I Prefer Paris

Bleu de Cocagne Boutique

It’s funny, sometimes I’ll walk down a familiar street that I pass all the time and a new boutique will suddenly open in a period of a few days.

I was on rue Charlot last week, when I spotted Bleu de Cocagne. What pulled me into the shop was the all blue motif. Blue is one of my favorite clothing colors and I have plenty of blue garments in my wardrobe to prove it. Once I was inside the fabric of the clothes looked like variations in denim and indigo but upon closer look something was different but I couldn’t tell what it was. The genial owner Bruno told me the clothes were made with an ancient dying technique using cocagne, a ball of woad leaves, which turn blue when processed. As one of the oldest dye techniques in the world, it was originally used in ancient Egypt. During the Renaissance, Toulouse was the main city in France for the thriving trade of woad leaves. It remained a highly used dying technique until the industrial revolution and the introduction of indigo from India.

Bleu de Cocagne has revived the woad dying method and partnered with artisans to produce a line of garments, varying in shades of blue produced by the woad leaves. The woad leaves are boiled to a certain temperature, which then produces a blue pigment. The garments at Bleu de Cocagne are bathed in the woad baths up to eight times to achieve the desired color.

I was with a friend of mine and she tried on a handsome Mandarin style jacket with a side tie, called the Zen jacket and made of linen. I am a shopping enabler and told her she must have it, even though the price was steep. (I love to spend other people’s money by shopping vicariously through them).

As my friend was trying on her jacket, I noticed a counter with some oil in an apothecary jar and a ball of blue soap. Bruno explained that woad seeds produced oil, which can be used to hydrate and regenerate skin cells. I took a whiff of the soap, which had a subtle lavender smell to it. The soap and oil are organic and produced by a French artisan.

Bleu de Cocagne has garments for men and women including jackets, tank tops, pants, T-shirts, scarves, sweaters, button down shirts, dresses and sweat pants. Linen and cashmere are the fabrics used in the current collection.

There’s an online shop for Bleu de Cocagne, so if you can’t come to the store in Paris you can shop online.

My friend bought the jacket and I got a ball of soap, so both of us were happy campers.

57 rue Charlot, 75003
Metro: Filles Calvaire
Open Tuesday to Saturday
http://www.bleudecocagne.fr/home.html

Bruno

The soap

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

 

 

Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats: Tavline

Close in area but far away from the madding crowds of rue des Rosiers clamoring for falafel sandwiches produced in a assembly line, comes a whole new breed of Israeli restaurant, Tavline.

Miznon, right of the rue de Rosier was the first Israeli restaurant to break from away from the successful but over saturated formula of falafel and shwarma, using more imaginative ingredients to stuff into pita bread such as chicken salad and beef Bourguignon.

Tavline takes the next step after Miznon in upping the ante and sophistication of Israeli food, thinking along the lines of Nouvelle cuisine.

I reserved a table last week for lunch and Meredith Mullins joined me. We shared the tasting plate of four appetizers selected by the restaurant. As hungry and as anxious as I was to taste the appetizers, I had to take a minute to not only photograph but to also take in the beauty of the food and presentation. Two large wedges of sweet potatoes sprinkled with diced tomatoes were artfully stacked on top of one another resembling a contemporary museum sculpture of rusted metal, beets covered in a forest of edible greens, cauliflower trees with an orange hue and an island of houmos  surrounded by olive oil, all served the most vivid colored Moroccan earthenware dishes.

Tavline means herb in Hebrew and the name more than accurately applies to the food. The intense flavor of the herbs and spices overtook my taste buds flooding them with  a myriad of diverse flavors.

I usually associate such mind-blowing food with guilt or suspicion- something this good has to be bad for you or have tons of calories- much like when you have an ice cream sundae or a batch of macarons. But about halfway through I smiled because I realized this was some of the healthiest food I could eat.

Meredith had been to Tavline a few times before and relied on her standby of fish balls for her plat and I ordered the chicken Pastilla. A Moroccan dish of phyllo dough usually stuffed with pigeon and dried fruit, this alternative version was superb with a brown sauce and a garnish of lima beans. The menu also offered Shakshouka, popular dish of poached eggs with tomato sauce, chili peppers, onions and cumin.
The staff is young and friendly speaking Hebrew, French and English.

Since I moved to Paris, I’ve become accustomed to waiting a long time for the wait staff to remove my plate after I am finished, sometimes having to ask the staff two or three times to do so till I get their attention. At Tavline it was the opposite, I barely finished my dish and the waitress removed it before I could protest.

