I Prefer Paris

Hotel de la Marine

The inside of a gorgeous, neo-classical, Baroque building on Place de la Concorde was closed to the public until last year. The Hotel de la Marine, across the street from an identical building which is the Crillon Hotel, was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the chief architect under King Louis XV, and constructed between 1757 and 1774. It was originally named Garde-Meuble and it was used to hold, store and display the furniture collection of the king.

In 1789 during the French Revolution, the building was repurposed and became the naval headquarters of France. After more than 200 years, the naval headquarters moved out in 2015 and it was given to the Centre des Monuments Nationale, a government organization that manages and operates over 150 monuments including chateaus, forts, churches, and other historic sites throughout France.

Centre des Monuments Nationale took on of its largest and ambitious projects by restoring the former apartments of the intendants(stewards) of the original Garde-Meuble. The painstaking renovation and restoration took 36 months, involved more than 40 firms, cost 130 million € and 500 pieces of furniture were fully restored. For the drapes, wallpaper, and fabrics for the furniture, they sought out crimson damasks, brocades and other materials from dealers and auctions as authentically as close to the originals.

 The result of the renovation and restoration is stunning. Upon entering the majestic courtyard with the meticulously restored limestone, I knew I was in for a treat. At the entrance you are given headphones to guide you through the two floors, with settings for each room. The exquisite craftsmanship, the sumptuous fabrics, the fantastic architectural details, and the rich colors were front and center and each room presented a gorgeous glimpse into the past.

 Another addition to the museum is a café and a restaurant. Café Laperouse Concorde is an outpost of Laperouse restaurant on the Left Bank, known for its private dining rooms, and the outdoor terrace in the courtyard is chicly decorated. The casual menu includes a breakfast menu with pastries, egg dishes, house made granola, and avocado toast and for lunch and snacks there’s croques, salads, burgers, and a lobster roll. Going full tilt American, they serve frozen yogurt with toppings. Mimosa is the more formal restaurant with award winning chef Jean-François Piège at the helm.

Hotel de la Marine

2 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008

https://www.hotel-de-la-marine.paris/en 

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards with the Doors of Paris. 

I am excited to launch a new series of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards with the Doors of Paris. 

The limited-edition series of Eye Prefer Paris Door Collection Postcards are available three different ways.

18 cards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors, 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers. 

Cost: $65- Free shipping 

9 postcards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors.

Cost: $35 plus $5 shipping 

9 postcards: 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers

Cost: $35 plus $5 shipping 

Each postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock, that enhances the vibrancy of each image. Eye Prefer Paris Postcards come in classic postcard size (6”x 4.25”), perfect for collecting, framing, or sending to that special someone. 

Each order is specially hand wrapped with love from Paris and mailed in an elegant, French blue envelope. Postcards take about 4- 7 days to arrive in the U.S. 

Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection make a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family, and I can write a handwritten note for you and include it in the envelope. 

CLICK HERE to order 18 cards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors, 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers. 

Cost: $65- Free shipping 

CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors.

Cost: $35 plus $5 shipping 

CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers

Cost: $35 plus $5 shipping 

Green Doors

Blue Doors

Metal Doors

Trip to Switzerland: Lausanne

Part of my stay at the Beau Rivage Palace included a tour of the old part of Lausanne. We wandered through the quiet, hilly streets of the Old Town with homes and buildings dating back to the 1300s and 1400s, many with quaint window boxes still filled with flowers in bloom. The incredible Gothic architecture of Lausanne Cathedral was most impressive, with a grand organ with 7,000 pipes, which took 150,000 hours to build. We had coffee and a sweet at a local bakery café and did my last rounds of chocolate tastings at two excellent shops.

CLICK HERE to read my blog post about my stay at Beau Rivage Palace if you missed it.

I am excited to announce I had my first article for Fodor’s website published last week.

CLICK HERE to read

I also had lunch at the new Alain Ducasse popup restaurant ADMO a few weeks ago,

CLICK HERE to read my article.

Trip To Switzerland: Beau Rivage Palace Lausanne

Last December I wrote about a trip I took to Switzerland and my stay in Zurich. After Zurich I spent two days in Lausanne, and I had the very special privilege of staying at the Beau Rivage Palace. 

The special experience started at the Lausanne train station when I was met on the platform by a well-dressed man in a suit and tie who escorted me in his very luxurious Mercedes Benz to the hotel. He gave me a min-tour of the hilly city before we arrived. 

The façade of the Art Nouveau hotel was festooned with seasonal elements of pumpkins and foliage leaves. Waiting at the entrance I was warmly greeted by the head concierge Sylvie Gonin and the communications director Maxine Willens.

