Sundays in Paris

Panthéon

2011-09-18T11:16:00.002-04:00

9/11

2011-09-11T10:46:00.002-04:00

Bummin' in the 6ème

2011-08-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

Rue de Rivoli

2011-08-21T12:45:00.001-04:00

Stairs at the Arc de Triomphe

2011-08-14T19:59:00.001-04:00

Book Store Interior - I think it's Shakespeare & Co.

2011-08-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

Looking Toward the Eiffel Tower at Dusk

2011-07-31T05:04:00.000-04:00

Homage to Adolphe Adam on his birthday

2011-07-24T02:46:00.000-04:00

A clip from a rehearsal of Giselle:

July 17, 1791

2011-07-17T02:38:00.001-04:00

On this date 210 years ago, during the French Revolution, the Champ de Mars was the site of a massacre during which members of the National Guard opened fire on a crowd of anti-royalist protesters.

Happy Birthday, Proust (and Pissarro)

2011-07-10T14:34:00.002-04:00

G. Larnicol, Chocolatier

2011-07-03T01:30:00.000-04:00

Gargoyle!

2011-06-26T03:54:00.002-04:00

Le Sevigné

2011-06-19T05:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Belated Birthday, Renée Vivien

2011-06-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Renée Vivien, b. June 11, 1877, was a British Symbolist poet who wrote in French. (Her mother, actually, was from Michigan.) She had an affair with American expat playwright Natalie Clifford Barney but was unable to tolerate the latter's infidelities. She was addicited to chloral hydrate and alcohol and tried unsuccessfully to overdose on laudanum. She eventually died at the age of 32 of pneumonia in the setting of substance abuse and, perhaps, anorexia (she had begun to starve herself and only weighed 70 lbs).

Excerpt from Chair des choses:

Je possède, en mes doigts subtils, le sens du monde,

Car le toucher pénètre ainsi que fait la voix,

L'harmonie et le songe et la douleur profonde

Frémissent longuement sur le bout de mes doigts.

Je comprends mieux, en les frôlant, les choses belles,

Je partage leur vie intense en les touchant,

C'est alors que je sais ce qu'elles ont en elles

De noble, de très doux et de pareil au chant.

Car mes doigts ont connu la chair des poteries

La chair lisse du marbre aux féminins contours

Que la main qui les sait modeler a meurtries,

Et celle de la perle et celle du velours...

Dancing in the Jardin du Luxembourg

2011-06-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

Garden in the Marais

2011-05-29T09:39:00.002-04:00

Looking Ahead

2011-05-22T11:33:00.002-04:00

Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine at the Université René Descartes

2011-05-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T16:24:00.001-04:00

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

2011-05-01T10:40:00.000-04:00

Joyeuses Pâques 2011

2011-04-24T10:19:00.001-04:00

Marché Couvert Saint Germain

2011-04-17T13:01:00.002-04:00

Passerelle Léopold Sédar Senghor

2011-04-10T14:32:00.001-04:00

Au Parloir du Colombier

2011-04-03T09:51:00.002-04:00

Book Shops on rue Saint Sulpice

2011-03-27T11:06:00.002-04:00

Des hommes et des dieux

2011-03-26T11:11:00.001-04:00

Seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped in Algeria 15 years ago today and beheaded two months later. This powerful film about their lives (entitled Of Gods and Men in the U.S.) is a must-see. See the American trailer here and the slightly different French/European trailer here.

Glimpses of Green near the Place de la Concorde

2011-03-20T21:42:00.001-04:00

Bridge at the Musée Albert Kahn

2011-03-13T16:58:00.002-04:00

Paris Arch Near rue de Seine

2011-03-06T09:07:00.001-05:00

A Bit of Glam Across the Sea

2011-02-27T18:01:00.002-05:00

Henry Moore Expo at the Musée Rodin

2011-02-20T01:18:00.000-05:00

***

Today is the birthday of the late Georges Bernanos, author of Diary of a Country Priest.

Aimer, Manger, Boire, et Chanter

2011-02-13T01:09:00.000-05:00

Montmartre Street Corner

2011-02-06T13:39:00.001-05:00

Quiz: How Much of a French Woman Are You?

2011-01-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

My computer is in the hospital! Not sure when I can go back to weekly Paris photos but here's a placeholder post I found lying around that cheered me up a little.

