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

 

Sit-down Saturday

The sun-dappled sidewalk terrace of a local boulangerie.

Floral Friday

Flower in the crannied wall...

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

 Above: wall on Avenue Junot

 

Weather Wednesday

Carried away on a breeze.

***  

Once again the Paris forecast is for highs around 35 - 36°C (or more) this coming week. Coastal areas in Brittany, Normandy, and the Charentes (Atlantic coast) are excellent choices to flee to, not that far, and, thanks to sea breezes and the moderating influence of the Atlantic, northern and western coasts typically stay 5 - 10°C+ cooler, especially right by the sea.

 

 Having spent much time in Brittany, here are my top picks for breezy escapes in the region, with most destinations accessible 2 - 4 hour direct or simple-connection high-speed trains (TGV). The beaches, towns, and activities make for relaxed coastal getaways with walks, seafood, and sightseeing. Or simply pack the laptop and get in some scenic teletravail (working remotely) between sea views and moules frites - now in season, especially Brittany’s famous rope-grown bouchot mussels, including those from the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel:

 

 Dinard & Surrounds. Visit Plage de l'Écluse (main beach with iconic huts) and coastal sentier (path) walks

Finistère West Coast (e.g. Brest, Crozon Peninsula, Pointe du Raz)

Saint-Malo and Emerald Coast (Côte d'Émeraude)

 Quiberon Peninsula (southern Brittany)

 Île de Batz or Ouessant (Ushant)

 Erquy or Cap Fréhel 

 

- Stick as close to the coast as possible for maximum breeze benefit

- Keep in mind that trains fill up in summer - check SNCF Connect soon. Consider a 1 - 2 week regional pass if doing multiple stops

 - Expect variable weather (possible showers), but milder than inland

- Pack layers, sunscreen, and rain gear 

- Head farther west like Brest (Brittany) for even more Atlantic moderation 

Enjoy. And maybe, see you there! - BPJ

***

JULY 23 - 26

Jazz Fesstival on banks of the Aulne

Chateauneuf-du-Faou - Finistère

Central Brittany

Info/Tickets 

   

JULY 26 - 30

Jazz at the Lighthouse 

 Phare de Baleine

Ile de Ré 

Info/Tickets 

 

Table Tuesday

 Your coffee awaits.

 

Museum Monday

 ADYA & OTTO VAN REES

 At the heart of the avant-garde 

 

Ends September 13, 2026 

 

Musée de Montmartre
12 rue Cortot 75018

 

 

***

 

Dutch artist couple Adya van Rees-Dutilh (1876-1959) and Otto van Rees (1884-1957) have returned to Montmartre, offering a fascinating example of a true artistic partnership at the heart of 20th-century modernism. They lived and worked in Montmartre's now famous Bateau-Lavoir (Picasso, Braque, van Dongen, Mondrian, Modigliani and poet/writer Max Jacob were part of their circle) and later, Montparnasse, in the era that helped define Pointillism, Cubism, Cloisonnism (with its flat planes of color, heavy dark contours and simplified forms) and eventually, Abstraction. The current exhibition at the Musée de Montmartre - with its refreshing garden, small tea room, and sweeping views - is the perfect opportunity to discover them. - BPJ

 

 

 

 

Sit-down Sunday

 

A beret, a baguette, a café crème.

 

Flour Friday

 

From oven to table... One loaf at a time.

 

Night walk Wednesday

Cool breezes and cobbled streets lead to Place Émile Goudeau.

 

Tuesday terrace

 Sunny with a chance of daydreams.

Temperatures and terraces return to normal. Until they don't.

 

Museum Monday

 

 

Came for the AC, stayed for the art.

Above: Raoul Dufy's epic mural

 

 

MUSÉE D'ART MODERNE DE PARIS

 

 Check for current exhibitions

11 Avenue du Président Wilson 75116

 

*** 

“A summer the likes of which I had never seen and never believed possible in our temperate climate: days when the thermometer in the shade rose to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit), not a single blade of grass, not a single flower by the 1st of July, the trees turning yellow and losing their leaves, the earth cracking open as if to bury us, the terror of running out of water from one day to the next… - George Sand's description of the heatwave in France in September 1870, in her book Le Journal d’un voyageur pendant la guerre ("The Journal of a Traveler During the War") - the Franco-Prussian War - part of a hot dry summer.  - BPJ

 

Travel Tuesday

 

 

Beating the heat.

