Travel
- La Tour Eiffel
- Arc de Triomphe
- Saint-Chapelle
- Assemblée Nationale - Palais Bourbon
- Le Panthéon
- Hôtel des Invalides
- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- La Comédie-Française
- Paris, France: 10 churches you should visit - Lots of detail and wonderful photos
- Église Saint-Sulpice - It is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second-largest church in the city. The church is mentioned in Dan Brown’s 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code.
- Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
- Walking Along the Seine
- Pont Alexandre III
- Hôtel de la Marine
- Musée Guimet, Musée national des arts asiatiques
- Musée Jacquemart-André
- Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris
- Musée de la Libération de Paris - musée du Général Leclerc - musée Jean Moulin
- Rue des Martyrs
- Basilique de Saint-Denis - The final resting place of the kings and queens of France. Built on the grave of Saint Denis, a Bishop of Paris who died in 250 AD, the royal abbey of Saint-Denis was, from the death of King Dagobert in 639 AD until the 19th century, the burial place of 43 kings, 32 queens and 10 servants to the monarchy. The basilica was raised to the rank of cathedral in 1966.
- Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme - The largest French museum of Jewish art and history
- The American Church in Paris, the first American church established outside of the United States.
- Musée Nissim de Camondo
- Musée Picasso
- Le Cordon Bleu Paris proposes a range of short term culinary discoveries for those with a passion for the art of cooking: cooking classes, pastry classes and boulangerie workshops. These courses can take the form of demonstrations or practical workshops.
- Boulevard Paris 13 - Street Art
- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
- Tunnel des Tuileries
- The Musée de la Vie romantique (Museum of Romantic Life)
- Des Mots et Des Arts (en français) vous propose de découvrir ses visites guidées de Paris. Pour mieux comprendre l’histoire et les transformations urbaines de la capitale, nos guides vous accompagnent dans votre découverte parisienne.
- Cultival - Guided tours of Paris landmarks
- Sarah Donnelly, Stand-Up Comedian in Paris
- Domaine National de Saint-Cloud
- Canal Saint-Martin
- Eiffel Tower viewed from Pont Bir-Hakeim
- Tour Montparnasse - Since April 1, 2023 the rooftop terrace is closed to the public. The 56th floor is open but you will be viewing and making photos through glass.
- Paris Walks (in English)
- Parisology - Walking Tours
- April in Paris Tours - April Pett, a Canadian from Ontario who lives in Paris, offers walking tours. April was interviewed in French by Yasmine Lesire in this podcast.
- Musée Maillol
- Musée Marmottan Monet
- Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection
- Les visites-conférences de Paris historique - Visites guidées (in French)
- La Banque de France
- Musée des Archives Nationales - Hôtel de Soubise
- La Galerie Dior
- Fondation Louis Vuitton
- Serge Lutens, Palais Royal
- Enjoy a spectacular view over Paris from the 8th floor of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann
- So Hotel - Rooftop bar
- Librairie Delamain - One of the oldest bookstores in Paris
- Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature
- Institut de France
- Sainte-Geneviève Library
- Parc de Bagatelle - Jardin botanique de Paris
- Marché Beauvau – Marché d’Aligre – See also, David Lebovitz’s 2016 description of the market.
- Evous - What’s happening in Paris (only in French)
- Paris Diary by Laure - An excellent blog about what’s happening in Paris
- Paris Update – What’s happening now in Paris (in English)
- Guide to Paris by Vito L. Tanzi, a talented Washington area photographer
- The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino, former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times
- The Seine: The River that Made Paris by Elaine Sciolino
- The Streets of Paris: A Guide to the City of Light Following in the Footsteps of Famous Parisians Throughout History
- Join Us in France Podcast
- Paris Unlocked
- Paris Gone By
- Admiring the Trees of Paris, New York Times
- Joann Pai - A Little Guide for Those Coming to Paris
- The Earful Tower: An Australian-Swedish couple living in Paris share their take on the city
- Bonjour Paris - Information for travelers to Paris
- Paris with Scott - “Paris, you are . . . the love of my life. And, I want everyone to love you as much as I do.”
