Paris architecture: the modern looms over the past. In cities, the juxtaposition of new and old, present and past, is either relatively seamless or a catastrophic clash. There is no starker contrast in architecture in Paris that demonstrates a modern building looming large over the past aesthetic than in Montparnasse in the 14th arrondissement. On one side:Continue reading “Paris architecture: the modern looms over the past”
Category Archives: Opal Hush
2025 Brazil-France cultural season and the Salgado connection
2025 Brazil-France cultural season and the Salgado connection. The rhythms and colours of Brazil feature in the 2025 Paris summer of urban beaches! A deck chair by the Seine river with all the fun and music of Brazil! But the Brazil-France connection is more than a Parisian beach summer. Brazilian Sebastião Salgado, the world-renowned photographer, has an intimateContinue reading “2025 Brazil-France cultural season and the Salgado connection”
Part 6 – last episode – of my Audio Series: If Paris Were My Lover – now available
Part 6 – last episode – of my Audio Series: If Paris Were My Lover – now available. Read by the author … If Paris Were My Lover is available as a 6-part audio series – read by the author (myself) – on my Substack exclusive for paid subscribers. Part 6 is available now with Chapters 30-37. If ParisContinue reading “Part 6 – last episode – of my Audio Series: If Paris Were My Lover – now available”
Paris Summer # 4: From Piazzas to Parks
Paris Summer # 4: From Piazzas to Parks. The 2025 Paris summer is best spent outdoors in piazzas and parks. Piazza-style (public square) gatherings and verdant green parks and gardens will be full of activities and summertime fun. Here’s a sample of the best locations in 2025 Paris summer: Dolce vita sur Seine (The Good Life on the Seine) ‘The Good Life’ on the Seine at the LuteceContinue reading “Paris Summer # 4: From Piazzas to Parks”
Paris Summer # 3: Best places to watch Tour de France finale in Paris
Paris Summer # 3: Best places to watch Tour de France finale in Paris. The final stage of the world’s best road cycling challenge – the Tour de France – is the road to Paris. The Tour de France cyclists will sprint into Paris on 27 July 2025. The entire 112th edition of the event is from 5-27 July 2025 in 21 stages from Lille to DunkirkContinue reading “Paris Summer # 3: Best places to watch Tour de France finale in Paris”
Paris Summer # 2: Sun, samba, and urban beaches in July & August
Paris Summer # 2: Sun, samba, and urban beaches in July & August. Paris Beaches are back. Yes, urban beaches. The Paris Plages (beaches) are back with the rhythms and colours of Brazil. From 5 July to 31 August 2025, three main sites transform into tropical escapes: 1) the Bassin de la Villette (with zip lines and water games), 2) the Canal Saint-Martin (with terraces and art), and 3) the Seine riverbanks (with food markets and beach volleyball). TheContinue reading “Paris Summer # 2: Sun, samba, and urban beaches in July & August”
Paris Summer # 1: Yes, you can swim in the Seine this summer – Paris returns to the river
Paris Summer # 1: Yes, you can swim in the Seine this summer – Paris returns to the river. After a 100-year hiatus, the Seine is officially open for swimming in summer 2025. Thanks to a 10-year investment tied to the Paris 2024 Olympic legacy, Parisians and visitors alike can now dip into the iconic river at three specially designed sites: 1) Bras Marie (Paris Centre), 2) Bras de Grenelle in theContinue reading “Paris Summer # 1: Yes, you can swim in the Seine this summer – Paris returns to the river”
MARTINA’S FRENCH WAYS #4: Art and Architecture
MARTINA’S FRENCH WAYS #3: Art and Architecture. Bienvenue to Martina’s French Ways — a corner of the site where I share the little rituals, objects, and routines that shape my writing life here in Paris. A Glimpse of Paris With no visits out of the periphery of Paris, I’ve turned towards nature – such as the botanicalContinue reading “MARTINA’S FRENCH WAYS #4: Art and Architecture”
Part 5 of my Audio Series: If Paris Were My Lover – now available
Part 5 of my Audio Series: If Paris Were My Lover – now available. Read by the author … If Paris Were My Lover is available as a 6-part audio series – read by the author (myself) – on my Substack exclusive for paid subscribers. Part 5 is available now with Chapters 24-29. If Paris Were My Lover began asContinue reading “Part 5 of my Audio Series: If Paris Were My Lover – now available”
Labyrinth Hill, Paris: a spiral ascension to a gazebo
Labyrinth Hill, Paris: a spiral ascension to a gazebo. Labyrinth Hill is a knoll or hillock, small and round, with a spiral walking path to the top. Formally known as Labyrinthe de Buffon (Buffon Labyrinth), the spiral ascension – slow and steady, and not steep or arduous – was initially designed as an early form of a meditative garden design. No rush,Continue reading “Labyrinth Hill, Paris: a spiral ascension to a gazebo”