Where Real French Insiders Buy Their Food
I’ve written a lot about the joys of shopping in France’s open-air markets, where you can get the freshest meat and produce. The Internet is filled with recommendations for the best markets in Paris. We just enjoyed one in a small town during a recent visit to our...
Guest Post: Climate Change Is Not a Hoax in France
The day after the U.S. election last month I headed to the Place du Marché in my tiny town of Baugé to pick up a few things for dinner. The fishmonger wanted to talk about the results. Him: “He won again?” Me: Yes Him: “Sorry.” Me: Thanks Him: “So much for the Paris...
Le Foot: Some Kicking, But No Screaming
Reprinted with permission from The Washington Post. See below for a response from the grown-up Henry. August 28, 1999 PARIS -- From what I understand, American parents yell and cheer so loudly at their children's soccer games that many leagues now have to police their...
Democracy in a Country Where It Actually Works
Imagine: The head of a governmental jurisdiction orders his underlings to scan the electoral database and remove anyone who might not be a citizen, without clear standards of proof. More than 1,000 people are turfed off the rolls. The national government files suit to...
Escalator to the Sky
Around level 4 of the 6-story escalator of the Centre Pompidou, I realized it had been a long time since I’d visited a high place in Paris. It was a mantra when my sister Christine and I traveled in Europe. See a church, eat a good meal, visit somewhere old and climb...
A Different Kind of Olympic Thrill
I was away from Paris for the Olympics, so I missed the enthusiasm and the excitement of seeing live competitions. On my return, I figured I’d catch a few Paralympic events. This was mostly because I’d been so wrong about the Olympics' impact on Paris – Crowds!...
Voting From Afar in France’s Most Important Election
I took a train to vote in the French elections. But it’s not as simple as that. For starters, I was in Virginia. Second, France has never seen an election like this one. The chaos began when President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the French parliament on June 9 after his...
Paris Properly Construed, 50 Years Later
At least Le Rubis was unchanged. My favorite bistro when I was a student in Paris looks just like it did back then, even though the neighborhood around it north of the rue de Rivoli has become much more chic. I spent many happy, and tipsy, hours there. More on my...
This Paris Property Has Been Rent-Free for 100 Years
Who could be knocking at the apartment door? It was a weekend afternoon, when repair people don’t work and most of the residents of our building go away. I opened the door to find two of my neighbors, who very politely asked if they could come in. A first in our 12...
Mixing It Up in Paris Real Estate
The façade of the Defense Ministry building on the Boulevard Saint Germain bears the holes and pockmarks of German bombing in 1918. It’s one of many reminders that wars have time and again been fought in France’s capital city. The ministry moved to a modern complex in...