I Prefer Paris

Photo Session With Marichel and Ben S.

I was booked for a photo session on Tuesday night with a delightful, young couple Marichel and Ben S., who are from Orlando, Florida. They were on a whirlwind trip, first visiting London for four days, and then Paris for another four days. One of the most rewarding things about my job as a tour guide and photographer is that many of my clients are celebrating happy occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons, and graduations. It was Marichel’s and Ben’s 10^th anniversary and they wanted to mark the special with a photo session and to make it special, they wanted to do it at sunset.

It was threatening to rain all afternoon and the forecast kept changing hourly. Just as I was meeting them in the courtyard of the Louvre at 7:45, there was a huge rain deluge, along with intense thunder and lightning, the likes of we haven’t seen all summer. As the old saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in Paris, wait five minutes. It was more like 20 minutes, but after the storm there was the most beautiful light and sky. Luckily, we were both under the archways in the front and the sides of the Louvre, so we didn’t get wet.

Marichel and Ben were easy going subjects, and I photographed under the Arc du Caroussel, in front of the glass pyramid at sunset and at night, on the Pont du Caroussel facing the Seine, and in the Tuileries. Marichel wore an electric blue blazer and the color just popped in my lens and in the photos.

Below is a description and price list for my photo sessions.

Award winning photographer Richard Nahem is happy to take the perfect portrait photo of you and your loved ones

in Paris, a lasting memory you will cherish forever. Richard’s photos of Paris have appeared in The Guardian, Fodors, Passport Magazine, Travel Agent Central, Luxury Travel Advisor, France Today Magazine, Travel Awaits, and Bonjour Paris and he was awarded the Merit Award Prize at International Fine Arts Photography Awards in 2013.

The cost of the package is 350€ for a 90-minute photo session, which includes backgrounds, covering up to two areas of Paris, and 25 edited photos sent to the client within 72 hours.

Click links below to view past client photo portraits.

https://www.ipreferparis.net/2017/10/the-marriage-proposal-.html

https://www.ipreferparis.net/2017/06/wedding-photos-of-morgan-pulsifer-and-luke-tompkins.html

Eye Prefer Paris Night Tour with Wayne Hoover

I love doing night tours of Paris, where I get to dazzle clients and still to this day myself, with the wonders of Paris all lit up.

Wayne Hoover, from Lexington, Kentucky contacted me in early January about doing a night tour of Paris. Wayne is a photographer and was stopping in Paris for only two days after spending two weeks in the wilds of Africa, shooting the wildlife and animals in Tanzania. I immediately liked Wayne, even though I hadn’t met him yet, when he wrote in the email he was more excited about coming to Paris than he was shooting in Tanzania.

He sent me an ambitious list of all the places he wanted to shoot and I assisted him in navigating them. It helped that he said “Sleep is optional”.

We met at 7:20 at his hotel, which I recommended and located right across the street from me. I took a little extra time to acquaint and instruct him about the city before we started our tour with the driver at 7:30.

Wayne is quite the entrepreneur, running three businesses simultaneously: a home decorating business with his wife, custom cabinetry, and photography business specializing in landscape and travel photos. Wayne, like myself, only recently started to become a serious photographer in 2012. He studied with photographers to learn his craft and traveled to Istanbul, Thailand, Hong Kong, Tanzania, Zanzibar, France, Mexico, and extensively throughout the United States, soaking up everything he could about photography, along with taking online photography courses.

We started at the courtyard of the Louvre, where Wayne setup his tripod to photograph the I. M. Pei glass pyramid and surrounding buildings of the Louvre. He was as happy as a clam and kept pinching himself saying he still couldn’t believe he was actually in Paris and in front of the Louvre.

After the Louvre we went to Place de la Concorde and then the piece de resistance, a birds eye view of the Eiffel Tower from the plaza on Palais de Chaillot on Place Trocadero. I timed it so Wayne had enough time to set up his equipment so he can shoot the tower when the sparkle lights went off on the hour. There were some passing clouds that gave the photos a little extra moodiness and depth.

I was quite impressed with Wayne’s technical expertise and his extensive collection of lenses and accessories. At one point he asked to help him with his equipment bag and I almost threw out by back trying to lift it for just a brief moment.

Our last stop was the Arch de Triomphe and it was Wayne’s lucky shot. The French flag is only flown for holidays or special occasions and luckily it was hanging that night and flapping wildly from the wind.

After we finished our tour at 10PM, Wayne went to Notre Dame, shooting till 1AM.

Below are the fruits of his labor.

http://www.waynehooverphotography.com

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 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 $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

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

My offer of a 12-month subscription with an extra month free is good until January  31, so remember to order now before the offer ends.

