I Prefer Paris

Dans le Serres de Chanel and Jardins, Jardin in the Tuileries

Jardins, Jardin is the annual garden show held in the Tuileries, devoted to the latest innovations and technologies in gardening. The 16^th edition just this last weekend, featured 30 garden installations, 17 exterior design prototypes, and 8 design, landscape, and architecture schools. One hundred vendors displayed flowers, plants, outdoor furniture, planters, books, and many other garden related products. 

The highlight of Jardins, Jardin was a special installation, Dans le Serres de Chanel/From the Greenhouses of Chanel. In southwest France, the house of Chanel grows white camellias on an exclusive 12-acre farm, for use in its skincare products. On a 200 square meter plot in the Tuileries, Chanel has created a miniature version of their camellia greenhouses from the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. 

Upon entering the exhibition, a genial guide, shared in concise detail about the growing, care, and polyfractioning process by which the camellias are turned from flowers into a tailor-made active ingredient in their cosmetics. The guide also shared about how the camellia became the iconic emblem of Chanel, when Coco Chanel used a white camellia early in her career to adorn the clothes of her first collections in the 1920s, and how it also became her lucky charm. A journalist once asked Coco Chanel “What is the first thing you eat in the morning and the last thing you, eat at night and she replied “ A camellia in the morning and an orchid at night”. A video showed the gentle handling of the camellias from the garden to the factory and there were rows of camellia plants displaying their perfect, symmetrical white flowers. At the end, there was a greenhouse with glass beakers and test tubes, showing how the process by which the camellia flowers are extracted in to precious oils. The guide pumped a tiny dot of two of the extracts on my hand, which had the wonderful perfume of the camellias. At the very end I received of Hydra Beauty Micro serum. 

After the my Chanel sensory experience, I visited the rest of the Jardins, Jardin exhibit, checking out the latest garden innovations along with stalls overflowing with the most beautiful late spring blooms.  

http://www.jardinsjardin.com/

https://www.jardinsjardin.com/index.php/visiter/annuaire-des-exposants/creationspaysageres/jardin/193-chanel-dans-les-serres-de-chanel

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include 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 a large elevator

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

 

Princess Grace Exhibit at Christian Dior Museum, Granville

Last week I took a spontaneous trip from Paris to see the Princess Grace Exhibit in Granville, Normandy.

It was a bit of a long day trip, 3 hours and fifteen minutes each way from Gare Montparnasse. 

I arrived about noon and it was a blustery day, with the sun teasing in and out of the thick clouds overhead. 

The Christian Dior Museum is the home where Christian Dior grew up in the early 1900s. In his memoir, “ Christian Dior et Moi”, he states, "I have most tender and amazed memories... of my childhood home. I would even say that my life and my style owe almost everything to its site and architecture." Named Villa Les Rhumbs, Dior’s parents bought the house in 1905, but in 1932 his father had to sell the house because of financial ruin in The Great Depression. The town of Granville purchased the villa, and the garden was open to the public starting in 1938. In 1997 the house was converted into the Christian Dior Museum, and now features temporary exhibits of the great couturier. 

In the fairy tale story of the American movie star falling for Prince Charming, Grace Kelly meets Prince Rainier III of Monaco during the Cannes Film Festival in May 6, 1955, while presenting the Alfred Hitchcock film The Perfect Crime. She’s seduced by his charms and six months later the couple announce their engagement at her family home in Philadelphia. The next day she wears a strapless gown decorated with flowers by Christian Dior. This starts the longtime loyalty to the House of Dior and from 1961 to 1989, Marc Bohan, the head designer, exclusively dresses her. 

The 90 designs show a wide range of suits, gowns, day dresses, casual clothes, and accessories. Many are timeless and some seem dated, clothes that were better suited to the time they were worn in, but don’t seem relevant in the present day. Others, while not the most sexy or chicest of looks, are appropriate representations of what a woman of her stature and social standing wore in those times and places. 

The well-curated exhibit in addition to showing various fashions, also chronicled the very public life she led, displaying magazine covers, portraits, photos, and artifacts over the decades. One room has the baby clothes she asked Dior to design for her children, thus launching Dior Baby. Of course there were many evening gowns, mostly in chiffon and muted colors, but there was a surprise splash of red and purple thrown in. Every year Princess Grace would throw a gala theme party at the royal palace, the hotly contested event of the year, drawing an international crowd. She would have designers and artists design the lavish backgrounds and sets for the ball and would have a gown designed to match. One of the most iconic gowns was a shear, ombre chiffon caftan, with colors graduating from yellow to orange to red, and jeweled neckline. 

