The France They Loved
Travel+Leisure|October 2017

Before Julia Child became Julia Child, she and her husband, Paul, a career diplomat, lived from 1948 until 1954 in Paris and Marseille. In addition to his work in the civil service, Paul was an accomplished photographer who continually documented his surroundings. In this exclusive excerpt from France Is a Feast, a book of Paul’s work, out October 24, ALEXPRUD’ HOMME—the Childs’ great nephew—captures the bygone world the couple inhabited.

The France They Loved

ONE OVERCAST SUNDAY MORNING in November 1949, Paul and Julia Child walked along the Seine, the great green river that serpentines through central Paris. They admired the city’s stately buildings and arched bridges, artists painting at their easels, fishermen intently watching the tips of their bamboo poles, women sewing pink underwear. Paul and Julia didn’t speak much on their expeditions through the city, but walked in tandem and communicated with a raised eyebrow or a murmur.

Paul’s eye continually roved the streets and buildings, looking for a piquant face or architectural detail. On the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river where Notre-Dame Cathedral rises, his eye framed a tableau: a receding line of double-ended chaloupes, or rowboats, tethered to the embankment, their cigar-like shapes reflected by the water and abstracted to dashed brushstrokes; looming overhead was the silhouetted limb of a tree; in the distance, the swooping forms of a bridge and its dark reflection in the Seine.

This story is from the October 2017 edition of Travel+Leisure.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 2017 edition of Travel+Leisure.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM TRAVEL+LEISUREView All
NATURE'S KEEPERS
Travel+Leisure US

NATURE'S KEEPERS

Brazil's vast, varied landscapes are home to enigmatic creatures like the jaguar, the spider monkey, and the maned wolf. Stanley Stewart visits three eco-lodges that are leading preservation efforts to help the animals make a comeback.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2024
AS TIME GOES BY
Travel+Leisure US

AS TIME GOES BY

A decade and a half after a life-changing sojourn in Vietnam, a writer returns to track the country's transformations-and his own.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2024
HIGH - MIGHTY
Travel+Leisure US

HIGH - MIGHTY

On the fringes of a lesserknown Kenyan park, a new lodge brings you face-to-face with some of Africa's most majestic animals. Paul Brady goes in search of the biggest beast of them all.

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2024
GLOBAL VISION AWARDS
Travel+Leisure US

GLOBAL VISION AWARDS

THE 26 PEOPLE, COMPANIES, AND NONPROFITS | CHANGING THE WAY WE TRAVEL FOR THE BETTER

time-read
6 mins  |
April 2024
High Tea
Travel+Leisure US

High Tea

In Sri Lanka, a new walking trail weaves through mist-shrouded forests and centuries-old estates. Erin Vivid Riley makes the pilgrimage.

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2024
Devils' Advocates
Travel+Leisure US

Devils' Advocates

Tasmania’s most famous species is under threat—but all hope is not lost. Elizabeth Warkentin heads down under to see the conservation effort up close.

time-read
3 mins  |
April 2024
Out of the Blue
Travel+Leisure US

Out of the Blue

Honduras beckons scuba divers, waterfall rappellers, and other thrill seekers. Nora Walsh takes the plunge.

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2024
Electric Feel
Travel+Leisure US

Electric Feel

The easy way to see Switzerland’s peaks and valleys? From the comfort of an e-bike. Tim Neville checks out the newest cycling routes—without breaking too much of a sweat.

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2024
The Light Fantastic
Travel+Leisure US

The Light Fantastic

How a small city in Arizona played a big part in the Dark Skies movementand in the process, became one of America's best places for stargazing.

time-read
7 mins  |
April 2024
MAKE THIS GARDEN GROW
Travel+Leisure US

MAKE THIS GARDEN GROW

Ross Kenneth Urken and his family roll up their sleeves for a cooking class en plein air at a famed estate outside Paris.

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2024