Like the perfect pas de deux, ballet and opera have been in sync in Paris since 1669, when the Sun King Louis XIV — who fancied himself as a gifted dancer as much as a benevolent patron of the arts — founded the Académie d’Opéra. Ballet was originally performed as an entr’acte during an operatic […]

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For a proudly republican country, France sure loves its traditionally religious holidays. Take, for instance, La Chandeleur — or, Candlemas — which falls on February 2nd, forty days after Christmas. Thing is, these Christian holidays are deeply embedded into the cultural fabric of France because so many go back to ancient times, being reworkings of […]

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Sure, Paris is home to high fashion … but it also does street style pretty well. There are, of course, the big-name high-street brands, such as Claudie Pierlot and Sézane, but don’t discount Paris as a place in which to do some serious bargain shopping. One of the best stores for petit prices is Monoprix, […]

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If your body resides in America or Canada, but your heart and head seem to prefer living in Paris, I might just have the perfect book recommendation for you! I wrote Paris Dreaming a while back, originally for the Australian market. Like so many women here, I swoon over all things Parisian, and French, too, […]

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