Wow, what a year it has been! And what a HUGE change from last Christmas. We are so blessed to have this experience and opportunity. And I am grateful for the chance to share our adventures with my family and friends. So here are some more pictures of Paris at Christmastime. May you have a wonderful Christmas!
a view from the Christmas market at Trocodero
another view of the quaint Christmas market at the foot of the Eiffel Tower
Merry Christmas from Manu and I!
a wonderful wine store on rue de Bac - sells vintages from years ago, and cognacs from the 1940s!
love the Repetto store
sorry for the quality of the picture but I had to include this lovely shop!
a traditional Christmas dish - oysters on the half shell with a shallot and red wine vinaigrette. Delicious!
Christmas is magical here in Paris - even the smallest shop decorates its windows. Quaint markets pop up all over and the streets are draped in twinkling lights, rivaling the Eiffel Tower. For the last few weeks I have been taking pictures of the sights and sounds of the season to share with y'all. Here is the first batch!
Didn't know about Christmas beer - I am too busy enjoying the traditional hot spiced wine!
the lights on the Champs Elysee
hand painted Christmas ornaments for sale at the marche!
Buchettes de Noel - small little traditional Christmas cakes. Delicious!
The Eiffel Tower has competition!
sorry about the blurry picture - it was late and I was cold! It says "the village of St. Charles wishes you happy holidays"
Well the lovely and talented Francois posted and emailed me that the slippers I coveted were finally here. In the Christmas spirit Chatelles opened up a pop-up store right around the corner from Bon Marchè! Of course I had to go to support this wonderful business and Manu had to go to supervise his wallet! So off we went on a rare gorgeous day in Paris.
As you can see, he is a true Frenchman, complete with artfully draped scarf - a talent that has to be in the French DNA
Just had to show you the lovely shoes again - pardon the sunlight!
And here are the ones I got - the tassels to match the trim should be in next week but I can't decide whether to get them or not! They are a cool pony hair material and I love them!
You have to check out his website - and he ships everywhere!
A few days before Thanksgiving I had the opportunity to visit a wonderful atelier located in the 2nd arrondissement. It was a fascinating experience and I felt like I had walked back in time.
According to their website (www.legeron.com) the House was founded in 1880 and have worked with some of the big name Parisian fashion icons, such as Dior, Ungaro and at one time, Chanel. They produce flowers and other accessories out of silk, leather, fabric and feathers. Their creations are made to measure for haute couture, ready to wear fashions and special orders for special clients.
We asked Monsieur Legeron about the future of his craft, especially since such exquisite craftsmanship is going the way of the dinosaur. He took the business over from his grandparents but has no one to take it over for him. A young woman who works for him is going to ultimately take on the workshop but the name probably won't continue. I hope you enjoy this peek into a dying art -
This postcard was part of the 130th anniversary celebration they held in 2010. It shows the old way of doing things.
Look at the jumbled boxes of supplies and the previous creations that are just scattered about the reception area.
the frame contains old thread and fabric and button samples - dates back to the 1800s
We asked Monsieur if he used an "ordinatuer" (computer) - he laughed and walked over to this cash register - "regard mon ordinatuer!" - and proceeded to show us how it still works, despite being a relic from grandparents' era.
These are little flowers made out of leather - they were either sewn onto chiffon or glued onto netting. Then the designer takes the swatch and plays with it before deciding how to use it in his clothing designs.
This is one of the ledgers from the 1800s - with client names and the flowers, feathers and designs they purchased.
And this is how they kept track of which client purchased what - colors and styles. Had to be a real artist in more than one way.
you won't believe it but this is an untouched pheasant skin with feathers - the colors are so beautiful. They keep it intact to try and match the colors - but nature already has done a perfect job!
Here is another beautiful pheasant skin - I didn't realize they came in such gorgeous patterns!
So once the feathers have been chosen, they are taken apart and then sorted out. Then an artisan begins to apply them to whatever material the designer has requested. The lady above is gluing black feathers on the heel of a shoe for Christian Louboutin!. They also were attaching the feathers via thread and glue for the red dress. And here is the bodice of a dress in progress.
Ostrich feathers! Gorgeous - showed us how they are cut and sewn together to create REAL feather boas - Monsieur tried to convince us that he used a Sharpie to create the black and white one!
These are the iron templates that were and still are used to cut out the flower pieces. Each one is numbered and catalogued. Once they were made by a blacksmith - the new machine made ones aren't nearly as good.
The dyes are hand configured - using glass beakers found outside of the Science school each color is custom made and then recorded on a card, complete with the recipe. Once the fabric is dyed to the right color it is then laid out on a drying rack - still the same process as 100 years ago!
Here is an artist creating a beautiful flower from the pieces of dyed silk - it truly is sculpting with fabric. Amazing how she puts together these scraps and turns them into a lovely rose.
Here are some of the gorgeous flowers created in this antique workroom
And this is the finished flower that she was working on!
As a parting gift and a thank you for visiting we each received this little flower pin and the postcard celebrating the 130 year anniversary.
