Although the exhibition of the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama at the Centre Pompidou ended on January 9th, three of her works can still be seen in the Jardin des Tuileries. Called ‘Flowers that bloom at midnight’, these monumental creations add a big splash of color to a park currently wearing its dark winter [...]
Two words flow easily to mind while walking through the Parc de Sceaux: calm and welcoming. With it’s wide open fields and beautiful fountains, the Parc lulls you into a sense of comfort, inviting you to sit a while, wander a while, relax. Located just 30 minutes outside of Paris by RER, the Parc de [...]
Until the 18th century, thanks to its commercial and recreational value, the Seine and its banks were the place to be in Paris. At that time, the Seine was a place of partying and pleasure. Royal celebrations were organized along the Seine and citizens headed down to the banks to wash themselves and their clothes. [...]
There are falcons nesting under the roofs of Paris. The story is that, as we – I am now speaking of Parisians – have invaded their space, having built our big buildings on the dunes and marshland and in the woods and valleys that were their natural habitat, they have had no choice but to [...]
To get something of an idea of how Paris may have looked before the Celts or the Romans, you need only visit the Yvelines near Versailles and explore the valley of the Bièvre. Just 15 kilometres from the city centre, these primitive landscapes seem to be from a different land altogether, but this is a [...]
Just a short drive out of Paris is the small town of Barbizon. A town epitomized by the pre-impressionist painters that went to to practice the art of painting outdoors, with natural light. Artists like Jean François Millet, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot moved there in the 19th century when this place was just inhabited by peasants and [...]
We finally got up to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont last weekend and are now ruined for all other parks forevermore. It’s park utopia up there in the 19th arrondissement. That’s Alex at the Buttes Chaumont over there to the left (below), and for the record, I have no idea what he’s doing. Back when we lived [...]
In the town of Foix, “La rivière souterraine de Labouiche,” or the Underground River of Labouiche is the longest navigable underground river in Europe, and has been open to the public since 1938 (thanks to the adventurous men who spent 30 years exploring and mapping it). The tour takes you through 1.5 km of the river, [...]
What do you think? Modern art? Giant Shell no pest strips? Actually neither. These hanging objects are intended as housing for sparrows, part of a project by the city of Paris to protect the little birds. Their numbers have gone down by about 20 percent in recent years (not as bad as London and Amsterdam [...]
A day spent at the gardens and home of Monet at Giverny is a beautiful one, regardless of with whom you spend it, whether a fellow art lover or travel companion. And of course a sunny day spent among flowers in the green countryside of France lends itself easily to romance. But I decided to forge [...]
