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, he lived in the bohemian Montmartre area, and during the First World War, he held court in ... Read Full Article

The Opéra Garnier, or Palais Garnier, in the 9th arrondisement, is anything but mundane. It’s huge, grandiose, over-the-top opulent, and a Paris sight not to be missed. It took 14 years to build and was the world’s largest theater when it opened in 1875. The ceiling, surrounding a 6-ton chandelier, was painted in 1964 by Marc Chagall. Chagall’s work is a contrast to the rest of the grand décor. ... Read Full Article

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 renovation in 2002 included the dramatic lighting of the ... Read Full Article

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 city’s pompiers-sapeurs (firefighters). The Opéra Garnier, or Palais Garnier, in the 9th arrondisement, ... Read Full Article