For many reasons, Paris’ Quai Branly has caused much controversy among the French and international visitors. Despite (or perhaps because of) this continued controversy, it has become hugely popular since it opened on June 23, 2006. The Musée Quai Branly contains an impressive collection of over 300,000 artifacts from Africa and Oceania that was previously displayed […]
To tell you the truth, I’ve never been much of a fine perfume person. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never turn away a bottle of Chanel No. 5 if it were given to me as a gift, but I rarely shop for perfume on my own. However, after an informational trip to Fragonard, the famous […]
One of the most interesting museums in Paris, a city filled with great museums, is the Musée National du Moyen-Age Thermes de Cluny in the Latin Quarter. The two important sites on the grounds are the 15th century mansion (the Cluny) with its collection of medieval art, and the 3rd-century Gallo-Roman baths (the Thermes).
Arc De Triomphe Paris is known as the “City of Lights” and widely dubbed the most beautiful and romantic city in the world. Not surprisingly, it is also the world’s most popular tourist destination. The city is an utter embarrassment of potpourri riches, filled with something for everyone – historic, cultural, bohemian-artsy, pretentious, bourgeois, thrifty, […]
Notre Dame Ile de la Cité (1st and 4th Arrondissement) is a boat-shaped island on the Seine River that represents the nucleus of Paris. It was first inhabited by a Celtic tribe that lived on the island in 300 BC. The settlement grew with the help of the Romans, the Capetian Kings, and the Franks. […]
Quartier-Chinois Quartier Chinois or Chinatown is located in southeast Paris and is characterized by numerous residential high rises and Asian markets and restaurants. Paris’ Chinatown happens to be the largest in Europe. Although the quarter is not particularly popular among tourists, it does offer a few attractions. Aside from the markets and restaurants that make […]
When I was living in France, I used to count down the days (and save my centimes) to two exhilarating periods of sales in the winter and summer. Winter soldes typically begin in Paris the second week in January and last through the first week in February. Summer soldes usually begin the third or fourth […]
There are times when you crave a vacation where you just plop down on the beach and “veg out”. But taking a trip to Europe is something different. We travel to Europe to learn about our heritage, immerse ourselves in different cultures, see great works of art, and experience a different way of life.
One of my favorite places to spend an afternoon in Paris is at Le Musée Picasso, a gem of a museum in the historic Marais quartier. As one would guess, it is devoted completely to the collection of Picasso masterpieces. Over the years, the museum has amassed a very diverse and skillfully curated collection of several […]