Looking to get out of the city without leaving the city? The Chalet des Îles in the Bois de Boulogne is the perfect mini escape. Not only is this restaurant in one of the Paris region's largest parks, it's on an island in the park that is only accessible by boat....
On Monday morning, I finally made it to the Fondation Louis Vuitton, one of Paris's newest museums and monuments. The current exhibit of the Sergei Shchukin collection (including works from Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin and others) has been extended by one final week...
It had been on my list for a while. Last week I finally made it down to Gare Montparnasse without too much luggage to carry so I could explore what's above the station. Few people realize that above the station platform and train tracks is an 8+ acre city park,...
Spring is here and that means it's terrace season in Paris! Last summer, I had tea with some friends at the Maison de L'Amérique Latine in Saint-Germain. This Latin cultural center houses exhibits and events, but it is also home to one of Paris's nicer restaurants and...
Last week, I wrote about the Albert Kahn Museum & Gardens in Boulogne-Billancourt. Not so far from there, about a 30 minute's walk away, is the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil, a botanical garden in the Bois de Boulogne. These gardens were created back in 1761 under...
On the edge of the Seine in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb of Paris abutting the 16th arrondissement, lies a magical little garden and museum that most tourists never find. The Albert Kahn Museum & Garden is a bit off the beaten track, but just a short walk from...
It was one of those oppressively hot days in late July when I happened upon a green gate off rue des Rosiers, just a block from my apartment. I had never noticed this gate before, so I peaked in. To my surprise, I found a whole city park I never knew existed! And a...
If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a big fan of (obsessed with?) France's long distance trail system (the grandes randonnées). I completed Corsica's breathtaking GR20 in 2009 and 2011, and have walked a number of segments of...
When Siobhan Wall's publisher asked me to review her new book on Paris, Quiet Paris, I did not hesitate for a minute. This is not a classic guide book to Paris. This reference is specifically targeted at the visitor who prefers the off-the-beaten-track Paris, at the...
My article, Off the beaten Parisian track: 7 French spots to discover, has been published on Ma Vie Française's website. That is one off-the-beaten-track site for every day of the week! And if you missed my complementary article for Ma Vie Française, Five things you...
