Blog Masonry
Yes, you can live happily in Paris without speaking French!
I barely speak French but I didn’t let this stop me from moving to Paris. And I do know I’m far from alone. Now I’m not advocating remaining French illiterate, especially if you plan to live here long term, and I am working hard to improve […]
Getting a Taste for the Simple Life in France
Just an hour from the bustling shops and international airport in Toulouse and 20 minutes from the largest town in the area—L’isle Jourdain—Encausse is a small village of around 450 people. Not much happens in the village, there is a church and a small town hall […]
A Roadtrip Through Southern France’s Languedoc-Roussillon
Arrive in Montpellier, a one-hour flight from Paris, to pick up the car, then head 40 minutes east to Aigues Mortes, a walled Medieval village on the edge of the Camargue, a vast river delta and nature preserve along the Mediterranean coast. Here, you can take […]
Shopping Paris’ Best Epiceries
Paris is home to some of the best food stores anywhere in the world. Part of visiting the city is to wander (flaner as the French say) in search of food delicacies. In the age of Airbnb dining at home may be part of your travel […]
Meet Frédéric Bazille, The Impressionist Painter Who Could Have Been
On May 1, 1870, Bazille’s Summer Scene (Bathers) got into the Paris Salon — the place painters wanted to be. Two months later, France declared war on Prussia; a month after that, Bazille joined the army. In November, he was killed in his first campaign,so less […]
A Guide to Provence’s Best Health and Wellness Spots
Originally published on Vogue by LAURA REGENSDORF Hiking in Provence The combination of physical exercise and mental relaxation is intoxicating. We definitely go out early before the sun gets too high and always wear sunscreen. Sometimes we bring the kids [Cecilia, 8, and Philip, 5] for a picnic […]
Why the French city of Montpellier should be on your travel bucket list
Originally published on Metro by David Constable Montpellier is a walkers’ city with stately boulevards, family-run bakeries and white sandy beaches on the doorstep. It is a sun-kissed city, an easy-going place with a small population of around 275,000 people. Often overlooked for the bigger southern French […]
Historic Paris Hotel De Crillon Reopens After Makeover
Originally published on NDTV Paris, France: The Hotel de Crillon, one of the world’s oldest luxury hotels which looks onto the square where Louis XVI lost his head, reopened Wednesday after a multi-million-euro makeover lasting four years. The venerable Paris institution at the foot of the […]
François Pinault Unveils Plans for Private Paris Museum
PARIS – François Pinault’s decades-long battle to place his contemporary art collection here took a leap forward this week when the Japanese architect Tadao Ando unveiled his design to turn a historic rotunda in central Paris into a circular private museum housing the luxury magnate’s collection. […]
Marseille, the French Riviera’s most underrated destination
A cultural melting pot, Marseille is a colourful city you may not fall in love with the first time around Marseille, however has remained refreshingly real, if slightly rough around the edges. Though France’s second largest city, Marseille isn’t nearly as “French†as Paris. With North Africans, […]