- Les Frenchies - After 32 years in the US, the Duponts moved to France where Antoine was born. Antoine is rediscovering his homeland and sharing it with his American wife Colleen. They are on a quest to find the best France has to offer.
- The Paris Tourists Rarely Visit - See also, William Keo’s ongoing project about unrest in the suburbs of Paris.
- Tips for Photographing Montmartre by Serge Ramelli - Video
- Matt Barrett’s Guide to Paris
- Eight Places to See the Eiffel Tower
- David Lebovitz, Website by an American pastry chef and author who lives in Paris
- Paris by Mouth, Paris restaurant reviews and more
- Le Zinc d’Honoré - A classic brasserie I’ve enjoyed.
- Maison Fleuret - A literary coffee shop nestled within an old bookstore in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. - Review en Français
- Elan café Galeries Lafayette 4è etage - Review en Français
- Paris, the Novel, by Edward Rutherford, historical fiction
- Seven Ages of Paris, by Alistair Horne, history - I listened to this sweeping history of Paris and enjoyed it very much. It’s 20 hours and 49 minutes long and worth every minute. The narration by Derek Perkins is superb.
- In Montmartre, by Sue Roe about the art scene
- In Montparnasse, by Sue Roe about the art scene
- The Paris Bookseller, by Kerri MaherEve, about the writing scene in Paris
- My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prudhomme
- A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway
- Dawn of the Belle Epoque - The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau, and Their Friends by Mary McAuliffe
- Paris, City of Dreams - Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Creation of Paris by Mary McAuliffe
- Twilight of the Belle Epoque - The Paris of Picasso, Stravinsky, Proust, Renault, Marie Curie, Gertrude Stein, and Their Friends Through the Great War by Mary McAuliffe
- Washington Monument
- Library of Congress
- National Gallery of Art
- National Museum of Natural History, especially the Hope Diamond
- Constitution Gardens
- National Portrait Gallery
- Eisenhower Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial - Dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on April 13, 1943, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial stands in a straight line with the White House. Architect John Russell Pope, influenced by Jefferson’s taste in classical architecture, echoed the style seen in Jefferson’s two most famous buildings - Monticello and the University of Virginia Rotunda.
- American Red Cross National Headquarters
- The First Public Statue of Abraham Lincoln
- U.S. National Arboretum
- Capital Jewish Museum
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum
- Art on Call
- Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
- International Spy Museum
- Mount Vernon
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - Displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird SR-71, and a Concorde, in two large hangars near Dulles Airport.
- National Building Museum
- Self-Guided JFK Walking Tour in Georgetown
- Peabody Room, Georgetown Public Library
- Tudor Place, Georgetown
- Decatur House
- Planet Word
- American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center
- Destination DC
- Have Camera Will Travel
- Travel Guide to Washington by Vito L. Tanzi, a talented local photographer
- Vintage Images of Washington
- The White House Historical Association
- Guides to Georgetown
- Amateur Traveler Podcast - Episode about Washington
- Trip Hacks DC Podcast
- Everything You Think You Know About the (Nonexistent) Georgetown Metro Stop Is Wrong
- National Park Service Calendar of Events - District of Columbia
- Washington Post Going Out Guide
- Washington, DC Events
- Washingtonian Events Calendar
- Axios D.C. - Things to Do
- Washington Open (Summer Tennis Tournament)
- Washington Photo Safari
- Joe Yablonsky - A local photographer who operates photo tours and classes.
