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March 16, 2011

Paris Taxi Tips

Hailing a taxi in Paris is not as easy as New York but the following tips should help for a smooth ride.

Taxi Rates

The starting rate is 2.20 euros when you hail a taxi on the street. If you call for a taxi, it's usually higher because the meter starts from where the driver is called from. The minimum taxi ride is 6.10 euros, so don't think you are getting ripped off if the fare reads less on the meter. A fourth passenger is an additional 2.95 euros. Fees are listed in the rear door window. There is a 1 euro charge for bags, strollers, and large items that go in the trunk. Don't pay the driver any additional fares besides the ones listed above.

How to Hail a Taxi

You can hail a taxi on the street or at a taxi stand. You must take the first taxi available on the taxi line. A taxi with a white or green light on top means they are available. Taxis with a yellow light that's on underneath the taxi sign, a red light on top, or an unlit sign means they are not available. Some drivers will balk at taking a fourth passenger, but by law they should.

Communicating with Your Driver

Some drivers speak english. I find the best way to tell them where you are going is to write the name and address down on a piece of paper including the arrondissement, or a card from the place you are going to (e.g. hotel restaurant), and hand it to them. Even with my semi-fluent french and a decent accent, drivers still have a problem understanding where I am going.

Calling for a Taxi

You can ask your hotel or restaurant to call a taxi for you. Here is a the name and number of a English speaking line for the Taxi G7 service. You must give them an exact street address. Usually it takes between 8 and 15 minutes, unless it's a busy time.

G-7 Taxi service 01 41 27 66 99 locally or +33 1 41 27 66 99

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Tourslogo4

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

March 16, 2011 in Insider Tips | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 15, 2011

James Jennifer Georgina

My friend Jennifer Butler has written James Jennifer Georgina, a very personal, sometimes painful, and revealing memoir about her struggle to cure her husband's alcoholism and at the same time protecting her daughter from the harrowing process.

James Jennifer Georgina is told through a 1,000 postcards Jennifer wrote to her daughter Georgina between 1989 and 1999 while traveling the world from Spain to Singapore in attempt to rescue her husband James, while Georgina stayed at home with various nannies.The postcards record 205 flights, 268,162 miles driven, 2 bullfights. 1 speeding ticket. 53 unpaid parking tickets. 13 cancelled flights, 1 bomb scare, and 205 churches.

The limited edition book of 999 copies is comprised of 210 postcards and designed by one of the most sought after and respected book designers in the world, Irma Boom. A colossal 1200 pages, the book has a unique binding with an outside case in understated slate gray with the title in bold letters and the jacket cover is a smart contrast of blinding taxi cab yellow. Divided into three sections, it contains the postcards, interviews, and photographs of the family.

You are invited to join Jennifer at a reading of the book on Wednesday, April 6 at 7:30PM at the America Library in Paris, 10 rue Général Camou, 7th arr.
Email [email protected] to RSVP.

To order book email [email protected]

http://jamesjennifergeorgina.com/

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

Tourslogo4

March 15, 2011 in Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 14, 2011

Eglise Saint Merri

My friends Mary Gilbert and Virginia Jones, of the blog Paris Through My Lens were here in January and we toured the area near Les Halles and the Pompidou Center. I have always been attracted to the Eglise Saint Merri which is a rundown Gothic church built between 1500 and 1550. Virginia and I were immediately taken with the rich photos ops in the church and we clicked away. We were also fortunate enough to see the choir practicing that afternoon.

I sometimes look for photo opportunities showing a more abstract view of things instead shooting things straight on. For example, I noticed through the stained windows I could see the Pompidou Center in the background and I thought the architectural shapes distorted by the stained glass windows made some interesting shots. I also thought the sculptures in front of the church covered in netting would give my photos a certain texture and depth.

The church is dedicated to the 8th-century Abbot of Autun Abbey, Medericus, who went to Paris on pilgrimage and later died there. In 884 Medericus, also known as 'Merry' was acclaimed patron saint of the right bank.The bell tower contains the oldest bell in Paris, cast in 1331, which survived the French Revolution.

Eglise St. Merri
76 Rue de la Verrerie, 4th arr.
Metro: Hotel de Ville

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

Tourslogo4

March 14, 2011 in Architecture | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 11, 2011

Summer Camps in France - Best Holiday Spot

This is a guest post about summer camps in France

During your tours to Paris, you can also attend a summer camp and learn the French language.It will make your trip more enjoyable. ESL is the most reputable organization for the study of any language at the world’s most beautiful location. Many people join summer camps in France with the motive to discover the beauty of this magnificent place along with best language study. To learn French in France juniors can opt for summer school Valbonne s/Cannes. The school building is located at a short distance from beautiful beaches. Infrastructure is modern with numerous equipment to be used during classes. There are football pitches and basketball courts and even athletic fields to encourage learners to participate in these.