Found this quiz on Amazon.com under Mireille Guiliano's book French Women for all Seasons:

"...Before learning to become a French woman for all seasons, take this short quiz to find out how much of one you already are. Your inner French Woman--we all have one!--may already be more developed than you suspect! Find out now how close your daily habits are to bringing you optimum pleasure."

1. Your idea of the ultimate chocolate fix is?
a. A chocolate Entenmann's donut.
b. A Hershey bar.
c. Godiva truffles.
d. One or two pieces of high-quality dark chocolate.

2. How do you take your coffee?
a. I don't drink coffee.
b. Can't stand it without cream and three sugars.
c. I add Equal and skim milk for low-cal pleasure.
d. A small cup of freshly brewed coffee needs no lightening or sweetening.

3. What should the salespeople at the mall know about you?
a. I don't wear prêt à porter!
b. I'm a sucker for the latest trends for the season--I love being in fashion.
c. I'll buy an amazing pair of shoes before I pay my rent.
d. I find a few items to accompany the best pieces in my closet--I just want to refresh my wardrobe.

4. You're throwing a party in a couple of weeks. What's your plan of action?
a. I obsess about the menu, wonder how I'll ever find the time even to plan, and when the big day comes I spend the entire time in the kitchen while my guests (usually) drink too much.
b. I call a caterer, of course. What do I know about such things, and why should I care?
c. I set out a bag of chips and a bag of pretzels and ask everyone to bring a bottle.
d. I choose a few favorite food items to serve, some store-bought delicacies, some easy to prepare but impressive treats, add some personal serving touches, sit back and relax while the guests ooh and ahh.

5. Which of the following drinks will you serve at the party?
a. Whatever the guests bring.
b. Margaritas (Frozen--is there another kind?).
c. Wine, vodka, beer… hospitality is variety.
d. A thoughtfully chosen wine and mineral water—keep it simple and always give guests water with their alcohol.

6. You've just gone to the market and found wonderful fresh basil, but you got so excited about it that you bought too much. What do you do?
a. What would I be doing at the market? What's basil again?
b. I chop some in my pasta, but eventually have to throw the rest away.
c. I have a pesto pack-down that night!
d. I try to invent a new dish for using it while it's fresh (substituting it for another herb I might otherwise use); the rest I make into pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays (one cube is perfect for a single pasta serving).

7. Au restaurant, you're most likely to order:
a. A cheeseburger with fries.
b. A large salad with ranch dressing.
c. Vegetable lasagna.
d. Grilled hangar steak with wine sauce.

8. When the waiter comes to your table to take your drink order, you:
a. Order up Grey Goose.
b. Let someone else advise--wine lists are intimidating.
c. Remember the rule that white goes with fish and red goes with meat.
d. Choose Champagne--it goes with just about anything.

9. How much wine do you typically drink with dinner?
a. None--alcohol is fattening.
b. Keep 'em coming--I've read wine is heart smart!
c. A few glasses--I know my limits.
d. Usually one, but if I want more, I’ll have another half glass.

10. You're traveling and a sumptuous breakfast buffet is included in the cost of your hotel room. What do you do?
a. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes, but make sure to hit hotel gym later.
b. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes to get me through the day--it's free, and I don't eat that way at home, so what's the harm?
c. I can't be trusted around any all-you-can-eat spread; I skip breakfast.
d. I choose one day to indulge at the buffet (compensating with lighter lunch and dinner), but order room service for the rest of my trip to avoid overdoing it.

11. What is your ideal workout?
a. Does channel surfing count?
b. An hour at the gym, wailing on the Cybex.
c. I eat healthfully so I can spend less time exercising.
d. I walk everywhere, and enjoy some Yoga a couple of times a week.

12. Mireille Guiliano says in French Women Don’t Get Fat that her "secret weapon" is plain yogurt. If you want to sweeten it, what do you add?
a. Sweet 'n Low or Equal.
b. Sugar.
c. Spoonful of maple syrup or honey.
d. Fresh fruit.

13. You have an after-hours party to attend for work. Pick an outfit that will take you most elegantly from day to night.
a. A short suit skirt with a tank top and a jacket that you'll be able to take off later--if you've got it, flaunt it!
b. Designer jeans with a top you saw in Vogue.
c. Your trusty black dress, but you'll dress it up with trendy baubles for evening.
d. A trimly cut dress paired with simple jewelry or a scarf.

