In my imagination, I am the urbane flaneur who idles happily in the cafes and parks of Paris with no particular agenda beyond the interested observation. The reality, alas, is that I harbor far too restless and results-oriented a temperament to fully embrace the role of flaneur. Perhaps there is…

The merry antiquary is keenly aware that an afternoon spent admiring medieval chess pieces at the Musee de Cluny is not everyone’s idea of the perfect day in Paris. Nor will most find it worth the detour to discover a well-preserved fishing village in the Basque country or an old…