Rail to Romilly, France.
The August summer vacation sends me back to Romilly, Normandy, in rural France, north of Paris. The ninety minutes by regional train starts at Saint-Lazare station.
The window view reveals open landscapes, communal garden plots, rows of fruit trees, industrial sites, church spires, grazing sheep, silos, and wide rivers.
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My new favourite French poet: Francis Jammes.
Francis Jammes is my new favourite poet. I came across his poem “Café Table” and it felt like “my poem.”
“Café Table”
I asked for wine, but sipped the sun —
A sparrow landed near the bun.
No prophet came, no trumpet blew —
Just light and bread. And maybe you.
Continue reading “My new favourite French poet: Francis Jammes”
9-10 August 2025 in Paris: Beaches, Films, Comedy & Summer Arts.
When the French are on vacation and out of town, August in Paris knows how to surprise remainers and tourists. Whether you’re here for a weekend, a week, or all summer long, this weekend (August 9–10, 2025) offers the perfect excuse to dive into everything the capital has to offer: beaches by the Seine, films under the stars, contemporary performances, and even a bit of comedy
Let’s start with the classic Paris Plages (Paris Beaches). Along the banks of the Seine and the Bassin de la Villette, the city transforms into a riverside retreat complete with pop-up beaches, swimming zones, deckchairs, palm trees, and open-air cafés. All day and it’s free.
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MARTINA’S FRENCH WAYS #6: Fire dogs.
Bienvenue to Martina’s French Ways — a corner of the site where I share the routines, rituals, and inspirations that shape my writing life here in Paris.
The 14 July Bastille Day parade along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris attracted many locals and tourists. Bastille Day is the national day of France commemorating a critical event during the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the Festival of the Federation in 1790. The parade is said to be the oldest and largest military parade in Europe. The crowd favourite were the firefighters – les sapeurs-pompiers – carrying axes over their shoulders, instead of weapons. But more than the fighters, the crowd overwhelmingly loved their dogs.
The primary breeds used for fire brigade dogs are Belgian Malinois, German shepherds, border collies, and retrievers, although spaniels and Jack Russells are used for searching in confined spaces and the Saint-Hubert dogs (bloodhounds) are used for specialist scent work. In the French alps the rescue force has about 300 avalanche-search dogs (but not Saint-Bernard dogs because they are too large for helicopter-lifted rescue operations).
Across France, there are multiple cyno-technique units (technical dog units) with small teams of operational dogs that undergo 18-24 months of training with their human handlers, plus refresher sessions. The dog-handler pairs remain with each other for life. Their duties include questage – searching for living persons; recherche sous décombres – locating victims under rubble after building collapse or earthquakes; water searches; and medical vet support. They work until they are about 10 years old and retire with a celebration of gratitude for their service. (Postcards and merchandise available here.)
Related articles with photographs:
Bastille Day Parade, Paris, 14 July 2025
In Paris, at the Place de la Bastille – Bastille Square – stands a monument to the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution on 14 July 1789. The monument is called Colonne de Juillet – the July Column and it sits on the site of the former Bastille prison, with not much of it remaining except some of the stone foundation. The Bastille was initially a fortress which was converted to a state prison in 1659, mainly for political prisoners.
A foundation stone was laid on 14 July 1792 but the construction stalled and the July Column was eventually inaugurated in 1840. It stands 47 metres (154 feet) high. Originally, an elephant statue was planned for the Bastille Square but the column was built instead. Topping the column is a gilded figure, Augustin Dumont’s Génie de la Liberté – the Spirit of Freedom. The figure, standing on one foot, holds the torch of civilization and broken chains. (Postcards and merchandise available here.)
I saw firefighters in action when there was a fire at the Notre-Dame-des Champs Church on the Boulevard du Montparnasse in the 6th arrondissement of Paris on 23 July 2025. Smoke rose from the inside of the church and the firefighters brought the blaze under control very quickly without casualties. The cause is not yet known and neither is the extent of the damage, but the church re-opened within two days. It is an historic Catholic church built between 1867 and 1876.
