I Prefer Paris

Courtyard Week 6: 13 rue St. Louis en L'ile

Today's courtyard is a very special one on the Ile St Louis. I shot it in late spring and the greenery was so abundant, especially the wisteria growing wild and crawling up the buildings. I also got a shot of the grand, stone staircase with the black diamond insets in the floor. This is a closed, private residential courtyard and there was some kind of performance going that day and the door was wide open, so I just went right in and took advantage. A few doors down is another great Paris sweet stop, the Berthillon ice cream shop at # 31. Slurp!
 
13 rue St. Louis en L'ile, 75004
Metro: Sully Morland or Pont Marie

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis
 

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 6: 2 rue du Pas de la Mule

It's that time of the year again, Courtyard Week. For my sixth edition I have combed the city in the last six months for new courtyards and have discovered a treasure trove of hidden gems behind the big doors.

Today is a courtyard right near the Place des Vosges. I have come to find that many courtyards have public access during the week, so sometimes I will just push the button below the keypad on the side of the building to see if it will open. I did this at 21 rue du Pas de la Mule, and Voila! the door magically opened. Inside was a courtyard with the usual features of cobblestones and lush plants and flowers, and dripping ivy but there were a few unusual details like the scalloped metal cornice, the large square gray metal planters, and stained glass windows. I believe this was a former hotel de particular dating from the 1600s. If you do go by there, make sure to stop by the yummy and clever chocolate shop Josephine Vannier next door at # 4.

2 rue du Pas de la Mule, 75003
Metro: Chemin Vert

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis
 

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 5: 21 Place des Vosges

I have been in this courtyard many times over the years as a friend of mine used to live in the building before I started my blog and I never thought to photograph it. A few other times the door opened and I stepped in to look but alas, didn't have my camera. The building is very private, in fact there is no digi-code, only separate bells for each residence or office. I lucked out the other day when I took my camera to photograph some other courtyards and the doors to the courtyard magically opened as I passed it.

This is one of the grandest courtyards I have seen. It's quite expansive and extends almost a whole city block. There is a tall glass pavilion in the back that has offices and the rest of the building is mostly apartments. One lovely spot is sectioned off as a private garden with a wild pink rosebush and white lacquered gate.

Places des Vosges, originally called Place Royale, was commissioned by Henri IV in 1605 and completed in 1612. It was the first square of Paris and also the first sign of city planning, where all the buildings were uniform. Constructed of brick with stone facades and slate roofs, it consists of 35 private homes with the two taller structures at the north and south ends of the square built as pavilions for the King and Queen, but they never lived in them. The beautiful park in the middle with symetrical manicured lawns and trees and four flowing fountains is named after Louis XIII who married Queen Anne of Austria in the park. It also served as a dueling ground.

Cardinal Richelieu, who became prime minister of France in 1624, lived at 21 Place des Vosges 1615 to 1627. Other notable residents include Madame Sévigné and Victor Hugo, who lived on the second floor at #6 from 1832 to 1838. Hugo wrote most of Les Miserables at this address and it now houses the Victor Hugo museum.

21 Place des Vosges
Metro: St. Paul, Chemin Vert, or Bastille

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 5: 8 rue des Francs Bourgeois

I chose this courtyard more for its flowers and greenery than the architecture. The courtyard doesn't have a lot of depth and is wide and more horizontial. It is open to the public during the day, so this is one of the few courtyards that you don't have to sneak in. I was not able to find out the history of the building but it does look like it's from the 1700s or late 1600s.

Located on the left side of the courtyard, is one of my favorite Marais shops, Entrée des Fournisseurs, which has a dazzling selection of ribbons, buttons, yarns, felt, thread, braids, and knitting and needlepoint sets. Anybody into crafts, knitting, or needlepoint will go ape in Entrée des Fournisseurs, so be warned you may spend a small or large fortune.