14. In the fall, you eat:
a. Strawberries.
b. Asparagus.
c. Peaches.
d. Apples.

15. Le dessert is served! You choose to have:
a. A big piece of cake--you only live once.
b. A small slice (or two) of apple tart--an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
c. A piece of pie or cake, but you'll share it with a friend.
d. Nothing overly sweet--instead you go for a piece of seasonal fruit or cheese.

Results:
Allow 1 point for "a" answers, 2 points for "b" answers, 3 points for "c" answers, and 4 points for "d" answers. Add up your total points and find out how French you are based on the scale below.

Not Very French At All (15-25 points)
You are a true American woman. You're busy and don't always have time to entertain or cook. Your treats are sweet or salty. But Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "When foods are bursting with natural taste--as opposed to being artificially flavored, laden with fat and salt, or just plain tasteless--the experience of eating them is more satisfying, and we can content ourselves with less." Start reading to find out how you can change your approach to eating, and how all of Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.

Potentially French (26-36 points)
You're already aware of your indulgences, and realize you have great potential for improvement. You just need a little coaching on how to maximize style, taste and pleasure without sacrificing your waistline or sanity. "The key," Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons "is to cultivate your own intuition of your offenders and pleasures and adjust each accordingly by degrees that suit you." Start reading to find out how you can change not only your relationship with food, but how Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.

You're Almost French! (37-47 points)
You value quality over quantity. But we've all been known to stress out about a party or get weak in the knees in front of a chocolate donut. In French Women for All Seasons, Mireille says, "French women don't get fat because they know the secret of pleasure. But the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Check out French Women for All Seasons for tips about how to entertain and dress, new recipes, and most importantly, how to remain bien dans sa peau.

Une Vraie Française (48-60 points)
You may have already read French Women Don’t Get Fat and taken it to heart or you simply have an inner French woman. Either way, you've unlocked the secret of pleasure--it's the most important part of life. But again as Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Read the book to find out how to keep this process going throughout the winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Apparently I am "Almost French!" I scored a 40 or 43 depending on #11. Here were my answers: 1) C 2) B 3) D 4) A 5) C 6) D 7) D 8) C 9) D 10) B 11) A but sometimes D if you substitute "ballet" for "Yoga" 12) A 13) C 14) D 15) A

Another One of Paris's Passages

2011-01-16T01:54:00.001-05:00

Happy Belated Birthday, Molière! (January 15, 1622)

Courtyard of the Archives Nationales

2011-01-09T01:36:00.000-05:00

On this day in 1793, French inventor Jean-Pierre François Blanchard became the first person to fly in a balloon in the United States. He had made his first successful flight on March 2, 1784, launching from the Champ de Mars in Paris.

Notre-Dame from the River

2011-01-02T01:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Feast of Steven!

2010-12-26T01:23:00.000-05:00

...and a Merry Second Day of Christmas!

Photo source: St. Etienne du Mont by Jebulon, from Wikimedia Commons

Le Consulat

2010-12-19T01:10:00.000-05:00

Had to put up a Montmartre photo on Edith Piaf's birthday.

Snow in Paris

2010-12-12T01:09:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: the PARIS facebook page.

Reindeer on the rue François Miron

2010-12-05T01:37:00.000-05:00

Peace Memorial in front of Eiffel Tower

2010-11-28T01:02:00.000-05:00

Fontaine St.-Michel

2010-11-21T01:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Monet!

2010-11-14T01:15:00.000-05:00

Giverny - an easy day trip from Paris.

Life Just Feels Like This Sometimes :)

2010-11-07T01:19:00.000-04:00

Tales from the Crypt

2010-10-31T01:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

There's spookiness at the top of Paris (Montmartre, on the way to the Place du Tertre)...

...and at the bottom. Beneath the cathedral...

...lies the crypt! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha...

Which thousands of years ago is imagined to have looked more like this:

On This Day, 1260: Chartres Cathedral Dedication

2010-10-24T01:06:00.000-04:00

Chartres is an easy 50-minute drive or train-ride from Paris and well worth the day trip.

Just Off the Place du Tertre, Montmartre

2010-10-17T01:27:00.000-04:00

Galignani Book Shop

2010-10-10T01:43:00.000-04:00

Little Ponies in the Jardin du Luxembourg

2010-10-03T01:14:00.000-04:00

A little nod to St. Francis near his feast day.