Humanity Redefined: How AI is going to reshape our shared destiny in the next 40 years by Val Kaplan (2024). The publisher says this book will take readers on an “extraordinary” imagined future journey on how artificial intelligence will change the world. It does this by decade by decade: 2020s – the dawn of AI integration; 2030s – augmented intelligence; 2040s – rise of super-intelligent systems; 2050s and beyond – envisioning a post-biological civilization.
The author concludes with a chapter on three possible future scenarios of an AI-empowered world. His premise is that a paradigm shift is taking place in which humans will be integrating machines into human life, “serving as a both servants and consultants in multiple useful ways.” He discusses the change in the way people and machines communicate and interact with each other, from being not only a servant to becoming more of a minute-by-minute companion. He says society’s current perceptions of AI are of excitement, concern, opportunities, risks, prospects, and challenges.
He begins with an interesting “day in your life in 2035” from waking to the end of a workday and into the evening demonstrating potential ways that AI will benefit individuals, which he replicates at the beginning of each chapter for the start of the next decade. Thereafter, the author presents arguments for deep learning systems, neuromorphic computing, quantum computing, algorithms, brain emulation, future work, the finance industry, a revolution in education, healthcare, warfare, surveillance, interpersonal relationships, artistic expression, and so on.
The tone is overwhelmingly positive, reading more like “How AI is going to make you love it in the next 40 years although he does mention some “scary possibilities” such as the devaluation of art, literature, and creativity, and some ethical considerations such as authorship. Overall, while thought-provoking, I think his arguments may be too forgiving – in both implementation and timeline. The 40-year timeline might even occur in 14 years or even 4 years, at the current rate of advancement! (Pick up a copy here.)
The Paris skyline shows rooftops of Haussmann buildings, typical of the city, and the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
(Postcards and merchandise available here.)
MERCHANDISE
Thank you for being here.
À bientôt,
Martina
A Parisian apartment, a forgotten book, a hidden photograph.
What secrets do old Paris apartments keep? Sometimes, the city hides its history in unexpected places.
While cleaning my apartment in Paris this week, a worn French edition of Printemps Romain de Mrs Stone (The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone) by Tennessee Williams slipped from a shelf. American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983), after many dramas, published his first novel in 1950, writing about his spring and summer vacation in Rome in 1948.
You might not have read the book. You may have seen the 1961 movie based on the novel starring Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty or the 2003 television drama starring Helen Mirren and Olivier Martinez.
As the book hit the floor, a faded black-and-white photograph fluttered out. Blurry. Dreamlike. There is a woman in a small Parisian room. The curtains are drawn back from a tall window, typical of Paris. The window frames the woman in soft light. On the table in front of the window is a lamp that throws a glow that overpowers the lens.
The woman sits at the table with one leg crossed, posture elegant despite the blur, as though the camera caught her mid-thought or mid-decision.
No date. No name. Just the photo, pressed between the pages of a novel about beauty, age, and longing.
Who was she? Was she a tenant in this same apartment before it was renovated or a different apartment in the Right Bank? The clues are bare, but they stir my imagination.
I imagine her as Élise, a woman in her fifties during the spring of 1963. Paris outside her window is busy with the clatter of coffee cups and the sound of jazz.
On the table rests a copy of Printemps Romain de Mrs Stone, a story of American Karen Stone, an aging actress in Rome, after her husband suffers a fatal heart attack on the flight. Perhaps Élise feels that same searching. Élise, not an actress, was once a muse in Montparnasse circles, a silhouette beside painters and poets in the golden years of Paris after the war.
What is she thinking? Perhaps of leaving Paris for Rome, like Mrs Stone, to chase the summer, or knowing that her summer will be spent again in her home city of Paris.
Élise is sitting alone, yet she is not alone. Someone took the photograph.
The photograph feels urgent, taken in haste, a candid shot, unposed. Its blur depictsmovement. Perhaps it was Henri, a writer ten years younger than Élise, who adored her because she belonged to another time.
