Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/910948
16 BCA A .COM WINTER 2017 Valdo Raps/Flickr, D.Gilbon, Panoramas/Flickr (top) Take a trip back in time at the walled medieval village and castle of Provins; (above) catch an IMAX film inside La Géode dome at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie; (opposite page) a towering, luminous Christmas tree appears each winter on the plaza in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Découvrir les sciences (Learn about science) Kids love to interact and do, and Paris delivers with the Palais de la Découverte near the Grand Palais. It features a planetarium and interactive displays, not to mention a rat school, which demonstrates how animals learn. Another worthwhile hands-on learning centre is the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie et Parc de la Villette, the largest science museum in Europe. It includes exhibits on energy, mathematics, the human brain and more. The park itself is home to an IMAX theatre and a musical instruments museum, the Cité de la Musique. Faire une excursion (Take a day trip) How about a trip to a medieval city complete with a walled village and castle? Provins, a UNESCO World Heritage site 90 km east MEMBERS SAVE Travelling outside Canada? Protect your family from costly medical bills, trip cancellation fees, lost baggage and more with BCAA Travel Insurance. Kids Go Free, and BCAA Members save 10%. bcaa.com/travel QUICK HITS: PARIS FOR FAMILIES • Harry Potter fans will enjoy a visit to the Conciergerie on the banks of the Seine in central Paris; its cupolas are reminiscent of Hogwarts. • The bateaux mouches, glass- topped boats plying the Seine, will give you a grand view of the city while seated. • Energetic families will enjoy hiking up the stairs to the first or second level of the Eiffel Tower, although you have to take the elevator from there if you want to go to the top. • Young naturalists will enjoy the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Its expansive galleries at the edge of the Jardin des Plantes (the city's main botanical gardens) are a Noah's Ark of critters from dinosaurs to dingbats. • An excursion to Les Catacombes is a must. These underground caverns harbour the remains of more than six million people and were constructed in the late 1800s to deal with the city's overflowing cemeteries. • Aircraft of all shapes and ages are on display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport. A biplane on display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.