The Paris Traveler

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

2 Comments

 I hold individuals that live life outside the box of what most people’s definition of “normal” might be in high regard.  Those mavericks who listen to their heart and are moved by what it tells them regardless of the judgement of others is a gift.  It may cause them great pain or great delight but they move to their inner voice and only when all is said and done will they be deemed genius or crazy!
Take Ferdinand Cheval.  A French postman, he tripped on a stone one day, admired its shape and started collecting them on his route.  First in …read more

Comments Off

Here is someone a bit more passionate about the City of Lights than me!      
Gerard Brion, creator of this “mini-me” model of Paris, has spent the last 15 years putting together this masterpiece with discarded items–soup cans, baby food jars and old cinder blocks. Amongst the rubbish are well tended flower beds and perfectly shaped boxwoods.  His garden has become a tourist site in the village of Vaissac in southern France.  If you have been here or are going to be in that area, I would love any additional information.  It is all so curious! I’m not gonna lie–the nighttime photo …read more

12 Comments

 Last week, friends of my parents called to ask me where they could find good jazz in Paris.  I was able to direct them to one place I had been and was certain they could be recommended to others once they visited my selection.  They reported back, that yes, indeed they had a great time at my tiny venue on Ile Saint Louis and made it to several other spots during their stay. For those of you in Paris from the end of June through July, it’s a whole different ball game.

 The Paris Jazz Festival gets started on June 7th and offers …read more

5 Comments

  This city is filled with all things beautiful……and unusual.  Which can be the same thing depending on the eyes you are using to look at the world.  Here are a few things I found to be delightful….   

A vintage scooter which looks like a child’s toy, hardly suitable for traffic in Paris that on closer inspection has been decoupaged with hundreds of “pin-up” photos.  
 
 Or, a beautiful mosaic that greets guests at a hotel in Montparnasse…this is just one tiny part of it…the mosaic, that is
 
Another building right around the corner caught my eye.  How can so much creativity be …read more

2 Comments

 The fleur-de-lys, translated as the “flower of the lily”, is a legendary symbol of France. Initially,  it served as a decorative element and can be found as far back as Mesopotamia.  Over time, it came to to represent royalty (not specific to France) signifying perfection, light and life.  It appears in heraldry (coats of arms), as well as architecture, art, decorative objects and jewelry.  I, in my infinite craziness have taken this symbol one step further.

When getting ready to leave France after my year of personal indulgence, I thought, “What can I take home with me that I would have …read more

4 Comments

Today was another jam packed day that has left every muscle in my body sore.  That sounds bad but really it is all about having walked the entire city because, #1.  I can and #2. it was an absolutely gorgeous day again that everyone took advantage of.  Rain is in the forecast tomorrow and we go back to having typical Paris weather.
 As I was strolling along the Champs Elysée (I LOVE being able to say that!) I came across some things that you men out there might be interested in.  This is not to say that women, you can’t enjoy these …read more

Comments Off

 
I can easily go overboard on Valentine’s Day;  in our house it is second only to Christmas as our favorite holiday.  When my girls were little, I would take a pan of brownies and cut them into heart shapes or bake heart muffins and gingerbread or sugar cookies.   Since the month of  February is usually freezing in our part of the world, I would have these treats, hot chocolate and Valentine goodie bags all lined up in the kitchen for an early morning celebration before I sent them off to school.  
 Sharing ways to say “I love you” to …read more

3 Comments

 
 So, you might be thinking that this is a photo of an ancient Roman temple and a spaceship is using it as a landing pad.  But….you would be wrong!  This my friends, is Everland.
Hotel Everland is the brainchild of Swiss artist duo Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann.  Their goal for their installations is to get individuals involved by becoming a part of their artwork.  
 
In this case it means spending the night in a one room hotel perched on the top of the Palais de Tokyo, Paris’ modern art museum.  The “hotel” has a bathroom, king-size bed and lounge area. …read more

Comments Off

 When I took over this blog, I brainstormed ways in which I could keep up with daily entries and give you new and interesting things to read about.   As a result, I decided to launch a weekly feature to see how much you know about some of the sights, customs and history regarding Paris and then provide you with the answer and some useful information that might inspire you to visit a particular place, try a certain delicacy or maybe just fill you with new knowledge.  Get out your number 2 pencils and let’s see what you’ve got. (no …read more

1 Comment