I Prefer Paris

Barbizon

After lunch at Hotellerie de Bas-Bréau, Jean-Pierre was kind enough to take me on a tour of the village.

There are two small museums in Barbizon, one private and one public.

The Barbizon school of painters was a period of time approximately between 1830 and 1870, where a number of painters lived and painted the lush landscapes of Barbizon, known for its forest thick with endless acres of trees contrasted by the flat plains of grass and farmland. Another attraction was the incomparable light, which changes constantly with the movement of the clouds against the sun.

It was a movement towards realism in painting, using the outdoors and natural light plus incorporating farmers and workers outdoors. Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Francois Millet, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Charles-Francois Daubigny were the most well known of the painters followed by Jules Dupré, Constant Troyon, Charles Jacque, Narcisse Virgilio Díaz, and Pierre Emmanuel Damoye.

So influential were this group of artists that in later years when Van Gogh saw the works of Millet, he declared he was his master and painted 40 copies of his paintings.

The first museum Maison et Atelier de Jean-Francois Millet, was the home and studio of Millet for 26 years. I was given a personal tour by the director of the museum who took me through the small house, showing me the two rooms he lived in with his family and the atelier. He shared about Millet’s painting process, his personal life and about the Barbizon school.

Walking on the street, Jean-Pierre said hello to his neighbors, the local shopkeepers, restaurant owners and gallerists.

Along the way I photographed the striking foliage adorning many of the buildings, reminding me of the foliage I used to experience on the east coast when I lived in New York. Replicas of the most iconic paintings from the Barbizon school made of mosaic tiles line the main street.

Our last stop was Musée de Barbizon, the official museum of Barbizon. Again Jean-Pierre introduced me to the director and she gave me a personal tour. (Jean-Pierre told me I was lucky because she very rarely gives private tours). The house was an inn and also a tavern and the artists were so poor, that they traded their paintings for food and drink. The main floor consisted of two dining rooms and the kitchen. Upstairs was a series of empty rooms with drawings on the wall. The director explained that they were an early form of graffiti, scrawled on the walls by the painters. There was also a beautiful small portrait by Millet of a young seamstress, reminding me of a Vermeer painting.

After the tour Jean-Pierre drove me back to the train station and shared about the famous and royal guests who have stayed at the hotel including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Grace of Monaco and Jean-Louis Trintignant. His proudest moment was the time Hirohito, the emperor of Japan, stayed in the hotel. Hirohito traveled out of Japan only one time during his reign and one of the three places he visited was the Hotellerie de Bas-Bréau.

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotellerie de Bas-Bréau in Barbizon

Last Friday I spent an ideal day in the French countryside.

I was sent a press release earlier this month about a fall menu consisting of mostly game and mushrooms at the Hotellerie de Bas-Bréau in Barbizon. The publicist arranged a tasting of the menu and a visit to the hotel.

I took the 37-minute train ride from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau station. I was picked up by the owner of the hotel, Jean-Pierre Fava in his forest green Range Rover. Jean-Pierre was one of those true French gentlemen, impeccably dressed in brown, whale bone corduroy trousers, white shirt, taupe colored sport jacket with a faint geometric pattern, and a sand colored knit tie neatly tucked into his trousers. He also had a mild whiff of soft, powdery cologne. During our 15-minute drive through the town of Fontainebleau, passing the chateau and entering the flat grounds of forest and open pastures of Barbizon, Jean-Pierre shared about the hotel, which he has owned for 50 years, and the area.

Barbizon is tiny with just one long main street lined with boutiques, restaurants, food shops, museums, galleries, and hotels.

After arriving at the hotel I met Jean-Pierre’s lovely wife Dominique. A handsome woman with short blonde hair, she was warm and hospitable, giving me a tour of the hotel and the grounds. Jean-Pierre and Dominique have two grown sons; one working part-time at the hotel and the other just opened a new bistro in Paris, which I will go to in the coming weeks.

