My favorite landmarks in France, aside from the markets and grocery stores, are the pharmacies – particularly the parapharmacies. Parapharmacies are often found within larger pharmacies or in stand-alone locations and stock a dizzying range of non-prescription beauty and wellness products, including high-quality cosmetics, sunscreens, shampoos, and perfumes.
I could easily spend half a day rummaging through the shelves, asking the pharmacists a million and one different questions about the best products to buy, and hunting out bargain items that are a fraction of the cost at home.
In big cities, I’ll always make a beeline for a Citypharma on the first day. This is my favorite pharmacy, particularly the multi-level branch in Saint-Germain because of its sheer size and the generally lower prices compared to other pharmacies. It often has discounts and two-for-one offers. However, the charm of independent pharmacies, especially in small towns and rural areas, cannot be overlooked.
Here, pharmacists often create their own lotions and potions, like scented hand creams and gentle soaps made from local products like lavender, olives and lemons. Little treasures you won't find anywhere else that make perfect souvenirs and mementos.
If you ever find yourself in France with some time to spare, visiting a pharmacy is a great way to kill time. Here are some of my favorite products that you'll usually find at most major retailers.
I'm ashamed to admit that I went through a phase where I didn't prioritize proper sunscreen. I'm too embarrassed to share the sun protection factor (SPF) I used to apply in the sun (I'm pretty sure you can't even sell sunscreen with SPF that low anymore...the shame!). And I can't pretend that I wasn't aware of the advice and warnings – they were everywhere, but I was an idiot. Now, I always make sure to prioritize sunscreen protection. That's why it's first on this list.
French pharmacies stock entire aisles with sun care products so you'll find something to suit you easily enough. I'm not a dermatologist, so I don't want to tell you what specific sunscreen to buy, but it goes without saying you should always aim for SPF 50. In French pharmacies, I stock up on Lancaster Sun Perfect Sun Illuminating Cream, SPF 50 because I really like the glow it gives my skin – it's like a face lotion and sunscreen in one. If you'd prefer something a little lighter, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sun Protection SPF50+ Milk (in the recyclable 250ml tub) offers heavy-duty sun protection and is water-resistant, but feels light on the skin and is non-greasy.
These aisles are where I really do some serious damage to my vacation budget; this is where I lose the run of myself. In the
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For so many, Siem Reap, Cambodia, is synonymous with its famed UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat, one of Southeast Asia’s most significant archaeological grounds. But beyond these iconic ruins is a city brimming with riverside cafés, festive bar scenes, cultural experiences, and French-style colonial streets. Siem Reap is also a culinary hotspot, boasting everything from expertly crafted street food to contemporary cuisine, with several restaurants earning spots on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. And outside the urban hustle lies exciting cultural experiences in the province’s rural villages and countryside.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tenille Clarke , founder of the Caribbean-based public relations company Chambers Media Solutions . Clarke was born and raised in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago.
I’m cheering from the banks of the Seine in a plastic rain poncho, my dress soaked and loafers sloshing. The rain has not let up once during the four-hour Opening Ceremony, but as we watch boatloads of beaming athletes float past us one by one waving their national flags, my smile could not be wider. By the time the evening comes to an end, Celine Dion is belting Hymne a l'amour from a glittering Eiffel Tower—some in the crowd cry, others dance, or FaceTime family—and a contagious sense of universal joy ripples across Paris.
The next U.S. president is going to preside over the one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and can influence how many travelers from abroad can come to the U.S.
Amid the cafes and boutiques of Athens’s Kolonaki neighborhood is a housewares shop that’s also a showcase for Greek craftsmanship. It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for Crini & Sophia, the brand that the former interior and set designer Maya Zafeiropoulou-Martinou founded in 2022. Its wood-and-rattan shelves, two-tone marble floors and furniture are all made by Greek artists, while one window is decorated with a vinelike steel and spray-paint piece by the Cypriot sculptor Socrates Socratous. The shop’s goods are designed by Zafeiropoulou-Martinou, whose inspirations include the colors in Francis Bacon paintings and the Amazon rainforest. Linens are produced in Portugal before being embroidered in Greece with patterns that often take cues from antiques on view at Athens’s Benaki Museum. Hand-painted ceramics and glassware are made in partnership with artisans in New York, Greece, Italy and France. When it comes to designing your own table, Zafeiropoulou-Martinou encourages layering. “The pattern isn’t just the plate or the tablecloth,” she says of her pieces, “but a puzzle of the two on top of each other.”
Cruising around the islands of the South Pacific is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many travelers. While some of the island nations, like Fiji, are well known to Americans, others, like Niue, are less familiar. A South Pacific cruise promises cultural experiences, beautiful landscapes and plenty of water-based activities.
Also known as “Lefkas”, Lefkada is distinct in that it requires no ferry or boat journey to access it—instead, you simply drive over a causeway a short distance from Prevaza airport on the mainland. Part of the Ionian Islands, mountainous Lefkada is densely forested (providing welcome shade when it’s hot) and has some beautiful beaches that are virtually empty during the shoulder seasons. Compared to better-known Greek islands, Lefkada remains crowd-free and uncommercialized (there are no international hotel brands here yet), so keep the secret to yourself. It’s also a good jumping-off point for celebrity magnet Meganisi, where you can visit Fish Taverna Errikos for lunch.
Sylvain Saudan, who was widely known as the “skier of the impossible” for his audacious and potentially life-ending descents down some of the steepest, most inaccessible slopes in the world, died on July 14 at his home in Les Houches, France. He was 87.