La Rochelle: A Winter Wanderbout in an Old Port Town, Part I: Night
I am not a seafaring man. My ancestors took several billions of years to evolve from the deep; I see no reason to go back. But give me a safe old port town on a misty evening, even on a cold winter’s night like this, and I’ll wander about for hours as if looking for chance.
Teach a man to print stamps and he’ll communicate with the world
Service at my local post office has improved over the years, but as this recent experience shows modernizing and privatizing a French post office doesn't necessarily modernize and humanize the employees.
Egypt and the Opera
Feb. 14, 2011. With the winds of change blowing across North Africa and the Middle East it’s only natural to notice a slight breeze...
Holiday in Paris: The Croissants of August
In search of the perfect croissant for her daily breakfast ritual, Paris resident Donna Evleth sets out on the Great Croissant Hunt when her favorite local bakery in the 6th arrondissement is closed during a long holiday weekend.
Spotlight on the National and Religious Cultural Centers of Paris
Paris beyond French culture: a look at the Irish, British, Swedish, Russian and Polish cultural centers and other national and religious centers throughout the capital.
The Other Paris Wrap: Dior on the Champs-Elysées
Not to be outdone by the Christo-wrapping of the Arc de Triomphe, Bernard Arnault, chairman of Dior and LVMH, has had a monumental building on the Champs-Elysées wrapped following "Christian Dior's original drawings of 1955."
Right of Way: An Englishman Takes to the Road in France
Arriving from England, Gerald Vinestock's experience driving in France has taught him much about the dos and don'ts and Gallicisms of the country's byways, highways and parking lots, from Calais to the door of a small-town boulangerie. His insights will come in handy should you someday get behind the wheel in France.
Three Paris Vignettes: A Suit, Blue T-Shirts and Some Change
A vignette is a short text that focuses on a moment, a mood, a scene, a character, an encounter, an idea or a place. Here are three Paris vignettes that involve shopping, gift-giving and biking.
Paris’s Pont des Arts Sees Clear After Its Divorce From Love Locks
On a bright December morning I was headed across the footbridge the Pont des Arts to the Institut de France to learn about the 350th anniversary of the Academy of Sciences and about Louis Pasteur's archives, recently listed in the Memory of the World Register.