The lost vineyards of Paris
Paris was once one of the great wine regions of France. How the abbeys planted it, why it vanished, and the six places in the city where vines still grow today.
What's your favorite Parisian bridge ?
Readers of a Paris newsletter crowned the Pont Alexandre III their favorite bridge. Why it won, why it was built, and the Franco-Russian story behind its name.
Shaping France : March 18, 1871
On March 18, 1871, Paris rose against the government in Versailles. The Paris Commune, from the cannons of Montmartre to the Bloody Week and the fall of the Tuileries.
Louvre Renovation : my perspective on the "New Renaissance"
A new entrance, and a room of her own for the Mona Lisa. What the Louvre's New Renaissance plans, and what a guide expects from it.
Notre Dame rises again from the ashes
Written on the eve of the December 2024 reopening: the ceremonies, the first mass, the opening hours and free tickets, and a guide's feelings about the cathedral's return.
A Masterpiece of a Masterpiece : The Borghese Gallery at the Musée Jacquemart-André
Forty masterpieces from Rome's Borghese Gallery, Caravaggio among them, came to the Musée Jacquemart-André in fall 2024. A very subjective review, rated 17/20.
Unveiling the restoration of Delacroix's masterpiece !
After six months of restoration, Liberty Leading the People returned to the Louvre in May 2024. What the cleaning revealed, from the true color of Liberty's tunic to a forgotten shoe.
And the Winner of the 2024 Best Baguette in Paris is ...
Every year Paris names its best baguette de tradition. The 2024 winner, what the jury looks for, the rules a traditional baguette must follow, and the top ten bakeries.
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist Exhibition
The Musée d'Orsay celebrated 150 years of Impressionism in spring 2024. A guide's honest review of the exhibition, rated 11/20.