Above: hiking in the French Alps

 ***

 Reprint from "Some like it hot" 7/26/2019

Some tips for keeping your cool in Paris:

Sip water throughout the day (skip ice-cold and sugary drinks), take cool showers, avoid caffeine, heavy physical activity, and the métro. Uber and G7 taxis are your friends - they usually have AC. Get your errands and sightseeing done early while it’s still fresh out, stay out of direct sunlight, and if possible, nap during hottest hours (in other words, copy cats). More: libraries, parks, gardens, churches - search: air-conditioned spaces open to the public Paris. Come evening, treat yourself to a tall cool one.

 

Pro tips: The city’s many chocolate shops, larger movie theaters and supermarkets (Carrefour, Champion, G20, Franprix etc.) all have strong AC - sometimes so strong the cashiers are wearing sweaters. Keep shutters and windows closed during the day to block out the heat. Or, if you can, head to the mountains. - BPJ

 

***

Fans / ventilateurs
  Space air conditioners / climatiseurs available at:

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

 

Mocha Monday

In their own world.

Seine-side Sunday

 

 

Browsing bouquiniste stalls as Notre Dame Cathedral gleams across the river.

 

Bonne Fête des Pères / Happy Father's Day 

 

Stand-up Saturday

 Summer heat, chilling out.

Floral Friday

 

 

Fresh flowers add a fresh touch to a market on Place Saint-Sulpice.

Wine shop Wednesday

Delectables in a small room at the back of a small wine shop.

 

La Cave des Abbesses

43 rue des Abbesses 75018 

 

 

Tuesday Tables

 

 

Tables stand ready as evening descends on a corner near the river.

Mona Monday

  

She's ditched the bulletproof glass for headphones, tattoos and a café crème.

 

Sumo Sunday

 

 

 

After a 30-year absence from Paris these sumo wrestling legends settle onto a sunny café terrace in the Latin Quarter.

Tonight at Bercy

 

Info/Tickets

Stepping up Saturday

 Climbing through art... One step at a time.

 ***

 Some don't-miss exhibitions in Paris right now:

JR - Installation

LA CAVERNE DU PONT NEUF

See link for updates

RENAISSANCE: Da Vinci, Raphaël, Michaelangelo
L’ATELIER DES LUMIÈRES
Ends: July 2

AUGUST RENOIR: Renoir et l’Amour

MUSÉE D’ORSAY
Ends: July 19

 

HENRI ROUSSEAU 

MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIE
Ends: July 20

 

HENRI MATISSE: 1941 - 1954
GRAND PALAIS

Ends: July 26

CALDER: Rêver en équilibre
FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON
Ends: August 16

CLAIRE-OBSCUR

BOURSE DE COMMERCE - Pinault Collection 

Ends: August 24

 ADYA & OTTO VAN REES: Au coeur des avant-gardes
MUSÉE DE MONTMARTRE
Ends: September 13

 

Floral flashback

Giverny, home and inspiration to Claude Monet.

 Claude Monet's Giverny

A day trip from Paris 

 

Walking the dog Wednesday

Out for a stroll in Saint-Germain.

Tower Tuesday

The Eiffel Tower from the Pont Alexandre III.

 

Metro Monday

 

 

Paris through two lenses: a camera's and an artist's.

 

Strawberry Sunday

 

It's la saison des fraises, and that means strawberry tarts. 

 

🍓🍓🍓

Sinful Saturday

 

 

 

Paris temptations... One croissant at a time.

 Below: croissants w/lemon cream and strawberry fillings

Le croissant autrement 

 

 

Floral Friday

 On a grassy slope beneath the Basilica on a June day.

 

Throwback Thursday

 

A visit to London.

 Above: picture-perfect Peggy Porschen's pretty pink pastry parlour

Belgravia

 

***

 

3 hours (or less) from Paris

Eurostar 

 

Window Wednesday

An atelier d'artiste in a private Montmartre courtyard at the Golden Hour. 

 

Table Tuesday

 

A hidden table.

Mocha Monday

 

Beating the heat with cafés glacés, for the asking even if not on the menu.

 

Fête des Mères

It's Mother's Day in France.

🌸 Joyeuse fête des Mères 🌸

 

Saturday snooze

 The postcard vendor.

Above: down in the dumps. Literally 

Graffiti Friday

 Ever-changing street gallery under an archway on rue des Abbesses.