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April showers Paris? duck in here

06 Wednesday Apr 2016

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AT THE POMPIDOU

Poster_Pomp

From 6 April to 1 August 2016, the Pompidou Centre presents an exhibition on one of the 20th century’s leading artists: Paul Klee. This retrospective, featuring 250 works by this major figure of modern art, looks at the career of the artist through the prism of irony. Originating in early German Romanticism, this satire and detachment enabled Paul Klee to be creative and paint whilet at the same time denouncing the policies and ideologies of his time.

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The exhibition is organized around seven themes: ‘Les débuts satiriques (Satirical Beginnings)’, ‘Klee et le cubisme (Klee and Cubism)’, ‘Théâtre mécanique (Mechanical Theatre)’, ‘Klee et les constructivismes (Klee and Constructivism)’, ‘Regards en arrière (Looking Back)’, ‘Klee et Picasso (Klee and Picasso)’ and ‘Années de crise (Crisis Years)’.

11am – 9pm. Closed on Tuesday

€14. Reduced rate: €11. Free for children aged under 18.

Metro: Rambuteau (line 11), Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11), Châtelet (lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14)
RER: Châtelet-les Halles (lines A, B and D)
Bus: 29, 38, 47, 75

AT QUAI BRANLY MUSEUM

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PERSONA: Now until November 13, 2016

At a time of major debates on transhumanism and artificial intelligence, the Quai Branly Museum presents an exhibition for understanding the mechanisms by which the cultures of the ancient to the most contemporary, “inject person” in objects.

The shaman who summons the spirits through a statuette taking the features of the gods, the child who has a passion for his security blanket, all those who converse with the pet, mutual friend of everyday life … everywhere, the boundaries between the human and all that surrounds it seem more and more permeable, raising broader questions of cohabitation between man, object, animal and machine.

Musée du quai Branly
37 Quai Branly
75007 Paris 7

Closed on Monday
Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday: 11:00 am-07:00 pm
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 11:00 am-09:00 pm

What’s happening Paris: March

02 Wednesday Mar 2016

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A few cherry-picked selections to fit into your walking/eating/shopping/faire les betises schedule.

rousseauExhibit
Musée d’Orsay
Address
1 rue de la Légion-d’Honneur
75007 Paris   From 22 March to 17 July 2016

This exhibition, initially presented at the Palazzo Ducale de Venise in 2015, has now made its way to the galleries of the Orsay Museum. A major representative of naïve art, Henri Rousseau was, in particular, known by the nickname Douanier Rousseau. Although he travelled very little, he was renowned for his paintings which represent jungle scenes. From an album called “Savage Beasts” and following visits to the jardin des Plantes as well as the Natural History museum – these are the things behind his most well-known paintings.

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Some of his masterpieces, which belong to the collections of the Orsay and Orangerie Museums, can be found here, alongside others of his paintings on loan from the greatest international establishments. Also on exhibition are works by Kandinsky, Picasso, Seurat and Delaunay but also lesser-known artists, in order to highlight the inspirations and influence of the French painter.

How to get there
Bus 24 Bus 63 Bus 68 Bus 69 Bus 73 Bus 83
Metro 12 Solférino
RER C Musée d’Orsay

http://www.musee-orsay.fr
Prices:Normal rate : 11.00 €   Reduced rate : 8.50 €

 

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Omnivore Festival: From 06 March to 08 March 2016

Maison de la Mutualité
24 rue Saint-Victor, 75005 Paris

Dedicated to the discovery of all types of food, the Omnivore Festival has already groomed many talents through the five act demonstration. This year, the event is bringing to the spotlight, close to 150 guests for different events of more than 110 master classes.
The food club will welcome renowned chefs like the French Jean-François Piège and Anne-Sophie Pic ; the Spaniard, Andoni Luis Aduriz; the Shanghai chef, Paul Pairet; and Normand Laprise and Charles-Antoine Crête from Quebec. By the way, Montreal is the guest of honor at the festival with about ten different Canadian dishes. The pastry club, on its part, will assemble close to 25 professionals in pastry and chocolate making. French and international producers, grape producers brewers are expected at the Craftsman and liquid clubs. The Avant-Garde club is the platform for showcasing new talents.

