A La Poste letter box in Paris. Photo credit: Donna Alvita / Wikimedia commons

Despite the high temperatures, tourists have not been deterred from visiting Paris. The French capital reported a 2.4% increase over last year, with 3.8 million tourists in June. These visitors are hitting up the major monuments and museum exhibits. The summer season is packed with art and cultural events in Paris. A sampler: the Paris en Seine festival, Alexander Calder at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Matisse at the Grand Palais, jazz in the Parc Floral, open-air cinema at La Villette.

Cinema en Plein Air/ courtesy of Parc de la Villette

In case you missed it, French lawmakers approved a ban on social media for children under 15. France is the first European country “to pass a blanket ban on the platforms as concerns grow worldwide over the harmful effects of digital content on kids,” explains the Associated Press. The use of mobile phones in school is also banned. This legislation is a “flagship initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron’s second term.”

Elementary school classroom. Photo credit: Clio/ Wikimedia commons

For those who love good food as much as we do, Le Monde is running a terrific series on culinary institutions that are “more than a restaurant.” From the Art Nouveau landmark in Nantes called La Cigale to Frédéric Anton’s three-star universe at Le Pré Catelan in Paris, the series is a fun celebration of the best of French gastronomy. Other Paris restaurants highlighted in the series include our favorite La Coupole brasserie and the Tour d’Argent.

La Tour d’Argent. Photo: Hirama

The Grand Mosque of Paris recently celebrated its 100th birthday. Located next to the Jardin des Plantes in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the mosque was built to honor Muslim troops who fought in the French army during World War I. As reported by rfi, “it was officially opened on 15 July, 1926, at a time when France still ruled over a vast colonial empire that included swathes of Africa and the Middle East.” Nowadays it’s the largest mosque in France and “a prominent symbol of the country’s roughly 5 million Muslim residents.” Read rfi’s full interview with rector Chems-Eddine Hafiz here.

Grande Mosquée de Paris. Photo: LPLT – Own work/ wikimedia commons

Lead photo credit : View over the Seine in Paris, Pont des Invalides in the foreground, Eiffel tower in the background. Photo: Daniela Kloth/ Wikimedia commons