Four of Europe’s most iconic watering holes share a common name, yet separate and unique histories.
Any Paris expat or tourist worth his/her salt has a personal acquaintance with, or at least a passing knowledge of, HARRY’S New York Bar. This inconspicuous saloon in the shadow of the Paris Opera has played host to a pantheon of celebrities and an unending stream of tourists since opening its doors 110 years ago….
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On the hundredth anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s arrival in Paris we retrace his steps in the City of Light
On December 22, 1921, a young Ernest Hemingway and his new bride, Hadley, arrived in Paris. He was 22, she was eight years his senior. He was penniless, she had a small inheritance. Ernest would call Paris his home, on and off, for the next six years. When he departed in 1928, he had acquired…
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Famous misquotes and erroneous attributions From Parisian History (And some dining recommendations to go with them).
With so many great artists, writers, and statesmen, it is not surprising that a wealth of famous quotes from notable Parisians have worked their way into the contemporary lore of Paris. But like so many sayings that are wrongly ascribed to the likes of Shakespeare, Mark Twain or Winston Churchill, many Paris quotations have either…
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Behind Sacre Coeur a little-known culinary empire blossoms
One of our biggest pleasures on each trip to Paris is the search for new dining experiences. Just prior to departure for our most recent visit I received a note from Susan Carter, a fellow Paris restaurant junkie who lives one county away from me. Susan and her sister make dining pilgrimages to Paris every…
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Clues to the city’s rich history are often right beneath your feet.
When conducting my walking tours of Paris I frequently remind my fellow strollers (flâneurs) to LOOK UP, as so much of the city’s architecture, historical signage and grand vistas are missed if people have eyes fixed on the sidewalk immediately before them. That notwithstanding, there are many instances when it does pay to peruse…
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Paris's Art Nouveau dining rooms recall the "Beautiful Era" of 1900
In America it was called “The Gilded Age” and the “Gay Nineties”. In Britain it was the peak of the Victorian and Edwardian Age. In France, it was called La Belle Époque . . . The Beautiful Era. For a few brief decades immediately before and after the turn of the 20th Century, Europe and America…
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The Historic Streets of Saint-Germain - Rue Jacob
TODAY’S ARTICLE is a follow-up to my previous post which began an exploration of that most quintessential of all Left Bank districts; the Sixth Arrondissement. In this, and periodic posts to follow, we’ll take a closer look at the various neighborhoods of the 6th (there are four of them) and detail pieces of their…
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The neighborhoods of the Sixth Arrondissement have charms to last a lifetime
In ancient Rome, the Caesars practiced a special form of punishment on political rivals whom they did not want (or could ill-afford) to have executed, but whom they wanted to be rid of. The punishment: EXILE. The most famous recipient of this brand of imperial justice was Augustus Caesar’s own daughter, Julia. For her treacherous…
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Harry's Bar has been picking U.S. Presidents since 1924
Harry’s New York Bar, that iconic Parisian watering hole of American writers, actors, composers and celebrities, as well as the site of pilgrimage for countless American tourists, is also the scene of a quirky yet amazingly accurate ritual in political prognostication. American jockey and saloon owner, Tod Sloane, opened the establishment as the New York…
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Mixing food and History is the best way to experience both . . .
Paris rightfully claims many world-class distinctions, not the least of which is its position as one of the planet’s great culinary capitals. That claim-to-fame is enhanced by the historic backdrop of marvelously preserved buildings, churches, cobbled streets and sidewalk terraces which serve as the set upon which Paris’s dining scene is played out. Paris confronts…
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