They shared the history of the hotel; the front building of the hotel housing the dining room and reception area was constructed in the 1600s, serving as a horse stable and a carriage house. A neat historical fact they shared with pride was writer Robert Louis Stevenson stayed in the hotel in the 1800s and met his future wife there.

It was one of those storybook autumn days with blue skies dotted with clouds, crisp clean country air and the trees doing their foliage dance of fiery and earth colors. The property sits on three acres of flat land and the gardens were beautifully landscaped with squared hedges, manicured lawns, statues, and immense trees, now showing off their fall colors.

There are twenty rooms and each is designed differently. The décor of the rooms I saw were rustically decorated in earth tones of red, rust, mustard, and green and my favorite room had various toile de Jouy prints with a canapé bed. Most rooms have spacious bathrooms and with tubs with Jacuzzis.

Lunch was in the intimate bistro dining room with twelve tables. I sat at a table facing the window to the main road, which had sun pouring through it.

A amuse bouche of escargot with carrot puree was the size of an entrée, a good sign that the portion sizes were going to be more than ample. The entrée of crunchy, oversized langoustine was excellent accompanied with a zucchini puree. Jean Pierre said the chevreuil/roe deer was a must for my plat. An artfully designed plate arrived with four pieces of meat surrounded by mini carrots, asparagus, and mushrooms. The deer had the texture of a beef filet with the taste of duck with a strong game flavor. I ate the vegetables one at a time, slowly savoring the freshness of each. Dessert was a perfectly executed Grand Marnier souffle, a delightful end to a full but well-balanced meal.

The menu I had cost 60€ but there is also the bistro menu, which has two courses for 29€.

Tomorrow I will share about the rest of my lovely day in Barbizon.

Hotellerie de Bas-Bréau
22 Rue Grande, 77630 Barbizon
http://www.bas-breau.com/uk/index.php

Jean-Pierre and Dominique

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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: Avignon

My trip to Avignon last month was fruitful in the door department and I am sharing my bounty with you this month. Enjoy!

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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

 

Hors les Murs 2017 at FIAC

Hors les Murs, an extension of the FIAC art fair, is a series of art pieces and sculptures exhibited in the Tuileries, Place Vendome and this year also in the garden of the Delacroix Museum in Saint Germain.

I’ve been documenting the series each year since 2013 and have done so again this year. It seems as though each year there’s a controversial art piece, which garners violent reactions and hate mail on social media, to the point that either the artist or the fair has removed the piece.

Two years ago artist Paul McCarthy presented a huge blow-up sculpture on the Place Vendome, which he named a Christmas tree. Some viewers became offended by the piece, as they interpreted it as a sex toy rather than a Christmas tree. In fact, in the first days on display, it was deflated twice by vandals. Eventually, McCarthy voluntarily had the sculpture removed.

This year Dutch artist Joep Van Lieshout’s piece Domestikator, which was interpreted as a brutal sexual act, was supposed to be at the Tuileries, but the president of the Louvre, decided at the last minute it was too controversial for Hors les Murs. The Centre Pompidou welcomed the statue with a totally different viewpoint.

Although FIAC ended yesterday, Hors Les Murs will be on display until November 1.

Hors Les Murs
Tuileries
Place Vendome
Eugene Delacroix Museum
6 Rue de Furstenberg, 75006
Metro: Saint Germain
http://www.fiac.com/hors-les-murs/

Checkout an article from Dossier Magazine I wrote about my tours and life in Paris, http://en.calameo.com/read/0051050790e3f7ccba54a, starting on page 94.

Folkert de Jong

Valentin by Folkert de Jong

Onde by Florian Pugnaire and David Raffini

The Joys of Yiddish- Mel Bochner

Les Statues Meurent Aussi by Stefan Rinck

Lame by Marc Couturier

The Flying Machine by Ali Cherri

The photos below are of Une Colonne d'Eau by Oscar Tuazon at Place Vendome

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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

 

 

 

October 2017 Instagram Photos

Autumn is full bloom and many of the photos this month reflect the foliage in the parks, courtyards, and sides of buildings. The leaves and ivy are turning burning red, mustard and ochre and piling on the ground.

