1. It’s along the river Seine

And might I add, you can’t miss it, mainly because it’s insanely close to the Eiffel Tower and…

2. …it’s housed in a weird and wonderful building designed by Jean Nouvel

The great thing about modern museums is that they tend to go HAM on the architectural front, and Nouvel’s multi-structural, earthy-toned compound in the middle of a garden is every bit eclectic as it is distinctive.

3. It’s the French version of the Barbican – but better

And by that, I mean it’s humongous (not ugly, though some might beg to differ) and feels more like a destination space for chilling than just checking out whatever exhibition(s) are on show. For instance, they give up their outdoor space to revellers during the annual Siestes électroniques – a music festival that takes place in the summer.

Matahoata, Arts & society of the Marquesas Islands

4. There are some solid shows on the schedule this year

On my visit I got to whizz around three great shows: Matahoata: Arts and society in the Marquesa Islands, which highlights cultural artefacts from one of the most remote islands in the world (on until 24th July); Dakar 66: Chronicles of a Pan-African Festival, a retrospective of stunning artefacts from a ground-breaking arts festival in Senegal in the ’60s (on until 15th May); and Persona, Strangely Human – a intriguing presentation of the relationship between technology and humanity (on until 13th November).

5. You can make it a day trip – 2 hours from London and a 30ish min jaunt from Gare du Nord.

Gotta love the Eurostar.

Visit the Musée du quai Branly website to find out more. 

Many thanks to Alambret Communication for the invite.

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Le Bistrot du Pientre

This classic Parisienne bistro has lovely staff, beautiful décor and the yummiest crème brulee I’ve ever had in my life! My friend couldn’t stop praising their tartare de boeuf (beef tartare) while my poulet fermier rôti avec frites et salade (hearty roast chicken with fries and salad ) was just a generous as it could be. All this deliciousness came at a higher price than we expected, but there’s no denying we got what we paid for.

116 Avenue Ledru Rollin, 75011 Paris, France. Closest station: Bastille. bistrotdupeintre.com

Le Tibourg

Le Tibourg could easily be written off as a tourist trap given the locality, but the food inside this trendy hotspot in Marais didn’t disappoint. A delicious club sandwich was twice the size I expected, and my friend also gave her burger a two thumbs up. The TripAdvisor consensus might tempt you to avoid this spot if past reviews are to believed – and to be fair, the service was frustratingly slow at times – yet overall, I couldn’t fault it. The prices were reasonable, the food was on point and I would happily visit again.

19, rue du Bourg Tibourg – 75004 – Paris Closest metro: Hotel de ville www.yelp.com/biz/restaurant-bourg-tibourg-paris

Chez Janou

On a last minute hunt to find an amazing French restaurant for Sunday dinner, Chez Janou was recommended to us by a local pharmacist. His reasoning – “great food, not too pricey”, and he even drew a little map on a Post-It note for us to get there. He wasn’t kidding; Chez Janou is one of those quirky neighbourhood spots that are so highly revered, you actually need reservations to eat there – and by the time we left, there was a short queue to get in. Luckily enough for us, we managed to secure a table for two and enjoyed an evening of great wine, charming service, and really, really, really good food. This included the petit chevre roti au romarin (a warm tomato sauce topped with goat’s cheese that we polished off with bread); magret de canard au romarin (an exceptional roast duck with rosemary potatoes); and pot-au-feu (a simple yet exquisite beef stew). With wine, all this set us back a mere 62.50 Euros (£44.60) for two – a bargain for a night that was nothing short of fine dining. I can’t wait to return!

