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I'm a Mom in Paris—and These Are My 11 Must-visit Spots With Kids in the City of Light
Leopoldine Bauer/Travel + Leisure
Located on Paris's Left Bank, this intimate museum showcases the works of sculptor Auguste Rodin—most notably The Thinker. In addition to its acclaimed collection, the property features beautifully manicured sculpture gardens and an on-site cafe, perfect for a casual coffee or an ice cream break. The museum offers a year-round calendar of family-friendly events, such as the chasse aux œufs (Easter egg hunt), where our daughter delighted in collecting eggs throughout the gardens in exchange for chocolates. A current highlight for families is L'Atelier Rodin, a dedicated space where children of all ages can explore the art of sculpture through hands-on activities. Nosso Barco Tambor Terra exhibition at the Grand Palais.
RICCARDO MILANI/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
There's always a captivating exhibition or event to discover at the architecturally stunning Grand Palais. Our family has enjoyed attending a variety of seasonal happenings, from ice skating at Le Grand Palais des Glaces to the Festival du Livre de Paris, which brings together hundreds of authors and publishers. The Children's Palace recently debuted its very first exhibition, "Transparence," a sensory journey exploring the concept of transparency through science and art, on view until Aug. 2027. In addition to this must-see exhibition, the Grand Palais is home to two expansive spaces dedicated to play and curiosity, including Le Salon Seine—a family-friendly area with interactive art, creative games, a collaborative mural, and a cafe.
A quick note for families with event tickets: Be prepared for long lines at the entrance, even if you've purchased tickets in advance. The exterior of Foundation Louis Vuitton.
Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure
A standout destination beloved by visitors of all ages, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is a contemporary art museum and cultural center celebrated as an architectural icon. The "David Hockney 25" exhibition is currently stealing the spotlight until Aug. 2025, accompanied by an art workshop designed for children ages 6-10 and their families. After your visit, let your little ones burn off some energy in the vast Bois de Boulogne park that surrounds the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Be sure to check the museum's annual programming, which includes popular events like Nuit des Musées and the Family Festival, among others. Greenscape of Jardin d'Acclimatation.
Maddy Odom/Travel + Leisure
For families seeking the thrill of an amusement park without committing to a full day at Disneyland, the Jardin d'Acclimatation is an ideal alternative, located within minutes of the Fondation Louis Vuitton. This destination is a true Parisian institution, adored by locals and visitors alike for its wide range of attractions, from roller coasters and carnival-style games to an educational farm with hands-on animal encounters. My husband loves bringing our kids here with his family, sharing the magic of his own childhood visits across generations. Leave it to Paris to offer an amusement park experience that's genuinely enjoyable. Exterior of a greenhosue in Jardin des Plantes.
Leopoldine Bauer/Travel + Leisure
Paris is home to an impressive collection of parks and gardens, like the Jardin du Luxembourg and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, but we always find ourselves returning to the Jardin des Plantes, nestled in the city's 5th arrondissement. Take your time exploring the gardens, including the greenhouses, which are noteworthy even when the blooms aren't at their peak. Inside the gates, you'll also find La Ménagerie (the zoo) and several museums, including the well-known Grande Galerie de l'Évolution. You could easily spend an entire day discovering the Jardin des Plantes—a place sure to spark the curiosity of every family member. Scenes from the playground at Jardin Catherine‑Labouré.
Maddy Odom/Travel + Leisure
One of the reasons I love raising kids in Paris is the fact that you can find a park or playground on nearly every block. We're lucky to have several options scattered throughout our arrondissement, but this quaint jardin (garden), just minutes from Le Bon Marché, has become a regular escape for our family. Tucked off Rue de Babylone, it's easy to miss if you don't know it's there—but step inside and you'll find a well-maintained playground, a green space for lounging, and benches situated beneath leafy vines, ideal for reading. This hidden gem provides a welcome pause from the bustle just beyond the park's edge. Interior shots of Chantelivre.