Fall fashion is also in full swing and I snapped a photo of a decadent pair of knee-high Saint Laurent boots studded with rhinestones.

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


@eyepreferparis


@parisian_doors

Boots at YSL Saint Sulpice

Church 16th arr.

Waiters at Ile de Cite Cafe

Foliage courtyard on rue de roi de Sicile

Paris metro

My garden courtyard

Lantern in Marais courtyard

Paris flea market

Marlene Dietrich suite at Hotel Lancaster Paris

View from Hotel Lancaster

Tea salon Lê Royal in Marais

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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

 

 

 

 

Meredith Mullins: Exploring Paris

Sometimes, as a local, you need a little nudge to get you out flaneuring after a lazy summer away from the city. For me, that kick in the pants is my Photo Exploring Class. We wander to far-flung corners of Paris or to closer hidden treasures. We discover new places or see familiar quartiers in a different way. And the real joy of it is to inspire and be inspired by my students.

I tell them a photographer should feel lucky to get one great image each time we go out. This intrepid class gets many more. Beating the odds every time.

 

From Canal Saint-Martin to Montmartre to Parc de la Villette, this fall we sought the energy of the streets and the calm beauty of reflected light and color. And, in the process, I got to make new photographs of my own as we all explored our rich and layered city. How good a life is that?

 

Meredith Mullins is a fine art photographer, photography instructor, and writer for OIC Moments and Bonjour Paris.  Her work can be seen at www.meredithmullins.artspan.com or in her award-winning book, In A Paris Moment. She is available for private photography instruction/exploration in Paris and also teaches WICE photography classes. Coming up in November is a class at her studio entitled “Creative Photography: Inspired by the Masters.” For more information, contact her at meredithmullins@earthlink.net 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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

 

 

My Home for You

I was sent a press release last week about a new guest house- a cross between an Air Bnb and a hotel- named My Home for You. I decided to check it out, as I am frequently asked by clients and blog readers, where to stay in Paris.

My Home for You is located in a 1840s pre-Haussmann building near the Grand Boulevards, across from the Rex Cinema and a busy thoroughfare near the Paris passages, Drouot auction house, Palais Royal and Galeries Lafayette. Jean-Etienne, a gentle-mannered man who owns My Home for You, welcomed me. He showed me into the main salon, an airy room decorated room with a cream-colored sofa and club chairs, built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves, a dining table and a classic mirror with a gold frame. My eye immediately went to the two lovely portraits, framed in ovals of gold painted wood. Jean-Etienne told me they were family heirlooms, oil portraits of his great-grandparents from 1860. Other heirlooms and antiques scattered throughout the apartment include a signed Mies van de Rohe chaise, Vernet engravings, and Baccarat bottles from the 1920s, which his grandfather created.

Initially built as a full floor apartment, its last tenant was a law firm before Jean-Etienne took it over in 2015, totally renovating it. 
 

There are four suites all uniquely designed, named after nearby attractions- Guimet, Palais Royal, Trocadero and Grand Boulevards. They are more than ample in size compared to most Paris hotel rooms- ranging from the smallest at 205 square feet to the largest at 310 square feet- and about half the price, ranging from 165€to 295€ per room, depending on the season. The rate decreases if you rent for more than one night. The largest suite, The Guimet, is named after the Asian art museum of Paris and decorated with red accents and antiques from Viet Nam and Cambodia. All suites include free Wifi, flat screen televisions, curtains with blackout liners and modern Italian style bathrooms. 

A breakfast of tea or coffee, organic yogurts, homemade jams and cakes, croissants, selection of cured meats and traditional French countryside cheese, as well as seasonal fruits is served from 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM, on Limoges china, and Christofle and Flamant flatware. 