How to get there
Metro 10 Cardinal Lemoine, http://www.omnivore.com

 

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The Orchestra of Found Items, From 11 March to 20 March 2016

Olympia, 28 boulevard des Capucines, 75009 Paris

Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, the creators of the spectacle Stomp, present a new show which is most detached and fascinating. On stage are uniquely talented drummers who recreate each section of a symphony orchestra using a host of everyday objects turned into musical instruments: pots, bottles, dustbins, barrels, oil cans, lids, sinks and even traffic cones. Far from the kind of chaos that is imagined, these crazy artists offer us an amazing concert. A total of sixty musicians, singers, comedians and dancers will participate in this spectacle which is as explosive as it is inventive.

How to get there: Metro 3 Opéra,  Metro 8 Madeleine
http://www.olympiahall.com
Prices : from 29.00 to 95.00 €

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For even more entertainment, consult your No Worries Paris guidebook

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00822LOKI&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_uPY1wb1XXG8YX

Tour Eiffel: the world’s most viewed attraction

06 Saturday Sep 2014

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The sane approach is with the No Worries Paris guide.

tour eiffel no worries paris

Perhaps the world’s most beloved and recognized structure, the Tour Eiffel was not received warmly by most Parisians when it was built as part of Exposition Universalle in 1889. Some 300 artists and civic leaders signed a petition of protest. Later, novelist Guy de Maupassant used to lunch on top, since it was “the only place in Paris where I don’t have to see it.” Colleague Alexandre Dumas called the “hollow candlestick” a “work of uselessness.” Gustave Eiffel, who also designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty, won a contest among engineers to build a tower of 1,000 feet, which was nearly twice as high as the Washington Monument, then the world’s tallest.

A communications tower on top brings today’s height to 1,063 feet, the tallest structure in Paris. It was scheduled to be torn down and scrapped after 20 years, but meteorologists and communications scientists won a plea to let it stand. Find a spot amid digital shutterbugs directly underneath the tower and look up to behold the stats: Under Eiffel’s direction, some 300 workers labored for two years (incurring zero fatal accidents) to assemble 18,000 pieces of prefabricated iron lattice weighing a total of 10,000 tons with more than 2.5 million rivets. The project came in under budget and a week early. It is the world’s most-viewed attraction with nearly 300 million visitors, coming these days at a rate of ten million per year. The first level is at 187 feet, the second at 377 feet (these two reachable via stairs), and the top is lofted at 899 feet—where wind sways the structure up to five feet.

TIPS FOR VISITING TOUR EIFFEL: Given the essential sights on the remainder of this walk, you’ll probably want to save an ascent for another day. To avoid lines and save time, arrive a little before it opens, normally at 9:30. It’s cheaper and faster, given the lines, to walk the first two levels, which takes about 15 minutes. If you want to go to the top, you can buy an elevator ticket in addition to the stairway ticket (at the south tower). To ride all the way to the top (you have to get out at the second level anyway), use the east tower ticket booth. Don’t miss the cinema and museum on the first level. The second level is ringed by two viewing decks, and the height is just right to check out the sights of the city, laid out like a 3D model. Since Paris has a seven-story height limit on buildings, the well-known monuments are plainly visible. Many people will want to reach the top as a matter of principle, but the airborne view is less intimate. At night, on the hour, Tour Eiffel turns into a light show. Closing time can be as late as midnight, varying with the season.

Jerry and Janine Sprout. No Worries Paris (Kindle Locations 354-370). Diamond Valley Company, Publishers.

Paris Street Smarts

04 Thursday Sep 2014

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parisblogSAFETY

“Street violence is almost unheard of in Paris, in spite of its revolutionary history. Van loads of police, smartly dressed in Navy helmets, sweaters, and pads, are parked about at the ready. Small squads of military men toting machine guns sometimes patrol tourist zones. Thieves are common enough, however, and you should keep an eye on your stuff. Street hucksters are also around, often teenaged “gypsy” girls, who will approach with a well practised tale of woe, intent on ridding you of spare money. If someone approaches and asks if you speak English, the best answer is usually, “no.” Paris does have a few punks, who vandalize with spray cans (as opposed to real grafitti artists) and entertain themselves by verbally abusing tourists—and everyone else. These guys are infrequently at train stations and in the outer neighborhoods. Not a big problem.”

