Mural Monday

Street art stares back from a wall in the 19th arrondissement.

 

Sunday squeeze

 

 

The Rue du Chat-Qui-Pêche - Street of The Fishing Cat - is the narrowest street in Paris. Until a narrower one comes along.

 

 

 

 

Sunny Saturday

 As temperatures climb Parisians sit.

***

 A 2019 article from Paris Perfect suggests that if one were to visit a different café terrace every day, it would take nearly 30 years to see them all. Parisians lounging on café terraces all day isn’t just a stereotype—it’s a cultural cornerstone. And as long as there's sunshine, temperatures don't really matter. Sipping an espresso or nursing a glass of rosé, people-watching is an art form, where time slows and conversation reigns supreme. It’s not laziness; it’s a deliberate embrace of la vie en rose, where life’s pleasures trump the hustle.

From Montmartre to rue Montorgueil, from the Marais to Montparnasse, these sidewalk perches are cherished salons—part social hub, part philosophy meetup—where a quick coffee can stretch into hours without apology and without a pesky waiter bringing the bill before you ask for it. - BPJ

 

Fishy Friday

 

 

A fresh catch has arrived at a local poissonnerie.

 

***

Look (and ask) for:

 

lieu noir - pollack

lieu jaune - yellowtail

bar - sea bass

saumon - salmon 

rouget - red mullet 

daurade - sea bream

églefin - haddock 

bulots - whelks  

cabillaud - cod

 truite - trout

thon - tuna 

 

The fishmongers' services include:

 

 écaillage - scaling

vissage - gutting

nettoyage - cleaning

désossage - de-boning

dépouillement - skinning

filetage - filleting

papillonnage - butterflying 

 

Custom cuts fall under coupes personnalisées.

Some will even package the fish for freezing or transport.

 

Letting Luce

 

MAXIMILIEN LUCE

l'Instinct du Paysage

 

Musée de Montmartre

12 rue Cortot 75018

 

 

Ends September 14, 2025

 

*** 

Maximilien Luce (1858–1941) was a trailblazer of Neo-Impressionism and key figure in anarchist and libertarian communities. Leaving an indelible legacy through his deep artistic and political passions, his paintings of urban and rural scenes as well as the human experience reflect the social and industrial shifts of his time. Although his stunning landscapes take center stage in this exhibition, he also portrays subjects that were unexplored by his fellow Pointillists, such as workers in motion.
 
The humanistic spirit at the core of his work defines its essence, yet landscape remains a central theme that energized his art throughout his career. With a distinctive sensitivity, Luce masterfully portrays light and color. This exhibition showcases his artistry and brings his frequently underappreciated work to a wider audience.

Luce lived on rue Cortot from 1887 until 1899, just steps from where this exhibition, the first Paris retrospective since 1983, is now being held. — BPJ

Window Wednesday

 

 

Step into the wild on a backstreet in the Sentier district.

 

Design & Nature

4 rue d'Aboukir 75002

 

Table Tuesday

 An art gallery along a passageway off Place de la Bastille.

 

Market Monday

 

From organic wines, honey, salts and foie gras tastings to crêpe stands, flower stalls and ready-made traiteur dishes (above), the sprawling Bastille market caters to every taste.

 

Soaring Saturday

 

L'Église Saint-Eustache de Paris, where gothic grandeur meets heavenly heights.

 

Friday faces

Ever-changing graffiti climbs a wall.

 ***

Rue Dénoyez, tucked away in the vibrant Belleville neighborhood of Paris’ 20th arrondissement is often simply dubbed, "The Graffiti Street.” Some years ago it appeared it would see its last stencil, but it held fast: locals wanted to keep their dazzling open-air gallery where urban art reigns supreme, a 156-meter-long alley-like street that no matter what time of year, bursts with color, its walls plastered with ever-changing murals, tags and street art. And sometimes, among the chaos, masterpieces crafted by local and international artists could be spotted. Once home to abandoned shops, today it's a creative hotspot where spray cans (legally) hum as fresh works overwrite the old, ensuring no two visits are the same. Despite past threats from redevelopment - like the 2014 push for social housing and a nursery - it’s held on to its rebellious soul, blending gritty charm with a community feel. Just steps from the Belleville metro, it’s a must-see for art lovers who crave a raw, unpolished slice of Paris’ underground culture. - BPJ

Thoughtful Thursday

A moment of reflection with her best friend on a café terrace.

