Street scene

Strolling through the beating heart of Paris' energetic Latin Quarter. 

 

Floral Friday

Tumbling flowers uplift a sidewalk terrace on rue de Seine.

 

Throwback Thursday

 Stretching the limits.

Above: a pink limo, pink champagne, a gourmet pique-nique basket, a celebration

Below: a special bottle of red

 

  à mon mari

💖

(A comment: "For Barbie I think!")

Watermelon Wednesday

 

 

A wheelbarrow of watermelons steals the spotlight at Place du Tertre.

 

Tuesday towers

 

 

Stunning view of Notre-Dame's towers upon turning the corner

from Rue Galande

 

 

 

Mocha Monday

 

View from a table.

 

Above: a café noisette (strong espresso w/its small pitcher of hot milk); an espresso

 

***

 

In France, strong black espresso is the preferred coffee after lunch or dinner and a café crème is the coffee choice of the morning. Order a café in France and you will get an espresso. Order an espresso and, while the waiter will understand, in French it’s a café express. The noisette is an express with a nice drop of milk. Sometimes I order an express with hot milk (it won’t be cream) on the side to add as I like, and it’s still considered a café noisette. In Spain the café noisette is a cortado, and while it's starting to appear under the Italian name macchiato - an excuse to make it more expensive - a café noisette should only cost slightly more than an espresso. - BPJ

 

 

Sunny Sunday

 

Catching rays by the river as a tourist boat glides by.

 

Paris Plages 2025

 Ends Sunday August 31

 

Saturday sparkle

 

Lights appear as evening descends on a Montmartre nook.

 

Fresh start Friday

 

 

 

It's almost La Rentrée, a time for renewal.

 

 *** 

August in Paris, a period of tranquility, is coming to an end. It's an ideal time to set goals, tie up lingering projects, brush up on personal style and embrace new routines. Beyond La Rentrée, September in Paris combines cultural renewal, seasonal shifts, and a vibrant event calendar. Anyone inspired by fashion, art, nature, or cuisine will be in the right place, as the city offers countless ways to reset and recharge.

September, that transition to fall, not the New Year, has always been my personal preferred "fresh start” time of year. This is when Paris’s parks and tree-lined streets begin to display burnt violets, reds, oranges, and golds. Shadows are longer, the air is crisp and it’s the perfect time for creative inspiration. Iconic parks like Jardin du Luxembourg or Tuileries with their early autumn colors enhance the city’s charm. Students, too, return to new teachers, backpacks brimming with fresh notebooks, ambitions, and dreams. Opportunities and surprises seem to pop out like corks at a Left Bank wine bar. Everyone has returned, some with already fading tans, others with dog-eared paperbacks or crisp croissant crumbs still clinging to their beards.

This might be the perfect time for a personal overhaul, whether through perfecting old skills, learning something new, or simply by enjoying life.

 ***

Fashion Week fresh start

 Paris Fashion Week 2025 (September 29 - October 7) is a global highlight, setting trends for the upcoming seasons and infusing the city with creative energy. It’s a chance to become immersed in cutting-edge style and the excitement of new collections. Even if the exclusive runway shows are off limits, the city hosts public fashion-related events, pop-up boutiques and exhibitions. Off-the-radar designers' creations compete in showrooms, many in the Marais district. Trendy concept stores like Centre Commercial, MERCI, or A.P.C. will stock the latest Paris street fashion.

 Cultural fresh start

 September is when Paris’ cultural scene roars back to life and the choices can seem overwhelming. New museum exhibitions, festivals, and events provide intellectual and artistic stimulation. The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Centre Pompidou often launch fresh post-summer programs. Neighborhood galleries open their doors while jazz clubs, classical venues, theaters and grand opera houses like the Opéra Garnier and Opéra Bastille open their seasons with dazzling new productions, drawing culture enthusiasts to the city’s historic venues.

 

Culinary fresh start

 

September also marks the start of the oyster season and grape harvest, alongside an abundance of seasonal produce, making it a perfect time to refresh palates at some of the city's many tempting eateries. Markets like Marché Bastille and Marché d’Aligre will display seasonal delights such as cèpes, truffles, chestnuts, artichokes, grapes, and figs. Cheeses have seasons too, so watch for Tête de Moine (monk's head), Rocamadour, Camembert and Brie, more. You won't even have to know what seasonal ingredients are in season as they will be woven into menus. Find a wine barrel table at Le Baron Rouge and lift a glass in appreciation. - BPJ

 

Night ride

It was one of those nights when anything could happen.

 

Above: Place de Furstemberg at midnight

 

 ***

 

Art Exhibitions Paris / August

 

***

 

Update:

Above photo selected for exhibition / competition

September newsletter

 

Window Wednesday

 All over Paris restaurants, cafés and shops close during the month of August and leave a message of when they will return, although each year the grandes vacances (annual summer vacation) seem to be getting shorter.