Since Jean-Etienne lives in separate quarters in the apartment, he’s almost always on premise to assist his guests. He worked in Paris tourism in various jobs for twenty years and knows Paris like the back of his hand. He helps clients in planning itineraries and activities for no extra charge and will even work with clients before they arrive.

The entire apartment can also be made private which is a great idea if you are coming with friends or family and Jean-Etienne can provide a private chef to cook dinner.

My Home for You
https://www.my-home-for-you.paris/en/

*Please note, photos are courtesy of Jean-Charles Valienne

Grand Boulevards Suite

Guimet Suite

Palais Royal Suite

Trocadero Suite

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

 

The Marriage Proposal

In August I received an email from Scott, a blog reader. He asked to do a Marais tour in early October and remembered my wedding blog post from earlier this year. He told me he was going to propose to his girlfriend while they were in Paris and asked if I would consider taking photos of him when he proposed to Melanie. I said, of course, I would be happy to do it.

I met Melanie and Scott at 6:15 at Place Trocadero. It was slightly overcast but the light was still flattering enough. I had done a Marais tour earlier in the day with them and they were dressed casually but when they showed at Place Trocadero they had totally glammed it up. Melanie looked chic in black pants, sexy black blouse and a fab pair of red suede slides with gold tacks on the heels and Scott looked trés Parisien in a muted dark blue checked blazer, pressed jeans and stylish brown oxfords. Quite the couple!

I first took a number of shots in front of the Eiffel Tower in various poses. A few minutes later Scott and Melanie went down a stone stairway and he got on his knee to propose. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hear the proposal, as I was at a distance from them in order to get the photo. Needless to say, it was a beautiful and emotional moment even from afar, especially after he slipped the ring on her finger. They embraced and passionately kissed each other afterward.

Now that the happy couple was engaged they even had bigger smiles than before the proposal. We tooled around the Trocadero for a few more minutes taking more photos. I gave them a few addresses of restaurants with terraces and rooftop bars to celebrate the momentous occasion after we parted.

I told Melanie and Scott the only logical place to have the wedding would be in Paris since he proposed here. Hopefully, they will and I can photograph the wedding.

I wish them all the happiness in the world.

I am happy to announce that my Marais Tour has been elected as an Unordinary Trip of the Month at InfoHub.com, the #1 travel portal on the Internet specializing in the out-of-ordinary vacations. I think it’s a great opportunity to encourage more people to come and enjoy our fun, and exciting tours of Paris for all the independent-spirited travelers.

In light of this, I am happy to offer a special prize! Whoever books my Marais tour before November 10, 2017, may be eligible for a very special prize from InfoHub's sister-company GPSmyCity - publisher of travel apps for Apple and Android. The GPSmyCity app features offline city maps, self-guided walking tours and travel articles for 1,000 cities worldwide, turning your mobile phone into a personal tour guide. With this app, you can explore any major urban destination in France (and not only France) on your own, at your own pace. The GPSmyCity app works offline so there's NO need to worry about roaming charges when traveling abroad.

A lucky winner, chosen randomly, will get a one-year full membership of the GPSmyCity app including access to ALL the GPSmyCity content - over 6,500 self-guided city walks and travel articles
– to the total value of over $8,000!!!

Book now and enjoy your travels!

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

 

La Mirande Hotel Avignon

Staying at the La Mirande Hotel was the best part of our trip to Avignon.

La Mirande is a rare combination only a handful of hotels have: an impressive historic building, beautifully appointed rooms and furnishings, impeccable service, and a sublime restaurant, which adds up to feeling like you are in paradise.

Located on a practically deserted narrow street across from the Palais des Papes, the outside of La Mirande looks like a typical, hotel particulier made of limestone. The name is subtly etched into the limestone in capital letters with gold-framed vitrines containing brochures and food menus.

