Ollia Horton and Monique Y. Wells at IDFM Radio 98 in Enghien
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Ollia Horton of Happy Hour on IDFM 98 Radio Enghien recently interviewed our own Monique Y. Wells. Here is a synopsis of the interview.
Follow this link to listen to the interview: Ollia Horton’s Happy Hour – Radio IDFM 98. (The interview is roughly 19 minutes long.)
Bonne écoute!
Our new e-book, Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light, will give first- and even second-time travelers the knowledge and confidence that they need to enter into a Parisian restaurant to enjoy a fine meal. Dining Out in Paris helps prepare the traveler for a wonderful French dining experience.
Click here to order! http://amzn.to/1nkgCyu.
Indispensable! Tom Reeves’s Dining Out in Paris doesn’t just recommend places to eat. This is a guide book that decodes all the little customs, cultural quirks and expressions of speech a visitor to Parisian eateries will encounter. A longtime American expatriate who knows and loves his adopted city, Tom Reeves proposes restaurants that are off the beaten tourist tracks. Best of all, this book celebrates the multiculturalism of Paris, in all its variety and vibrancy. For visitors in search of an authentic Parisian dining experience, this book is indispensable!
Jake Lamar, author of Rendezvous Eighteenth and Ghosts of Saint-Michel.
Lily Heise, our friend and manager of Context Paris, recently invited us to join a new walking tour that Context has organized called “Lights Out, Paris under the Occupation.”
Thierry Heil of Context Paris
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
We met the group leader, historian Thierry Heil, at the Cadet metro station in the 9th arrondissement for a three-hour trek that began in the Jewish quarter that lies to the north of the Grands Boulevards and ended at place de la Concorde. Along the way, Thierry narrated somber stories of life in Paris under German occupation during WWII: razzias, deportations, executions, resistance, collaboration, denunciation, and finally liberation.
Plaque in Memory of Orville J. Cunningham
Located on Rue Boissy d’Anglas
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Heil pointed out buildings where the Germans established their headquarters, a synagogue and schools that Germans and their French police collaborators raided to capture Jews, plaques on walls that recalled executions and deportations, and locations of street battles between German forces and members of the French resistance. One plaque that he mentioned (that wasn’t on the walk) was placed in the memory of an American resistance fighter, Orville J. Cunningham, who was captured by the Germans on September 24, 1942 and executed on December 4, 1943.
Travelers to Paris who have an interest in French history or the history of WWII will find this walk to be fascinating and enlightening.
Author Shari Leslie Segall and publisher Lisa Vanden Bos have collaborated to produce a witty little book, 90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French, in the guise of a checklist for Americans living in Paris to help them determine how well they have integrated into French culture.
Colorfully illustrated by artist Judit Halász, this concisely-written book challenges expat readers to reflect on how much they have adapted to what they initially must have perceived as quirky customs when they first arrived in the French capital: stores closed at inconvenient times, crossing the handwritten number 7, addressing people with the formal “vous” rather than the informal “tu,” eating bread without butter, putting on a stoic face—rather than a happy one—when walking down the street…the list goes on.
I took exception to a few of the depictions of the French, not finding them to ring true from my experience. But Segall has been living French corporate culture—she is a consultant in cross-cultural communication—and her experiences are necessarily different from mine. I find, for example, that the French are quite punctual, and I am always surprised when I hear people declare that they are not.
Americans living in Paris will enjoy reading this book, and those first-timers dreaming about living a Parisian adventure will profit from the knowledge they gain before setting foot in the City of Light.
90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French can be purchased on Amazon. Click here to learn more!
Women Entrepreneurs Who Participated at the Press Conference
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net
Last Tuesday, a French association called CECAMI organized a press conference in Paris to announce an upcoming seminar on the promotion and empowerment of African women in entrepreneurial and leadership roles. During the conference, as many as 24 women entrepreneurs came forward to give brief presentations of their plans to launch a new business or to expand an existing one.
Eric Marty, Co-founder of afineety
Princesse Altermath-Nyogol-Massing, President of Conseil des Mariannes de la République et d’Europe
Marie-Reine Hassen, Marriane de la JIFA
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Presiding over the press conference were Princesse Altermath-Nyogol-Massing, president of the Conseil des Mariannes de la République et d’Europe, and Marie-Reine Hassen, marriane (sponsor) of the upcoming International Day of the African Woman (JIFA). They both affirmed the importance of nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of African women who want to create companies or take on roles as leaders in their communities. Also present was Eric Marty, one of the founders of a crowd-funding platform for African entrepreneurs called afineety.
The half-day-long seminar will be held on Saturday, July 12 at the French National Assembly. (Reservations for attending the event have closed.)
Gerri Chanel – Author of Saving Mona Lisa
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Award-winning writer Gerri Chanel is in town promoting her new book Saving Mona Lisa: The Battle to Protect the Louvre and its Treasures During World War II. I had the opportunity to meet her recently and asked her about how her interest in French culture developed and what inspired her to research this fascinating story
Chanel’s father’s brother’s wife was born and raised in Paris and Chanel was fascinated from a young age listening to her speak French, her manner of food presentation, and the long, animated discussions with relatives at the dinner table. Though her aunt probably never knew it, she was the person who sparked Chanel’s life-long interest in French language, culture, and cuisine.
