The 7 Best (Only?) Deals in Paris

Paris is an expensive city.  Certainly American tourists are balking at prices these days, coming from the dollar zone.  But it is expensive even to those of us paid in euros.  Here are the few deals I have found.  They may not make up for high rents, exorbitant...

La Coulée Verte & Parc de Sceaux

A wonderful day trip or even half-day escape from the city is the Coulée Verte (or “Green Corridor”) extending to and beyond the Parc de Sceaux south of Paris.  The Coulée Verte is a series of parks and greenways that connect to form an uninterrupted 12-kilometer...

A Day Trip to Giverny: Monet’s House and Gardens

A visit to Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny is a wonderful escape from Paris, especially for admirers of this celebrated impressionist painter.  Be sure to pick a sunny day as the main draw is of course the gardens and the legendary water lilies.  On my...

Wine Tasting at Cave Elzevir in the Marais

Cave Elzevir in the northern Marais offers wine tasting courses in both French and English in the wine shop’s 17th century stone-vaulted cellar. The cozy space offers an intimate atmosphere in which to learn and of course taste-test. Courses last 2 to 2 ½ hours...

Brittany: Exploring the Eastern Morbihan

There is something about Brittany that keeps drawing me back.  Le Select, Nantes Its mix of rugged and calming coastline, inviting villages both seaside and inland with meticulously cared-for homes and gardens, friendly and vivacious people, mile after mile of hiking...

Nuit Blanche: Saturday, October 1!

On the night of Saturday, October 1, Paris will celebrate its 10th annual Nuit Blanche, or “White Night”, an all-night festival of free entrance to public museums and other public spaces, musical and other artistic performances and installations.  This year, most of...