About five years ago, I took my youngest daughter off to California to visit her older sister in college. Gillian wasn’t much interested in college, or even her sister really. She just wanted to head to Los Angeles and soak up the celebrity aura. Her top choices? Universal Studios and Madame Tussauds. I grudgingly went … Read more
Here’s my guide to visiting Les Deux Plateau, nicknamed the Colonnes de Buren, at the Palais Royal in Paris’ first arrondissement. The Colonnes are a controversial candy striped art installation by Conceptual artist Daniel Buren. The ultra modern art is a glaring contrast to the historic elegance of the Palais Royal, though I love the … Read more
The sight of Notre Dame burning on April 15 was shocking and made me cry. But now the peril begins. What will become of the jarring darkened cathedral, now fixed in so many people’s mental landscapes? President Macon immediately pledged to rebuild it “even more beautifully” within five years. I appreciate the sentiment, but why … Read more
Looking for some free things to do in Paris? Here’s my guide to the 10 best free museums in Paris. I’ve been to many Paris museums, both large and small, in my many visits to the City of Light over the years. These free museums are among the best museums in Paris. They have it … Read more
Here’s my guide to the secrets and history of the Louvre Museum. The Louvre is considered the best museums in Paris and one of the City of Light’s most unmissable sites. It’s the largest, busiest, most visited museum in the world. It has 35,000 works of art and is a palace itself. But what do … Read more
Here’s my guide to visiting the secret Zadkine Museum in Paris’ Montparnasse neighborhood. It’s one of Paris’ best small museums, especially if you admire sculpture. For sculpture, it’s second only to the Rodin Museum. The Zadkine Museum is a hidden gem in Paris. It’s largely tourist free and conveniently located right next to the verdant … Read more
Everything about the life and times of Alexandre Dumas was filled with romance. He was big, loud, and likely unscrupulous. His life mirrors or exceeds that of his fictional heroes. Dumas was a best-selling author, a chronic womanizer, and, surprisingly, a master chef. Dumas grew up a pauper and of mixed race in France. His … Read more
Notre Dame burned, and I cried. And the world cried with me. On Monday, 800 years of history began to vanish. A raging fire engulfed the renowned Gothic cathedral, destroying its roof and soaring central spire. The skyline of Paris changed. Smoke darkened the sky for hours, darkening the hearts of Parisians and citizens of … Read more
“Je n’invente rien, je redécouvre.” (“I invent nothing, I rediscover.”) — August Rodin Here’s my complete guide to visiting the South Pigalle neighborhood of Paris’ 9th arrondissement. It takes you to must see sites and tells you the best things to do, see, and eat. South Pigalle used to be a rather naughty neighborhood. But … Read more
“The events of my life would fill more than a novel … I live in a world so curious, so strange. Of the dream that was my life, this is the nightmare.” — Camille Claudel to Eugène Blot, Montdevergues Asylum, 1935 I’ve always loved the affecting sculptures of the tragic and gifted French sculptor Camille Claudel. … Read more