Chanel studied accounting and went on to become an international business consultant. The research and business writing skills that she acquired in her profession provided a good foundation for the work that was required to research the history of how the French planned and conducted the largest museum evacuation in history in the years running up to WWII. The operation’s purpose was to remove precious art from the Louvre and to store it in the countryside to protect it from German bombardment.
Chanel first learned of this massive undertaking while watching a documentary film on the Louvre many years ago. A brief mention in a film that a painting from the Louvre was hidden during the war by using it as a false ceiling in a restaurant kindled her interest. In researching this bit of history, Chanel found out that the information was incorrect and set out to write an accurate account. This led to many years of research, both in the United States and in France, culminating in the writing of her book.
Chanel’s work as business consultant first led her to Paris a number of years ago, where she taught management and accounting at several business schools. During this time, she was also able to indulge her longstanding passion for French cuisine. She started a small business called “Paris on Your Plate,” where she conducted wine and cheese pairings at her Paris apartment.
Participants in “Paris on Your Plate” classes enjoyed tasting up to thirteen cheeses and four wines per session. Chanel spoke to them about how French cheeses are made and guided them through the tasting, beginning with the mildest cheeses and leading to the strongest. Lasting about two hours, these sessions were quite popular.
Chanel was well prepared to launch this venture. Several years prior to moving to Paris, she received a certificate in cheese appreciation from a NYC organization called Artisanal Cheese. She received an additional certificate after taking a week-long course in the subject at the University of Vermont. Two French dairy specialists were among the professors who taught this course.
Chanel will talk about Saving Mona Lisa on Tuesday, July 8 at Adrian Leeds’ popular Parler Paris Après Midi, a free monthly meeting where guest speakers talk about a wide variety of interesting topics.
Galerie Rouleau – 3, rue Clotide – 75005 Paris
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
This shop, measuring 1.1 meters wide, stands at 3, rue Clotaire in the 5th arrondissement. The sign above the door indicates that it used to be a flower shop, but it is now an art gallery called Galerie Rouleau. But the gallery won’t be at this location much longer, because the proprietor, Ying na Zhao, told me that it will move at the end of June to a larger location.
Ceramic Jewelery at Galerie Rouleau
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
The gallery exhibits paintings, ceramic jewelery, and photographs from China.
I look forward to visiting the gallery at its new location so that I can step back to admire the paintings!
Last night we held a launch party for our new e-book Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light.
It was held at En Vrac, a cave à manger located at the corner of rue l’Olive and rue Riquet in the 18th arrondissement.
Lily Heise, Anna Eklund-Cheong, Charin Chong, Claire Thomas, Tom Reeves, Mary Kay Bosshart, and Lisa Czarina
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Eleven Paris bloggers and writers gathered to hear me talk about Dining Out in Paris and En Vrac owner Thierry Poincin talk about his wine shop and restaurant.
Tom Reeves
Author of Dining Out in Paris –
What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
I explained that I wrote Dining Out in Paris with first-time travelers to Paris in mind. My intent was to provide helpful information about French restaurants and French dining customs so that newcomers will have confidence to enter a Parisian restaurant to enjoy a fine meal. As a bonus, I have included in-depth reviews of twelve of my favorite restaurants in the book.
Thierry Poincin – Owner of En Vrac
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Thierry explained how he sells wine en vrac (in bulk) to customers who bring their own bottle or leave a 2€ deposit for a bottle that the shop supplies. The bottles are filled from stainless-steel wine vats that contain wine protected from oxidation by nitrogen gas. He also talked about a new location that he’ll soon be opening on rue Maubeuge in the 9th arrondissement.
Tom Reeves with Claire Thomas
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
The following Paris bloggers and writers attended:
Mary Kay Bosshart – Out and About in Paris
Charin Chong – Sight Seeker’s Delight
Lisa Czarina – Ella Coquine
Anna Eklund-Cheong – Paris Haiku
Heidi Ellison – Paris Update
Rosemary Flannery – Passport to Paris
Gerri Chanel – Saving Mona Lisa
Lily Heise – Je T’aime… Me Neither
Ganit Hirschberg – Food, Wine, and Other Adventures
Claire Thomas – Sight Seeker’s Delight
Laurel Zuckerman – Laurel Zuckerman’s Paris Weblog
The party was hosted by:
Tom Reeves – Paris Insights
Monique Y. Wells – Entrée to Black Paris
Thierry Poincin – En Vrac
(En Vrac is one of the restaurants that I reviewed for Dining Out in Paris.)
A good time was had by all!
Heather Stimmler-Hall is a travel writer who has been living in France since 1995. I recently had the opportunity to meet her for the first time at the CititenM launch party about which I blogged two Sundays ago. Heather told me that she was about to launch a new edition of her book Naughty Paris: A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City. This is a self-publishing venture, as was the first. For the second edition, she intends to have it printed as a gorgeous coffee-table style book measuring 6.25 x 7 inches, containing 352 pages and 295 color photos, and bound in sturdy Smyth Sewn binding.
To raise the funds necessary for this costly venture, Heather has launched a campaign on Kickstarter.
The first edition of her book was awarded a Gold Medal for the 2009 Independent Publisher Awards Best Travel Guide. The second edition, to be released in December, will be shipped in July to those who pledge a minimum of $35 CAD (Canadian dollars) to her Kickstarter campaign. Pledges must be made online by Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Take a look at her video on Kickstarter and see what a classy gal this writer is!
 | Tom Reeves - author of Paris Insights - An Anthology and Dining Out in Paris - What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light. |