Across the bay from Villa Kérylos, stands Villa Ephrussi in St Jean Cap Ferrat. Built by Béatrice de Rothschild and Maurice Ephrussi (an uncle of Fanny Thérèse Kann’s, married to Théodore Reinach), the Italian Renaissance house is not as interesting architecturally, but its gardens designed by Achille Duchêne and Harold Peto, are both refreshing and quite extraordinary for this part … Read More
In Calais, a surprise adventure with Jeanne Thil and much more on the way
Many of us drive through the north of France to reach Southern England through the Chunnel and why do we never stop on the way? Calais has two museums which are worth looking at. To reach this sadly famous city, in perfect temperatures, I drove around the Baie de Somme, admired its lovely pré salé lambs, raised on salted grass … Read More
Mount Fuji is celebrated at Musée Guimet and contemporary artist Ru Xiao Fan enchanted me
It was a lovely relief to visit Musée Guimet this week in the middle of the heat wave. Not only because, like all museums, it is air conditioned, but mostly because the present exhibition is devoted to Mount Fuji and snow! The seventy amazing prints by Kawabata, Kawase, Utagawa and the famous Katsuchika Hokusai , were selected in the collection of … Read More
Driving North into Flanders
After my successful tour of Brittany I decided to join a friend in Abbeville and explore the multiple museums of the north. Lille is well known for its Arts Museum and diverse peripheral curiosities like Robert Mallet Stevens’ Villa Cavrois, La Piscine in Roubaix and Villeneuve d’Ascq’s Museum of Modern Art. But I have a weakness for Cassel, a little … Read More
Wandering around precious Brittany
There is nothing I love more than getting into my small car and driving around France, stopping over at dear friend’s houses. The Bottin Mondain (social register) started a new addition of castles listed by area, and it would be tempting to just try and tour France according to this list but I have not dared it yet. I just … Read More
Chateaubriand’s secret paradise and Caillebotte’s family house
It is not that easy to get to from Paris (50 mins), but La Vallée aux loups, Chateaubriand’s property in Chatenay Malabry, south of the capital, is a dream place well worth a day’s excursion. The house first, which was built in 1783, is the perfect size and has exquisite furniture. The park with its two hundred year old cedar … Read More
Giverny, it’s the year to go and celebrate the 40 th anniversary.
Hugues Gall, president of Fondation Monet in Giverny, has already canceled all group tours and reservations for the season: when the gardens reopen on June 8 at 9.30 am, only individual visitors will be admitted in small numbers and internet booking is mandatory. But the gardeners have all been at work for months of course. For the 40 th anniversary … Read More
Louis Benech, the garden magician
I have been meeting gardener Louis Benech at the butcher recently, since we live at equidistance of the shop and he was so busy with new projects and a new book, that I thought it would be fun to catch up on his career. There is not a country in the western world where he has not had an interesting … Read More