Every year I do a personal Easter egg hunt and search for the most imaginative Easter creations at pastry shops and chocolatiers around Paris. It’s always a joy and a surprise what these pastry and chocolate wizards are up to and how they transform Easter eggs into art.
I visited various shops in the past few days, and some were disappointing, and a few had some interesting choices, but there was nothing they knocked my socks off until I visited Jacques Genin. If you don’t know who Jacques Genin is, he is one of the greatest pastry, confectionary, and chocolate artisans working in Paris. His stunning shop in the Marais, is a temple to his art, and I along with many others are his worshipers. CLICK HERE to read my past blog about Jacques Genin.
When I walked into his shop yesterday, I was floored by his latest creations. The eggs had incredible textures and colors painted on them and each one is unique and one of a kind. There’s a series that has illustrations of dancers on them and another recalled abstract artists such as Jackson Pollack. There was also a selection of colorful rabbits, elephants, and fish in the same vibrant colors and patterns. It was tricky taking photographs because all the eggs were packaged in plastic and the lights of the shop were reflecting on them.
Pardon my bad puns but have a hoppy and eggciting Easter.
Jackson Pollack?
I want to thank everyone for watching my live Montmartre Tour and also for your generous tips to my PayPal account.If you missed it, CLICK HERE to watch the video and CLICK HERE if you would like to leave a tip in my PayPal account(you don’t have to have a PayPal account), which I would greatly appreciate. Enjoy
This season, La Grande Epicerie has an incredible selection of the most adorable Easter eggs and chocolates. It’s a mélange of many different brands, with imaginative and fun packaging.
My favorite ones are the hollowed out, brown eggs filled with jelly candies, chocolate bits, and meringue yolk and whites in Easter color egg cartons.
38 rue de Sevres, 75007
https://www.lagrandeepicerie.com/
As many of you know, every year Vincent creates a special art piece for me every Christmas, and I am always so moved and inspired by it.
I always say each year he outdoes himself, and this year was no different. The first part of the gift came in a red Plexiglas box and inside was a photo that a friend of ours took last year in New York, of us hugging after we hadn’t seen each other in many weeks. The photo opened like an accordion with images on both sides. The second image is a quote from Walt Whitman and there were 6 other images after that. The second part of the gift was another red Plexiglass box, but smaller, with a painted gold rose sticking out of the top. Inside was a folded-up poster of a gold rose on white rice paper; with the words You are gold no. 16 for Richard Christmas 2024. (the 16 refers to the 16th artwork of a series called You are Gold).
That day and even as I write this, tears of joy, gratitude and love stream down my face, as I was trying to hand Vincent his gifts without tear staining them.
I bought Vincent a recently re-released book of photos from photographer Peter Hujar and a Russian Orthodox church artifact of biblical scenes, made of bronze metal with inserts of white enamel.
Christmas eve we had 5 friends over for a Christmas feast. Vincent made a fantastic lasagna with broccoli rabe, ricotta and Parmesan, a salad of radicchio, pears, and dried cranberries, and I made a lemon, rice, and lentil soup. Dessert brought by our friend Gerri, who is a dessert expert, brought a yummy flan and a bouche de Noel.
I hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas and Hanukkah.
This is the last post for my Holidays in Paris 2024, and I have a very special, holiday treat: Photos of Notre Dame.
Last Thursday afternoon at 4:30pm, I decided to give getting into Notre Dame a shot. I didn’t have a reservation, but surprisingly the line wasn’t that long, and I was inside within 10 minutes.
The view walking in was overwhelming; the dark, staid interior I was so used to seeing for many years was now filled with brightness and light. The side chapels were uncluttered with a mix of contemporary art pieces and tapestries, and the old, musty oil paintings, now cleaned, had vivid images. The Nativity scene was beautifully executed with carved and meticulously painted figures.
The cathedral was preparing for a 6pm mass, and at 5:15, a priest approached the altar in a purple robe with a satin trim, followed by billows of smoke, with the organ playing.
I wish you a joyous Christmas and a happy Hanukah and hope you are spending the day with family and loved ones.
The festive and fun windows at Louis Vuitton Vendome feature whimsical, carousel animals such as tigers, swans, greyhounds, giraffes, zebras, and snails, painted in brilliant, shiny colors.
Extending the holiday spirit, the figures come alive on a carousel on the Place Vendome, sponsored by Louis Vuitton.
2 Place Vendome, 75001
I’ve been snapping photos of holiday trees all over Paris on the streets, in shops, hotel lobbies, and parks and gardens.
Do you have some favorites?
