France One Day at a Time

Beau Goes to Paris...

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:15:00 +0000

I was reading a post on the Paris Breakfast blog maintained by my friend Carol Gillott, and was reminded of the fact that she paints watercolors of people and/or their pets in Paris (and other cities). So I decided to send Beau to Paris! I sent this photo:

Then I selected a "setting" from Carol's set on Flickr: Eiffel Tower Cats. It's not at the Eiffel Tower as you can see, but it has the Eiffel Tower in it, along with some champagne, as well as the famous Ladurée macarons.

And... (drum roll, please!) here is the wonderful result:

So, do you want to send your pet to Paris (or somewhere else)? Check out Pets in Paris Portraits and I dreamed my pet went to Paris. Or perhaps you'd like to send yourself?

Macaron Whimsy

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:39:00 +0000

More on macarons--in the January 16 issue of Bonjour Paris (The Definitive Guide to Paris) is this article: "The Whimsical World of Macarons", complete with a recipe for pistachio macarons from the master/maître of macarons, Pierre Hermé. I, however, will not be making that recipe. I "learned my lesson" when I took an evening class in the making of macarons at the École Ritz Escoffier in Paris. I now, to paraphrase something my ex-husband once said, eat macarons not make them!

Moi trying to make acceptable macarons!

Been there, done that, got the certificate! And now let someone with more skill and access to the right ingredients make them...

Jardin Pamplemousse

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:30:00 +0000

The first of Pierre Hermé's "Jardin" collection of macarons for 2013 is Jardin Pamplemousse (grapefruit). It is described on the website as "Pamplemousse, Clou de Girofle, Muscade & Pamplemousse Confit" (grapefruit, clove, nutmeg and crystallized grapefruit). Miam-miam!

Arabelle Meirlaen: Cuisine Intuitive

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:29:00 +0000

Just opened today's post on Les 5 du Vin and decided I must share it here. Sorry for those who don't read French (try putting it through Google Translate to get the gist). Both her restaurant and her book sound wonderful! Had to share a couple of the photos:

Gorgeous, aren't they?

Fewer French Drinking a Glass of Wine Every Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 05:54:00 +0000

Mon Dieu! Less than 20 percent of French people drink a glass of wine ever day! Check out the article at:

"Numbers enjoying daily glass of wine on slide"

Les Incontournables Macarons de Noël de Pierre Hermé!

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 06:58:00 +0000

Les Incontournables Macarons de Noël from Pierre Hermé:

Boîte de 12 macarons composée des saveurs suivantes :

ÉGLANTINE, FIGUE & FOIE GRAS

CHOCOLAT & FOIE GRAS

INFINIMENT MARRON GLACÉ

PX - Pedro Ximenez et raisins blonds macérés

One of the macarons in the assortment--the PX:

Miam-miam!

Inbound: Part Four

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 10:43:00 +0000

Just over a month since I arrived in Luxor and I'm finally getting around to my final post about the process of arriving! In April of this year I made a small donation to the fundraising campaign for "Trésors du Caire". The project revolved around restoring two treasures for installation in the new "Arts de l'Islam" department of the Louvre: a mashrabiya and a Mamlouk porch. Here is a video from the Louvre that was produced to encourage donations to the two projects:

Here is a another video from the Louvre which discusses the restoration process for the porch (in French, but you'll catch the drift):

Louvre Museum: In Search of a Mamlouk Porch from ikono tv on Vimeo.

For more videos including this one, all with English subtitles, click on the following links:

The New Islamic Art Department: Behind the Scenes

The New Islamic Art Department:The Collections

The New Islamic Art Department: The New Department

The New Islamic Art Department: Architecture

And in August I received an invitation to visit the Louvre and particularly the new department gratis between it opening date of September 22 and December 15. Well, guess who was going to be in Paris in October and thus able to take advantage of the offer?

Here are the front and back of the invitation:

October 13 was a rainy Paris day, which made it perfect for visiting a museum:

I spent over three hours in the department and I barely scraped the surface of the two levels of extraordinary items. While the layout is a bit confusing, the displays themselves are excellent. And the design of the space really works. Here are just a few examples of both architecture and displays:

And here are photos of the Mamlouk porch which has been installed as a passage between two sections of the display space:

My name on the video display of the list of donors!

Here is the fully restored mashrabiya:

By the end of my visit I was suffering from the MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) effect, but I shall return as often as possible to be able to examine individual items and sections more thoroughly.