Henri met her at Café de Flore, where she underlined passages in books and lingered over bitter coffee. He was a dreamer, a man of unfinished manuscripts. He loved the quiet tragedy he sensed in her, and the elegance of someone who had seen the brilliance of youth and moved beyond it.
That day, he visited her apartment, a modest apartment with its wallpaper yellowed and its bookshelves lined with poetry books and exotic American novels.
Why did Henri take the photo? Perhaps Henri wanted to hold her still, to capture what words could not. Or maybe it was proof, evidence that their afternoons were real, that she was not just a character in his imagination.
He owned no tripod, no flash, only a borrowed Leica and a heart racing faster than the shutter. That day, he pressed the button, and time slipped into blur.
Was this their first meeting or their last meeting? Did Henri slip the photo inside her book before leaving for good? Or did Élise hide it there herself, closing the novel on the memory of a man who once made her feel eternal?
Decades later, the photo emerges in a renovated apartment, its story intact only in questions. Élise and Henri are gone now — or perhaps not. Maybe Henri wrote a novel no one read. Perhaps he left for a vacation in Buenos Aires, or simply vanished into the cafés of Saint-Germain. Maybe Élise stayed in that room, waiting for a knock that never came.
And now this photograph waits for a new story as she looks directly at me as if I am the photographer.
Paris is full of these fragments and forgotten photos, letters tucked into drawers, ticket stubs marking the pages of old books. Each one holds a secret, waiting for someone to imagine it.
Bastille Day Parade, Paris, 14 July 2025.
MARTINA’S FRENCH WAYS #5: Theatre, Drama, and Illusions.
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.
The New Yorker magazine in America, launched in 1925, focuses on the cultural life of New York, and each week an artist designs the magazine cover in the form of a poster. In Paris, from 20 May to 13 October 2021, an imaginary magazine called The Parisianer was re-created in the likeness of The New Yorker front page poster designs. It was a façade! An illusion! Only the front cover was issued, with no magazine. But the poster told the story, not of the cultural life in Paris, but of the exhibitions of the Natural History Museum in Paris.
The artistic project was called “The Parisianer: Chroniques du Muséum” – “The Parisianer: Chronicles of the Museum.” A collective of 150 cosmopolitan artists created designs for the cover page poster of the imaginary The Parisianer. The museum’s promo stated that each fictional cover was “a little gem of poetry and sweetness.” With over 200 years of the museum’s history, The Parisianer posters covered many topics over time, combining art, history, and science. The fake magazine showed fictional dates from the years 1717 to 3107.
The exhibition of the 21 covers was held on the grounds of the Botanical Garden at the Natural History Museum in Paris.
Related articles with photographs:
Imaginary magazine The Parisianer captures the Chronicles of the Natural History Museum in Paris
A departure from reading books about Paris and France, I always return to poetry or to books about nature. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a book that I read again and again for its interconnection between science, nature, spirit, and storytelling. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (2013) is a ‘braid of stories’ from the botanist author, also a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She adds, ‘but I am also a poet and the world speaks to me in metaphor.’
The book begins with sweetgrass, a sacred plant believed to be the first plant to grow on Earth. The author tells us about other important plants too: pecan, strawberry, maple, witch hazel, freshwater green algae, water lily, corn, and so on.
She talks in powerful poetic prose of the ‘communal generosity’ of plants, a ‘mycorrhizal network’ that unites people to land and ancestral responsibility, and the gifts of plants that go beyond food and shelter to songs of wisdom. She tells of the ‘grammar of animacy’ and indigenous words that encapsulate words of action, purpose, and process that have no equivalent in the English language, such as ‘puhpowee’ meaning ‘the force which causes mushrooms to push up from the earth overnight.’ It is an interesting book, blending sacred and spiritual knowledge with the scientific world of botany in storybook form. It brings people back to poetry and back to nature. (Braiding Sweetgrass is available here.)
