When you think of Roman ruins, it’s pretty likely that you think of, well, Rome. And it’s true that many of the most spectacular and well-preserved Roman sites are in the capital of the former empire. But Roman imperialism spread across most of Europe and the Mediterranean between the 1st century BCE and the 5th … More Les Arènes de Lutèce
Having visited every other museum in the Marais, from the historical (Le Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme, le Musée Carnavalet, le Memorial de la Shoah) to the artistic (le Musée Picasso, le Musée Cognacq-Jay, la Maison européenne de la photographie) and the scientific (le Musée des arts et métiers, le Musée de la chasse et … More Le Musée des Automates et de la Magie
When I say I love Montmartre, people often ask me to explain myself. Surely I don’t mean that I actually like the Place du Tertre and its surrounding tourist traps? (No, of course not, you fools.) Do I realise there are many more hotels and 1 million-euro apartments than there are artists’ hovels these days? … More Le Musée d’Art Naïf- Max Fourny
I’ve never been religious, unless you count my childhood ritual of listing my toys’ names before falling asleep as a strange, abstract dedication I called “prayer”. I was baptised Catholic, but only as a formality, and my views have evolved from uncertain to agnostic to atheist over the years. But the way many peaceful people … More Le Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme
Ask any Paris-dweller, and they’ll most likely tell you they have a favourite arrondissement in the French capital. It may be the sixth or seventh, for their artistic history, abundance of galleries and cafes, or parks and open spaces. It may the 10th or 11th, for their collection of quirky bars and restaurants or their … More Le Musée Cernuschi
What’s your idea of a perfect day ? It seems like such a casual question, yet people set so much stock in someone’s description of their perfect day. We seem to see it less as an opportunity to daydream and more of a chance to prove something about ourselves; to show how cultured/motivated/admirable/unique/selfless/just generally ”together” we … More Le Musée d’art moderne de la ville de Paris
Which is the finest garden in all of Paris? It’s not an easy question to answer. Some are partial to the regal Tuileries, stretching out from the Louvre, winged by the Orangerie and the Musée du Jeu de Paume, and edged by the epic Place de la Concorde. Others prefer the haven of Parc Monceau, … More Le Musée du Luxembourg
Every so often, when talking with friends or relatives about my PhD, they stop me mid-conversation and say “oh my god, I just realised you’re going to be a doctor!” Yes, I say, but a doctor of movies. I won’t be putting “Dr” as my title on a plane ticket anytime soon; I fear they’ll … More Le Musée de la cinémathèque
At the start of every semester, during that unavoidable ‘get to know you’ part of the first lesson, I ask my new students why they are taking French. Some get nervous and say something like “the language sounds nice” or “I don’t know” (that’s ok; I can work with a blank slate). Others cite French … More La Fondation Lecorbusier et la Maison La Roche
There’s no denying that France has a long and varied history; I’m constantly learning a new chapter of its story. But sadly French history isn’t all art movements, empires and left-wing student rebellions in the Paris streets. For there is no sugar coating the role French forces played in collaborating with their Nazi occupiers during the Second World War. … More Le Mémorial de la Shoah
Les Musées de Paris 