Eye Prefer Paris is an ex-New Yorker's insider's guide to Paris. Richard Nahem writes his blog from his fabulous 18th century apartment in the fashionable Marais district of Paris
Parisian yoga studio "Made in New York" with classes in French and English for all levels
and all ages 7/7.
Special 1st time offer: 35€ for 10 day unlimited pass with mat rental included!
For schedule and more information: bigappleyogafrance.com
Contact: bigappleyogafrance@gmail.com
I had a hard time selecting a single door this month, so I am posting a potpourri of doors from different parts of the city, mainly from Saint Germain and near the Opera Garnier.
Saint Germain
Boulevard des Italiens, near Opera Garnier
Boulevard des Italiens, near Opera Garnier
Boulevard des Italiens, near Opera Garnier
Saint Germain
August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29
I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area.
Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks.
Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loftwith 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator
If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Parisvideo about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.
The Eiffel Tour/Tour Eiffel/ La Dame du Fer (The Iron Lady, not to be confused with the derogatory name given to Margaret Thatcher) celebrated its 130th anniversary last week on May 15.
To mark the historic occasion, the city hired the famous set and lighting designer Bruno Sellier, who designed the Notre Dame light show in 2017 and 2018, to design a special light show. The show was only displayed last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night, at 10, 11, & 12PM.
I went to Place Trocadero on Friday night to catch the 10AM show. Apparently, I was the only person who though of doing this; Exiting the metro, it was a swarm of people trying to claim their spot on the plaza of Palais de Challiot, which has one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower.
At 10PM, the usual five-minutes of the sparkle lights went off, and after a long wait (Impatient ex-New Yorker I still am, I said WTF, waiting for the show to begin). It was worth the wait, and the light show was beautiful and exhilarating, with a color range from black, to cobalt blue, hot pink, red, and gray. The lights moved so rapidly up and down the tower, that sometimes I hardly had time to capture it with my camera.
Do you have some favorites here?
I can make a photo print of any or all of these photos have printed and shipped anywhere in the U.S.
• Photos measure 10 X 12 inches Price $60
• 12 X 15 inches Price $95
Shipping is $13 in the U.S.
Please email me @ r.nahem@gmail.com if you would like to order a print.
August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29
I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area.
Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks.
Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loftwith 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator
If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Parisvideo about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.
After visiting the Princess Grace exhibit at Christian Dior Museum, I exited the garden and took the long stairway down to the beach. The long stretch of beach was wild and rugged with boulders and craggy rocks leading to the Caribbean color palate of the sea. Looking up to the cliffs I saw patches of rock and grass, topped by large houses perched on the edges.
I discovered there was an old part of the city after walking through the archway of an ancient exposed stone building. It had the typical charm of towns similar to this spread all over Normandy, dotted with stone houses with painted shutters and greenery with seasonal flowers overflowing on the outside.The rue de Juif had lots of wonderful art galleries with mostly paintings, although there was a ceramics gallery with the work of one artist and also a photography gallery. I appreciated the galleries were not the usual tourist type with clichéd and predictable paintings.
Needing some warm sustenance to take the chill away from my walk on the windy beach, I stopped and had a simple but delicious egg and cheese crepe at the quaint Creperie Coutine.
Missing Notre Dame in Paris, I came upon Notre Dame du Cap Lihou, a church that started construction in 1440 by the English and consecrated in 1641, three centuries later. Christian Dior was baptized in the church in 1908. The main chapel has model sailboats hanging in it and the stained glass windows look to be contemporary.
I took the 6:45 train back to Paris after a long but satisfying day.
Creperie Courtine
10 Rue Cambernon, 50400 Granville
Église Notre-Dame du Cap Lihou
3 Place du Parvis Notre Dame, 50400
August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29
I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area.
Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks.
Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loftwith 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator
If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Parisvideo about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.
Last week I took a spontaneous trip from Paris to see the Princess Grace Exhibit in Granville, Normandy.
It was a bit of a long day trip, 3 hours and fifteen minutes each way from Gare Montparnasse.
I arrived about noon and it was a blustery day, with the sun teasing in and out of the thick clouds overhead.
The Christian Dior Museum is the home where Christian Dior grew up in the early 1900s. In his memoir, “ Christian Dior et Moi”, he states, "I have most tender and amazed memories... of my childhood home. I would even say that my life and my style owe almost everything to its site and architecture." Named Villa Les Rhumbs, Dior’s parents bought the house in 1905, but in 1932 his father had to sell the house because of financial ruin in The Great Depression. The town of Granville purchased the villa, and the garden was open to the public starting in 1938. In 1997 the house was converted into the Christian Dior Museum, and now features temporary exhibits of the great couturier.
