Girls' Guide to Paris

A Dozen Films That Will Transport You to Paris

7/29/2010 10:46:00 AM

Courtesy Forum des Images

Every August, the Forum des Images gives Parisians a summer gift: free cinema under the stars. Their Cinéma au Clair de Lune moves from quartier to quartier, showing films that feature Paris in different parts of the city. This year, from August 4 to 22, you can follow the series from Montmartre to the Marais—seeing work by directors such as Renoir, Rohmer, Godard and Klapisch.

You’re not in Paris this August? Well, no need to miss out! Among the countless films that compliment, showcase or try to explain the City of Light, here are a dozen favorites that can transport you here for a few hours. >> Read more

Girl Talk with Tamara Heber-Percy

7/27/2010 10:53:00 AM

By Doni Belau

Considering the number of industries dominated by men, increasingly we are seeing more and more women at the top of their field in the travel arena. Tamara Heber-Percy, cofounder of the boutique hotel booking service Mr & Mrs Smith, graduated from Oxford with a degree in languages—which has proven essential in helping her take Smith all around the globe. >> Read more

Speaking Touristically: Best Bikes and Buses

7/26/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Cynthia Rose

© Steve Sampson

You’ve probably heard about the inventive green initiatives in Paris like Nature Capitale. One of the most popular is Vélib’, a citywide bike-rental program. In a city (a country!) where biking is extremely common, everyone in Paris has an opinion about the program. Many will tell you that Vélib’ riders are the No. 1 traffic hazard—and it can take a while to get accustomed to the heavy bikes. Britons, in particular, often ride “the wrong way.”
>> Read more

Countryside, Wine and Romantic Hotels

7/22/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Holly Maguire

Hôtel du Palais Impérial Resort and Spa.

Tearing yourself away from Paris is like bursting out of a bubble of romance. But away from the charming capital, France’s rolling countryside and coast are not to be missed. The villages and landscapes retain a provincial individuality that goes much deeper than cheese specialties. If you visit Paris in high summer, you might find it somewhat deserted, as the locals flee for the lush Loire valley, fresh Alpine air or Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Each region, from Brittany to the Côte d’Azur, boasts a rich cultural heritage, delectable gastronomy and unique hotels that embody local traditions. >> Read more

Girl Talk with Ariane de Courcel

7/20/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Casey O’Brien Blondes

Few Parisians are as fully immersed in the world of contemporary art as Ariane de Courcel. As vice president of Friends of la Maison Rouge, her job entails extensive fieldwork, including studio visits and gallery and museum private views, as well as tours of important collections, exhibitions and art fairs throughout Europe. This quintessentially elegant St.-Germain resident shares insider art tips and her carnet of favorite restaurants and shops. >> Read more

The Eiffel Tower: Friend or Foe?

7/19/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Cynthia Rose

However much they mock their tower, most Parisians love it. Gustave Eiffel maintained that it was purpose-built for them and created as if “formed by the wind itself.” His mighty monument has always served to commemorate; it was built not just for the Exposition Universelle in 1889 but also for that year’s centennial of the French Revolution. Its splendiferous nightly light shows started out as part of the city’s millennium celebrations in 2000. Still, what you want to know is, Is a trip to the top really worth it? >> Read more

Paris Peepers

7/15/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Sylvia Sabes

François Pinton claims his own brush with Jackie O.

You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl. This is my excuse for having a collection of sunglasses that equals that of a Hollywood movie star. It is something of an obsession with me. Like other women and their MasterCard, I never leave home without my shades. Some sunglasses have been made into icons by the stars of the 1950s and ’60s. Jack Nicholson's cooler-than-thou Ray-Bans and John Lennon's wire frames can be found just about anywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if your neighborhood gas station carries them. But there are other vintage styles that you can't easily find at home. >> Read more

Bands, Beaches and Bastille Day: Summer in Paris

7/13/2010 10:25:00 AM

By Sarah Horrocks

When summer hits Paris, it's time for Paris Plages, an artificial
beach along one bank of the Seine.

Coming to Paris in July or August? High summer in the city is one long social whirl. There are a few unfortunate Parisians who find themselves spending July and August in the city, instead of disappearing to St. Barthélemy, Île de Ré or the Riviera like everyone else. Just imagine having to spend the entire summer season in Paris, lounging in the Jardin du Luxembourg and sipping wine on terraces. Doesn’t the heart bleed? To cheer up the poor souls, Monsieur the Mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, kindly organizes an artificial beach along one bank of the Seine, in the city center. >> Read more

New in Paris: July Edition

7/12/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Robin Locker

Hôtel le Canal.

New Hotels

Hôtel le Canal
Located in the 19th Arrondissement, near both the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l'Est, the Hôtel le Canal has been recently renovated. This boutique hotel was designed to be sustainable, producing its own heat and hot water, thanks to solar energy. The decor of its 36 comfortable bedrooms (2 are accessible to guests with disabilities) is inspired by cinema themes, and includes wood floors, soothing blue walls, earth-toned accents and relaxing lighting. >> Read more

Arthur Rimbaud: The Poet as Pop Star

7/8/2010 10:01:00 AM

By Cynthia Rose

Graffiti portrait on a fence, blvd Raspail, 2009, by Pedrô.