8 rue des Francs Bourgeois
Metro: St. Paul

A peek into Entrée des Fournisseurs

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 5: 27 rue de Grenelle

Walking with my friend Thirza Vallois in the 7th arr. on a quiet Sunday last week, we discovered a most beautiful courtyard. A car was backing out from behind a set of ominous blue lacquered doors and after the car drove away, the doors were left open. Well faster than you can say Oo-la-la!, we entered the courtyard. A stone wall with tangled ivy, a fountain filled with red geraniums, and fragrant white roses were just a few of the visual delights we experienced. Of course, we were gently shown the exit as the man said he had to close the doors again. What a special spontaneous treat and best of all you get to see the photographic fruits of our momentary diversion. I was not able to find any history of the building but judging by its architectural style, it looks like it was a hotel particulier built in the late 1600s or 1700s.

27 rue de Grenelle, 7th arr.
Metro: Rue du Bac or Sevres-Babylone

 

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 5: 64 rue Vieille du Temple

It's been the most beautiful spring I have seen since i lived here, with more than a month of bright sunshine and blue skies almost everyday and temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s. The courtyards have sprouted their ivy which grows profusely on the facades and walls of buildings, wild roses in the best shades of red, pink, and orange, and barren trees have been replaced with glowing green leaves. What better time than now to inaugurate Courtyard Week 5. I have done the usual shenannigans to get into these courtyards, including sometimes practically breaking and entering, so that I may bring you them in all their spring glory.

My friend, artist Susan Shup, has her atelier at 64 rue Vieille du Temple in the Marais and I have always loved the entrance way to her studio. I asked Susan about the history of her building and she said her part of the building is what remains of the 17th century hotel particulier, the Hotel de Pommereu.  He was a counsel to King Louis XIV and owned the hotel in 1705. The mixed use of the building of shops and apartments and different architectural styles give the courtyard a rich dimension.

64 rue Vieille du Temple
Metro: St. Paul or Hotel de Ville
This courtyard is sometimes open during the day for business access

Staircase and door from original 1705 building

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 4: 24 rue Chanoinesse

I discovered this courtyard on the Ile de la Cité when Lynn and I had lunch at Au Bougnat last March. It's in a medieval building from 1512. There are so many charming architectural details including gates, doors, beams, stone walls, and wall plaques along with the the sprawling ivy climbing up the walls. The front of the building houses the excellent restaurant Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole, run by Odette and George and serves authentic Aveyron cuisine with organic ingredients from farms in the region. They also rent out apartments overlooking the courtyard.

24 rue Chanoinesse, Ile de la Cité, 4th arr.
Metro: Cité

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 4: 35 rue Jacob

Today's courtyard in St. Germain des Pres is open to the public during the day, so I didn't have to scale the walls wearing camouflage or take photos with my spy camera like Duke, one of my loyal readers fantasized me doing. Inside is a book shop called Librairie des Femmes, a women's bookshop. I took photos twice, once in March and the other in early May and was delighted to find flowers and plants in full bloom both times. I was amazed that roses were so bountiful in early March and that some of the plants were more tropical, looking more like Key West than Paris. There was even a palm tree sprouting its big leaves.

35 rue Jacob, 6th arr.
Metro: St. Germain des Pres

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 4: 38 Bld. Raspail

 
For Courtyard Week 4, I decided to focus more on courtyards that were untypical, maybe a little more eclectic and less manicured as some in the past. Some of them this week have strange mixes of architectural styles.

I love the sleepy stone lion surrounded by the pink flowers, which makes him seem less ferocious. I also like the way the glass panes reflect the clouds.

38 Bld. Raspail, 7th arr.
Metro: Sevres-Babylone

 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Courtyard Week 4: 56-58 rue de Vieille de Temple

It's that time again, Courtyard Week. I have taken more dangerous risks to photograph this edition than a paparazzi photographer trying to get a snap of Brangelina.

Today it's a courtyard in the Marais that has an open iron gate in front rather than doors. I have passed it many times and admired the potted rosebushes. I decided to let myself in one day- it's semi-public during the day- and I discovered a sprawling courtyard with  lush gardens and an eclectic mix of buildings with architecture ranging from the 1800s to early 1900s. I photographed it in July and the abundance of flowers and plants in bloom made it feel like a tropical garden in the middle of Paris.

56-58 rue de Vieille de Temple, 3d. arr.
Metro: Hotel de Ville or St. Paul 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com