By Monique Y. Wells On 17 December 2019, the Café de la Danse theater in Paris’s Bastille district was transformed into a magical space where the Paris Jazz Repertory Septet (PJR7) and singer Joseph Langley invited the public to focus on climate change through the lens of jazz. Café de la Danse © Entrée to Black Paris Pianist/trombonist Joe Makholm of PJR7 is the composer of Concert Climat, a musical trilogy dedicated to this environmental crisis.  After reading three books on the topic – This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein, Eaarth by Bill McKibben, and Storms of My Grandchi ..read more

Gumbo on Rice Photograph by Entrée to Black Paris Gumbo is a soul-satisfying, deeply flavorful dish that originates from southern Louisiana.  It is a cross between a soup and a stew, and Creole and Cajun varieties abound.  Monique included her family’s Creole recipe for it in her cookbook, Food for the Soul. I knew that making gumbo requires great effort because of the time-consuming process of making the roux (stirring flour in fat until it gets the right color).  But that was before I met Monique’s cousin, Rozetta Kaufman, who invented a gumbo mix that makes “almost instant gum ..read more

One NationThe Greater Paris Region has several outlet shopping malls within its perimeter.  We reported on our visit to La Vallée Village in August and, today, are writing about our expedition to One Nation, a two-level outlet mall located about 30 km (19 miles) to the west of the French capital. One Nation offers year-round discounts of 30% off top-brand clothing from last season’s fashions.  During promotional periods the discount can be as great as 70%.  It is important to keep in mind that the discounts are offered on last season’s fashions, not the current season.  (The English ..read more

Monique and Tom at Bus Toqué On a recent Friday evening in August, we boarded a double-decker bus for an extraordinary gourmet excursion through the French capital.  What made this so special is the dining room on the top deck of the bus that affords remarkable views of the city.  During our two-hour journey, the waitstaff served us a four-course meal as we meandered past glorious Parisian landmarks. Table setting – Bus ToquéTo begin the adventure, we arrived at the point of embarkment on Avenue des Champs-Elysées around 8:00 p.m. We were greeted at the entrance to the bus by a bi ..read more

Polo Trousers – Figaret SweaterThere are a few designer outlet stores in Paris where fashionable, ready-to-wear clothes are sold, but they are located in various parts of town.  Because we did not want to spend time crossing and re-crossing the city to visit these far-flung shops, my wife and I decided to make an excursion to an outlet mall that lies about 40 km to the east of Paris.  Called La Vallée Village, this mall boasts about 70 boutiques selling ready-to-wear designer brands, such as Hugo Boss, Kenzo, and Calvin Klein.  I thought for sure that I would find some shirts and slacks ..read more