BonjourParis

Our tenth trip to France began a day early with a sense of panic, second only to the time several years ago when I thought I had lost my passport as we were leaving for the airport. For the week prior to our departure I had been overworked trying to get every thing in shape for a ten-day vacation in Paris and ended up deeply sleep deprived, totally exhausted physically and mentally as we were leaving our house. Last Updated ( Sunday, 28 September 2008 )

St. Denis is the patron saint of Paris which means that he gets to have an important street named in his honor… plus a Basilica, a Boulevard, a Triumphal Arch and many lesser ruelles and squares. Last Updated ( Sunday, 21 September 2008 )

A great change is taking place. With gas prices the way they are and the increased number of cars in inner metros, cities the world over are setting up public bicycle rentals to save people the expense of driving a car. Plus, it’s healthier and pollution free. Last Updated ( Sunday, 21 September 2008 )

Last week, for the first time ever, I went to Rock en Seine, the music festival that’s been held each of the past 6 years just outside of Paris. It’s so convenient, you can even go by metro, so that was good enough for me. I love the metro. Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 September 2008 )

Parking lanes in Paris do not begin where the curb and the street meet at ninety degrees or end there, depending on your point of departure. The curb is included at least ten percent of the time, according to my informal scorekeeping, with one wheel sitting on it. Are Parisians, I wondered, not doués aux créneaux? But the puzzle, I guessed, had nothing to do with French parallel-parking skills which have always seemed pretty good and with less reliance on parking by Braille than I have seen in my American cities. Then what? All that was required to hack open the mystery and unpack its contents was a measuring tape and, good luck for me, I had one handy. Last Updated ( Sunday, 14 September 2008 )

Most Parisians have been terrified of changing the Paris skyline since Le Corbusier set out his proposal to raze the city to the ground and replace it with a series of enormous skyscrapers. However they will be forced to face their fears if the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, succeeds in his plan to overturn the French capital's ban on skyscrapers. At present urban planning regulations dating back to 1977 outlaw any structure over thirty seven metres within the city walls. Last Updated ( Sunday, 14 September 2008 )

I came to Paris to find an escape. I don't have money. I don't have working papers. I don't speak French. I'm scared as merde. But I'm ecstatic. Last Updated ( Sunday, 14 September 2008 )

Grand-père is tall and stands up very straight, raincoat buttoned up, his left hand behind his back. He pushes the stroller with his right hand on the left handle, so grandbaby rides next to him, not in front. I suspect he knows what he is doing and has his reasons, but his face gives away nothing to me. He is not smiling or frowning, but looking placid. The impression Grandpa makes, and it’s a big one, is one of companions taking a turn around the park arm in arm. He is not the nounou, the sitter, the nanny. Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )

Paris is hidden behind incredible gated courtyards,” said Richard Nahem, my guide for the Eye Prefer Paris Tour of the Marais, as he weaved in and out of the cobblestone squares and streets. He was right. Paris is the most famed and romanticized city in the world not only for its glamorous surface, but also for its hidden fibers that weave its character. The small local restaurants, the secret gardens behind the gates, the famous novelty shops, and the best chocolatier in town all contribute to its pulse. Nahem has made it his job to discover these fibers and to share it with others through the Eye Prefer Paris Tours. Last Updated ( Friday, 29 August 2008 )