What would Paris be without the Seine? The picturesque waterway has been a great geographic, economic, social and artistic force since the city’s earliest days, long before the Bateaux mouches and Paris Plages showed up. Its peaceful waters reflect some of the most prestigious architecture in Paris, including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Institut de France,…

As the world knows, France is an eternal food fest, and there is no more festive place to be this week than at the Paris Cookbook Fair, or Festival du Livre Culinaire. The February 22 to 24 event spotlights the latest in cookbooks, culinary efforts and food trends from across the globe. Edouard Cointreau Sr….

French gardens have a spirit and a presence all their own. I have walked and wandered in dozens of French jardins over the years – in the ‘biggies’ such as Versailles, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Chantilly, St. Germain-en-Laye, Sceaux, St. Cloud, and the Tuileries, and in smaller ones cradling manor houses and petits châteaux in various corners…

When traveling in a different culture, sometimes it’s the little things one doesn’t know that end up being the most surprising…and occasionally unnerving. In France, driving tends to be a breeze since the French conduisent (drive) on the right as we do, but there other situations or characteristics of French life that can be the opposite of…

It is the new year – Bonne année to all! – and the perfect moment to put France on the calendar. I invite you to join me and Garden Specialist Jane Holahan for this year’s very special trip to the Loire Valley and Paris from June 7 to 14, 2013. It is one of French Affaires’…

Tis the season of angels – angels on Christmas trees, in the Nativity, in holiday carols and films. So it is a perfect moment to write about the newest addition to the large repertoire of books on Paris: Angels of Paris: An Architectural Tour Through the City of Paris. This beautiful volume by Rosemary Flannery…

It’s nearly December and the start of la période des fêtes (the holiday season) in France. The holidays are one of my most favorite things about the country, not least because of the Christmas eve and New Year’s eve dinners. The French spare no expense in pulling together the tastiest and most beautiful flavors of…

In France, the word “château” conjures up visions of large stone castles with turrets located out in the countryside. (By contrast, a ‘château-like’ building in a city such as Paris is known as a palais, or palace.) These grand château residences all over France often have deep historical roots tied to the nobility or high…

The French love squash, both in the garden and on the table. And fall is the season when all sorts of colorful winter courges start to appear. This month, our French Affaires’ fall trip-goers were treated to a cornucopia of beautiful squash in ‘pumpkin patches’ around the Loire Valley. At the Château de Villandry, the…