The webzine for English speaking Parisians
With its swinging footbridges and tree-lined quais teeming with people on long hot summer afternoons, the Canal Saint-Martin is yet another example of how appealing Paris is when it lives up to its clichés. Rooted in the city’s industrial past, today the canal offers plenty of opportunities for biking, sightseeing, and enjoying Parisian life at its most relaxed.
Many guides claim to be for and by insiders, but this one truly is. Annabel Simms—living in Paris since 1991—delights in exploring the Paris countryside by train and sharing ideas with her friends for discovering little-known travel gems. This summer she updated the book with two new chapters including Brunoy and the Parc Saint-Cloud, while adding color photos and maps. Her previous book “An Hour From Paris” is a long-time favorite for both visitors and ex-pats. Continue reading “Half An Hour From Paris”
There’s no better way to start a new season in the fashion capital than with a whole new look. True, Paris can be pricy, but during the two yearly sales, prices are slashed to invite some healthy indulgence of retail therapy. The summer sales (called soldes in French) were extended —due to the May canicule— to July 28,2026. Continue reading “Paris’ Summer Sales 2026”
The prettiest and least visited part of the Canal de l’Ourcq, which enters Paris at Porte de la Villette, is its beginning at Port aux Perches in the Aisne département, 70 km north east of the capital. Continue reading “Cruising the Canal de l’Ourcq”
Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) is a pioneer of abstraction comparable to Kandinsky or Malevich. But it is only recently she has started receiving the attention she deserves. In her will, she left all her abstract paintings to her nephew. She specified that her work should be kept secret for at least twenty years after her death. As things turned out it was much more than that. Continue reading “Hilma af Klint Paris Exhibition”
A “Nouvelle Vague” movie poster (affiche originale) could make a unique and special Paris souvenir. The charming Galerie Ciné-Images— located at 68, rue Babylone— across the street from La Pagode Cinéma (in Paris’ 7th arrondissement) specialises in vintage and contemporary movie posters along with original cinéma photo stills. Prices start at 25E for contemporary posters and for vintage Nouvelle Vague large size posters most prices range from 200-500E, with objet d’art collector’s posters such as Godard’s “Le Mépris,” starring Brigitte Bardot, costing 2,600E. If you can’t get to Paris. Posters can by viewed and purchased online at www.cine-images.com Continue reading “Movie Posters. Galerie Ciné-Images”
It was on the southern edge of the arrondissement, in the wretched Faubourg St-Antoine that rumbling discontent was first channeled into working-class consciousness and into organized action against exploitation. When word was spread on April 28, 1789 that Monsieur Réveillon, a painted-paper manufacturer on rue de Montreuil, was planning to reduce his workers’ wages, the Faubourg St-Antoine rose up in a violent insurrection. Monsieur Réveillon had not anticipated such a reaction, for the lowering of wages he had intended was proportionate to the drop in the price of bread fixed by the authorities to ease social tension. His 400 workers had a different idea of fairness and Réveillon, terrified, ran for his life and sought shelter in the neighboring Bastille, the ominous fortress looming west of the faubourg. It took the intervention of troops and a death toll of 30 to put down the revolt, but any wise ruler should have sensed that further trouble was brewing … Continue reading “Bastille day…The story behind the celebration”
Fresh bread from the local boulangerie is one of the things we love about Paris… especially the baguette. French baguettes received UNESCO’s world heritage status in 2022. According to the National Federation of French Bakers more than 6 billion baguettes are baked each year in France. Continue reading “Best Paris Baguette 2026”
For movie buffs and Paris lovers alike, “The Movie Lover’s Guide to Paris” is the ultimate companion for experiencing the City of Light through the lens of a cinema. With over a century of cinematic history, Paris has been a muse for filmmakers, inspiring countless poignant moments on screen. With this book you can step into the frame and experience Paris like you’re a part of the action. Continue reading “Paris For Movie Lovers”
The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris hosts a major retrospective of the German artist Gerhard Richter (until March 2, 2026). The exhibition brings together many of Richterś iconic figurative images —based on photographs— along with his complex abstractions. The exhibition documents approximately six decades of the artist’s career. Richter’s eclectic work is rich in varied media ranging from his famous reproductions of banal and historic photography to glass panes to huge abstract paintings to stained glass church windows. Continue reading “Gerard Richter Paris Retrospective”
Susan Herrmann Loomis’ cookbook “ Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy” is a virtual journey to culinary France via recipes, photos, anecdotes and tips. From French “plat du jour” means dish of the day. Loomis is talking about “those dishes you find on handwritten menus outside French bistros or cafés, the ones that beckon everyone inside to sample a restaurant’s mouthwatering menu.” She says “Most plats du jour are classics lifted from the heart of French regional cuisine, dishes that evoke the essence of France, the spirit of terroir and grandmere… from Boeuf Bourguignon and Blanquette de Veau to Bouillabaisse and Croque Monsieur.” Continue reading “Plat du Jour”