AND THE WINNER IS...

LA GAGNANTE CETTE ANNÉE…

I choose my favorite Buche de Noël on the net each year and this is my choice for 2015.

 It was very hard to arrive at  this as this is the runner up...

...and a few more mouth watering creations made the job that much harder!

Have a very sweet time tho Christmas.

au revoir.

THE VERY FRENCH, VERY TASTY "ECLAIR"

LA FOLIE DES ECLAIRS

 The latest sweet trend in Paris right now is éclairs. An éclair is a long puff pastry if you will, (like a chou -in French), filled with all kinds of mouth watering creams and covered in no less mouth watering and  often very creative "frosting". 

If you are going to follow this delicious path, I suggest you go straight to the great foodie street of Rue Montorgueil in the 2nd arrondissement. There, around the corner, 9 rue Bacheaumont, you'll find the irresistible Atelier de l'Eclair. The shop's clean lines and minimalist vibe alone makes it very difficult to pass by...

Their éclairs are made on the premises and you can watch them being "decorated" in a multitude of arty ways.

If you know the boxful you just acquired will not make it past the next corner, you might as well sit at the bar and enjoy...

…these...

among others.

au revoir.

This year again, as we live in Paris, we will celebrate Thanksgiving on the week end. 

Saturday will be our big day for cooking, eating, drinking and playing games with our franco-american family and friends. 

Today

We are thinking of every moment of joy we share, every day of safety we enjoy and every gift of love we receive. 

We are so lucky.

We need to remember to counter hate with generosity. 

We have so much.

So many do not.

au revoir.

The magnificent Florentine Hotel

L'HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE A FLORENCE

 I just spent a few days in Florence Italy. The hotel chosen for our stay, the Grand Hotel Baglioni was EXACTLY what a hotel in Florence should be: grand, authentic, refined and comfortable. with a few spectacular details thrown in.

 Stunning ceilings and sophisticated dark doors

 Statues you would expect in a museum.

 Medieval furniture and fine prints beautifully framed.

16 ft wood ceilings, dark wood, metal headboards and warm neutral tones: a  soothing "monastic" mood

The bathroom was appropriately and luxuriously "Old World".

Worth the detour…

au revoir.

THE ART EXHIBIT FIAC IN THE STREETS OF PARIS

LA FIAC "HORS LES MURS".

Angela Bulloch, Heavy Metal Stack of Six

 Friends and I spent a day strolling through the streets of Paris last weekend to discover what art pieces on streets and places of Paris, in a few stores like Louis Vuitton, and cafés like the Café de Flore, (both in St Germain), one could encounter during the FIAC (Foire International d'Art Contemporain), Hors les murs: outside of the usual venue le Grand Palais on the right bank. 

 One could see a good number of pieces in the Jardin des Tuileries near the Louvre (including the piece above).

Xavier Veilhan, Rayons

My favorites: Ai Wei Wei's Chinese Zodiac signs "planted" all around one of the Jardin des Tuileries' pools. I still love them just as much as when they were on show in New York City in 2011.

Ai Wei Wei, Circle of Animals

And then there were these "installations" by the glass manufacturer/builder St Gobain which I found playful and stunning in spite of their lack of recognition as  "ART" but who were there, on the edge of the Place de la Concorde, to celebrate their 350 years in business. 4 "kiosks", were there to be "visited" but we chose not to queue, but rather, we just lingered and admired…

This kiosks I found to be the most impressive, its reflections in striking contrast with the surrounding curlicues, gold detailing and vert de gris pedestals of the Place de la Concorde.

These pieces will be on display until the end of the month.

au revoir.

THE LOUXOR CINEMA HOUSE

LE CINEMA LE LOUXOR

Now

In the 20's

In the 10th arrondissement of Paris, on the corner of boulevard de la Chapelle and boulevard de Magenta, stands a stunning cinema house built in 1921.The Louxor is a remarquable example of "ancient" architecture typical of the 20's. It's neo-egyptian façade— it takes its name from the Egyptian city of Louxor - is adorned with cobalt blue, black and gold mosaics designed by a well known decorator of the time by the name of Amédée Tiberti, and the work of the ceramics company of Gentil and Bourdet, of Billancourt.

The cinema fell into serious disrepair for a number of years but was registered as a Monument Historique in 1981. However it closed in 1988 after a short life as a night club.

Happily it reopened in 2013 after an extensive renovation, and luckily for me, it is now my "corner movie house", if you will.

Flowers, scarabs, and cobras abound as do references to Egyptian deities.

A large winged disk glows at night on upper terrace.

The night time view from the terrace onto the recently renovated Barbes Metro station is surprisingly spectacular.





au revoir.

WHEN TRADITIONAL FRENCHNESS INVITES EXOTIC GOODNESS

QUAND UNE JOLIE TABLE FRANÇAISE INVITE LE BON GOUT EXOTIQUE

Family linens, classic silver, simple plates.

 Oriental bowls and spoons, African trivets. 

Italian knife rests and fitting paper napkins.

Exotic curry zucchini soup.

The perfect start to a friend's girls-only lunch after an exhausting session 

of vigorous aqua-gym near Rue Montorgueuil in Paris.

Refined, heavenly, casual yet full of surprising flavors.

And much more raisonable than the usual, rich, addictive, albeit delicious, crêperie.

au revoir.