The first time I was invited by a chef-friend to eat at one of Paris’ bouillons I thought we were going to a place that specialized in soup.  But, in fact, the term ‘bouillon’ was the term used at the end of the 19th century for restaurants where one could eat a hot meal for […]

In the heart of Paris’s 15th arrondissement, Atelier 11 stands as a testament to artistic history, having hosted luminaries such as Gauguin, Soutine, and Modigliani within its storied walls. Yet, time has weathered this venerable studio, leaving its walls cracked and its famed skylights in need of restoration. Anticipation reverberates as plans unfold for an […]

Set aside the grandeur of Versailles for a moment, and turn your attention to a hidden gem in the north of France, the unassuming former industrial city of Roubaix. While it may not be a city that typically beckons tourists, it boasts one of the most splendid residences and a museum of unparalleled beauty, making […]

  PARIS — A new cultural haven, dedicated solely to the origins and evolution of the French language, is making its debut in France. The International French Language Centre has taken up residence within the meticulously restored walls of the Villers-Cotterêts Castle in Aisne. This former hunting retreat of King François I, which had witnessed […]

With the 2024 Olympics upcoming in Paris, the fashion world is looking to sportswear. Expect athletic lines from your favorite designer brands in the months leading up to the Olympics next summer, but until then, a new exhibition in Paris looks back on the art of sportswear. The Musée des Arts décoratifs is opening an […]

In 2020, when the world was in lockdown due to Covid, there were some people who decided that their life goals should not be put on hold even one day longer.  This is the story of a man who did just that, and how it changed his life forever. It had always been the dream of […]

L’église Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, better known simply as L’église Saint-Eugène, is one of Paris’s lesser-known churches that, from the outside, doesn’t seem very impressive (it doesn’t even have a bell tower), but on the inside, conceals a plethora of historical and artistic treasures.  The first church in France built with a metal framework Built on the site […]

  You’ve already seen it on the big screen, but no one has taken it since 1939: the Porte des Lilas-cinéma metro station is a “ghost” station that is closed to the public, but popular among directors, who use it to breathe the life of the Paris metro into their films.    Each day, thousands […]

The Secret Cité’s of the 19th Arrondissement It’s great fun to walk among the heights of Belleville and get lost in its picturesque streets.  Here are three old working-class neighborhoods, charming and unknown, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.   Cité Saint-Chaumont Located between Boulevard de la Villette and Avenue Simon Bolivar, this peaceful cité […]

  When looking at a map of Paris, you might immediately notice that it resembles a spiral. Some compare the layout to an escargot (snail), referring to the swirling forms of the insect’s shell. This rather dizzying presentation has to do with the arrangement of the city’s 20 arrondissements, or districts, which spiral out clockwise […]