Luxembourg Gardens
Ritz Paris Hotel
Ritz Paris Hotel
Our tree
Galeries Lafayette
Patrick Roger Chocolate shop
Printemps this season pull out all the stops with its holiday windows with the magical Printemps Express Christmas train by artist Valerie Cuter. Printemps is also celebrating 100 years of animated virtrines and 50 years of window displays in motion.
Actress Juliet Binoche officially launched the windows in mid- November.
I have seen 20 years of holiday windows in Paris, but the best windows in all those years are the ones at Dior on Ave. Montaigne this season.
I nearly gasped as I looked up at the stunning decorations of the corner façade, festooned with the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, models in Dior outfits, and gigantic, classic Dior handbags.
The windows have exquisitely detailed miniatures in glass snowballs and vintage suitcases of Dior in different scenarios including Christian Dior’s office, his garden at his home in Granville, him with his dog in his salon, a replica of the Ave. Montaigne boutiques, and the workroom, amongst others.
It’s as though you are experiencing the hidden world of Dior come alive.
Do not miss it if you are in Paris in December.
30 Ave. de Montaigne, 75008
EYE PREFER PARIS POSTCARDS FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS
I am offering a holiday sale of free shipping on Eye Prefer Paris Door Postcards. In addition, if you want to send them as a holiday gift, I can handwrite a personalized card for you.
For a set of 18 cards, you will save $12, and for a set of 9 cards, you will save $8.
Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection makes a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family.
IMPORTANT! You must order your cards before December 12, as I mail them from Paris, and it takes 10 days to 2 weeks to arrive in the U.S.
CLICK HERE to order 18 cards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors, 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers.
Cost: $65 Includes Free Shipping.
CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors.
Cost: $35 Includes Free shipping
CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers
Cost: $35 Includes Free shipping
Postcards are hand-wrapped with love from Paris and mailed in an elegant, French-blue envelope.
Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection makes a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family.
Blue Doors
Green Doors
Blue Doors
Metal Doors
Wood Doors
Door Knockers
Here’s my first entry for my annual series of blog posts celebrating the winter holidays in Paris.
Today, it’s Galeries Lafayette, which has cool and flamboyant window displays with Santa dressed in tinsel, big beaked birds with eyes of colored beads, extravagant Baccarat chandeliers, and princesses in shimmering silver.
Celebrating their 130th anniversary, Galeries Lafayette is doing to the hilt = Kevin Germanier (designer of the special Golden Voyager costume for the closing night of the Paris Olympics) creating delightful and sustainable windows, using upcycled materials.
Inside, the iconic and immense holiday tree, has 20,000 magical,flashing lights.
Here is my annual Thanksgiving blog, which I've published before. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and every year I publish this French Thanksgiving vocabulary list, courtesy of my former New York French teacher, Luc Georges.
Since Thanksgiving is not an official holiday in France, many ex-pats postpone their Thanksgiving dinner for Friday or Saturday, but some are traditionalists and make it on Thursday.
Happy Thanksgiving and be thankful for what you have and for your family and friends. What are you thankful for this year?
French Thanksgiving Vocabulary
Thanksgiving le jour de l'action de grâce
autumn, fall l'automne
colony une colonie
feast un festin, un banquet
football le football américain
grateful (adj) reconnaissant
harvest la récolte
horn of plenty la corne d'abondance
native (adj) natif
(Native American) Indians les Indiens (d'Amérique)
November novembre
parade un défilé
Pilgrims les pèlerins
settlers les colons
to share partager
Thursday jeudi
tradition une tradition
traditional (adj) traditionnel
treaty un traité
tribe une tribu
The food served for the Thanksgiving feast varies from home to home, but here are some traditional dishes.
EYE PREFER PARIS POSTCARDS FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS
I am offering a holiday sale of free shipping on Eye Prefer Paris Door Postcards. In addition, if you want to send them as a holiday gift, I can handwrite a personalized card for you.
For a set of 18 cards, you will save $12, and for a set of 9 cards, you will save $8.
Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection makes a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family.
IMPORTANT! You must order your cards before December 10, as I mail them from Paris, and it takes 10 days to 2 weeks to arrive in the U.S.
CLICK HERE to order 18 cards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors, 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers.
Cost: $65 Includes Free Shipping.
CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors.
Cost: $35 Includes Free shipping
CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers
Cost: $35 Includes Free shipping
Postcards are hand-wrapped with love from Paris and mailed in an elegant, French-blue envelope.
Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection makes a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family.
Blue Doors
Green Doors
Blue Doors
Metal Doors
Wood Doors
Door Knockers
food la nourriture
corn le maïs
cranberries les canneberges
gravy la sauce au jus de viande
mashed potatoes la purée
pumpkin pie la tarte à la citrouille
stuffing la farce
sweet potatoes les patates douces
turkey la dinde
yam un igname
