Mocha Monday

 

 

Strong coffee with a pastry Saint Honoré to share takes the cake.

 

La Grande Épicerie

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

Savory Saturday

 

 

Confit de canard, preserved duck leg, that humble yet sublime staple on many a bistro lunchtime blackboard.

 

 

 

*** 

 

Duck Duck Go:

 

Known to disappear off plates the moment its crispy skin crackles under a knife, confit de canard originated in the sun-dappled Gascony region of France. A simple culinary masterpiece, it showcases the rich, succulent flavors of duck preserved through a time-honored technique that involves slow-cooking duck legs in their own fat at a low temperature which creates a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture and flavor.

Traditionally paired with crispy potatoes (pommes de terre sarladaises) preferably cooked in duck fat or, as above, served atop a purée of fresh potatoes to allow its rustic flavors to shine, it can also appear with nothing but a mixed-greens salad to balance its richness, and has become one of the highlights of classical French cuisine. - BPJ

 

Floral Friday

 

Square René-Viviani through roses.

Throwback Thursday

 

 A "living statue" street performer at La Rochelle's Vieux Port (Old Port) defies gravity.

Brittany / Normandy / Poitou-Charentes

 3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

Waiting Wednesday

 

Almost time for Mass to start inside Nôtre-Dame de Paris.

 

Treeful Tuesday

Autumn approaches in silence.

 

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As we head into peak foliage season, Paris in the fall is a photographer’s dream.

Here are some leafy ideas for where to capture nature's palette:

 

- Montmartre: tree-lined cobblestone streets; hidden gardens and squares; climbing vines

 
 - Seine riverbanks: trees near Pont Neuf and Île de la Cité

- Jardin des Tuileries: early morning mist; golden hues prominent along paths and around the Grand Bassin

 

- Jardin du Luxembourg: chestnut trees; leaves floating in the Medici Fountain

 
- Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: a lake w/swans; waterfall; clifftop classical "temple"

 
- Bois du Boulogne: dense woods, paths; a lake w/small boats

 

- Parc Monceau: Corinthian columns surround a tranquil pond; scattered leaves of mixed colors

  
- Jardin du Palais-Royal: tunnels of trees; leaves of golds, violets, yellows, reds - BPJ

Museum Monday

 

 

The Musée de Montmartre celebrates the opening of a spectacular new exhibition.

 

Above: private invitation champagne reception in the enchanting Renoir Gardens

 

 

École de Paris: The Marek Roefler Collection

 

 Musée de Montmartre

12 rue Cortot 75018

 

Ends February 15, 2026

 

 

 

[Tamara de Lempicka, Portrait of a Russian Dancer; Henri Hayden, Chess Players]

 

(click to enlarge)

 

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Highlighting art critic André Warnod's 1925 term "École de Paris" for international artists who made Montmartre and Montparnasse pre-World War I hubs of creativity, this diverse group - mostly Jewish artists from Central and Eastern Europe, plus talents like Picasso (Spain), Modigliani (Italy), Foujita (Japan), and Rivera (Mexico) - nurtured avant-garde styles like cubism, fauvism, and expressionism. The exhibition showcases Polish masters from Marek Roefler’s collection, including Ossip Zadkine, Tamara de Lempicka, Moïse Kisling, and lesser-known figures like Henri Hayden, Eugène Zak, and Mela Muter.

The sheer number of works and artists is overwhelming. The show traces a north-south path through these iconic districts, blending influences from Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh with unique styles shaped by intellectual freedom, supported by figures like Guillaume Apollinaire and Max Jacob. Part of the museum’s focus on artistic diversity and Montmartre’s legacy, it is backed by Poland’s Embassy in France and the Polish Institute in Paris, in partnership with Villa La Fleur museum in Poland and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, with a companion publication.  - BPJ