Vivienne, Lille, Lyon and Fab

VIVIENNE

Artist friend Laura Figueroa’s beautiful bronze sculptures were on display at the Vivienne Art Galerie in the Galerie Vivienne. (I know,it’s confusing!) “WERE on display” because the show ended yesterday, another reason to get there before her elegant horses went back into hiding, or sold to an art-lover.

Visiting Laura with a group of friends at the gallery was a perfect excuse for wandering through the covered passages of the district, Vivienne being one of the city’s most elegant—a quiet jewel tucked between the Palais-Royal and the Bourse. Built in 1823, it embodies the refined charm of 19th-century Paris, with its glass roof, ornate ironwork, and beautifully preserved mosaic floors that feel almost theatrical underfoot.

Unlike busier passages, Galerie Vivienne retains a sense of discretion and intimacy. Today it’s home to independent boutiques, bookshops, wine merchants, and cafés—places that invite lingering rather than rushing. Stepping inside feels like slipping out of modern Paris and into a slower, more cultivated rhythm, where shopping, strolling, and people-watching are still pleasures in their own right.

First, we lunched at Bistrot Vivienne which sets the stage for a stroll through the passage. Exiting the passage, we passed Le Grand Colbert, situated at one of the passage’s entries, famous for being one of Paris’s great classic brasseries, and frozen—in the best possible way—in early-20th-century elegance. Opened in 1900 and listed as a historic monument, it’s known for its soaring ceilings, Belle Époque décor, mirrors, brass details, and a dining room that feels unapologetically grand.

Culinarily, Le Grand Colbert is celebrated for textbook French brasserie cuisine done properly: seafood platters, sole meunière, escargots, confit de canard, and old-school desserts—nothing trendy, everything reassuring. It also gained international fame after appearing in “Something’s Gotta Give,” starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, which cemented its reputation with visitors, while locals continue to treat it as a dependable institution rather than a novelty.

So few restaurants in Paris have maintained their 19th-century charm, so if you want a blast from the past, head to Galerie Vivienne and all it offers.

LILLE

On Friday I head to Lille with my friend, Janet Hulstrand, to hear her son, Sam, play with his own band and celebrate his 30th birthday. It was an opportunity for us to get a taste of the city.

Lille is a “sleeper” city that no one seems to talk about, but unrightly so! I believe it’s one of France’s best-kept secrets as one of the country’s most desirable places to live.

Why? Like Paris, you don’t go there for the weather (!), but you do go there for the access. Lille sits at the crossroads of France, Belgium, and northern Europe, with the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) access to Paris, Brussels, London and Amsterdam, including direct access to the CDG airport, that makes it easier and faster to get into Paris than from a Paris suburb!

Once a major industrial powerhouse, the city has reinvented itself into a lively cultural and university hub—without losing its grit or generosity. This means it’s teeming with young people and because of its proximity, it’s teeming with Anglophones, too. Architecturally, Lille is a mix of Flemish façades, elegant 19th-century boulevards, and contemporary design, all anchored by the beautifully restored Old Town (Vieux-Lille).

What surprises most visitors is the atmosphere: convivial, open, and refreshingly unpretentious. Life revolves around cafés, markets, museums, and food—think estaminets, waffles, beer culture, and a sense of humor that leans Belgian more than Parisian. Add to it all the very low cost of housing and what you get is a highly livable city with a strong identity and a big heart.

I discovered all this when filming a House Hunters International episode there a few years ago. Since then, we’ve sent many clients in that direction who love calling it home…but I haven’t been back…until this coming weekend when I hope to explore it a bit more.

So, I’ll be in Lille for 24 hours—it’s that easy to do—and I invite you readers, clients and friends who live in Lille, to meet me there on Saturday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day) at 2 p.m. at La Place, 24 Place du Général de Gaulle in the very heart of the city for a drink and conversation.

I want to learn more about Lille, about you, and why you love (or don’t love) the city! If you can come, please RSVP.

LYON

A week later, I’ll be on a train from Nice to Lyon to film another House Hunters International episode—my 59th! I haven’t been to Lyon in years and will be learning quite a bit about it before the filming. It’s France’s 3rd largest city after Paris and Marseille, but the 2nd largest urban area in France, after Greater Paris.

I am told that it is “confident, cultured, and deeply rooted in history.” Set between the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon layers Roman ruins, Renaissance streets, and elegant 19th-century architecture into a city that feels both grand and livable. The old quarters of Vieux-Lyon and the Presqu’île showcase its architectural pedigree, while Croix-Rousse reflects its working-class and silk-weaving past.

Most Americans know Lyon as France’s gastronomic capital, where everyday meals are taken seriously and tradition still matters—think markets, and a food culture that’s proud rather than precious. Lyon is the chef factory of France. Paul Bocuse is the icon, often called the pope of French gastronomy, who put Lyon on the global culinary map and shaped modern haute cuisine. Then, there’s Eugénie Brazier, the first woman to earn six Michelin stars and trained Bocuse himself. Alain Chapel is a key figure in “nouvelle cuisine,” Jean-Paul Lacombe and Georges Blanc. The list goes on! Lyon’s reputation isn’t built on flashy chefs—it’s built on transmission: great chefs train great chefs, and the city prizes technique, tradition, and eating well every day, not just on special occasions.

I can’t wait to test it out! Add top universities, strong healthcare, vibrant cultural life, and fast train connections to Paris, Geneva, and the Alps, and Lyon emerges as a city that rewards people looking for substance, not hype.

My complaint with Lyon has always been that it’s a lot like Paris, but it isn’t Paris. I hope to find out why it might out-perform Paris, although that might be very tough. And I need you who live there to help me.

I invite you readers who live in Lyon to meet me on Sunday, February 22nd, mid-afternoon at 3 p.m. at Le Grand Café des Négociants in the Presqu’île (1 Place Francisque Régaud, 2nd) for a drink and a conversation.

I want to learn more about Lyon, about you and why you love (or don’t love) the city! If you can come, please RSVP. mailto:[email protected]?subject=Meet-Me-in-Lyon

FAB

Fab Insurance just posted a video filmed a few weeks ago in their studio, with Fabien Pelissier, our favorite French insurance broker and advisor, best known for his work helping foreigners navigate the French insurance system, interviewing…little ol’ me.

It’s 24 minutes long, and worth a watch. In this episode, we cover France vs USA on:

• Cost of living (internet/phone, homeowner insurance, property taxes)
• Healthcare and day-to-day quality of life
• Buying property in France without the MLS system
• Why renovations often cost more than Americans expect
• Paris: a stable market? myths vs reality
• Nice: sunshine, lifestyle, and why it’s become a favorite

The idea is for you to learn a lot, so watch it today! Or directly on YouTube.

A la prochaine…