Living Like a Local: How To Spend Sunday in Paris (Part II)
What’s In A View? Enjoying Paris’s Best Perspectives
Packing for Paris: How to Dress Like a Parisian
July 31, 2012
Coffee is still good. Coffee is still cheap.
The sun is still shining. The Italians are still smiling. My taxi driver was friendly. I got to the airport too early. My check in was easy. Continue Reading »
Posted in Travel | 10 Comments »
July 25, 2012
Carin OlssonI have a friend who goes to the supermarket with a set budget and sensible shopping list.
Not me. I’m a marketers dream. Bright packets of budget biscuits jump into my basket; heavily reduced items beseech me to take them home.
Carin OlssonYou can’t even imagine what I’m like in the wine section. In Paris, the shelves are lined with pretty, shockingly cheap bottles of vin. I stumble between reds from Bordeaux, sweet whites from Alsace, and row upon row of cerise coloured rosés from Provence.
Play See Feel Live & Chatirygirl & ScpgtThere is an overwhelming selection of cheap wines to choose from. My schoolgirl French does not serve me well in decoding their sexy, enticing labels. I lunge at the looming wall of indistinguishable wines and pick a bottle based on its price-bracket and whether or not the label features a château. On the way home, I wonder if my wine will double as a paint-thinner. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 10 Comments »
July 19, 2012
There are many different reasons people fall in love with Paris: the art and culture; the beauty and history; the fashion and femme fatales. Moi? I can think of no bigger, better, more divine seductress than the chocolate.
Cocoa is the food of the gods, and the French unabashedly worship at its altar. For nearly four centuries, they’ve been evolving the humble brown cacao seed into something decadent, transporting and otherworldly. You can get chocolate in liquid, molten or frozen form. Sculpted into a stiletto—or a squirrel.
As a single-origin bar (tablette) or a decadent box (un ballotin) of many splendored flavors. In fact, in Paris you can toss a truffle in nearly any direction and hit a chocolatier. But don’t leave it to fate. Get yourself to any of these 11 chocolatiers for an unforgettable Parisian experience.
Posted in Food | 12 Comments »
July 17, 2012
When a famous chef opens a restaurant, be it in Paris, New York or Kansas City, expectations always run high. Yannick Alleno’s new outpost, Terrior Parisien – open since March in an über cool space in the Latin Quarter – was certainly no exception.
Adding to the buzz was Alleno’s fresh concept – using ingredients sourced primarily within Ile-de-France – that led to almost frenzied expectations.
Would the passionate maestro behind the three-starred Le Meurice live up to the hype? Most critics and foodies have answered with a resounding “oui.” On a recent breezy summer evening, my husband and I happily agreed. Continue Reading »
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July 12, 2012
Returning home to New York hit me with the biggest culture shock I’ve ever felt. Now, I’m no stranger to culture shock. My first notable quake occurred when I moved to Paris at the age of 18 with just a handful of French words at my disposal (croissant, café, cigarette…).
The move hit pretty high on the Richter scale, but eventually I assimilated as best I could, and my American friends who came to visit told me I seemed “French.” (For the record, the French always said I seemed “Swedish.”) Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 19 Comments »
July 10, 2012
Leo ReynoldsFirst, the good news. Bathrooms in Paris are much better than they used to be. While it’s still possible to encounter the occasional Turkish toilet (essentially a flushable hole in a floor), they’re not the ubiquitous hazards they once were. A loo that sports a turque screams outdated (not to mention perilous, especially for us girls) and most respectable establishments have graciously updated their facilities. Merci.
belbooThat said, French potty perils abound. So, we’ve put together this simple guide to help you navigate the waters of les toilettes Parisiennes. As they say, courage. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 12 Comments »
July 5, 2012
Believe it or not, Paris is not the center of the universe (not all the time, anyway). There are actually a decent amount of things to do in another nearby metropolis, one with slightly worse weather and significantly more polite locals. This month, we bring you our first edition of our London events guide, courtesy of our friend Claire from the fantastic blog, Lola is beauty. -Geneviève
At the Chap Olympiad (Sadmafioso)During the summer, London plays host to a jam-packed schedule of festivals, exhibitions and pop-ups, and this summer is no exception. With flagrant disregard for the realities of British summertime weather, many of these July events are actually scheduled to take place in the open air!
At Frank’s (Tim Bradshaw)
It’ll be fine as long as you check the weather forecast five minutes before you go out and layer up for all eventualities. Apparently during July there’s also something called Wimbledon and some other kind of major sporting event taking place, but we’re not talking about that here. There’s so much more going on in London, whatever you’re into (except sport.)
Posted in London | 1 Comment »
July 2, 2012
Project Play Me – Pianos all over Paris to be played! (My Little Paris)La Bouffe
Chez Aline: Delphine Zampetti, former chef at Le Verre Volé, recently opened this new resto. Don’t let the “chevaline” sign deter you, Chez Aline is a great spot for an affordable and simply delicious lunch.
Delphine Zampetti (right) (Sifu Renka)Wanderlust: Everything (okay, almost everything) we could want in a space: outdoor terrace, cinema, restaurant, bar, club and even yoga. This hip new spot in the 13th has something for every mood. Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
