Gorgeous Churches: Eglise Saint-Paul–Saint-Louis

St. Paul-St. Louis

As a lover of Paris, and particularly the Marais neighborhood, I’m always awed by the gorgeous Saint Paul-Saint Louis church on the Rue Saint-Antoine. One of the main draws inside (aside from the gorgeous white marble altar and impressive pipe organ) is the Delacroix painting “Christ In Agony on the Mount of Olives,” which was commissioned specifically to hang in this Parisian house of worship. Continue Reading →

Marais Museum Chronicles History of French Jews

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There are more than 150 museums in the City of Light, ranging from tiny exhibitions to huge world-renowned institutions like the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay. But many Parisian museums fall between the obscure and the famous, and one of the most interesting of these is the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaisme/MAHJ (Museum of Jewish Art and History). The museum, housed in an historic 17th century Marais mansion, chronicles the rich and sometimes very complex history of Jews throughout Europe and North Africa—with a specific focus on French Jews—from the Middle Ages to present day through its world-class collection of paintings, sculpture, religious objects, manuscripts, textiles and historic documents. Some of the most fascinating artifacts are nearly 800 years old. Continue Reading →

UPDATE: Thanksgiving Store in Paris Closes

Thanksgiving Shop on the Left Bank

With turkey day fast approaching, American expats in Paris and long-term visitors to the City of Light are beginning their searches for all the ingredients for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. And a Marais boutique named Thanksgiving is the only one-stop shop in all of Paris — perhaps even all of France — to purchase everything needed to cook turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, yams topped with marshmallows and, of course, pumpkin pie. Or, we should say was the only such shop in the City of Light. Shoppers will sadly find the unique boutique permanently shuttered. Continue Reading →

Who is Chocolatier Extraordinaire Josephine Vannier?

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Paris is heaven for chocolate lovers, and there are many boutiques run by world-class chocolatiers in the City of Light that should not be missed by sweets connoisseurs—Christian Constant, Michel Cluziel, Pierre Herme, Jean-Paul Hevin and Patrick Roger, to name just a few. But one of my favorites is a Marais shop that is a bit of an enigma—Josephine Vanier on the Rue du Pas de la Mule just steps from the elegant Place des Vosges. It’s not the delicious confections or the gorgeous edible sculptures that are puzzling; it’s exactly who is the never-seen namesake of this fantastic chocolaterie? Continue Reading →

Warm Up with a Hot Drink at Charming Royal Bar

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It’s been a cold few days in the City of Light, with nighttime temperatures dropping to near freezing and the days blustery and damp. But one of the pleasures of chilly Parisian winters is popping into a toasty cafe or tea room for a warm drink and a tasty dessert. (Or perhaps a cognac or two!) One of my best-loved warm-up spots is a fantastic little bar-cafe-tea room I stumbled upon quite by accident while roaming the tiny, winding Marais streets not far from the Picasso and Carnavalet museums—Royal Bar. You’ll love it, too. Continue Reading →

Marais Mansions: 18th Century Hotel de Rohan

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Another of the gorgeous 300-year-old mansions in Paris’s Marais district is the massive Hotel de Rohan, officially named the Hotel de Rohan Strasbourg as it was built in 1705 for the bishop of Strasbourg, Francois-Armand-August de Rohan-Soubise. This 18th century mansion was designed by architect Pierre Alexis-Delamair as the sister to the nearby Hotel de Soubise estate, Today, both manors are owned by the French government, and serve as the location for France’s national archives and the Musee de l’Histoire de France. Continue Reading →

Musee Picasso Set to Re-Open in October

Hotel de Sale (Musee Picasso) 4

After many delays and a cost overrun of nearly $30 million, renovations to Paris’s Musee Picasso are nearly complete and the museum is set to re-open in June. The museum closed in August 2009 for a planned two-year, $40 million renovation that more than doubled in length and nearly doubled in cost. But the renovations have greatly expanded exhibition space in the museum’s galleries and safety improvements will allow nearly twice as many visitors inside the museum at one time. Continue Reading →

Another Fantastic Sunday in Paris

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It’s a chilly winter Sunday in Paris, but that wouldn’t stop me from being out and about in the City of Light. From beautiful churches to what the French call “window licking,” here’s my plan for a fantastic Parisian day. Continue Reading →

My Perfect Sunday in the City of Light

Breakfast

Here’s exactly how I’d be spending my Sunday in the City of Light. Continue Reading →

Turkey Day in Paris? Head to Thanksgiving

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Parisians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Nope, there’s no turkey. No stuffing. No candied yams. No cranberry sauce. No pumpkin pie. No, Thanksgiving is very much an American holiday, and with the exception of a few restaurants catering to U.S. tourists that offer a Thanksgiving Day meal, the holiday is virtually ignored in the City of Light. So, what do expats do when they want to cook up a big Turkey Day feast with all the trimmings? Or those visitors to Paris who are lucky enough to be in a rental apartment and who wish to prepare a scaled-down version of the grand holiday dinner? Those in the know head to Thanksgiving, a delightfully quirky Marais shop specializing in American foodstuffs. Continue Reading →