le 10 Avril, 2026
Bonjour à toutes et à tous! Your weekly Paris Postcard is here—bringing you the city’s latest delights and moments of magic. If you’re new here, every week I share a Paris Postcard as a small glimpse into the city I love and a way to stay connected to Paris whether you’re planning your next visit or simply dreaming from afar. This week, despite cooler temperatures, spring continues to unfurl with an unmistakable sense of renewal that Paris does so beautifully.
Le Printemps des Manufactures starts today. It’s a national celebration of craftsmanship, with ateliers opening their doors across France, including the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, where the story of French porcelain has been unfolding since 1740. On Saturday, April 11, the public can wander through select workshops beneath the historic glass roof, and even extend the visit to the nearby Jardin des Métiers d’Art et du Design, where conversations with designers bring a modern perspective to these time-honored crafts. It’s exactly the kind of experience that reminds me why French decorative arts continue to captivate.
Then, almost overnight, the mood shifts. The Paris Marathon brings a surge of energy as thousands of runners fill the streets and the city becomes energized. Even as a spectator, you feel it—the collective momentum, the cheers echoing down the boulevards, the city itself joining in the movement. Whether you’re watching the race or not, it’s always a good idea to check the route and be aware of street closures.
If you’re looking to escape the city, Versailles is always a great option. Last week, the fountains at Château de Versailles began to flow once again. The gardens are already breathtaking in spring, but when the fountains are flowing, you can’t help but imagine the grandeur of another era, when these displays were designed to dazzle the court of Louis XIV.
And then, beginning April 15, the Madame de Sévigné Exhibition at Musée Carnavalet opens. I would love to see this exhibit. Through her letters, Madame de Sévigné brings the 17th century vividly to life—full of wit, observation, and emotion. It’s a gentle reminder that long before our modern ways of communicating, connection was carefully crafted through pen and paper.
If you like to follow royal news (like I do) media outlets around the world have confirmed the absolutely stunning Princess Maria Carolina de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles is dating Jordan Bardella, who could possibly become the next French president. Read all about it here.
This is what I love most about Paris in the spring—the way it moves so effortlessly between energy and elegance, spectacle and subtlety. Paris doesn’t simply welcome spring—it performs it.
#ICYMI
If you missed it, I recently shared a reflection on La Fine Fleur—a film that feels especially fitting this time of year. As I step into my garden with the promise of new growth and high hopes for my climbing roses, it strikes me again as the perfect cinematic companion: a story that blossoms with charm, warmth, and a quiet, distinctly French elegance.
For a bit of nostalgia, you might enjoy revisiting my earlier post on the remarkable impact of Chicago-based philanthropy on the gardens of Palace of Versailles. Through organizations like American Friends of Versailles, founded by Catharine Hamilton, American donors have played a meaningful role in restoring groves, fountains, and garden spaces that might otherwise have faded with time. It’s a beautiful reminder that Versailles, while so deeply French, is also part of a long and enduring Franco-American story—one that continues to shape the gardens we admire today.
xoxo, Jeannine
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