The King of Lighthouses, the Lighthouse of Kings
In these dark times, I decided to visit a lighthouse. Like most of us, I needed a beacon of hope. And what a lighthouse it was. I chose Cordouan mainly because it was easier to reach from Paris than the lighthouses around Brittany. I didn’t realize at first that it...
How to Remember a Real Leader in a House of Gold
He sleeps surrounded by gilded artwork. The remnants of his power are all around: his minions nearby, the names of the battles he fought posted everywhere. A golden statue, right arm raised, depicts him in regal fashion. An enormous triumphal arch commissioned by him...
An Old Paris Canal Made New
I like to explore the outer edges of Paris to see the new, the modern, the unexpected. Walking along the Canal de l’Ourcq gave me that, and also some Paris history. The canal starts in the 19th arrondissement at Bassin de la Villette, which collected water from the...
My Paris Back Yard Is Up in the Air
I knew as soon as I saw the apartment that we should buy it. Not because of how it looked. It was nice enough, but needed a total redo of the space. What really sold me was what I saw out the window. Across the way, a woman was doing calisthenics--on her balcony. I...
Hidden Gem: the Street of the Belle Epoque
Anyone who thinks Paris is nothing but broad boulevards, cream-colored stone buildings and iron-filigree balconies should visit the rue Fortuny. It’s a small street in the 17th arrondissement, north of the Etoile, running between the avenue de Villiers and the rue de...
An Impressionistic Walk at the Edge of Paris
On a lovely fall day, I set out from my 17th-arrondissement apartment and headed north. It’s a walk I’ve done many times before. This is where Paris ends and another world begins—of low-income housing mixed in with glass office buildings, of covered markets and...
In Troubled France, Bureaucrats Still Get Respect
France, too, is a mess. The country is on its fifth prime minister in two years, the result of a foolish decision by President Emmanuel Macron to call early parliamentary elections last year. The result was a legislature divided into three bill-stopping blocs. More...
A Paris Cemetery Filled With Love
I'm familiar with many of the superlatives describing Paris -- most beautiful, best cafes, finest museums, best-dressed inhabitants -- but only recently did I learn that it's also home to the world's oldest pet cemetery. Technically, the Cimetière des chiens is in...
Protesting Trump in the Land of Marine Le Pen
In the decades I’ve lived in Paris I’ve seen, and covered, many street protests. But last weekend was the first time I got to be in one. Paris was one of numerous cities in France, and Europe, in which Americans joined millions in the U.S. to protest the ways in which...
All of Paris Is on Display — Underground
You can see so many wonderful things in Paris, from theater to film to dance to foreign countries. Without even going aboveground. I was struck recently how the posters in the Métro are so much more varied and inviting than they used to be. In just one trip I was...