Maddy Odom/Travel + Leisure
Browsing for books is a simple yet extremely satisfying way to spend an hour (or two) in Paris. We're spoiled by the abundance of charming bookshops in Paris—like Chantelivre on Rue de Sèvres, a delightful spot known for its curated selection of children's literature. With cozy reading nooks in a newly renovated space, this bookshop is also home to La Maison des Histoires, an interactive musée jouer (play museum) inspired by classic children's books designed with young kids in mind. Grab a coffee and pastry at the cafe before settling into story time. Making pizza at Oobatz.
What kid (and adult) doesn't love a good slice of pizza and a pizzookie (cookie topped with ice cream) for a decadent dessert? Located in Paris's 11th arrondissement, Oobatz is serving up slices the whole city seems to be talking about. While the restaurant itself is quite intimate, it accepts reservations and opens for dinner service at 6 p.m.—much earlier than many other Parisian establishments. In other words, it's deal for a laid-back family meal—just don't forget to book your table ahead of time. A table full of food in HolyBelly.
When it comes to brunch in Paris, HolyBelly is a family-run favorite, best known for its seriously good pancakes in the 10th arrondissement. While we don't make it here as often as our little ones (or we) would like, we recently hopped on the metro for a weekend visit—and it's always well worth the trip. HolyBelly doesn't take reservations, so it's best to plan ahead. On weekends, we aim to get there right at opening (9 a.m.) to beat the crowd, while weekdays are typically more relaxed. If there happens to be a line, it tends to move quickly. One unexpected perk: The lively environment easily absorbs toddler chaos, so there's no need to stress about noise here. Delicious treats from Plaq.
Maddy Odom/Travel + Leisure
Hot chocolate is another beloved Parisian specialty, with iconic spots like Angelina, Carette, and Les Deux Magots earning reputations for some of the best cups in town. But Plaq offers a distinctly different experience. With their bean-to-bar philosophy, they oversee every step of the process, from sourcing the cocoa beans to crafting each final creation. They now have two locations in Paris, including their newest outpost on Rue du Cherche-Midi. There, you'll find an exciting selection of treats, including their signature chocolate bars, seasonal specialties like ice cream in the warmer months, or a personal favorite: hot chocolate topped with chantilly when the weather turns cold. A close up of an ice cream cone from Cafe Isaka.
Maddy Odom/Travel + Leisure
Inspired by the flavors of Asia, Café Isaka brings a playful twist to typical artisanal ice cream you might find elsewhere. Tucked in the heart of Paris's 1st arrondissement, it's a charming stop for a refreshing pause amid a day of wandering the city. Whether you're craving a classic scoop or curious to try their signature fried ice cream, there's something on the menu to satisfy every sweet tooth. Grab your treat and stroll over to the nearby Palais-Royal to enjoy it among the gardens.
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CNN
32 minutes ago
- CNN
She got the last seat on a flight next to a stranger. They've been married for 40 years
Vickie Moretz had never left the southern United States, let alone traveled abroad. The prospect of flying across the Atlantic was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. It was February 1982. Vickie was 22, a recent graduate from the University of Tennessee, en route to London to participate in a work study program. She was traveling with one of her best friends, Sandra. The two young women packed enormous suitcases ('We bought everything in our wardrobe, two great big ones, each of us') and lugged the bags from Ohio, via New Orleans to what was then called Washington National Airport. The friends had standby tickets booked on a World Airways flight to London Heathrow Airport. They'd booked standby purely because it was the cheapest option. It never occurred to them that the tickets were cheap for a reason. 'I didn't even know what the word standby meant,' Vickie tells CNN Travel today. 'All I knew was I got a really good deal.' The two women were so relieved to have arrived in Washington DC — it had been no small feat to drag their large cases onto a bus and a busy commuter train — that when they got to the airport, they both relaxed. 'I didn't know you had to go to check in — I didn't know what you were supposed to do,' Vickie recalls. When the penny dropped, and Vickie and Sandra realized their tickets meant there was no guarantee they'd be on the flight at all, they panicked. At the gate, the two women stood waiting anxiously, in tears at the thought they wouldn't make it on — or, worse, that one of them might be admitted on board and the other wouldn't. Between sobs, they explained to airport staff that neither of them had traveled abroad before and were relying on each other for moral support. Sandra was allowed on first. A few minutes later, Vickie was told she'd got the final seat on the plane. 