Tucked Away on the Impasse Berthaud

2010-09-26T04:38:00.001-04:00

Montmarte Steps

2010-09-19T01:35:00.000-04:00

Looking Down the rue de Braque

2010-09-12T01:39:00.000-04:00

St.-Joseph-des-Carmes

2010-09-05T01:08:00.000-04:00

This church on the rue du Vaugirard, built between 1613 and 1625, was the site of a massacre of between 110 and 120 priests on September 2, 1792 (part of the September Massacres) after fifteen days of captivity. The clerics had refused to take the oath of allegiance to the republican Constitution.

Jardin des Tuileries

2010-08-29T01:35:00.001-04:00

It's not always easy to get free Wi-Fi in Europe. David Lebovitz has some tips for where to find it in Paris. Parks and municipal spaces are apparently our best bet.

Illuminated Eiffel Tower in the Distance at Nightfall

2010-08-22T01:32:00.000-04:00

Chess Players in the Jardin du Luxembourg

2010-08-15T01:35:00.000-04:00

Place des Vosges

2010-08-08T01:01:00.000-04:00

A Doorway in the Marais

2010-08-01T02:14:00.000-04:00

Centre Georges Pompidou

2010-07-25T01:39:00.001-04:00

Place Vendôme

2010-07-18T01:29:00.000-04:00

LOVED Le Petit Nicolas!

2010-07-15T20:18:00.002-04:00

I FINALLY got to see Le Petit Nicolas at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts this evening! It was featured as part of a French film festival. I remember enjoying the books - or at least excerpts from the books - while I was studying French in high school, and the film really captures their warmth and humor with its portrayal of the inner (and outer) life of school kids. I laughed out loud practically the entire time. Delightful!

Arc de Triomphe

2010-07-11T01:47:00.000-04:00

We finally made it to the top this year (and the view was totally worth the 284 steps it took to get there).

Early Morning Sight That Took My Breath Away

2010-07-04T01:22:00.000-04:00

The Musée d'Orsay is the most beautiful museum in the world...

Greetings from an Hour Outside of Paris

2010-06-27T03:31:00.003-04:00

Can you believe it's this rural this close to the city? Bliss...

Will be taking more pictures of Paris in the coming week as we venture out of our (sadly, temporary) Normandy country life.

Not a Bad Place to Lounge Around in the Evening

2010-06-20T01:37:00.000-04:00

Fishers or Sinners?

2010-06-13T01:54:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty sure that says Fishermen's Crêperie ("pêcheurs") but if you squint at that accent over the "e" it could be Sinners' Crêperie ("pécheurs"). Tee-hee.

Don't miss David Lebovitz's weekend post, "Should I Move To France? (28 Questions To Ask Yourself)." It's laugh-out-loud funny - a real gem.

Louvre Fountain

2010-06-06T00:51:00.000-04:00

Seine Barges

2010-05-30T10:40:00.001-04:00

Palais Garnier at Dusk

2010-05-23T01:25:00.001-04:00

Even A Glimpse Can Inspire

2010-05-16T01:24:00.001-04:00

À la Mère de Famille

2010-05-09T01:30:00.000-04:00

Oldest candy store in Paris!

35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre
Metro: Le Peletier, Grands-Boulevards, or Cadet
Tel. +33 (0)1 47 70 83 69

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

See here for other locations.

View of the Seine from the Eiffel Tower

2010-05-02T01:03:00.001-04:00

Pont Alexandre III

2010-04-25T07:16:00.001-04:00

Stuck in Paris? Here Are Some Tips

2010-04-21T01:10:00.004-04:00

From David Lebovitz: 10 Things To Do If You're Stuck in Paris.

And from French Essence: realizing how grateful we should be for the privilege of air travel.

Montmartre Shops

2010-04-18T00:23:00.001-04:00

Evening Sunlight on the Lapin Agile

2010-04-11T12:11:00.000-04:00

Joyeuses Pâques

2010-04-04T10:25:00.000-04:00

Sainte-Chapelle

2010-03-28T12:24:00.002-04:00

Music Supplies in Paris: rue de Rome

2010-03-21T03:51:00.000-04:00

On the way to the Galerie Vivienne...

