escape to paris

The week before last I visited an exhibition on the works of the Marquis de Sade at this lesser-known Paris Museum, featuring many of his handwritten letters and manuscripts, the highlight of which is the 12-metre roll of manuscript on which de Sade wrote The 120 Days of Sodom, during his years in prison in …

The best apps for learning French

I’m often asked by people heading to France whether I would recommend they stay in a hotel or an apartment. I say ‘apartment’ every time, and have been renting apartments myself in France once or twice a year for over ten years now. In an apartment, you will have more space, you can go to …

Yesterday I attended one of the breakfasts held as part of the Australian Festival of Travel Writing (thanks to my invitation which came from My Fench Life/Ma Vie Francaise), where the speaker was Olivier Magny, French writer and wine expert, and author of Stuff Parisians Like, and its French version Dessine-Moi Un Parisien, and his latest book Into Wine, which is so new it’s not yet even on Amazon, but you can see it on Olivier’s website.

An article in my local newspaper on a recent France-Germany ‘friendly’ soccer match at the Stade de France informed us that the commentary box had been officially baptized with the name Thierry Roland in memory of the legendary French TV soccer commentator. This is what I wrote about him in Chapter 11 ‘A Sporting France’ …

I have just been to a delightful Candelas crêpe party, where I indulged in far more pancakes than I care to admit. Candlemas is such a lovely word, although seldom heard these days, and of course the French occasion, officially held today Sunday 3rd February, is known as la Chandeleur.

The Edward Hopper exhibition at the Grand Palais, Paris, has been extended: from now until the 31st January, it’s open Saturday to Thursday until 11pm each night, then from Friday 1st Feb at 9am, it’s open day and night until 11pm on February 3rd.

The left bank is well known for its connections to Hemingway, and his A Moveable Feast is rich in descriptions of his life there, and the many cafes and other addresses he used to frequent, including Le Select where he often went for coffee in the mornings.

On Saturday I noticed  a few people in red cycling into the square below my apartment. On closer inspection, I could see they were dressed as Père or Mère Noels, complete with beards, hats, and garlanded bicycles. They were gathering to take part in the annual Father Christmas bike ride, or Balade de Père Noel, …

Australia’s own SBS channel has podcasts in French which can be downloaded. These are usually to do with French people or events in Australia, so have a local flavour.