'They took me through first class, walked me all the way around the back of the plane, came around, tossed my luggage into a seat, it hit the person next to them, she turned around and it was my girlfriend.' Against the odds, Vickie and Sandra had not only both made it on board, they'd ended up in seats next to each other. They hugged happily, each wiping away stray tears as they breathed a sigh of relief. And then Sandra introduced Vickie to the man who completed their row of three. 'This is Graham,' she said. 'He's from England.' Graham grinned hello. Dressed in a green sweater with curly red hair, he exuded a friendly, relaxed confidence that instantly put Vickie at ease. The panic of the last few hours officially subsided. Graham was also 22, and hailed from Lancashire, in the north of England. He'd graduated the UK's University of Leeds the year before and had just spent several months traveling around the US while he waited to start law school. 'I saved up some money, bought a one-way ticket to New Orleans, and I spent about six weeks driving around the States until my money ran out,' Graham tells CNN Travel today. Like Vickie and Sandra, Graham booked a standby ticket. Unlike Vickie and Sandra, he knew what that meant. He had no idea if he'd be let on the flight or not, but was thrilled to get a seat, and equally thrilled to be seated with two friendly Americans eager to hear all about the UK. 'They were exhausted and worn out, but obviously excited to be reunited on the plane,' recalls Graham. 'And we just got chatting.' Graham liked Vickie and Sandra right away — they were easy, fun company and their excitement was contagious. He regaled them with stories about England, and was keen to hear what life was like growing up in the American South. Vickie liked Graham too. Thanks to him, she enjoyed a great first transatlantic flight. 'We had the best laughs,' recalls Vickie. 'We stayed awake all night long — and that was our second night of staying awake, Sandra and I, because we'd been awake the night before trying to get to the airport. And he was lovely. He was just immediately a good friend.' While Vickie found Graham fun and easy company, she didn't think he'd be anything more than a friend — not to her, anyway. 'He had curly red hair back then — it was a perm, it wasn't real — and my girlfriend adores curly headed guys. So I thought, 'Oh good, Sandra's met her somebody.'' Graham promised to help Vickie and Sandra transport their luggage from Heathrow to London city center. After that, he'd have to head back up north to see his family, but he said he'd be back in the capital city before too long. 'We were excited that he was going to show us around,' recalls Vickie. 'He gave us the history of England all night long.' Vickie vividly remembers Graham attempting to explain 1066, seen as a pivotal date in English history, when William of Normandy defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings. 'I didn't even know what 1066 was,' says Vickie, 'The moment I left the plane, I knew everything that ever happened. I'm surprised I didn't have the kings and queens memorized by the end.' 'I enjoyed educating the girls and introducing them to my country,' says Graham. 'Couldn't believe my luck that I got to sit next to two beautiful blondes, and certainly looked forward to seeing them again. I made firm plans to visit before I left them that first day.' After landing in the UK, the trio made their way by train to the central hotel where Vickie and Sandra were set to be living and working for the next three months. Graham led the way, teaching Vickie and Sandra how to navigate the foreign transport system, and helping them haul their large bags on and off carriages. It was rush hour, and the trio found themselves on a busy commuter train. Vickie was surprised that no one on board was talking, or even looking at each other. She, Sandra and Graham interrupted the quiet with their excitable chatter. 'The three of us caused a commotion with our laughter and constant commentary as we pointed out the windows, which caused some to smile at our excitement,' recalls Vickie. 'When we came out of the station, we were overwhelmed with how beautiful London was, even in the drizzle, and fell in love with the city that very day.' Before saying goodbye and preparing to catch his train north to his parents' house, Graham treated Vickie and Sandra to their first British cup of tea. He promised to return the following weekend, but his departure still had a tinge of sadness. 'While we were having the tea and he was getting ready to leave, we were saying, 'Oh, no.' He'd become our best friend. And we're thinking, 'Oh, we hate leaving him.' So I said, 'Well, we've got to get pictures,'' recalls Vickie. Vickie dug out her camera and took her first London photograph: Graham and Sandra, smiling together. Then she passed her camera to Sandra, and posed for her own picture with Graham. Without thinking, the American visitor and the British stranger put their arms around one another and leaned in, their hands brushing together, their heads touching. 