The interior is simple with low banquettes covered in gray linen fabric, exposed rock walls and a zigzag patterned tile floor.

I am happy Tavline has opened in the lower part of the Marais near my apartment by Saint Paul. One of the things sorely lacking in my direct area is a diversity of restaurants. It’s mostly casual  French cafes serving the same menu or mediocre ethnic restaurants. Most new chefs open restaurants in the upper Marais or the 9th, 10th, or 11th because of the high rents in the lower Marais.

Bravo for Tavline and may many more restaurants of its caliber open in the lower Marais soon.

Please note: Lunch cost 27€ for my entree & plat, but well worth the additional 7€ I usually spend.

Tavline
25 Rue du Roi de Sicile, 75004
Metro: St. Paul
Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch & dinner
Reservations highly recommended
Tel. +33 (0)9 86 55 65 65
http://www.tavline.fr/

Pastilla

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

Everything’s Coming Up Roses in Paris

If it seems I am posting beaucoup garden photos lately it’s because I can’t get enough of Paris in the springtime.

It’s now the season of the roses and I’ve been chasing their bursting blooms all over town. There’s a hidden gem of a rose garden in the Marais, which I always go to this time of the year to literally smell the roses. They didn’t disappoint this season with their perfume tingling my nostrils.

I got word yesterday of a special rose show in the gardens of the Palais Royal and I raced over to get a glimpse and to take some snaps. In addition to the overflowing rose beds in the garden there was a series of potted rose bushes where the buds were striving to bloom.

After the Palais Royal I was at the Shangri La Hotel for a meeting and spent some quiet moments in their sublime private garden with the most delicate pink roses climbing up a trellis.  

What’s your favorite garden in Paris for roses?

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

Trees in Jardin des Plantes

Last week I posted about the wonderful flowers in bloom in the Jardin des Plantes.

Another thing that struck me about the Jardin des Plantes was the architecture of the trees in relationship to the sky. Looking up I saw all kinds of interesting angles the trees and the leaves formed against the blue sky combed with streaks of soft white clouds.

Can anyone identify the names of any of these trees?

Founded in 1626 the Jardin des Plantes was planted by Guy de La Brosse, the physician of King Louis XIII as a medicinal herb garden. Today the garden covers 28 hectares/69 acres and includes four galleries of the Natural History Museum - the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, the Mineralogy Museum, the Paleontology Museum and the Entomology Museum.

The garden also contains a botanical school, which trains botanists, builds demonstration gardens, and trades seeds to maintain biotic diversity.

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

Door of the Month May 2017: Ave. Raymond Poncairé

I am back to the Door of the Month format this month instead of Instagram.

Last Sunday I was strolling around the 16th arrondissiment after a dance performance at the Theatre de Chaillot and discovered a slew of fantastic doors on Ave. Raymond Poncairé.

Ave. Raymond Poncairé is an elegant street with some formidable Haussmann and Art Nouveau buildings. The doors and facades have stunning details and intricate ironwork. Notice the use of pine cones in the first shots.

Which is your favorite door? I couldn’t decide mine, so I’ll let you choose.

Ave. Raymond Poncairé, 16th arr.
Metro: Victor Hugo or Trocadero

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

La Cidrerie du Marais

My favorite crepe restaurant in the Marais and perhaps in all of Paris is Breizh. Serving authentic Brittany style crepes made with buckwheat flour along with apple cider, Breizh is considered the best crepe houses in Paris by many critics.
The problem with Breizh is they don’t take reservations and if you go at regular lunch and dinner hours, there’s always a wait. I am not one to wait on line, so I rarely go to Breizh anymore. I’ve been looking for a replacement and I’ve finally found a creperie that comes close.

Although the name can be misleading, La Cidrerie du Marais/The Marais cider house not only has an extensive selection of cider, it also serves high quality buckwheat crepes.

Best of all La Cidrerie du Marais is right across the street from my house and is very rarely full. Quaint and inviting, it has the feel of a creperie in Brittany with light wood planked walls decorated with kitschy signs and cute blackboard menus.

There’s a nice lunch formule during the week, a crepe with three fillings of your choice or the crepe du jour plus a drink for 10€.

I’m one of those people that once I find a dish at a restaurant I like, I tend to be a creature of habit and only order that dish. At La Cidrerie du Marais I get a crepe with fried egg, chevre and roasted potatoes. Folded into a square with the egg yolk bulls eye in the center, the chevre is roasted and the potatoes are crispy and the crepe comes as close to  comfort food as you can get.

