Destination: Paris
Has Paris Become a ‘Backwater’?
by Michael Yessis | 07.28.08 | 11:40 AM ET
This New Zealand Herald story asserts that, when it comes to arts and culture, Paris has become “second string” to Berlin, New York and London. Catherine Field writes, “[T]he worshippers these days are consumers, not creators. They are mainly foreign tourists who come to see the eternal Mona Lisa, post-modern American artists, the French Impressionists and Moliere. The city chemistry that produced rawness, dynamism, change and challenge seems absent.” This comes on the heels of Donald Morrison’s Time magazine piece, The Death of French Culture.
Related on World Hum:
* David Sedaris on Flea Markets and Foods Courts in Paris
Photo by izarbeltza via Flickr, (Creative Commons)
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Yahoo! BuzzDavid Sedaris on Flea Markets and Foods Courts in Paris
by Eva Holland | 07.28.08 | 11:33 AM ET
David Sedaris’s latest collection is storming the bestseller charts, and the Globe and Mail tracked him down for a chat about his adopted hometown, Paris. In the interview, Sedaris talks about his love for Parisian food courts, flea markets and movie theaters, and why he never gets tired of the city: “Paris is so beautiful that, even after 10 years, I stop sometimes and I am just overwhelmed.”
In Paris, Everyone Wants a Burger
by Joanna Kakissis | 07.18.08 | 11:56 AM ET
The French are mad about juicy beef patties on sesame-seed buns, and restaurants all over the City of Light are offering Gallic translations of the ultimate all-American meal, writes Jane Sigal in the International Herald Tribune.
Paris Bistros on a Budget
by Jim Benning | 07.17.08 | 3:16 PM ET
And by those “on a budget,” I’m guessing we’re talking about, among others, any poor sap with U.S. dollars. The Guardian has a list of 10.
Related on World Hum:
* Three Travel Tips: Ways to Save Money in Europe
Shakespeare & Company’s Paris Literary Festival
by Jim Benning | 06.11.08 | 12:22 PM ET
Who among us would not like to be in Paris for this? The third annual festival organized by the famed left bank bookstore takes place June 12-15 and will feature Paul Auster, Jeannette Winterson, June Chang and Alain de Botton, among others. This year’s theme: “Exploring Memoir and Biography.” (Via TEV and IHT)
Photo by ktylerconk via Flickr, (Createive Commons).
Foodie Alert: ‘Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris’
by Joanna Kakissis | 05.29.08 | 10:01 AM ET
Clotilde Dusoulier, the popular food blogger from France, has written a new guidebook that features her favorite restaurants, markets and shops in Paris. The 28-year-old former software engineer’s book gives tips not only on where to find the best Tarte-Gateau Poire Chocolat (pear and chocolate cake-tart) but on how to mind your manners when it comes to dining and food-shopping with the French. (Hint: Don’t dis the food.)
Photo by grahamandsheila via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Paris Is ‘Still Paris’
by Eva Holland | 05.09.08 | 9:24 AM ET
We noted recently that, given the weak dollar, American travelers are looking beyond the usual Western Europe destinations. That’s fine, but it’s nice to hear about one traveler who’s holding firm. In a letter from Paris posted on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel travel blog, sports writer Charles Bricker writes: “Damn the exchange rate ... It’s still Paris. The parks and the sidewalks are free, the weather is in the 80s and where else would you rather be?” Good point.
Photo by pedrosimoes7 via Flickr (Creative Commons).
France’s Smoking Ban Chokes its Hookah Bars
by Joanna Kakissis | 05.01.08 | 12:08 PM ET
The president of the Hookah Professionals’ Union—yes, there is such a thing—told the International Herald Tribune that about a third of France’s 800 hookah bars have closed since a ban on indoor smoking took effect Jan. 2.
How To Dine Solo in Paris
by Eva Holland | 03.25.08 | 10:37 AM ET
Renzo Piano, Museum Maker Extraordinaire
by Jim Benning | 03.11.08 | 3:52 PM ET
Travelers who love architecture and museums are well aware of Renzo Piano’s work. He has 12 museums or additions under his architectural belt—including Paris’ must-see Pompidou Centre, pictured—and several more in the works.
2007 Travel Movie Awards: Entirely Arbitrary and Non-Comprehensive Picks
by Eva Holland | 02.22.08 | 12:00 PM ET
Paris: ‘A Delicate Pale Blue’ No Longer?
by Eva Holland | 02.12.08 | 11:11 AM ET
Photo by kla4067 via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
Plenty of cities have imposed smoking bans in bars and restaurants by now, but it’s rare that they chip away at a world-renowned image in the process. In Paris, on the other hand, where the city’s identity seems more intimately connected with smoking, the ban that came into force Jan. 1 has the potential to alter more than just the air quality.
The Man Behind the Bells of Notre Dame
by Michael Yessis | 02.08.08 | 10:57 AM ET
Dining With NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli at Le Train Bleu in Paris
by Joanna Kakissis | 12.04.07 | 5:21 PM ET
For months now, NPR’s correspondents have been tempting devoted foodies like me with delicious reviews of noteworthy restaurants, bistros and cafes around the world. Among other things, they’ve sampled creamy orange hot chocolate in Berlin, camel’s milk desserts in Nairobi and blue corn quesadillas with zucchini flowers in Mexico City. The latest dispatch comes from senior European correspondent Sylvia Poggioli, who sampled pan-fried shrimp with red onions and fresh coriander, spiced pumpkin soup with mushrooms and a dessert of oranges, yellow and black carrots and yuzu sorbet at Le Train Bleu in Paris.
‘Forget Waterloo’: New Train Route Bringing ‘Two Old Foes Closer’
by Joanna Kakissis | 11.21.07 | 11:52 AM ET
France’s high-speed rail network, which has been coping with a labor strike, was hit by fires and other acts of sabotage overnight, according to reports. But in unrelated news, there’s at least one glimmer of good news coming from some rail service in the region. Historical enemies France and England are getting soft-eyed over the new high-speed rail link between Paris and London, according to the New York Times. A recent full-page ad in the French newspaper Le Figaro declared “Oubliez Waterloo”—forget Waterloo. And the English were talking not about Napoleon’s last stand but the former Waterloo rail terminus station.