'I was still thinking he was more for Sandra instead of me,' says Vickie. 'But in our picture — he took the same picture with Sandra and their hands are further apart — and of course in ours, our hands are right up against each other, which is rather funny. I guess it was looking ahead at things to come.' At the time, Vickie thought nothing of it. The photo was simply to celebrate the start of their UK adventure. 'It was just to commemorate: we have arrived in London, and here we are. And here's our new friend — our new and only friend in London,' she recalls. Graham said his goodbyes, promising to return the next weekend. Vickie's first week in London was a baptism of fire. She and Sandra were working as hotel cleaning staff. They were equal parts clueless and committed, thrilled to be experiencing something new, and no idea how to go about it. 'I had a BS in business management, as well as a minor in computer science and one in real estate. I'd rarely made up my own bed and come over there to be a chambermaid. So we were very nervous about starting work there,' says Vickie. Vickie also remembers a real culture shock. Most of what she knew about the UK she'd learned from Graham on the seven-hour flight across the Atlantic. She felt conspicuous, with her southern American twang, amid a sea of English voices. 'Back then Americans, of course, visited, but not like they do now. Now, you know, the Brits and Americans are so used to being together, it's very similar. Back then it was very different,' says Vickie. 'We were really put under a microscope when we first arrived. But I couldn't wait for him to come back.' Back home in Lancashire, Graham called up a university friend of his who lived in London — Jim — and passed on Vickie and Sandra's details, suggesting Jim look them up. 'He arranged to meet up with them and took them out for a drink. And I immediately got my train ticket to come back down that next weekend,' says Graham. 'So that was the plan. And there was no doubt I was going to do it.' The next Saturday, as promised, Graham arrived back in London, and he and Jim took Vickie and Sandra on a sightseeing day around London. It was a glorious, sunny day and the group ducked in and out of museums and pubs, posing for photographs outside London landmarks. Vickie and Sandra enjoyed their first fish and chip meal, climbed on the lion statues at Trafalgar Square, peeked at 10 Downing Street and marveled at the imposing grandeur of St Paul's Cathedral. 'We were all running around. We had the best time. We all got along so well, and we were joking and laughing,' recalls Vickie. 'Our friendship with these guys was just so easy, as if we had known them for years,' Vickie wrote in her diary that day. When you think back, all the things that had to line up for us to meet is incredible. One slight change of plans, we never would have met. Graham Kidner Vickie still suspected Sandra had a soft spot for Graham. She was happy for them, and understood why Sandra liked him. 'His concern for us and warm personality were endearing, and we viewed him as being special because he had introduced us to this country before we even arrived, not to mention his curly ginger hair and smiling green eyes.' In the afternoon, the group headed to Portobello Road, home to one of the world's most famous street markets, a mix of antiques, fruit and vegetable stalls and everything in between. Riding the escalator to exit the London Underground station, Vickie and Graham found themselves standing side by side. Sandra and Jim were lower down, amid crowds of tourists and locals. Out of nowhere, a woman standing on the step in front of Vickie and Graham turned around to survey them both. They didn't notice her at first, both preoccupied with one another. Then she spoke: 'You're both Scorpios,' she said. It was more of a statement than a question. 'Yes, ma'am, I am,' said Vickie, surprised. She didn't know Graham's birthday, let alone his star sign, but she turned to look at him expectantly. Graham said yes, he was also a Scorpio. The stranger smiled, like this confirmed everything she already knew. 'You will make great love and will always be together,' she said, and then turned back around to disembark the escalator. 'Graham and I looked at one another, completely confused, and nearly tripped off the escalator,' wrote Vickie in her diary. 'We got the biggest kick out of that,' Vickie recalls today. 'We laughed and couldn't wait to tell Sandra and Jim about it. We thought that was so funny.' But hearing the strangers' words shifted something in both Vickie and Graham. 'By the end of that evening, we were holding hands,' says Vickie today. 'That was March 6. And then we were engaged July 4, and married December 28.' The interaction with the woman on the escalator seemed funny at first. But looking back, Graham says he thinks it was a turning point. 'That was the moment,' he says. 'The day had already been near perfect, and now Graham and I were looking at one another with new eyes,' wrote Vickie in her diary. That evening, the group enjoyed a nightcap at The Bloomsbury Tavern. As they were leaving, Graham reached over to hold Vickie's hand. 