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

Click here to order a 6-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

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 Charlotte's 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: 195 euros per person (about $210)
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,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

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

Eye Prefer Paris Tours with Kids

I always look forward to leading tours with young children. In my personal life I don’t have much contact with children because most of my friends have grown children.

It also gives me an opportunity to act like a kid too by being goofy and telling bad, corny jokes.
A stop at a pastry shop is mandatory on all of my tours and of course the kids are delighted. I get such a kick out watching them enjoy their first chocolate éclair with the gooey filling running out of the sides of their mouth or have their first sip of real hot chocolate with mounds of whip cream piled so high it brushes the tips of their noses.

It’s so rewarding to see them marvel at the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and other Paris wonders for the first time.

Here are some fun photos of children and families enjoying Paris on my tours.

http://eyepreferparistours.com

I want to thank everyone for the positive feedback about my Grand Palais photos yesterday.

   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 Charlotte's 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,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

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

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 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 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

Girl Scouts From High Point, N.C. Tour- They’re Baaaaack!

In 2008, the second year of my tours, I received an email from Catherine Jones from High Point, North Carolina. She wanted to know if I would take her and her girl scout troop of seven girls aged 15-21 on a tour and also find out details on how I could I become their BFF in Paris. I didn’t know what a BFF was at the time, so Catherine told me it me it was shorthand for Best Friend Forever. With such an endearing request, I had to say yes. I told Catherine the first order of business to be my BFF was she had to bring me Girl Scout Cookies. She showed up with six boxes of cookies and I almost went into a sugar coma, downing almost all of them in one sitting. I did two tours with the girls and we had the best time. It was one of the most rewarding and fun tours I have ever done. (I wrote about them on my blog in 2008, here is the link to the story.)Needless to say, Catherine and I stayed in touch, as BFF’S do, and she has sent me many tour clients since then and came back to Paris with her husband and did a Marais tour.

Last year i was excited again when Catherine told me she was planning another trip with a new troop of Girl Scouts. I thought another Marais tour would be the most fun, since I did it the first time around and the girls loved it, and a special French pastry class with my cooking class partner Charlotte.

Before they arrived in Paris, the girls went to Girl Guide Camp- Our Chalet- in Adelboden Switzerland, the first Girl Scout camp ever, built in 1932. They spent a week hiking, orienteering, rock climbing, and rappelling, with trips to Interlaken and Thun. The girls also went on an overnight hike and slept in a barn on haylofts with the cows.

By the time the girls hit Paris, I believe they were ready to trade in the country air and grassy meadows for big city lights, sights, and sounds.

I met the girls at St. Paul metro at 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon. There were two troop leaders, Catherine and Audrey, their assistant troop leader Karrah, and 8 girls, aged 17 and 18: Jackie, Ariana, Sara, Kassandra, Cierra, Katie, Logan, and Tori. (Such pretty names!).

We did my usual Marais hotspots, the magnificent former 17th century limestone palace, Hotel de Beauvais, where I related the juicy story about the former owner who in her late 30’s seduced a soon to be king when he was only 16, Izrael the dazzling mid-east gourmet shop chock full of dried fruits and barrels of pickles and olives, the rue Pont Philippe with its unique fashion, accessory, and paper boutiques, the charming cobblestone plaza with the Gothic St. Gervais church and a chocolate tasting at Puryicard confectionary shop. We strolled down the rue des Rosiers, smelling the spicy aroma of the famous falafel shops and Jewish bakeries and gourmet shops.

There is always a mandatory stop on all my tours for a pastry, so I took them to the chic, shiny designer éclair shop, L’ Éclair de Génie, where the girls ogled the colorful éclairs with exotic flavors like milk chocolate with mango, banana, and lime, salted butter caramel, pistachio and orange, raspberry and cherry, rose with vanilla cream, pecan and vanilla, mocha with white chocolate. We strolled over to the Place des Vosges and found a few benches under the canopy of trees in the shade to park ourselves on, and the girls inhaled the irresistible éclairs in about 15 seconds flat. In between bites, I spoke with some of them about where they were going to college or where they were planning on going after graduating next year (the girls either just graduated earlier that month or were going to be high school seniors in September).





Mother Jones

The three hours were over quicker than I could snap my fingers, and I bid the girls adieu and hugged my BFF Catherine goodbye. Again, it was such a rewarding experience giving the girls their first taste of Paris and showing off the Marais.

The girls had a blast with Charlotte the next day, preparing 55 éclairs, and eating every last one.

I wanted a little more background on the girls before writing this post, so I emailed Catherine. She sent me a list of the girl’s names and accomplishments, and I was blown away. I can’t believe the important things they are up to at such a young age. When I was 18 my big concern was which shiny new shirt and what color platform shoes was I going to wear to the disco that night. Also, many of the girls are Girl Scout Gold Award winners, which is the highest rank a Girl Scout can achieve and only approximately 2% of them earn this rare honor.

