Matisse at the Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is hosting an interesting Matisse retrospective which seems like a wonderful way to celebrate spring in Paris. Several of Matisse's early works during his years living in Paris are shown as well as works from his later years. The show includes multiple versions of paintings of views/scenes that Matisse worked on over time providing a fascinating window on how this great painter developed his economical, essential style. It is always a pleasure to see a show of Matisse's works. Put this one on your calendar.


Centre Pompidou: 19, rue Beaubourg, 75004 Paris. Tel.: 01 44 78 12 33. Open 11am-9pm. Closed Tuesday. Métro: Rambuteau. Admission: €12. Through June 18. www.centrepompidou.fr

French Agricultural Fair.. Foodies Alert

From Feb. 25 to March 4 the annual French Agricultural Exposition takes over the Porte de Versailles conventions center. While you may not be in the market for a cute goat or for farm equipment, this fair, as are many regional agricultural fairs that set up shop for a few days in Paris, is a great stop for foodies. You can taste your way through myriad products, wines, cheese, foie gras, and much more. There is a convenient 'storage room' for things you may buy during your explorations that can be picked up at the end of the day.

Check it out. http://en.salon-agriculture.com/Exhibition/4-sections/Gastronomy-in-France-and-abroad

Cheese, Wine, Jazz for Valentine's Day?

Here's something a little different to celebrate Valentine's Day. My terrific cheese and wine expert colleague Cherif Bourbit, proprietaire of Fil' O' Fromage in the 13 is offering a special evening including wine, cheese and jazz. Fil O Fromage is a fantastic tiny shop and restaurant to have stupendous cheese plates, wonderful charcuterie (often Corsican) and very well chosen regional French wines. Cherif is also a jazz buff. Voila, February 14 head to Fil O Fromage from 6:30 to 10 p.m. for jazz by
Amy Musser, a tasting of wines from the Languedoc, and, a tasting of cheese from the Appenzeller region of Switzerland. Cherif's email is filofromage@free.fr Tell him Sally Peabody referred you! This will be fun. Metro: Bibliotheque Nationale. 12 rue Neuve Tolbiac just across the Seine from Bercy Village.

Delightful Sempé Retrospective at the Hotel de Ville

There is a major (and free) exhibition of the drawings by cartoonist and illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé at the Hotel de Ville through 11 February. Totally delightful.

The "Sempé, A Bit of Paris" exhibition lets us look at the world through the eyes of Jean-Jacques Sempé. Over 300 original drawings along with with texts by the artist are displayed at the Hôtel de Ville.


Sempé has been translated into twenty-five languages and is the creator of several thousand drawings. One of the most famous French cartoonists he has reached generations of readers over the last fifty years. This is a major retrospective,
humour, artistry, poetry... its all here.

Sempé settled on the Left Bank when he arrived in Paris. He frequented Montparnasse and Saint-Germain des Prés, enjoying locations like brasserie Lipp, the Café de Flore, the Closerie des Lilas, the Chez Castel club, the Luxembourg Gardens. He became friends with notables including Françoise Sagan, Jacques Tati, Jacques Prévert, Raymond Savignac, René Goscinny and had a devoted following for his work.

New-York, the New-Yorker and Sempé. In 1965 Sempé visited New York and began to write for the New Yorker. Sempé created 'Air Mail' a beloved column that explored Sempés views of America. Sempé also created over one hundred covers for The New Yorker.

Practical information
The show is open through February 11, 2012
Free at the Hôtel de Ville. Metro: Hôtel de Ville.
Daily except Sundays and public holidays, from 10am to 7pm

Holiday Season Concerts at Notre Dame

Holiday Concerts at Notre Dame Cathedral? Here are three concerts in December.

Tuesday, December 13, 8:30PM, Tickets 18 euros- Organ recital of Bach, Dupré, Messiaen, and Reber by organist Pascal Reber from the magnificent Strasbourg Cathedral
Tuesday, December 20, 8:30PM, Admission free - Christmas concert with organist Olivier Latry
Friday, December 29, 8:30PM,Tickets 18 euros- Gregorian Chants

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article1198

Check Pariscope for other concerts during the holiday season. Paris is always a musical feast and the holiday season is especially rich.

