Poilane: One of Paris’s Finest Boulangeries

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Asking a group of Parisians where to find the best bread in the city is like throwing a match onto a pile of dynamite. Let’s just say nearly everyone in the City of Light has a very strong opinion as to which boulangerie is the best. What most can agree on, however, is that one of the most well-known and iconic boulangeries in Paris is the shop in the Saint German des Pres neighborhood made world famous by the late bread maker Lionel Poilane—aptly and simply named Poilane. Continue Reading →

Can’t Get to the Beach? Paris Brings It to You!

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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 →

Parisians Poke Fun at Their Surly Image

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Dour Parisians

You certainly have to give Parisians credit for a collective good sense of humor when it comes to the impression they make upon some visitors to their city. There’s a belief–even among proud Parisians themselves-that residents of the City of Light are in perpetual bad moods and that’s there’s little than can be done to raise their spirits. Hence this bumper sticker seen recently in the city that translates to: “I love NOTHING. I’m Parisian.” But is this impression a valid one? Or is it simply stemming from cultural differences? Continue Reading →

Macaron Mastery at Pierre Herme

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Paris is home base for a chain of out-of-this-world patisseries launched by arguably the world’s greatest pastry chef, Pierre Herme. The patissier is best known for his macarons, most of which have quite unusual flavor pairings, such as orange, carrot and cinnamon; foie gras and figs; sherry and golden raisins; white truffle and hazelnut; and olive oil and sea salt. Another signature Herme pastry is the 2000-feuille, a more decadent version of the French classic millefeuille or 1000-feuille—a rich dessert made up of layers of stacked puff pastry sheets separated by chocolate, almond cream and hazelnut cream filling. But truth be told, all of Herme’s desserts are delectable. Continue Reading →

So True. So Very True.

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From one of my favorite Paris blogs, Paris Attitude. Continue Reading →

An Easter Visit to the Dazzling Sainte Chapelle

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It’s Easter weekend in Paris—called Paques in French. And visitors to the City of Light can enhance their appreciation of the role of Catholicism in the history of Paris through all of the fine art and architecture that can be seen via the city’s 125-plus churches. One of the very best of these—and a must-see destination for first-time visitors—is the dazzling Sainte Chapelle, located just a few blocks from its more famous cousin, Notre Dame. Continue Reading →

Le Petit Dejeuner

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Breakfast in Paris

I’m dreaming of having le petit dejeuner (breakfast) in Paris. The quintessential Parisian breakfast is coffee (or hot chocolate, if you’re indulging), croissants, perhaps a pastry (again for the indulgence), and freshly squeezed OJ. Simple, full of carbs and caffeine to get you going, and delicious. There’s nothing quite like a freshly baked buttery, flaky French croissant! Continue Reading →

Sunday at the Bastille Farmer’s Market

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There are dozens of farmer’s markets in Paris, at least two per each of the city’s 20 districts called arrondissements. The largest and arguably the best is the fantastic Richard Lenoir Market (more commonly called the Bastille market), held Thursdays and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. along the grand Boulevard Richard Lenoir, just north of the Place de la Bastille.

You can find ANYTHING here … Continue Reading →

I’ve Got a Craving for Frites

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Chicken confit with frites

One of the foods I love eating in Paris is frites (what we call French fries, but which are actually Belgian in origin). I’ve never had bad frites in France — always golden brown and crispy. Yum! Continue Reading →

Palais-Royal: Grand and Quirky

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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 →