'He just reached back and held my hand and I took it, which would be unusual for me. It was just meant to be. I mean, it was — it is — very strange, but it was definitely meant to be,' says Vickie today. Vickie and Graham's chemistry and connection felt so natural, that Sandra, who had, as Vickie expected, quite liked Graham, was immediately happy for them. 'She was thrilled when we got together, she said it just seemed appropriate,' says Vickie. From that evening on, Vickie and Graham were a couple. Graham traveled down to London from Lancashire whenever possible. And only three weeks after they'd first met on the airplane, Vickie traveled to the north of England with Graham to meet his parents. Graham's parents had been worried about their son traveling around the US on his own — his mother had a particular fear of American cults. But in all the hypothetical situations she'd fretted about, she'd never considered he might meet an American girl on an airplane and fall instantly in love. She didn't know what to think. 'I think we really shocked them that we were dating and we were immediately serious,' says Vickie. Vickie and Graham strove to make the most of their time in the UK together. They knew there was a deadline — Vickie had to head back to the US in only a matter of months — and this knowledge accelerated their relationship. 'We just didn't want to be apart once we met, so we knew we were going to have to make some permanent plans,' says Graham. 'We knew that my time was going to be coming to an end quickly. So we sort of had to act quickly,' says Vickie. 'What do we do to see each other, to stay together? And I remember us saying, we would have to get married — which was weird because we just graduated from university. It was the last thing on my mind to get married.' The couple would chat about their future while sitting together in leafy Bloomsbury Square Garden, a quiet green space near to the hotel where Vickie was living and working. 'We would sit out there, and everything was just so peaceful. It was like the world was just right. That's all we had to do, just sit together and the world just felt good,' recalls Vickie. Vickie also had long conversations with Sandra about what to do. Was getting married so quickly a mistake? Her friend backed her up. 'I've never known two people that just seem right for each other like you are, especially so quickly,' Vickie recalls Sandra saying. While in London, Vickie stayed in touch with her parents via letters sent back to Tennessee. She never called — long distance, transatlantic phone calls were expensive in 1982. Instead, she wrote about Graham in long dispatches home, explaining they were serious, and suggesting marriage might be on the cards. 'My mother said whatever I decided, she knew that I'd always make good decisions,' recalls Vickie. As for Graham's parents, they were worried their son's prospective law career might be derailed by a transatlantic romance. But they saw how much he cared for Vickie, and also supported his decision. His friends were shocked, but supportive. 'Jim was amazed by how quickly it all was happening, but happy for us,' recalls Graham. 'My other friends were all surprised, but once they met Vickie, they understood why I had fallen in love with her.' On July 4, 1982, Graham proposed. Despite all the conversations leading up to it, Vickie was still surprised. They'd talked so extensively about marriage that she didn't think they'd do the whole official proposal thing — it went without saying, surely? 'We made the decision to marry before the official engagement, but I wanted to be traditional and propose on one knee,' recalls Graham. July 4, given it was a US national holiday, seemed an appropriate date. 'He came up to the room and said, 'You know if we're going to do this, we've got to do it right.' And then he got down on one knee and he asked me. And he gave me the ring that he had purchased, which was so sweet,' says Vickie. Then Vickie had to go back to the US in September. Cue a tearful goodbye at London Heathrow Airport. 'The plane taking off brought on fresh tears,' wrote Vickie in her diary. 'It was more than leaving someone I loved for a few months; it was about the ending of a chapter of my life. One that was unexpected. One where I took a risk and it worked and I had learned and grown so much.' In December 1982, Vickie and Graham reunited in the US for their wedding day. Graham recalls the surreal, exciting week in which he met all of Vickie's family within days of their nuptials. Vickie's family also met Graham's parents that week. It was a whirlwind, but a happy whirlwind. 'Everybody loved him the minute they met him and they really liked his family too,' says Vickie. The wedding took place in Bristol, Virginia. Vickie took Graham's name, becoming Vickie Kidner. Then the couple returned to the UK, where they lived for the next two years while Graham finished law school. After that, Vickie and Graham relocated to the US. They'd been torn between life in the UK and life in the US. But in the end, the US won out. 