Craft beer near La Défense - La Caisses de Bières

Paris isn't known for its beer culture, but it doesn't take much searching to discover there are several gems to be found, and La Caisses de Bières is one such gem.

Its location is just outside of Paris, and I've given it a mention because it is a 5-10 min walk from La Défense. This makes it perfect for all the expats working in La Défense, helps to keep the prices down, and shelters it from the tourist crowds.

What makes it a gem?

••  It stocks Belgian and French beers, with around 300 varieties. Belgian beer making up the vast majority (and rightly so).

Le Corbusier and the golden ratio

Villa Savoye

I first stumbled across Le Corbusier whilst reading about one of my obsessions - the golden ratio. Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French architect who influenced modern architecture, and incorporated the golden ratio into his "Modular" design concept. And many of his buildings can be found in and around Paris.

But firstly, a few words on the golden ratio. I won't go into all the detail because you can find plenty on the net, but in short it is a mathematical ratio related to the Fibonacci sequence. It pops up in nature, and it is linked to what humans perceive as aesthetically beautiful.

But it doesn't stop there. Put on your physicist hat, and you'll discover the ratio also results from objects repelling each other. Switch to your biologist hat, and you'll discover that the growing points of living creatures are driven by dividing cells moving away from each other in the most efficient way (explaining why the ratio can be seen in nature).

Guide to Frank Gehry buildings in Paris

Fondation Louis Vuitton

With the upcoming opening of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, it seems opportune to do a roundup of Frank Gehry's buildings in France. There are three in France, all of which can be found in or near Paris.

Fondation Louis Vuitton: 

The newest creation, based on the concept of sails rising above the trees of Bois de Boulogne. Once finished it will be devoted to contemporary art.

The building also scores some green points, as it has been used as the pilot project to develop a new HQE standard for cultural buildings. HQE = High Quality Environmental standard, a standard for green building in France.

Defacto Spectacle 2014: Here... Elsewhere

This is a free annual fireworks show held in La Défense - this years will be the fourth edition. It is a little off the radar because technically it's outside Paris, and therefore doesn't get the same level of promotion that Paris events get.

This is great of course, because it means the crowds are smaller and more family friendly. None of the French car burning tradition to be found here!

The show is a mixture of lighting effects projected onto the Grande Arche and other nearby buildings, combined with pyrotechnics and sound. Based on my experience last year, the show is well choreographed, and the smaller 'stage' and audience means the syncing between sound and visuals are much more effective than your average pyrotechnics show.

The theme for this years show is a trip around the world.

Ikea - from Paris - by train

I'm not sure if I should be supporting Ikea, but love it or hate it...Ikea is very handy when you need to furnish and create a functional Parisian apartment - quickly and on the cheap.

(Let's face it, given the condition of most Paris apartments, you're lucky if you had light fittings when you moved in).

But moving on....you won't find Ikea in Paris proper, but there are a few in the suburbs.

So...can you get to any of them by train? Yes.

1.  Find your way to Montparnasse Bienvenüe using the metro lines.

Exhibitions for your inner geek - DC, Marvel & Star Wars!

Crisis on Infinite Earths - A storyline from 1985, allowing writers to
reboot the DC universe, which over 50 years had become a mess of
continuity errors 

Paris has three offerings at the moment for the nerd inside all of us (you know you have one).

1.  Super-Héros: l’Art d’Alex Ross - This is the smallest of the exhibits on my list but well worth the visit. It follows the works of Alex Ross, who (for the nerds that are not yet nerdy enough) is one of the most recognised comic book artists of recent times. The exhibition spans from his scribbly childhood drawings through to his works for both DC Comics and Marvel. The overall focus is on the DC Comics universe; think Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash and all other things Justice League. 

••  Runs 5 Mar - 15 Jun at the Mona Bismarck American Center for art & culture (16e).