La Semaine du Gout.. Good Tastes in Paris

October is a busy month in Paris... the Fete de Vendanges in Montmartre, Les Nuits Blanches, and, a week of culinary celebrations during La Semaine du Gout among others.
Check out the 'Village Europeen' on the Esplanade at Invalides from 10-8 October 12 to 14 to tour ateliers of varied European Nations celebrating their cuisines. And, in the 7th arrondissement, along the rue Cler, Motte Piquet and St. Dominique, brasseries and restaurants will set up "Tables dans le rue" where you can enjoy good food and wine at communal tables. The website is: http://foodcultureeurope.eu/#

LOV Organic Teas in Paris

Love tea? LOV organic teas should definitely be a shop that is on your to-visit list in Paris. Check out my article on this cute little shop with high quality teas on the bustling rue Montorgueil market street in central Paris. This was just published on Tea Atlas.

http://www.teaatlas.com/L2NewP/77Peabody_LOV_Teas/LOV_Teas.htm

August is time for the Paris Plages

A beach in Paris? Actually, this year, the city is expanding the wildly popular 'Paris Plages' to include the quais of the Seine (Voie Pompidou) and the increasingly hip Bassin de la Villette area. Sand is trucked in, cafes sprout, there are beach chairs, volley ball nets, concerts and more. Check out parisplages.paris.fr/en for descriptions of locations, and area for kids, sports, culture and more. What a civilized city!

Notable Summer Festivals In France

The summer cultural scene in France is robust indeed. Music, film, art, cultural festivals abound often held in magnificent historic settings.

Here is a small sampler:

Les Fetes de Bayonne. July 27 through 31. www.fetesdebayonne.net Concerts, street dances and parades, bull runs and bull fights, and all that delicious Basque food. (If you can't make this one come with me to the Pays Basque in early October for my "Basking in the Bounties of the Pays Basque" culinary tour).

Carcassone: The medieval city of Carcassone is the magical setting for this classical jazz, and pop music, circus and commedy and theatre extravaganza. June 16-August 15. www.festivaldecarcassone.fr

Festival Interceltique de Lorient is an annual gathering of all things musical fron throughout the Celtic world in southern Brittany. August 5-14 www.festival-interceltique.com

November is the "Month of the Photo" in Paris

Don't miss the exhibition of the works of André Kertész at the Jeu de Paume (through February 6, 2011). The retrospective offers a rare chance to see a large collection of Kertész’s original prints, plus many of his beloved published images. www.jeudepaume.org

And if want to see more photograpy, go to Paris Photo 2010 the annual photography fair at the Carrousel du Louvre. November 18th to 21. Featuring "one hundred international galleries and publishers presenting a panorama of the finest examples of photographic expression from the 19th century to the present day." This year, the focus is on the Central European photography scene, showing new talents through awards, competitions and
various events.

For the month of November Paris is the photography capital of the world.

Exploring the Canal St. Martin

The Canal St. Martin is atmospheric, a lazy canal largely for barges and the occassional sight-seeing boat heading to and from La Villette in the 19th from the Seine in central Paris. The canal has lovely broad quais, increasingly hip shops and cafes lining its banks, arched footbridges, leafy small gardens and generally, an interesting ambience.

The Canal goes underground several blocks up Boulevard Richard Lenoir from Bastille and its last length to the Seine is through a softly lit tunnel. But mostly the Canal is a splendid walk for a lazy hour or two in a still very real feeling section of Paris.

Check out the classic Quay-side cafe Chez Prune on Quai de Valmy or have an excellent 14 E three course menu at La Marine also on Quai de Valmy at #55. (Menu weekdays only at 14 E). Across the canal, the Pouya Iranian Cultural Center is an intimate oasis for lovely spiced teas or saffron flavored icecream.

Bring your camera, walk and take time to settle in and enjoy this vibrant quarter centered on this charming canal. Best metro stops nearby are Jacques Bonsergent or Republique. This is the 10th arrondissement.

Indispensable Museums and Monuments Pass

The Paris region Museum and Monuments pass is your best bet for hassle free visits to 100 + Museums and Monuments in and around Paris (the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, St. Chapelle...) This is particularly useful for the major venues which often have long lines. In 2,4 or 6 day versions.

Note: starting in June 2010 the passes will have a one year expiration date (once you activate them they are only good for the two, four or six consecutve days). This mainly impacts folks who buy the passes and keep them for future use...

Go to http://en.parismuseumpass.com/ for full details, prices, and how to order before leaving on your trip (in English) or, where to buy the passes in and around Paris. You don't want to stand on a long line at the Louvre to buy a pass to save you from standing on lines.....

