Last fall, we impulsively booked a trip to Paris for the day after Christmas in 2019. We wanted New Year’s Eve to be special, and The Friendly Kitchen was the perfect place to celebrate the turn of a new decade with a vegan and gluten-free gourmet feast. Located in the 11th arrondissement on Rue Popincourt, the restaurant had just...
Last fall, I fell in love with A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé, which is set on the Rue Dupuytren in Paris. With each page, I became more intrigued. I told myself I ought to save it to read on our fast-approaching trip to Paris, but I couldn’t help myself and devoured the book a few days before we...
Le Haut Marais, also known as the upper Marais, is located in the northern portion of the 3rd arrondissement. The area feels more like a neighborhood than the better known, more crowded, and touristy section of the Marais in the 4th arrondissement. Le Haut Marias is filled with historic architecture, museums, restaurants (many of them vegan), cafés, boutiques, and...
On our second night in Paris, the piano concert program at Église Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriaque in the Latin Quarter included Satie, Chopin, and Beethoven. Almost exactly four years ago to the day, we’d attended our first classical concert in a Parisian church there of all six of Bach’s Cello Concertos; one of our most treasured memories. Filled with anticipation, we retraced...
Unbeknownst to me, I was following in the footsteps of Eugene Atget yet again when this lovely red door at 45 rue des Archives caught my eye. I love the deep, yet vibrant, red-lacquered door contrasted with the weathered stone archway and the worn cobblestones. Where does this door lead? Who has walked by and through it over the...
You may think it would be miserable to visit Paris as a vegan with gluten sensitivity. However, I have successfully navigated the culinary gem with this lifestyle, staying true to my values and not getting sick while enjoying amazing food. In recent years, restaurants catering to these foods have been opening regularly in Paris. Although it takes time to...
A year ago today I published my first post on RUE DE VARENNE. Suddenly, my reflections, travel tips, and photographs had a place to come together and be shared with others. As a child writing poems and stories in my bedroom, and a creative writing major in college just before the internet became widely available, I never imagined I’d...
On the cusp between summer and fall, the Jardin du Luxembourg teemed with life enjoying the last days of mild weather, though dark clouds threatened impromptu showers. On the far side of the pond we settled into a couple chairs to watch the scenes of an idyllic Parisian Sunday afternoon play out before us. Students and young adults unencumbered...
We enjoyed another amazing brunch of avocado toast, bright green vegetable-laden risotto, juice, and coffee at Judy Cantine Qualitarienne. Sitting next to the window we watched the Sunday rhythm of the street, people walking dogs, families on their way to a day of fun, people sunning themselves on the terrace across the street. As we left the restaurant the...
Many travelers love getting to know people wherever they go. However, when traveling alone I tend to keep to myself for safety’s sake. I have, however, been blessed to meet some incredible people, particularly colleagues, but also a small handful strangers. I once had an unusual experience in the Place des Vosges, in the Marais district of Paris, that...
