Jun 22
The sun rose in Paris yesterday at 05h47 and set at 21h58 last night. I love June 21 ~ the longest day of the year. It is great to be in France in the summertime
source: http://www.gettyimages.fr
source: http://www.gettyimages.fr
Jun 15
Last night Superman and I were invited to une petite fête with a very international crowd. Being part of an international community in France is one of the things I love most about my life in France. After nearly three years in Paris, we have friends from all over the world, and it is wonderful…plus now I get to have things like this for dinner:
C’était délicieux! Era deliziosa! Estaba delicioso! Es war lecker! To je izvrsno! Det var lækkert! Ήταν πολύ νόστιμο! Ez finom volt! Bhí sé blasta! It was delicious! 美味しかった！To było pyszne! Bilo je veoma ukusno! มันอร่อยดี! Het was heerlijk!
Vocabulaire
petite fête: close gathering, party
I know that the French Open has come and gone, but I have to say, I certainly did love watching it with thousands of my closest friends on the Champ de Mars, when Roland-Garros came to my ville this year. It was the first French Open that I remember there being a humongous Jumbo-tron on the grounds in front of the Eiffel Tower, not to mention the serving cages where you could perfect your serve and measure your speed, and a temporary clay court perfect for volleying with friends.
The weather certainly cooperated throughout most of the Open and it was a hoot to picnic in the park and watch the drama unfold without having to pay a pretty penny. Merci bien to the City of Light for providing this excellent experience.
Jun 13
On my way home from the Eurostar last night I found myself smack dab in the middle of the twenty-sixth annual dîner en blanc. This pop-up dining event secretly planned and held al fresco in a predetermined place which is kept secret from attendees until a few moments before it begins, is definitely on my bucket list of things I hope some day to be invited to.
This year’s by-invitation-only-soirée took place over six bridges throughout Paris. Dressed in all white and eating only white food (no vin rouge allowed), over 12,000 people participated in this posh version of a flash mob.
From talking to friends who have been a guest at this feast in the past, dîner en blanc seems to be a highly codified event. There are “team leaders” who are responsible for the invitation, organization and behavior of each small group. In addition to the white dress code, white food, and white wine or champagne (beer and spirits are prohibited), you must also bring your own table and chairs (white, bien sûr), white tablecloths, and dishes. Some diners go as far as bringing white flowers in vases, candles, and center pieces. The most important rule is that everyone disappears before midnight and leaves their dining site undamaged and spotless—under threat of being blacklisted for the following year’s festivities.
Last night there were lots of extravagant white hats and pearl-buttoned gloves, and when the Eiffel Tower sparkled, the revelers did too—producing long sparklers lit up on cue like synchronized swimmers in an old MGM film.
It is an elegant affair, and possibly the one-and-only time of the year that you will encounter so many happy, smiling and relaxed Parisians. Furrowed brows, downturned lips and icy stares, all disappear for a joyous but respectful evening. It is also the only day of the year that Parisians stow away their all-black wardrobes and slip into something brighter, whiter and lighter.
It is a lovely change. Hmmm…maybe dîner en blanc ought to be a monthly event?
Vocabulaire
al fresco: in the open air
dîner en blanc: white dinner, dinner in white
vin rouge: red wine
Jun 10
Lightning strikes the top and to the side of the Eiffel Tower in Paris Photo: BERTRAND KULIK/CATERS
We have had two crazy storm here in Paris over the last few nights. I was too chicken to go outside and photograph them, and the photos I took from my windows did not do the storms justice, so I grabbed this gorgeous picture off of google images (source: BERTRAND KULIK/CATERS).
I am a sucker for thunder and lightning storms. I love them and I fear them, and these past two nights have been spectacular–with snarling roars and jagged streaks striking the tip of my beloved tower.
