Monthly Archives: March 2018

Happy Birthday! La Tour Eiffel Turns 129 Years Old

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Today, Paris’s Eiffel Tower turns 125 years old. I can’t imagine there’s a monument anywhere in the world that is as recognizable as La Tour Eiffel or as indelibly linked with a nation’s culture as is this wonderful French monument created for the 1889 World’s Fair (and which was supposed to be torn down two decades after the event ended). The tower is beloved by both the French and by visitors from around the world. Check out these 40 little-known facts about the Eiffel Tower as well as some of the hundreds of photos I’ve taken of La Tour over the years. Continue Reading →

Viewing the Crown of Thorns at Notre Dame

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The Crown of Thorns, inside its protective case

Gargoyles. The rose window. Victor Hugo’s hunchback. Flying buttresses. These are just a few of the countless reasons why Parisians and visitors to the City of Light visit and fall in love with Notre Dame de Paris, the stunning gothic cathedral that often is included with the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe as iconic symbols of Paris. But for Catholics, indeed for all Christians, the church also is host to one of the most important relics in all of Christendom—the Crown of Thorns, allegedly worn by Jesus during his crucifixion. And visitors to the cathedral can see this most holy of artifacts all day on Good Friday. Continue Reading →

Spring Has Sprung at the Jardin des Plantes

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Springtime in Paris is simply glorious. All of the flowers in the city’s parks start to bloom, the trees start to blossom, those bone-chilling breezes off the Seine turn more pleasant than polar, and the Parisians who hunkered down for the winter suddenly seem incapable of staying inside one minute longer. A fantastic way to experience le printemps in the City of Light is by visiting one of Paris’s grand parks. For springtime sights, sounds and smells, I’m partial to the Jardin des Plantes, an enormous botanical garden in the Latin Quarter. Continue Reading →

Pollution in Paris = Free Bike Rentals

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Among the many things I love about Paris is the city’s fantastic 24/7 low-cost bicycle rental program, called Velib’. And I was reminded of my fondness for Velib’ when I saw that because there is a smog problem in Paris this week caused by unusual weather patterns, bike rentals are completely free until the pollution lifts. But even when the program charges its usual rates, Velib’ is still a super cost-effective (and green) way to get around the City of Light! Continue Reading →

Librairie Gourmande Named Top Cookbook Store

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Bon Appetit magazine today released its list of the best cookbook stores in the world, and it’s no surprise that Paris’s fantastic Librairie Gourmande is among them. “Food and wine books, old and new” is the motto of this two-level gold mine of cookbooks and other cuisine-related reading. Continue Reading →

Cost-Cutting in One of the Most Expensive Cities

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Petit Palais

According to a new Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Paris is the second most-expensive city in the world in which to live. There’s no doubt that Paris isn’t cheap. But the City of Light can be much more affordable if you know where to shop, when to dine, which museums to visit, and so on. Here are 10 tips you, as visitors to the City of Light, can embrace to lower your expenditures while still enjoying a full, fantastic Parisian experience. Continue Reading →