2010-03-14T00:22:00.001-05:00

This is the restaurant featured in Something's Gotta Give. It's right near this passage couvert, one of the loveliest in Paris:

Rue de l'École de Médecine

2010-03-07T00:44:00.000-05:00

Eiffel Tower Seen From the Seine

2010-02-28T00:59:00.002-05:00

Over the Boulevard Garibaldi

2010-02-21T00:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T00:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I can't find my picture of the Champ de Mars with a big heart carved into it, seen from a deck on the Eiffel Tower, so I offer you instead these young lovers enjoying the City of Lights. Ah, l'amour...

Paris Flood of 1910

2010-02-08T01:53:00.000-05:00

This article was posted on Facebook yesterday by David Lebovitz. See a slide-show here for more photos of this event from 100 years ago.

Photograph by BHVP/Roger-Viollet.

Île de la Cité

2010-02-07T00:46:00.000-05:00

Paris Opéra

2010-01-31T00:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Anna Pavlova!

One of my dreams is to see the Kirov Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, but last summer I had a pretty comparable treat: the chance to see one of my favorite ballets, Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée, at the Opéra Garnier in Paris. Mathias Heyman is DREAMY... :)

Paris Bike At Cire Trudon

2010-01-24T10:30:00.002-05:00

Conciergerie from a Friend's Barge

2010-01-17T00:16:00.003-05:00

Passage d'Enfer

2010-01-10T20:29:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T00:05:00.000-05:00

This Somehow Struck Me As Christmas-y

2009-12-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

Or at least Epiphany-ish.

Trumpeter Under a Paris Bridge

2009-12-20T21:14:00.003-05:00

I wanted an excuse to post this picture of a lone musician practicing his art along the Seine. My flimsy connection is that 'tis the season for brass here in the States, where brass ensembles warm our hearts and lift our spirits with holiday music. There's nothing like live music in a beautiful city to do just that.

I don't have a great photo of Christmas in Paris, but there's a lovely one here of the Place Vendôme. Have a look.

Christmas Tree Limo

2009-12-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of MyLittleParis: this little item about a rickshaw delivery service for Paris Christmas trees. Read all about it here.

Pain d'Épices

2009-12-13T00:07:00.000-05:00

This cute little store called "Pain d'Épice" is in my favorite passage couvert in Paris, the Passage Jouffroy.

Here in the States 'tis the season for the flavors of pain d'épices. David Lebovitz posts a recipe for it here.

I haven't tried making French pain d'épices, but I do sometimes make an American gingerbread loaf using

Wet ingredients: 2 eggs and 1/2 c each vegetable oil and milk (or water)
1 c of sweetener (I use a combination of white sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and molasses in about equal proportions; I may try to replace some of the strong molasses with honey next time...)
1 3/4 tsp spices: about 1 tsp each cinnamon and ginger, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Dry ingredients: 1 1/2 c flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp each salt and baking soda

baked at 375 for 40-50 min or till a knife piercing the bread comes out clean. This year I made a maple glaze for the top with some confectioners' sugar, maple flavoring, and milk. My kids enjoyed it. My husband, though, doesn't care for gingerbread and prefers my pumpkin bread. I can post that on another day.

Favorite Shop in Paris

2009-12-06T00:09:00.000-05:00

We're trying to have a minimally commercial Christmas season and focus on the spiritual aspects of Advent. Still, we've done our share of Christmas shopping and card-sending - I do enjoy wrapping well-chosen presents for people I love.

If I could magically transport myself to Paris, though, I'd want to come here, to the little store run by the Sisters of the Jerusalem Community at St. Gervais, where books, cards, and beautiful icons are available - perfect for the Taizé prayer services we've been attending during Advent. It's just past the bright blue doors of the bistro l'ébouillanté if you're coming up from the river.

Paris Museums Shut Down in Protest Over Cost Cuts

2009-12-03T09:02:00.002-05:00

Read about it here.

I Wish I Had This Cookie Cutter For My Christmas Cookies

2009-12-02T22:21:00.002-05:00

Isn't it cute?

Not Your Ordinary Back Alley

2009-11-29T00:31:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite tucked-away streets in Paris is the Cour du Commerce St.-André, which opened in 1735. Today it connects the rue Saint-André des Arts and the boulevard St.-Germain. There's a cute little toy shop there as well as the back doors to Le Procope (one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, opened in 1686) and the Relais Odeon.