The Jardin du Luxembourg is such a lovely world unto itself, no matter the season, that it well deserves its own day on a Parisian itinerary — especially if you’ve been to Paris several times before, and are looking for a slower kind of holiday this time, one of little moments rather than big monuments. […]
Paris History
La Traviata’s Paris
Arguably the most famous of all operas, La Traviata, which is currently playing at the Palais Garnier, has been one of the most enduringly popular pieces performed by the Opéra de Paris since the 1850s. Which is not surprising when you learn that, despite its Italian name, La Traviata is at heart a very Parisian […]
Celebrating Seventy-Five Years Since the Liberation of Paris
On this day seventy-five years ago, when it had become clear that Germany was losing the war, the French Resistance, along with most of the Paris police force, took control of the préfecture and adjoining buildings. It was the beginning of the Liberation of Paris, one of the most high-stakes and history-making weeks in French […]
The Champs-Elysées: Chic Again
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, for so long a flashy strip of cinemas and fast food eateries, is living up to its former glory thanks to a recent succession of glamorous openings. The grand street can trace its history back to 1670, when the famed gardener André le Nôtre (of Versailles fame), after having beautified the […]