• Salon du Chocolat Junior new addition to the 2016 Paris edition
    Children and Teens,  Events and Trade Shows,  Food, Drink & Health,  Life in Paris & France,  Museum exhibitions

    Salon du Chocolat Junior is New Addition

    On Sunday evening, the opportunity arose to visit the last opening hours of the Salon du Chocolat. The show continues through November 1 in Pavilion 5, Porte de Versailles and is a five-day event that began the 27th of November. My goal this year: See what is happening at the Salon du Chocolat Junior on the main level. For the first time in 2016, the Salon du Chocolat Junior, gives young chocophiles the chance to sign up for pastry classes, Choco-Tours of the salon wearing cooking toques, workshops, visit the beauty boutique with delicious chocolate treatments, enjoy cultural heritage and entertainment activities with African cocoa-producing countries and watch the production…

  • Cartoon from Frantastique a fun, humorous learning tool with animations and quizzes
    Book Reviews,  Language,  Life in Paris & France

    Learning French-Babes to Adults

    Learning French comes in a variety of ways. From interactive toys to online lessons to French theatre with English surtitles to language speed speaking to traditional one-on-one lessons or studying abroad. The list keeps growing to fit your convenience. Some ideas from the past for young ages like the P’tit nours bears have given way to Snow & Stella, Lily Lapin, a friend of Pierre Lapin’s, and the very popular ChiChi Love, the showstar Chihuahua. Two large toy stores in Paris stock and innumerable quantity of French and bi-lingual toys and animals. Adults over 15 need not worry because fun is in store for you! Frantastique, a humorous online learning…

  • Poster with stations closed during RER C summer renovation in Paris until August 27, 2016
    Life in Paris & France,  Transportation,  Welcome to Colleen's Paris

    RER C Renovating – Reroute Your Journey

    Between Gare d’Austerlitz and Javel, RER C resumes normal activity August 27. You will only see a diagram of the stations affected at the bottom of the stairs to the platform. Plan on buses or other metro lines to circumvent this summer riddle. Posters are plastered all over the metros and RER about RER A with only a mention that something is going on with RER C. Even at Gare d’Austerlitz the information is limited. With digging, I was able to find maintenance information about the other RER works scheduled. Use Google Translate to read the page. I was heading to the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) area, for example. I…

  • August 21, no service between La Défense and Nation alternatives available
    Life in Paris & France,  Transportation,  Videos

    Paris RER A Renovating after Forty Years

    After forty years, RER A is renovating between July 23 and August 21. Alternative transportation options are available. Two videos and a website explain the details. The RER A serves forty-six stations (35 RATP metro and 11 SNCF) and carries 308 million travelers a year with two minutes between trains. Read more about the RER A project and other statistics. Guides for How to Get Around this Summer on RER A and C can be downloaded as well as the special instructions booklet, practical guide to prepare ahead, guide for the disabled and how to get around Paris and the outlying areas this summer.....

  • BHV/Marais in a map of the Marais designated a tourist shopping zone. With the Loi Macron, it is the only department store with permission to remain open on all Sundays throughout the year
    Life in Paris & France,  Practical Info

    BHV and Other July Changes in Paris

    Every July 1, new legislation and modification to daily routines take effect. This year, the changes include plastic bags, polluting vehicles, contraception, Sunday shopping hours …. These are some of the main changes for 2016 gleaned from Direct Matin . Beginning July 3, BHV/Marais (part of the Galeries Lafayette group) is the first Paris department to open on Sundays as a result of the Loi Macron (Minister of the Economy, Emmanuel Macron) ...

  • View of Champs Elysees with cyclists-May 8 is first Sunday pedestrian opening
    Events and Trade Shows,  Life in Paris & France

    Paris Begins Another Fresh Air Tradition

    Currently, Paris closes particular neighborhood streets on Sundays. The Paris City Council has now added a famous avenue to the list. Below you will find links to maps of those neighborhoods, information on new neighborhoods being added this summer and details about the Champs-Elysées. The exclusive Avenue des Champs-Elysées receives a breath of fresh air when certain dignitaries visit or during a special event. Beginning May 8.....

  • Cover of Que Choisir consumer magazine March 2016
    Life in Paris & France,  Shopping/FleaMarkets/Organic

    Que Choisir Tests Beauty Ingredients

    News in France spreads like wild fire! Whether it is word of mouth or the morning news on Télématin, I have found either all of the white vinegar is gone because of its cleaning properties, my hair color disappears because of a sale or the beauty products we use may have nasty ingredients. My father-in-law bought the latest Que Choisir. Its article on Hygiène et Beauté (Hygiene and Beauty) was soon all over the news. Que Choisir is a consumer magazine in France, similar to Consumer Reports in the United States. They recently tested ....

  • Foreign language books on a table in my library
    Language,  Life in Paris & France

    Colleen’s Paris in Top Paris Blogs

    The Canadian company, Languages Abroad organizes language immersion trips for students and adults. They paid me a compliment recently by naming Colleen's Paris one of the "Top 9 Paris Blogs". I guess it was hard to find ten. :-) They contacted me via Twitter (@colleensparis): "We'd love to write a feature on your blog...". I like considering writing and photo contributions to Colleen's Paris ... Read more

  • Poster for Aiguille en fete the needlework trade show with studios
    Events and Trade Shows,  Life in Paris & France,  Museum exhibitions

    Needlework Fair (Aiguille en Fête) February

    It’s that time again for speed knitting, home spun yarn, lace, all sorts of needle craft, buttons, ribbons, patchwork, fabric, needles, hooks, threads, and sewing machines at Aiguille en Fête, February 4-7, 2016. This is the annual needlework trade show with studios, workshops and lots of color! Porte de Versailles, Paris and 250 exhibitors from around the world (list in the Aiguille en Fête catalog page). Special exhibition 2016 is Tréors Mayas (Mayan Treasures), a tradition of needlework for three thousand years. The trade show has an agenda of special needlework events and exhibitions. For you speed knitters, the 2015 results are documented. Catherine Bouënard has held the winning tricot…