It’s been 40 years since she left us, and Maria Callas has remained in our hearts and on our minds ever since as the greatest opera voice and actress of the second half of the 20 th century. Yet I was surprised to have dinner with a young French diplomat last week who had never heard of her ! So the … Read More
A new hotel and bar for the young and trendy
I was overly excited to go to the new Hoxton Hotel for lunch and brought with me an architect and a shrewd journalist so we could all give our opinion. Four years in the making, the old courtyards and different buildings of rue du Sentier, opposite where Madame du Barry used to live, have become a 172 rooms hotel set … Read More
Transatlantic travels at the Peabody Essex museum in Salem
My first visit, when I am in Marblehead in the summer, is always to the Peabody Essex Museum, in Salem, Ma. Founded in 1799 by sea captains who wanted to preserve their discoveries from Cape Horn and other exotic Asian and African countries, it was enriched by local merchants and moved into its own building in 1825. George Peabody, one … Read More
In Tours, Oliver Debré is celebrated
I met painter Olivier Debré in the 1980’s when he was teaching at the Paris Beaux Arts school and was exhibited at Daniel Templon gallery. Henry Racamier, then President of Louis Vuitton, had commissioned a stage curtain for the Hong Kong Opera from him. And he was always the sweetest and an incredibly modest artist. Since his family lives near Tours, … Read More
A beautiful dinner at Le Crillon
When my friends Caroline and Olivier asked where I would like to have dinner on this mild August evening, I told them I was dying to try the new restaurant at Hôtel de Crillon which has been closed for four years for restoration. With its 124 rooms and suites and remodeling of the 18 th century building by Gabriel, the … Read More
The church of La Madeleine needs your help
One of the problems of churches around the world and in Paris in particular is that they are very popular and the entrance is free. Eglise de la Madeleine is the most visited church in Paris after Notre Dame (and there are no queues) with 500 000 visitors a year and it is in need of money… A patient program … Read More
Texas architect Frank Welch has left us
The Dean of Texas architecture, Frank Welch, has died at 90 last Friday, June 23. He was the author of two books, « On becoming an architect » that he published two years ago, and another on « Philip Johnson in Texas » in 2000, whom he admired. I will remember him as a true Gentleman who loved Paris and France, good life and … Read More
Troyes a city to (re)discover
The medieval city of Troyes, in Champagne, is conveniently located on the A5 motorway that takes you from Calais to Provence or from Belgium to Burgundy. It has therefore found a new touristic role in recent years under the impulse of its handsome mayor François Baroin. I have to admit I went there recently for the first time and was … Read More