In the fairy tale story of the American movie star falling for Prince Charming, Grace Kelly meets Prince Rainier III of Monaco during the Cannes Film Festival in May 6, 1955, while presenting the Alfred Hitchcock film The Perfect Crime. She’s seduced by his charms and six months later the couple announce their engagement at her family home in Philadelphia. The next day she wears a strapless gown decorated with flowers by Christian Dior. This starts the longtime loyalty to the House of Dior and from 1961 to 1989, Marc Bohan, the head designer, exclusively dresses her.
The 90 designs show a wide range of suits, gowns, day dresses, casual clothes, and accessories. Many are timeless and some seem dated, clothes that were better suited to the time they were worn in, but don’t seem relevant in the present day. Others, while not the most sexy or chicest of looks, are appropriate representations of what a woman of her stature and social standing wore in those times and places.
The well-curated exhibit in addition to showing various fashions, also chronicled the very public life she led, displaying magazine covers, portraits, photos, and artifacts over the decades. One room has the baby clothes she asked Dior to design for her children, thus launching Dior Baby. Of course there were many evening gowns, mostly in chiffon and muted colors, but there was a surprise splash of red and purple thrown in. Every year Princess Grace would throw a gala theme party at the royal palace, the hotly contested event of the year, drawing an international crowd. She would have designers and artists design the lavish backgrounds and sets for the ball and would have a gown designed to match. One of the most iconic gowns was a shear, ombre chiffon caftan, with colors graduating from yellow to orange to red, and jeweled neckline.
After the viewing the exhibition, I strolled through the lovely gardens, admiring the tulips, rhododendrons, poppies, forsythia, and other spring flowers. I sipped soothing mint tea in the outdoor café with wisteria festooning white wood trellises, relaxing in the tranquil setting. One area of the gardens featured a bust of Dior’s head with a blue mosaic fountain and another spot had a view of the turquoise sea in a frame of ivy.
Tomorrow I will write about the rest of my day in Granville. Stay tuned.
Grace de Monaco, ¨Princesse en Dior"
Until November 17, 2019
Christian Dior Museum, 1 rue d’Estouteville, Villa Les Rhumbs 50400 Granville
August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29
I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area.
Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks.
Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loftwith 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator
If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Parisvideo about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.
I stayed at the 25Hours Hotel in Vienna a number of years ago and liked the fun, cool vibe of the hotel with its themed rooms and helpful young staff.
The 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord across from Gard du Nord recently opened and I was invited to stay for night and also have dinner at the Neni restaurant.
The utilitarian lobby was small and I was checked in easily. There was a coffee bar and one of the desk clerks made me an excellent café noisette.
I was given a medium+ room, about 220 square feet, painted in cheery yellow, which included an old fashioned bathtub with four feet and a wrap around shower curtain with a rain shower head. The quirky décor had an eclectic blend of mid-century modern and African inspired quilt and throw pillows. The room was comfortable and everything worked well except for one small thing. Next to the bed was a myriad of unmarked switches and I had to switch them on and off about 20 times to learn what lights they turned on and off. Besides that quirk, I think the hotel is a good value with rooms starting at 174€ night. If you have an early morning Eurostar to London or other trains leaving Gard du Nord, it’s a perfect location. It’s also near the Canal Saint Martin area.
I went to dinner that night at the hotel restaurant Neni. Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine has become quite trendy in recent years in Paris, with some especially good restaurants. Neni proved to be one of the best I’ve eaten at. I started with creamy but texturedbaba ganoush with warm pita bread, that’s about as good as baba ganoush could be. Next up was the Jerusalem plate made up of spiced grilled chicken, tahini, red bell peppers, and humus, a wonderful mélange of distinctive spices.
I’ve never been super fond of mid-east pastries, preferring to indulge in French or Viennese delicacies. However, dessert at Neni blew me away. Knafeh, a specialty of Jerusalem, is a super light, folded crepe stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta, toped with chopped pistachios and homemade, yogurt ice cream. ( the description alone makes me swoon). The warmth of the crepes and soft cheese against the chill of the yogurt ice cream was pure culinary bliss.
Soft tones of green, ruby. and pink velvet covered the dining chairs along with Oriental rugs, hardwood floors and white marble table tops.
I returned once again to Neni and have raved about it to friends and tour clients.
August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29
I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area.
Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks.
Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loftwith 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator
If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Parisvideo about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.
Parisian yoga studio "Made in New York" with classes in French and English for all levels
and all ages 7/7.
Special 1st time offer: 35€ for 10 day unlimited pass with mat rental included!
For schedule and more information: 
