There’s an enhanced sense of celebration to the summer solstice in Paris, because the longest day of the year coincides with Fête de la Musique, the music festival that sees singers and bands of all genres setting up on street corners, in parks and bars, and even at some of the city’s museums and monuments. […]
Le Guide
Where to Smell the Roses: Five of Paris’s Prettiest Rose Gardens
June is the month of the rose, a flower that strikes me as being quintessentially Parisian. Sure, the rose is internationally beloved, having a long history in China, Greece, Egypt, Rome, the Middle East, England … but it just seems so perfectly at home in Paris. Maybe it’s because my first-ever perfume was the olfactory […]
The 80th Anniversary of D-Day: A Remembrance
May, 1944: Paris was a nervous wreck, overwrought with anxiety, tension, and hope as it continued to wait for le Débarquement. Rumours of an impending Allied landing had been whispered throughout the Nazi-occupied city all springtime long, but it was now summer, the weather stifling, the atmosphere oppressive. The German authorities were more wary and […]
Joan of Arc: Beloved Saint, French Icon, and Paris Treasure-Hunt Inspiration
A French icon, Joan of Arc might never have lived in Paris, but she has made an indelible mark on the capital of the country she so loved. Artistic depictions of Joan abound and make for a fun treasure hunt for fans of the beloved saint. Place des Pyramides The most famous of all of […]