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36 Hours in Paris

Ruby Boukabou with her Paris notebook

Only in Paris for a few days and overwhelmed by the options? Follow this suggested itinerary for an unforgettable trip. The following is an extract from Ruby Boukabou’s “The Architecture Lover’s Guide to Paris” (White Owl Books), a fabulous new guide book catering to both armchair travelers dreaming of a future visit and those lucky enough to actually get to Paris during these troubled pandemic times. Available worldwide. More info and online orders at www.rubytv.net/books . Continue reading “36 Hours in Paris”

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Inventing Haute Couture

The exhibition “Worth, Inventer la haute couture” at the Petit Palais revisits how Englishman Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895) became a key figure in the history of fashion and the founder of a fashion house that became the epitome of Parisian luxury (to Sept 7, 2025). Worth founded his eponymous fashion house —whose history spans four generations—in Paris (1858) at 7, rue de la Paix. He is credited with revolutionising the business of fashion… Many consider him “le père de la haute couture.” Continue reading “Inventing Haute Couture”

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Danish House “Double Mirror”

Glaciers are melting fast… According to recent studies the planet’s glaciers have lost 5% of their ice in little over 20 years. The melting has contributed to raising sea levels by about 2.7 centimeters since 1961. Researchers believe that most central and eastern Himalayan glaciers could virtually disappear in ten years. Climate headlines are shocking, but even more shocking is the world’s failure to meet the challenge. Continue reading “Danish House “Double Mirror””

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Posters as Urban Art

Théophile Steinlen poster, 1896
Théophile Steinlen poster, 1896

The Musée d”Orsay exhibition, “L’art est dans la rue,” revisits French street posters with an exceptional collection of nearly 230 works, exploring the spectacular rise of the illustrated poster in Paris during the second half of the 19th century (until July 06, 2025). Organized in partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the exhibition brings together outstanding works by such “Maîtres de l’Affiche” as Bonnard, Chéret, Grasset, Mucha, Steinlen, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Continue reading “Posters as Urban Art”

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Matisse et Marguerite

The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris features an exhibition of work created by the renowned French painter Henri Matisse (1869-1954) starring his daughter Marguerite as his favourite model (until August 24, 2025). Of all the faces Matisse painted those of his daughter Marguerite stand out for their special emotion. The artist created over one hundred portraits of her from childhood to adulthood. She was his most faithful model posing for him over several decades until the end of WWII. Continue reading “Matisse et Marguerite”

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Canal Saint-Martin

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Canal St Martin © Atherton

With its swinging footbridges and tree-lined quais teeming with people on long hot summer afternoons, the Canal Saint-Martin is yet another example of how appealing Paris is when it lives up to its clichés. Rooted in the city’s industrial past, today the canal offers plenty of opportunities for biking, sightseeing, and enjoying Parisian life at its most relaxed.

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Chiharu Shiota at the Grand Palais

Paris’ Grand Palais presents —before its complete reopening in the spring of 2025— the poetic installations of Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, “The Soul Trembles” (to March 19, 2025). The exhibition, co-organinised with the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, is an opportunity to discover Shiota’s collection of works spanning over 25 years. It includes several large-scale installations alongside sculptures, performance videos, photographs, drawings, and documentary footage of her stage designs for dance and opera. Continue reading “Chiharu Shiota at the Grand Palais”

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Voilà, a new vegan cookbook

“Voilà Vegan,” written by an American expat patissière in Paris, is a new cookbook on plant-based deserts. The author, Amanda Bankert (a Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef) has taken up the challenge —some might say quixotic—of convincing Parisians that vegan pastries (sans butter and eggs) are as tasty as traditional French patisseries. “When I was studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu, flaxseed eggs and aqua-faba were not included on the syllabus.” says Bankert. “Yet, in a country that reveres butter and cream, my little vegan bakery is frequently included in lists of Paris’ top pastry destinations.” Continue reading “Voilà, a new vegan cookbook”