Fine Tea Fine Art

Great news for lovers of fine tea and fine art... Mariage Fréres has opened a 'tea counter' in the Carousel du Louvre near the bottom of the IM Pei pyramid. Now, you can visit one of the world's greatest art museums, do some quality shopping the the Carrousel du Louvre and relax over super tea. Nice.

Selected Interesting Art Exhibitions in Paris

The lovely Cluny museum of the Middle Ages will host "Paris, A Radiant City" from 9 Feb-24 May. This show traces the emergence of Paris as world capital of the arts and culture in the 13th century. Quite a heritage!

Goya and Picasso will be highlights of a special Louvre show called " Crime and Punishment". 16 March-27 June.

Celebrate Chopin's Bicentenary with a visit to the sweet little Museum of Romantic Life in the 9th. "The Blue Note" is the special show from 2 March-11 July.

The Pinacotheque on Place de la Madeleine has organized a show of Edvard Munch's works called "The Anti Scream". 100 paintings and graphic works drawn from private collections. 19 Feb-18 July.

Affordable overseas calling with smart phones

The New York Times ran an excellent article on January 7, 2010 by Joanna Stern on linking cell phones and smart phones to Internet based calling services for affordable overseas calls to the US. Titled "Cheap Mobile Calls, Even Overseas' this is very useful information. Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/technology/personaltech/07basics.html

ICY and Artistic in Paris!

It is cold in Paris during these pre-Christmas weeks of 2009. So, bundle up and go enjoy Ice Magic, an exhibition of 50 ice sculptures of famous French monuments and cultural icons. The Eiffel Tower, Rodin's Thinker, Notre Dame and its hunchback, Mona Lisa, the Hotel de Ville, Johnny Halliday and Django Reinhardt illumined in very cool pink, blue, and green lights. Quite remarkable. The detail is amazing and this is fun!

It is not a free event but is worth every chilly euro for the admission. You can always warm up with some chocolat chaud or tea at nearby Laduree or stroll down to Jean Paul Hevin's tea room on rue St. Honore for some of the best hot chocolate and chocolate patisserie in Paris (and that is saying something!) Happy holidays!

Ice Magic
Runs through December 28th, 2009
Admission 14 euros or 12 euros under 25
Open 11AM-11PM. Where? Jardin des Champs Elysees
Avenue des Champs Elysées, 8th arr. Metro: Concorde

Holiday Lights in the City of Light!

Paris-lovers often ask me where to see holiday lights in Paris. This always festively illumined city pulls out the stops during late November and December. Here are some great tips:

The Eiffel Tower: The tower is celebrating 120 years of age and looks better than ever. From now through December 31st, the wizards who illumine the tower are offering a special light show four times each night, at 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. You can see the show up close or in any of the zillion distant views of this iconic tower all over Paris.

The Champs Elysées is a veritable wonderland of lights from now through the New Year, with every tree strung with jewel-like lights along this stunning avenue. Parisians join with visitors during the holidays to stroll up and down between Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, admiring the holiday window displays and reveling in the warm glow of the lights. With the early winter darkness, a stop in Ladurée for a pot of hot chocolate or tea, and a macaron would be a nice addition.

At the eastern end, just off Place de la Concorde, you can climb aboard the "Grande Roue" (Ferris Wheel) until 10:30 p.m. everyday until January 20th, 2010. The view is worth every bit of the 10 E fee for adults, 5 E for children, under 3 free.

The windows at the "Grands Magazins" along Boulevard Haussmann are always a treat with their remarkable design and lighting effects. Printemps sports an exclusive new creation featuring a shower of stars and snowflakes, capped off with red flowers on the facade. At Galeries Lafayette, enjoy the multicolored lights by artist Valerio Festi in the windows and go inside to see the 20-meter high tree decorated with gingerbread, lollipops and candies. You could stop in the splendid Galeries Lafayette food halls if all those goodies are just too tempting.

Finally for a more homespun but not less sophisticated holiday lighting reverie, the city of Paris also encourages neighborhood holiday lighting as part of "Paris Illumine Paris". Check out rue Vielle du Temple in the Marais for example, but over 75 merchants associations all over the city get involved. You may be delightfully surprised.

Happy holidays!

