by Anne Swardson | Mar 30, 2025 | Art, France, Metro, Paris
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... 
by Anne Swardson | Dec 22, 2024 | Christmas, France, Paris
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... 
by James H. Schwartz | Dec 7, 2024 | Environment, France, Trains
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... 
by Anne Swardson | Nov 17, 2024 | France, Soccer, WorldCup
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... 
by Anne Swardson | Nov 3, 2024 | Election, France, Virginia
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... 
by Anne Swardson | Sep 24, 2024 | Architecture, Art, France, Paris
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...