La Cigale Récamier soufflé restaurant is gone

We loved seeing all the old waiters who are still warm and welcoming, but we can’t really recommend this restaurant. Not only was the old experience gone, but we were in and out in 75 minutes, a tragedy in modern Parisian dining.

Rome advice for families 2015

They also do combo upgrades where for an extra 12 Euros, you can include either Coliseum (regular price 9.5)) or Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel skip the line tickets.

…Other stuff: We took the 7 Euro elevator to the top of the Vittorio Emmanuele II monument and “Altare della Patria.” (the BIG thing at the end of the Via del Corso) where you have a great view of all of Rome and the Forum.

Les Saveurs de Pierre Emile

The best savory tarts and fruit compote sans sucre, just a stone’s throw away. We finally went there for lunch, and it was delicious.  Our favorite, the tomato tart, the asparagus, bacon, and dill.  And the couscous looked great. 62 rue de Vaugirard, 6me. Save

Memorial des Martyrs de la deportation

Walk along Ile de la Cité, and at the edge of the garden is the Memorial of the Martyrs of the Holocaust, a monument dedicated to the all those Parisiens deported from 1941 to 1944 during the Vichy occupation. — at Memorial des Martyrs de la déportation. The architecture is stunning, and is another one […]

Canal Saint Martin is a walk in the Park of Paris

Another little surprise, from Parc de Villette, rediscovering Canal St. Martin by walking from Parc de Villette to Bastille. The entire neighborhoods along the way are so lively, especially during the summer months, when Paris Plage is going on.  All of the activities here beat the Paris Plage by the Seine.   Canal St. Martin, […]

Promenade Plantée vs. High Line

Ok.  I thought New York City’s High Line was an original.  Then I discovered that idea of elevated linear parks built on old railroad tracks actually originated in Paris in 1988 with the design of the Promenade Plantée, a 2.8-mile-long series of gardens built atop an abandoned railway viaduct in the Right Bank’s 12th Arrondissement, […]

Tokyo on the Seine

There has always been a long history of love of all that is Japanese in France.  The trend became so intense that in the 19th century, there was a movement called ‘Japonisme.’  This wonderful NY travelpost lists many interesting destinations, including Albert Kahn Museé et Jardin. Musts: 1. Galerie Sentou 2. Kunitoraya 3. Jugetsudo   […]

Albert Kahn Museé et Jardin

Albert Kahn, amazing philanthropist and traveler, bought the Boulogne property in 1895 and slowly bought up his neighbours’ lands to the point where, in 1910, he owned an immense plot of nearly four hectares. In the shady avenues, near the Boulogne. The Jardin is a collection of homage to a Japanese garden, an English garden, […]