city. You’ll find a

city. You’ll find a monumental exhibition space dedicated to the food and wine of France and around the world, with inventive and interactive displays, films, whimsical patisserie showcases, cakes that look like they were made for the land of the giants, team games involving virtual cooking sessions, rooms set out like dining rooms and kitchens and a former chapel dedicated to the UNESCOlisted “Climats” the winegrowing vineyards of Burgundy. Theatrical, flamboyant and fascinating. Did you know that at 12.30 each day – around 50% of the entire French population will be sitting at a table to eat lunch?! You’ll certainly learn that the French are a nation of epicureans who know how to make a meal of it when it comes to cooking, and that French gastronomy truly deserves its UNESCO listing. And that’s not all you’ll find – not by a long way. In this grand homage to the culture of food – there’s more… Gastronomic village Themed stores that showcase the best of France including cheese, mustard, charcuterie, seafood, chocolate, bread, cakes and more can be found in this brand new gastro-village. Many of the shops have cooking stations, you choose your food inside, they’ll cook it for you there and then – and you can sit and enjoy it in a superb setting. There are pop-up bistros, the Experiential Kitchen holds masterclasses with guest chefs, cooking lessons, tasting sessions, cocktail workshops, ‘battle of the chef’ sessions and a fabulous rooftop terrace where barbecue classes are held. There are also pop up “Degustations” – tasting stalls. When I was there Thierry Marx’s team (yes THE Thierry Marx, the two Michelin Starred chef who is one of the most celebrated chefs in France) were there giving away samples of his divine breads and cakes. And when it comes to wine, the Cave de la Cité is in a league of its own. Three floors form a sort of ‘wine library’, 3000 bottles of wine, 250 of them sold by the glass. They range from a few Euros to a lot more when you descend to the Cave des Grand Crus. Here they have some of the most expensive wines in the world – up to a whopping 3000 Euros a bottle – the sort of wines most of us will never be able to sip (unless we’re on Government expenses). For instance, I spotted a 2017 Musigny, a Burgundian red that will set you back up to 2000 euros a bottle, but here you can have a taste for a mere 65 Euros for a (small) glass. There’s also the Ferrandi Paris School of Culinary Arts, the Harvard of Gastronomy, where they teach lessons in English. There are fabulous tableware shops. And there’s a Centre of Heritage and Architecture called 30 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 31