You know you’re celebrating Halloween in Paris when: – Kids use Chloé shopping bags as trick-or-treat sacks – Moms give out individually wrapped Hédiard chocolate squares because “that’s all I had in the house!” – An army of nannies/au pairs dole out the candy when the children come knocking – Mommy’s “treat” while the kids [...]
How did three months turn into three years? Have I really been in Paris for that long? It’s funny how what started as a three-month visit just kind of quickly became living here indefinitely. And, man, is it amazing how much has happened in three years! I’ve gotten married, landed a good job, learned French, [...]
Here is what you can see if you walk down the street from metro station Richelieu Drouot to the Galeries Lafayette or Printemps department stores – Precisely at rue Laffitte, a little narrow street in the 9th arrondisemment. You will have recognized the Sacre Coeur of course, in the background, but that is not the only church in [...]
If I were still in New York, I would *totally* just run down a couple flights of stairs in the bathrobe. Not that I should romanticize slovenly habits, but hey, I miss feeling like I can do anything I want sometimes. I clearly remember days when I’d roll out of bed, throw a coat over [...]
Andre Kertesz, the Hungarian-French-American photographer who died 15 years ago has had many shows including ones I’ve seen at the MoMA, ICP, Met and National Gallery and I’ve always loved his photos. But a lot of them at this show are thumbnail-sized and frustrating to view even with magnifying sheets. In fact, if you want [...]
After two weeks of premature winter weather, the temperatures in Paris have returned to a seasonal norm. For the first time this year, it’s about as warm here as it is in New York (not that I’m comparing or obsessing… except I am). Which means the cafe terraces are jam-packed and everyone would rather be [...]
I don’t know about you, but I find it reassuring that a place like Le Rubis still exists in Paris, particularly in a high-rent part of town, where one of the hottest places to “eat” is something called a water bar. Le Rubis is a 1930s-era bar à vin that seems to have changed little [...]
I’m not actually très chocolat, myself, but yesterday was the first day of the Salon du Chocolat. My visitors from the States went, and came home piled high with bags of chocolate in all forms, and so enthusiastic that they are going back this weekend. Don’t bother to go to the Salon du Chocolat’s website. It [...]
The French are still not sure about the whole Halloween thing. Sure, it seems like a good way to sell some stuff, and who doesn’t like candy? But their suspicions that it’s yet another American commercial scam (or something that only little kids should care about) means that you’ll have to make a real effort [...]
Ici, c’est comme ça! (This is what we do here!) Maybe I’ve been in France too long, but am I wrong to think this is funny and even cute?