The summer camps Paris in ‘Saint Nicolas’ centre shares best location. Modern classrooms and advanced equipments are provided for the cultural and sports activities that are being organized from time to time. Access free internet in computer rooms and relax during free time in the relaxation areas. The railway station is at short distance from the centre so that one can reach the city within half an hour. These French summer ESL schools are known for the quality of the services provided by them.

Effective supervision – A team of supervisors takes full care of each and every student for twenty four hours. Supervisors are specially trained to offer full assistance during any emergency. It lets everyone enjoy their stay under full security and freedom.

Banking service – The most unique service provided by ESL schools during summer camps in France is pocket money service. Students need to spend money everyday but along with that they also find it hard to save money. With the ESL pocket money service everyone can deposit and withdraw cash on daily basis.

Course study- The teaching staff is highly talented and dynamic. They make use of innovative teaching practices and pay special attention to each and everyone. This helps every learner to ask for their query without any hesitation. Study is conducted in small groups. Course study is offered for all levels starting form elementary to advance.

Accommodation- Along with best language study ESL offers a perfect stay so as to make the summer camp Paris most memorable in every aspect. Bedrooms for two or three people, washrooms and television for the entertainment are provided there. Living in such a clean and quiet place makes the stay perfect. Moreover, one also gets the chance to communicate with people from different countries out there. It is best experience to know about other cultures by staying together.

This not only ends here. There are also organized several leisure activities apart from learning. ESL school has changed the perspective of study with their innovative learning practices.

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New Yorkís best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com

March 11, 2011 in Guest Posts | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 10, 2011

Pont Alexander III

Pont Alexander is among the most beautiful and opulent bridges on the Seine, with the Grand Palais and Petit Palais on one side and Invalides on the other. It was built between 1896 and 1900, to coincide with the construction of the Grand Palais and Petit Palais for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. Named after Tsar Alexander II concluding the Franco-Russian alliance in 1892, it was designed by architects Joseph Cassien-Bernard and Gaton Cousin and built by engineers Jean Résal and Amédée d'Alby.

The four marvelous gilt bronze statues of Fames are perched on top 17 meter stone columns. The two Right Bank statues are Renommée des Sciences ("Fame of the Sciences") and the Renommée des Arts ("Fame of the Arts") both by Emannuel Frémiet and on the Left Bank are the Renommée du Commerce ("Fame of Commerce") by Pierre Granet and the Renommée de l'Industrie ("Fame of Industry") by Clément Steiner. At the center of the the bridge are the hammered copper statues of the Nymphs of the Seine and the arms of France correspond with the Nymphs of Neva by Georges Récipon.

It was a gray, blustery day when I took these photos on and around the bridge, with a wee bit of sun shining through making a subtle pink hue on the sky.

March 10, 2011 in Architecture, Parks, Gardens,Outdoors | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 09, 2011

Chloe Show Fall 2011

Skin is very in for Chloe Fall 2011.

The collection by Hannah MacGibbon is dominated by real python and python prints with a 70s luxury Bohemian theme running through the show. A stunning, roomy overcoat of black and white python, shimmery blouses in mustard yellow and electric green, and flowing see-through long dresses were some of the standouts in the python series. Leather was another strong element of the show. An oversized poncho with geometric shapes in bold colors and a very grown up Little Red Riding Hood cape in white tied with a big bow were welcome surprises to offset the overkill of python. Sturdy leather bucket bags in strong colors will probably become the it-bags for next season.

I was fortunate enough to have backstage access before the show and got close-ups of the clothes on the racks. The clothes are hyper-organized and each outfit has a big sign on it with the models name along with all the accessories in a plastic bag and the coordinating shoes and bags on the bottom of the rack, streamlining it for the model dressers. All seemed surprisingly calm in the dressing room while the hair and makeup artists were fiercely combing, painting,teasing, spraying, and combing the models, readying them for the runway. I am sure the calm ended quickly when the models were done and I left just in time to get my coveted standing room space behind the bleachers. The only celebs in the audience I recognized were the Vogue team of Anna Wintour,Andre Leon Talley, and Grace Coddington, with her instantly recognizable flaming red mane.

Click here to view the full video of the show.

Next season's it bags

Skin is in

Little White Riding Hood

March 09, 2011 in Fashion, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (8)

March 08, 2011

1-100 Jewelry Collection by Graham Tabor and Miguel Villalobos

I met Graham Tabor and Miguel Villalobos, business and life partners, a few years ago through my friend Diane Pernet. They live in New York and come to Paris twice a year to present their 1-100 jewelry collection during Fashion Week. I immediately liked these warm, friendly, stylish, and wildly talented guys and love seeing them when they are in town.

I had a chance to see their new collection the other day and catch up with them in the temporary showroom they setup in an elegant apartment they rented from another friend of mine off the rue St. Honoré. The 1-100 collection of men's and women's jewelry is handcrafted and made in limited editions of 100, with each piece stamped with a number and their signature. The series of bracelets, necklaces, rings, and cuffs are made mostly with sterling silver and the new collection's theme is the layering, fusing, and wrapping of silver and cotton and silk cord. I felt there was a strong Indian influence in the colors and materials.

