A Little Paradise in Paris

Also taking place this evening (26th May) is an event called 'Little Paradis' which hopes to draw people's attention to the burgeoning artistic scene around the Rue de Paradis in the 10th arrondissement.

Galleries, ateliers, studios and shops will be open until 11pm this evening, and naturally local bars and restaurants will also be taking part in the event.

For the full programme, see the official website: http://www.littleparadis.fr/

Accessibility Night: discovering just how unaccessible Paris can be!

Thanks to Mary-Kay for pointing out an interesting initiative in Paris this week. The 1st Nuit de l’accessibilité on Thursday May 26th,organised by the Jaccede association, aims to be a fun and festive event where volunteers will learn about the difficulties of life in the city for the disabled.

Meeting up at La Bellevilloise in the 20th (but hopefully not on the top floor via that rickety staircase), volunteers will then head out across the city in search of the good, the bad and the ugly, all the while sharing their findings via smartphones or live on the Jaccede website.

Finally, the evening will end back at La Bellevilloise with a free wine and live music!

Something for the Weekend (20th - 22nd May)

Now that Blogger seems to be working correctly again I can once more add a few suggestions for weekend activities in Paris. Over the next few weeks I'll also try to add a few more themes, including 'restaurant and bar of the week' based on suggestions I can find around the web, and a 'Take a break from Paris' theme which will suggest awayday destinations from the capital you might like to try.

Activities

Journées Nomades
The northern edge of the Marais definitely seems to be its cutting one today. How else can you describe an exhibition of drawings on pieces of toast using only Nutella? To celebrate the creativity of this part of the 3rd arrondissement, a weekend of events, called the Journées Nomades is being organised. Basically it is divided into three themes; visits to places of creation (galleries and showrooms), visits to places where things are made (ateliers and studios), and visits to places of culture and knowledge (museums, churches, bookshops).

For the full programme, see the official website: http://www.journeesnomades.fr/

Fete de la Nature
Every weekend seems to bring some theme to celebrate, with the subject this week being 'nature'. The focus this year is on forests, so for the major events you'll need to head out to the Bois de Boulogne or the Bois de Vincennes. For example, a visit is being organised at the Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale (tiens...) on Sunday, as well as a more general exploration of 'urban forests' starting from the Parc Floral on the same day.

The full programme can be found here: http://www.fetedelanature.com/

117 Hours of Chemistry
As part of a larger 'Science sur Seine' festival which runs until June 26th, this event, based on the 117 elements in the periodic table, will investigate the role of chemistry in our lives, through a series of exhibitions, theatrical events, visits to universities and laboratories, and walks, including one retracing the life of Marie Curie.

Full programme: http://www.anneechimie.upmc.fr/fr/les_evenements_aic/les_117_heures_de_la_chimie.html

Rooftop Tennis

The annual French Open tennis tournament begins this weekend, and to celebrate the event, a pop-up (clay!) tennis court has been set up on the roof of the Galeries Lafayette store. If you're lucky or time your visit right, you may get a free lesson and the chance to hit a few balls (but hopefully not down to the people below), otherwise you'll have to make do with the Rolland Garros themed shop selling t-shirts with crocodiles on them. At the very least though, it should offer an interesting photo opportunity.

More information here (in French).

Restaurant of the Week

Le Schmuck
Silly name, apparently good food.

(nb - I have small children which means that I don't get out to restaurants much, and when I do, they invariably feature kid's menus and play areas. For this reason, I can give no personal opinions on these suggestions - they just sound interesting to me!)

Bar of the Week

La Cave de Daron
Opposite Le Chateaubriand and Le Dauphin, this 'bar à vin' has friendly and helpful staff and a cool atmosphere in the evenings. More information here.

Take a Break from Paris

Chartres - Celebrating perfume and light!
Chartres - less than an hour from Paris by train - is having a double celebration this weekend; the beginning of a week-long Fête du Parfum, and the launch of the annual Chartres en Lumière initiative which lasts until September 17th. Visit the town by day and sample a 'fragrant' meal in a local restaurant, then stay until the illumination of the 27 buildings and sites in the town, where this weekend live music will also be played.

