France is one of the world’s leading producers of oysters, its seaside towns brimming with shacks that serve up freshly shucked delicacies from local farms. And Parisians are among the world’s most passionate consumers of oysters, that mollusc with the most seductive of reputations. Perhaps it’s because oysters have a long history of esteemed Parisians […]
The Six Ballets and Operas You Must See When in Paris
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 […]
How Crêpes Became Oh-So Parisian (and the Best Crêperies in Town)
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 […]
Monoprix, the Style Secret of Parisian Women
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, […]