I was savoring some precious free moments today at the Tuilleries overlooking the Place de la Concorde. I had just finished a business meeting and got there about 7PM. It was still sunny and bright but I sat in the shade in a green iron chair under the trees next to the Orangerie with a [...]

Coming to Paris in July or August? High summer in the city is one long social whirl. There are a few unfortunate Parisians who find themselves spending July and August in the city, instead of disappearing to St. Barthélemy, Île de Ré or the Riviera like everyone else. Just imagine having to spend the entire summer [...]

I’m sure it’s not politic to say so but in my opinion, some of the smaller villages around Paris can be dreary little places in mid-winter, all grey stone, gates and shutters closed tight, everything silent except on market day. But in spring and summer, when those flower boxes and rose bushes get going, they [...]

Summer, is it really you? Are you here to stay? I felt your presence going to the party.

As well as going home.

Chantilly is one of my favorite towns to visit. Just an hour outside Paris (faster by train), surrounded by lush forests, Chantilly is one of the country’s most prestigious equestrian towns, hosting jumping and flat racing events throughout the season at the historic Chantilly Hippodrome. There are also a few Ladies’ Days such as the [...]

The Jardin de Ruisseau, a well-kept secret, is a little haven of peace and quiet blossoms quietly under a bridge by a disused railway in the Porte de Clignancourt area. Far from the madding crowds, gardenless Parisians will be pleased to be able to retreat to a pretty oasis of blooming flowers and local cultural [...]

Last weekend, nearly two million city dwellers crammed together on the Champs-Elysées to see such foreign marvels as goats and tomato plants as part of “Nature Capitale,” an outdoor exhibition organized by the farming union Jeunes Agriculteurs (Young Farmers).
It was an attempt to introduce Parisiens to the delights of the country — and to gain [...]

I know you think this is a Photoshop edit, but it’s not! During the night of Saturday to Sunday, hundreds of French farmers brought dirt, plants and a few farm animals to Les Champs Elysées to turn them into a giant field. It’s not a demonstration, but a PR event called Nature Capitale to remind the Parisians [...]

Nature Capitale, a project by Gad Weil, is transforming the Champs Elysees into a gigantic garden this weekend to celebrate World Day of Biodiversity. Much like a Christo undertaking, the world’s most famous and commercial boulevard will have over 150 varieties of trees, plants, and forestry and most important of all, sans car traffic. Here [...]

Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe announced plans to convert two kilometers of fast car lanes along the Seine into  pedestrian walkways! More space for people, less for automobiles. Here are some artists renditions of what it might look like.

>more pix