 

Window Wednesday

 

Sipping serenity in Montmartre where art meets the streets.

 

Tower Tuesday

 

 

Several architectural styles in a row.

 

Mirror Monday

 

Glass and mirrors brighten a historic restaurant that dates to 1832.

 

L'Escargot

 38 rue Montorgueil 75001

 

 

Saint Patrick d'Irlande

 

 

Picasso bust of Dora Maar looking rather green.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

***

Some Irish pubs in Paris to lift a glass:

Le Galway Irish Pub

Brady's Irish Pub

Corcoran's Irish Pub

The Harp Bar

O'Sullivans

Murphy's House

- Check for info and opening hours -

Fashion fiends

 

Currently at Le Grand Palais Champs-Élysées:

 

DOLCE&GABBANA

"Du Coeur à La Main" / "From the Heart to the Hand"

 

 Ends April 2, 2025

 

*** 

 

When Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana founded their brand in 1985, it quickly captivated the industry with its unapologetic celebration of sensuality and craftsmanship. Dolce & Gabbana’s early collections, inspired by Sicilian culture—black lace, corsets, religious iconography—stood out in a minimalist-dominated era, offering a theatrical alternative that felt both nostalgic and rebellious. The pair made glamour aspirational and attainable and today, their empire thrives on that same audacity, evolving with trends yet staying true to their Mediterranean roots. The sheer opulence on display at Le Grand Palais, room after room of staggering designs, is leaving viewers breathless. - BPJ

 

  

 

 

Sit-down Saturday

A hint of sunshine quickly brings tables and chairs to Paris sidewalks.

 

Flea market Friday

 

 

Bargain-hunting chineurs in the Latin Quarter.

 

 

Window Wednesday

 Window into the mesmerizing worlds of Pablo Picasso and Henri (Le Douanier) Rousseau.

***

Pablo Picasso and Henri Rousseau are the latest dynamic duo pairing at the Atelier des Lumières, with both men's artistic styles diverging dramatically despite sharing the same era. Picasso, a titan of modern art, pioneered Cubism with its fragmented, abstract forms, breaking reality into geometric shards that challenged perception. Like his revolutionary Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Picasso's work pulsed with intellectual complexity and emotional intensity, often bending perspective to mirror the chaos of the human experience. In contrast, Rousseau, known as Le Douanier, was a self-taught naïf who painted with a childlike simplicity, crafting flat, dreamlike jungle scenes. His style leaned on vivid colors and meticulous detail, exuding a serene, almost surreal innocence that ignored academic norms. Where Picasso dissected the world, Rousseau enchanted it, offering a whimsical escape to Picasso’s cerebral upheaval. Together, they highlight the era’s spectrum: innovation versus intuition, fragmentation versus fantasy. - BPJ

PABLO PICASSO

L'art en mouvement

 

HENRI ROUSSEAU

Au pays des rêves

L'Atelier des Lumières

38 rue Saint-Maur 75011

 

Ends June 29, 2025

 

 

Above: Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)

Below: Henri (Le Douanier) Rousseau (1844 - 1910)

 

Tête-à-tête Tuesday

 

Shall we sit here?

Mona Monday

 

 Pixelated Mona in the Marais district.

Art is always a good idea

 

Currently at Le Grand Palais Champs-Élysées:

Japanese visual artist Chiharu Shiota

"The Soul Trembles"

Ends March 19, 2025

 

Saturday spritz

 

Sunshine and warmer weather mean terraces are opening up and spring is on its way.

 

Flee market Friday

A whimsical sculpture inside the magnificent L'Église Saint-Eustache commemorates the departure of the legendary "Belly of Paris" market in old Les Halles.

 

Street of roses

 

Old Rue des Rosiers, once lined with roses, dates from the days before street signs when streets were named for a landmark or function.

 

Treeful Tuesday

 

Evening, and the lit-up spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral is like a beacon across the Seine.

 

Mocha Monday

Good Morning.

 

Sisters Sunday

 

 

A group of nuns outside the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.

 

Croissant brrrr

 

A warm croissant au beurre, a cold day.