I’ve always wanted to be inducted into the Legion d’Honneur, and last night I thought I might have the chance to do something worthy to the country of France (or at least to those of my neighborhood—it’s a start). At 3:30 in the morning a racket outside the window of my ground floor studio woke [...]

Not long ago, anything stamped Made in France held innate marketing edge. That is no longer the case, since great perfumes are made in Britain (Penhaligon’s), and serious cheese is being made in the US. But the mystique of French fashion remains, which is why the French government continues its battle with counterfeiting. One of [...]

Hard to believe but apparently there’s more than one pink limo in Paris. This one was parked on the corner adjacent to Lanvin, Hermes, and Tod’s. Plenty of room in this car for all the shopping bags one might accumulate on the rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

A Paris Blog reader named Charles has sent in this strange tale of a Picasso sculpture that was supposed to depict someone else…
After World War II, the Paris municipal council wanted to put up a monument to Guillaume Apollinaire, the French poet who was also Picasso’s friend. Picasso was insistent that he create the small [...]

French TV channel M6 recently pre-empted a documentary exposing McDonald’s unhygienic practices, but it’s available (for the moment) to watch online at Dailymotion.
An employee at a French McDo’s took in a hidden camera and revealed the dirty procedures some of the chain’s restaurants practice. It’s in French so here are some main points emphasized in [...]

Parisians are out and about sporting their designer sunglasses looking oh-so chic. Everyone (including the cleaning ladies) have stylish sunnies from Dior, Chanel, YSL, Marc Jacobs, and Tom Ford. Did I mention the most important detail?  They get their sunglasses for FREE. La Mom got the lowdown at playgroup from her French amie, Provence Mom, who’s obviously milked the [...]

As President  Sarkozy struggles to outlaw the head-to-toe covering called the burqa for its role in the oppression of  women, the case of the Muslim driver fined 22 euros has taken a new and interesting turn.
French Minister of the Interior Brice Hortefeux has jumped into the fray, saying that the husband of the woman fined for driving [...]

My partner Vincent had an unnerving incident happen at a restaurant that prompted me to write this post.
Vincent was at Cafe Ruc, a popular and fashionable restaurant/cafe right near the Louvre that attracts Parisians and tourists.  He was dining with an American friend, and although they ordered in French, they spoke [...]

The France Telecom suicides debacle is one that is both grossly fascinating and completely bizarre. It just goes to demonstrate how differently the French think about their work and options in life. While the 24 suicides over the past 19 months are very linked by the horrific and oppressive working conditions at Orange—part of me [...]

Kiss and tell is bad enough, but dreaming of kissing, then telling, well that’s just—weird.
As if Princess Diana hadn’t suffered enough in life, former president and well known ladies man Valéry Giscard d’Estaing has written a book called The President and the Princess, in which a French president who eerily resembles himself meets a British princess, who is the [...]