Graham and Miguel also design a small couture line each season, ten one of a kind museum quality pieces. In between the ready to wear and couture collection there is a line of five pieces in additions of five. Retail prices for the 1-100 collection range $205 to $500, and the one of a kind and limited edition pieces range from $1800 to $6,000 for the more extravagant pieces.Graham explained that since the price of gold has skyrocketed in the last years, any piece with gold on it goes up dramatically.

They are careful to which stores they sell to and they want the jewelry to be in more concept type stores or galleries and they are working on setting up future dates for galleries and museums.
Colette carries the jewelry exclusively in Paris right now and was featured in their newsletter and website this month. The jewelry is sold worldwide in Japan, Kuwait, London, and the U.S. and will soon be sold in the new mega fashion shop The New in Tribeca in New York.

Graham was a senior designer at Helmut Lang and head knitwear designer at Karl Lagerfeld. He had his own consulting business working with clients Thakoon,Camilla Staerk,Rachel Roy and others. He also worked as a creative consultant for TSE cashmere.

Miguel is a photographer and illustrator and has worked on the film "Hedwig an the Angry Inch" and as an art director for the Laurie anderson video " Life on a String". He has collaborated with the designer Zaldy on the tour costumes for Michael Jackson's " This is it Tour" and Lady Gaga's "Monster Ball" Tour. He conceived and developed special headwear and jeweled leather pieces Lady Gaga wore on her tour.

I told you these guys were wildly talented.

http://one-onehundred.com/

March 08, 2011 in Fashion, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 07, 2011

ColetteXChanel Pop Up Shop

Pop-up shops are all the rage in Paris and and two eponymous French fashion brands have come together to open one just in time for fashion week. The original concept shop Colette and the legendary house of Chanel, a most fashionable dynamic duo, have created a shop/installation space in a former gas station and garage.

A stones throw away from the Colette boutique on the rue St. Honoré, the 2,000 sq. meter space still looks like a garage with cement floors and the vibe is spontaneous and fun with a touch of rock n' roll. Serious pieces from the Chanel Spring 2011 collection are mixed with up and coming designers specially chosen by Colette. Classic Chanel bags will be transformed into modern day collectible art pieces customized by artists Kevin Lyons, Soledad, Fafi, André, and SO-ME. Accessory house Le Marie, famous for its hat feathers, is unveiling a new batch of blue, black, and white silk camellias to put on your Chanel or jean jacket.

Other delights created just for the shop are a collector's doll by Karl Lagerfeld, a Chanel bag customized by Chrome Hearts, Yazbukey bag charms, Ruby helmets, and cameras by Leica.

ColetteXChanel Pop Up Shop
Till March 10
336-340 rue St. Honoré, 1st arr.
Metro: Tuileries
www.colette.fr

March 07, 2011 in Fashion, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 03, 2011

Eternellement Dior

My next few posts will highlight Paris Fall Fashion Week 2011 which started Tuesday.

Amidst the firestorm of the John Galliano scandal this week, there's a terrific homage to the house of Dior is at Le Bon Marché department store to temper the fire.

Eternellement Dior is a testament to the power the Dior brand has had on fashion for over 50 years. Vitrines with white neon lightning showcase the iconic looks Dior has become famous for and one can see the subtle differences between the elegant designs Christian Dior originated in the 1940s & 1950s and the evolving of a more flamboyant style John Galliano has brought to the house in the last 15 years. A clever display of Dior boxes in their signature gray are piled to the ceiling in the center of the exhibit with video screens built into some of them showing ads and films of Dior products. There are also some whimsical touches like a floor to ceiling J'Adore perfume bottle with images of actress Charlize Therzon emblazoned on it and a gigantic replica of the Dior chair with a shimmery gold purse on it.

Eternellement Dior
Till March 26
Le Bon Marché
38 rue de Sevres, 7th arr.
Metro: Sevres-Babylone
http://www.lebonmarche.com/

March 03, 2011 in Fashion | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 02, 2011

Petit Palais

I revisited the Petit Palais with my camera in tow last month to shoot so more architectural details, inspired by the shots I took of the ceilings in the garden cupola last year. Sometimes the unexpected shots turn out to be the best ones and the shots of the reflection of the building in the water of the mosaic tiled pond look almost like Impressionist paintings.(The shot above this paragraph and the one below.)

The Petit Palace was built for the 1900 Universal exhibition in tandem with the Grand Palais across the street. Architect Charles Girault based the design on a trapezium shape and it is made up of four wings around a semi-circular garden. Girault also designed the elaborate entrance gate along with the finely detailed wrought iron swags and garlands gracing the banisters of the staircases.

The ceiling of the Dutuit cupola in the southeast wing of the museum was completed just after WWI and painted by artist Maurice Denis who created a composition retracing the history of French art, illustrated by portraits of artists along with their most famous works.

Petit Palais
Ave Winston Churchill, 8th arr.
Metro: Champs Elysees- Clemenceau
http://petitpalais.paris.fr/