Stair art

Groups of schoolchildren swarmed over this Montmartre stairway and when they left....

Turning tables

It's spring, when ordinary squares turn into extended sidewalk cafés.

A sunny table

Early coffees with a kouign-amann and cherry-studded "yaya" en terrasse.

Shell of itself

La Coquille d'Or is said to have been a popular cabaret in the early 19th century.

A lunch table

Heading into the weekend with another hearty sit-down lunch, en famille.

Above: classic cassoulet; magrets de canard; foie gras ravioli; planche of artisanal charcuteries; AOC wine from the beautiful Bergerac

Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie

34 rue Montmartre 75001

 

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Merci encore for the special "extras"... 

Place Saint Médard

Café tables and chairs just after a downpour.

Red is for radish

Spring means radishes, and Paris market stalls are brimming.

Below: with home-made mayo, a twist on the classical French way of eating radishes (w/salt, butter and baguette); thinly sliced and fanned atop a crab risotto

About face

Another of street artist Mr. VOul's striking faces on the butte.

Straw baskets

Baskets for sale on a Montmartre market street.

3 hours (or less) from Paris: Honfleur

Honfleur, fishing village charm in Normandy that was home to Impressionist Eugène Boudin.

Below: early a.m. start at Honfleur's sprawling Saturday open-air market on Place Sainte-Catherine; catching the full moon over the old port

 

(click to enlarge)

By car: 2 1/2 hours via A13
By train: just under 3 hours from Gare Saint-Lazare; several trains per day - search for train (to Rouen) / drive options

[close enough to be a day trip from Paris but recommended as romantic weekend getaway]

Where to Eat: Honfleur
 

June newsletter

Bourbon Sours

This no-frills drink, or rather its sibling, the Whiskey Sour, became my go-to in-flight cocktail years ago thanks to a sweet older English lady sitting next to me on my way from London to Arizona. She said she always had one "for luck" whenever she flew, and I thought it a great idea. You'll feel like you're flying after a couple of these. - BPJ

Bar 228 Le Meurice Hôtel
 

Live jazz / piano nightly 

Chasing the blues

Live music adds to a weekend antiquing experience at the Marchés aux Puces in the north of Paris, just outside the péripherique.

Look for:

La Chope des Puces
(mostly gypsy jazz / jazz manouche, a style started by Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in Paris during the 1930s)
122 rue des Rosiers 93400 Saint-Ouen
Tel: 01 40 11 28 80

Le Picolo
58 rue Jules Vallès 93400 Saint-Ouen
Tel: 01 40 11 11 19

Chez Louisette
(songs of vieux Paris; blues, jazz, spontaneous dancing) 
136 avenue Michelet 93400 Saint-Ouen
- inside the Vernaison flea market -
Tel: 01 40 12 10 14

Fragments

Exquisite Roman antiquities. Where are they?

(hint: not a museum)

In June newsletter

Egg on his face

A small gallery in the 12th shows off-the-radar contemporary art.

Atelier du Génie
28 Passage du Génie 75012

Pieds dans l'eau

Much to take in biking along the Canal de l'Ourcq.

Above: a stop for tea-and-cake on the veranda of an artsy two-story "house" right on the water, where every room is different

Below: a peek inside; street art

 

(click photos to enlarge)

  Le Pavillon des Canaux
39 Quai de la Loire 75019

Centre Pompidou

The Pompidou Center on a cool morning in May.

Mothers Days

N'oubliez pas:

This year Mothers Day in France is celebrated Sunday, May 26th.

- Happy Mothers Day U.S.A. -

If music be the food of love...

Cold and rainy Paris?

 

Here are two fun ideas for this weekend:

Above: "Chicago The Musical" at the Mogador Theater (all songs in English)

CHICAGO THE MUSICAL

Below: "Four days of dining, drinking, and live entertainment for food enthusiasts!"

TASTE OF PARIS 2019
"Le Festival des Chefs"

 

Paris-Brest

This version of classic buttercream pastry is loaded with crushed hazelnuts.

Yann Couvreur Pâtisserie
23bis rue des Rosiers 75004

Hanging out

Sweeping views over the city from a heavenly Montmartre apartment.

Above: sunset; gin tonics al fresco; yours truly on one of the balconies

 

(click photos to enlarge)

 

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Merci Catherine and Christian

Owl in a window

A flying owl and butterflies decorate the window of a perfume shop.

Terrace chic

May is time for terrace dining.

Above: a fountain, a cobbled courtyard, parasols, sparkly lights

RALPH'S
173 Boulevard Saint-Germain 75006

Try: Maryland crab cakes; Maine lobster salad; grilled lamb chops with fava beans; beef carpaccio with horseradish
 

Packing for light

A hand-made cashmere shawl, bags, and scarves inspire an escape to the French Riviera.

Going vegan

French cuisine is endlessly varied and this airy place at the foot of the Montmartre butte offers great value and healthy choices.

Above: creative veggie sharing planche for two; side salad of fennel, chick peas, walnuts and blue cheese

Below: mango dessert

Abattoir Végétal
61 rue Ramey 75018

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May newsletter
Nouveautés

Market muguets

May 1st is La Fête du Travail, Labor Day, when muguets or lilies of the valley are given to loved ones.

Above: a forest of muguets for sale at an open-air market

Below: blooms for the lunch table; bright gariguette strawberries, back in season 

3 hours (or less) from Paris: Amsterdam #2

Above: a floating tulip garden; an early café créme on a quiet square; anyone for chess?

Below: no visit to Amsterdam is complete without feasting on rijsttafel (traditional Indonesian multi-dish "rice table"), sampling Dutch cheeses at a street market or hopping on a bicycle....

 

 

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PARIS - AMSTERDAM  

 

Several direct flights daily

Total flight time: 1 hour 20 minutes

By train: Thalys from Paris Gare du Nord - 27 trains per day

[shortest travel time: 3 hours 17 minutes direct into Amsterdam Centraal]

More in May newsletter