2 Rue Roger Verlomme Closest metro: Chemin Vert chezjanou.com

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Friday’s post:  Somewhere you should eat (in Paris)… Le Bistro du Pientre and Chez Janou

The post What we’ve been up to (in Paris)… Musée d’Orsay appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

the Koon backstory, the work here is just a pick and mix of kitsch and quirky artwork without the meaning that comes from a more meticulously curated (or larger) show. Still, it’s a whistle-stop education in a contemporary American artist who, though a bit Marmite, does what he does quite well. Had we stayed a bit longer for our €13, it might have been worth checking out some of the other Pompidou exhibitions, including a Hervé Télémaque retrospective (on until 18th May) and the What Is Photography? exhibition, an exploration of the medium in modern times (on until 1st June). www.centrepompidou.fr/en/The-Centre-Pompidou (Nearest Metros: Rambuteau)

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Plane vs Eurostar

Everyone knows that travelling by Eurostar is dope – and if you book it well in advance, you can get to the Paris for less than £100 quid. My lastminute.comness meant I spent a eye-watering amount that went over the £150 mark, but I don’t regret it; the ease of just pulling in to Gare du Nord from Kings Cross St Pancras always trump travelling on a plane in my opinion, even if flights nowadays are a bit cheaper.

City guide vs apps

I bought the Time Out Shortlist Paris 9th edition guide a day before I travelled, just to be on the safe side: it’s got a quality map in the back and I found it pretty useful during the weekend, especially in learning about the different  areas in the city. But I couldn’t live without Google Maps – and thanks to GPS, I could frequently conserve my data while getting an accurate location. The Uber app was also fantastic for booking quick and cheap taxis and the free Duolingo app helped me with brushing up on my (very) basic french.

Hotel vs airBnB

The last time I visited Paris was in 2013 for the half-marathon and I stayed in the uber-hip Mama Shelter in  the 20^th district in central Paris (nearest metro: Alexandre Dumas). It’s got a great vibe, dope food, but it’s off the beaten track and hardly the bargain I was looking for this time round. So I tried airBnB for the first time which is so easy to use.  After a friend recommended I search for spots in Le Marais or Saint-Germain-des-Prés,  I ended up booking a clean and quaint apartment from a guy named Ahmed which only cost £116 for two nights and was in a fantastic location. Sharing with a friend meant I only spent £58!

Public vs two-legged transport

I ended up being one of those tourists wasting everyone else’s time when I tried to buy a Metro ticket from the machines at Gare du Nord. Eventually I figured out the system of a single €1.70 ticket per journey  (so cheap!), but I only every used six for the entire weekend so avoided buying the booklet of ten. The rest of the time we walked to take it as much of the city as possible – thank you Google Maps! We also used the Vélib’ bike hire scheme which was cheap but a lot trickier than it should have been; the first hire machine we found was out of order, the second had plenty of defective bikes and once we hired, we struggled to find a place to dock them once we reached our destination in Bastille! Also, cyclists ride on the right in Paris, so there were a few hairy moments when it came to crossing junctions…traffic light crossings became our fast friends, I tell ya!

Tomorrow’s post: What we got up to… The Louvre, Centre Georges Pompidou and Musée d’Orsay

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Hôtel du Nord

The Paris Seen By…. season is a compilation of an eclectic list of films shot by French, European and American directors that highlight the impeccable romanticism of the French capital which has given birth to millions of love stories throughout the centuries. Take for example, Marcel Carné’s Hôtel du Nord, a masterpiece of the French poetic realism. It uses the titular hotel on the banks of the Canal St. Martin, whose main occupants are crooks and prostitutes, as the background for two powerful love stories, one concerning a gangster and a prostitute and the other, a young couple who have checked into the hotel to carry out a suicide pact. French Cancan, by the great Jean Renoir, transfers us to a more glamorous locale: in the late 19th-century Montmartre, theatre impresario Henri Danglard (Jean Gabin) turns a lovely young washerwoman called Nini Françoise Arnoul into the star of his new club, Moulin Rouge. The Gallic director shoots this archetypal “rise to stardom” story with his characteristic visual flair, presenting us with an irresistible view of that era’s nightlife.
Another heavyweight of French Cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, gives us a more modern look into the grey Parisian suburbs, with Bande à part, offering a handful of classic scenes like the one where the three main characters run through the Louvre. That scene is referenced in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, a love letter to Paris in the sixties with an incredibly photogenic cast that includes Eva Green and and Louis Garrel.

Midnight in Paris

The winning formula of Paris + beautiful stars had already been applied with great success by Hollywood during its classic era. In Charade for example we have Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn falling in love in the French Capital. Add to this an engaging sense of suspense that brings to mind the best Hitchcock’s offerings and you have a truly enjoyable romantic thriller. Another iconic American film star, Gene Kelly, plays the role of Jerry Mulligan a former GI who comes to the City of Light to pursue his artistic aspirations and finds love in the shape of Leslie Caron in An American in Paris. It’s arguably the best musical ever made with the glorious music of George Gershwin reminding us what love is all about.
The essence of love and romance is also at the heart of two more recent films. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris – undoubtedly his best film in years- uses the plot device of time travelling in an intriguing way ( in Paris after midnight you can be transferred to the 1920s and the 1980s and socialise with Zelda Fitzgerald, Picasso and Dali) posing the question whether romance is dead in the age we live in. Finally, for those of you who prefer your film couples to express their love for each other through interesting conversations – rather than being all googly eyed  – you must do yourself a favour and follow the romantic story of Jesse and Celine. Before Sunset is the middle part of the critically acclaimed trilogy that follows the lovely couple of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as they stroll along the Seine and share some fascinating discussions about love, hopes and reality.
Enjoy then a season of escapist love stories in the most romantic city of the world and remind yourself whenever you are feeling blue the immortal words of Bogie: “We’ll always have Paris”. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)

 
Paris seen by. takes place at Ciné Lumière from 20 June to 20 July. To accompany the screenings an exhibition entitled The Discovery of Paris, Watercolours by British Artists opens at the Wallace Collection on 20 June. For more information go to www.institut-francais.org.uk/cine-lumiere/whats-on/festivals-series/paris-seen-by

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Pic: Francis Amiand

Pic: Francis Amiand

A fortnight ago, I popped over to Paris to run their half marathon and stayed in the Shelter for the weekend, quickly discovering why it’s become so popular. Designed by Philippe Starck – whose knack for the unconventional made infamous pitstops in Miami (The Delano) and New York (The Paramount) – the native Frenchman’s hotel combines contemporary styling with heavy doses of graffiti and eclectic finishes that could border on the kitsch were it not so creative. The first thing I noticed in my cosy single room was the Toy Story Woody mask lit up by a side lamp – quirky – while the Apple Macs offer the in-room entertainment (which is also the source of the free wifi and more impressively, free films). The room lighting was too dim mind you, and the bathroom a bit small (shower only), but this was made up by the fact it was stocked with Kiehl products, which was just another reminder of the hotel’s quality factor.

Pic: Francis Amiand

Pic: Francis Amiand

As for the restaurant, its fun interiors sees portraits of “mothers” adorn armchairs, children’s swimming rings hang off ceiling lights and chalk drawings decorate the blackboard ceiling – but none of this could take away from their delicious breakfast buffet, which at 15euros, is worth every cent. Dinner’s a tad pricer and the restaurant can get extremely busy in the evenings, so it’s wise to make a reservation, even if you’re a guest. Like most places in Paris, it’s also good to know a tiny bit of French – staff are friendly and know their English, but you’d be surprised how the odd “avez-vous” can go a long way.

Pic: Francis Amiand

MS’s only real shortcoming is that it’s quite a walk away from the nearest Metros (roughly a 10 minute walk from Gambetta, Alexandre Dumais or Porte de Bagnolet) – yet it’s a small price to pay for a reasonably-priced hotel that ticks so many boxes, and doing an excellent job thinking outside of them too.

For more info, visit www.mamashelter.fr

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London to Paris, Paris to London. All for £69 with Eurostar.

 A casual Skype chat turned into booking-a-holiday-chat. I was delighted, but fearful. With little cash, could I still have a decent holiday in expensive Paris?

 I relied on Travelzoo’s weekly top twenty email to find me a hotel deal. As much as we wanted cheap, we didn’t want scummy. When Hotel Gat Folies popped up, I was relieved.  It was in a cool area called Opera, way less than half its usual price, far enough from the tourist traps, but close enough to still feel involved.

