At Château d’Ecouen, witness the birth of Renaissance theatre

parisdiaArt, Books, Flowers and gardens, Photography

The birth of theater in the French Renaissance can only be tracked down thanks to writings and a few sketches of religious “Mysteries” played outdoors. Many representations in markets and other public places were linked to stages of Christ’s passion. These were set in different cities like Bourges in 1536, Valenciennes in 1547,  Troyes,  Chateaudun or Romans, which were very … Read More

At Malmaison, furniture has its secrets

parisdiaFlowers and gardens, FurnitureLeave a Comment

Château de la Malmaison is the small but very refined house where Joséphine Bonaparte retired when the emperor divorced her in 1809. She had acquired the house in 1799 and redecorated it with the help of architects Percier and Fontaine. It is full of charm, drama and its impeccable decor illustrates a little bit of the huge luxury with which … Read More

A private photo collection at Caillebotte’s house in Yerres

parisdiaFlowers and gardens, PhotographyLeave a Comment

La Maison Caillebotte was inaugurated in Yerres, 20 kms South East of Paris in June 2017. It used to be the famous painter’s house and Valérie Dupont-Aignan, a lawyer by training,  has patiently redecorated it for the municipality. The result is superb and in the modern galleries, a collection of photographs belonging to Sondra Gilman and Celso Gonzalez-Falla is shown until … Read More

Sicily, an enchanted island, again and again…

parisdiaArt, Flowers and gardens, Wine

My holidays in Sicily did not start well. If you have read “A Summer’s lease“, the hilarious John Mortimer novel on an English family who rents a house in Tuscany and never gets water because the owner has not paid the bill, you will understand what we went through. I was getting ready to make a wonderful potato purée in … Read More

At Chantilly, plants always reign

parisdiaFlowers and gardens2 Comments

What I love about the Journées des Plantes de Chantilly (formerly Courson) is that authenticity and creativity always win. And for the third time a charming lady from Les Jardins d’Ecoute s’il pleut (gardens of listen if it rains!) near La Rochelle, won a prize for its very robust and yet thinly sculpted Arachniodes standishii, a very special fern. A … Read More

Happy Premier Mai

parisdiaFlowers and gardens, Happy moments9 Comments

I am so happy to wish you a beautiful May 1st with this huge bunch of muguet (lily of the valley) which I picked especially for you yesterday. This year the lily of the valley came later but bloomed in one week with the hot weather and now the rain. Everyone in France is celebrating our “labor” day and I … Read More