Excerpt From: Jerry and Janine Sprout. “No Worries Paris.” iBooks.

Paris Fashion Week: Oh! Chanel

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Some runway looks. Winter 2013 trends: laundry bag chic, tractor-sole shoes, cigarette trousers, silk bustiers, strapless pinstripe daydresses, and artist-inspired collections.

The big names: BALENCIAGA, DIOR, CHANEL, CARVEN, BARBARA BUI, MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA, CHLOE,JOHN GALLIANO, VALENTINO, LOUIS VUITTON, MIU MIU, ELIE SAAB

The biggest runway is on the streets. Fashion is everywhere this week. Location Tuileries: Click!

Musee d’Orsay: Impressionist central

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

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van_gogh

Musee D'orsay

From the No Worries Paris guidebook: “Musee d’Orsay, set in an ornate former railway station, has been a top-tier museum in Paris since it opened in 1986. Its collection includes works from 1848 to 1914, bridging the time spans covered by the Louvre’s antiquities and the modern art of the Pompidou. You may not have time to do more than admire the statues and crowd scene in front, but a visit should be high on your list (an admission is charged).

Gare d’Orsay presciently was called “a fine arts palace” after its unveiling during the Exposition Universalle in 1900. But short platforms made it practically obsolete by 1937. The building alone is worth the price of admission. A grand hallway under a glass-and-wrought-iron ceiling 150 yards long covers 150,000 feet of floor space. A huge clock dominates the central gallery. All the big guns among Impressionists are well represented—Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Gauguin, Seurat, Cezanne, and so on. But don’t overlook the Romanticists and Realists that led up to that style—Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Eugene Boudin, and others. Stats: About 3 million people yearly visit Musee d’Orsay’s 80 galleries that display 4,000 artworks.”

62, rue de Lille
Metro 12 Solférino
RER C Musée d’Orsay
Buses 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94
http://www.musee-orsay.fr

Musee D'orsay

Pont des Arts: those controversial love locks

07 Wednesday Nov 2012

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Parisians have mixed feelings about these locks and whether they are to be removed is being tossed around by the city. Around the world lovers are attaching locks to bridges to symbolize their eternal love and throwing away the key. On the Pont de l’Archeveche near Notre Dame there are currently over 2,000. My guess is they’re only temporary and how they will be transferred to metallic trees, like in Russia, or whether talented French conceptual artists can come up with some other way to display them, only time will tell.

St. Germain: a few good places to stay

14 Friday Sep 2012

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Where the action is and where you’ll want to bed down for the night. All the shopping, buzzing cafes, nightlife, parks and gardens are within walking distance from these hotels.

Moderne St Germain hotel
33 Rue Des Ecoles, Paris 7500
http://www.moderne-saint-germain-hotel.com

Royal Saint Germain
159 Rue De Rennes, Paris 75006
http://www.hotelroyalsaintgermain.com

Hôtel Recamier
3 Bis Place Saint Sulpice, 06. Saint Germain 75006
http://www.hotelrecamier.com

Hotel du Globe
15 Rue des Quatre Vents, 06. Saint Germain 75006
http://www.hotelduglobeparis.com

Dauphine Saint Germain hotel
36 Rue Dauphine, Paris 75006
http://www.dauphine-st-germain.com

Saint Paul Rive Gauche hotel
43 Rue Monsieur Le Prince, Paris 75006
http://www.hotelsaintpaulparis.com

Lutetia hotel
45 Boulevard Raspail new, Paris 75006
http://www.lutetia-paris.com

Odeon Saint Germain
13, rue Saint Sulpice, 06. Saint Germain 75006 Paris
http://www.hotelparisodeonsaintgermain.com

Hôtel Madison
143 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 06. Saint Germain 75006 Paris
http://www.hotel-madison.com

Hotel La Villa Saint Germain Des Prés
29 rue Jacob, 75006
http://www.villa-saintgermain.com

Rock en Seine & We Love Green Festival: be there or be square!

