Jardin des Plantes is just across the river from the Bastille. One day in March, I took a short stroll across the Seine. Instead of covering all the garden, I strolled along a path through the gardens that passes from the gate at Place Valhubert to the gate at Rue Linné and Rue Cuvier. On this Spring morning, certain buds and flowers attracted my attention. Enjoy this view with me through my eyes. The post Enjoy a Stroll Through Jardin des Planets first appeared on Colleen's Paris ..read more

Asking myself simple questions about the Paris Olympics 2024 mascot gradually began a quest and became my obsession. Does the Olympics 2024 mascot have a gender? Why are they bright red and look like a stuffed Eiffel Tower? My in-depth research into these burning questions has been fruitful. I read about the mascots in my daily newspaper Le Parisien. My initial reaction when the two mascots were unveiled in November 2022 was not very positive. Their design does not strike me as elegant. The red color is bright and harsh. Curious, I started following this unusual stuffed toy. Without realizing ..read more

Walking around my side of Paris, my eyes caught certain objects or moments. Others passed me by. This video is a short diary of my December views in Paris. The video includes shopping, Christmas windows, choirs, exhibitions of treasures, inventions, creations and art. Paris street scenes and other observations, and gardens. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a safe and healthy 2024! The post My December Views in Paris first appeared on Colleen's Paris ..read more

How does one modernize thirteenth century designs? Hold a competition. Little did Eugène Viollet-le-Duc know when he sketched the sacking of the archbishop’s residence in 1831 that he and a partner, Jean-Baptiste Lassus would win a competition in 1843 to restore Notre-Dame de Paris and its treasury. For a very short time, while twenty-first century restoration work continues on the cathedral of Paris, historical treasures are being stored at the Louvre Museum. The current exhibition at the Louvre ‘The Treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral: from its Origins to Viollet-le-Duc’  showcas ..read more

They are colorful, spew water and engage your curiosity. Street artist, Jeff Aerosol, looks in their direction. Saint-Merri protects them from the wind. What and where are these objects that recycle their own water? The Stravinsky Fountain or Fontaine des Automates between the Pompidou Center and the church Saint-Merri will once again be open to the public on November 7, 2023. The work of Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely has been renovated for the first time in 40 years. The reddish building next to the fountain is home to an acoustic and music institute. Keep reading. The Icra ..read more

Welcome to the largest chocolate store in the world! In 2023, the Salon du Chocolat store supplies gigantic chocolate croissants, a 5-meter tall spire topped with a chocolate puppy (LuLu), global and exotic chocolate-producing locations, 250 chocolate and pastry shops, the latest chocolate dresses and capes and competitions like: Who will be named the Master pastry chef for pain au chocolat on October 30. The inaugural evening was for the benefit of the association, Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. The chocolate store is open for five days from October 28 through November 1. What was fun Usually ..read more

Have you ever thought about how you eat a French radish for an aperitif? You can either bite into it directly or use a French method my husband showed me. Cut the center with a knife and slip in a pat of butter. Butter in France is either doux (sweet) or salé (salted). I could have sprinkled some salt or dipped it in salt, the sweet butter catching the grains. Two other thoughts when eating a radish: Are they in season? and which wine is it paired with? In season, my tastebuds like mildly flavorable and not bitter. Some varieties are spicy. One lunch time, after asking the server for advice at ..read more

For the first time in four years, I would be visiting my family in the States. For the past four years, my French passport was my entry to other countries before and after the pandemic. Wednesday afternoon, six days before my departure, while entering information into the airline website, the moment of desperation descended upon me. The expired passport, two business days, a weekend and Labor Day stood between me and the flight. Asking those around me for their experiences helped bring down the tension, but I had to act swiftly. With a quick exchange of emails with the Embassy I received a Fri ..read more

The artist, Sarah Bernhardt’s life knew no limits. There was no frontier she could not conquer during her 79 springtimes on earth. She was an emblematic figure, the “divine Sarah”, the “holy monster”, the “golden voice”. Miss Bernhardt (1844-1923) created the star that she was. She was the influencer of the epoque. This icon’s face appeared on major brand beauty, soap, cigar and food products, posters and calendars. Bernhardt’s “S” silhouette, her sharp profile and curly, red hair corresponded perfectly to the aesthetics sought by the Symbolists and Art ..read more

Opening the daily newspaper, Le Parisien, the photo of a magnificent staircase in Printemps Haussmann met my eyes. After forty years, Printemps Haussmann reopened Le Grand Escalier (the Great Staircase). Get lost in the mirrors that reflect and the balustrades that twist to infinity. A major renovation project is complete. Forty years after Printemps closed off the staircase in the rotunda, the beautifully refurbished 1924 staircase once again reaches to the 7ème ciel (the seventh heaven) the rooftop. The staircase reopened Thursday, June 1, 2023. The only way to reach Le Grand ..read more