Paris is full of a never-ending panoply of special exhibitions at museums and galleries, plus lots of events that occur annually. You can see a full list of exhibitions and events in the Welcome2France newsletter. If you’re visiting Paris in May, it’s your last chance to see some of these special shows and events:

May 6 – 16

Bastille Antiques Fair

Place de la Bastille, Metro Bastille

€8

Ending May 8

Tribute to Jerome Robbins

Palais Garnier

Intersection of rues Scribe and Auber, Metro Opéra

€6 – 54

May 8 – 9

French Wine Fair (Salon de la Revue du Vin de France)

Palais Brongniart

Place de la Bourse, rue Notre Dame des Victoires, Metro Bourse Grands Boulevards

Various prices.

On May 15

Nuit des Musées

Many museums open 7pm to 1am.

Entrance free at participating museums.

May 22 – 24

Capitol Nature, A Work Poetic and Exhilarating

The Champs Elysées is transformed into three acres of trees and crops.

Entrance free, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Rond Point

May 16 – 30

Saint Germain Jazz Festival

Various locations.

Prices vary by artist.

Ending May 24

Turner and the Old Masters

Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais

3, avenue du Général Eisenhower, Metro Champs Elysées Clemenceau or Franklin Roosevelt

€11 (closed Tuesdays)

Ending May 24

Holy Russia: Russian Art through Peter the Great

Musée du Louvre, Metro Musée du Louvre or Louvre Rivoli

€9 (closed Tuesdays)

This weekend, I made my third and favourite trip to Versailles. I have yet to even enter the building, instead satisfying myself with walking the 2000 acres of land, rowing boats on the lake and pretty much marvelling at the epic scale and precision with which Versailles was designed. Everything in the gardens is aimed at making the grounds more imposing, more fit for a king. The avenues taper ever so slightly, as does the lake itself, enhancing the perspective, making the land seemingly endless. The land is not only a hill, it is formed so that the Chateau itself sits on the top of a perfectly formed arc, giving it an awe-inspiring sense of balance. The trees, identically trimmed with giant wooden stencils, all draw your eye towards the centre of the Chateau. Versailles is a lesson in perspective drawing, except it isn’t a drawing, it’s really there.

My last visit exposed me to a whole new dimension of this fact. On Saturday, I attended the `Grands Eaux Nocturne’ and got to experience the gardens, and the Chateau, by night. 

The experience is meant to be magical, and with such a setting, how could it not be? But tasteful extras presented at the `Grands Eaux Nocturne’ really turned the experience from beautiful to fantastical. The main attraction is, of course, the fountains. Add to the fountains the beautiful music which is played throughout the garden, and the scented bubbles appearing from nowhere, and the feeling that you are experiencing a taste of the long-gone French Royals’ nightly escapades is unavoidable.   

What blew me away the most? The famous fountain of Neptune rising out of the water in a horse-pulled chariot. The beauty of the design is accessible when dry, but the gorgeous effect running water has on the movement of the sculpture is beyond compare.  

A very close second was the little grotto to the right (when facing the Chateau) where a simple but breathtaking scene was set up. At the centre of the grotto is a lovely statue of the three muses, one reaching her hand skyward. The statue is bathed in green light from a laser, into which mist was being blown, creating a layer of green, marbled cloud at the muses’ outstretched fingertips.

The fireworks finale is also very fun, and closes the evening with a thrill. The explosions take place over the lake, and are set in time to music, as well as fire balls, which shoot from the lawn that runs the entire length of the Promenade Royale. Don’t forget to look back at the chateau during the show, where you will see all the light reflected in the fountains leading up to it, as well as in it’s thousand’s of windows. 

The only shame about going to Versailles at night is that you cannot experience the grandeur of the place in quite the same way; what you can see is a little bit limited. Luckily, the fountains and music are turned on during the day time too- every Saturday and Sunday until the end of October. Paying a bit extra to visit the gardens in this lively state is absolutely worth it.