- Art with Tosca - Washington Art Tours
- Off the Mall Walking Tours - “Get Off the Mall to explore the deep history of the Nation’s Capital”
- DC Design Tours - Historical and Architectural Guided Tours of Washington DC
- Trip Hacks DC - Private and public tours
- StreetMeet DC - Meetups for photographers
Dorothea Lange at the National Gallery of Art, Washington
During her long, prolific, and groundbreaking career, the American photographer Dorothea Lange made some of the most iconic portraits of the 20th century. _Dorothea Lange: Seeing People _reframes Lange’s work through the lens of portraiture, highlighting her unique ability to discover and reveal the character and resilience of those she photographed.
Featuring some 100 photographs, the exhibition addresses her innovative approaches to picturing people, emphasizing her work on social issues including economic disparity, migration, poverty, and racism.
November 5, 2023 – March 31, 2024 - West Building, Ground Floor, National Gallery of Art
Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell at the National Portrait Gallery - March 1, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Updated Guide to Visiting Washington, DC
Visiting Paris
If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.
Places to Visit
Learning About Paris
Eating in Paris
Last updated: February 29, 2024
Read the Fine Print Before Buying Travel Insurance
If you buy travel insurance for a group tour make sure the payment of any claim from the insurer goes to you and not the tour company. Christopher Elliot explains that with some travel companies (e.g., Overseas Adventure Travel), “when you buy travel insurance with your trip, the insurance payment goes to the company, which then pays you.” And even then the tour company may be slow in paying the money or may never pay. If you choose to buy travel insurance, it’s better to buy it from the insurance company rather than the tour operator. That way if the insurer pays a claim they will pay it to you and not the tour company.
What’s more, the insurance company will have a claims procedure that will take time and effort. Without proper documentation, your claim may be denied. Be prepared to fill out forms and wait.
In addition, I suggest you consider buying cancel for any reason coverage, especially in current times. There may be political unrest, the risk of illness or other reasons that make you uncomfortable with the trip that won’t be covered by travel insurance. For an additional premium you can get cancel for any reason coverage which generally will pay 75% of what you paid for the trip. You will still lose money but a lot less than the full amount of the trip.
If you file a claim it may take the insurer a long time even to review it. You can expect to receive emails like this:
Thank You For Your Patience!
We are checking in to let you know we received your documents and we are still working to complete your claim. We sincerely apologize that our review process is taking longer than usual. We’ll provide you an update when your claim has been reviewed. You can check the status of your claim by logging into your profile or by visiting the link below.
If you have received more than one of these letters from us, please disregard the others.
On the other hand, if you travel a lot you may be willing to accept the risk of losing everything you paid the tour operator. Just don’t count on the tour operator to care about your level of fear or discomfort.
Buyer beware.
See also, Should Overseas Adventure Travel cover my airfare for a canceled pretrip excursion?
Books About Paris
Gregg Rutter, a photographer from Minnesota, recommends these books about Paris on episode 478 of the Join Us in France podcast:
Gregg later recommended the following books:
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress in Washington, DC is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, films and video, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Congress moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 after holding sessions for eleven years in temporary national capitals in New York City and Philadelphia. Also in 1800, as part of an act of Congress providing for the removal of the new national government from Philadelphia to Washington, President John Adams approved an act of Congress providing $5,000 for books for the use of Congress—the beginning of the Library of Congress.
However, in 1814, the British burned Washington, destroying the Capitol and the small congressional library in its north wing. Former President Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his comprehensive personal library of 6,487 books to rebuild the Library of Congress. Congress accepted his offer in 1815. Jefferson’s concept of universality is the rationale for the comprehensive collecting policies of today’s Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress is among Washington’s top attractions. Every Library of Congress visitor must reserve timed-entry pass. Passes are available here. It’s worth planning ahead as slots fill up.
Sources: Library of Congress, Wikipedia
Report: Former Google CEO Bought Former Jackie Kennedy House in Georgetown
Former Google CEO ERIC SCHMIDT and his wife, WENDY, are the anonymous buyers of the historic Georgetown mansion that JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS used to own and that sold at auction for $15 million in November, a Georgetown neighbor familiar with the purchase told Daniel Lippman. The N Street house is formally called the “NEWTON D. BAKER House” after a former secretary of War and also known as the “Jacqueline Kennedy House” since she lived there for a year after JOHN F. KENNEDY was killed (she paid around $175,000).