After the viewing the exhibition, I strolled through the lovely gardens, admiring the tulips, rhododendrons, poppies, forsythia, and other spring flowers. I sipped soothing mint tea in the outdoor café with wisteria festooning white wood trellises, relaxing in the tranquil setting. One area of the gardens featured a bust of Dior’s head with a blue mosaic fountain and another spot had a view of the turquoise sea in a frame of ivy. 

Tomorrow I will write about the rest of my day in Granville. Stay tuned. 

Grace de Monaco, ¨Princesse en Dior"

Until November 17, 2019

Christian Dior Museum, 1 rue d’Estouteville, Villa Les Rhumbs 50400 Granville

http://musee-dior-granville.com/fr/expositions/dior-images-de-legende/

Little Christian Dior 

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include 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 a large elevator

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

 

Wisteria and Flower Close Ups at Giverny

Besides the big thrill of spotting Brigitte Macron at Giverny last week, a minor thrill was seeing wisteria in full bloom. I was excited to witness the wisteria cascading their dark and light purple blooms on ancient farmhouses, and stone walls throughout the village of Giverny, because where I grew up in New York wisteria did not grow. 

I have also included some close ups of exquisite tulips and an extraordinary single iris. I wish the scent of the flowers could waft up from your screen as you are reading this and viewing the photos. 

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include 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 a large elevator

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

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 

Brigitte Macron and Spring Flowers in Giverny

I have never been to Giverny in April before, and last week I had the opportunity to visit twice with my tour clients. 

Last Tuesday was a mostly sunny day and my client and I arrived at Giverny about 11:30AM. We toured the Japanese garden first and as we were walking we came upon a large crowd drawing unusual attention. An entourage of serious men in suits wearing headpieces passed us followed by Brigitte Macron and some Japanese guests. I greeted her guards and asked if I could take a photo and was pleasantly surprised when they said yes. It turns out Brigitte Macron was with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie, who were here on an official state visit. Claude Monet was fascinated with Japanese art and culture, collecting over Japanese 230 prints in his lifetime, so it was fitting for Abe to visit Giverny. 

Since it was April, the palette of flowers and greenery were vastly different from when I had visited in July, August, and September in years past. Rows of tulips dominated the flowerbeds in the most saturated colors of red, pink, yellow, and purple. One specimen of tulips with ragged edges in a specific shade of white that’s only produced in nature, was spectacular in its beauty. Cherry blossoms, azaleas, and lilac branches flourished in the landscape while the tail end of irises and daffodils claimed their last flowers. 

I returned on Friday, to a mostly crisp, clear sunny day with much gratitude for being able to experience Giverny twice in one week in all its remarkable glory. 

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include 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 a large elevator

Please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com if you are interested. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

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 

Magnolia Blooms Palais Royal

Late last Saturday morning after relaxing with a café noisette at my favorite Paris café, Les Nemours (a blog about that soon), I strolled into Palais Royal to see if I could find something new to photograph. 

It’s funny how things in nature happen so quickly; Just a few days earlier I passed through the Palais Royal and all the trees were bare, nary a bloom. But suddenly out of nowhere, Mother Nature waved her magic wand and had the magnolia trees burst into bloom. Most were in that perfect shade of pink that only nature could produce, but I did spot a few white ones. The wind had strewn many of the leaves onto benches, the tops of shrubs, and on the ground. 

The sky was gray with a blue hue, kind of like that weird blue rinse grandmothers use to apply to their hair, which made the pink magnolias pop. 

Do you have a favorite from this series? 

Last week to see my photo exhibit at Hotel Pont Royal, 5-7 rue Montalembert, 75007 Metro: Rue du Bac

Don't miss it! 

Ile de Ré Part Two

I took a stroll in Ile de Ré in the late afternoon close to sundown and discovered the enchanting cottages and small houses. There was such a lovely mélange of flowers including the last of the summer roses along with the autumn foliage engulfing the walls, doors, and windows. Also the late day shadows and copper light reflecting on the buildings lifted the pastel colors of the buildings to a brilliant hue. 

Please watch my latest A Bite of Paris video, Honey Tasting at Famille Mary, where I taste a bunch of yummy flavored honey's. 

Click here to watch or link below. 

https://youtu.be/oR2LLlFSjeM

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 

 

Sunset on Place de la Concorde

I’ve posted many blogs in the past about Place de la Concorde, always capturing something different I hadn’t seen before. 

 My niece, Sarah and her daughter Avery were in Paris for a long weekend from New York. While walking across Place de la Concorde at sunset, we were astounded by the stunning sky blazing with hues of red, orange, pink, blue, gray, yellow. 

