Rose Cantine » paris

The magical unreality of running in Paris

esme — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:17:55 +0000

I went running this morning from the church of St. Germain des Pres past the St. Sulpice church (pictured above) and into the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden). I have run in so many cities around the world — from Berlin to Santiago — but nothing quite measures up to the experience of running in Paris. In the Jardin du Luxembourg itself, there are many atmospheric fountains such as the Marie de’ Medici fountain (pictured below), built in 1630 by Marie de’ Medici and moved to the Jardin du Luxembourg in the late 1800s.

At one end of the Luxembourg garden, you run past the Palais du Luxembourg, formerly a palace that now houses the French Senate.

The Eiffel Tower at night

esme — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:56:53 +0000

View from rue du Suffren around 8:30 pm onto a glowing Eiffel Tower.

Old carrousel in Parc Monceau, Paris

esme — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:52:57 +0000

Paris is full of delightful little surprises like this one, an antique carrousel from a bygone age. This one is in Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement. On Sundays, Parc Monceau is filled with families picnicking on the grass, elderly men and women sitting on benches chatting and drinking coffee, sporty types jogging along the periphery, and children running and climbing the trees.

Latest on Mapplr and Shopplr: chic Paris abode, French fabric designer

esme — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:48:34 +0000

I just posted two articles that are related: 6 Mandel, an elegant chambre d’hôte in Paris with views of the Eiffel Tower and a profile of French fabric designer, Philippe David, who designed many of the fabrics used in 6 Mandel.

6 Mandel is an insider tip (from Philippe). They don’t advertise, the site is in French but it’s really a fabulous place to stay in Paris. Instead of a garden-variety hotel, why not try 6 Mandel which is housed in a recently renovated 19th century mansion and functions as an art gallery by day?

6 Mandel: artistic, elegant chambre d’hôte in a 19th century mansion in Paris (Mapplr)

Profile: Fabric Designer Philippe David (Shopplr)

More romantic hotels in Paris: l'Hotel and Bellechasse

esme — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:13:04 +0000

I left out two other fabulous hotels in Paris: l’Hotel and Hotel Bellechasse, both of which are on the Left Bank. Check them out on Mapplr.

Paris in winter: Eiffel Tower

esme — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 01:14:38 +0000

Free Wi-Fi in Paris

esme — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:25:09 +0000

The city of Paris has begun offering free Wi-Fi access in public parks and gardens, museums, libraries, and other public buildings. To find out which areas have Wi-Fi, go to wifi.paris.fr. Inspired by San Francisco, the mayor of Paris, Bertrand DelanoÃ«, issued a public tender last year, seeking a provider to deploy the hotzones. SFR and Alcatel-Lucent won the bid. France Telecom, a sour grapes loser, is suing the city, saying it is unfairly competing with FT’s own paid hotspot access. France Telecom’s subsidiary, Orange, is reportedly Apple’s exclusive partner in France for the iPhone.

Ironically, San Francisco, the original model for this project, has no Wi-Fi. I guess depending too much on a private company to fund everything (in SF’s case, EarthLink) is a fantasy.

To read more about the Paris Wi-Fi project, click here. Another successful project recently launched by the city is Velib, free bicycles available at various points in the city, especially around metro stops. The city partnered with JC Decaux, the outdoor advertising company, to fund this project.

Paris Wi-Fi website: wifi.paris.fr