The Paris Traveler

 This is Rue des Barres, a cobble stoned pedestrian street in the 4th arrondisement that backs up to Eglise Saint Gervais, one of the oldest churches in Paris, being mentioned as far back as the 4th century.  It was formerly seat to the powerful brotherhood of wine merchants–yeah for those wine merchants.  The street is one of the best examples of what medieval Paris would have looked like.  On the right hand corner where those bushes are you will find: 

Chez Julien, a tiny throw back to the turn of the century bistros, claims one of the most desirable terraces for …read more

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Île Saint-Louis is an oasis in the middle, literally, of the hustle and bustle of Paris.  It is one of two natural islands dividing the Seine and is an example of some of the first attempts at urban planning as it was mapped out from end to end which is apparent when you see it.  Compared to the maze of twists and turns that exists both in the Latin Quarter and the St Germain area, this is sanity. This street is rue de Saint-Louis-en-Île, covering the island from end to end and is filled with shops, restaurants, small hotels and the …read more

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Today I was doing some research regarding Paris and came across some amazing photos of the city taken during the “Exposition Universelle de 1900″. I wasn’t really thinking that there was more to this world-wide gathering besides what still exists, namely Le Grand Palais and Le Petit Palais. But, oh my gosh, to have simply torn down some of these buildings seems a crime. Just think if they were still there, how long we would have to stay in Paris to see it all.  I wish!

 The Pavilion of Serbia. How beautiful is this?  It housed an exhibit of wines (I’d …read more

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 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

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I recently sent one of my poems (not this one) to be included in the Jack Kerouac exhibit that will be taking place on the 23rd of September in Paris at the Cabaret Pirate in front of the BNF (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), which got me to thinking….  How could I have not seen that my poem, This Is Paris To Me, fits in perfectly with my blog! 
                                                                                     THIS IS PARIS TO ME
Cobble stone streets; and chic cafés.
Strolling down the Champs Elysées.
Going into the Madeleine,
or riding the Bateaux Mouches on the Seine.
That is what you must do and see,
but this …read more

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September with a hint of autumn in the air. I love strolling along the Seine stopping every now and again to see if I can find a rare gem among the used books being sold by those ever present booksellers in Paris called les bouquinistes.
After hundreds of years of controversy, they finally became a permanent fixture as we know them today in 1891 on the Quai Voltaire and have grown to nearly 250 on both the Right Bank and Left Bank, selling old and used books, posters, post-cards, stamps, music albums, art prints, and more. What’s even nicer is having lively …read more

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