In this seemingly simple street scene photograph from Rue de la Gaîté in Paris, there’s a striking juxtaposition: a traditional Parisian gas lamp leans theatrically into view, while the bold vertical sign for the Théâtre de la Gaîté (Gaiety Theatre) rises upright in the background. It looks like the lamppost is crooked, but it is just an illusion. It’s an optical trick created by the angle of the photograph, one that mirrors the street’s slightly offbeat character steeped in theatrical history.
Rue de la Gaîté (Gaiety Street) itself has an ancient theatrical history. Its street name is from the French word meaning cheerfulness or merriment. The Théâtre de la Gaîté (today officially called La Gaîté-Montparnasse) opened in the 19th century, and has undergone several transformations, from musical hall and avant-garde venue to mainstream theatre stage.
What makes this image special to me is not just its aesthetic harmony, but also the moment it captures: tradition and transformation, nostalgia and neon. The old-style lamp is an icon of Parisian streetscapes, evoking gaslit evenings – but again, this is an illusion because the lamp itself is electric and modern. The theatre sign, clean and contemporary in its design, points to a space still very much alive with innovative performances. Together, they tell a visual story of Paris, a city where the past leans into the present. So next time you walk down Rue de la Gaîté, glance upward to see a different perspective of Paris.
In the previous edition of Martina’s French Ways, I mentioned the 1894 Galeries Lafayette department store on the Boulevard Haussmann, and its iconic 1912 Neo-Byzantine dome. For Postcards from Paris, I’ve chosen a photograph from the rooftop terrace of Galeries Lafayettelooking directly at the golden dome of the Palais Garnier and beyond to the dramatic skies overhead, and the rooftop café scene.
Galeries Lafayette’s rooftop offers one of the best free panoramic views in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in one direction, the Sacré-Cœur in another, and everything in between. It’s a place where locals bring out-of-town guests to get a peaceful vantage point of the city. But Paris offers views like this from almost anywhere, such as when you are climbing the steps of Montmartre, standing on a bridge over the river Seine, or looking out of a small balcony window in the Marais. In this image, even the weather plays a part in the stormy story as if to highlight the brightness of the gilded dome and the striped parasol. It is an image of everyday luxury: an ordinary lunch made extraordinary by its setting. It’s the kind of image that Paris does best.
MERCHANDISE
Thank you for being here.
À bientôt,
Martina
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: angled zinc rooftops dotted with red chimneys, shuttered windows thrown open, and crooked lines that make you wonder if the buildings themselves have had too much wine. On the other side: Tour Montparnasse – the Montparnasse Tower – that unapologetic slab of glass and steel that looks like it was teleported in from a 1970s sci-fi boardroom.
The Montparnasse Tower, built in 1973, was meant to symbolize modern ambition. It aimed to showcase verticality, efficiency, and ambition in glass form. Instead, it became the city’s architectural black sheep. So much so that it sparked height restrictions across Paris soon after it was completed. Some say it is best appreciated from inside the top floor because that isthe only place in the city where you can’t see it.
Yet there it stands above, casting its shadow like a giant index finger pointing upward, saying, “Remember me? You tried something different. It didn’t work.”
And below? Below is a scene from a French Impressionist painting of the 19th century. It is a scene of weathered facades in vanilla and ash, small and narrow balconies with flower boxes of geraniums and lavender, and rooftops that look like they’re collecting chimney pots.
The photo image here captures that drama: daylight catching on the mirrored skin of the new tower, while the older buildings, shoulder-to-shoulder, hold their ground. The reflection of the sun on Montparnasse’s glass makes it gleam with futuristic defiance. The rooftop chimneys, meanwhile, look like a miniature army of guardians from the 19th century. They coexist, but just barely. And perhaps that’s the charm.
The photo is more than architectural contrast. It is an argument between centuries, debating whether Paris stay old and become new at the same time? And somehow, Paris answers:
“Yes, but not without a little drama and controversy.”
Paris doesn’t delete its past. A medieval courtyard remains next to a vegan concept store. A 12th century church is shadowed by a Brutalist library. In Montparnasse, you can sip espresso in a café once frequented by Simone de Beauvoir, while staring up at a skyscraper – the black tower – that made the entire city of Paris collectively shout:
“Non.”