Christmas Markets in Paris

Here are two interesting options for "Christmas Markets" in Paris. These markets will also get you to La Villette and La Defense, two very interesting parts of Paris that may not be on your radar. The markets text is from La Maison de la France's website. Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas: Christmas Market at La Defense (Paris)!
The biggest Christmas market in Paris and the surrounding area takes place on the forecourt at La Défense throughout December. Over 200 exhibitors offer a wide array of crafts from France and elsewhere, as well as local food, at the nearly 10,000m² market.

Throughout December 2009. Days and opening hours:
From Monday to Sunday: from 11 am to 8 pm If you need more information have a look on the website www.ladefense.fr

Merry Christmas program in La Villette (Paris 19th)!
The Christmas Market will take place in the Grand Hall La Villette in Paris.

From 18 to 20 December 2009

Days and opening hours:
On Friday: from 10 am to 7 pm
On Saturday and Sunday: from 10 am to 11 pm

The first International Tropical Christmas Market:
It is the first edition of MINT (International Tropical Christmas Market). This fabulous and exotic christmas market will seek to bring together the rich medley of afro-ethnic culture with a multitude of stands dedicated to discovery of arts and crafts, gastronomy and fashion design.

A magical place...
A whole host of events taking place throughout the chilly but remarkably festive month of December, the Grande Halle de la Villette will be transformed into Father Christmas' village. Decorated with fairy lights and the colours of the tropics, this warm and welcoming ambience will bring the magic and spirit of Christmas to all who love this Yuletide season.

Well wrapped up and with joy-filled hearts, visitors will experience the afro-ethnic flavours and spirit of Christmas. In addition to the fair there will be concerts, gospel singing, fashion parades, lectures, tombola and workshops. Internationally renowned sponsors and famous names will stroll through the stalls, stopping to peruse their favourite.

If you need more information have a look on the website www.cite-sciences.fr

Fil O Fromage for the best cheese and wine pairings

Fil O Fromage is GREAT. If you love to feast on French and other European cheese with perfectly paired charcuterie, perhaps some fig, cherry or other complimentary confiture, and, a glass or two of well-matched wine, treat yourself at this adorable cheese and wine specialist in the 13th near Bibliotheque Nationale and Bercy Village.

Cherif Bourbit is the proprietaire of Fil O Fromage. He is an extraordinary affineur with a wide selection of perfectly aged European cheese on offer. He also is exceptionally knowledgeable about wine and features several small-scale producers and their wines, all chosen for felicitous pairings with those delectable cheese and charcuterie plates. Cherif is also one of those infectiously engaging Parisian artisans whose heart, soul and mind are totally focused on perfection in their chosen metier. This is one very special little place. The word is out, TopTable, a London publication focused on things-gourmet declared that Fil O Fromage is the best place in Paris to pair cheese and wine. La Fourchette picked Fil O Fromage as a Coup de Coeur. Its been one of my favorites for seven years!

Cheese lovers can enjoy one of 24 formidable "Assiettes Gourmandes Degustations" for 15.50 Euro. There are six 'thematic' platters that gather a selection of a certain type of cheese.. eg. goat or sheeps milk, or perhaps blue cheeses or even bries. There are six choices for "Les Europeennes" or selections of Spanish, Dutch, Swiss, English, even cheese from Luxembourg! And, of course, celebrating a nation with more types of cheese than days of the year, there are twelve "Les Regionales" gathering selections of cheese from regions of France. One of my favorites is the Corsican plat. Superb. All of the grands assiettes include salad, bread, and a also a selection of appropriately paired artisanal charcuterie. Cherif will happily suggest a glass or bottle of wine to accompany your feast. You can also buy any of the cheese, charcuterie and wines to take to your hotel, apartment, or to nearby Parc Bercy for the picnic of your dreams.

Fil O Fromage. www.filofromage.com Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 to 8:30. Check the website for jazz evenings or other special events. 12 rue Neuve Tolbiac. Metro: Bibliotheque or Cour St. Emilion.

Paris: Center for Hip Design & Fall Design Events

On September 24 design lovers should head for the left bank for a show called Parcours du XXème Siécle. This is a combined effort of 40 galleries showing 20th and 21st century decorative and contemporary arts. The evening event features open-house galleries along rues de Lille, Verneuil, Saints-Peres, Université, and the Quai Voltaire. If you visit this cluster of galleries, (also many antique shops along these streets in the Carré Rive Gauche neighborhood) check out the collection of art and design books at Karl Lagerfeld's 7L bookshop on rue de Lille.

Across town, check out Patrick Jouin's stunning new 5,000 square foot design store called Silvera Wagram, 41 ave de Wagram in the 17th.