Is it me, or is Strasbourg the Las Vegas of France? The city spares no expense in glitzing the place up for Old St. Nick. Rest assured that no incandescent bulbs are being used, this being the EU and all. Strasbourg is the capital and principal city in the Alsace region. It is close to […]
Tag Archives | France
Strasbourg Markets
Strasbourg deems itself the Capital of Christmas, and I’d have to agree. The main market in place de la Cathédrale has been going strong since 1570. But wait, there’s more! • Three Christmas markets: place de la Cathédrale, place du Château and place du Corbeau; • The Bredle Village (small cakes prepared during the advent […]
Baby Got Back
At Musée de l’Orangerie, when you’ve had enough of Monet’s sprawling water lilies, make sure you pop downstairs and see Maurice Utrillo’s work. Utrillo was a Montmartre-born painter who specialized in cityscapes. In 1904 at the age of 21, Utrillo began drawing and painting what he saw in Paris’ streets. By 1910, his work […]
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
Location, location, location. At least a million deceased Parisians (and Jim Morrison) enjoy hilltop city views, cobbled lanes and cast iron signposts. Like most gentrified neighborhoods, this city of the dead had problems attracting residents due to its undesirable (remote) geography. Paris city officials embarked on a marketing strategy and relocated prominent corpses from other […]
Sacré-Coeur
Like an aging movie star, Sacré-Coeur is stunning in appearance but best viewed from afar. Way afar. It’s taken me six visits to Paris to finally visit this site and now I know why. I’m not complaining about the view; even on a rainy day, I’ll happily gaze at Paris from any angle. It’s […]
Cathédrale de Notre-Dame: The Other Side
The flying buttress-ful east side, as seen from my morning run (Early! Note the deserted Square Jean XXII.). Construction on this striking Gothic structure began in 1160 and was completed in 1345. During the 13th and 14th centuries, it beget six popes before Denis and Rheims gained steam and began churning them out. In 1804, […]
Just You, Just Me
Captured outside Notre-Dame during my morning run. Apparently, this French couple is not bothered by the hundreds of early-bird tourists.
Shakespeare & Company
Depending on how much of a purist you are, this institution has been a legendary literary gathering spot since either 1919 or 1951. It’s part English-language bookstore and part sanctuary for expat writers, artists and bohemians, many of whom bunk upstairs and volunteer in the shop. Sylvia Beach, an American expat, founded the original Shakespeare […]
Pozzetto
€10 for two cones of gelato and worth every penny! This tiny shop in the Marais serves up flavors (parfums) such as Fior di Latte, Crema del Pozzetto and Pistacchio du Roi de Sicile. Does it really matter what each one is? Just order one. You’ll love it. 39, rue du Roi de Sicile, Paris, […]
Petit Palais
This palatial palace, across from the Grand Palace, houses the Musée des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris. The collection is a bit of a hodgepodge and includes decorative arts, paintings and sculptures spanning ancient Greek and Roman times to the twentieth century. Pieces by Monet, Courbet, Delacroix, Rodin, Pisssarro and other greats […]
