Complain all you will about the bureaucracy and weather in France. But you have to admit the country does right by its citizens (and visitors) culturally. As a result, the average French person is culturally sophisticated and curious. The latest free treat for the eyes and ears: La Nuit Européenne des Musées. It takes place [...]
May is a great time in Paris, as it kicks off the free music season. It all begins with the annual Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a fortnight-plus fiesta of all forms of the art from swing to gypsy to modern (“cool”) jazz in an assortment of concerts all over Paris (many of which are free). This [...]
Louis XIV’s spectacular domain was the summit of French power, art, and culture. If you’re going to do Versailles at all, do it right, and do it with as little stress as possible. Most people will only remember stifling crowds, long lines for everything, overpaying, and leaving with the sense that not only did they [...]
The French Federation of Cooking and the Mairie de Paris have organized a series of free cooking lessons in the open-air markets of Paris throughout the summer. Just find the market closest to you (most of the participating markets are in the outer arrondissements) and sign up for an available date, then show up and try [...]
Creative people are respected and protected in France, and this is evident nowhere more than at the Ici et Demain festival. Every year, in an effort to give encouragement and audience to young, up-and-coming student performers and artists, Ici et Demain gives those artists performance space and opportunity to show us what they’ve got. Best of [...]
It used to be such a pain to have to get to the airport two-three hours before your flight, or worse, to end up sitting there for hours because of delays. But now there are so many FREE things to see and do at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport’s Terminal 2 that you may not want to [...]
Auguste Perret’s Salle Cortot offers a blank exterior to passers by, but its interesting interior can be experienced for free duringlunchtime concerts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Salle Cortot on the Rue Cardinet in the 17th arrondissement is the concert hall of theÉcole normale de musique de Paris, an institution that was created in 1919 [...]
The weather’s cold and the European Union is falling down the crapper. Never mind. We have found something FREE in Paris! It’s a super handy one-stop site for free admission at museums in the City of Light. And it has just been updated. All the pertinent info is there, thanks to the gay travel guide [...]
The Figaro newspaper has a beautiful gallery of images taken during this past week’s snowfall in Paris. Enjoy (Hat tip to Prete-Moi Paris.)
Most of the churches in Paris have organs, but a few also have extraordinary organists. Jean Guillou, the organist of the Eglise St-Eustache (Les Halles, 1st), is considered one of the greatest organists of all time. He’s internationally recognized as a master organist, pianist, composer and improviser for over half a century. And you can hear him [...]