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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Now in it’s 10th year, Rock en Seine is an annual French festival which takes place just outside Paris, in the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud from Friday, August 24 through Sunday August 26.

The outstanding lineup includes:
The Black Keys, Placebo, Green Day, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Foster The People, Sigur Ros, Mark Lanegan, dEUS, Grimes, Maximo Park, Bombay Bicycle Club, Beach House, Passion Pit, Dope D.O.D, The Bots, Childish Gambino, Speech Debelle, The Black Seeds, Beth Jeans Houghton, Ed Sheeran, Miike Snow, The Waterboys, The Temper Trap, Of Monsters And Men, Billy Talent, Kimbra, Toy, Citizens!, The Knux, Brodinski vs Gesaffelstein, Get Well Soon, Crane Angels, Owlle, Versus, Granville, Hyphen Hyphen, Yeti Lane, The Lanskies, The Shins, The Bewitched Hands, The Dandy Warhols, Bloc Party, Eagles of Death Metal, Social Distorsion, Agoria, Grandaddy, Little Dragon, Friends, Lissie, Dionysos, Stuck in the Sound, Frank Ocean, C2C, Caravan Palace, and Avant Seine All Stars. For the line-up details, day and stage splits, as available please click here.

Read more about it at: http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/rockenseine/2012/#jpZHvt80kDQWtbqg.99

The nearest metro station (Boulogne – Pont de Saint-Cloud) is just 5 minutes walk from the entrance. The stop is on Métroline 10 (Gare d’Austerlitz / Boulogne – Pont de St-Cloud), nearest stop Boulogne – Pont de St-Cloud

And for those who are already planning their September calendar, save Friday the 14th to see Norah Jones, Klaxons, Beirut, James Blake, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Camille, Herman Düne, and Breakbot at the We Love Green Festival, Parc de Bagatelle, Route de Sèvres à Neuilly.

Le Train Bleu Paris: where the Belle Époque and gastronomy intermingle

13 Monday Aug 2012

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Situated at the heart of the Gare de Lyon, upstairs, looking down the rails, the Train Bleu will definitely wow you just by it’s electric atmosphere, food and fanciful ceiling art alone. Yes, it will assault your wallet, but this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime feast for the eyes as well as the stomach experiences.

For example: Charolais beef tartare prepared at the table to your taste, home-cooked duck foie gras, home smoked organic salmon, knuckle of lamb served on a Cristofle trolley, rum baba and iced vacherin. The restaurant stops taking orders at 11 p.m.

A little history: The Calais-Mediterranée Express was a luxury French night express train which operated from 1886 to 2007. It gained international fame as the preferred train of wealthy and famous passengers between Calais and the French Riviera in the two decades before World War II. It was colloquially referred to as Le Train Bleu in French (which became its formal name after World War II) and the Blue Train in English because of its dark blue sleeping cars.

The height of the season for “le train bleu” was between November and April, when many travellers escaped the British winter to spend time on the French Riviera. Its terminus was at the Gare Maritime in Calais, where it picked up British passengers from the ferries across the English Channel. It departed at 1 p.m. and stopped at the Gare du Nord in Paris, then travelled around Paris by the Grande Ceinture line to the Gare de Lyon, where it picked up additional passengers and coaches. It departed Paris early in the evening, and made stops at Dijon, Châlons, and Lyon, before reaching Marseilles early the next morning. It then made further stops at all the major resort towns of the French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur: Saint-Raphaël, Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Cannes, Nice, Monte-Carlo, before reaching its final destination, Menton, near the Italian border. Early passengers included the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), Charlie Chaplin, designer Coco Chanel, Winston Churchill and writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh and Somerset Maugham.

Le Train Bleu
1st Floor
Lyon station
75012 Paris

Phone: + 33 (0) 01 43 43 09 06

For reservations call or email.