Things to make you go 'Wow!' (part 2)

It's holiday booking season, so plan your trips around these inspiring locations and attractions, from La Tour d'Argent to the Pont du Gard

Even though I’ve been to so many places in France, I am frequently enchanted by the fact that there are still new places that have the power to send a thrill through my heart. Almost exactly two years ago, my newsletter included five things I’ve seen or experienced in France that have truly made me say ‘Wow!’. Obviously there are way more than five things that have prompted this reaction, so I thought it was about time that part two came along.

The view from La Tour d’Argent

My most recent jaw-dropping moment came in Paris in October as I finally made a wish come true and dined at one of Paris’ most exceptional restaurants, La Tour d’Argent. I was there to write about its most famous dish, Le Canard à la Presse for BBC Travel ( a story that starts in Normandy), which is equally extraordinary both in its preparation and its back story.

For a dish prepared with such ceremony, an impressive dining room is surely a must, and there are few that equal the majesty of La Tour d'Argent, a Parisian restaurant with a 400-year history. When I step into the restaurant's sixth-floor dining room, I can't help but gasp at the heart-soaring view – Notre-Dame Cathedral's spire is newly in situ after the fire and the River Seine parts either side of the Ile de la Cité. Light pours in through the full-height windows and reflects from the mirrored ceiling. Each table is laid with white linen and silver Christofle cutlery, charger plates and goblets.