We arrived about noon and luckily our room was just about ready. In the meanwhile, I was introduced to Mr. Stein, whose family owns the hotel. Mr. Stein, tall with a curly mane of gray hair, had a refined air about him and was kind enough to personally take me on tour of the hotel. I felt as though he was not just showing me around the hotel, he was sharing the pride and joy of his family establishment. Each public room had a personal or historic story to it and by the end, I was a nearly a scholar of La Mirande.

The site of the hotel dates back to 1309 when The Popes of Avignon chose the site to build their annex to the Papal Palace. Mr. Stein told me that the middle dining room of the hotel was once a fortress where the popes would take refuge when the palace was attacked and it would contain enough food and water for two days. (I joked with him that it was an ancient version of a panic room). Partly destroyed in 1410, it was reconstructed in in the late 1600s as a hotel particulier, L’Hotel Vervin. In 1796 it was sold to Jean-Baptiste Bénézet-Pamard and renamed Hotel Pamard. It remained in the Pamard family for over two centuries and sold to the Stein family in 1987. The Stein family took over three years to transform the former home into a five-star hotel, one of the most celebrated luxury hotels in Provence.

We were escorted to our lovely room decorated in typical Provence style with delicate floral design wallpaper, soft white cotton bed covers with natural linen bed skirts, gold-framed portraits and landscapes, sisal on the floor, a handsome wood writing desk and a marble bathroom with old-fashioned faucets.

The next day we dined on the outdoor terrace for lunch. The garden of the hotel adds a whole other dimension to the experience of the hotel with its lush greenery, blooming fruit trees, sage green wicker chairs, and white canvas umbrellas, possibly a modern day Garden of Eden ensconced in the impossibly high scaled walls of the Papal Palace.

It was another warm sunny day and we felt so fortunate to be able to have lunch in such a spectacular setting in perfect weather conditions.

Three amuse-bouches were served and the presentation and the taste of round thin pastry with a pinwheel of olive tapenade was a major WOW! The presentation theme of the amuse-bouches were natural rocks and stones.

Mushrooms are not my favorite food but the starter of cepe mushrooms in brioche served with foie gras won me over with its smoky and sweet flavor. My friend had pumpkin soup with lemon grass, decorated again in a pinwheel-like design with shards of crispy, transparent savory wafers.

For my plat, I decided to go out of my food comfort zone and chose the pigeon smoked with wood from Chateauneuf-du-Pape oak barrels served with rhubarb stew. I was expecting to keep on picking out tiny bones out of my mouth but the unusual manor in which it was served, I didn’t come in touch with one bone. The dish had such a multitude of tastes and textures- smoky, fruity, tangy and gamey.

The sommelier recommended a Cote du Rhone, Les Cassagnes de La Nerthe, 2014. He couldn’t have picked a better accompaniment to my entre and plat.

The dessert finale was beyond over the top. Basically, we were served three desserts each: appetizer, main dish and for dessert, dessert.

I think the some of the most beautiful artworks I saw in Avignon were on dessert plates. A caramelized fig, with the veneer and texture a jelly apple was served with a pink floating pink shard of meringue on top and my friend’s wild blackberries with a sorbet of fromage blanc, was a sensuous pink delight topped with a white edible rose petal. Needless to say, the taste was sublime.

Although I had the a la carte menu, which cost approximately 110€ without wine, my friend chose the menu of the day consisting of three courses for the ridiculous bargain price of 39€, a real steal.

Twenty-nine-year-old Chef Florent Pietravalle, who formally trained at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, has the maturity, confidence, and talent for culinary artistry way beyond his young age.

My friend and I would like to graciously thank La Mirande for the complimentary room and lunch, an experience we will treasure for a long time.

La Mirande
4 Place de L’Amirande 84000 Avignon
http://www.la-mirande.fr/en/

Bargain of the century lunch menu

WOW!

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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

 

 

Trip to Avignon

In August I received a press invite to the Les Luminessences D’Avignon, a 360 degree light show on the inside walls of the Palais des Papes. In past years I’ve been to similar type light shows in Nancy, Chartres, Lyon and at Invalides in Paris. I’ve always loved these shows in the past and now I had an opportunity to visit Avignon, which I have never been to before.

