Paris

In the News

French expect Americans to come back to Paris

September 23, 2010

MSNBC reports that last year, American tourism was down 40% versus a decade ago. Worse, the Paris tourism office says 2009 traffic was down another 3.4% versus the prior year.

Surprisingly, while we only read of a double-dip recession, French tourism officials expect that Americans will be coming back "as the the U.S. economy improves. I have no doubt they are correct, but I don't thing that will mean in 2011.

Culture, Museums and Monuments, Shopping, Understand France and the French

Hôtel Drouot is pure theatre

May 9, 2010
The auction rooms at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris date to 1852. They’ve been modernized since then, but the general atmosphere probably hasn’t changed much. On any day of the week, a throng of characters straight out of a Maupassant novel can be found bidding for dusty treasures straight out of the proverbial Old Curiosity Shop. Annually, about 800,000 lots…read more
Culture, For tourists only, Museums and Monuments, Travel, Travel with Kids, Understand France and the French

France Miniature

September 4, 2009
Our friend Patrick Mikla always surprises us with 'inside' discoveries of Paris and France. From the time we met him some 15 year ago, I can remember each and every one of our adventures. The latest is France Miniature. He took the day off and took us Élancourt, a town about an hour drive outside of Paris, where this miniature…read more
Apartment - 39 rue de Vaugirard - short term rental, Apartment neighborhood, Where to stay

Hotel Villa Madame and the provenance of Rue Madame

September 4, 2009
I just learned of the provenance of the fabled street, rue Madame, that crosses rue de Vaugirard, where our apartment is located. It was named after Marie-Joseph-Louise, "Madame" de Savoie, the wife of Xavier-Stanilas "Monsieur" de Bourbon, Count of Provence and the future Louis XVIII. In 1790, "Monsieur," the current owner of the Luxembourg Palace, honoured "Madame" by naming the…read more
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
Books, Books on France, Culture, Museums and Monuments, Travel, Understand France and the French

Mona Lisa in Camelot

July 14, 2009
Two ladies in Camelot..... Who knew... Just read in the Vanity Fair article of how the 1963 American exhibition of the Mona Lisa in New York City and Washington, D.C., was America's first blockbuster art show. The writer Davids recounts in numbing detail the negotiations, preparations, flummoxes and successes of the exhibit. The exhibition was masterminded by the diplomatically savvy…read more
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