Just because books are old doesn’t mean they are worth thousands of euros. Photo: Nick Hammond In an age where so many independent businesses, even in Paris, are being overtaken by chain stores, I recently visited a small bookshop in … Read More
Is the widespread pickpocketing in Paris a sign of a larger social malaise? Photo: Olivier Reis Just before midnight last week, I heard screams through my window. “Stop him! Stop him! My bag! My bag!” Looking out, I saw a … Read More
The bande dessinée section in any Paris bookshop is bound to be packed. Photo: J. Gascoigne Walk into any large bookshop in Paris, and you are sure to find one section full of people with their noses buried in books, … Read More
High expectations for French wine are not always met. It’s hard to believe, but taking visitors out for dinner and drinks in Paris has become something of a potential embarrassment. It isn’t to do with the cost – though I … Read More
It is a matter of public record that I adore living in France in general and Paris in particular. So much so, in fact, that when a French friend asked me the other day if there was anything I … Read More
Nick Woods (right) gets a friendly handshake from the counterman. “France would be great without the French,” was the hackneyed expression I used to hear often back in Britain. Now that I live in Paris, I hear: “How are you … Read More
A small argument broke out as I was sitting at the back of the number 26 bus from the Gare du Nord recently. A well-dressed, middle-aged lady was upset at a young man sitting next to her after he …
Favorite Paris Scams To hear the fraudsters tell it, the streets of Paris really are paved with gold. One of the great things about living in a city is being able to watch charlatans at work. I grew up in … Read More
Bad Air, Bad Hair The pollution police on the Place de la République, stopping cars to check their emission levels. “What’s that in your hair, Nick?” asked a friend during a recent, over-priced macrobiotic meal in the fifth arrondissement. “Dunno. … Read More
Vive la France or Leave la France ? What’s the world coming to if you can’t get a coffee in a Paris café? While flat-hunting in the capital city of my dreams last summer, a French friend asked why on … Read More
