Roughly a year ago the idea began forming in my head that I should move to Spain, and almost on a whim I chose Granada as the destination for my relocation. While I had visited the town roughly ten years earlier, I had only spent a few days tasting its tapas and melting in its …
A few years ago, after visiting Picasso museums in Spain and Switzerland, my husband and I set out to find Picasso in Paris. Spanish born, Picasso came to Paris as a young man at the dawn of the twentieth century where he influenced the art world for more than fifty years. As a young man, …
I teach a course on Franco-American relations each year at a local college. The first day of class, I always ask the students to write down adjectives describing their impressions of French people. The typical responses range from “sophisticated” to “frugal”; many of the students choose their adjectives based on interactions with the French while …
One of the most interesting museums in Paris, a city filled with great museums, is the Musée National du Moyen-Age Thermes de Cluny in the Latin Quarter. The two important sites on the grounds are the 15th century mansion (the Cluny) with its collection of medieval art, and the 3rd-century Gallo-Roman baths (the Thermes). The Cluny’s …
The Opera Garnier There really is a lake beneath the old opera house in Paris, just as The Phantom of the Opera says. No phantoms are boating on it, however, as far as anyone knows. The “lake,” which is more like a water-filled hole, has a more mundane purpose; it’s a reservoir used by the …
This is the third in my “Travel Reading” series of posts. For a list of books that deal with French culture and politics in general (and are a great place to start your exploration), check out my post, “Travel Reading: French Culture“. For more information on French Food, look at Travel Reading: Food and Culinary …
As I sat down to write this post on some of what I consider to be the best books out there on France and French culture, I had an extremely difficult time narrowing down my list. So, I decided to divide up my “Travel Reading” posts into different categories pertaining to French culture, language …
For over 60 years Robert Doisneau was committed to capturing “les petits moments de bonheur de la vie quotidienne” (small moments of happiness in daily life). His subjects were both parisiens (people who live in Paris) and les banlieusards (those who live in the Parisian suburbs). Though his photos are quite different from one another, they …
For many reasons, Paris’ Quai Branly has caused much controversy among the French and international visitors. Despite (or perhaps because of) this continued controversy, it has become hugely popular since it opened on June 23, 2006. The Musée Quai Branly contains an impressive collection of over 300,000 artifacts from Africa and Oceania that was previously displayed …
One of my favorite things to do when visiting Paris is to see a play, whether at the illustrious Comédie Française or at one of Paris’ many independent theaters. The French have an approach to theater that will seem different to Americans (even theater buffs). Each season, French directors, set designers and costumers strive to …