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Article by Aïda Zaher

We are all familiar with celebrating New Year’s Eve on December 31st at midnight. There are parties and gatherings everywhere, and we close the year with a countdown that usually ends in a spectacle of fireworks. We scream “Happy New Year!” to each other and step into January with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and anticipation for the chapter that has just begun.
Down here in the South of France, right when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, the bay of Cannes erupted in a spectacular show of fireworks. This year, the city even turned it into a double celebration, choosing Marilyn Monroe as the theme to honor a hundred years since her birth. A little further to the east, in Monaco, crowds gathered on Port Hercule, and at midnight on the dot, the Principality’s sky lit up with an equally dazzling show. New Year’s Eve is like the grand finale of the show, always ending with a bang.
But what about the day after? New Year’s Day. The afterthought of the finale. The Afterglow.
Think of it as the comedown after the climax. By morning, all the music has faded, and all the celebrations have become a distant memory. It’s the beginning of a new season. We think about our plans for this year: how we are going to keep telling our story, what elements are we adding, or removing, in this new chapter. It’s a fresh start worth celebrating with equal excitement as the one we show at the end of the year.
In fact, in Juan Les Pins, Antibes, at 6 p.m., right as the sun was starting to fade into the night, the sky lit up with a show of fireworks celebrating just that: beginnings. It wasn’t at midnight like the night before, but right as dusk fell on the first day of the year. It was almost like a call for people to wake up from the slow, quiet dream that is New Year’s Day and start turning these resolutions into reality.
As the show went on, more people gathered on the bay. For fifteen minutes everyone was staring in awe of the colors fired in the sky, and when it ended, a huge round of applause rose from the bay. It is with this beautiful kind of motivation that we pick up where we left off and forge ahead with our story.
And so, that’s the difference between the fireworks at midnight and the ones at dusk. It’s important to celebrate the ending of a season right when it ends, but it’s also important to mark the beginning of a new one with equal passion.
Happy New Year, friends.

In the last few months of the year, some cannot wait for spring to come around, others thrive in the cold and count down the days until Christmas. For the team at World Radio Paris, this is donation season – and we need your help! 

With your generous donations, World Radio Paris can continue fostering community among Anglophone speakers in France. We hold a strong belief that by bridging the gap between international communities and French culture, respectful and meaningful connections can be formed. Ranging from serious political subjects to lighthearted artistic recommendations, our diverse and human shows always aim to nurture this community exchange. 

We have paired with other community organizations to produce and broadcast shows. Some of our offerings include:

‘Lost in Frenchlation,’ a show about contemporary French cinema with a bit of history with Manon Kerjean who runs a cinema club throughout Paris, Nice, and Normandy. 

‘WRP Presents’ on which our journalists interview scholars, advocates, and other interesting people. Our episodes include subjects like France’s colleges reckoning with a colonial legacy, interviewing an anti-robot organisation, and talking about ADHD diagnosis in France. 

‘The Earful Tower’ a popular show on which Oliver Gee and his wife Lena talk about the wonderful things in France that catch their fancy as they raise a family in Paris. 

Just to name a few. 

Unfortunately, many news outlets can not even say that they are human anymore. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence and fake news circulating social media, consuming verifiable community journalism remains as important as ever. Promoting news literacy is on the agenda of many journalists and activists and your donations to WRP would help to support this cause. 

OfCom also notes that community radio stations provide a voice for hundreds of local communities, and their research published in June 2025 reveals that these radio stations are delivering significant benefits for their listeners and local communities, both on-air and off-air. World Radio Paris proudly provides these benefits to our listeners, and would thrive more with your funding. In fact, OfCom results also state that these radio stations lack time, funding and staffing.

With costly equipment, and expensive broadcasting fees, in order to continue our mission to foster community and culture, your monetary aid is immensely helpful. Additionally, because WRP is a non-profit under French law, your generous donation would grant you a 60% tax cut ; so if you pay 100 euros, you only end up paying 40!

As a listener-supported radio station, your donations allow us to stay on air year after year, hire new interns and help to integrate the expat community into French life.

To support WRP, please click here to donate to the station’s PayPal. From all of us here at WRP, thank you! Merci!

With colder temperatures and shorter days come the holiday lights. Paris is now ready for the holiday spirit, from the Champs Elysées glowing red all along, to Place Vendome and its beautiful Christmas trees, the many Christmas markets (Villette, Gare de l’Est, Tuileries, Abbesses, Notre Dame…), the whole city has put on its decorations for the pleasure of visitors and children alike.

Our favorite this year is the Boulevard Haussmann, where many kids marvel at the animated windows of both Printemps and Galleries Lafayette. The trees of the avenue named after the man who transformed Paris 150 years ago are all covered it wonderful lights.