To tip or not to tip Tuesday

Ignorance of a culture can get expensive.

 

You’re in Paris. You've researched your trip yet are still confused about tipping etiquette. There were as many opinions on what to do/what not to do as cobblestones on a Montmartre 

 side street.

 

First of all, in France, there are no specific services where tipping is legally required. If you encounter a situation where a tip is demanded, it’s not standard practice and you are not obligated to comply.

For cafés, restaurants and anything to do with food service, and this is the area where most of the confusion lies, it doesn’t operate like in the U.S. where workers rely on tips to make ends meet. Being a server is a profession, and servers are in for the long haul. They’re not students or actors waiting to be discovered, as one older American lady found out during lunch at a Left Bank bistrot. Clasping her hands she said to the waiter, “My, you are handsome! You must be an actor!” to which he sternly replied, “Non! I am a waiter!” clicking his heels.

Paying your bill and walking out without leaving anything extra won’t raise an eyebrow. Tipping in restaurants and cafés or anywhere to do with food/drink isn’t mandatory. In France, servers earn a proper salary, complete with benefits - paid vacation (5 weeks!), all healthcare. It’s hard to fire them and if the establishment changes hands, they can stay on. They return from their August congés well-rested and cheerful, having been able to afford travel to exotic locales - India, North Africa, Cuba, San Francisco.

A 15% service charge is already built into the price of every item at cafés, bars, and restaurants (the famous “service compris”). It might be visible on the menu and/or bill or it might not. It won’t be tacked onto your bill separately.

 

Service compris was in that €400 Michelin tab as well as tiny espresso taken standing at a counter. At café bars, leaving a few “pièces jaunes”  - small yellow coins - is common. It’s called a "pourboire” meaning “to drink,” so at the day's end the server will be able to buy a glass of something.

 

Having said that, some touristy restaurants are now presenting the bill (l'addition) with a “tip line” and digital screens with pre-set tip percentages - 15%, 18%, 20% or 25% along with "custom amount" or "no tip" options U.S.-style - which is counting on customer ignorance. Choosing not to tip won’t earn you The Evil Eye.

 

One tactic at mostly trendy fashion-forward restaurants is when the waitress, hand-picked for her allure, glides straight to the payer (often a man), and breathily purrs, “Did you enjoy zee service?” playing on lingering doubts. If you did, you can simply reply, “Yes!” And if you don’t want to leave anything, you don’t have to.

 

However if you liked the service and found it exceptional, it’s a nice gesture to leave a little something. Many locals don’t; or they round up their bill to the nearest euro. If you still can't shake those feelings of guilt, some leave €5 if they're two, €10 if they're four, and at high-end spots like Michelin-starred restaurants €50, although a modest €2 to €20-tip is fine. As for the tip, cash is preferred. Mais bien sûr, if you feel the service deserves more - especially if you’ve been high-maintenance - don’t hesitate to leave a bit extra.

 

Remember, "good service" means that once you've received your order, your waiter will pretty much leave you alone, not wanting to interrupt your meal. And I like that.- BPJ

 

*** 

 

Adapted from:

Paris and The French: A Unique Culture - Barbara Pasquet James

 

Mocha Monday

Face-à-face yet miles apart.

Malongo Atelier Barista

50 rue Saint-André des Arts 75006

Sit-down Sunday

 Waiting patiently at a lively Montmartre café.

Salade Saturday

 A gigantic head of batavia lettuce dominates a Montmartre produce shop that gets its seasonal fruit, vegetables, juices, honeys, and cheeses from local farms.

 ***

The American tourist sat down and eagerly ordered the Hamburger Maison et Salade, the only thing she recognized on the menu. "Well done, please!" When the burger arrived, underdone, instead of a vibrant, heaping pile of crisp greens tossed in a light vinaigrette as expected, the only green in sight was a slightly wilted single lettuce leaf peeking out from inside the bun. As she had clearly read "salade" she stopped the waiter to demand where her salad was, only for him to shrug and walk away. And just like that, dreams of a lush side salad faded faster than Julia Child's smile when her soufflé refused to rise. In France, depending on the context, if "salade verte" or even "petite salade" is not explicitly stated, and just salade appears on the menu with a burger or sandwich, brace yourself for that one lone leaf instead of a proper side. - BPJ

 

Floral Friday

 

Waiting to be joined by a special friend at Café La Palette.

Thursday thrill

Imagine stepping out onto this small balcony and seeing this.

 

Perfect weather Wednesday

Beautiful weather means dining al fresco.

Above: an Italian treasure hidden in a leafy courtyard

 Pinot Grigio

Village Saint Paul

7 rue Charlemagne 75004

(open in August)

 

***

 

The period of Roman occupation of Paris (then called Lutetia) lasted about 500 years and left much behind including roads, baths, a forum, an amphitheater and some of the best Italian restaurants, markets and shops outside of Italy.