'I didn't want to leave my family as much, I wasn't used to it. Remember, that was the first time I'd ever been out of the country, or out of the south,' says Vickie. 'Because I'd been to the States on my own, I think I was maybe a little bit more adventurous in terms of I was willing to take a bit more of a risk and travel and do something different,' says Graham. Vickie and Graham went on to have two children, and brought them up in the US with plenty of UK traditions thrown into the mix. Graham takes particular pride in his annual English Christmas dinners: 'I usually do Yorkshire puddings,' he explains. 'Roast potatoes, Christmas pudding…' When their kids were growing up, Vickie and Graham would also take them on regular trips to England to visit their family. Today, Vickie and Graham still enjoy returning to the UK, especially London — it's always special for them to return to the locations of their early courtship. The hotel where Vickie worked is now an apartment block. But on a recent trip in 2022, the building manager let a nostalgic Vickie and Graham into the foyer for a peek. 'It looks nothing like it did with us. But we had a lot of happy memories there,' says Vickie. Afterwards, the couple sat in Bloomsbury Square, the green spot where they first talked about marriage. It was special and surreal to look at how far they'd come in four decades. They're still friends with Sandra and Jim, and they enjoyed catching up with Jim during that recent UK trip. Prev Next Vickie and Graham recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, their neighbor Amanda Caldwell, who is a photographer, took a photograph of Vickie and Graham. She got the couple to recreate the picture they took the day they met, on Vickie's first day in London, arms around each other, smiling. 'We met when we were 22 years old. We had both just turned 23 when we got married. And now we're 63,' says Vickie. 'It's hard to believe,' says Graham. 'Time goes very quickly,' says Vickie. That first cup of tea together in 1982 turned into many more shared pots of tea. Vickie and Graham say they've always enjoyed just 'doing nothing' together, relishing the small moments as well as the big adventures. 'You have to enjoy doing nothing together, as well as enjoy doing things together,' says Vickie. 'You marry a friend, it's about finding somebody you can be a friend with, because you keep friends.' 'And it's also accepting the good and the bad,' she adds. 'Your interests change over the years to some degree. Raising kids together isn't always easy. But that's why you marry a friend, somebody that you enjoy being with.' Nowadays when the two travel on an airplane together, Graham usually puts on his headphones before take off, gets absorbed in a book and doesn't speak to anyone. 'He's become very, very British,' jokes Vickie, who says she'll always chat to a seat neighbor. Still, traveling together always leads them to reflect on how they met, and the coincidence that they both booked the same flight, both booked standby seats and against the odds, both made it on board that World Airways flight to London. 'When you think back, all the things that had to line up for us to meet is incredible,' says Graham. 'One slight change of plans, we never would have met. It was meant to be.' 'It was amazing how we met, and how things turned out,' says Vickie. 'And that we're still together, that's amazing too, we didn't really know each other – we did, and we didn't. And yet we're still here.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ryanair boss could increase bonus for staff fining passengers over luggage size
Ryanair is considering increasing the bonuses it pays to staff for identifying passengers with oversized luggage, the airline's chief executive has said. The low-cost airline currently pays staff around £1.30 for spotting passengers who are bringing oversized bags onto flights. It is understood that those bonuses are capped at £70 a month for each individual staff member. Passengers who are found to be bringing oversized bags onto Ryanair flights are charged a fee of up to £65. Ursula von "Derlayed-Again" must protect overflights during national ATC strikes or QUIT! @PhilippeTabarot @vonderleyen — Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 17, 2025 Ryanair currently includes a small carry-on bag – capped at a size of 40x20x25cm and weight of 10kg – with every ticket. Passengers must pay a fee if they want to bring larger luggage, or if they want to bring multiple bags. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said on Monday that summer fares would, on average, be the same rate as 2023 – but added that he expects a boost in profitability for the airline by 'controlling costs'. Members of the European Parliament are pushing for airlines to allow passengers to be allowed to bring on free an on-board personal item and small hand luggage. However, Mr O'Leary predicted the proposal will not come into law due to a lack of space. Speaking to the business news on RTE's Morning Ireland, he said: 'We're flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that's all that fits in the plane. 