Paris is once again “une fête” for the season.

So you’ve fallen for Paris and now you’re dreaming of a home here, somewhere you can return to again and again.

But how do you begin — finding the right property, navigating the purchase, and transforming it into the home you’re imagining?

For many, the process can feel daunting. How do you turn the dream of a Paris home into a reality that feels effortless and entirely your own?

That’s where Blue Sparks comes in. Led by English-speaking interior designer Antonia Mahon, an Irish national who has called Paris home since 1999, Blue Sparks offers property search and full-service design for international clients — managing every stage of the journey from property search to the final styling.

“My clients are busy people who want to enjoy the process, not get lost in it,” says Antonia.

“I guide them through finding, buying, renovating, and furnishing their Paris home so that, when they arrive, everything is ready — right down to the chilled bottle of champagne.”

With a background of 20 years in the French corporate world, Antonia combines creativity with rigorous project management.

Since renovating her first Paris apartment in 2004 (a very, very steep learning curve in itself!), she’s built a trusted network of realtors, notaries, contractors, cabinetmakers, and artisans who share her exacting standards.

Clients describe her as proactive, imaginative, and deeply reliable — a designer who listens, solves problems, and turns complex projects into smooth, enjoyable experiences.

Whether you’re reimagining a historic apartment in Saint-Germain-des-Prés or transforming a Haussmannian gem near the Marais, Blue Sparks provides an A-to-Z experience:

• Property search and purchase support
• Space planning and design concepts
• Renovation management and contractor coordination
• Sourcing of furniture, fixtures, and finishes
• Final installation and styling

If you’ve already found your Paris home, Antonia also offers comprehensive interior design to bring your vision to life.

Each project is uniquely tailored — inspired by your lifestyle, your story, and your connection to Paris.

“Paris apartments have their quirks,” Antonia says, “I love reworking layouts to make them practical and beautiful. And because most of my clients aren’t here during the process, I manage every stage personally, keeping them updated so they can relax and look forward to moving in.”

Antonia has earned a reputation for transforming spaces (some challenging) into timeless, livable homes filled with character. Her designs balance modern comfort with Parisian charm.

And the results speak for themselves: “Antonia has a magic wand,” says Marlene, a recent client who entrusted her 16th arrondissement apartment to Blue Sparks.

“She really listens and makes sure she understands the wishes and personality of her client. She is very creative, not only for the design of the apartment, but also in finding solutions to any problems that arise.”

If you’re ready to start, or have already started your Paris home journey, Blue Sparks can help you whichever phase you’re at— from the first viewing to the final reveal.

Contact Blue Sparks — your English-speaking property expert and interior designer in Paris — at antonia@bluesparks.paris to schedule a consultation or visit www.bluesparks.paris to explore Antonia’s latest projects.

If you wish to take a trip to a seaside resort and be carried away by poetic scenery, then head to Normandy and its world-famous Etretat cliffs by the English Channel!

Should you want to show the sea to a friend, Etretat always leaves you feeling the same way, you feel empowered by a sense of freedom and humbled by the sheer beauty of the surroundings.

Let’s follow the path of great artists such as Turner, Courbet, Boudin, Monet, Offenbach, the reknowned writers Guy de Maupassant and of course Maurice Leblanc with his legendary novel Arsene Lupin, the famous gentleman-thief whom mansion can be visited !

These chalk Cliffs, with their unusual shape, sparks the imagination, like a setting for a postcard, and are a small gem on the Alabaster Coast, or « Côte d’Albâtre » just 3 hours away from Paris.

They include three natural Arches and a pointed formation called « L’Aiguille » or « The Needle » which rises 70 metres above the sea. The three arches even have names, such as the « Porte d’Aval », (or Cliff of « Aval »), « Porte d’ Amont » and the « Manneporte ». One of the way to enjoy looking at these majestic cliffs that never seem to end is to trek up to the two surrounding cliffs seeing terrific sunrise or sunset.

You could also discover Etretat in other exciting ways by heading out on a paddle board to explore the cliffs, ride along the velomaritime cycle route (which goes from Tréport to the Mont Saint-Michel), walk on the most popular GR 21 trail, and swim by the pebble beach. You will be enchanted by the cormorants and silver gulls along the coast.

And then, a real treat is to explore what used to be the old fishing village, and have a sip of cider of course ! For lunch, you can enjoy the charming seafood cafés. From Paris, you can book a Flixbus to Fécamp and Etretat or hop on the train From Saint-Lazare to Bréauté-Beuzeville and the Nomad 504 Bus to Etretat with a combined Etretat-Normandie Ticket.