It's our first Thanksgiving away from the States and I have to admit, I was a little nervous about recreating the entire experience. No matter where you are and how you feel about the place, when it comes to holidays, it's hard to beat your memories of years past - somehow we all romanticize the days of yore.
So I started preparation early. I found a wonderful store in the Marais that has everything you would need for an American Thanksgiving, the name says it all "Thanksgiving in Paris." So we hike over from the 16th Arrondisement to the 4th and preorder our turkey. It's a lovely little shop and full of food stuffs that you miss - barbecue sauce to salsa, cereal to pop tarts. Even has Dr. Pepper!
We always invited lots of people to share Thanksgiving with us - our motto is no one should be alone on Thanksgiving and the more the merrier. So this year should be no different, except for the fact that we don't exactly have the apartment geared towards entertaining. Oops - once the headcount was done it turns out that we invited over 17 people! And I had to upgrade the turkey! Thank God one of our friends (whom we had invited) has a bigger place so we adjusted our plans and moved locations - they provided the space and we would cook the turkey, cranberry sauce, green beans and potatoes. And in true Thanksgiving tradition, there was plenty of food, plenty of laughs and plenty of thankfulness.
the turkey is huge - I really have to figure out the conversion of lbs to kilos! Thank God it fit in the oven!
The lovely adults' table - before the feasting began!
Sophia and Roxanne got a little silly with the crafting supplies - I have no idea why they put googlie eyes all over their faces.
Our gracious host carving the turkey - with a hungry teenager hovering!
the hungry masses descending on the food! We are lucky they left some for us adults!
The kids spontaneously started sharing what they were thankful for and it was so sweet
And even the Eiffel Tower made an appearance!
It turned out to be a lovely evening - we ate way too much, almost drank too much wine (thankfully we stopped before it was too late! LOL) and had so much fun with our new friends. I am thankful for them and for this wonderful adventure we are experiencing. I am truly blessed. Happy Thanksgiving!
The big department stores here get all dressed up for Christmas - the windows are decked out with vignettes and it is wonderful to see. Today, by chance, I wandered over by Galleries Lafayette and Printemps and voila! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did!
The theme for Galleries Lafayette is "La Belle et La Bête" or as we know it, Beauty and the Beast. I'm not sure I quite "got" the story but it is still enchanting all the same.
Prada paired up with Printemps (like the alliteration?) to celebrate 100 years. I am not sure I quite understood the theme here either but it was also magical! The windows are all mechanized with moving parts and music (oops - more alliteration!) Not sure I got all of Printemps windows - just another reason to go back.
Now I just have to check out Bon Marchè and BHV - I will definitely take more pictures. And then there are the Christmas markets that are springing up all over town and more lights - it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We are definitely going to be busy!
Now that we are settled (ha!) here, I have resolved to try and see as much as I can, do as much as I can and just experience Paris as much as I can. I want to wring as much experience out of this experience as possible! I am also trying to overcome my quirks regarding food - have tried duck breast confit and rabbit! Can't say they are my favorite but they aren't quite as bad as I remembered/thought. I want to broaden my horizons - that's why I am signing up for all of these wonderful events that the parents' association sponsors. Last night it was a wine and cheese tasting course. The French have over a thousand types of cheese and almost as many varieties of wine and we LOVE wine and cheese. What better way to expand our palate and learn about these delicious French staples!
So there are three columns - the one on the left has goat cheeses: soft, raw milk Malicorne; ashed Trèfle de Carrelet; and dry Crottin de Chavignol - the middle cow cheeses: Camembert de Normandie; Mont d'Or; and Comté vielle réserve 18 months - and the right contains ewe cheeses: briquette de brebis; and Napoléon. The runny one in the middle had a distinct strong smell (almost a stinky one). The orange square is homemade quince jelly and the black blob is actually a fig! There also was tons of delicious bread - a must!
The wines are from left to right also - the first white is a Chablis 2010 from Burgundy, the second is a Sancerre 2011 from the Loire Valley, and the third is a pinot gris 2009 from Alsace. At first I didn't care too much for the Chablis or the Sancerre but as we began pairing them with the bread and cheese, the flavors really began to develop and change. It was crazy because with each bite and each sip, the taste was different than the last! Ultimately the Sancerre and the wine from Alsace were my favorites - they had a lovely balance of sweet and crisp and really enhanced the cheese.
Madame Hélène des Garets Goble has been studying, selling, buying and drinking wine for over 30 years - she is so lively and entertaining. You are so busy enjoying yourself and having fun that you don't realize that she is teaching you! She not only explains how the wine is made, where it is made, how the wine gets it's taste and how just a slight deviation in location changes everything. Fascinating stuff.
A side note - we are all trying to figure out how she stays so slim and how she got those rocking arm muscles! : )
The majority of the wines we tried were whites - I know, white wine with cheese?! But it was delicious. The crispness of the wines cut the fattiness of the cheese. The fruity and floral notes contrasted delightfully with the salty tang of the cheese. It was a revelation!
We did have one red, for the purists in our group. This one was amazing. The aromas were powerful berry and spice and yet the wine itself was smooth and light. Not at all heavy the way the smells advertised.
