Articles
Normandy Trompe-l’oeil
Trompe l'œil Pizza Shop in Rouen, Normandy The pizza sign is real, but the windows are not. Seen in Rouen.
Marché du Livre Ancien et d’Occasion/Parc Georges Brassens
On Saturdays and Sundays, there is a marché dedicated to antique and used books (livres d'occasion) in the 15th arrondissement. It's inside covered pavilions which was nice since I visited on a day with intermittent showers. It's located on the site of a former...
Passage l’Ancre
It was a rainy day in Paris when I passed by a charming umbrella store that repairs the 'parapluies à Paris'. It's located in narrow Passage l'Ancre in the third arrondissement. Ancre means 'anchor' and the maritime reference dates back to an inn run by a man who did...
Metro Coin Purse
As part of a Blog Hop, I’ve made two coin purses. Madame Samm and Katherine shared the pattern and instructions to those willing to post a photo of the finished product. The first is a Paris Metro Ticket coin purse.As part of a Blog Hop, I’ve made two coin purses....
Found French – Friandise
I found this word thanks to my dog, Olivia. She chews everything in sight. We’ve gone through quite a few dog toys, not to mention two remote controls, five dog beds, two brand new area rugs and much more. So I bought a new toy to distract her: Et voila, there...
La Poste
I had the opportunity to visit the post office today, always an ordeal no matter what country you're in. There are usually long lines in Paris branches, just like in the US. But the post office has a little chart posted outside advising which hours are the least busy,...
More Metro Pub
Another Unusual Metro Ad. When you first look at the photo, it resembles the eye of a person. Then gradually you realize it's a horse and an ad for a steeple-chase. Riveting and dare I say, eye-catching.
Fête d’Aligre/Square Trousseau
Square Trousseau is a lovely park in the 12th arrondissement near Marché Aligre and a perfect spot for a picnic with your purchases from the marché. There are also bistros and restaurants around the park. The site dates back to the 1600's when it became a hospice for...
Paris Dog Poop
Figures vary widely for the number of dogs in Paris, from 77.000 to 200,000 or more. Dodging dog poop on Paris sidewalks used to be a common complaint from visitors, but the situation has vastly improved in the last decade and a half. There may have Sanisettes all...
Sanisettes – Paris Public Toilets
Paris is an amazingly clean city. Street sweepers work every day of the week. And there are public toilets available on streets all over the city (420 of them). Until February of 2006 it cost 40 centimes (euro) to use one, but now they are accés gratuit (free!)....
Strikes and Demonstrations
Another Mardi Noir (Black Tuesday) of strikes, or so they are labelling it in the newspapers. The high schools and colleges have been on strike (en grève) for some time and the government, transit and other unions joined in today. A fuschia banner at the metro stop...
Hôtel de Ville and Place de Grèves
After a conference in Paris I had a private tour of the Hôtel de Ville, the city hall of Paris. It’s full of gilt and fine art and sculpture, but the part I liked most was learning the history of the word grève. The Place de l’Hôtel de Ville was originally...
