Our Week in Paris

Bonjour Friends!

This week, we climbed 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, mostly up a tight spiral staircase. I was proud of our little Lion for making it to the top on his own. No complaints, no stopping for breaks, just steady climbing until we reached the top.

The views from up there are worth the climb. You can see across the city, from the Champs-Élysées stretching toward Place de la Concorde and the Louvre, to the Eiffel Tower above the classically Parisian rooftops, and Sacré-Coeur in the distance.

Looking down at the traffic circling the roundabout below, you get a sense of the monument’s scale. The Arc sits at the center of twelve radiating avenues. I gained a new appreciation for this design by witnessing it from above.

Every evening at 6:30 since 1923, there's a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at its base to rekindle the eternal flame, a tradition that continued even during the Nazi occupation.

It's one of those Paris experiences that reminds you how layers of history live right alongside daily life. The climb was good, the views were clear, and our Lion handled it like a champion.

Linking You to Paris

➡️ 10 Best Countries in the World to Retire: Condé Nast Traveler highlights the best places in the world to retire, noting that while Paris is considered less affordable, the article also explores other appealing retirement destinations across France.

➡️ An American Family Goes to School in Paris: HiP Paris offers a glimpse into one American family’s experience navigating the French school system in Paris. While it’s not about us, the article offers interesting insights into local education and cultural adaptation.

➡️ Here's Why Paris Bartenders Banned Ice at the City's Hottest New Restaurant: Food & Wine dives into the unique story behind Comptoir de Vie in Paris, where the restaurant has made headlines for banning ice in drinks.

➡️ The French Origins of Urban Renewal: Civitas Institute explores the French origins of urban renewal, tracing how Paris’s innovative approaches to city planning and redevelopment have influenced modern urban landscapes worldwide.

VISITING PARIS
Finding Paris's Best Baguette Winners

Every year since 1994, Paris has hosted one of its most delicious competitions, the Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française de la Ville de Paris.

The competition is organized by the city of Paris in collaboration with the National Confederation of French Bakers and Pastry Chefs, with the winner receiving €4,000 and the honor of supplying the French presidential residence with baguettes every morning for an entire year.

The competition emerged from a real problem. By the early 1990s, some Paris bakers were cutting corners to keep costs low, using chemicals, preservatives, and cheaper flour to produce baguettes more quickly. This created bread that was "big and puffy and edible for four days," compared to a real traditional artisanal baguette with a shelf life of about five hours.

In 1993, le Décret Pain (the Bread Decree) established rules for what could be labeled a baguette de tradition, requiring it to be made by hand with only flour, water, salt, and yeast, and sold in the place where it's baked. The competition began the following year to celebrate this return to traditional methods.

To enter, baguettes must measure between 55 and 70 centimeters, weigh 250 to 300 grams, and contain exactly 18 grams of salt per kilogram of flour. Judges range from professional bakers and journalists to randomly selected Parisians, and they evaluate entries based on five criteria: quality of the bake, interior texture, flavor, aroma, and appearance.

While there are countless great bakeries throughout Paris, visiting the competition winners offers a fun way to explore different neighborhoods while tasting some officially recognized excellent bread. I've created an interactive Google Map with all the winners since 1994, so you can easily find the closest award-winning baguette to wherever you are in the city.

PARIS SECRETS
Five Things You Probably Don't Know About the Arc de Triomphe

You climbed those 284 steps, took in the views, and learned about Napoleon's grand vision. But the Arc de Triomphe holds some secrets that most visitors never discover.

Napoleon got married under a fake version. In 1810, when Napoleon was marrying Marie-Louise, only the foundation of the Arc had been completed. So they built a full-scale replica from wood and painted canvas at the site, and the couple actually tied the knot underneath this temporary version. The real Arc wouldn't be finished for another 26 years.

There was once a plan for a giant elephant instead. Before the Arc de Triomphe, French architect Charles Ribart had drawn up plans to construct a three-tiered elephant in the plaza where the Arc stands today. Imagine tourists climbing up inside a massive elephant instead of a triumphal arch.

A pilot flew through it to celebrate the end of WWI. On August 7, 1919, French pilot Charles Godefroy daringly flew his Nieuport biplane through the arch's main vault, with the event captured on newsreel. This wasn't just showing off. It was a symbolic gesture to commemorate the end of World War I.

The sword broke on the day Verdun began. The sword carried by the Republic in the famous Marseillaise relief sculpture broke off on the very day the Battle of Verdun began in 1916. The relief was immediately hidden by tarpaulins to avoid any ominous interpretations. Verdun was one of the longest and most brutal battles of World War I, lasting 302 days and claiming hundreds of thousands of casualties. Even monuments, it seems, can have bad timing.

The roundabout has its own insurance rules. French car insurance companies treat all accidents at the Place Charles de Gaulle roundabout as no-fault, meaning both drivers share responsibility equally, regardless of what actually happened. With twelve avenues meeting at one chaotic circle with no lane markings, this probably makes sense.

FRENCH SONG OF THE WEEK
Michel Fugain & le Big Bazar - Une belle histoire

This week, I'm taking you back to 1972 with "Une belle histoire" by Michel Fugain & Le Big Bazar, a classic that embodies all the hallmarks of the early 1970s.

PARIS LOVE AFFAIR TOURS
Discover Paris With Me

Want to experience Paris beyond the guidebooks? Join me for private walking and/or biking tours for fascinating stories, hidden corners, and local insights that make this city extraordinary. From the bohemian streets of Montmartre to the medieval layers of the Marais, each tour combines history, recommendations, and the kind of authentic discoveries that turn a visit into a love affair with Paris.