It’s a French Thing

08/22/2026

Claude Monet, The Artist’s Garden at Vétheuil, 1881 — a painting that I had in my bedroom as a child, long before I knew its title or its history.

As a guide, I spend my days walking people through the masterpieces. But art doesn’t work the same way in private. What stays with you as a child (or adult!) has little to do with art history and everything to do with what you’re simply drawn to.

This morning, walking with my son in Brussels after his SATs, past the house we once lived in, I came across a garden path lined with sunflowers. The resemblance to the Monet was immediate. Fitting, that the boy in Monet’s garden was his own son — and I found this path walking with mine 🌻 (SONflower)

08/19/2026

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the ruins of Landévennec Abbey in Finistère — one of the oldest monastic sites in Brittany, with origins traditionally dating to around 485, when Saint Guénolé is said to have founded the monastery here.

The abbey survived for centuries before being destroyed by Viking raids in the 9th century. It was rebuilt and became an important Benedictine monastery, flourishing through the Middle Ages. Then came the French Revolution: the monastery was dissolved in 1793, and the buildings were sold and gradually fell into ruin.

Archaeological excavations began in the 1950s, revealing the remains of successive churches and monastic buildings built over more than a thousand years. A new Benedictine monastery was eventually established nearby in 1950, close to the original site.

Today, you can walk through the ruins and quite literally see the layers of Brittany’s history beneath your feet — from the early medieval monastery to the Romanesque church and the remains of the later abbey.

1,500 years of history. Exactly the kind of afternoon I live for.

08/10/2026

An August weekend. ⚓️

06/25/2026

A little moment of fraîcheur in the middle of Paris’ heat wave ❄️

François Pompon’s Polar Bear at the Musée d’Orsay.

(And yes — Pompon means pom-pom in French.)

What I love about this sculpture is that its creator became famous very late.

Pompon spent decades working in the shadows, admired by sculptors and carving marble for Rodin, before finally having his breakthrough. In 1922, at 67 years old, he exhibited this Polar Bear at the Salon d’Automne — and it became the work that changed his life.

But this bear was built from years of observation.

Following the advice of his teacher Pierre-Louis Rouillard, Pompon regularly visited the menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes to study the resident polar bear. Witnesses described him arriving with a portable workshop: sketches, tools, and a small model carried over his shoulders so he could work directly in front of the animal.

No carved fur. No unnecessary detail. Just broad, smooth forms — and yet somehow all the weight, calm, and quiet power of a real polar bear remain. Surprisingly modern.

PSA for anyone visiting today: because of the heat, Orsay is closing early — last access at 4pm.

06/14/2026

https://www.cnn.com/travel/france-baguette-uncertain-future?cid=ios_app

With the French cutting back on bread and experimenting with longer-lasting loaves, the beloved baguette is under threat.

06/07/2026

“Paris libéré… Paris très libéré” 🗼✨
Found this on the side of a truck in Versailles and had to share the brilliant irony.
Left image: “Paris liberated” — the Arc de Triomphe, symbolizing Paris’s freedom from N**i occupation in 1944. Serious. Historic. A monument to resistance.
Right image: “Paris very liberated” — the Moulin Rouge, symbol of Parisian nightlife, cabaret, pleasure, and uninhibited joy.
The genius? The artist is playing with what “liberation” really means. Yes, freedom from occupation matters. But for Paris? True freedom is also about celebration, culture, art, and living fully.

And the location? Versailles — the palace of absolute monarchy. The irony of this freedom anthem literally at the gates of royalty is perfection.

Art by Sylvain Bichicchi.

05/30/2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/28/travel/french-pastries-to-try-next?cid=ios_app

You’re probably familiar with croissants and macarons, but there are many other confectionary delights on offer in France. Here are 10 more to try.

05/20/2026

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mona-lisa-is-moving-to-a-new-home-the-louvre-just-announced-the-architects-who-will-design-her-private-suite-180988763/

Visitors will be able to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece without touring the rest of the Louvre, and visitor traffic at the museum will be able to grow by three million people annually

04/20/2026

Sunday afternoon in the Domain du Trianon. An absolute treat! I love my job!

04/09/2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/08/style/eiffel-tower-stairs-auction-scli-intl?cid=ios_app

Experiencing the Eiffel Tower can be a crowded affair – about 7 million people visit each year – but now you can enjoy a part of this majestic French monument in your own home.