Paris Paris by Night
Paris by Night - or is it Paris by Dawn? Nightllife in this city is perpetual.
Jazz in Montparnasse
Petra Penttila
Gael Petrina
Photos by Chris Card Fuller ©2008
You don’t have to walk far to find Jazz in Montparnasse. I like to listen to jazz when I’m alone. The best way to listen to jazz (in my opinion) is when you’re alone (with the exception of Dixieland). Tonight I was wandering around Montparnasse on this long weekend - having just taken the train back from Lisieux.
Actually, I was looking for a casual dinner spot where I might enjoy a light meal and a glass …
Date: May 2nd, 2008 |
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Satellit Cafe
Blick Bassy and his ‘équipe -complètement sympathique’
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2008
Those of you who were there last night for th Blick Bassy concert know! This is a great spot for world music fans in the Oberkampf neighborhood. Admission for concerts is usually 10 Euros. Beers are pricey at 5 Euros but not priced much higher than many Paris cafes. It’s well worth the good music!!
We had to leave before the second set to catch the Metro, however the first set was ample …
Date: April 2nd, 2008 |
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St. Patrick's Day in Paris: The Morning After
If there’s one holiday that makes me a little homesick while in Paris it’s St. Patrick’s Day. That’s probably why this is the night that expats jam the bars and pubs that feature Irish beers and Celtic music (and it was definitely the case last night according to our host at the WOS bar (formerly the Aussi bar). Unfortunately, my husband (who’s mother was English) doesn’t share my sudden urge to find the closest pub serving up Guinness beer on a crisp March night in Paris. So, we weren’t there last night for the merrymaking. This year, because St. Patrick’s Day fell on Monday which is normally the quietest day for bars in Paris, the celebrations began early, starting on Friday night of the past weekend.
The Aussi bar at 184 Rue St. Jacques has transformed into the WOS bar i.e. wide Open Spaces Bar. It still retains its pub atmosphere and you can chat in English with the bartender until the cows come home (on a quiet morning-after) as we did today. During the lunch hours, we were two of the six patrons. Two others were taking advantage of the free Wifi service.
Date: March 18th, 2008 |
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Museum Night in May
If you’re planning a spring trip for Paris, make sure to be in town on Saturday, May 17 (2008).(I’ve seen different dates posted, and because the official site isn’t set yet for 2008, be sure to reconfirm! This is the tentative date set for the annual national (as well as throughout Europe and parts of South America) free museum night.
The theme in France for this year’s museum night will be ‘The museum opens its doors’.
In past years, over a thousand museums thoughout France and Europe have participated in this event. Doors open around 7 pm and stay open, in some cases, until 1 am.
Date: February 22nd, 2008 |
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The Bohemian Life in Paris: When Opera reflects reality
Long before reality TV, there was opera, that is, there was La Bohème. Shown for the first time in Turin, Italy in 1896, Puccini’s successful opera’s plot (or libretto) was based on Henri Murger’s semi-autobiographical account of living as a down-and-out in Paris’s Latin Quarter (the opera is supposed to start on Christmas Eve of 1830 when Murger would have only been 8 years old!).
His collection of stories, “Scenes from the Life of a Bohemian” was published in the 1840s, about the same time that he was living on coffee and water. In those days, his band of friends didn’t drink much but coffee and water - much to the dismay of the Parisian waiters who had to serve them in their Latin quarter cafe.
Date: January 20th, 2008 |
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Clubbing
(Photo compliments of Tom. Check out his description of Pigalle (under the heading sex, sex shops, etc) from the ‘man’s perspective’)
The Paris club scene changes so quickly, that you’ll probably want to visit some sites that specialize in Paris Clubbing to be brought up to date on the best places. (www.parisbouge.com
www.parissi.com)
List of top current clubs (2008)
What to expect
My “personal” guide to clubbing has unfortunately moved out of our building, but he mentioned that the best music and the most attractive women are not necessarily found in the same club - so you’ll want to migrate throughout the night. Some clubs such as Queen which were primarily gay clubs have mainstreamed.
Many night spots such as Les Folies Pigalle, Maxims, Bobino etc. transform into afterhours clubs as the night progresses - so they can change from traditional ‘night spots’ for tourists into very “non traditional” clubs by the time the sun comes up.
Date: April 6th, 2008 |
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Jazz
Paris’s love affair with jazz may have something to do with its liberation at the end of World War II. After four years of desolation and constraint, the strains of jazz arrived with waving flags, dancing in the streets.
Nowadays, you can find jazz clubs that reflect all sorts of taste, from Dixieland to fusion, from blues to world music. There are dozens of jazz clubs where you can while away a ’smoke-free’ evening. Many of these clubs
are listed in the weekly entertainment guide Le Pariscope which you can pick up at any newsstand.
Before you choose your spot to camp out, be aware that Paris also has plenty of Jazz Festivals throughout the year. You can find out in advance about some of these events at www.evene.fr, but if you really want to know what’s going on around the Paris Jazz scene, you’ll have to stop in to say ‘hello’ to Jacques Thevenet at Jazzbox. Thevenet DJ’s a Saturday night radio show on Aligre FM at 5 pm. His Myspace site will bring you up to date about the Jazz happening jazz events.
Date: March 25th, 2008 |
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Cabarets
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2008
Cabarets (sometimes referred to as ‘Feather Clubs’ are the famed nightspots where tourists flock to view an array of almost perfect female bodies draped in not much more than feathers. The most well known clubs such as Le Moulin Rouge, Les Folies Bergeres, the Crazy Horse and the Lido need little introduction. You can add a new one (or really a revived club) Bobino on Rue de la Gaite. Bobino used to be one of the venues for American cabaret dancer, singer, movie actress - humanitarian - and French Resistance participant - Josephine Baker.
Likewise Crazy House is revamping (please excuse the pun) with the help of Pamela Anderson’s recent appearance.
Date: March 7th, 2008 |
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CDG Airport - Europe's Second Worst Airport?
In a recent IHT article “Congestion and Other Terminal Illnesses - Europe’s Worst Airports” (Jan 13), sky warriors including writer Elisabeth Rosenthal awarded 2nd place for Europe’s worst airport to Paris’s international airport, Charles de Gaulle aka CDG.
Given the number of times I’ve bad-mouthed this airport in the past, I suddenly found myself wanting to defend this warhorse airport’s honor. Please, don’t ask me why, but it’s gotten to be something of an old friend. I know CDG needs some major overhauling - but when you look at CDG in comparison to JFK, for example, who can point fingers?
Date: January 27th, 2008 |
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New Year's Eve in Paris: Splashy or Intimate?
Here’s a quote translated from the Club de Quatres Vents’ owner which is well worth repeating:
“New Year’s eve - there are those for and those against it. Some endure this night out, feeling obligated to ‘have a good time’. Then there are those that prefer the paper hats and the confetti, those that prefer champagne, foie gras, and formal dress. Some may hesitate between making it a big party night or an intimate gathering among friends. The main thing is to pass from one year to …
Date: December 28th, 2007 |
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