If you want to see if for yourself, follow the tower, and head to the top of Rue de Rennes. Find a quaint, quintessential, or contemporary Parisian café and look up. You might catch this moment too, when history and high-rise stand side-by-side, however awkwardly.
MERCHANDISE
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 intimate connection with Paris that dates over five decades. Born in Brazil in 1944, Salgado first arrived in Paris in 1969, fleeing the military dictatorship of his homeland. It was in Paris, amidst the boulevards, cobblestones, and artistic vibrancy, that he began to cultivate his enduring love for the City of Light. He died in Paris on 23 May 2025 at the age of 81.
“I used to look at the map of Paris every day back in Brazil,” he recounts with nostalgia. “I knew the boulevards, the squares, and the churches before I even set foot here.”
This early fascination blossomed into a deep attachment to Paris, which he now considers home.
Salgado’s career has taken him to over 130 countries, capturing the raw beauty and humanity of the world in his iconic black-and-white photographs. Despite his global travels, Paris holds a unique place in his heart. From leisurely walks along the Canal Saint-Martin to evenings at the Opéra Bastille, Salgado treasures the small, intimate moments of Parisian life:
“Paris is a mosaic of villages,” he says, of the city’s unique blend of cultures and communities.
In 2025, Salgado’s passion for Paris will manifest in a new project: a book and an exhibition dedicated to his personal vision of the city. Collaborating with the writer Erik Orsenna, Salgado aims to showcase “My Paris” in a deeply personal perspective that blends his mastery of light, shadow, and emotion with the timeless elegance of Paris. This project, set to debut in 2026, promises to offer a fresh take on Paris, different from the countless images that have sought to capture its essence.
One of Salgado’s most cherished Parisian memories is attending a concert at Notre-Dame Cathedral with his wife. He recalls, “It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced.” The cathedral, along with iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Parc Montsouris, holds a special place in Salgado’s heart, reflecting his deep connection to both the historical and the everyday beauty of Paris.
As Paris prepares to celebrate Salgado’s work, Paris also celebrates his role as a bridge between his native Brazil and his adopted home in France. The 2025 Season of France-Brazil cultural exchange will feature Salgado’s photography prominently, further cementing his legacy as an artist who embodies the universal language of humanity.
Salgado’s Paris is not just a backdrop for his life and work; Paris is his muse. Paris, to him, is a living, breathing muse that continues to inspire him.
Sebastião Salgado’s upcoming exhibition promises to be a tribute not only to Paris but to the enduring relationship between art and place, and Brazil and France – and one to add to the list of must-do activities in Paris in 2025 and 2026.
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 Paris Were My Lover began as a question about how deeply a place – a city – can shape us. It became a book, and now, it’s a voice. My voice.
I’m sharing the audio version of this intimate story, chapter by chapter, across six special podcast episodes exclusively on my Substack, The Stories in You and Me.
My Substack The Stories in You and Me can be accessed for free. HERE. You can become a free subscriber or a paid subscriber (for USD $5 per month). The Audio Series is available to Paid Subscribers.
Join me on The Stories in You and Me, where Paris awaits you, not just to be seen, but to be heard.
REVIEWS
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 May 2025
Gorgeous and visceral adventures in Paris, guaranteed to have readers salivating for their next visit to the most romantic city in the world. Take a breath and dive into this book. Wonderful.
Reviewed in Canada on 11 March 2025
The book weaves a mesmerizing tale of self-discovery, longing, and the magic of fleeting moments, making it a must-read for lovers of literary fiction and romance. The author’s writing is rich with emotion, painting vivid scenes that linger in your heart long after the final page. If you adore Paris, romance, and beautifully written storytelling, this book is an absolute must-read. Highly recommended for anyone who dreams of love, adventure, and the intoxicating allure of Paris.
Available in eBook and paperback on Amazon.
PART 6 OF THE AUDIO SERIES “IF PARIS WERE MY LOVER” … available to Paid Subscribers on Substack Paris as I write HERE.