Sarah, Avery and I painted the town; We got all dressed up (I even wore a suit!) and went to see a fantastic Jerome Robbins dance performance at Opera Garnier on Saturday night. We also saw some great exhibits including Klimt at Ateliers des Lumieres, Picasso Bleu et Rose at the d’Orsay, Mucha at Musee de Luxembourg and Carte Blanche a Tomas Sacareno at Palais de Tokyo. Of course food was a major part of the weekend and we people watched having dinner at l’Avenue and at the hip Hotel National des Arts and Metiers. Sarah and Avery are fashion hounds and I picked out a YSL vintage hounds-tooth blazer for Avery for only 70€ at a flea market on Place Saint Sulpice. 

We had a blast and I already miss them. 

Avery, left, Sarah right 

All decked out for a night at the opera (yes! that's me in a suit)  

Fab YSL find at flea market 

I am so pleased to have Ann Mah as my guest this week at on A Bite of Paris. We went to Le Mistral, her favorite Paris bistro and had their signature dish, aligot, a rich, creamy mix of whipped potatoes and cheese from the Aveyron region.

Click here   or link below to watch Ann and I enjoy aligote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiRHIW7Oitw&t=4s 

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 

 

FIAC Hors les Murs Tuileries 2018

Every year the international art fair FIAC/Faire Internationale d’Art Contemporain) presents an outdoor sculpture installation in the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Place Vendome and the garden at the Eugene Delacroix Museum. 

I was in the Tuileries yesterday to see the newest installation and below are photos with captions referring to the artists. 

FIAC 

October 18 – October 21

Grand Palais 

Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008

Metro: Champs Elysees-Clemenceau 

http://www.fiac.com/en/Home/

 

 

Franz West -Venus Over Manhattan
Henk Visch-Du Livre du Matin

Kohei Nawa- Scai The Bathhouse 

Robert Indiana- Art, (Blue Red) 

Vladimir Skoda- Sphere de Ciel 

Alicja Kwade- Revolution 

Tere Recarens- Faire l'Aventure

Pablo Reinoso- Le Cercle 

I am so pleased to have Ann Mah as my guest this week at on A Bite of Paris. We went to Le Mistral, her favorite Paris bistro and had their signature dish, aligot, a rich, creamy mix of whipped potatoes and cheese from the Aveyron region.

Click here   or link below to watch Ann and I enjoy aligote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiRHIW7Oitw&t=4s 

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 

Answer to Guess Where I Am Contest

Thanks for all of your answers to the Guess Where I Am Contest. Unfortunately, no one got the correct answer. The popular answers were Vernon, Villandry, and Giverny.

So here it is, (drumroll please). Le Vesinet.

Le Vesinet is a wealthy suburb of Paris with grand houses and mansions, beautifully landscaped gardens, lakes, parks, and tranquil wooded areas with streams.

I am house sitting for a friend for a few days while he is away and his home is spacious and warm with a lovely garden and outdoor patio. The weather over the weekend was delightful- warm and sunny with radiant blue skies. I took a long walk the other day and discovered a winding, wooded trail with a babbling brook.

Le Vesinet is only a 20-minute RER train ride from Paris, yet I feel as though I am in a French countryside village surrounded by verdant green space. It’s not really a vacation and i am still working but it’s a nice respite.

I also stayed in Le Vesinet in March and captured some terrific snow landscapes. Click here to view.

I am so pleased to have Ann Mah as my guest this week at on A Bite of Paris. We went to Le Mistral, her favorite Paris bistro and had their signature dish, aligot, a rich, creamy mix of whipped potatoes and cheese from the Aveyron region.

Click here   or link below to watch Ann and I enjoy aligote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiRHIW7Oitw&t=4s 

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 

 

 

 

Guess Where I Am?

Ready to play a fun game? I’ve been spending the last few days away from my apartment but I won’t tell you where. Below are some photos of my location and would like you to guess where I am. Paris, New York, U.S., France? Singapore, Siam, Syosset?

The first person that correctly identifies where I am staying will receive a photo print of their choice from this series.

I will reveal my location on Thursday, so have fun guessing and I can’t wait to receive your answers.

Okay, just one hint: The name of the place starts with a V. Vermont, Venezuela, Victoria, Villandry?

You can leave your answer in the COMMENTS section @ www.eyepreferparis.com or email me at r.nahem@gmail.com

Paris

Couldn't resist posting this photo. It's Vincent and me in Paris in 1981! What do you think? 

I am so pleased to have Ann Mah as my guest this week at on A Bite of Paris. We went to Le Mistral, her favorite Paris bistro and had their signature dish, aligot, a rich, creamy mix of whipped potatoes and cheese from the Aveyron region.

Click here   or link below to watch Ann and I enjoy aligote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiRHIW7Oitw&t=4s 

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