Day 1
Arrived in Paris on a rainy morning August 31. The room wasn’t ready so we went to a small café. The morning began with a café crème, a baguette, and a lot of observation. Paris hadn’t woken up yet on a Sunday. I sipped on the coffee and layered my bread with butter. Things started to unfold in front of me. An older woman walked her dog, newspaper and a baguette in hand. Next the street cleaner dressed in lime green with a lime green broom arrived. The storefronts painted in bright colors were so easy to see-no people around them. I shared my thoughts with a beautiful receptionist at Relais Christine when our rooms were ready. She said you view Paris like a writer. You are looking at the heart and soul of the city. Love that thought.
Day 2
Drizzle this morning meaning I have to take the big black umbrella to the Pompidou Museum for the Hockney Retrospective. The rain has stopped and now it is extremely hot. Still love having the big black umbrella with me. One of many symbols of Paris for me. My son Craig loves Hockney, favorite artist. The show is enormous and wonderful! Stopped to have lunch at George’s at the top of the museum. Beautiful full view of the city! Odd to see a crane in front of the Eiffel Tower. Definitely sill jet lagged from a red eye flight. Power nap then off to a small outdoor café. St. Germain is packed so the best people watching during what the French call HAPPY HOURS with an S. The style is potato chips on the table and some kind of nasty cocktails. I order a coupe of champagne and a light dinner.
Day 3
Today I will pay homage to my favorite museum in Paris the department store Le Bon Marche. There are three buildings: clothing, furniture, and food. It is a magnificent piece of artistic indulgence. Always look for a French sales woman who sounds like she was raised in Brooklyn. Her secret is that she learned English by watching Seinfeld. First stop the nail bar. Yes I really do use polish from Paris! Meet a male nail guy who is willing to put 10 different colors on his nails to entice me. It worked because I now have a year’s supply of Kure Bazaar polish. Sometimes I dream that Le Bon Marche will have lofts. In which case it will be Au Revoir USA!
Day 4
France is magical everyday! Some days stand out more than others. Take the fact that Guillaume Martin Lebeau traveled 10 hours by train to meet us at the Museum De Art Decoratives. Guillaume is Nicolas Martin’s brother. Nicolas the painter and Guillaume the designer represent the truth of the creative French culture. Seeing the Dior Exhibit at the Musée Des Arts Décoratifs with Guillaume was one of the highlights of the trip. Sharing lunch at the Loulou Café in the museum was a special afternoon on a hot Paris afternoon. The restaurant gave out straw hats for sun protection. Yves Saint Laurant had a muse named Loulou who inspired his designs. Laurant created a cartoon character in her name.
On to > 16 Unlikely Days In France 2017 – Days 5 – 8
SaveSave