Cathedrale notre dame de paris paris france

Updated: February 14, 2014 When Charles Dickens wrote the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” he must have been living abroad. In fact, there’s a strong chance he was working in Paris as an au pair. Over the past year I’ve learned that expat life certainly has its ups and downs, which somehow feel stronger than the vicissitudes of life back home. When things go wrong, it’s extra frustrating- the French post lost your box of summer clothes, you can’t figure out how to unlock your phone and your banker doesn’t speak a word of English (who, ironically, is the one person in France who wants to speak to you in French). And all the while your family’s across the ocean and it can take a long time to set up a network of friends and acquaintances. Life abroad can get frustrating and lonely very quickly. (And in those moments, god bless Gchat.) But the highs are also so much higher. Everything’s new and exciting. … [Read more...] about Paris Expat: The Reality of Life in France

By Paul Eyers on Oct 12, 2019 in Europe, Food and Drink, France, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe Being based in Southeast Asia we get limited opportunities to visit Europe, but instead spend our time lusting after the vegan food and vegan friendly luxury hotels that we read about online. So when given the chance of a whistle stop tour of Paris and London during which time we would get to live out some of our vegan dreams we just had to say yes. With a little over 24 hours in each city we knew exactly where we were going to stay and exactly which plant based creations we would enjoy. Vegan delights in Paris and London features the vegan dreams that we made a reality during our trip. Not only is Shangri-La Hotel Paris one of the finest hotels in the world, it is also incredibly vegan friendly with a monthly ‘Green Dinner’ and a legendary ‘Vegan Afternoon Tea’ which are both served at La Bauhinia. The hotel is … [Read more...] about Vegan delights in Paris and London

Thousands of people prepared to descend on Paris on Sunday (Oct 6) to protest a government plan to let single women and lesbians become pregnant with fertility treatments, the first major social reform since France legalised gay marriage in 2013. IVF treatment is currently only available to heterosexual couples in France. (Photo: AFP/Josep Lago) Organisers say they are hoping 100,000 will turn out against a law heading to the Senate this month, after it was approved by the lower house of parliament in September. President Emmanuel Macron pledged during his 2017 election campaign to push the law despite deep resistance among right-wing opponents as well as conservative Roman Catholics and other religious groups. They had mobilised massively in 2012 and 2013 against a move by Macron's Socialist predecessor Francois Hollande to legalise marriage for homosexual couples, with one Paris protest attracting 340,000 people according to police. But that law did not allow lesbian … [Read more...] about French to protest pro IVF law for single women, lesbians

Updated 5:36 am CDT, Tuesday, October 8, 2019 LIEVIN, France (AP) — The Louvre has opened a new art conservation center some 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Paris to protect the museum's priceless artworks from its flood-prone reserves. The Louvre Conservation Center was inaugurated Tuesday in Lievin in northern France, near another outpost of the museum, the Louvre-Lens. Protecting the museum's works from the nearby Seine River has taken on additional urgency in recent years, as severe floods in 2016 and 2018 forced the Louvre to evacuate artworks and close exhibits. Officials hope to store some 250,000 artworks at the new center in five years' time. About half of the newly-constructed building's sprawling space will house art from the famed Paris museum, the world's biggest. Conservation workrooms, study halls and a photo studio in the new center will be used for research. … [Read more...] about Louvre opens center to protect art from flooding

“We’ll always have Paris”. The famous line from the Casablanca movie still rings a bell, cause is there truly anywhere more magical to spend a weekend in the name of love? We’ve gathered 5 stunning boutique hotels worth checking out (our into!) on your next Paris holiday.Located on Rue Brey, just by l’Arc de Triomphe, you can’t go wrong with Hotel Flanelles. With 12 major avenues (the iconic Champs-Élysées being one of them), your only problem will be choosing your direction. This chic 25-room boutique hotel offers private terrace rooms (the Balcony Suite) – a great choice for a romantic weekend getaway. From 6pm-8pm, Hotel Flanelles invites you to make your very own cocktail from their extensive cocktail list – on the house! This gem of a hotel truly does everything in their power to make you feel at home. And boy, do they succeed!For more information: Hotel FlanellesFor a first time visitor coming to Paris, you can’t go … [Read more...] about 5 Parisian boutique hotels to keep an eye on