About.com Paris Travel

On Now: Paris Photo 2009

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:13:36 +0000

Paris Photo, the annual rendez-vous of choice for professional photographers, buyers, and admirers of the medium, kicks off today and runs through November 22nd at the Carrousel du Louvre. If you have a weakness for photography, be sure to check out this year's show, which brings together nearly a hundred galleries and publishers, for a pointed look at contemporary photography from around the globe. This year, talented lenses from the Middle East, North Africa and Iran are under the spotlight at Paris Photo.

More Info: Visit the official website

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On Now: Paris Photo 2009 originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 08:13:36.

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New Paris Restaurant Review: La Sidreria

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:03:57 +0000

Even foodies who know French cuisine well may be unfamiliar with Basque cooking traditions, which offer an eclectic balance between coastal, Meditteranean-style specialties like fresh fish and vegetables and hearty mountain delicacies including nutty cheeses, cured ham and hard ciders. About.com Paris Travel Contributor Aed�n Mac Devitt spent a Basque country-style evening at La Sidreria, a new drinking and dining spot in Paris's party-hard Oberkampf district that features self-service cider straight from the barrel.

Go Further: Full Review of La Sidreria

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Image credit: Barrels at a basque cider house much like La Sidreria. �2007 Jonny Hunter. Some rights reserved under the Creative Commons license.

New Paris Restaurant Review: La Sidreria originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 09:03:57.

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Weird News of the Day: Free Cash at the Eiffel Tower

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:11:35 +0000

In your book, what might bring on sudden stampede conditions at the Eiffel Tower? Tourists angry at having to spend a half-day waiting in line, and suddenly inspired by the French spirit of revolt? How about cash being distributed for free? This Saturday, November 14th, French marketing company Mailorama is launching an unusual publicity stunt at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, indiscriminately giving away 5,000 envelopes containing between 5 to 500 Euros each. The company is resorting to guerrilla marketing tactics to replace some of its traditional advertising campaigns. It'll be first-come, first-serve, but on a Saturday, being one of the 5,000 lucky recipients would be quite a feat. And you'd better hope they have a barricade system of some kind in place...

Weird News of the Day: Free Cash at the Eiffel Tower originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 17:11:35.

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How to Enjoy Paris in November

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:52:46 +0000

Loathe crowds and like the idea of spending your vacation roaming through museums and tranquil cathedrals or reading in a corner of a good cafe? November in Paris is probably for you. Low season is here, and while there's still plenty of things to do around town, the city turns inward, seeming to ease into semi-hibernation. This is the perfect time to see Paris from a local vantage, and to enjoy shorter lines, more moderately priced tickets, and space to dream and think in a city famous for just that.

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Image: The gardens at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris are perfect for a romantic, contemplative autumn stroll. �2006 Zemzina. Some rights reserved under the Creative Commons License.

How to Enjoy Paris in November originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 03:52:46.

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Halloween in Paris (?)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:41:37 +0000

My mother, who instilled me with a fierce love for Halloween lore and festivities, always asks me if I'm doing anything to celebrate in Paris. "Meh," I inevitably say, "It's just not happening here. I'll probably just end up making pumpkin soup again." In France, I explain, Halloween is a recent import associated strongly with candy companies and "American imperialism", and the spirit's just not there. Also, while France counts regions such as Brittany, whose Celtic roots have infused the local culture with a fair share of legends, superstitions and tall tales, the dominant culture in the country is one of Cartesian logic. I always joke that ghosts don't bother haunting the old mansions and cemeteries of Paris anymore, since no one believes in them anyway.

In short, if you're looking for Halloween fun in Paris, be aware that it's a pretty sparse affair here. However, there are still ways to celebrate the season in spite of the lack of Halloween ambiance.

Manning Leonard Krull's spirited new site documenting the weird and unusual in the city of light, Cool Stuff in Paris, has an entertaining and helpful guide to Halloween in Paris.
This year, historic arthouse cinema Le Champo is hosting a midnight Halloween tribute to American neogothic filmmaker Tim Burton, with a marathon including Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride. The festival begins at midnight, so try to get tickets ahead.
Location: Le Champo Cinemas, 51 rue des Ecoles-- Metro Od�on or Cluny La Sorbonne
Finally, All Saint's Day on November 1st is a solemn, peaceful holiday commemorating the dead. At P�re Lachaise cemetery, Montparnasse Cemetery or Montmartre Cemetery, a long stroll among the flower-decorated graves is a more culturally authentic way of marking the passage into Autumn.

