The Paris Traveler

If you’re a jazz lover like me, then be sure to stop in at the Caveau de la Huchette. This isn’t your typical jazz dive as you will see as you go down into the caves. They date back to the middle-ages (before 1551) and were the meeting places for secret societies such as the Rosicrucians, the Templers, and the Free-Masons. During the revolutionary period of 1789 this place was known as the “Cave of Terror” where trials were conducted and executions took place.
The walls are decorated with arms from that era, swords, muskets, there’s even a chastity belt. As I said, …read more

6 Comments

Parisians have always been kicking and screaming about any new buildings in Paris. The famous French author Guy de Maupassant was asked why he had lunch at the Eiffel Tower everyday. His answer… “Because it’s the only place in Paris where I don’t have to look at it.” It is said he finally left Paris for that very reason.  (An over dramatization, I think!)
French presidents tend to want to leave a legacy of their time in office. George Pompidou commissioned the Pompidou Center. After its construction in the 1970’s, Parisians everywhere protested such a horrible building! The same was true in the …read more

Comments Off

In many countries we switch from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time back to Standard Time every year. For some reason Parisians run on a time zone all their own, and Paris Time never changes. It’s always one hour later.
When I moved to Paris years ago I soon found out that if I wanted to invite friends for dinner at eight, I needed to invite them at seven. If I wanted to invite them at nine, I had tell them to come at eight. You get the picture.
It got to the point that you just knew to expect them one …read more

4 Comments

This is one of my favorite boutiques in Paris for children’s clothes.  Style, quality, comfort, fun ideas, and vivid colors are all part of their trademark. They carry everything from hats, bags, footwear, backpacks, and accessories for every part of your child’s life.
The Miki House family consist of five distinct labels. Miki House First takes care of all your newborn and infant’s needs. Hot Biscuits are the fun everyday outfits that toddlers to young kids love, featuring cutsy type characters. Double B. is their American casual denim wear, while Miki House Collection is designed for more formal wear and special …read more

Comments Off

I’m sorry to say that quite often when I finish seeing a French film, I wonder why I wasted my time and/or money to go see it. Not so with Olivier Dahan’s film, La Môme! This 2 hour 20 minute film intrigues you from start to finish. It’s a never-ending hodge-podge of the singer’s life jumping continuously from her childhood, to her final days, back to her glory days, to her youth; yet it all makes sense.
Marion Cotillard is fabulous in the role of Piaf whose life, as most people know, was made up of one melodramatic situation after another. …read more

2 Comments

How wonderful and fortunate I have been to be able to show my mother around Paris and to introduce her to friends I have known for decades! The last time my mother was in this fabulous city was in 1978! Many things have changed over the years to say the least, but most of all Mom’s attitude. Back then she just wanted me to “come home”. She didn’t realize at the time that Paris was “my home”.
Well, Mom has fallen in love with Paris this time around, and she now understands why I’ve loved this city since the first day I arrived …read more

2 Comments