Auguste Marie Joseph Jean Leon Jaures was a French politician and leader of the nation’s Socialist Party in the early 1900s who was assassinated due to his opposition to conflict with Germany in World War I. Jaures was shot twice while having dinner inside the Cafe du Croissant (still operating today as Bistro du Croissant) at 146 Rue Montmartre in Paris’s 2nd Arrondissement. Continue Reading →
Parisian houses are notoriously small. But what is deemed the smallest structure in all of the City of Light is miniscule even by Parisian standards–just 1.10 meters wide and 5 meters high. Continue Reading →
It’s that wonderful, pungent time of year when fresh truffles are available throughout France. The odorous—but delicious—fungi that grows underground near the roots of trees chiefly in woodland areas (and are traditionally found with the aid or trained pigs or dogs) is abundant during the late fall and early winter. And these rare—and very expensive—are available in shavings, slices and even occasionally whole at high-end markets throughout France. But one of the best places to stock up on the smelly delicacy—and one where you can buy truffle-flavored products at any time of the year—is Maison de la Truffe (House of Truffles), a small shop with an adjacent truffle-themed restaurant located directly on the Place de la Madeleine on the Right Bank. Continue Reading →
The notion that everything in Paris closes up for the monthof August is slowly becoming more rumor than fact. The tightness of the global economy means that for more and more Parisians “staycations” are becoming the norm, and these City of Light residents definitely need places to eat, shop and relax. To help Parisians who can’t get to a fantastic beach-front resort, the city literally bring the beach to them. Called Paris Plages (translated as Paris Beaches), the annual initiative creates sand banks along two stretches of the Seine River in the heart of the city as well as a beach around the Bassin de la Villette canal in northeastern Paris’s 19th Arrondissement. A number of free events–plus an opportunity to take a mini beach vacation–draws millionss of visitors every summer. Continue Reading →
Today’s Paris memories are of the Palais-Royal, a one-time palace located near the Louvre on the Right Bank. Once called the Palais-Cardinal, the palace is today home to an unusual modern art exhibit and a gorgeous enclosed courtyard with a huge reflecting pool, numerous statues and perfectly aligned rows of trees and shrubbery. Continue Reading →
Eglise Saint-Merri is arguably the most unusual church in the City of Light. As much a cultural center, gallery and concert hall as it is a Catholic house of worship, Saint-Merri is unique in all of Paris in that visitors are as likely to visit for a myriad of other reasons as they are to attend Mass. Possibly even more so. Continue Reading →
One of my favorite green spaces in the Marais is the tranquil Jardin Saint Gilles Grand Veneur-Pauline Roland, a roughly 1,000-square-meter park that is among the most secluded spots in the City of Light, mostly because the park is nearly impossible to find. The garden, particularly enjoyable in late spring when the hundreds of pink, red and white rose bushes and covered trellises are in full bloom, is tucked into a hidden courtyard between several large stone buildings, including the Hotel Grand Veneur mansion built in 1637 for the captain of the king’s huntsmen. Continue Reading →
One of the chief joys of Paris is simply relaxing in one of the city’s cafes. And a cafe terrace can be particularly fun on a spring or summer weekend when you’re with a group of friends, the weather is warm and breezy and Parisians are in buoyant spirits. If you’re ever near the Rue Montorgueil shopping street or Saint Eustache church, a perfect spot for a weekend coffee or cocktail is Lezard Cafe, with its huge, shaded and enormously popular terrace. Continue Reading →
Have you ever daydreamed of sipping hot chocolate and sampling pastries in Paris with the legendary fashion designer and glitterati mainstay Coco Chanel? While that’s a lovely but unattainable fantasy, we’ve got the next-best, real-world option: paying a visit to Angelina, a world-famous patisserie-tea room on the Rue de Rivoli that was a favorite haunt of Madame Chanel—and of Marcel Proust, Audrey Hepburn and virtually every luminary in the haute-couture fashion design world throughout the 20th century. You’ll become an instant fan, too! Continue Reading →
Have you ever wanted to join the cast of Friends at their favorite neighborhood haunt, quirky Central Perk? If you’re in Paris and in the Les Halles district, you’re able to do the next best thing—settle in for a cocktail, coffee or snack at L’Imprevu, an eclectic, laid-back venue that certainly delivers on its name, which translates to “unpredictable.” Continue Reading →