Podcast: ‘Travel with Rick Steves’
Travel with Rick Steves is a weekly one hour podcast with guest experts and callers about travel, cultures and people. This, in my opinion, is the best travel podcast.
Steves is well-traveled, bright, articulate, positive and most of all curious to learn about the world and the people who inhabit it. Although Steves’s guidebooks and organized tours focus on Europe, the podcast covers the world.
Guests include authors and professional guides Steves uses for his tours and guidebooks. The information he provides is timely and accurate. For example, Steves has interviewed great authors such as Paul Theroux and David McCullough (1933-2022).
After listening to the interview of David McCullough, I was really charged up to get out and explore the world, in part because McCullough started his life and explorations in my hometown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. McCullough has written extensively about the United States starting near home with the The Johnstown Flood. He was also a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. That’s the caliber of guest Steves can corral. And he does it once a week.
Even Smart People Get Scammed
I was tricked by a phone-phisher pretending to be from my bank, and he convinced me to hand over my credit-card number, then did $8,000+ worth of fraud with it before I figured out what happened. And then he tried to do it again, a week later!
You can’t be too careful. I think it’s great that at least some folks share what happened to them. It serves as a warning to us all.
See also:
Visiting Washington, DC
Places to Visit
Learning About Washington
Places to Stay
Four Seasons: Best Hotel in Washington
Events and Activities
Last updated: February 13, 2024
Be Careful if You Travel with Expensive Stuff
If you travel with expensive equipment, please be extra careful. This photographer — Manny Ortiz — was the victim of camera theft ($16,000) on a train in Italy. I am glad Manny shared his story.
Paris: Walking Along the Seine
I have loved Paris for more than 40 years. About seven years ago, I stumbled across Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light. The author, David Downie, is an American who has lived in Paris since 1986. He loves Paris deeply and knows it far better than I do.
Downie likes to walk. His book is divided into “Paris People”, “Paris Places” and “Paris Phenomena.” It is the places that interested me the most. For example, Downie describes a long walk along the Seine that I decided to replicate. It transformed my view of Paris because I learned how much of the city revolves around the river. I also learned just how small the city is geographically and how it seems that almost every centimeter of the city has been lovingly cultivated.
The walk begins at France’s gigantic national library — Bibliothèque nationale de France. This is the largest library I have ever seen; it houses more than 15 million books and journals. It is located near the Métro station Bibliothèque François Mitterrand right along the Seine. But not much else is nearby. The location feels desolate, modern and suburban, although the library remains within Paris’s Périphérique or beltway.
However, it was unclear to me from reading the book where the walk ended so I emailed the author who cheerfully responded with the details and even suggested a nice, reasonably priced restaurant for lunch right along the walk. The restaurant is La Fregate and is at the only spot on the walk where you have to go up to the sidewalk from the river.
I watched the city transform from stark, modern suburbs and eventually came upon Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower and on to its terminus at the Pont Mirabeau. I will never forget Le Pont Mirabeau after reading Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem in high school breathing life and love into the bridge. Seeing Le Pont Mirabeau at the end of this day-long walk was special.
The entire walk was about 10 km or 6.2 miles. The transformations within that short distance speak volumes about Paris.
At Downie’s suggestion, I also visited Buttes-Chaumont park which is even more impressive than Mr. Downie describes. He knows Place des Voges like the back of his hand so that chapter is exceptional.
On top of the wonderful details that make Paris come to life, Downie’s prose shows a love and mastery of the English language that I appreciate. This gem of a book will teach you so much about Paris and make you want to return again and again or just to go to Paris and remain as Downie has.
You can see some photographs of Paris I’ve made over the years here.
