The Paris Traveler

 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

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Party plans are going on in every bar and restaurant in Paris for one of the most celebrated festivites of the Fall.  So,….better make your reservations as soon as you can, and don’t count on President Sarkozy to be one of the people celebrating! Mr. Sarko is a teetotaler in case you didn’t know. As a matter of fact, he wanted to ban the popular Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau back in 2003 stating that it was for security reasons and that it would help lessen the health insurance deficit! Uh, okay….
In case any of you noticed a short time ago at the G8 …read more

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When people ask me what part of Paris is the best to stay in, my answer is always the same.  The Latin Quarter, of course!  (And no, it’s not a Latino neighborhood!  I’ve been asked that, so don’t laugh!) The Quartier Latin got its name hundreds of years ago when Latin was an official language and because many of the schools and universities in Paris were in this area, among them the Sorbonne which was established in 1253.  Classes were taught exclusively in Latin and used among students and academicians; thus the name Latin Quarter.
If you’ve read many of my posts, then you know …read more

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Usually I prefer to write about restaurants in Paris that are good, or unique, but not that well-known.  This time I thought I would write about some famous restaurants I’ve tried and as the title of this post says, won’t break the bank!  Some are cheaper, others are more expensive, but none are like L’ Arpège, Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée , La Tour d’Argent, or other fine dining restaurants that you need to mortgage your house in order to enjoy a dinner for two! 
Au Chien Qui Fume – This restaurant has been around since 1740 and has a great friendly …read more

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What’s nice about having your own blog is being able to write what you want and I want to say that I am so proud of Geraldine! She has an amazing voice and her take on the hit song The Show Must Go On by the English rock band Queen is fantastic! Who would have thought that when she was a kid playing outside my apartment window in the Cour Saint-Pierre that she would one day be performing on stage and screen and giving rock concerts?! I did!
Why not! Afterall, her father was a world famous magician from Argentina, and considered one of the best; …read more

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If you’ve missed the opportunity to see this entertaining one woman show starring Rachida Khalil at the Olympia, I’m sure it will return to the stage once again in the near future! Ever since its first appearance a few years ago, La Vie Rêvée de Fatna, with Rachida Khalil has been playing to rave reviews!
The story line written in collaboration with Guy Bedos is about three Arab women whose paths cross by fate. Karima is a young woman who dreams of becoming an actrice, Sophie her racist neighbor, and Fatna, the aunt who has spent her life in a tiny village.
La …read more

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A great festival every year since 1934 is the annual Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre (the Grape Harvest Festival of Montmartre). The festival takes place next week-end from the 12th to the 14th of October which celebrates the wine from the local vineyards. Each year the festival honors a celebrity with the previous year’s vintage; this year French singer Georges Brassens is the honoree and the bottles will bear his name.
In case you don’t know, Montmartre has been producing wine since the Middle Ages! The vineyards are on roughly 1555 square metres and is comprised of 75% gamay, 20% pinot noir …read more

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There are only a few days left (until Sunday October 7) to see some of the best tango dancers that Argentina has to offer! World renown Gustavo Russo, is the director, choreographer, and first dancer of Tango Seducción, along with Samantha Garcia, and Alejandra Canepa, the singer, and the rest of the cast who give a spectacular performance in a cabaret setting of fiery, passionate, yet oh so sensual dance!
The show includes a humorous history of tango, plus the tango classics such as ‘El Choclo” (A favorite of mine since I was a kid!) and, of course, the part of …read more

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Back in the 18th Century Montmartre was filled with more than thirty windmills. Today, however, only two are left. (And no, I’m not talking about the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle!) The Blute-fin and the Radet make up the Moulin de la Galette which has been immortilized by some of the most famous artists in the world, Van Gogh and Picasso to name two!
Renoir’s famous painting of the Bal du Moulin de la Galette, which is in the Musée d’Orsay and Toulouse-Lautrec’s Moulin de la Galette are among some of the most well-known paintings depicting Paris in the era of the …read more

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If you’re thinking of coming to Paris soon, then you’re right in time for this year’s Nuit Blanche which takes place October 6! “Nuit blanche” (white night) is an expression meaning, “staying up all night.” More often than not it’s used in the context of “partying all night.” I mean, come on, we’re in Paris afterall, but it’s for any reason that keeps you awake all night long.
This is the sixth year that Paris is putting on a Nuit Blanche and just like the Fête de la Musique, what began in Paris, has once again taken off and has now …read more

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