 Sylvia gave me a fascinating and informative tour of the hotel. Beau Rivage Palace was opened in 1861 as a luxury hotel attracting international guests. Another major wing was added in 1908, which was designed in the Art Nouveau style. The two buildings are connected by a gigantic dining rotunda with hand painted, wall frescoes. Sylvie included the private salons and special event rooms on the lobby floor and shared about some of the historic meetings and conferences held at the hotel over the centuries including the signing of the agreement to end the war between Italy and Turkey in 1912 and the treaty of Lausanne in 1923. A corridor was lined with autographed photos of famous guests from French President Macron to Liza Minelli to Coco Chanel to Charlie Chaplin to Gregory Peck. 

The hotel directly overlooks the majestic Lake Lausanne, and the grounds and outdoor areas cover over 10 acres. I strolled through the sprawling, multi-tiered gardens, beautifully landscaped with meticulously manicured lawns, a tennis court, a heated swimming pool (it was a warm, sunny day and I was tempted to dive in right on the spot) and flowerbeds. The outdoor café and seating area had a series of amusing fruit sculptures by Brazilian sculptor Lisa Pappon. 

When I finally checked into my room later in the afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised that I was given a junior suite on the second floor overlooking the lake. It was luxuriously decorated in soft beige, taupe, gray, and pale white with a King size bed and a leather, tufted headboard, two plush club chairs, one with a comfy ottoman, and a couch. I was welcomed to the hotel with a house made lemon coffee cake, a bottle of local white wine, and an appetizing fruit plate courtesy of the management. 

The lavish bathroom suite in all marble, almost the size of my bedroom in Paris, had a free-standing bathtub that faced the lake, a colored mosaic tiled floor, and a separate shower room with a bench and rain shower head. 

The state-of-the-art Japanese toilet was a new experience and I pretended I knew what I was doing with the multi-function remote only to discover that the button I pressed released a strong, unexpected torrent of water aimed at you know where. 

The suite had a mini terrace with two chairs and a table, and I spent the rest of the afternoon taking in the voluptuous views of the lake and the French Alps on the terrace while sipping a glass of wine and indulging in the treats from the hotel. 

 That evening I was invited for dinner at the hotel’s haute cuisine restaurant Ann Sophie Pic Lausanne. Pic is the only female chef in France to garner three Michelin stars for her various restaurants and the hotel restaurant was immediately awarded two stars after it opened in 2009. Directly facing the lake, the elegant but understated dining room has plush banquettes and tables set far enough apart for more intimate dining. The highlight of my dinner was the artful presentation and the dishes had imaginative garnishes which were served on sculpted china and ceramic plates and bowls with unusual shapes. I chose the Pic’s signature dishes: an appetizer of delicate raviolis stuffed with girolle and a selection of other seasonal mushrooms in a broth infused with Japanese whisky and tonka beans, and a plat of lamb, with roasted figs and fig leaves, which was tender and flavorful.  The dreamy dessert of white millefeuille in the shape of a square with white clouds of soft meringue surrounding it, was served with a light Tahitian vanilla cream and a touch of jasmine jelly. In between the courses was a selection of amuse bouches which were just as delightful to look at as they were in taste. 

The next day I had a treatment at the Cinq Mondes Spa, a chain of luxury spas throughout Europe. After a brief consultation with the masseuse to go over any health issues and well-being concerns, I chose the Tonifying Indian Ayurvedic massage. The masseuse vigorously kneaded my tight and sore muscles from the over 15,000 steps a day I racked up while walking in Zurich. 

In between my activities at the hotel, I explored Lausanne and on Wednesday I will write about my experience. 

https://www.brp.ch/en/home/

I am excited to announce I had my first article for Fodor’s website published last week.

CLICK HERE to read

I also had lunch at the new Alain Ducasse popup restaurant ADMO a few weeks ago,

CLICK HERE to read my article.

My Paris Apartment for Rent

I am looking to rent my apartment from March 22 to April 1, 2022 a total of 11 nights/10 days.

It’s a spacious, loft style, one bedroom, with 12-foot ceilings, wood parquet floors, kitchen with dishwasher, flat screen TV, queen size bed, a bathroom with a tub, and beautifully furnished with mid-century modern furniture. It’s on the second floor and there’s an elevator.

The apartment is in a great location, in the Marais by Saint Paul, right next to metro station, bus stop and taxi stand. Also great restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and food shops right outside your doorstep.

