Wall street

A gigantic mural brightens up a corner on rue Étienne Marcel.

Two saints

 

Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, gateway to the Marais.

A place in the shade

A man sits under a parasol enjoying the afternoon on rue des Abbesses.

A bouillon in Pigalle

Bouillons were after-market soup kitchens in days of old and this one lives up to the tradition of elegance, simplicity, great prices, great food.

Above: herring w/its potato salad; pot au feu w/spinach walnut side salad

 

(click to enlarge)

Bouillon Pigalle

22 Boulevard de Clichy 75018

Bushy wall

A wall covered in bushes in the 2nd arrondissement.

Baroque

A stunning façade on a quai near the tip of Île Saint-Louis.

Champagne on ice

...is very nice.

Above: the barman pours our apéritifs while a hunk of salt-studded Brittany butter keeps watch

 Below: just some of the sharing plates that accompanied

[sardines-as-you've-never-tasted; poulet frites w/horseradish cream; planche of thinly-sliced rare roast beef, parmesan, tapenade, capers]

L'Avant Comptoir Marché

Chef: Yves Camdeborde
Champagne: Drappier

Lézard Café

A favorite café on rue Tiquetonne.

Column

Vista of Place Vendôme's column as seen from the Jardin des Tuileries.

Rocket art

Contemporary art at a gallery near the Louvre.

The gate

 

A much loved passageway heaves with history.

A taste of Paris

 

 

The capital's most must-attend food event of the year ends Sunday May 20, 2018.

TASTE OF PARIS
Greatest gastronomy festival in the world

Grand Palais 
3 avenue du Général Eisenhower 75008

Above: mega chef de cuisine Thierry Marx at work

Coffee and kilts

Parisian waiters wear kilts and combat boots at a café-bistro off Place de la Concorde.

Le plat du jour: tomates farcies

Ever since my Aunt Maria's baked stuffed tomatoes Roman style we've been on the lookout for the perfect tomates farcies, but have to admit that these came pretty close. - BPJ

Girl with a burger

 

From a photo shoot for an ad campaign.

Viet-yum

 

Vietnamese: a break from French fare.

- In upcoming June newsletter -
Vietnam in Paris: where to eat; what to order

Nouveautés

Foot wear

Unusual sport shoes in a shop window in the 11th arrondissement.

Top floor

From the 7th floor of the Terrass Hotel, Montmartre: one of the best views in Paris.

Fleurs du coeur

Happy Mom's Day USA tomorrow.

[Mother's Day 2018 in France: Sunday May 27]

 

Bookstore and bicycle

A bicycle in front of a librairie on the Left Bank.

Sunsplashed

A spritz, a planche mixte, a gorgeous day.

Lakeside

Relaxing next to the lake in the Jardin des Tuileries.

Fleurs de mai

Spring flowers in the gardens of the Palais Royal.

Nutty breads

Whole grain breads made with walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and dried cranberries at a local boulangerie.

 

***

Fooding: Sometimes I am invited to review a restaurant and this month will see both old and new stars, to be featured in next month's newsletter.

Nouveautés

Artists out

With spring weather finally here the painters of Place du Tertre are back in force.

A place in the park

A lone chair in the Jardin des Tuileries.

At the foot of the butte

Reminder:

¡Hoy es el día de la paella!

El Tast

70 rue Duhesme 75018

Reserve your portion: 09 50 18 02 26
 

See you there! - BPJ

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Sister resto in Marais:

 
Pessic
102 rue du Temple 75003

More muguets

Last chance to give a muguet, a tradition that began when King Charles IX of France was presented with a bouquet as a token for luck and prosperity on May 1, 1561.

Murano métro

  Writing for USA Today I described this métro entrance as looking as if "hundreds of multi-colored bras had been strung together."

***

In May newsletter:

3 hours (or less) from Paris
Tantalizing Tangiers: the Moroccan port city that lured Jean Genet and Paul Bowles; more

Nouveautés

Architextural

Paris' old architecture is well known but there are a great many innovative modern structures as well.

Above: eye-opening façade of the Institut du Monde Arabe

Panels open and close with the passing of the sun, like the lens on a camera or an iris

The Maison de Verre or House of Glass in an enclosed courtyard on the Left Bank

- Thank you Stephen -

Morning muguet

May 1st is the Fête du Travail when vendors will be on almost every corner selling muguets.

***

- Please give a muguet today to someone disabled, homeless, or who lives alone -
Years ago my daughter and I started this up, liaising with local florists

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Below: muguets at a Left Bank flower shop