Musée d’Orsay – busiest times 
Musée d’Orsay – busiest times 
Cimietière Montparnasse: a favorite haunt in our neighborhood
Cimietière Montparnasse: a favorite haunt in our neighborhood
Paris plans to banish all but electric cars by 2030
Paris plans to banish all but electric cars by 2030
Gotta have: MAISONS BULLES
Gotta have: MAISONS BULLES
Love this flow chart on use of vous vs. tu (via Quora)
Love this flow chart on use of vous vs. tu (via Quora)
La Cigale Récamier soufflé restaurant is gone
La Cigale Récamier soufflé restaurant is gone
Funny, Un peu différent, Understand France and the French

Don’t forget your Speedo if you’re going to swim in public pools in France

August 30, 2009

But spare a thought for France, where the opposite is true: local authorities regularly force men to ditch their Bermudas and parade in skin-tight budgie-smugglers for the greater public good. In French public pools, from the racing lanes of Paris to the open-air lidos and water parks of the south, anything bigger than Speedos is banned and you must hoist yourself into a posing pouch as a civic requirement.

... This sounds like another attempt to shore up French industry, but it does have a certain logic in a country trying to welcome differences, but at the heart, trying to make everyone into a Frenchman.

Architecture and Design, Understand France and the French

Why do we just feel so good when we are in Paris?

August 30, 2009

Well, that used to be the case, back in the day when people took vacations where no one can reach you and you forget as much as you can about worklife for a week. ... I don't think you can discount the long term effect of the Haussmann reconstruction of this city that made it into a fairly uniform, but beautiful composite that also reflects a golden light that is unique to Paris, at least among large cities. ... We come from San Francisco so we know what natural beauty is, but we're always dismayed by urban San Francisco: the omnipresent work-live lofts which now dominate every neighborhood with an architectural style that no one would ever want to represent their city.

Culture, Food, Restaurants, Travel

Chez Michel

August 29, 2009
What a find. Our friends Jean-Jacques and Jane, my husband and I had a dinner out at Chez Michel, in the 10th arrondisement. Cuisine is Breton, and the atmosphere breezy. According to our discriminating friend Jean-Jacques, Chez Michel is one of the top 10 traditional bistros in Paris, and indeed, I think it lives up to its status. My fish…read more
Culture, Food, Restaurants, Un peu différent

Kong

August 29, 2009
Our friend Pierre surprised us by inviting us for a Sunday brunch at Kong . ... Food was nice enough but definitely an 'inside' experience, especially its kooky, disco-ball-and-kid-sumo-adorned bathrooms. Apparently, It was featured as a chic eatery in Sex and the City. 1 rue de Pont Neuf, Paris, 75001.
Apartment neighborhood, Culture, Food, Restaurants

Tarte du Soleil and other perfect plats

August 29, 2009
We always see our friend/proprietor Sophie Clavié and her gracious husband Philippe when we're in Paris. Her neighborhood bistro is Closerie des Lilas, the world famous magnet for the avant-garde for generations. Their book shows all those who have passed through the place, from Bernard Kouchner, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Ingres, Henry James, and even Sarah Jessica Parker!…read more
For tourists only

Another rube finds lots to dislike on his first trip to Paris

August 27, 2009

I love to read reports like this one from someone whose favorite meal during their stay in Paris was some crepes they ate at 10PM.    Paris is full of city life; its bustling energy is one that I haven't found in many American cities. However, despite the tourism, the main roads and historic attractions such as the Champs Elysses, have become crowded and mind-boggling to navigate. ... My favorite and only desirable part of Paris was Montmartre; champagne made this New Year's night a wonderful experience as we walked through the streets like rebellious teenagers.

Culture, Economy and Exchange rates, In the News

New law on store openings on Sunday meant to woo US tourists

August 26, 2009

I can't imagine the fact that stores are closed on Sunday to be a reason not to stay an extra day in Paris, but I guess some people must be shopping all the time. As a student, I resented the Sunday closings because it just meant so much more to pack into a Saturday, but now I treasure the idea of one day where everyone is forced to really take the day off. ... TV, of course has ruined some of that nothing-to-do feeling already, but it's more than a bit sad to see the French put one more nail in the coffin of true leisure, which many of us has felt was at the very core of spending time in Europe.

Apartment - 39 rue de Vaugirard - short term rental, Apartment neighborhood, Food, Travel with Kids

Chocolatiers Abound

August 26, 2009
Two more chocolatiers opened in the neighborhood, giving competition to Pierre Hérme. Patrick Roger, voted the best chocolatier in 2000, seems to be guided by the seasons and his whimsies, as my daughter Hadley and I saw the largest 6' chocolate pencils to commemorate the start of the school. Down the street, on rue de Rennes, is another contender, L'Atelier…read more
Books, Books on France, Food, Restaurants

France, land of bad French food?

August 22, 2009

I can't tell you how relieved I was when Steinberger's recent book, "Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France" (Bloomsbury USA), came across my desk not long after we got back from Paris. ... Maybe we were just old and out of it. ad_icon Even if all those things are a little bit true, reading Steinberger, a wine columnist for Slate magazine (which is owned by the Washington Post Co.) and admitted "food-loving Francophile," reassured me.

... We'll be in Paris on Monday and we have plenty of old standards to go to (some not as good as they used to be), but I'm glad that we don't have to try to find places to eat "au pif."

Tours and visites

Other off-the-beaten track tour ideas

August 19, 2009

This article is worth a look if you've already "done it all" and are looking for new ways to see parts of Paris you feel you're missing.    You've posed for a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, checked out the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and walked to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. If you think you've done it all in Paris, don't worry, there are plenty of off-the-beaten-path adventures for your return. Away from landmarks, tourist crowds and flashing cameras, a few guides will take you on unusual tours behind the scenes, literally, in a movie tour, or to discover artists' havens in Belleville, fountains of famous gardens and eco-friendly initiatives around town.

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