Let's Explore

Check list to see and do Destinations Tours, Guides, Walks & Wheels Museums Sightseeing Famous Graves sightseeing destinations in Paris, around Paris, outside France, within France

  • Marcel Proust On his mother's side MAHJ dossier de pressed
    Let's Explore,  Museum exhibitions

    Marcel Proust on His Mother’s Side

    The “Marcel Proust-Du côté de la mère” exhibition has it all: Fake news, social, art and theatrical history, fashion and moral transformations and politics. A more in-depth look at Marcel Proust’s writings is illustrated by the use of the period's contemporary painters and photographers throughout the exhibition. Their scenes illustrate Proust’s words. There is so much to this exhibit, I recommend you visit to absorb the family history, Proust's observational history and the intensity of a time machine between the Belle Époque and the modern life of society and the rich contributions of modern Jewish families.

  • Image two dresses and coat dress Henri Matisse (The Dance) Black and White YSL colleensparis.com
    Let's Explore,  Museums

    Exploring the Musée de l’Art moderne and YSL

    What happens when your tour guide does not show up at the art museum? You become the beholder of the beauty on your own: Couturier art, painted art, creative food art and chocolate art. When the guide did not show up, a group of us walked into the Musée d’Art moderne (MAM)  and found Yves Saint Laurent’s couturier art and explored the MAM on our own to our own delight.  After the ad-lib visit, we went downstairs to the Forest restaurant and were surrounded by dancing art on the walls in an imaginary forest. For dessert, two of us went foraging for chocolate and came upon more art: artisan chocolate…

  • Image Musée Carnavalet with words Ville de Paris and poster of Marcel Proust Colleen's Paris
    Let's Explore,  Museum exhibitions

    Marcel Proust “A Parisien Novel” is a Novel Journey

    An unexpected pleasure came with choosing the wrong ticket. The ticket was not a Carnavalet Museum general admission ticket. My ticket was actually a timed ticket for Marcel Proust. Marcel Proust, is a well-known, popular Parisian author (1871–1922) who set his novels in the Belle Epoque of 1890s until 1922. The Marcel Proust A Parisian Novel (Un Roman Parisien) exhibit is a map of characters, fashion and scenery (exterior and interior) for the visitor's novel journey.... read more

  • ham and cheese sandwich the croque monsieur at the grocery store
    History,  Let's Explore,  Life in Paris & France

    How did le Croque-Monsieur get its name?

    Le croque-monsieur (croak-missyou) is THE real French sandwich. It is not just a ham and cheese sandwich made with two pieces of bread. It is toasted and it is famous. Le croque-monsieur is one particular sandwich that has made it's way from the brasserie and bistro to the microwave in France. Diners take photos of meals exquisitely arranged on the plate. Not many take a photo of a sandwich. These foods, however, do share something in common. They are available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

  • Pere Noël-Father Christmas-Santa Clause at the Bastille, Paris, France
    Christmas,  Let's Explore

    Father Christmas at the Bastille in Paris

    One day walking through the Bastille plaza, I saw the Christmas trees being set up around the green July column. By the next evening, purple was once again the sparkling color lighting up the Bastille July column. For the Christmas holiday, Pere Noël was riding the merry-go-round and another day he was dancing with a marching band. Every day is different in the Bastille!

  • Vivian Maier Self-Portrait New York 5 mai 1955 Musée du Luxembourg
    Let's Explore,  Museum exhibitions

    Vivian Maier: A Photographer Found

    The negatives and undeveloped rolls of film from Vivian Maier's Rolleiflex, Leica and Super 8 and 16 mm cameras ended up in cardboard boxes. To the world of renowned photographers, she did not exist. To the children of three different families, she was the Nanny. Vivian Maier is the photographer found. She was finally found in 2007 in Chicago. A handful of Vivian Maier’s images of street life photography are the current exhibit until January 16, 2022 at the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris.

  • View from Louis XIII statue Place des Vosges on Vik Muniz's Pictures of Garbage
    Photography-Art,  Seeing Paris

    Paris Design Week is Too Short!

    While taking a shortcut through Place des Vosges, my eyes saw photographs. They really saw pictures of garbage. Place des Vosges is on annual exhibition circuit for Paris Design Week. Paris Design Week is too short! Over 350 exhibitors and I only saw three in two days! "Pictures of Garbage", new types of flooring in a bench display, and artsy designs in the Orangerie. You can't just pass on by, you have to stay and study and enjoy!