In 1622 Marie de Medici, widow of Henri IV (my favorite French king), built the Luxembourg Palace. It is modeled after the Pitti Palace in her native Florence, Italy. As a student, I passed by here every day, and I think it will always hold a special place in my…

Sunday evening, my girlfriend Charlie and I headed over to the Théatre des Champs-Elysées for the 15th Annual International Dance Gala. The program consisted of a series of short pieces performed by some of the very best dancers in the world, including  the American Ballet Théatre, the Ballet de l’Opera…

I arrived in Paris just in time for the closing weekend of the Biennale des Antiquaires. Since its founding in 1962, the Biennale has presented the beautiful works of art in the most sumptuous settings. This year’s exhibit, held in the Grand Palais, featured nearly 150 dealers. It was the…

As a Chicagoan, I think I’m naturally inclined to favor the Bauhaus School. So, the Kandinsky exhibit at the Pompidou Center was a “must see” for me.   In Chicago, we are fortunate to have numerous buildings influenced by the Bauhaus architectural style and as well as a good number…

I usually try to avoid the Louvre on rainy days because it’s always so crowded and the experience is sometimes compromised by the sheer number of visitors. Nonetheless, having been caught in a few downpours on previous days and fearful of catching a cold, I was determined to avoid the rain. As…

Dawn invited me to join her and a few other friends to see last night’s performance of Tosca at the Opera Bastille. It was superb and thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks Dawn for wonderul “girls’ night out.” Dawn, Brittany, Catherine, Moi and Barbara