Heidi Ellison
Ca Se Visite
Belleville Up Close and Personal One of Belleville’s bucolic passageways. Belleville, a neighborhood full of unexpected charms, straddles two of Paris’s double-digit (19th and 20th) arrondissements, far from the city center. It remains practically unknown to tourists, and the residents … Read More
Diana Hamilton
A long road from the Bahamas to the French airwaves for Diana Hamilton. A month or so ago, listeners to the radio station FIP (FM 105.1) – famed for its mix of musical styles, soft-voiced female announcers and blessed lack … Read More
MAC/VAL
Art Beyond the Border
Why would any self-respecting Parisian ride the Métro to the outskirts of the city and then mount a crowded bus for a long ride into the suburbs, far from the périphérique, that psychological dividing line between civilization and the rest … Read More
The Essence of Style
Black Is So 17th Century Plus ça change…. There may be nothing new under the sun, but the Sun King himself had plenty of nouveautés up his billowing sleeve. Almost everything we know about fashion today, according to Joan DeJean’s … Read More
Gaya Rive Gauche
Fun with the Whole Fish Christian Ghion decorated Pierre Gagnaire’s new restaurant, Gaya. Photo: Jacques Gavard Those who can’t afford to eat at superstar chef Pierre Gagnaire’s three-star restaurant in the Hôtel Balzac can now get an idea of what … Read More
Fontainebleau Forest and Château
Leaf Peeping in France The Fontainebleau Forest is a rock climber’s paradise. What better time to take a walk in the Fontainebleau Forest than in the fall, when the air is scented with the earthy smell of wild mushrooms (notably … Read More
Il ne Faut Jurer de Rien
Swashbuckling Comedy
Are you ready for a swashbuckling French costume comedy? Here it is: Il ne Faut Jurer de Rien, starring Gérard Jugnot, star of last year’s surprise box-office smash Les Choristes, and Mélanie Doutey, the new French screen sweetheart, who made … Read More
Thomas Fersen
Madmen and Pets Thomas Fersen as seen by Jean Baptiste Mondino. Thomas Fersen, considered a representative of the “nouvelle chanson française” along with Vincent Delerm, Bénabar and Cali, falls into the large category of French singer/songwriters who are more interesting … Read More
Gaspard de la Nuit
Solid Comfort This restaurant is permanently closed. A place for a cozy, quiet meal of reliable quality. When you’re in the mood for a calm dinner in a warm, cozy, old-fashioned setting with no DJ playing loud music or trendy … Read More
La Rentrée Littéraire Sept. 2005
On the Prolixity of French Writers It’s time for that peculiarly French tradition: the rentrée littéraire. Every fall, when France comes back to life after the long summer holidays, an avalanche of new books is published, timed to be eligible … Read More