'We're already struggling with that amount of baggage. 'That's one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage.' Mr O'Leary said more than 99.9% of passengers comply with baggage rules, with 'sizers' located within the airport. He said: 'We are happy to incentivise our (staff) with a share of those excess baggage fees, which we think will decline over the coming year or two.' Recommended Reading: Holidaymaker slams 'jobsworth' Ryanair staff for £75 charge Ryanair asks passengers to take action as flights cancelled and travel disrupted Ryanair call for two-drink limit on passengers at airports The chief executive added: 'It is about 1.50 euro per bag – and we're thinking of increasing it, so we eliminate it.' Meanwhile, Mr O'Leary predicted that US President Donald Trump will 'chicken out' of introducing increased tariffs for Europe on August 1. Asked if he anticipated tariffs applying to Boeing aircraft being delivered to the airline, he said: 'Trump will probably chicken out again, I suspect the August 1 will get moved to September or October. 'We have taken delivery of five aircraft in the first quarter but no tariffs applied to those aircraft 'There is a risk of tariffs being introduced by the Europeans or the Americans in some tit-for-tat in August, September or October – but Boeing will have to pay those tariffs.' Mr O'Leary said Ryanair would work with Boeing to ensure no tariffs are applied to commercial aircraft, which he said would be bad for the manufacturer's exports to Europe as well as Airbus's sales to the US – as well as the Irish aircraft leasing industry. He added: 'There's increasing optimism, though, in Washington that commercial aircraft will be exempt from any tariffs – if Trump ever gets around to actually imposing tariffs.'
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Echoes of Versailles at a Downtown Department Store
Good morning. It's Monday. Today we'll look at a $185-a-ticket immersive production whose director sees parallels between Louis XIV's Versailles and 21st-century New York. Tonight, after closing time in a luxury department store in Lower Manhattan, they're going to party like it's 1679. There will be actors and singers in velvety waistcoats and breeches, or in opulent gowns with puff sleeves. The Louis XIV look won't be the only allusion to the Sun King's court during a three-hour immersive performance. Attendees will be given vials of powder. Don't worry, says the director of the event, Andrew Ousley — the vials won't be filled with poison, as they were in a notorious incident at Versailles. These vials will contain nothing more than food coloring and the powder that puts the pastels in Parisian macarons. But the ringleader distributing the powder will be sentenced to death, as the original provocateur was 345 years ago. Ousley built the performance piece, 'The Affair of the Poisons,' around one of the most sensational scandals of 17th-century France, one so overwhelming that Louis XIV shut down the investigation after his favorite mistress was implicated. Ousley is staging the production with opera singers and the Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra, which was formed in 2019 for the French premiere of John Corigliano's opera 'The Ghosts of Versailles' in — where else? — the opera house that Louis XIV had commissioned at the palace itself, outside Paris. Now the orchestra is on its first tour of the United States. And, as 'The Affair of the Poisons' unfolds, the audience will encounter members of the Brooklyn dance troupe Company XIV, including a candelabra-balancing belly dancer. Ousley did not know about the scandal until he began doing research for the piece that became 'The Affair of the Poisons.' 'Everything I read about it made me more astounded, not only by how over-the-top wild it was but how relevant it was to the present day,' when New York is struggling with issues of affordability and income disparity, he said. But back to 17th-century Paris. Arsenic — 'untasteable and untraceable' — had come into vogue, and 'people were poisoning their spouses or mistresses,' he said. 'Louis's favorite mistress was plotting to poison him as well as a newer mistress who had gained his favor.' The poison came from Catherine Deshayes Monvoisin, a midwife and fortune teller known as La Voisin who had apparently counted the favorite mistress, Madame Athénaïs de Montespan, as a client for years. Worried that Louis's affection was waning, Montespan had tried to poison the newer, younger mistress, who was a teenage lady-in-waiting at Versailles when Louis noticed her. La Voisin, who will be portrayed in 'The Affair of the Poisons' by the drag opera artist known as Creatine Price, did more than traffic in poison: Ousley said that Montespan would lie nude while La Voisin poured blood over her. After the poison scandal broke, a special tribunal was convened, and more than 30 people were sentenced to death. But Louis suspended the proceedings once Montespan was implicated. 