Tuesday Tidbit: French Cinema (Cinéma français)

Today's Tuesday Tidbit is brought to you by Oui Paris Tours
as part of their site's Paris Then and Now series

"I'm very happy. I'm very proud. I'm over the moon." - Jean Dujardin stated to journalists after being the first French man to win the Oscar for Best Actor.

Robert Doisneau - Les Halles de Paris

Before the the current shopping center and movie theatre which are now undergoing an impressive expansion and renovation (due date 2014),  Les Halles de Paris in the center of the city, was where Paris came to replenish itself. Completed in 1866 by architect Victor Baltard, les Halles de Paris was a vibrant commercial center where no less than 5000 people worked at the food stands, cafes and shops.

Triporteur aux halles. © Atelier Robert Doisneau

A Girls Guide to Paris travel club

You may already know about the website which was founded in 2009 by Francophile Doni Belau, which has put together extensive lists of all things Paris. A fabulous resource when planning your trip to the city of light. This year, Girls Guide to Paris, with the desire to meet the growing needs of its users, created a travel club which provides savings and value, as well as VIP treatment.

Thursday Food for Thought: From Moscow with love - Cafe Pouchkine

My sweet tooth is not what it used to be - my teeth are certainly grateful for that bit of news - but I do like a delicious pastry every once in a while and Paris certainly has its more than fair share of great pastry stops and guess what? They are not all French but hey that is what being the capital of gastronomy is all about. People want to come from near and far and make their mark here where every boulangerie/patisserie is set to tempt you with colorful displays of delectable delights. Calories, calories, calories. Bring 'em on!

Friday Foto: First Snow of 2012

It took awhile but we finally got our first snow in Paris... but we really did't get that much. Ohh well,  the view from our apartment window was still very nice. 

The Musée des Arts et Métiers

Paris is known for its museums and there are so many that you're bound to find one that interests you. That is why my wife and I make it a point to check out the lesser-known museums during the first Sunday of the month since all the museums in the city are free. We figure that even if it isn't super interesting we won't feel like we wasted any money. 

Antique shopping with the Divas

A few weeks back, Yetunde introduced us to the Chief Executive Diva, Toma Haines the lady behind Antiques Diva & Co. Today she takes us on one of her tours to Paris' Marché aux Puces.
 
Seeing as how I live very close at the moment to the Marché aux Puces in St Ouen, you'd think I would have explored it over and over again. The honest truth is that though I have been maybe 2-3 times, I soon discovered how little of it I had actually seen.

Promoting something that I know nothing about isn't quite my cup of tea so anytime I find a new service, tour or what have you that I may consider recommending to friends, guests and family, I just have to try it out myself to get a sense of what it's like first hand. So it was with this mission in mind that I asked Toma Haines of Antiques Diva & Co® to set my husband and I up with an antiques tour at one of the most well-known markets in Paris.

Discover Paris - Chocolate Tasting 2012 Part II

And the winner is . . . .

So yesterday the winner was announced in the delectable annual chocolate tasting held by Discover Paris. Just in time for you to pick out the perfect box for your Valentine - as if you needed an excuse! Did my fav win?

La Chandeleur - Let us eat Crêpes

There are a number of holidays in France that revolve around food. Actually who am I kidding, everything revolves around food. Every celebration has its dish - oh so it seems to me. Sometimes the actual holiday behind the food is all but forgotten and many people don't even know that its any kind of holiday at all.

La Chandeleur (Candelmas) - known as Jour de la crêpe these days, is a feast to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of baby Jesus. Also called Fête de la Lumière, or jour des crêpes.*