Flamingo wall

Birds and exotic plants decorate the wall of a small corner bistrot.

On a quai

“Though I have often looked for one, I finally had to admit that there could be no cure for Paris.”

Prologue, The Paris Wife, Paula McLain

Tartine du jour

A light summer's day lunch: 

 

Above: farm fresh goat cheese atop toasted pain de campagne, radishes, green onion, grilled cherry tomatoes, baby spinach leaves en salade

Au Sauvignon  
80 rue des Saints-Pères 75007

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August newsletter
Nouveautés

Some like it hot

Beat the heat in The City of Love and hole up à deux for a sizzling night (or two - why not?) at one of the capital's many air-conditioned hotels. Indoor swimming pool, cocktail bar and spa services a plus.

Above: afternoon room service

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The heat is on. Again. But you won't hear that refrain on everyone's lips these days, "Il fait chaud!", coming from me. In comparison to summers I've known in Arizona (dry), New York (humid), the South of France chez my French in-laws, Morocco and parts of (¡Ay, que calor!) Spain - and how about those five weeks in India? - Paris' brief canicules seem amusingly tame. It helps that our airy apartment, an artist's loft in always-slightly-cooler Montmartre, is in a well-insulated historic building that looks onto an interior courtyard of shade trees - meaning there's little need for AC or even a fan.

A few tips for keeping your cool: stock up on bottled water and drink lots. Take showers, avoid coffee, tea, physical exertion and public transportation (better: Uber, taxi: G7s have AC and an app. English option +331 41 27 66 99). Keep out of direct sun and, if possible, copy cats i.e. nap during hottest hours. Come evening, reward yourself with a cool drink. For quick relief, the city's many chocolate shops as well as larger movie theaters have great AC. Even quicker: dash into one of those supermarket chain stores - Champion, G20, Carrefour, Franprix... - so cold that sometimes the cashiers are wearing sweaters. - BPJ

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Fans - ventilateurs
  Space air conditioners - climatiseurs at:

Darty, Castorama, Conforama, BHV, Bricorama, Mr. Bricolage, Leroy Merlin

Moon lighting

This month's full moon over the Basilica from a friend's Montmartre terrace.

Good morning pastry

A new crop of breakfast pastries is muscling out traditional croissants au beurre and pains au chocolat.

Above: a buttery kouign-amann made with cinnamon, hazelnuts, and, quelle surprise, peanuts

Bike on white

A white bicycle against a white wall in the 14th arrondissement.