On my way out of the museum I caught this interesting juxtaposition:

The old encompassing the modern surrounding the recent--an untitled piece in laser-sculpted stainless steel by Belgian artist Wm. Delvoye. The whole a fitting image of the Louvre itself!

Jardin d'Antan

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Oh to be in Paris and visit Pierre Hermé to get a taste of this, the last of his special "Collection Éphémère" macarons--Jardin d'Antan (violette and anis)! Miam miam!!

Truth in Advertising!

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Man cannot live by bread alone, but women can do a pretty good job!

The baguette was warm and we had torn off chunks to devour even before we had left the boulangerie parking lot!

A Day in Paris...

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:14:00 +0000

I had one quick and very full day in Paris, before heading to Blois today. Here are some of the highlights!

I got a chance to watch the leaders in the Paris Marathon as they passed my hotel (Hôtel de la Porte Dorée) in the 12th:

And then there were all the others!

By Métro over towards the Musée Jacquemart André with a walk along Boulevard Haussmann. Doors, shop windows and "publicité":

The museum, the exhibition (Le Crépuscule des Pharaons) and lunch in the restaurant were all superb, as usual! The show was a great reminder of how beautiful many of the artifacts from the Egyptian Late Period are. Do go if you're in Paris before July 22.

Then by Métro to the Hôtel de Ville, where I had hoped to see the Doisneau show, forgetting that the Hôtel is closed on Sundays! Not wanting to go underground again quite yet, I strolled along the Seine and up to Bastille where I grabbed another train back to my hotel.

Charming period dresses for little girls

After some R & R back at the hotel, I hopped back on the Métro and rode all the way across Paris to Invalides/Tour-Maubourg because, thanks to the heads-up from my friend Andrea (Merci mille fois!), I had purchased a ticket to the 3D spectacle titled "La nuit aux Invalides" which was running from April 11 to April 18. I had not been to the Hôtel des Invalides since the summer of 1972, during my first visit to France. We had to stand outside the cour d'honneur for almost an hour before we were admitted for the show and I have a few pictures of the exterior of the hôtel:

The spectacular "spectacle" covered its history from its establishment by Louis XIV through the Napoleonic era and into the 20th century. Astonishing images which are quite impossible to describe adequately! Here is a video which demonstrates a little of what we experienced:

I had purchased the ticket which included a "visite" to the dome des Invalides, where Napoleon's tomb is located, after the show. Some images:

Yes, that's liquid nitrogen! Quite atmospheric...

All in all, a full and fulfilling first day in Paris! Also an exhausting one...

"Jardin Secret" at Pierre Hermé

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:11:00 +0000

Guess where I'll be stopping once I get to Paris this weekend!

Miam-miam! Macaron "Collection Éphémère Jardin Secret" at Pierre Hermé: rose, vanille et clou de girofle!!

Salon du Livre 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:33:00 +0000

As a francophile (francofolle) and a former (but not really) children's librarian, I couldn't resist sharing this post by Carol Gillott of "Paris Breakfast" fame: http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/2012/03/salon-du-livre-2012.html

I'm sorry to miss it, but there will be lots of exhibitions to choose from when I get to Paris on April 14: Doisneau at Hôtel de Ville, Degas at the Musée d'Orsay, Matisse at Centre Pompidou, and "Le Crépuscule des Pharaons" at the Musée Jacquemart-André. Une abondance de richesse!

A Little Snow in Paris...

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:12:00 +0000

Posted by Stacy Smith on Facebook:

Flash Mob at Notre-Dame

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:39:00 +0000

Surreal but catchy!

Flash-mob "Brother & Sister Act" from SAJE PROD on Vimeo.

Top 6 French Vacation Films

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:21:00 +0000

A nice little list provided by Cécile Mouette Downs, the "guiding light" behind our beloved Sacramento French Film Festival, which just served up a fabulous two weekends' worth of new and classic French cinema:

Top 6 French Vacation Films

Caillebotte Brothers at Musée Jacquemart-André

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sun, 08 May 2011 19:48:00 +0000

Enjoyed this exhibition very much on a rainy April 29. Always love visiting this "bijou" museum and lunching at its café. Lovely desserts--a raspberry/pistachio/rose concoction for me today!! Miam-miam!

Bonjour Paris - Caillebotte Brothers at Museum Jacquemart-André

No photos allowed in the exhibition (although my friend Carol Gillott seems to have managed a few! How'd you do that, Carol? Know somebody??), but I have some from outside and from the other museum exhibits.

Of course there were some "ancient Egypt" items to catch my attention!

Daily paintings | Road with flowering cherry trees | Postcard from Provence

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:26:00 +0000

Le beau printemps!

