A description that’s often used to describe the Musée Marmottan Monet is that it’s a “hidden” gem.  Rather, I’d say it’s perhaps more overlooked than hidden, given its location in the chic Passy neighbourhood in the 16^th arr. on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, beside one of the loveliest parks in Paris.  Famous for the world’s largest collection of works by Claude Monet, the museum also has works by other Impressionist painters such as Morisot, Degas, Manet, Sisley, Pissarro, Renoir, Gauguin and Signac as well as over 300 masterpieces from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and First Empire period.

Around every corner of Paris you will find streets full of history.  The secret to discovering the real Paris is to detour off the grand boulevards, famous squares and enticing shopping streets.  If you delight in discovering special places, little nooks and crannies, narrow, ancient, pedestrianised streets beloved by locals but unknown to most visitors—the rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter of the 5^th arrondissement is for you.

Trying to distil the huge number of exhibitions and concerts happening in any year in Paris into a list of highlights is an almost impossible task.  This year is no exception, but any year will have so many visual feasts and surprises, it’s one of the great pleasures, and dilemmas, in planning a visit.

Paris Plus Plus has great pleasure in presenting the first three etchings of sketches of Paris by well-known Australian architect-turned-artist, Rodney Moss. Rodney has generously offered to donate all profit from the sale of Notre Dame from the Seine to the Notre Dame Restoration Fund, established by the French Government.  We are delighted and honoured to participate with Rodney in this cause that is dear to our hearts.

If you would like to contribute to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral by purchasing one of Rodney’s etchings, go to the STORE link on the top right-hand corner of this Blog page.  All profits from the sale of the Notre Dame from the Seine etching will be donated to the Cathedral’s restoration fund

“I dream of designing a magnificent vessel for Paris that symbolises France’s profound cultural vocation.”

With these words, the famous Canadian-American architect, creator of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum (1997), gave his blessing to the opening, in October 2014, of his latest masterpiece, the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris.  We were lucky enough to be in Paris that week and joined perhaps 10,000 others for its first open weekend.