Have Wheels, Will Travel

Scootering is a very popular and eminently practical way to get around Paris.  And it's not just for kids; I often see adults in business attire on their trottinettes but it's rare that I have my camera out at the right moment.  Yesterday, I was lucky enough to catch this threesome -- a dad and his two kids -- on their way to school and office.

Jour du Macaron

Yesterday was the annual Jour du Macaron, another excuse for those crazy for the little almond-based sandwich cookies to go whole hog.  A number of the top macaron makers in Paris were offering a taste of their wares for free, and I'm willing to bet that there were lines out the door at Pierre Hermé's various locations.  (For the record, Laduree was not an official participant in this global celebration.)  For my part, I took a long walk up to the 18th with one of my kids to the shop of Arnaud Larher where we were treated to a strawberry yogurt flavored confection.

And you know what?  That pretty much satisifed my craving for macarons for this year. Which brings me to this confession:  I'm not really all that wild about a lot of the pastries in Paris.  Now don't get me wrong. I love the boulangerie -- the yeasty smell of baking, the crunch of a still warm baguette, the sinfulness of a still warm flaky pain au chocolat or croissant, and even the occasional tarte citron or one piled high with fresh strawberries or raspberries.  But the rest?
 
The thing is I'm not a huge chocolate person (which is something of a sacrilege in these parts) and those mounds of gooey cream that you'll find in an eclair, millefeuille, or Paris Brest don't really do it for me either.  And while I freely admit that the cakes in the window often look spectactular, the visual artistry usually outweighs the actual taste.   If you don't agree with me, that's fine.  Look at it this way -- that's one more pastry for you.

And the Winner Is......

Drum roll please.  The winner of the photo book of some of my favorite Just Another American in Paris images is:

Cherie Vintage!

Congratulations, Cherie.  Please send me an e-mail to justanotheramericaninparis@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I will get it off to you post haste.

As for the rest of you:  thanks for your comments and support.  And here, for all to enjoy, are some of the images that appear in the book.  Back Monday with more tales from Just Another American in Paris.

What's the World Coming To?

I'm thinking that we could all use a little good news right about now.

The deadline has passed for my blog giveaway.  I'll announce the lucky winner tomorrow.

A Museum about Hunting? You Bet.

There was a time when I would no sooner take a guided tour of a cultural site than put ketchup on roast beef.  Guided tours, in my view, were only for the insulated or terrified tourist.  I wanted to be the person who did all the research myself and viewed whatever it was with my own eyes.

My how things change.  I still can't quite fathom taking a cruise or a bus tour of Europe with 5 cities in 10 days.  But I've changed my mind about guides.  A really good guide, one who is informed and has a talent for storytelling, can make a huge difference in your experience of places unknown. 

All this is a lead up to saying that I was surprised to find that I very much enjoyed my visit to the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in the upper Marais.  I'm not into hunting and I can't say I'm really into animals either, but thanks to a terrific guide, I learned quite a bit about the place of the hunt in French cultural history.  Although the building dates back to the 18th century, the museum itself is fairly new and well designed.  In addition to the cabinet of curiousities and all manner of stuffed heads, the collection includes works of art by many luminaries including Brueghel, Chardin, Corot, Cranach, and Rubens.  But it was thanks to my guide that I learned about the works of Desportes who documented the favorite hunting dogs of Louis XIV.  The dog depicted by Carle Vernet is much more than an image of a beloved pet; it's also a political commentary on the ruthless murder of the duc d'Enghien by Napoleon in 1804.

So go crazy and get a guide to help you experience the museum.  And rest assured that there's not one picture of dogs playing poker.

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

62, rue des Archives, 75003 Paris
Open daily (except Monday and holidays) from 11 am to 6 pm

Your Paris Pied à Terre

If you've got a couple million euros burning a hole in your pocket, does the French state have a deal for you!  Go online to this site and you will find listings for government buildings in Paris that can be yours for .....well I won't say a song but they could be yours all the same.  Among the most controversial of these is the Hôtel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde, the current headquarters of the French navy and twin to the Hôtel de Coislin, best known as home to the luxurious five star Hôtel de Crillon and the Automobile Club de France.  After 220 years in residence, the navy is moving out, headed for what's being dubbed the French Pentagon near metro Balard in the 15th, and they hope to finance the move by selling the current building.  But what to do with an 18th century architectural jewel with 215,000 square feet and over 500 rooms?  It's certainly not clear.  When Le Figaro posed this question to 14 luminaries recently, the answers ranged from "make it into a museum" to "make into anything but a museum."  If you don't want to enter the fray, there's also a nice little hotel particulier in the 16th, a spot under the arcades in rue des Pyramides in the 1st, and a chateau or two in the provinces.

You can read more about the history of the Hôtel de la Marine and the contoversy in The New York Times

Vehicles of Paris: No. 26

My grandfather, who I'm told was the first pediatrician in Milwaukee, Wisconsin back when having a doctor just for kids was a novelty, used to make house calls.  My dad, who was also a physician (albeit a specialist), never did.  But the house call is very much alive in many communities in France, thanks to SOS Médecins who will come out to your place, day or night, seven days a week.  Fortunately for me, I have no personal experience with them (knock on wood) but everyone I know who has called upon them has been happy with the service and the fees are quite reasonable.  So if you're up with a child with a high fever, or your visiting parent starts to experience chest pain, or you have a nasty accident in the kitchen, keep this number by the phone:  3624.