Of course we saved the best for last. Roquefort cheese and a sweet dessert wine from Bordeaux. Normally I don't care so much for dessert wines - too sweet and cloying. However, this one was nectar - not too sweet or syrupy and a perfect foil for the salty tang of the Roquefort. Sublime and a perfect finish - a great alternative to traditional desserts.
This was my second event with Hélène and I have so much fun. The company is lively and spirited and she manages to include and involve everyone. I have already signed up for the dinner and wine event for next time! The evenings are nice because the spouses come and we get to enjoy an adult evening. I cannot wait for her next tour of the Champagne region - she visits the chateaus and of course, there is the tasting part! And I will definitely post more about these visits!
The parents association here at the school is awesome - they have guided tours and wine tastings and market trips with cooking classes. It's a great way to meet people and see Paris. I signed up for the "Women of Pere Lachaise" cemetary tour. because I like cemeteries - they are fascinating peeks into history.
I apologize that I cannot remember all of the details - we spent over 3 hours there and it was very cold, wet and rainy. Please feel free to Google the details and post any pertinent info that you find in the comments section! I hope you enjoy this slice of Paris.
A famous psychic who advised Josephine and Napoleon
The chysthanumums are in honor of Tuissant - All Saints Day - remembrance of the dead
The famous French author Colette
Napoleon's Polish mistress - she took one for the Polish team and ended up falling in love with Napoleon and having his love child!
A gray rainy and cold day for a cemetery tour
Don't know who this is but thought it was a pretty sculpture
One if the first famous French actresses from the Comedie Francais. She was also one of Napoleon's mistresses!
Lovely and peaceful
Another famous French actress who was obsessed with Napoleon
The actress above was obsessed with Napoleon. So much so that she wanted to have his child. The only problem was that he died two years before she was born. She decides on the next best thing and proceeds to have children by one of his top generals and even by his illegitimate son - Alexander Wescla (sp), of the Polish mistress mother! Talk about issues - she had three sons by three different men, all directly connected or related to Napoleon. She died at an early age of tuberculous but she was a world renowned famous actress and even traveled to the US to perform.
And of course the sepulchre of Heloise and Abelard
Creepy and cool
A row of graves - wonder what the story is here
It's another world here - almost as if time has stopped
The air of decay and neglect
The picture below is the largest grave/mausoleum in Pere Lachaise. It is of a Russian countess who was quite the toast of Paris and an eccentric woman. When she arranged for her burial she was quite concerned with being alone and afraid so she put six million rubles in a bank in Paris and stipulated in her will that if a young man would spend 365 nights and 366 days in her mausoleum to keep her company, at the end of the time period he would receive the money. Mind you, she died in 1818 - and no one has been able to stay more than one night. Young men come running out, screaming in terror. So now the gravesite has the reputation of being the gateway to Hell.
Although the tomb above is a family tomb, the wife's story is the interesting one. Her husband rose through the ranks of Napoleon's army to become a general. However, when he was just a lowly sergeant, he married one of the washer women who followed the troops and did the laundry (among other things!). Once he attained the status of a general, Napoleon made him an aristocrat. His wife became close friends with Josephine but she didn't let the money, fortune and fame go to her head. The lady had a reputation of being a straight shooter, a tell it like it is woman. She went on to have 14 children to survive infancy! Unfortunately she outlived all of her kids. A play was written with her as the inspiration for the main character who is the voice of common sense - I am sorry that I cannot remember the names but feel free to look it up!
We have a tradition in our family that the birthday person gets to have whatever kind of cake or pie he or she wants for their birthday. And we usually have it for breakfast on the birthday! Well my birthday is coming up and so is Olivia's and Sophia's. Since mine is first and I LOVE red velvet cake we went out searching today. I had read about this new American bakery here in Paris that specializes in cupcakes (I know, sacrilege but the tummy wants what the tummy wants on its birthday!)
And the girls had to taste test the place! (Annabelle stayed home to do "homework"-whatever)
Then we saw this cool old Fiat 500
And Fall has truly arrived here!
The Marais escaped the modernization mechanizations of Baron Haussmann!
A step back in time.
We stumbled upon this ancient fortification wall that dates back to the 12th century!
So on Wednesday I decided that the girls needed to get out of the house and see something. We all like history so off we go to the history museum, Musee Carnavalet, located in the Marais, a lovely area of Paris that is in the 4th arrondissement.
An impressive statue of Louis XIV greets you as you walk into the courtyard.
The buildings and garden are beautiful.
It's quiet and serene - hard to believe you are in the middle of a busy, popular area of Paris!
There are a lot of gorgeous paintings - I like this one because it seems to be a snapshot of life at the turn of the 20th century.
And this one spoke to me too - much has changed here and yet it is still the same.
The Empress Josephine
Since this is a history museum they have all sorts of cool stuff from France's past from snippets of Marie Antoinette's hair to pieces of the Bastille to buttons and medals of the Revolutionaries. It also has furniture from famous French people and recreated rooms. Really fascinating and almost too much to take in at one time.
Marcel Proust's room
A room done in the style of Art Nouveau
It is definitely a place I want to check out again!