Marty Almquist

A Wonderful Outing

Paris is full of small museums and I’m sure I’ll never find them all, but I recently found a great one! It’s in the 18th arrondisement, next to Sacre Coeur, so when you’re planning your itinerary, and have Sacre Coeur on your list, give yourself a bit more time and go see the Salvador Dali […]

It’s all about presentation

Have you noticed, in walking around Paris, that presentation is extremely important? From the clothing stores to the outdoor market, everyone pays a lot of attention to how things look. And you’ll find just as much attention given to things you buy.  I wanted to take flowers to an old friend I was having lunch […]

Links for the Music Post

www.fnac.com is the website for the music store- it has a “translate” button so you can get it in English. It’s a great resource before ANY trip to Paris to find out what music will be there, but also what art exhibitions and other events are happening. You can buy tickets through it as well […]

Music in Paris

I love to hear live music, especially in small venues. I’m NOT a fan of the “football stadium” approach to concerts. So now I check fnac.com, a website connected to a chain of music stores in Paris, before each trip, to see what fun music might be available. I’ve discovered three venues that I want […]

Wines from Bourgogne

We went with friends last September to Burgundy to do some wine tasting. We stayed in Puligny, one of many picturesque small towns in that area, and drove to Beaune to visit the Maison Louis Jadot winery. What a GREAT experience! Louis Jadot vineyards are a longstanding family-owned and family-run business. In the 1950’s, when […]

Restaurants

Part 2: A restaurant is only open for lunch and dinner (not breakfast) and is more formal in its offering. No sandwiches, no salads as main courses. They  offer a selection of entrees (appetizers), plats (main course), and desserts. Lunch, in Paris, is generally between 12:00 and 1:30 and dinner starts at 8:00 – at […]

Cafe or Restaurant- what’s the difference?

Part 1: Cafes: Anyone who’s been to Paris knows that most streets have at least one corner cafe. Sometimes they are called “cafe,” sometimes also “brasserie.” A cafe is a place, traditionally, that has a stand up bar area and seating outside. It’s open in the morning for people to get their first espresso and […]

Paris Markets

One of my favorite things about the Paris open air food markets is the attention that the sellers give to their produce. I wanted to buy an avocado for our dinner salad so I went to a stand that had a nice selection and asked the seller for one avocado (if you haven’t been to […]

Museums in Paris, France

Hello world!

I admit it- I’m a Paris fanatic. Got hooked my junior year in college when I spent ten months there. Have been back to visit lots of times. Now I’ve written a novel and guess what? It’s set in Paris! It’s about four sisters who want to get reconnected with each other. One sister has […]

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