Explore the history of interesting buildings with fascinating but common architectural details you might not otherwise notice.
Amongst the free eye candy visible to anyone strolling the streets of Paris are doors of astounding beauty and history. No need to stand in a long museum line or shell out a fistful of euros to view this spectacle. The only requirement: slow down and look around!...
A Paris arts community Tucked away on a tiny crook of a tiny rue near the Montmartre cemetery you’ll find an iron gate announcing “Villa des Arts”. If you peer through the wrought iron gaps, you can see a grassy courtyard but not the amazing arts scene housed here for...
"Look up." Everywhere you look there is something interesting to see. From a bus window, I spied this stone woman holding up a balcony. Is she the most beautiful caryatid in Paris?
When you pass by Haussmanian-style buildings with their large front doors that are actually portes cochères (carriage gates into a central courtyard), look at the bottom sides of those entryways. See those metal pieces fixed to the sides? They are chasse-roues,...
Humor me. Try this experiment: Close your eyes and think of a building in Paris. * * C,mon, give it a go. I'll wait. * * * What did your building look like?. * Here's my favorite building: I can hear you thinking: "Sure, it's okay, but..." Wait. You have to...
Have you noticed any of these markers on Paris buildings? Une crue is a flood and these carvings and plaques found around Paris reference the Great Flood of the Seine River in 1910. Une inondation is another word for a flood or a deluge, but...
Paris shop dogs that are always on-duty, alert and oh-so-stylish. They manage to catch a little down time to conserve their energy. Boutique Dog Optical Store Dog Clothing Store Dog Marché Vendor Dog Café Dog Coiffure Dog...
Eight mass graves have been discovered under a Monoprix store in Paris (Monoprix is very much like Target in the US). There is more to this story than that covered in most press accounts. But first a little recap: Monoprix was remodeling this branch, specifically the...
It's fascinating to be in a U.S. city that oozes French at every turn. From the ubiquitous fleur-de-lis: to street signs: and other signage: Paris has its balconies: as does New Orleans: Paris has statues of Jeanne d'Arc: as does New Orleans: Paris has wonderful...
Like the Smurfs (or Schtroumpfs), other beloved characters from children's literature have different names. In France, Waldo is known as Charlie. But his birth name is Wally. He was created by Martin Handford in Great Britain in 1987. Wally has travelled all over the...