's a man of many talents.

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The Michigan Mob
Our day with Terrance was a highlight of our fabulous week in Paris. From the moment we met him at Les Deux Magots and
he quickly broke into song, we knew we were in for a fun-filled day. Because Terrance has so many friends in Paris, including: waiters, shopkeepers, and random people on the street, he made us feel like insiders. He took us down streets we never would have discovered without him, and shared pieces of history we hadn't heard about.
From the delicious puff-pastry shop we happened upon, to the 19th-century shopping arcades, we experienced some of the delights of Paris that most tourists never discover.
Terrance's knowledge of all things Parisian is endless; he knows the history as well as interesting tidbits about the cafe culture.
Once our tour was over, Terrance let us know that he was available for the rest of our trip as a resource for restaurant recommendations, shopping, and questions. His suggestions were excellent, and the lunch we had on our tour was the best of the week.
I highly recommend the Paris Walking Tour au Flaneur, or any other tour that Terrance is offering.
Amy Kilbridge
East Lansing, Michigan

wanted to say thank you for the incredible tour of Paris. Meet at Les Magnot was such a great idea, Parisian café and plotting out our magnificent journey. What my family enjoyed the most was blending in history but seeing Paris in different way by visiting the iconic sites but have a personalized narrative to truly enjoy the trek.

My wife enjoyed all the shops that were so unique and off the beaten path. Your tour really catered to our kids based on their interests. The secret path at the Louvre, was something the kids are still talking about. Every shop and cafe we walked into had a different story and you did such a great job of explaining everything.

Frank Hayden & Family, Evanston, IL

I wanted to thank you for your time while Jen and I visited Paris. It was such a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to making it back out there and getting more time seeing the city with Terrance.

Until then I will stay updated through the newsletter. Take care,
Kwai

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I just want to say thank you again for just the loveliest day in Paris on Saturday - I will forever cherish that day! I had the best time getting to know you and getting to know Paris a bit better. I cannot wait to come back and see more. Thanks again and hope to see you in November!
All the best!
Jen

Margaret & Farah

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Paul

Marie, Julie, Janis and Alain at Le Mesturet

Paula &

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Sydney, Mill Valley

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Chelsea & Tom, Asheville, NC

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Tony & Lee-Johnson City,

The tour was awesome, merci. Gina & Sydney DeVito
We then spent a day with Terrance, walking Paris. It was the day after his birthday and he was, amazingly, still able to show a wonderful side of Paris. We saw where he was moving too and learned so much about the man himself. It was a delightful day and one we keep hoping to repeat sometime soon. Joyce Shor Johnson

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The wise-cracking, entertaining Terrance Gelenter, a former New Yorker who’s a cross between a tour guide and a stand-up comic who looks and dresses the part of a Parisian was our guide in Paris. His tours are filled with lots of anecdotes about Paris life and he often interrupts his walks to say “bonjour” to the many French celebrities he knows and who frequent the Paris cafes of which the fast-talking American has become an expert.

“Paris’ café culture dates back to the 19th century and Hemingway popularized them with tourists in his writings,” Gelenter tells our small group outside the famous Café Les Deux Magots in the St. Germain des Pres area. “If you come into a café two days in a row, they’ll know your name and what you drink.

“A smile and a bonjour will get you a lot in a Paris café,” he tells us. Terrance ha