Here is what Catherine told me is required for the award:
Since 1980, the Gold Award has inspired girls to find the greatness inside themselves and share their ideas and passions with their communities. In order to earn this award the girls must complete leadership training, take on a leadership role for at least 50 hours at school, church or in the community, earn at least 12 merit badges, investigate career choices and build their resume, research the needs of their community and decide how they will impact their world by designing and carrying out a community service project.  The scout must have a minimum of 80 personal hours of leadership during her project and it must be a project that will have continued impact after she has left it.  

It was honor and a privilege plus loads of fun to have had the opportunity to show these marvelous and impressive girls my slice of Paris and below is the list of their names and accomplishments.

Jackie Poston-just graduated (valedictorian), heading to UNC Chapel Hill to study Global Health and become a doctor

Ariana Martin-Just graduated (very close to the top of her class) heading to UNC Chapel Hill to study biology and become a doctor

Sara Scott-also just graduated, heading to Greensboro College to study Music Education

Logan Greene-12th grade, currently doing her Girl Scout Gold Award Project. Logan is starting a food backpack program during the summer for kids who don't' have enough food at home to be able to get a backpack full of nutritious food each week to take home with them from the local neighborhood recreation center.

Kassandra Villanueva-12th grade at a performing arts high school-studying classical guitar-doing her Gold Award project at her school by putting together a "Real World" fair for the 12th graders showing them what it’s like out "there"-how to get a loan, how to do a checking account, how to budget, how much does a cell phone cost, etc.

Cierra Seawright-12th grade-also at the performing arts high school and studying dance, modern and jazz.  Doing her Gold Award project at a local elementary school getting donations of clothes, socks, underwear, coats, shoes etc. for this poor neighborhood school.  She is creating a closet with an inventory control system and getting these companies to continually donate throughout the school year!!

Katie Wear-12th grade, her Gold Award project is running a music camp for 3-5 graders at the local YMCA, getting them involved in learning about music. She is planning the curriculum and getting her high school friends to bring their instruments-including drums!!-To show the kids what it's all about

Tori Novotny-12th grade, she just spent the last two school years in an international school in Shanghai China-her dad was transferred there for a few years. She is moving back to the states to finish her last year of high school in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

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 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 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

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 Charlotte's 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,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

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

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my 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.

 

Magnolia Trees in Bagatelle Gardens

I had a tour client yesterday who worked in a plant nursery and she wanted to see an out of the way Paris garden. I immediately thought of the Bagatelle Garden in the Bois de Boulogne, a stunning garden just outside the city, easily reachable by metro and a short bus ride.

It was a warm, sunny, idyllic spring day and we strolled through the park soaking up the sunshine and delighting in all the plants and flowers that were blooming. I am not that knowledgeable naming plant and flower species and it was fun and educational having my client tell me the names of the trees, flowers, and plants in English and Latin.

My client stopped to admire the budding magnolia trees and pointed out how special and beautiful each bud was. I looked closely and each bud was in a different stage of bloom, from fully flowered to tiny little buds waiting to burst. Each one was like a little sculpture and I thought I must take some photos to show off springtime in Paris to you.

Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier created the Bagatelle Garden in 1905 and he also started the annual international new rose competition. The gardens now have over 1,000 species of rose bushes. The original property had an extravagant palace built for Comte d'Artois, the brother Louis XVI and brother-in-law of Marie Antoinette. The palace was built on a bet from Marie Antoinette that he couldn't complete it in less than 90 days, but d'Artois outsmarted her and had the palace finished in 63 days in September of 1777.

Bagatelle Gardens
Bois de Boulogne
Take #244 bus from outside Porte Maillot metro station and get off at Bagatelle-Pre-Catalan stop.
Open daily.

Dear Subscribers,
I have now made it very easy for you to comment on my posts. At the bottom of every post it will now say click here to comment. Many of you email me your comments and now you can directly comment using this link.

Click here to comment.

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New York's 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
 

 

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.

Eye Prefer Paris Tours: Brent, Christi, and the Twins Jonathan & Harrison

I do many tours with families coming to Paris for the first time and always get so much joy seeing their faces light up in wonderment at the beauty of the city.

The M. family, Brent, Christi, and the twins Jonathan & Harrison, who are 13, are from High Point, North Carolina. I was recommended to them by Catherine Jones also from High Point, who did my tour 3 years ago along with eight of her Girl Scouts. (Click here to read about). They were in Davos, Switzerland skiing and snowboarding before they arrived in Paris in early January. The M's had never been to Paris before, so it was an adventure for all of them and they only had two and a half days to see everything.

