Window Wednesday

 Bag,  bananas, bike.

Travel Tuesday

 

Starting the day beneath watchful gaze of a 13th-century convent church.

 

*** 

 

Exploring villages on the Alsace Wine Route

 

Alsace, in northeastern France, is tightly nestled against the borders of Germany and Switzerland. The Alsace Wine Route covers about 170 kilometers from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south, passing through more than 70 wine-producing villages
 

Most iconic / Famous:

Ribeauvillé (above): colorful medieval town nestled near the ruins of 3 historic castles
Eguisheim:  medieval village built in concentric circles around a central castle

Riquewihr: known as the "Pearl of the Vineyards," featuring remarkably preserved 13th-century ramparts and architecture

Kaysersberg: picturesque; dominated by an imperial castle ruin; the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer

Bergheim: medieval; completely walled; won recognition as a favorite French village

Charming / Historic:

Obernai: vibrant historical town at the foot of Mont Sainte-Odile

Turckheim: famous for its fortified city gates and the traditional rounds of its night watchman 

Mittelbergheim: elegant; known for its limestone terroir and lack of modern industry

Andlau: scenic wine village nestled in the Vosges foothills with a rich Romanesque abbey

Dambach-la-Ville: rare 14th-century walled village surrounded by granite vineyards

 

 

Grape Harvest Timeline

 As different grape varieties ripen at different speeds, the harvest is staggered into distinct phases:

 

1) Right now: late August to early September. Harvesting begins early for the grapes used to make Crémant d'Alsace (the region's famous sparkling wine), which require higher acidity
 

2) Mid-to-Late September: the main harvest kicks off for still white and red varieties, including Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir

3) Late September to Early October: late-ripening varieties like Riesling and Gewurztraminer are carefully picked by hand
 

4) Mid-to-Late October: the final push takes place for the ultra-sweet, late-harvest dessert wines: Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Noble - BPJ

 

Alsace

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

Monolith Monday

 Flexing and flaunting for over a century... One muscle at a time.

 

*** 

 

In Greek mythology, the atlante (also called a telamon) comes from the Greek Titan Atlas, who was condemned by Zeus to hold up the sky on his shoulders for eternity. In classical architecture it is a support column or pillar sculpted in the shape of a man, the male counterpart to the female caryatid. Its massive size - the oldest still around are over 24 feet tall - became a classic Beaux-Arts/early-20th-century Parisian decorative architectural feature, and this pair, sculpted by Sylvain Kinsburger for a post-Haussmannian apartment building on rue de Rivoli, has been around since 1905. - BPJ

Sitting pretty

 

Two discarded bistrot chairs living their best life.

 

Foamy Friday

 

What can happen when you forget to say, "No foam please"! 

Above: a café noisette gone wild at a Paris café

 ***

 

Repost 

Thoughtful Thursday

Keep going, or turn back?

Window Wednesday

 

 Cruising into Fashion Week

 

*** 

 

September 2026 Paris Fashion Week will be a 9-day event grand finale of the "Big Four" global fashion weeks featuring a packed lineup of 101 fashion houses.

 

Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 ready-to-wear collections

 

Monday September 28 - Tuesday October 6, 2026

Table Tuesday

Your café crème awaits.

 

Today begins La Rentrée.

Welcome back, Paris. 

Mona Monday

 The secret smile unmasked? 

Sit-down Saturday

 A medieval backdrop enhances coffee and conversation.

Fountain Friday

 A sun-drenched fountain on Place des Vosges, through trees. 

Thoughtful Thursday

 

A late-night, almost meditative hush.

Wheels Wednesday

 Vintage blue… One cobblestone at a time.

Above: a Bugatti Type 35 (or high-quality replica) steals the scene
 

Tête Tuesday

 Head chef.

Above: two heads are better than one

 *** 

Repost

Mocha Monday

 

 

Looking back: first light, first coffees and sea air on a French port. 

Saturday sizzle

 

 

August draws to a close, vacationers return, and so do Paris' vibrant open-air markets.

Above: rôtisserie in full swing w/spire of Notre-Dame reflected in the window

 

Fashion Friday

 Fashion to die for.

Thursday threesome

Empty chairs as evening starts to fall.

Window Wednesday

Steinlen's black cat in a window, waiting. 

*** 

“Tournée du Chat Noir”
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen
(1859–1923) 

Tête-à-tête Tuesday

 Recently vacated chairs tell a story.

Mocha Monday

 

The cup alone made this Japanese-inspired French pâtisserie-tea salon worth a linger.

 Above: petal-kissed rhubarb tarte du jour

Niwa

56 rue Vaneau 75007

Last days Calder

ALEXANDER CALDER

(1898-1976)

 

Rêver en équilibre / Dream in Balance

Fondation Louis Vuitton

Ends Sunday August 16, 2026 

 

Scenic Saturday

 

Mediterranean high.

Above: from the top of the village of Èze, one of the prettiest spots on the Côte d'Azur

 ***

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Recommended: fly/drive

 

PARIS - ÈZE 

Direct flight (1-hr 25 min) to Nice + car rental (30-min drive to Èze)

Bonnes Vacances

 ⛱️⛱️⛱️⛱️

Floral Friday

 

Columns of Notre-Dame de Lorette, through flowers.

