March 3, 2011 by Marisa Morrison
Hotel Biron – Musee Rodin/ Statue in garden of Rodin Museum (Dalbera; Kjerstin)
One can only bear the mob encircling the Mona Lisa so many times.
In my four months living in Paris, I must have visited Mona and her Louvre museum on half a dozen occasions, mostly while touring visiting friends and family around the city’s landmark attractions. You can’t argue that the Louvre is not fabulous, but one long spin around the place is enough to hold you over for a while. Luckily, during my last stint in Paris I had time to make the rounds of Paris’ smaller, more captivating museums and am happy to share these lesser-known finds with you now.
Dig sculpture? Need a spot for a sunny afternoon picnic? The Musée Rodin is dedicated to the works of Parisian and Western art’s greatest sculptor, Auguste Rodin. The museum, located just east of Hôtel des Invalides and within view of the Eiffel Tower, consists of an indoor display in what used to be the Hôtel Biron and a sculpture garden featuring a sculpture garden, luscious green lawn, pond and an area designated for lazying on lounge chairs and taking in the day—as Parisians so commonly do. See Rodin’s most famous pieces, such as The Thinker, Balzac, and The Kiss, and be sure to pack that picnic lunch.
Musée Rodin, 79, rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris. Closed Mondays.
Monet at the Musée de l’Orangerie (Benoit Deniaud)
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Posted in Arts, Parisian Living | 14 Comments »
August 16, 2010 by Maggie Battista
I was lucky enough to live in Paris earlier this year. During my time in one of the fairest cities, I soaked up the language, tossed back (a few too) many glasses of red and practically inhaled the food. I also wandered, a lot. I’m the sort of tourist who likes to explore the nooks and crannies, those precious spots that are forgotten on a map but hold a special magic beyond the typical grand Paris sites.
Oh, I did fit in the requisite amount of “grand” though. Naturellement! I was a trooper, performing my tourist duty by visiting all of the major Parisian landmarks, leaving my gasps and wishes in the same spots you likely did. I gazed at the Eiffel Tower and marveled at the views from both Sacre Coeur (très vaste) and the Centre Pompidou (très spécial). I even strolled down Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, a street speckled with bright shop windows that are filled with tiny sparkling items more valuable than my not-as-tiny house in the States.
I saw it all, hoping I blended in among the fashionable locals but knowing deep down, way deep down, that I still looked like the typical tourist – wide-eyed, a bit awestruck, mouth permanently agape, cheeks flushed from all the wine, and generally feeling quite blessed and lucky.
Alas, all that wine blushing up my skin totally gave me away. While I was living in a dream, a few unsavory locals easily spotted my tourist moves (you know, the wide-eyes, mouth agape, flushed cheeks) and attempted to weasel me with their foolish scams. I was forewarned by local friends and, fortunately, able to avoid the embarrassment. Many of my tourist brethren were not so lucky.
Luck, however, is on your side. I watched, appalled, as each tourist, high on the city of lights, repeatedly fell for scam after scam. I’m busting out the scams I discovered here so you don’t have to succumb to their same fate.
First and foremost, you must remember this key piece of information on your next stroll through central Paris: No one would sell you a real gold ring for 10 Euros. Not in Paris. Not anywhere. Not even your real grandmother would sell you a piece of 18-karat gold for 10 Euros. Just wouldn’t happen.
So when your sweet Parisian fairy godmother or godfather finds a pretty gold ring at your very feet, they’ll explain how they’re certain it belongs to you. When you insist that it isn’t, which naturally you will, they’ll start raving about how genuine the ring is and how they’ll be only too glad to sell it to you for whatever you’re willing to pay. Two words: Don’t pay. In fact, don’t bother. Just perfect a très Parisian scowl and move right on along. If they persist, shout at them, preferably in French, and, remarkably, they will vanish. Continue Reading »
Posted in Travel | 20 Comments »
December 25, 2009 by Tory Hoen
Backstage at the Moulin Rouge. Photo: arras-france.com
What are you doing for New Year’s Eve? This recurring question inevitably divides the population into two camps: those who want to hit the streets and party ‘til the break of dawn, and those who would prefer to hibernate at home until the mayhem subsides. Happily, there are plenty of options for both the revelers and the hibernators (and for those who fall somewhere in between). If you’re lucky enough to be ringing in 2010 in Paris, we have some ideas for you! Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Parisian Living | 1 Comment »
October 21, 2009 by Tory Hoen
laurelines.typepad.com
The Eiffel Tower is one of those icons that still thrills me every time it sneaks into my line of vision. Whether from the rue de Belleville in the 19th, the steps of the Panthéon in the 5th, or the bridges on the western end of the Seine, the tower quietly asserts itself from hundreds of vantage points around the city, reminding us of how Paris’ beauty can sneak up on you at any moment. I would argue that the tower is at its most stunning at night when it is glittering against the blackened sky. Anyone who has ever crossed one of Paris’ bridges to suddenly look up and witness the shimmering lights can attest to the undeniable magic of that moment—however clichéd it might be. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arts | 2 Comments »
