Paris

There are frequent fliers, and then there are people like Steven Rothstein and Jacques Vroom. Both men bought tickets that gave them unlimited first-class travel for life on American Airlines. It was almost like owning a fleet of private jets. Passes in hand, Rothstein and Vroom flew for business. They flew for pleasure. They flew just because they liked being on planes. They bypassed long lines, booked backup itineraries in case the weather turned, and never worried about cancellation fees.

"Police! Open Up!" is regularly heard at the door of the Chameleon Club, the fictional cabaret in Francine Prose's new novel set in 1930s Paris. Unconventional verging on illicit, the club's revue features sexually ambiguous performers who dance before a predominantly lesbian clientele - in an era when laws existed prohibiting a woman from dressing as a man. And yet the club is tolerated by authorities and celebrated by the city's artists, intellectuals and...

THE BEST WAY TO PARIS From LAX, Air France and Air Tahiti Nui offer nonstop service to Paris, and Delta, American, KLM, Lufthansa, British, Continental and US Airways offer connecting service (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $416, excluding taxes and fees. Pierre Hermé, 72 Rue Bonaparte, Paris; 011-33-1-43-54-47-77, http://www.pierreherme.com . Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturdays. Café Lenôtre, 10 Avenue des Champs Elysées, Paris; 011-33-1-42-65-85-10, http://www.lenotre.com . Open noon-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Jodie Foster and many more came out to shop the preview night of Paris Photo Los Angeles , the international art fair open to the public through the weekend at Paramount Studios. On the studio's New York backlot, guests wandered in and out of sound stages, and galleries set up in faux delis and pizza parlors, admiring historical and contemporary works by hundreds of photographers. This year's event features a tribute to actor/director/artist Dennis Hopper , including a display of his photographic work (his portrait of artist Roy Lichtenstein was one of my favorites)

Colette draws them to Paris Susan Spano has done it again! What a great article on Colette ["Chez Colette," May 30]. It made me want to rush to the local bookstore and then catch a plane to Paris, taking along a book bag. I plan to take Spano's story along on my next trip to the City of Light. It will be a great guide. Richard Mason, Redondo Beach Thank Susan Spano for the fascinating article about Colette's life in Paris. For more than one reason, it made me eager to return to Paris.

Paris to the Past Traveling Through French History by Train Ina Caro W. W. Norton: 384 pp., $27.95

'From Paris With Love' MPAA rating: R for strong, bloody violence throughout, drug content, pervasive language and brief sexuality Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes Playing: In general release

'A Cat in Paris' MPAA rating: PG for mild violence and action and some thematic material Running time: 1 hour, 7 minutes Playing: At Nuart Theatre, West Los Angeles

If you go Some shops have multiple locations. Jacques Genin, 133 Rue de Turenne, Paris; 1-4577-2901 Jean-Charles Rochoux, 16 Rue d' Assas, Paris; 1-4284-2945, http://www.jcrochoux.fr Cacao et Chocolat, 63 Rue Saint Louis en L'lle, Paris; 1-4633-3333, http://www.cacaoetchocolat.com Servant , 5 Rue de Sèvres, Paris; 1-4548-8360, http://www.chocolaterie-servant.com

I love Dorie Greenspan dearly. She is one of my favorite cookbook authors and an old friend. But she is not a normal person. If you need proof, watch this video of her packing for one of her frequent trips to France. And then ask yourself: "What kind of person takes all-purpose flour and a bundt cake pan to Paris?" On the other hand, I sure would like one of those bags! ALSO: 5 Questions for Karen Hatfield Simon Hopkinson's perfect roast chicken Fall happy hour deals that last all -- or most -- of the night

Two international art fair heavyweights are joining forces: The Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain, the 40-year-old Paris art show known as FIAC, will formally announce on Friday that its Los Angeles debut will coincide with Paris Photo L.A. in May 2015. FIAC L.A. will debut May 27-31, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Paris Photo L.A., which debuted here one year ago at Paramount Studios, will shift from April to May 28-31, 2015. Both events are managed by Reed Expositions France.

Scarlett Johansson, currently starring in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," is on the cover of Glamour's May issue. Inside she talks about hand-to-hand combat in "Captain America. " But more to the point, she reveals what she likes about fashion in her new hometown, Paris. "The nice thing about being in Paris is that you know everybody's looking at what you're wearing: You have an audience, you know? New York is about street style that's functional. A Paris look is not functional!

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. and Russian diplomats agreed Sunday to work with Ukrainian government officials to ease the crisis triggered by Russia's annexation of Crimea, but remained far apart on other key points after four hours of negotiations in Paris. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the meeting constructive. Lavrov's remarks suggested that Moscow may now be more willing to work with the interim Ukrainian government, which it has previously dismissed as illegitimate.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. and Russian diplomats met Sunday evening in Paris amid hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis over control of troubled Ukraine. As U.S. officials continued to voice concern at the massing of Russian troops on Ukraine's border, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met to trade ideas on how Ukraine should be governed following the ouster of its pro-Russian leadership. Russia formally annexed the Russian-dominated Crimean peninsula on March 21, one month after the Ukrainian opposition toppled pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich.

PARIS -- Voters in Paris elected their first female mayor on Sunday as Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo won the keys to City Hall after a closely fought campaign. Hidalgo's victory was one of the day's rare successes for French President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party, which lost ground in municipal elections around the country. The Spanish-born Hidalgo, 54, who defeated her rival in a tight second-round vote, will take over City Hall from her mentor, popular Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who has run the French capital since 2001.

 WASHINGTON -   Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet Sunday evening in Paris for discussions stemming from the crisis caused by Russia's recent annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The high-ranking diplomats will meet to discuss the U.S. response to a "working document" they have been putting together in an attempt to avert a serious confrontation,  State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. The Paris session was announced after President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Friday during a phone conversation that the diplomats should meet to discuss means of de-escalating the crisis.

Here's a different way to see Paris: Every Sunday afternoon, thousands of rollerbladers of all skill levels take to the streets with police escorts.  The route changes weekly and is posted here . . . . In 2011, nearly 20% of U.S. flights arrived more than 15 minutes late , Bureau of Transportation Statistics show. In January, Tampa had the best on-time performance of U.S. airports; San Francisco the worst. For all sorts of consumer-related travel stats, click here . . . . It may not be Paris, but San Diego has a steamy past.

Strangers on a train, played to perfection by Emmanuelle Devos and Gabriel Byrne, are destined for a brief encounter, Parisian-style, in "Just a Sigh. " The blah title suggests bad middle-school poetry (the original French, " Le Temps de l'aventure ," at least has energy), but the film is a bracingly romantic drama that's alive with a mature sense of passion and mystery. Devos, a performer with a singular, sometimes off-putting combination of abrasiveness and fragility, is riveting as Alix, an actress.

Foodies and flea market enthusiasts can sharpen their respective skills in this 10-day fall tour that combines lessons at a cooking school with visits to markets in Provence and the flea markets of Paris. The first leg includes seven nights in an 18th century farmhouse in St. Remy-de-Provence, two days of cooking instruction (for beginners or experts) with dinner, a visit to the St. Remy market, tours of several hill towns, including Gordes, Les Baux and Arles, and a trip to the L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Sunday market.