The first morning we did a city highlights tour in a van. We first went up the hill to Montmartre and saw Sacre Coeur and the family ooh-ed and ahh'ed at the magnificent view of Paris from the basilica. We stopped at a patisserie and the M's got their first taste of the mighty Paris macarons. They were immediately hooked and each day we had a tour, there was a mandatory macaron stop. We drove down the Champs Elysees, pointing out all the American chain shops, and then went around the Arch de Triomphe, and the M's were amazed how the cars got around it without crashing into one another. We got out at Trocadero to view the Eiffel Tower and got some great family photos, possibly next year's holiday card. The boys vowed they were going to climb to the top of the tower that afternoon, all 674 steps. In the back of Notre Dame there is a park and playground and the boys still had so much pent up energy, they gingerly hoisted themselves up a set of modern day monkey bars and made themselves at home.

The next day we did some neighborhood tours and started with the Marais and they chowed down on some exotic dried fruits from the mid-east gourmet shop Izrael and then I dazzled them with the Place des Vosges and the former hotel particuler's. I took them to a typical French cafe for lunch so they could experience their first Croque Monsieur's and the growing boys polished them off quickly along with some pommes frites.

Yum, my first French pastries!

Richard, we are taking a break, you are wearing us out.

After lunch we toured St. Germain des Pres and showed them Saint  Sulpice church and mentioned its association with The DaVinci Code. Everyone loved the beauty of Luxembourg Gardens and although Jonathan and Harrison were athletic and energetic, I don't think they were used to city walking that much, so their energy started to wane and they plopped themselves on to a bench. They had these expressions on their face that were saying, "Yes,  we are having fun in Paris but this guide Richard is wearing us out a little". Sensing this, we made a pitstop for hot chocolate at a cafe with macarons from Pierre Herme to reenergize. I wanted to show Christi a little bit of Paris luxury and took her and the family into Hermes, which she only knew from their perfumes and didn't realize they made handbags and clothing. She marveled over the silk scarves and got a little sticker shock when she turned over the price tag on a handbag.

After two fun-filled days of painting the town, I said goodbye to the M family and we vowed we would see each other again. I had such a wonderful time with the M's and I felt a void the next day when I didn't have a tour with them. They were so just the most delightful family and why I enjoy doing my tours so much.

Mom and dad.

Playing around in front of Notre Dame.

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New York's 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
 

 

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.

Montparnasse Tour Photos

Here are my series of photos from the Montparnasse tour I did with Daniella which I described yesterday.

One of the most special moments of our tour was when we stopped in a charming dead end alley and captured a terrific shot of a man repairing his shiny, Royal blue vintage Mercedes. We chatted with him for a while and we told him we loved the color of his car and that we never see colors like that anymore in late model cars. He admitted that it was repainted and that he also spent as much time taking care of his car as he would a child.

I hope you liked our he-said/she said/he photographed/she-photographed series of Montparnasse and look forward to your comments.

 

 

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
 

 

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.

Lunch with Yuriy and Katya

Yuriy and Katya are big fans of Eye Prefer Paris and in fact I have made Yuriy my official historian. Every time I am stumped for historical details, Yuriy seems to have the answer in spades with usually very detailed and lengthy information that I couldn't find myself.  Even when I don't ask, he always finds something extra about things and I have learned a lot from him.

Yuriy and Katya came to Paris a few weeks ago and they were so sweet to invite me to lunch. They said the restaurant would be my choice and didn't have to be under 20 euros, so I'm thinking the Ritz, Tour d'Argent, Taillevent, but I went easy on them and we went to Maitre Albert, the more casual restaurant by the big deal chef Guy Savoy.

We met in front of my apartment because they were staying close to me in the Marais and we hugged like old friends even though we had never met before. We chatted, chatted, chatted about our lives on the way to the restaurant and I learned that Yuriy and Katya moved from Moscow to the U.S. in 1998 and settled in central New Jersey. They both work in the medical profession and have two children, one in high school and one in college. Over lunch we compared stories about how we both adjusted to living in new places  and what the biggest challenges were. They were used to living in a big city and now live in a small community and they said it was sometimes hard to cope with small town mentality, for example, many people don't understand why they like coming to Paris so much. I shared my dilemmas with the French and we found we were very much on the same wavelength about our sensibilities, what we were passionate about, and of course, why we preferred Paris. Lunch was delicious and quite a steal for 3 courses for only 28 euros. We said our goodbyes after our wonderful lunch, hugging again, and Yuriy and Katya were off to the Pantheon.

It's always such a treat to meet my blog readers in person and the icing on the cake is knowing who they are in the world, plus knowing the faces behind the emails and comments they send.

Atelier Maître Albert
1, rue Maître Albert, 5th arr.

http://www.ateliermaitrealbert.com

 

Dessert- grapefruit terrine with tea sauce 

Dark chocolate fondant, crispy praliné, cacao sorbet and custard cream

Coming soon: Eye Prefer New York Tours

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 Charlotte’s 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.

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