Daily paintings | Road with flowering cherry trees | Postcard from Provence

"Women of the Orient by Christian Lacroix” at Musée du Quai Branly

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:29:00 +0000

What looks like a great exhibit is currently on display at the Musée de quai Branly (until May 15):

L'ORIENT DES FEMMES VU PAR CHRISTIAN LACROIX

Véritable hymne aux femmes orientales, l’exposition dévoile un autre visage des femmes, du nord de la Syrie à la péninsule du Sinaï, en présentant un ensemble exceptionnel de 150 costumes et parures traditionnels du Proche-Orient, sélectionnés par le couturier Christian Lacroix, avec le concours de Hana Chidiac, responsable des collections Afrique du Nord et Proche-Orient du musée du quai Branly.

musée du quai Branly: Women in Orient (info in English)

I know I'll be going when I'm in Paris in April (hmmm...sounds like a song title! ;] ). I love this museum! It was here that I saw "Les autre maîtres de l'Inde" when I was there last April.

Seeing Red in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:18:00 +0000

One of my favorite blogs is called "Paris Breakfasts". Carol (Gillott) does a great job of capturing the essence of all things Parisian, and she's a wonderful artist. A while ago she did a post called "Jour de Rouge" which got me to thinking. And I have made it a practice to photograph everything (well, almost everything) red during my sojourn in Paris. Here are some of the results.

At St.-Eustache:

On the street:

In the gardens of the Palais Royal:

At the Comédie Française:

At the métro:

Boats on the Seine:

Everywhere at the Musée du quai Branly:

In the métro:

At my local marché:

In the hotel:

In Monet's "Nymphéas":

In other paintings at the Orangerie--Renoir's "Claude Renoir, jouant":

In Soutine's "Le Garçon de l'étage" and "Glaïeuls":

In Utrillo's "La Maison Bernot":

In Matisse's "Odalisque à la culotte rouge":

And finally (for now) in Renoir's "Fraises":

I think it's safe to say that Paris is indeed "la ville rouge"!

Macarons at the Ritz

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:46:00 +0000

I'm so excited! I just registered to take a two-hour class at the Ecole Ritz Escoffier (Paris) to learn how to make classic French "macarons". I will have this opportunity when I am in Paris in October just before leaving for another season at Chicago House in Luxor (Egypt). Our macaron flavor will be vanilla. I found out about this class thanks to the blog called "Paris Breakfasts". Carol just took the class and has posted a detailed "photo essay" about the experience. Évidemment, I went immediately to the Ritz Escoffier website and was delighted to find that there would be a class while I was in Paris. Serendipity at work! Of course, I will post a detailed report with my own photos after my class.

Women in Art

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:27:00 +0000

This is an amazing work of digital art. Be mesmerized by the morphing of the images!

U.S. foods, Parisians just don't mix

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:38:00 +0000

My friend Nann sent this article from the Chicago Tribune to me and I just had to share it. I will never be able to look at turkey basters in quite the same way!

La Saint-Valentin Heureuse!

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:24:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day! Eid el Hob Saeed! Unfortunately the cats in this Valentine greeting are no longer with us. Tony, on the right, was one of the sweetest cats I have ever had the honor to cuddle...

Paris Chanson

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:27:00 +0000

I'm listening as I write to a great discovery--Paris Chanson:

"Do you love French Classics such as La Vie en Rose, Louise, La mer, Comme d’habitude, Ne me quitte pas...?
Welcome to Paris Chanson, the first and only radio dedicated to French classic songs.

"Paris is undoubtedly the city of light and the city of love. Its image and spirit has travelled the world thanks to the music and lyrics of traditional French singers such as Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Sacha Distel, Charles Trenet or Charles Aznavour...

"Let yourself be immersed into the golden age of French chanson and rediscover the biggest classics from the last 100 years, 24/7, by listening to Paris Chanson at www.paris-chanson.com or via iTunes, Facebook, Noxon iRadio and on your mobile with the Nokia's Internet Radio service."

As Craig McGinty of This French Life writes:

"The site offers you the chance to listen to an internet radio service dedicated to French music and aimed at an English audience.

"You can also detach the audio player from the web page, letting you browse the net with tunes such as Les Feuilles Mortes, by Yves Montand, playing along in the background."

What's on right now? Josephine Baker singing "C'est si facile de vous aimer"!

Do you speak French? Parlez-vous français? De moins en moins...

noreply@blogger.com (Marie) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:21:00 +0000

C'est dommage! Read the blog post here.