'The scandal got a little close to home,' Ousley said. The setting for 'The Affair of the Poisons' will be Printemps, the French department store that opened in March at 1 Wall Street. Ousley called it '55,000 square feet of some of the most intentional, thoughtful luxury.' The audience members will be served hors d'oeuvres prepared by Gregory Gourdet, the store's culinary director, and wine from Bouchaine Vineyards, whose proprietors, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, underwrote the tour for the orchestra. (The tour includes another performance on Wednesday at L'Alliance New York, the French cultural center in Manhattan.) Ousley runs a nonprofit called Death of Classical, which puts top-flight performers in unusual places like crypts and catacombs around New York. But he said, 'even by my standards this is one of the most insane things we've done.' It is also one of the most expensive, at $185 a ticket, which, he acknowledged, is a lot of money. 'There's no question that New York City is in the midst of a massive affordability crisis, not to mention ever-increasing income disparity,' he said. 'The problem isn't luxury in and of itself, but rather luxury as an end unto itself.' Still, he said, Death by Classical's programs are value propositions. Tonight, he said, attendees will leave with a goody bag. Among the items inside will be 'a small candle by Trudon from, wait for it, their Versailles collection.' The candle sells on Amazon for $70. Weather It's going to be a bright one! Prepare for a sunny day with temperatures nearing 84. Tonight will be clear with a low around 66. ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING In effect until Aug. 3 (Tisha B'Av). The latest Metro news Mamdani travels to Uganda: Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor, took a break from campaigning to fly to Uganda, where he was born. He said he had made the trip to Africa with his wife, Rama, to celebrate their five-month-old marriage with family and friends. Meanwhile, in New York, Mayor Eric Adams criticized Mamdani for taking time off, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been making appearances across the state. Health care union endorses Mamdani: Local 1199, the city's most powerful health care union, rescinded its support of Cuomo and is now endorsing Mamdani. Since his win, Mamdani has continued to gain support from unions who had first endorsed Cuomo. Can Washington warm to Mamdani? While Mamdani has charmed much of New York City, he has yet to charm Washington. National Democrats are grappling with how much to embrace him and whether they should endorse him. Habba's tenure may be running out: Alina Habba, President Trump's choice to run the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey, pursued investigations against Democratic political figures, damaged morale among prosecutors and was declared unfit to serve by the state's two senators. She offered a pre-emptive farewell in a staff meeting last week after acknowledging that the state's district court judges, who have the power to extend her tenure, were unlikely to do so. New York agrees to settle with ex-Cuomo aide: New York State agreed to a $450,000 settlement with the former executive aide, Brittany Commisso, who accused Cuomo of groping her in 2020. The state did not admit wrongdoing. METROPOLITAN diary Mornings with Mom Dear Diary: Our mom, Deborah, died in 2011. She was a New Yorker. After 14 years, upon my leaving the military, my sister and I finally had the time to go through her stuff. Plus, I am studying law at Columbia now, which means we can visit the storage unit in Bedford-Stuyvesant once a week. We call it Mornings with Mom. It's not cheap to keep the unit, so the goal is to empty it out as quickly as possible. But our progress is delayed by nostalgia and curiosity. It's hard to simply save our mom's journals. We get caught up in reading the entries aloud to each other. We reminisce over what we remember: family photographs, clothes our mom loved to wear that still smell like her closet, and other trinkets. We find some gems we never knew existed: Mom's application to law school, newspaper clippings she saved that are still relevant today, some truly fabulous shoes. We reread our favorite children's books and vow to read them to our cousins' children. We save the M.R.I. scans of the masses in her breasts, though we are not sure why. We find names of her friends in a Filofax from the 1980s. Some still live in New York. I call one of the numbers. 'This is Deborah Edelman's daughter,' I say. 'She passed away in 2011, but my sister and I found your contact. Do you remember her? If so, would you like to meet?' We meet for drinks, swap stories and become friends. This summer, box by box, my sister and I are working our way through the collection. When we finish going through enough for the day, we call it quits and get a drink. — Julie Roland Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Davaughnia Wilson and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