More information can be found here.

Something for the Weekend (6th – 8th May)

More bad luck for Parisians this weekend – another public holiday lost because it falls on a Sunday! Whereas May 1st is sacrosanct though and many museums and other facilities were closed, expect far more widespread opening this time around (apart from the municipal museums).

Body Shops
A new exhibition began this week at one of the city's leading photography galleries, Les Douches La Galerie. Juraj Lipscher’s 'Body Shops' is a fascinating and discomforting look at a selection of sites where the human body is both central and absent, from maternity wards to the crematorium.

Read my review of the exhibition on Invisible Paris, where you will also find details about the location and opening times.

Faites l’Europe
The 8th of May commemorates the end of the 2nd World War in Europe, and the 9th celebrates the economic and political links across the continent that followed this event. To mark this date, a weekend of events will be organised on the square in front of the Hotel de Ville, including live music, films and theatre.

The full programme of events can be found here.

Soirée le Mur d'Expression
Feel like expressing yourself this weekend? Alongside the nice venue, live DJ and good company, the Des Monstres aux Skates collective (they spray monsters...on skateboards!) will be setting up a giant wall that anyone will be able to contribute to.

Saturday 7th May, 8pm to 2am
Le Rubis
140, rue St Maur 75011 M° Goncourt

Rues du Monde
Rues du Monde is a festival of musical events at La Villette, but its also a free festive event being held in the Grande Halle. The month-long festival is divided into four themed weekends, with this week's named Rue Flamenco. Brazilian bar and restaurant are running the events at the Grande Halle, and alongside the live music and dance shows, you'll also be able to sample caipirinhas, paes de queijo, smoothies, beer from around the world and street food from Brazil and the rest of the world.

More details can be found here.

Les 10 ans du Marché des Enfants Rouges
The Marché des Enfants Rouges is the oldest surviving market in Paris, so it seems somewhat strange to be celebrating its 10th anniversary. Before marking its 400th birthday in a couple of years though, the stall holders have chosen to celebrate the rebirth of a spot that was almost demolished a little over a decade ago.

Several days of events are being organised, giving you the opportunity to win a selection of prizes going from baskets of produce to weekend breaks, or simply just to (re)discover the market. Full details here.

Something for the Weekend (29th April – 1st May)

Bad luck for French workers this weekend as a Public Holiday falls on a Sunday. However, with the sun still shining, it will still feel a little like a holiday!

May Day Protests!
May 1st is traditionally a day to march and protest (this year the theme will be the perceived xenophobia of the French government) and as this year it falls on a Sunday, it is possible that many more people than normal may be taking to the streets. The march begins at 2.30pm at the Place de la République.

For those looking for places to avoid on Sunday, note also that a smaller annual Front National march takes place in the morning in the Opéra/Madeleine area.

On a brighter note, the streets should also be alive with the sweet smell of 'muguet' (lily of the valley) flowers which are traditionally sold everywhere on May 1st.

Open/Closed?
As Sunday May 1st is also a Bank Holiday, the question of whether certain sites are open or closed becomes complicated. The answers to your questions can be found here: http://www.paris.fr/accueil/accueil-paris-fr/paques-ouvert-ferme/rub_1_actu_83411_port_24329

Note that most museums and almost all swimming pools will be closed.

Foire de Paris
The Foire de Paris is 107 years old this year, and is a meandering bazaar incorporating 3400 exhibitors spread over 220,000m². Fortunately, as the theme this year is 'slow time', the experience should nevertheless not be too stressful!

The event was originally held at the Carreau de Temple, before becoming the reason behind the creation of its present home, the Parc des Expositions at the Porte de Versailles. Alongside the home, food and leisure exhibits, an interesting curiousity is the Concours Lépine which makes up part of the event. This annual competition rewards the best inventions of the year, and previous winners have included ballpoint pens, the iron and contact lenses!

Full details can be found here: http://www.foiredeparis.fr/

The Impressionists in Paris
Already a big draw, this exhibition at the Paris town hall (Hotel de Ville) shows how impressionist painters, incluidng Monet, Vuillard and Degas, captured Paris.