September newsletter:

Best Italian, Paris

 

 

Travel Tuesday

 

Looking back: spending time with loved ones off the French Atlantic coast.

 

Above: up early to the smell of fresh coffee and croissants

***

 

Brittany islands

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Meander Monday

 

The Latin Quarter, a favorite quartier to just wander.

***

 I've seen it more than once. A starry-eyed tourist steps into Paris’s Quartier Latin, imagining there will be rumba in the streets. She’s packed a bright sundress and practiced a few merengue moves, hoping she'll come across a vibrant fiesta or at least a few Havana-style clubs. But instead of sambas and paso dobles she finds quiet cobblestone alleys filled with bookshops and cafés with students arguing about the latest PSG match over overpriced espresso.

In Paris, the Latin Quarter refers to that historic district on the left bank of the Seine, centered around the Sorbonne University in the 5th and 6th arrondissements. Its name, far from implying a Latino culture, originates from the Middle Ages when Latin was the lingua franca of academia.

In the 12th century Paris became a major intellectual hub with the founding of the University of Paris, later the Sorbonne. Students and scholars, drawn from across Europe, communicated in Latin, the universal language of learning. The area around the university filled with schools, monasteries, and student lodgings and became known as the "Quartier Latin”: Latin was spoken in lectures, debates, and daily life. By the 13th century, the district was hosting figures like Thomas Aquinas and over time, the Latin Quarter retained its academic and bohemian character.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, it evolved into a hub for artists, writers, and intellectuals, with cafés and bookshops like Shakespeare and Company drawing luminaries such as Hemingway and Sartre. Its narrow, medieval streets like Rue de la Huchette and landmarks like the Panthéon, Sorbonne University and great domed l'Institut de France cemented its reputation as a cultural and intellectual heart of Paris. - BPJ

Seine Sunday

A spot on the Seine.

 

Paris Plages 2025

 

Ends Sunday August 31

 

Sandwich Saturday

 

With many boulangeries closed during August this Montmartre gem will remain open.

Pâtisserie Boulangerie Boris Lumé

48 rue Caulaincourt 75018

 

Closed Mondays / Tuesdays

 

Furstemberg Friday

 

The tranquility of Place de Furstemberg on a summer day.

 

 

Café contact

 

 

Walking up to the old zinc bar in Café La Palette.

 

***

 

I hardly noticed the older gentleman who'd shuffled up next to me at the cafe’s zinc bar and now stood at my side. The morning hummed with the scent of roasted coffee beans and the faintest air of magic. So far, we were the only ones at the counter, each absorbed in our own tiny espresso cup. 

 

"Excusez-moi Madame. Pourriez-vous me passer le sucre?” he murmured, leaning in slightly closer. I slid the sugar bowl his way, and he smiled. That was the moment I realized I was peering into the eyes of Marcello Mastroianni, yes that Marcello, a man whose films I adored with a fervor reserved for truffles and rainy afternoons. Here was the dashing Italian heart-throb, the on (and off)-screen suitor to some of the world’s most famous and beautiful actresses, all charm and elegance. Curiously he'd always reminded me a little of my own dear father. And now, this man whose cheeks bore a scruffy shadow, his long coat draped like a weary traveler’s cloak, wearing a hat and neckscarf giving him the air of having just wandered off the pages of a storybook - I remember thinking he fell short of being short - was looking at me with a twinkle in his eye: he recognized that I’d recognized him. And that was enough. Nothing more was said, nothing needed to be said. Not that long after I was to learn that he lived a short distance from Café La Palette and sadly, had passed away. - BPJ

 

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI

1924 - 1996

 

***

 

Even the most miserable life is better than a sheltered existence in an organized society where everything is calculated and perfected. - Steiner to Mastroanni in "La Dolce Vita"

 

 

 

 

Window Wednesday

 

 

Natural light floods the bookshop inside Halle Saint-Pierre, a former market.

Table Tuesday

A table on a square in the Latin Quarter.

 

Monday mouthful

 

Delectable crêpes to start off the week.

 

Above: galettes (savory sarrasin buckwheat flour crêpes) accompanied by crisp Brittany pear cider

 

Breizh Café 

Paris

"La crêpe autrement"

 

 

 

 

Sit-down Saturday

A place to read and reflect.

 

Stairs and stares

 

 

Under the stares.

Above: an intimate café at the bottom of a Montmartre stairway

 ***

Stairways are a defining feature of Montmartre's hilly streets and bohemian charm. A recent post, “Sunday sipping,“ received so many views that I thought they deserve a little more attention than I've been giving them.

 

Their steep, often uneven steps - like the famous 222 leading to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica - offer breathtaking views of the city while connecting quaint cobblestone paths lined with artists’ studios, cafés, and ivy-draped buildings. Immortalized in art and film, they evoke a romantic, enduring Paris, where each climb feels like a journey into history (or a full workout!), from the days of Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec to the vibrant street performers of today. - BPJ