Halloween in Paris (?) originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 07:41:37.

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Mus�e du Luxembourg to Close Indefinitely On January 31st

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:46:23 +0000

The Mus�e du Luxembourg, which is currently running a popular exhibit on legendary American glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany, will close its doors for an undetermined period of time after the exhibit ends on January 31st, as part of a planned management change. The French Senate, which oversees the museum, has decided not to renew the current administrator's contract, and has launched a public offer to find a new managing body, a Senate spokeswoman confirmed.

She said the Tiffany show is the last scheduled exhibit, and that the museum would remain closed until a new administrator is awarded the contract. "But this is only a temporary closure," she added.

Another source said 23 people working at the museum are being laid off as a result of the shuttering. Despite continuing to attract strong crowds for exhibits like Vlaminck and the Berardo Collection, the museum, which is Europe's oldest and was opened in 1750 as France's first state-run collection of paintings , has been suffering from slashed budgets this year, a Senate document said.

Mus�e du Luxembourg to Close Indefinitely On January 31st originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 17:46:23.

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Tour d'Argent Wine Cellar Selling Off Prized Bottles

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:10:25 +0000

Wine lovers, take note: Le Tour d'Argent, one of Paris's "cr�me de la cr�me" restaurants, is looking to get rid of thousands of bottles from its massive collection of wines, champagne and other specialties. According to CNN, the cellar will be auctioning off around 18,000 items from its collection of 450,000 bottles in Paris on December 7th and 8th, hoping to raise over $1 million to revamp the historic restaurant. Some of the bottles are hardly drinkable but will be coveted by collectors as artifacts: the collection includes a 1788 cognac and a bottle of champagne dating to 1815. These will obviously not be accessible to most of us, but some of the more modest "crus" are expected to go for as little as $30 for several bottles, according to CNN.

Tour d'Argent Wine Cellar Selling Off Prized Bottles originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 09:10:25.

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Just Back From FIAC: A Few Pictures of the 2009 Edition

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:11:34 +0000

I spent an afternoon at the FIAC today (see related post below) and took a few mostly impressionistic shots of the main show at the Grand Palais. I regret not getting over to the Tuileries/Louvre part of the event, which is hosting a riveting program of outdoor installations and performance art, according to sources far more imbibed in the Paris art scene than myself.

Without further ado, enjoy my brief glimpse into the 2009 FIAC show. And for those of you planning to hit the exhibit on the last day tomorrow, be aware that lines are likely to be long. You can attempt to reserve tickets online here.

Go Further: FIAC 2009 in Pictures

Just Back From FIAC: A Few Pictures of the 2009 Edition originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 16:11:34.

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Now On: FIAC (International Contemporary Art Fair)

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:28:38 +0000

The International Contemporary Art Fair, or FIAC, runs from October 22nd through 25th at the Grand Palais and the Louvre Museum. The 2009 edition features 210 exhibiting galleries and works from over 4,000 contemporary artists. For amateur collectors or those of you who want to get familiar with who's who among living artists, the FIAC is a stimulating, if at times slightly overwhelming, way to jump in. Professional buyers brush shoulders with seasoned and first-time visitors, and you're certain to encounter works that you wouldn't see in more conventional exhibits.

More Information: Visit the official FIAC website (in English)

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Now On: FIAC (International Contemporary Art Fair) originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Saturday, October 17th, 2009 at 07:28:38.

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Controversy stirs over McDonald's Opening at the Carrousel du Louvre

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:51:26 +0000

Like fries with that Caravaggio print? Some art lovers and professionals are unhappy with plans by fast-food behemoth McDonald's to open a location in Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre, the upscale underground shopping center located in a lower level of the Louvre Museum. The Carrousel du Louvre, which already has a large food court, will be opening a McDonald's at the shopping center next month.

"I'm not against eating in a museum, but McDonald's is hardly the height of gastronomy," one art website editor told The Daily Tribune newspaper. Louvre officials told the paper the McDonald's would be designed in accordance with the prestigious atmosphere at the shopping center.

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Controversy stirs over McDonald's Opening at the Carrousel du Louvre originally appeared on About.com Paris Travel on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 07:51:26.

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