The Paris Traveler

Le Petit Palais, sibling of Le Grand Palais located right across the street, is the proverbial story of flamboyant, older sister getting all the attention and right behind, getting lost in all the elder’s drama, is the tiny flower of a girl whose beauty is total and complete and goes unappreciated until one uncovers it.  That is what happens when one discovers the Petit Palais.   
Built for the 1900 l’Exposition universelle like its neighbor across the street, it is a gem that quietly goes about its business of being beautiful and housing a wide collection of art ranging from antiquity …read more

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Starting July 21 and running until August 21 the banks of the Seine will become a sandy beach oasis inviting all to soak up some of that elusive summer sun that shines down on Paris.  Entering its seventh year, Paris Plage, once again suggests you grab a beach chair and work on that tan, get a beach volley ball team together or take advantage of the entertaining events the city has in store.  
Two “beaches” have been set up this year–one at voie Georges Pompidou (in the 4th) and the other from the Bassin de Villette to Salingrad (the 19th). …read more

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I’m not sure why, but these last few days I have been drawn to vintage photographs of Paris;  Sunday I posted an old photo from the World’s Fair of 1900, capturing the exhibition halls built along the Seine.  Yesterday, I found a series of more photos, including the one above that I had to share.  This is Rue de Seine in the 6th arrondissement, smack in the middle or thereabouts of the Saint Germain area.  Bustling, artsy-fartsy in the best way, it is lined with art galleries, small cafés and shops.  Certainly not an end to itself as it is …read more

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Enjoy your Sunday!
 

 Thieves ride off with 3,000 of Paris’s free bicycles (independent.co.uk)
 In Paris, burgers turn chic (iht.com)
 French combat youth binge drinking (time.com)
 France Rediscovers Its Love of Trams (businessweek.com)
 Let them eat Meil Pops (ft.com)

 
Photo credit:  Brooklyn Museum@flickr 
 
 
 

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 Do not pass Go, do not collect $100,  but immediately take yourself  to the following link and be treated to a remarkable visual tour of the beautifully refurbished Grand Palais.  It is an amazing 2 minutes of time well spent!  The new website is fantastic.  
Grandpalais.fr
Photo credit:  bratan@flickr 

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No, this isn’t some gruesome tale about an  ancient axe murder having taken  place in the streets of Paris.  Actually, it is a bit of history and I know it’s summer vacation and brains have been turned off but I think you are going to like this.  When you are in Paris, you can amaze those in your traveling party with this bit of information.  
The Axe Historique is a line of monuments that slices through the center of Paris, east to west.  It had its beginnings with the Champs Elysée, created in the 17th century.  It extended the the …read more

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Sadly, I have just finished reading the latest adventures of David Sedaris, author of When You Are Engulfed In Flames.   I say sadly because I laugh harder than I usually do when I read about the misadventures of he and his partner, Hugh, as they traverse the world.  Actually, Hugh has few misadventures.  It is Mr. Sedaris that finds himself doing banal, daily things like smoking cigarettes or visiting a doctor’s office, as we all must once in awhile, however,  all hell breaks loose for this author and the mundane becomes hilarious.
These events would not be half as funny …read more

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As I go along my merry way through the land of the Internet, I come across all sorts of crazy and/or unnecessary things that would be fun to have or just fun to know that they exist.

I am fairly certain that no one would actually use this anymore, but it would be so fun to have–a little treasure that I would put on a fancy little dish on my desk and just look at and think how cute is that.  A pen nib in the shape of the Eiffel Tower!  Something for the Francophile that has everything.
 

We are all chocoholics …read more

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Try to imagine if you can, getting all jazzed up in your “I am so going out on the town and am going to look amazing” outfit, only to find yourself donning a hard hat, goggles and white painters uniform while being handed a sledge hammer in order to smash walls, closets and bathrooms at one of the finest hotels in Paris.
 That’s exactly what several hundred VIP’s were invited to do at Le Royal Monceau, a five star grande dame of a place to stay just off the Champs Elysée. Needing to give the old gal a face lift,  the …read more

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Enjoy the day!
 

 Le Corburbusier:  the artist’s high-rise, low rent life (timesonline.uk)
 French to shell out over snails (bbc.co.uk)
 Parlez-vous ‘purchasing power’? (iht.com)
 French winemakers abandon the cork (telegraph.co.uk)
 Carla Bruni ‘hurt’ by critics of new album (yahoo.com)

Photo credit:  Ben (enjoys holiday:-)@flickr 
 

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