In celebration of the easing of lockdown, the Royal Collection Trust has been reopening its royal residences to the public. Although thousands of people visit the Buckingham Palace State Rooms and gardens every non-pandemic year, lingering and picnicking are a no-no. This year it’s different. There may be no royal garden parties, but the garden at Buckingham Palace is open to … Read More
Vaux le Vicomte, Versailles, Paris, music at candlelight is everywhere.
One of the advantages of the summer is that you can wander around castles near Paris and have dinner outside in grand decors. At Vaux le Vicomte, lights illuminate the park and there are fireworks organized every Saturday night until October 2. You can have dinner in the restaurant facing the castle and visit the grand salons painted by Charles … Read More
At Château de Chantilly things are moving fast!
A new music festival “Les Coups de Coeur à Chantilly” celebrating revered pianist Martha Argerich‘s 80 th birthday, a new administrateur général for the castle, Didier Selles who comes from the Louvre, and a popular “Fête du Terroir” the week end of the 26 th of June. On Saturday July 3, the film Vatel with Gérard Depardieu will be screened at … Read More
Magic is in the decor! with Benita Kusel.
Benita Kusel is a painter of decors… She does marble, wood, slate, but mostly frescos on paper with shells, flowers, vegetable and can paint on anything including radiators to hide or ugly chests. For a wedding in Belgium, she painted silk vests, tablecloths in Italy, for a country house she devises a decor of deers and willow trees and with … Read More
At Propriété Caillebotte, five post impressionist painters to discover
Paul Durand-Ruel (1831-1922), the famous art dealer who admired painters from the 1830’s, represented many Impressionists and exhibited Monet’s series of cathedrals in 1895, also fiercely defended five post-impressionist painters who were represented exclusively by his gallery at 35 avenue de Friedland. He was a major agent in discovering new painters of the late 19 th and early 20 th century. … Read More
I wish you a Happy May 1 and lots of lilies of the valley
As we do every year, Saturday May 1 will be devoted to picking lily of the valley… In France it is a holiday, Labor Day for all and shops are closed so make sure to stock everything you need for the week end… I will be celebrating three birthdays of my dear aunt Aliette, of my niece Marguerite and of … Read More
Enchanting views, let’s dream a bit!
I had my ticket to fly to Corsica and was so excited to see spring in this part of the country, which is always too hot in the summer for excursions and climbing. So, after we were locked down again in Paris, my host sent me these tempting pictures from his house perched on a mountain near Ajaccio which can … Read More
Dreaming about festive times
Guendalina Litta specializes in the planning of grand weddings and balls so now is not exactly the time to launch her new book, but if you look at it, we need more than ever to dream about future happy moments and you might want to read it for simple ideas like matching the food to colored plates or using lights … Read More