Paris, the capital of la vie de bohème! The city where artists love and starve together, shock the bourgeoisie, then die tragically young. These myths were set in motion in 1843 by a magazine series called “Scenes from a Bohemian Life.” They were tales from a hard-up poet named Henri Murger that revealed his own daily struggles as well as those of his friends. Murger’s stories became a book as well as a hit play (one that later inspired Puccini’s opera La Bohème), and their popularity brought Paris a wave of would-be artists. By the mid-1800s students had flooded into the capital, each determined to become a “bohemian.” One of them, however, did more than outstrip Murger’s models—he completely redefined youthful decadence. This was Arthur Rimbaud, the subject of a trendy Marais exhibition, “Rimbaudmania: The Eternity of an Icon,” at the Galerie des Bibliothèques, in the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris. >> Read more

Your Summer Couture Special: Time Travel at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs

7/6/2010 10:05:00 AM

By Cynthia Rose

Design by Thierry Mugler. Photo by Guy Marineau/
Courtesy the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

Just in case you can’t afford the latest haute couture (the shows run through Thursday, July 8), Paris has the perfect quick fix for any fashion fanatic. Even if you have already drooled over the YSL retrospective, you’ll find yet more vintage style at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. There, until October 10, you can view the best of European fashion from the 1970s through ’80s. "The Ideal History of Contemporary Fashion" boasts such names as Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier, Sonia Rykiel, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Kenzo, Thierry Mugler and Yohji Yamamoto. >> Read more

Get Your Footie On

7/5/2010 10:00:00 AM

By Sylvia Sabes

The players are larger than life, and the view is not bad, either.

The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in, well, the world. It surpasses even the Olympics in number of viewers, and it hits Europe like a raging fever every four years. Even if you are not a sports fan, it is a fun event and a great way to strike up a conversation with the locals. >> Read more

Dates for the Diary: Exhibitions

7/1/2010 10:03:00 AM

By Amy Barnard

An André Kertész retrospective will be on view this fall
at the Jeu de Paume.

Here are a few current and upcoming exhibitions in Paris that I’m getting excited about, ranging from painting to photography to music. I hope that you’ll all feel inspired, too! The first two are closing soon, so get hopping.

Edvard Munch
Pinacothèque
Through August 8
Think of Edvard Munch, and his famous Scream is likely the first image that pops up, overshadowing much of his other work. >> Read more

Soldes: The Bon Plan of Attack

6/29/2010 10:51:00 AM

By Amy Thomas

I’ve been through four rounds of Parisian soldes. Which is enough to have helped me learn a helpful strategy or two, but few enough that I’m still willing to go to battle in the name of French fashion. The summer sales begin Wednesday, June 30, and run until Tuesday, August 3. Here are les bons pointers so you, too, can take home some serious shopping spoils. >> Read more

The Châteaux of Paris

6/28/2010 10:06:00 AM

By Sylvia Sabes

The château at Chantilly, where the sphinx is greeted with a tweak.

Les châteaux de Paris? Sounds odd, because when we talk about the châteaux region of France, thoughts automatically travel to the Loire. But historically Paris was and still is the political, commercial and religious center of France. Everybody who was anybody needed to be near the capital, and the elite required glorious estates where they could impress others, assert their own importance, tend to their properties and escape the pressures of city living while staying close to home. The châteaux are all within an hour’s ride from the city by public transport, with large grounds attached, perfect for an afternoon picnic. >> Read more

All Things Japanese in Paris

6/24/2010 10:21:00 AM

By Sarah Horrocks

All photographs courtesy Japan Expo.

As Paris welcomes the Japan Expo, we’re celebrating all things Japanese in the capital, from food to fashion.
>> Read more

Speaking Touristically: Paris by Wheels or Water?

6/22/2010 11:01:00 AM

By Cynthia Rose

Photograph by Steve Sampson.

Want to see Paris in a really special way? I recommend the ultimate in summer touring—via a Citroën Deux Chevaux, or 2CV. Engineered by Pierre-Jules Boulanger, and first produced in 1949 but last manufactured in the 1990s, these beloved cars are mythic. The enterprising company 4 Roues sous 1 parapluie (Four Wheels under an Umbrella) takes its title from the car’s nickname. Seven years ago owner Florent Dargnies restored a raft of them to offer tailor-made tours with multilingual driver-guides. Most are young, all are good drivers and each will happily tell you much you’d never guess about Paris. >> Read more

Girl Time with Marie Antoinette

6/21/2010 10:03:00 AM

By Sylvia Sabes

A portrait of Marie Antoinette by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun
hangs in the Petit Trianon.

Last week the girls and I cuddled up to watch Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. I love this film—all that pink and powdered blue, all that sumptuous silk and those decadent pastries—it really speaks to my inner girl. And being teens, my girls loved it, too. Suddenly it seemed I had found the perfect way to squeeze both some Mom time and some culture into them at once. So Sunday we were off to Versailles to visit the queen or, rather, her little piece of the grounds, the Domaine de Marie Antoinette. >> Read more

New in Paris: June Edition

6/17/2010 10:46:00 AM

By Robin Locker

The new French Riviera beach club. Photo by James Merrell.

New Hotels

Hôtel Secret de Paris
Luxurious and beautifully designed, this new boutique hotel, located in the Trinité neighborhood, offers 29 guest rooms. The hotel features themed rooms (think Musée d'Orsay, Moulin Rouge and Opéra Garnier) with ambient lighting, and amenities like a spa steam bath, a sauna, a fitness center and massage. >> Read more

Fête de la Musique 2010: Celebrate Women in Music

6/15/2010 10:04:00 AM

By Cynthia Rose

If you think “feminine” French music is just Edith Piaf and Charlotte Gainsbourg, you need to experience the Fête de la Musique on Monday, June 21. >> Read more