I’ve tasted other crepes in the past before I got attached to egg, potato and chevre including smoked salmon, crème fraiche and dill, chevre, honey and walnuts and the extravagant foie gras with fig jam and pine nuts.

Caramel sauce with caramel ice cream with praline, chestnut cream and crème fraiche, pear with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, and sliced apples with Calvados, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are just a few of the fillings of the tempting dessert crepes.

The cider list is divided into two categories, hard and soft with old fashioned, artisanal, pear, and red fruit cider in bottles and also cider bowls of rosé and pear.  

There’s only one waitress and she’s very sweet and speaks English.

A salted butter caramel comes with the check, a sweet ending.

La Cidrerie du Marais
4 rue de Sevigne, 75004
Metro: Saint Paul
Open 12PM-11PM daily

Many thanks to everyone who identified the flowers and trees from my Jardin des pLantes post on Tuesday.

Here are the names in the order of the question marks. poppies, salvia, and the last one is Mountain laurel.

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

 

Jardin des Plantes

It went from almost winter to practically summer in less than a week. Last Monday it was 52 degrees and I was in my down coat and yesterday it was 75 degrees and I wore a short sleeve shirt and no jacket.

After the parade of April flowers last month, May is stepping it up with a whole new array of floral delights. I was in the Jardin des Plantes yesterday to experience to changeover. Roses were in full bloom decorating the runway of trellises, while the trees were now showing off their abundant soothing green leaves.

I don’t know the names of some of the flowers I took photos of, so will you help me out and tell me the names of them? I’ll put a question mark below each one I don’t know. Thanks in advance for helping me out.

?

?

?

?

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

May 2017 Instagram Photos

I haven’t posted my Instagram photos in a while so here’s a fresh batch from May and end of April. From the spectacular Opera Garnier to the lush, green Tuileries to mouthwatering Fauchon to a hidden private garden to yummy gelato at Amorino, it’s been quite a month in Paris.

If you still haven’t followed me on Instagram yet, here are my tags.
@eyepreferparis
@parisian_doors

Grand staircase rue Faubourg Saint Honore

Amorino Gelato

Eiffel Tower

Garden rue Faubourg Saint Honore

Roses on rue Saint Antoine

Enamel coffee pots at flea market

Strawberry cake

Opera Garnier ceiling painted by Chagall

Flower shop rue Vieille du Temple

Paris Garden

Luxembourg Gardens

 Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

Courtyard in Square de Chaillot

I don’t know if you remember or not but in 2009 I started a series called Courtyard Week where twice a year I would post a week of photos of different courtyards I visited. The last post was in 2015 and I haven’t posted a new one because I haven’t discovered enough courtyards worthy of the series.

Last week after the Dalida exhibit I strolled up the rue de Chaillot, a street I am not familiar with. I was intrigued by an iron grate door marked Square de Chaillot and peered into the courtyard. A few seconds later someone opened the door and I spontaneously decided to meander into the courtyard.

Ivy was already climbing the tall walls along with pots of thriving hydrangeas. The highlight was the center garden of the most luscious and vibrant fuschia roses encompassing a delicate goddess proudly holding a torch.

A lovely hidden oasis in the center of Paris.

Click here to browse past Courtyard Weeks.

Square de Chaillot
37 rue de Chaillot, 75116
Metro: Alma Marceau

 Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

Taxes for Expats

It’s tax time soon for U.S. expats. Expat taxes are due on June 15 instead of April 15, which gives us a little bit of wiggle room. If you file an extension, your taxes aren’t due until October 15.

For the past four years, Taxes for Expats has filed my taxes in exchange for writing about them on my blog.

Their service has been excellent and very professional. I was assigned a tax expert to handle my taxes and she was very responsive, always replying to my numerous questions within 24 hours.  The forms were not too complicated to file.

Taxes for Expats is a full service tax agency handling personal and business taxes for expats handling tax returns, back taxes, IRS Amnesty programs, IRS letters, tax planning and tax projection. They also advise and explain about the FBAR/ Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts form.

The charge for a tax return for under $100,000 is $350, which I think is reasonable considering the high level of service. Before I worked with Taxes for Expats, the minimum charge I paid for an accountant was 500€.

I highly recommend Taxes for Expats, but just don’t take my word about it, check the over 500 positive reviews they received on their website.

https://www.taxesforexpats.com

My Paris Apartment for Rent June 21 to June 27

I am renting my fabulous Paris apartment in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul metro, from  June 21 to June 27, a total of  7 nights. It's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps one or two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include A/C,  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 an elevator.

The price is $225 a night.Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

 Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour