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Unique Eiffel Tower photo locations

Here are the three best Eiffel Tower photo locations to get a more unique photo with the Eiffel Tower. Work on the perspective for some really spectacular shots that don't need fancy clothes. The sides get the best views: the Champ de Mars or the Pont Bir-Hakeim. Walk in front of the Eiffel Tower and you’ll see thousands of people all getting the same photo from the same angle – right front and centre - the only thing that changes are the crazy outfits. Not only is this more like a snapshot than something you’d be proud to show your friends, but unless it’s very early in the morning or very cold and rainy, your photo is likely to also be cluttered with a lot of very funny-looking strangers pretending to hold the Tour Eiffel in their hands. The only thing crazier than the outfits are the antics. Slip into the cracks on the sides of the Champs de Mars. Just step off the main avenues and into the tiny Champ de Mars side streets, and you’re going to get a better portrai…

14th of July in Paris: La Marseillaise and where to watch the fireworks

The big event is 14th of July Military parade and flyover

For the National Day celebrations, the July 14, 2026 parade is themed around "Europe’s Strategic Awakening." This major event highlights the commitment of the armed forces and internal security forces, illustrating their synergy in protecting the nation and its allies in Europe with a special focus on Eastern Europe. There will be lots of folks lining the Champs-Elysées for the 2 hours event that starts at 10am, so get ready for serious crowds or better yet for a safer, better view, with commentary watch on TV.

As usual Secrets of Paris has the best comprehensive listing of July 14 events.

Did you know? The French call the national holiday, the 14th of July, NOT Bastille Day.

Where to watch the fireworks

In 2026 the fireworks sponsored by the city of Paris centered on the Eiffel Tower will be held on July 13th. You'll find slightly smaller crowds and a panoramic…

Playing pétanque by l’Américaine

A recounting of a typical Sunday playing pétanque by l’Américaine, Niky Compton, le 9 juillet 1980 à Besançon C'est aujourd'hui dimanche. Vous rencontrez vos amis dans le parc pour jouer à la pétanque. Vous apportez avec vous la petite boule qui s'appelle le cochonnet, et deux grandes boules lourdes. Saluez vos copains en leur serrant la main. Les Français se donnent un coup de main pour saluer même les bons amis tandis que dans une telle situation décontractée, les Américains diraient simplement "Hi!" aux copains. Divisez-vous en deux équipes de deux personnes. Mettez-vous d'accord sur les limites du terrain de boules. Marquez avec le pied une ligne au sol. Prenez vos places derrière la ligne. Lancez le cochonnet. Lancez (à tour de rôle) une boule vers le cochonnet. Votre boule est la plus proche au cochonnet et alors, c'est vous qui commencez. Allez ramasser votre boule et reprenez votre place derrière la ligne. Lancez-la encore une fois…

History, Politics and… Camemberts

by Bernard Richard, Historian

Camembert is one of France's gastronomic emblems along with the baguette, champagne, coq au vin, wine and many other products that make up the French identity.

According to a well established, but undocumented, legend the cheese called camembert was created in about 1791 by a certain Marie Harel, a milkmaid whose statue was inaugurated by the French president in 1928 in the town of Vimoutiers, which is the administrative center down the road from the village of Camembert. Vimoutiers is in the Orme department in Normandy. The story goes that Marie, during the chaos of the Revolution, gave refuge to a priest who came from Brie, east of Paris, and that to show his gratitude the priest gave Marie the famous cheese recipe. But in fact much earlier, around 1705, Thomas Corneille, brother of the playwright Pierre, already wrote of the good cheese from Camembert.

The round boxes…

Bessie Coleman, pilot

In honor of the 125th anniversary of obtaining her pilot's license we present Bessie Coleman the first black woman and first Native American to earn a pilot’s license. Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas. The tenth of thirteen children, Coleman was born in a one-room cabin to parents of African American and Cherokee ancestry. Her family moved to Waxahachie, Texas when she was two and became sharecroppers. Coleman walked four miles each way to go to school. Her favorite subjects were reading and math. She spent one term at the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University before moving to Chicago to stay with her brothers in 1915. There she worked as a manicurist. Her brothers served in the military during World War I and came home with stories of their time in France. Thrilled by stories of World War I pilots, Bessie dreamed of learning to fly. She got a second job managing a restaurant to raise money for flight schoo…

Birds in Paris and Speak Easy

A few years ago I started noticing birds and now the city is full of nature. Birds are everywhere, including in the city, if you just look and listen a little more closely. Here are a few of the birds you can see in Paris. Two of my favorites are the tiniest and busiest. The European robin and the wren. The European robin is the one you see on greeting cards all over the place, he is an artist's favorite with his bright orange-red face and neck. When you see him you'll recognize him right away by his color and shape - he looks like he just ate a ping pong ball - just that size and nicely round. The Wren is even smaller, multi-shades of brown has a stubby turned up tail. The wren makes a noise bigger than most bigger birds. Once you learn their song (listen here) you'll start hearing wrens everywhere. Another big talker is the Magpie. This bird is a little smaller than a crow, has a long thin tail and is iridescent black and white. When the sunlight glints off his…

Emilien Buffalo Bill Bouglione, RIP 2026

There was a French man named Buffalo Bill whose mother was named Rosa! Yes really! OK, we admit it was his middle name, but Émilien Buffalo Bill Bouglione did exist. In fact he just passed away in March of 2026. His unusual name caused quite a stir when he went to vote and the officials called out “Émilien Buffalo Bill Bouglione a vote!”. So who was Émilien Buffalo Bill Bouglione? The Bouglione clan is the premier circus family of France. Perhaps you are familiar with their posters around Paris or have even been to the show at the Cirque d’Hiver. In the early days they were traveling circus performers. Before they became famous under their own name they tried various marketing strategies to draw crowds. One of them was capitalizing on another famous showman Buffalo Bill. After acquiring surplus posters from the 1905 French tour of Buffalo-Bill’s Wild West, the Bougliones launched the Stade Capitaine Buffalo-Bill in 1924. Despite the fact that their performance was hardly Wes…

Irish culture in Paris

Paris Gears Up for a Sporty and Spirited St. Patrick’s Day with Ireland Week 2026 Celebrate Irish culture in Paris around Saint Paddy's Day on March 17. Running shoes and dancing shoes will both be in vogue in Paris this March as Ireland Week 2026 kicks off. Taking place from March 10 to March 18, the week-long celebration will bring a range of Irish-inspired events to Paris and beyond, offering audiences in France the opportunity to discover different sides of Irish culture and share in moments of genuine cultural exchange. (https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/news/saint-patrick-s-day/articles/341776-saint-patrick-2026-a-lively-running-event-and-free-irish-dance-workshops-in-paris) 🍀 A First for Paris: The Irish “Culture Run” 📅 Saturday, March 14 — 10:30 AM 📍 Starting at Place du Panthéon One of the most original events on the programme of Irish culture in Paris is a partnership between Tourism Ireland and Culture Run. In January 2025, Culture Run launched a new style of …

Postcards in books and games

Postcards in books and games Time and time again we have found that taking a few minutes to hand write a postcard to someone makes a huge impact. Whether your send it from your home town or an exotic place you are visiting doesn’t matter. We recently came across three novels and a game where postcards are central to the intrigue. Several interesting literary techniques are used are used in Annie Proulx's novel Postcards. For example, postcards begin each chapter. The postcards appear in the novel as graphics, complete with franking, address and message. They introduce narrative sections, keep the reader oriented in the timeline of half a century, give background as well as foreshadow. She also uses lists and some chapters by the omniscient author entitled “What I See” add new perspective and fascinating lists offer deep descriptions. The postcards and lists are metaphors, descriptive vehicles and sources of irony. As for the story, shoo, Loyal, the central character h…

Yellowstone Jack

Yellowstone Jack, The Life and Times of Legendary Pioneer Jack Baronett As our frequent readers know we are fans of Yellowstone National Park and go as often as we can. Recently we learned of a new biography of one of the most colorful characters in the Park. Yellowstone Jack lived at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. He, like so many of us, was an expatriate, adventurer, tour guide, world traveler and community and literal bridge builder, so we thought we’d share his story with our readers, who are kindred spirits. Jack Baronett (1829–1906), born in Scotland, was an important figure in the history of Yellowstone National Park. In his early life he traveled the world, prospecting and mining in Australia, Africa, China, and Alaska. He traveled to the Yellowstone region in 1864—eight years before the Park was established—to join other early prospectors searching for gold and exploring the geyser basins. His first claim to fame came in 1869 when he…

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