Every once in a while I head out on a Sunday to one of the oldest markets in Paris, Le Marché aux Oiseaux, that come rain or shine, takes place on Sundays on Ile de La Cité, next to the oldest hospital of Paris called Hopital Dieu, which by the way is a monumental historical building …
I have written before about the seriousness Parisians maintain about their beloved baguette. The city of Paris puts on a contest each year to find the best baguette each year. Contests such as these may uncover some of the city’s talented bakers, who in the past were not known. It can not be described as …
Even if you have totally forgotten what day it is, you are quickly reminded by pretty little bouquets of lily of the valley flowers. They are for sale on every corner and every few feet all over Paris. It is the first of May! Tradition has it that King Charles IX in 1561 initiated the …
I always look forward to two wine salons every year; one in the fall and the other in the spring, where I really enjoy seeing these wonderfully talented vintners who make gorgeous wines. So if you were wondering why I did not publish Friday , it was because for the last three days, I have …
What a wonderful weekend in cold snowy Paris! I don’t think I have ever had so many variations of foie gras and fun as I did this past Saturday and Sunday. I was lucky to receive an invitation from Gault Millau, the other and better French restaurant guide to The International Cookbook Fair, that …
Paris is such a multicultural city, that in some parts, you can almost think you are no longer even in France. Such was the case last sunday when I attended the parade celebrating the Chinese New Year. Paris’s largest and most famous Chinatown is in the 13 th arrondissement. Mandarin scroll adorns every storefront, with …
Firecrackers and Dancing Dragons Bring in the Year of the Snake Read More »
I, like million of others have always been thrilled to hear the bells of Notre Dame, so I had no idea they were claimed by an imminent campanologist (bell expert) to be “the most dreadful set of bells in France, damaged and badly tuned”. Really? Those bells in question, except one, were all bells made …
It was a lovely warm autumn day in Paris yesterday and frankly I was looking for something interesting to do. I had seen advertisements that there was a fête, or festival gong on at the huge flea market that is on the outskirts of the city. I must admit that I had not been there since …
This weekend was Fêtes des Jardins, an annual event that showcases all the public gardens in France and even the private ones that open only for this event. Parisians are blessed with the most beautiful gardens in the world and this weekend we were privileged to see those that are hidden from our eyes the …
Bee Hives, Vineyards, Flowers, and More; Paris Gardens Have It All Read More »