Doisneau: Les Halles Exposition

Paris is know for its markets and today we take journey into the past to Paris' biggest market — Les Halles. 

Doisneau is arguably one of France's most famous and adored photographers. Known for his playful photographic style, Doisneau has captured some of Paris' most iconic photographs. That is why I had to go see his exposition at the Hotel de Ville. 

Sipping on Saturday: Yetunde's Frozen Strawberry Margarita

There are plenty of frozen margarita recipes out there but as one of our fans on Facebook asked me to share my recipe, I thought why not. It is actually a combination of a recipe from a friend and a few of my own additions. Nothing complicated, just good tequila and fresh fruit.

Friday Foto: Golden dome of Les Invalides

Everyone know that Invalides currently houses Napoleon I tomb. But he wasn't always buried there. His body was brought over from the island of St Helena in 1840 (October 15th to be precise) under the orders of King Louis-Philippe. It reached Invalides on December 15th 1840 where the tomb was being constructed. This structure is actually referred to as the Église du Dôme.

Thursday Food for Thought - Burger Mania in Paris

Now you may be asking yourself why in the world I would be talking about burgers in Paris with all the great French food that you can find all over (though not everywhere). It would seem after years of criticizing American fast food & sweet treats, the French (or at least the Parisians), are starting to embrace it! You may recall the cupcake craze which some say is over. Apparently, and I was a bit in shock when I heard this, the French are the largest consumers of McDonald's hamburgers outside of the US! What?!
So you can't be surprised when I tell you that there are many many new and old establishments jumping aboard this ship to bring us their take on the perfect hamburger. Now, I admit that I am no burger expert but I do use a very simple formula to determine just how good a burger is to me - ketchup. That's right ketchup. If I have to use it, the burger is not that great. It could be OK but I won't be jumping up an down about it.

Tuesday Tidbit: Oasis in Paris

Another beautiful green space in Paris ripe with history. Today's guest post is brought to you by Monique Y. Wells.

Paris People: Nicole Pembrook - Polished Hair Care

Paris has the France's largest population. More tourists visit France every year than any other country in the world and some of those visitors fall under her spell and never leave or find some way to get back to her. Paris People is about the people have made themselves part of the diverse cultural fiber of Paris. 

Today we present you Nicole Pembrook of Polished Hair Care. An American-born Parisian mother and business woman.  

Wednesday Wanderings — Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine

After you visit a few of France's famous cathedrals you notice the incredible details that the architects created but much of the detailed carvings and artwork are so far away from the ground that it is impossible to take it all in. That is why I really loved the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine museum in Paris. We actually went on a whim and didn't know anything about it before we got there. I assumed it was actually a museum about modern architecture... I was wrong but not disappointed. 

Friday Foto - Paris River Cruise

A river cruise can be a bit touristy but I think it is a great way to view the city — especially at night when the entire city is illuminated. Most cruises last for about 60 minutes and there are multiple tour operators. I hear the food is pretty bad on the diner cruises but I've done one so I can't give first-hand insight. 

Wandering Wednesday: Château de Fontainebleau

Napoleon is quoted as stating: That Fontainebleau was “The true home of kings, the house of ages”, and when you visit this magnificent chateau you can understand why. A vast palace on sumptuous grounds, why wouldn't you want to retreat here?

Tuesday Tidbit: Preping for a Paris Marathon

Now I personally ran track in high school purely to remain in shape when I was off either field hockey or soccer, so I have much respect who take to running for running's sake. 


I had the opportunity to meet on the virtual wall at first then in person, Brenda Stallings who was to be participating in the Paris half-marathon. I asked her if she would be interested in sharing her experience with our blog followers as I'm sure this bit of insider information could be useful to some. She was more than happy to oblige and so here you have her post with some great tips on preparing for the Paris marathons (or any international marathon for that matter). Thanks Brenda!

Wednesday Wanderings: Provins

My wife and I recently wanted to get out of Paris for a day so we decided to head to the small medieval town of Provins. Provins is located about an hour and a half southeast of Paris. It’s a little tricky to get to because you don’t take the RER or a normal train, but a special commuter train. It’s officially called the RER P, but you leave from the normal train platforms in the Gare de l’Est. It is a bit confusing but it it is actually pretty easy once you look at it. Luckily, the nice thing is that a train leaves every 45 mins past the hour so if you miss one, your day trip isn’t ruined.