Remembering a High School French Teacher
Ms. Graves, the French teacher, loved talking about Paris. She had one time been married to someone who we thought was rich because she had gone over to France, studied, visited, eaten great food, lived a life that she retold to us with a big smile, reliving each memory before a classroom full of fidgety, pimple-faced high schoolers, passing notes back and forth, trying to do as little as possible. I loved her stories and loved thinking about visiting the places she talked about, the Eiffel Tower of course, but the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre, eating cheese from just one store that sold cheese, salamis from one store that sold meat, croissants from the bread shop, it all sounded so wonderful.
Paris with Scott - explaining his long lasting love of Paris.
My first high school French teacher was Mrs. Stewart. She was always so positive and encouraging. I looked forward to each class. She instilled and encouraged a love of the language and culture that have stayed with me. I am very grateful.
Crime on the Rise in the Nation’s Capital
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, announced Jan. 26 the Justice Department will be dedicating new resources to combating carjackings and the rise in violent crime in the nation’s capital. “Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do – including here in the District of Columbia,” Garland said in a Jan. 26 press release.
According the The Washington Examiner, Washington, D.C., “ended 2023 with a 26 percent increase in overall crime compared to last year,” per MPD and D.C. data. And, “that included a 39 percent increase in violent crime, and carjackings rose for the sixth year in a row, totaling 959 reported incidents.”
Podcast: ‘Join Us In France’
If you want to travel in France and learn about French history, the Join Us in France podcast is a superb resource.
The podcast, which launched in 2014, was originally co-hosted by Elyse and Annie. They live in France and know it well. Annie was born in France but has lived in the United States. Although Elyse grew up in New York, she knows the language, the culture and the country’s history inside and out. Elyse, the native American, often seems more French than Annie who was born in France. Go figure. Due to time constraints, Elyse is no longer a co-host but still comes on the show as her time permits.
The podcast does a great job of explaining France and its culture to Americans. I especially enjoyed the episodes about driving in France, cheese and Le Marais. I also learned a great deal by listening to recent episode in which Elyse and Annie discuss the best places to see modern and contemporary art in France.
Each episode has show notes that are very helpful in planning a trip. For example, the modern art episode lists 18 museums around France to explore, including many new to me.
There are plenty of other resources to help travelers to France select hotels and restaurants. But this podcast will help you to understand France. Annie also offers self-guided audio walking tours.
Annie and Elyse were interviewed for Amateur Traveler episode 428 about Paris. The Amateur Traveler is a great podcast but if your destination is France, Join Us in France is the podcast for you.
French Museums Welcomed Record Numbers in 2023
Le Louvre had 8.9 million visitors in 2023, up 14% compared with 2022. Versailles had 8.1 million visitors, 18% of whom were Americans. Most, but not all, French museums reached pre-Covid levels of attendance.
Only the Pompidou Center had a decrease in visitors due to a strike in October. The Pompidou Center will be closed from 2025 to 2030 for much needed renovations 50 years after its opening.
Barnes & Noble Returning to Georgetown in DC
Gone from Georgetown since 2011, the the United States’ largest national bookstore chain will return to its original location at 3040 M St. NW, having signed a 33,754-square-foot lease for the same three floors, as first reported by the Washington Business Journal.
It’s nice to see Georgetown improving, especially with a new bookstore.
2023: DC’s Deadliest Year Since 1997
The nation’s capital recorded more homicides in 2023 than in any year since 1997, giving the District the fifth-highest murder rate among the nation’s biggest cities.
The 274 confirmed victims ranged from infants to octogenarians. They were killed in homes, in Metro stations and in motor vehicles; they were killed in alleys, in school zones and in public parks. They were slain on streets by acquaintances and strangers and in the crossfire of warring neighborhood crews, in double shootings and triple shootings. They died in the dark and the dawn and under the midday sun in all parts of Washington, from its poorest precincts to its busiest commercial and nightlife areas.