A friend and I took the train from Paris Gare de Lyon which is two-hours and forty-five minutes to the TGV Avignon station. Once you arrive, you have to take a local train to Avignon center, a five-minute ride.

We arrived at 11:30 PM on a sunny day with unusually high temperatures for the end of September, 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. We checked into our hotel, which was on the side of the Palais des Papes. It was lunchtime and we went to a lovely café, L’Epicerie with a huge green awning making an oasis of shade in the heat, where we enjoyed their seasonal specialties.

After lunch we strolled through the center of the old town, admiring the shops and architecture along the way. On the top of our to-do list was the Collection Lambert, a museum housing the art collection of Yvon Lambert, who had one of the top contemporary art galleries in Paris from 1966 to 2014. In 2015, Lambert opened Collection Lambert in Avignon, by converting two 18thcentury buildings, Hôtel de Caumont and neighboring Hôtel de Montfaucon into a 65,000 square foot space to contain 556 of his contemporary art pieces.

The immense cobblestone courtyard had two modern sculptures, one that had enormous male statues engaging in a soccer exchange and the other a series of gold twisted strips of resin hanging by invisible threads, reflecting the sun. Inside we saw a few temporary exhibitions, including the Agnes B. Collection and haunting photo portraits by Leila Alaoui, a political video artist and photographer, born in 1982 and died in January 2016 during terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou. There was also an excellent show, La Vie Secrete des Plantes, featuring works by Anselm Kiefer, Wolfgang Laib, Joseph Beuys, and Lothar Baumgarten.

That evening we went to the Palais des Papes where a crowd gathered inside the courtyard to view Les Luminessences D’Avignon, which started at 10:15 PM. The courtyard went dark and loud, ominous music started to play followed by a resonant, baritone voice reciting the history of Avignon. For the next 45 minutes, we were enthralled and delighted by the exquisite illuminations in a myriad of colors and textures. We couldn’t believe the incredible detail of the illuminations and wondered how they were created.

Elated by the light show, we returned to our hotel awestruck and got a good night’s sleep.

Sunny and warm again the next day, we visited the inside of the Palais des Papes, a fort, and palace. In the 14th century Avignon was the major seat of Christianity and the Palais des Papes, one of the most important medieval Gothic buildings in France, housed six popes, Benedict XII in 1334, Clement VI in 1342, Innocent VI in 1352, Urban V in 1362, Gregory XI in 1370 and Antipope Benedict XIII in 1394. Walking through the cavernous, palace, there was an African art show of modern day pieces, juxtaposing the ancient empty rooms with eye-catching, colorful artworks.

Later that morning we walked to the other major historic site of Avignon, Pont Saint-Bénézet. The bridge connects Rhône river and Avignon and was constructed between 1177 and 1185. The legend of the bridge is that a young shepherd from Villard in the Ardèche while herding his sheep, had a calling from Jesus Christ to build a bridge to cross the river. The townspeople foolishly mocked the shepherd for his ridiculous plan, but they were proven wrong when he miraculously lifted a huge block of stone by himself. Winning support by the town, he formed a Bridge Brotherhood to oversee its construction. Later a chapel was built into the bridge in his name.

That afternoon I wandered through the narrow, quiet side streets, taking in the everyday life of the residents while my friend decided to visit a museum with medieval works.

We boarded the 6:05 train from Avignon arrived in Paris in at 8:45.

Tomorrow I will write about the very special hotel we stayed in.

Screenings of After Louie

Here's a list of screenings of my partner Vincent's film, After Louie

Sunday, October 15 @8:15PM New Orleans Film Festival-Broad Theater https://neworleansfilmsociety.org/

Sunday October 22 @ 7:00 pm Outfest New York SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street New York, NY 10011

http://newfest.org/film/after-louie/

 

Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)

How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?

I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3,  (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.

Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, 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.

Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

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