If you want something a little more unique from your Versailles experience, look out for shows being performed, there; what a venue! The Autumn season will feature the Bartabas  Academy of Equestrian Arts. For it’s third show at Versailles, the troupe will invoke Shakespeare’s Macbeth through a tribute to Japanese filmmaker Kurosawa. The show feature’s 70 horses and 40 artists/acrobats. An interesting fusion, no doubt, and something that will probably get me out the Chateau for one last time!

 About the author: Alexis Rider is a contributing writer for Welcome2France Paris Apartments rental service. © 2008 All rights reserved

The canal runs from Parc de la Villette south to join the Seine at Bastille, although from Rue Faubourg du Temple south it runs underground, so most people sit above Rue de Lancry, thereby having some water to gaze at. Stopping at any supermarket will allow you to stock up on yummy cheeses, dried meats and wine, and there is a great bakery on Rue de Lancry- you can even ask them to pre-slice the bread for you. Take some time to wander the edge of the canal before you choose somewhere to sit, and do not get put off by the big intersection at Jaures; if you cross over you will find that the canal widens out to create an even calmer, picnic-friendly area.

For those who are less picnic-prepared, or simply want a more hassle-free dinner, there are a few great take-away spots along or near the canal. Pink Flamingo’s pizza (67 Rue Bichat, 75010) is definitely the best pizza in Paris. The pizza’s are all very unusual, UTTERLY delicious and named accordingly. The Basquiat is covered in fig, prochiutto and blue cheese, the Gandhi features Saag Paneer and Baba Ganoush, and the Che pork and banana! The pizza is great, but Pink Flamingo’s `picnic au canal’ is truly genius. Order your pizzas, and you will be given a pink helium balloon. You can then wander that canal, choose a place to sit, and the pizza will be delivered to you and your balloon for no extra charge.

Another great take-away spot, just around the corner, is Le Cambodge (10 Avenue Richerand, 75010), a gorgeous Cambodian restaurant. It’s a good idea to order about ½ and hour in advance as this place is infamously busy- not surprising as it is considered the best Cambodian food in Paris.

If it’s just a drink you are after, the options are really endless. Almost everywhere along the canal will let you cross the road to the canal edge with your drink. Further up the canal, where the waterfront widens out to the Bassin de la Villette, you will find a great bar called Bar Ourqc (Quai de la Loire). Here, like everywhere else, you can take drinks out to the canal. But, unlike elsewhere, you can also borrow petanque (bowles) sets to play with- the flat, sandy canal edge forming the perfect playing surface.

Point Ephemere (200 quai de valmy, 75010), a bar/art studio/concert hall is also worth checking out if you are after something a bit more alternative. Make sure you have a look at whatever art is on display inside, to the right of the bar space.

Oh, and there is one very important thing to remember if you plan of having a picnic- a wine knife- screw tops are still entirely frowned upon in France!

About the author: Alexis Rider is a contributing writer for Welcome2France Paris Apartments rental service. © 2008 All rights reserved.

Paris is absolutely littered with swimming pool, outdoor and indoor (37 to be precise), and they are all charming in their own ways. My favourite outdoor pool is the Piscine Roger Le Gall in the 12^th arrondissement, because getting to it involves cycling along a beautiful green bike route on the edge of the city. For those of you who are not using bikes (and I haven’t seen a velib stand around Roger Le Gall yet) there are some more central options. Try Piscine Emile Anthoine, where you can swim while gazing at the view of the Eiffel Tower, or Piscine Joséphine Baker, which is both a swimming pool AND a boat, located near the national library Francois Mitterand. Indoor pools vary in style, but are all in very good condition. My personal favourite is Piscine Pontoise in the 5^th arrondissement; it is old and charming, and you get a personal changing room where you can leave your clothes and step straight out to the pool, avoiding the hassle of a locker. This pool also has a late night offer on Tuesday’s, Thursday’s and Friday’s, where 9 euros allows you to swim and sauna from 9pm onwards. For a full list of Parisian Piscine’s, have a look on http://www.paris.fr/portail/Sport/Portal.lut?page_id=8409 In terms of lugging swimming gear from home to Paris, having a rental apartment while you are here is certainly easier, as it will provide towels and you will also have washing machines and dryers at your disposal. Like all public pools, the prices are good- especially if you can claim a reduced tariff, which is around 2 euros.

The numerous Parisian parks offer a great respite from the stress of the city, and are beautiful when the leaves are turning. Everyone knows the big spots, Jardin Luxembourg, Jardin des Plantes, Jardin de Tuileries, but here in lies a crucial point- the difference between a `Jardin’ and a `Parc’ in France. At most Jardins, it is forbidden to sit on the grass, or one tiny portion of a beautiful expanse of lawn is set aside for the activity, which you and a thousand other people will have to squeeze onto. And fair enough too; Jardin Luxembourg would look a lot less charming if it’s lawns were pitted and brown. The rules are strict and carefully maintained; stray onto a patch of `pelouse interdit’ and incur the wrath of the Grass Police (seriously, they will appear from no-where and tell you to beat it.) So, if you really want to `Dejeuner Sur L’Herbe’ a la Manet, it is better to head to a true `Parc.’ Finding the big parks is simply a matter of taking out a map of Paris. Parc Monceau is beautiful and classic, Parc de la Vilette a grassy version of the Pompidou centre, Parc Buttes Chaumont hilly- a rarity in Paris. The only problem with all of these parks is they tend to be on the edge, a little too far away from the main hub of the city. It is the smaller, more intimate Paris parks which are the real finds, and they are plentiful. Here are my top three:

1) Parc Anne Frank- wonderful due to its location just off Rue Beaubourg (and the Pompidou Centre) on Impasse Berthaud. The park is named after a Chestnut tree seedling which grows here (near the main entrance) which was taken from the tree Anne Frank could see from the secret Annex, and wrote about in her diary. The peace and quiet of this park, sitting in the centre of Paris, is a welcome respite.

2) Place des Vosges- not so secret, but still a goodie, once again due to it’s location. Place des Vosges is at the end of Rue Franc Bourgeois, one of the prettiest and best shopping streets in Paris. It is also just up from Bastille, where there is a gorgeous food market on Sunday, the ideal place to stock up for a picnic. Place des Vosges is reputedly the most expensive real estate in Paris, and is worth visiting just to admire the architecture.

3) The Square in Hopital Saint Louis- This is the ULTIMATE sun spot. Situated in the heart of the 400 year old hospital just off the canal, walking into the square is like travelling back in time and discovering a very secret garden. Huge trees and manicured lawns await those lucky few who know where this square is- and now that lucky few includes you! The easiest access to the square is off Rue Bichat in the 10^th. Be careful, the garden is locked up on the weekend, but in a way this is nicer, as it is always quiet on weekdays.

And these three are just the tip of the iceberg- there are small, secluded parks all over Paris (thanks to Jacques Chirac, who poured money into making Paris greener) and it is wise to ask about them in your neighbourhood. Apartment rental companies who make it their business to know the neighbourhood are more than happy to offer this sort of information, and hotels should be able to point you in the right direction. And the cherry on top of the gardens-of-Paris cake? Almost all of them offer free wifi.

So on your visit to Paris this autumn, take some time out to sit back and relax, even if it is only for a few hours. The city certainly doesn’t stop, but it is worth doing just that and watching it go by?

About the author: Alexis Rider is a contributing writer for Welcome2France a Paris Luxury Apartment Rental service. © 2008 All rights reserved.

The exhibition on currently at the Maison Europeene is ‘Annie Leibovitz; A Photographer’s Life’ and is truly breath-taking. The three-story exhibit is packed full of the classic Leibovitz’s, from her time at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, but also comprises of personal photos of her friends and family. As Leibovitz herself said ‘I don’t have two distinct lives, I have one life, and personal photos have the same importance in it as professional photos.’

While the glamour and beauty of photos of Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and The Trumps is certainly fascinating, it is seeing these personal photos which really makes the exhibition exciting and unusual. The photos depict two very difficult and moving events in Leibovitz’s life; the death of her father, and the death of her lover Susan Sontag. Black and white photos of a sick, almost unrecognisable Sontag juxtaposed with glossy, full colour photos of sparkling Nicole Kidman makes Leibovitz’s loss all the more poignant. As a viewer it makes one aware of the generosity and privilege of being able to pass from the ‘famous’ to the ‘private’ realm of Leibovitz’s work.

The Foundation Cartier is honouring the 10 year anniversary of French sculptor Cesar Baldaccini’s death. The artist is perhaps best known in Paris for his giant bronze ‘Pousse’ (Thumb) sculpture in La Defence. His obsession with the thumb (which is a cast of his own) stems from his amusement at the role of Caesar’s thumb in deciding the fate of Gladiator’s; a simple thumbs down meant immediate death. Certainly more light hearted than the Leibovitz exhibition, the sculptures on offer at Foundation Cartier are all quirky and amusing- downstairs you can find a series of compressed cars, beautifully spray painted in vibrant colours, as well as a video of the man himself, wandering junk yards in the 60’s, smoking a pipe.

Even if the exhibit was lacking, which this one certainly is not, the Foundation Cartier is worth a visit just to see the beauty of the building itself. Surrounded by a small wooded area dotted with Cesar’s works, the building feels very far away from the Parisian metropolis. The entire ground floor is glass, allowing you to see straight through the building, drawing attention to the delightful potted tree- an enormous chestnut in a multi-coloured, tiled pot!

Both these exhibits are certainly worth a visit, and as they are small you can easily visit them in an hour or an hour and a half. If not quite as monumental as the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s self portrait, it is certainly nice not to be rushed along, and to spend as long as you would like looking at a work!

Annie Leibovitz- A Photographer’s Life: 18 June – 14 September 2008

Maison Europeene de la Photographie 5/7 rue de Fourcy – 75004 Paris

Cesar: 8 June- 26 October 2007

Foundation Cartier 261 Bvd Raspail 75014

About the author: Alexis Rider is a contributing writer for Welcome2France a Paris Luxury Apartment Rental service. © 2008 All rights reserved.

The Fall/Winter Paris Prêt-a-Porter Fashion Week is the most prominent trade event for the fashion industry, when Fall fashions are rolled-out as a season preview for the world’s biggest retail buyers who’re scrambling to place their orders for fashion, handbags, jewelry, shoes, hats and cosmetics. Unlike other large industry convention hall trade shows, Fashion Week is orchestrated citywide at some of Paris’ most prominent points of interest.

This year from February 25th to March 4th, top designers and fashion design students staged fashion extravaganzas ranging from the pinnacle of good taste to the surreal. Among the selected sites, were the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Musée de l’Homme, le Champs-Elysee, le Tour Montparnasse, place du Trocadéro, Théâtre du Châtelet, and La Sorbonne.

Winter Paris Fashion Week 2007 took place February 26 through March 4, and featured everyone who’s anyone in the designer world, including long-time Parisian favorites Chanel, Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy.

Ah, the drama! Aside from the expected eccentric styles and surreal shows, more than a few eyebrows raised when an animal rights protestor stormed the catwalk nude in response to this year’s apparent return to use of fur as a luxury material.

London designer Stella McCartney (daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney), then made headlines for her “fur-free” show, showcasing warm alternatives to fur, with models clad in taffetas, satins, knitwear and cashmere.

Emanuel Ungaro’s Peter Dundas got everyone ready to hit the discos with his collection designed to celebrate night-clubbing. Decked-out in plenty of bling and leather, the models strutted and slinked down the runway.

The most controversial show of the week had to be that of Viktor & Rolf. Dutch design partners Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, are renowned for elaborate, wildly-imaginative shows. This year, they invented awkward contraptions that the models had to balance delicately, which were fitted with lighting and music as a kind of “personal fashion show.” The designs were somewhat gothic, reminding one of the movie Van Helsing. The poor models were also required to were stylized wooden clogs, which clip-clopped loudly as they paraded carefully down the runway.

Expectedly, there were WWII and ancient war themes in many of the fashion collections this year, incorporating tall boots, leather, fur, fatigue green, body armor, medallions and epaulettes. Even Jean Paul Gaultier revealed models wearing Scottish tartans with stylized mohawks, as if going into battle.

Also during Fashion Week, the exclusive Paris boutique Colette, celebrated its 10th anniversary by inviting 10 art curators to spotlight a talent gallery-style on one of it’s walls. It was a fabulous way to show off it’s ultra-trendy collection of music CDs, shoes, handbags, branded water and accessories. The boutique is also renown for glamorous parties, art exhibits and dance classes, and definitely worth a visit when you’re in Paris.

Speaking of accessories, Nokia decided to unveil its Nokia 7373 Special Edition fashion phones by designer Giambattista Valli at Fashion Week, at the “Dress-your-Nokia-in-Giambattista Valli” Party. For the label-conscious, this is a must-have phone. Each one comes pre-loaded with a “behind the scenes” video for a glimpse into the life and inspiration of the designer, along with a selection of Valli graphics and the exclusive ring-tone, “Rhodium.”

Next year is sure to hold more fun and surprises. For sure, Paris in March is the place to be! To keep informed, visit the official Paris Fashion Week website at: http://www.modeaparis.com

About the author: Mimi O’Connor is a contributing writer for Welcome2France a Paris Luxury Apartment Rental service. © 2007 All rights reserved.

The Jacquemart-Andre is a highly personal place, a grand town house (fairly plain on the street but wonderfully sumptuous within) built in the 1870’s and filled with art chosen by the discerning eyes of a married couple, Edouard Andre and his society painter wife, Nelie Jacquemart who traveled the world to select treasures for their home. From the moment that you set foot in the colonnaded entrance you will feel a part of their very rich world. It feels somewhat like the wonderful Frick Collection in New York City, terribly grand, terribly private and because it is smaller than museums that are built to house huge collections, it’s more accessible too.

Wandering through the gilded and imposing rooms you will enjoy both the fine art, and the ambience in equal measure. This is not a collection that a curator has selected to make a point about a given period or style. It’s an art collection presented from a completely personal point of view and it gives visitors a chance to view the art as it was seen by the collectors themselves and although the collection is very good and quite large it still doesn’t overwhelm.

The museum houses a solid representation of 18th century French paintings, furniture, decorative arts and Beauvais tapestries, along with Dutch and Flemish paintings.The marble Jardin d’Hiver or Winter Garden room with its elegant double staircase leads you upstairs where you feel that you have entered the owners’ private domain of smaller rooms filled with a collection of Italian treasures.In these more intimate quarters you’ll find one of the museum’s most famous paintings, St. George and the Dragon by Paolo Uccello (c. 1439-40) which spins a vividly fanciful science fiction tale of a fair maiden being saved by a knight on white horse who is spearing a huge green dragon.

The effect of a visit to the Jacquemart-Andre is that the visitor can imagine being transported to a wonderfully rich grandmother’s house, for the moment at least, entering that uniquely Parisian world that Proust would have known. Interestingly, Proust’s family in fact lived in an apartment at Number 45 rue de Courcelles just around the corner.

The Jacquemart Andre also presents special exhibits and events. From March 14 to August 26 2007 there will be a display of 100 Chinese masks from the 16th to 18th centuries intended for use in religious exorcisms. On a lighter note, there is the annual Easter Egg hunt for children on Easter Sunday. Linger on after your visit and opt for lunch or tea in the elegant former dining room under a ceiling fresco painted by Tiepolo. Don’t you wish every home had one? Open every day from 10 – 5. Make a visit, come away feeling a little more French.

About the author: Jo Burnett is a contributing writer for Welcome2France a Paris Vacation Rental service. © 2007 All rights reserved.