Thoughtful Thursday

 

Paws and ponder.

Above: contemplating life's big questions... and maybe dinner

 

Window Wednesday

 Summer reading, best accessory en vacances.

Terrace Tuesday

 

 

In the red... with fringe benefits. 

 

 

Market Monday

 Pre-vacances load-up of apéro supplies at the Batignolles weekly organic market.

 Below: relaxing among stalls

 

 

***

 

Sadly, Pistache, a neighborhood favorite for apéros entre amis, is permanently closed, but the apéro culture in Batignolles, an easy walking distance from Montmartre, remains alive/well, revolving around cozy wine bars, lively sidewalk terraces and local bistros. Here are just a few. Check if open in August:

 

Les Batignolles

vibrant, local, trendy neighborhood scenes 

 

Le Comptoir des Batignolles

casual, friendly with high tables and lively neighborhood feel
 

La Villa Batignolles

popular spot for relaxed evening drinks and a welcoming terrace
 

Le Bistrot de Cinéastes

cocktail bar near Place de Clichy with a speakeasy style  

 

Instants Vins Batignolles

classic, welcoming wine bar with heavy focus on high-quality pairings and a community feel

 

 

Serene Saturday

It's August in Paris, when time slows.

Above: the luxury of bicyling through the city on empty streets

 

Friday find

 

A medieval moment on a Marais back street. 

 

Minicafé

10 rue des Barres 75004 

Throwback Thursday

 

Taking in Paris... One magnolia at a time.

 

Window Wednesday

 

A testament to balanced living.

Hugo on feeding the mind through books, Descartes on feeding the body to support the mind.

Table Tuesday

 

 

A lineup of tables red-y for smokers.

Mona Monday

 

 

Sunny Lisa... One smile at a time.

 

Sunrise Sunday

Early birds get the best seats.

Above: the Tour de France is hours away but fans are already streaming up the butte

*** 

 Tour de France

 Arrival in Paris: Sunday July 26, 2026  

 

🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♂️  

 Montmartre schedule

Saturday sentry

 

A lamppost commands a leafy square.

 

Window Wednesday

 View from a Montmartre apartment on a beautiful day. 

Monday magic

 The Assemblée Nationale as seen from Place de la Concorde.

Sit-down Saturday

 A quiet get-together off the man drag.

Frenchie Friday

 Tell me you're French without telling me you're French.

Above: whatever the temperatures café life goes on

 

Thirsty Thursday

The usual (and not so usual) suspects at a bar beneath a Montmartre stairway.

***

The fan overhead whirred as Laurent leaned on the bar from a corner stool, his voice low and threatening.

"Where did you make the connection?" he asked in his clipped French accent. "I want names." Keyser, standing, a shortish man with a slight build, smiled faintly before letting out a weary sigh. His eyes drifted past Laurent's shoulder to the glowing wall of bottles behind the bar. Laurent tapped the record button on his phone. 

"It started at the Saint James Hotel, here in Paris," Keyser said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "Captain Morgan brought me in. He introduced me to Eristoff, a slippery Russian fixer. William Lawson handled the clean documents, while Botran was the quiet one who made sure the shipments never saw daylight.


He continued. ”Later we met in a little place behind the Bastille. Basil Hayden was waiting in the back and passed me on to Redbreast, the drop man. Never said much - just got it done. Then there was Chartreuse. Knew everybody. Kept insisting I meet her friend Charette, but I never took the bait. Her brother, Diplomatico, was an ex-diplomat who smoothed over the international side. Mr. Banks looked after the money and kept everything flowing clean.

 When things got too hot, we shifted the whole operation to the States. Zacapa set up the new route, while Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare made sure everything crossed the border without a trace.”
 
Laurent’s eyes narrowed. “And the man at the top?" Keyser hesitated, his voice dropping to a low rasp. “Jose. Jose ran the whole operation.” He looked up, now his eyes narrowing. “You don’t cross Jose.”

Satisfied, Laurent told him to get lost. Keyser bolted out the door and was quickly swallowed into the crowd on the stairway, and out of sight. 

Laurent had what he needed. Only then did he turn to the bartender for a drink. His eyes landed on a bottle straight ahead: Jose Cuervo, then slid slowly across the shelf… Saint James, Captain Morgan, Eristoff, William Lawson, Botran, Basil Hayden. Bottles of Redbreast, Chartreuse, Charette, Diplomatico, Mr. Banks, Zacapa, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, nestled among better-known brands, jumped into his gaze.

The blood drained from his face as the full realization hit him like a freight train. By the time he spun toward the door, it was too late. Keyser had already vanished. - “The Usual Spirits”  © Barbara Pasquet James

Waiting Wednesday

 A pause at the light before continuing their descent.

Mocha Monday

 Cloudy with a chance of coffee.

Suzanne Sunday

 Late afternoon in the studio of artist Suzanne Valadon.

Musée de Montmartre
12 rue Cortot 75018