Free champagne and chocolates every night were thrown in for free too.  Isn’t that a wonderful way to start an evening?

 The all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet conveniently doubled up as lunch.  Bon appetite – yes indeed.  We dined on eggs (anyway you liked), toasted sandwiches, Madeira cake, fruit salad and cereal.  We sneakily stuffed croissants with jambon et fromage and let the warm Parisian day melt the cheese.

We shared our feast at the top of the Le Sacré Coeur (The Sacred Heart)  and joined the crowds to marvel at the view.  Free entertainment was provided by an amazing Ghanaian footballer, who climbed up a very tall street lamp to show off his amazing skills.

Being cheap wasn’t depressing; it was all wonderfully fantastic.

 Transport options were limited to legs and bikes. Walking meant we spent most of our time wondering where we were.  We found gems like Derrière (French for bottom or backside) on Rue des Gravilliers, a beautiful, alternative restaurant beyond our budget. But we oooo’d and aaaah’d, went in for a chat and I left knowing I’d be back.  I figure you can still appreciate the good things without having to have it.

The temporary beach created down by the Seine was a treat.  It gave us the opportunity to stop and watch Paris go by and remind ourselves we were actually here.  In Montmartre, an artist told us about the Paris he knew as he helped us find the man in wall – Marcel Ayme.

We peeped inside vintage shops, resisted buying souvenirs and took a few too many pictures at the love wall where “I love you” is written in hundreds of different languages – nice.

To see the great sights you don’t have to get your wallet out.  Just stroll.  We passed under the Arc de Triomphe and did a happy dance at The Louvre – just to lighten things up. The Eiffel Tower looked better from a distance with a chocolate crepe in hand.  Nutella – not champagne –  seems to be the national treasure so we fitted in fine.  

When we weren’t walking, we cycled. 1 euro for 24 hours. Once you master the system and realise you’re allowed to cycle on the pavements – you can’t help but go downhill and shout whooooopeeee. The bikes come in handy at 2am. We had a magical ride through the streets, weaving in between cars as part of a cycling convoy of newly found friends.  Oberkampf street was the street with some groove.  Some shop windows and doors were left wide open and good tunes hit you as you walked past.  Next stop –  Chez Moune nightclub in Pigalle. Monday to Friday is female only.  At the weekends it’s free for all.  The vibe’s decent and the drink prices remained a mystery, as the cheap bottles of supermarket plonk we’d sipped back at the hotel still danced merrily through our veins.

Our last meal was in sophisticated-looking MacDonalds (What we ate was determined by how much money we had left in our purse). Staring out into the streets we munched on French fries, never wishing we could be anywhere else.

My friend Carolina spent about £55 over 3 days.  I squandered a little more as I couldn’t leave Paris without buying a vintage French frock.  I found a pretty one for a whole 10 Euros (about £8).  I love it now and when someone asks “where did you get that dress from” I smugly reply “oh it’s just a cheap thing from Paris.”

They say money can’t buy you happiness and it certainly didn’t when Carolina and I invaded Paris. But with lack of funds we still managed to create a happy bubble we now seriously miss. (Words: Ena Miller) 

Do you have a lovely holiday experience you’d like to recommend and share with The Cultural Exposé? Email info@theculturalexpose.co.uk – we’d love to hear about it! 

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Totally Serialized showcases episodes from the best of what the two countries have to offer. For the UK that means Death In Paradise, Misfits (all-nighter) and This is England ’88 (naturally) plus Q&A with the cast. The French proffer their star-studded Platane (Vincent Cassel and Monica Belluci) and Braquo, amongst others. There will also be industry talks about how to write for TV and Q&A sessions following the screenings. The event promises to be a real first, dedicated to a newly revamped genre that often looks like and surpasses its film counterparts. And if that doesn’t sway you, then get yourself down there in the name of EU relations. Your countries need you! (Words: Laura Thornley)

The London Paris TV Festival takes place January 19-22.  Click here for more info.

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