It seems everywhere you turn in Paris these days, there’s Olympics-themed decorations (behold the beautiful Hotel de Ville! The steps to Sacré-Cœur), museum exhibitions (too many to count), even cruises (one from the l’Île Saint-Denis glides past the Olympics Village). Leading up to the summer, Paris always exudes a party atmosphere. But this year promises to be one giant Olympics fete... Source ..read more

Do you use the Saint-Michel Fountain as a handy meeting place which no one can possibly miss? Do you refill your water bottle when passing a Wallace Fountain? Or pause on a hot day in the Place Saint-Sulpice to admire the water splashing down onto the lions surrounding its central fountain? Fountains are an integral part of the Parisian streetscape and currently some of the most iconic are being... Source ..read more

With the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Paris quickly approaching, the city has been working hard to get ready. From renovating sports venues and parks, to cleaning the Seine, to modernizing the Métro, it’s apparent that Paris is determined to set a precedent for future Olympic Games. The Olympic torch was lit on April 16 in Olympia, Greece. On May 8, it will begin its journey throughout... Source ..read more

The Paris Vignettes series features the inspired work of street photographer William “Bill” O’Such in themed installments While taking a guided Explore Paris walk to explore the Popincourt neighborhood between Nation and the Bastille, we entered one of the several new 4* hotels in the area called the Hotel Les Deux Girafes and saw a photo exhibition which inspired me. After the walk, I sat down on... Source ..read more

A decapitated Christian Bishop carrying his head before him like a ventriloquist’s dummy as he walks several miles while delivering a sermon, is not what springs to mind in association with Montmartre; nor does the name of the first tour guide to the butte, King Dagobert 1st, automatically trip off the tongue, even though ancient records show that every seven years, he led groups of pilgrims to... Source ..read more

In a country renowned for its social services, few are less well known than the office dedicated to the well-being of lottery winners. Commissioned to helping the nouveau riche avoid the insanity induced by serendipitous wealth, the FDJ Group (Groupe FDJ) is an arm of the Commitment and Responsible Gaming Group of France’s national lottery system. Isabelle Césari heads the group and her passion... Source ..read more

This is the 26th in a series of walking tours highlighting the sites and stories of diverse districts of Paris. Emerging from the metro station at Place de la Nation, my first impression was of an enormous roundabout with at least 10 exit roads, a place to make me glad I’ve never tried to drive in Paris. But I knew it would be more intriguing than that, if just because of its colorful previous... Source ..read more

For more than a decade now, the term “YOLO” – you only live once – has been an everyday social media hashtag for the millennial and younger generations when sharing their adventurous travels and wildest dreams. What may sound like a juvenile slogan for youth (who haven’t even reached mid-life!) actually rings more true for others: Those who begin to reach flexibility in their professional and... Source ..read more

Place Vendôme, Rue de la Paix, Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré – these streets are the epicenter of Paris’s high fashion industry. International designer names such as Céline, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana sit cheek-by-jowl along some of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world. But behind the storefronts, the creators of these very desirable clothes are the inheritors of a fashion industry... Source ..read more

April in Paris, Chestnuts in blossom” (reminds us of the 1952 movie with Doris Day) “I’m not a complicated girl; she laughed. I just want to run away with you, rob a bank, fall in love, and eat ice creams in Paris.” – Michael Faudet After much speculation, Le Bristol has announced the successor to Eric Frechon for the prestigious post of executive chef. It’s Arnaud Faye... Source ..read more