Six Videos from the Secrets of Paris Community Archive

The videos below are normally available only to members of the Secrets of Paris Community. For a limited time, we’re making a small selection from the member video archive public. They reflect the range of content we publish for members: expert interviews, practical guidance, and on-the-ground reporting in Paris.

Uncovering the Secrets of the Louvre with Author Elaine Sciolino

I sat down with journalist and author Elaine Sciolino, former Paris Bureau Chief for The New York Times, to talk about her book Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the Greatest Museum in the World. In addition to practical visiting advice — how to avoid lines, footwear recommendations, and the value of getting lost — we also discussed upcoming changes at the Louvre, including plans for the Mona Lisa and a higher ticket price to see her. (This conversation was recorded before the recent heist.)

Watch to the very end for a brief lesson in the correct Italian pronunciation of Elaine’s name.

Christine Bacoup-Tidas Answers Questions About Buying Property in Paris

I spoke with Christine Bacoup-Tidas, a French-American lawyer and the founder of Tomette Paris, a real-estate agency in Paris that works exclusively for buyers. In this one-hour conversation, she answers common questions about the differences between home-hunting in the US and France, the most frequent pitfalls when buying property in Paris, and how she guides clients through the process, from securing financing and choosing the right visa, to working with contractors, interior designers, and property managers.

Cara Black on Researching and Writing Crime Fiction Set in Paris

I spoke with Cara Black for an in-person Secrets of Paris Book Club conversation about her Aimée Leduc mystery series, beginning with Murder in the Marais. We talked about the inspiration behind her Paris-based crime novels, her research methods, and the historical layers of the Marais. The conversation also touches on the writing process, authenticity in depicting 1990s technology and police work, and her more recent historical thrillers set during and after the Second World War.

Visiting the Reopened Towers of Notre Dame Cathedral

I visited the renovated bell towers of Notre Dame shortly after they reopened to the public in September 2025 to see how the new visit experience works, accompanied by Lisa, Philip and Roleeda. As this video shows, the renovation work focused on making the climb as comfortable and informative as possible, despite the 424 steps and the absence of an elevator!

The music heard throughout the video comes from the organ concert at the cathedral’s reopening ceremony in December 2024 (Saint-Saëns, Symphony No. 3). At the summit, the music is Edith Piaf’s rendition of La Marseillaise.

Swimming in the Seine on Opening Day

Fred and I woke up early to head to the Quai des Célestins, one of the three designated swimming spots on the Seine where Parisians were able to swim legally for the first time in a century as part of Paris Plages. After weeks of heatwave temperatures in Paris, it was a cool, overcast morning — about 19°C/66°F — when we arrived just after 8:30am, which felt chilly when contemplating a swim. In fact, the water was warmer than the air, and once in, it was surprisingly pleasant to paddle around and take in the views. And no, I did not put my head under.

Three Ways to Tie a French Silk Scarf

Designer Junhee Kim of Mont Kiji showed me several ways to tie a French silk scarf during a visit to Rendez‑Vous des Designers, a cooperative boutique in Saint-Germain-des-Prés she founded to showcase work by independent, Made-in-France designers. We filmed this on site, so if you have trouble hearing our conversation over the background music, English closed captions are available. Merci to Fred for the camera work and editing!

About the Secrets of Paris Community

Paris is an exceptional city in many ways, but it is also a city like any other, with its strengths and its flaws. Instead of telling visitors what they “must” see or do, Secrets of Paris is built around accurate, first-hand journalism that gives readers the information they need to make their own informed decisions. The website and newsletter focus on reported articles based on in-person visits, interviews, and first-hand research; practical information that is checked, updated, and clearly explained; and context for changes affecting both visitors and residents, from museum prices to public transport changes.

This work — and the additional, more personal material shown here — exists because of the support of the Secrets of Paris Community. Membership keeps the site and newsletter ad-free and independent, and gives members access to behind-the-scenes updates, exclusive videos like the ones above, in-depth neighborhood guides, invitations to meetups, and ongoing documentation of life in Paris that I don’t share with the general public.

Learn more about the membership community here.