Belgian gardens are celebrated by photographer César Garçon

parisdiaBooks, Flowers and gardens2 Comments

Christmas time is coming up and with its usual beautiful picture books. This one “La Belgique des Jardins“, is the fruit of a collaboration between Donatienne de Séjournet, one of the best expert in gardens in Belgium and César Garçon who proved with his “Italian gardens” book (2015), that he knows garden architecture well.  Some are the classical ornaments of … Read More

At Chantilly, 18 th century porcelain glitters

parisdiaArt, Books3 Comments

Château de Chantilly has been undergoing many restructurations in the last twenty years and the latest news is that Institut de France is now the only master aboard after the generous  benefactor, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, has decided to move to Portugal. The first exhibition under the new era had to be a huge success and it is. … Read More

What’s new this week? a new government…

parisdiaArt, Books, Happy moments1 Comment

I was quietly having a bath listening to the news that we had a new prime minister when suddenly workers in orange garb started moving around a crate, and a large glass window was lowered on the building under construction… there is never a moment of peace in our world. Prime minister Edouard Philippe, who was loved by 60 % … Read More

“Cooking on the sixth floor” by Nathalie George

parisdiaBooks, Recipes4 Comments

The sixth floor is generally considered in Paris as the level where maids used to live, without the commodity of an elevator and in tiny rooms called “chambres de bonne”. Today, there are mostly students or newcomers who live there and often, still have to share the loo in the corridor. This is where Nathalie George, who was raised by … Read More

Joël Dicker is back, with a great Swiss novel…

parisdiaBooks3 Comments

On May 27, everyone will be able to discover the new Joël Dicker in French, in Spanish (on June 3) and in Italian, “L’Enigme de la chambre 622”. It was due to come out in March and the 300 000 copies have been patiently waiting in the Hachette warehouses to be distributed. I read it ahead and I loved it. … Read More

Woody Allen is back front stage with a surprising autobiography

parisdiaBooks4 Comments

“Apropos of Nothing” is the title of Woody Allen’s autobiography published on March 18 th in the US by  Jeanette Seaver at Arcade books.  In French it is translated as “Soit dit en passant” and  will come out on June 3 rd at Editions Stock, an Hachette imprint. Both titles make the book sound like a modest account of a … Read More

More news from confinement

parisdiaBooks6 Comments

While Garrison Rousseau is happily having a drink by his pool on Mactan Island in Cebu, Nicky Vreeland, continues his recording in black and white of the Tibetan monastery in Southern India, which he runs and  where he is confined. The Monastery is called Rato Dratsang and is located in Mundgod, in  Karnataka. Nicky, the grand son of Vogue editor … Read More