Price: 200€ per night, minimum of 7 nights. For the full 11 nights, it’s 2,000€ instead of 2200€.

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested or need more information.

La Galette de Rois -2022

Every year starting on January 6th, la galette de Rois (the cake of the three kings), a cake made of frangipane (almond cream paste) and a buttery crust, is sold in patisseries all over France. These delicious cakes celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, where the three wise men came to see the baby Jesus. In certain parts of France the cake is made with brioche and filled with glazed fruit.

A feve- a little china figure is hidden inside of the cake, and whoever gets it, (without breaking a cap when biting into it) is crowned king and gets to choose his queen. The cake is usually sold with a gold paper crown.

Do it in Paris has published an article with the best Galettes du Roi for 2021 Click here to read 

If you would like to make your own, below is a recipe. 

Recipe: Galette des Rois
(Serves 8)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb frozen puff pastry
2 eggs
7 oz almond paste

Preparation: Leave the puff pastry at room temperature for about 2 hours until defrosted but still cold.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with baking parchment or grease the pan and lightly sift flour on it. Shake off any excess flour. Roll each sheet of pastry into a circle about 12 inches across. Place one circle on the prepared pan.

Mix the egg with the almond paste until smooth and spread the mixture evenly on the prepared circle of pastry, leaving a border 1 1/2 inches wide all around. If you have a small piece of china, insert it into the almond mixture (you may also use a bean as the fève.
Place the second circle of pastry on top and press it down tightly around the rim.

Beat lightly the remaining egg and brush it on the top of the cake. With a long-bladed knife, press lightly but firmly through the egg glaze marking a crisscross pattern. 

Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and puffed. Do not check for doneness for at least 15 minutes, as the pastry may collapse. Serve slightly warm or cold.

My Paris Apartment for Rent

I am looking to rent my apartment from March 22 to April 1, 2022 a total of 11 nights/10 days.

It’s a spacious, loft style, one bedroom, with 12-foot ceilings, wood parquet floors, kitchen with dishwasher, flat screen TV, queen size bed, a bathroom with a tub, and beautifully furnished with mid-century modern furniture. It’s on the second floor and there’s an elevator.

The apartment is in a great location, in the Marais by Saint Paul, right next to metro station, bus stop and taxi stand. Also great restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and food shops right outside your doorstep.

Price: 200€ per night, minimum of 7 nights. For the full 11 nights, it’s 2,000€ instead of 2200€.

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested or need more information.

January 2022- Eye Need to Do’s: Gershwin & Kurt Weill, David Hockney, and Cartier

Paris -Berlin- Broadway

The Paris Philharmonie is presenting a program of George Gershwin with music from American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue along with a selection of songs from Kurt Weill. The program will be performed by the Orchestre Pasdeloup with Wolfgang Doerner conducting, and Franck Tortiller.

January 15, 2022 @ 3pm

Philharmonie de Paris

https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/activity/concert-symphonique/22733-paris-berlin-broadway

David Hockney: A Year in Normandy

Artist David Hockney spent almost two years in isolation in Normandy during the covid lockdown. On his I-Pad he created one hundred images of his house, his garden and the surrounding countryside in a few weeks. Influenced by the Tapestry of Queen Matilda in Bayeux, Hockney drew his own version of an 80-meter long frescoe and named it A Year in Normandy.

Until February 22

Musée de l’Orangerie

https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/fr

Cartier and the Arts of Islam: Source of Modernity

This exhibition displays the influence of Islamic Art at Cartier in its design of jewelry and precious objects from the start of the 20th century to the current day. Over 500 pieces including jewelry and objects from the Cartier Collection,masterpieces of Islamic art, private and public loans, drawings, books, photographs and archival documents, trace the origins of the jeweler’s interest in Oriental motifs.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

107 rue de Rivoli, 75001

https://madparis.fr/Cartier-et-les-arts-de-l-Islam-Aux-sources-de-la-modernite

My Paris Apartment for Rent

I am looking to rent my apartment from March 22 to April 1, 2022 a total of 11 nights/10 days.

It’s a spacious, loft style, one bedroom, with 12-foot ceilings, wood parquet floors, kitchen with dishwasher, flat screen TV, queen size bed, a bathroom with a tub, and beautifully furnished with mid-century modern furniture. It’s on the second floor and there’s an elevator.

The apartment is in a great location, in the Marais by Saint Paul, right next to metro station, bus stop and taxi stand. Also great restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and food shops right outside your doorstep.

Price: 200€ per night, minimum of 7 nights. For the full 11 nights, it’s 2,000€ instead of 2200€.

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested or need more information.