More details, including location and opening times can be found here: http://www.paris.fr/english/english/event-the-impressionists-at-the-hotel-de-ville-in-paris/rub_8118_actu_97309_port_19237

Note: this exhibition is one of those that will not be open on Sunday.

Art et Folie
The Hôpital Saint Anne in Paris is home to an unusual collection of 'psychopathological art', and even organised annual exhibitions of creations from around the world from people suffering from mental illnesses. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of one of these exhibitions, the Area gallery is exhibiting a selection of some of these creations.

Full details can be found here: http://www.areaparis.com/

Something for the Holidays

Holiday time again in Paris (for me too, but far from the city!), and many things to see and do. Here are a few of my recommendations.

Journée du Disquaire/Record Store Day

Every weekend seems to bring some kind of new celebratory event, and the next two are no exception. Saturday 16th sees one that grows enormously each year (it only begun in 2007), and this year it is arriving in force in France.

With the music industry in crisis, Record Store Day is a nod back to the golden years of vinyl. It is not just a celebration of 33s and 45s though, but also a way for artists to thank true hardcore fans. Many artists produce special limited edition releases, and independant retailers are also the site of inpromptu concerts and signing sessions.

A full list of events can be found here - http://www.disquaireday.fr/calif.fr/Accueil.html

4AM Project

The small hours of April 24th are the moment for the following event, for this is when groups of people around the world will be exploring their local environments at an unusual time. The idea is a very simple one - what does your world look like at 4AM? Go outside, wander around, take pictures then upload them on the event website!

http://4amproject.org/

Les frères Dufy

There's definitely something of a theme developing this season in Paris. After the launch of an exhibition celebrating the Caillebotte brothers, this week sees the beginning of one investigating the Dufys. As with the Caillebottes, one is well-known (here Raoul), and the other a more mysterious discovery (Jean).

Full details here: http://www.marmottan.com/francais/expositions/exposition-raoul-jean-dufy.asp

Manet the Modernist

Perhaps the biggest exhibition of the year in Paris has now begun at the Musée d’Orsay, with the first Manet retrospective in Paris since 1983. His role as a precursor of future movements is celebrated in this show in which he is declared the ‘inventor of modernity’. See the video introduction for the exhibition here.

"Manet, l'inventeur du moderne"

Musée d’Orsay

Until July 3rd

Watchers

If you're still not sure what to do, rather than watch TV, why not go and see a photo exhibition of other people watching TV? The theme is an unusual one, but the results are fascinating, and the location of the exhibtion - the Carré de Baudouin - merits a visit in itself.

Watchers

Until June 11th

Pavillion Carré de Baudouin

121 rue de Ménilmontant 75020, M°Gambetta

Something for the Weekend (8th – 10th April)

For me there is only one event this weekend - Obscura Day!

Even if you are not in Paris this weekend, you should find an event close to where you live. If you are in Paris, though, I am organising two events. The morning event - a visit to the Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale is already sold out (although there might be a couple of returned tickets - let me know if you are interested), but there are still some tickets available for the evening event. Forest from 52 Martinis and Kim from I Heart Paris have helped me out with that event so it should be a lot of fun.

Marathon de Paris
If I was a braver person though, perhaps I would have entered the Paris Marathon which is taking place this Sunday morning (10th). However, even if - like me - you like your Sundays to be a little more leisurely, you can just watch the runners from a roadside café. Here's the map of the event to help you pick a nice spot.

Parr does Paris
British photographer Martin Parr rarely takes pictures in France because of the strict privacy laws. However, he was recently invited to take pictures of the working class and multi-ethnic Goutte d'Or district of Paris, and was given free reign to take snaps of anything he liked. The results are a colourful and fun look at a part of the city which normally only attracts bad press.

Full details on the exhibition can be found here, including a video interview with the photographer.

Until July 2nd
Institut des Cultures d’Islam
19-23, rue Léon 75018
M° Château Rouge or Barbès Rochechouart