If I were to say Versailles, you would more than likely think of a golden palace and a glittering hall of mirrors, not too far from Paris. You’d be right, of course, but there is so much more to the city of Versailles than its sumptuous 17th century château – dignified mansions, narrow arcades, soaring […]
A visit to Versailles (not the Château!) Continue reading
Surely there is nothing more French than a warm, buttery, flaky croissant fresh from the boulangerie, perhaps while savouring a café au lait with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Should you ever find yourself in mid-19th century Paris and craving such luxuries (without the view of the Eiffel Tower, of course), there is only
A short but buttery history of the croissant Continue reading
Welcome to Paris everyone. It’s a lovely, sunny day here in the 17th century, just ignore the ever present rumblings of war. I do hope you’re all wearing comfortable shoes, we’ve a lot to see today! Any first time visitors to Paris? All of you? Great to hear, you are going to have a wonderful
A seventeenth century walking tour of Paris Continue reading
Sophie Blanchard was destined to become an aéronaute. As a little one safely ensconced in her mother’s womb, a stranger passed through her tiny village in 1778 and happened to enter into conversation with her mother. He told her that if her baby was a girl, he would return sometime to marry her. Obviously one
Sophie Blanchard, a woman who took to the skies Continue reading
Fancy a night out at the movies? To be the first to ever see a screening of a moving film, you’ll have to be at the Grand Café, Boulevard de Capucines, Paris, 28 December, 1895. Bring one franc for entry. In 1895 Auguste and Louis Lumière created the Cinématographe, a machine to record moving pictures
An invitation to the world’s first film Continue reading
I’ve always wanted to go to a restaurant, raise my hand languidly and say “Waiter, a bottle of your finest Dom Perignon”, as if it were a regular occurrence. Ufor the average person, like me, this is likely to remain a dream. So, champagne. Not sparkling wine, I mean the real deal. The Champagne region
A short but sparkling history of champagne Continue reading
The Reign of Terror was exactly as it sounds – terrifying. Whilst the French Revolution in 1789 was generally fairly violent, the part of it which was the Reign of Terror was horrifyingly so. If you were of the aristocracy, if you were of the pre-Revolution parliament, a collector of taxes, or basically anyone who
Last words from the Guillotine Continue reading
“There it is! I see it! I saw it first!” Whenever we drive into Paris, necks are craned, eyes are poised, waiting for that first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Someone always has to be the first to set eyes on it, and there’s tears if you happen to be the second. It is truly
Surprising facts in the history of the Eiffel Tower Continue reading