May 29
I was so inspired by Giverny and Claude Monet, I decided to make the short trip to one of Paris’ secret treasures, le Musée Marmottan Monet, to take in the exceptional expo marking 80 years since the museum opened. The expo: Les Impressionnistes en privé: Cent chefs d’oeuvre de collections particulières (The Private Impressionists: One-hundred Masterpieces from Private Collections) did not disappoint. I could sit for hours in this spacious and manageable museum, especially on a rainy day, which it was, and simply Zen-out, and be taken away to Monet’s gardens and Londonscapes, Morisot’s femmes, Degas’ dancers, Renoir’s portraits and parties, and Pissarro’s campagne.
The Marmottan is not usually on the standard tourist itinerary, so you can enjoy your viewing without worrying about taking an elbow in the ribs or competing for the best view. Serenity and tranquility are the two words that come to mind when I visit this maison-turned-museum. It’s like coming home to your (extremely wealthy) dotting aunt’s manor and taking an almost private tour.
I am a bit reluctant to share the details of one of my favorite Parisian escapes, so please don’t let the word spread too far.
2, rue Louis-Boilly, 76016
Mardi au dimanche de 10h à 18h
Dernière entrée: 17h30 Nocturne; le jeudi jusqu’à 20 h Dernière entrée: 19h30
Fermé au public le lundi
Vocabulaire
campagne: countryside
femmes: women
It is difficult not to develop an affinity for Claude Monet when you live in France, especially in Paris. One of my favorites of the Impressionist’s movement (along with Renoir, and Boudin, bien sûr), M. Monet’s works can be found in numerous museums in Paris, as well as at his beloved Giverny, where you can walk among his self-designed and hand-planted gardens that inspired so much of his work, and oggle at the reflections in the pond of his famous water lilies and Japanese footbridge.
Claude Monet was a man with a vision and visionary friends who rejected the old school approach to landscape painting and looked to nature herself as his teacher. He was a patience observer of the natural world, and found solace and pleasure in watching the play of light, timing and seasons on his subjects.
Supported by his parents, he attended the Le Havre School of the Arts and was befriended and mentored by Eugéne Boudin himself. It was Boudin who introduced him to the idea of painting “en plein air” (outdoor).
Every spring I steel myself to face the throngs of tourists who gather at Giverny, and every year despite the crowds, I’m always glad I’ve made the pilgrimage. Even with what seems like thousands of Russian voyagers snapping thousands of photos, Giverny still offers a flavorful feast for the senses.
His gardens at Giverny are like his paintings—gaily colored patches that are sometimes a bit muddled and cluttered, but at the same time perfectly composed. His estate is split into two gardens. The first is the walled garden laid out in stunning symmetrical flowerbeds with a splendid path running down the middle, sheltered with iron trellises and climbing blooms. The second garden is the water garden—home to the famous Japanese bridge and water-lilied pond reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, wisteria, and weeping willows that line the shore.
Monet spent more than 40 years planting and painting at Giverny. I find it fascinating to think about him and his family meticulously planting their gardens first – creating a tangible, living piece of art—while at the same time envisioning what he would produce on the canvas. I am enchanted by this man who essentially created his artwork twice—first shaping it in nature and then sitting among it and putting it forth on the canvas.
As fond as he was of painting his garden, pond, and water lilies, Monet was also inspired by the banks of Seine and frequently painted en plain air. He traveled throughout the Mediterranean and was especially inspired by Venice, and continued his outdoor works in London, but at Giverny, his famous paintings literally come to life. It’s pure magic.
If you don’t have enough time (or patience) to make the trip to Giverny in the spring or summer, I highly recommend stopping by l’Orangerie in Paris where you can see his famous nympheas (water lilies) in a gorgeous space built specifically for them blooming all year long.
Other places to see Monet in Paris:
The Musée d’Orsay and the Marmottan-Monet Museum which has a wonderful permanent Monet collection and is currently hosting what I have heard is an amazing expo: Les Impressionnistes en privé: Cent chefs-d’oeuvre de collections particulières. (The Impressionists in private: One hundred masterpieces from private collections.)
365+ Things I Love About France 