Henri de Turenne at his daughter’s wedding in Borest, in July 2016
When Henri de Turenne died last year on August 23, at 94, I was so sad, I could not write about him. His modesty, his elegance, his youthful mind and his fantastic sense of humor made him, till his last days, the most fun friend to visit and to listen to. I admired and respected him enormously. A year later, we like to remember.Read More
Alexander and Aude with their nephews
It took seven years to prepare and was therefore a perfect wedding in the most traditional French way with a religious blessing in the medieval church of Echillais, Charente Maritime. Aude Moriani and Alexander Shea were married by Father Gérard Bénéteau, from the Oratorian order, and dinner was served at La Limoise, the family home, often visited by writer Pierre Loti in the 1870’s as he recounts in his early book, “Le Roman d’un enfant”. But mostly, everyone was laughing, enjoying themselves and loving the young couple. It was simple family happiness !Read More
The 19 th century house was the seat of the Stewart family, Marquess of Londonderry
We were blessed at Mount Stewart, Northern Ireland, where the beautiful garden and house of Lord Londonderry confirmed its reputation of a micro climate. It was sunny during the three hours we spent there and only started pouring when we were at the other end of the lake, admiring the gigantic rhododendrons and gunerreas. Read More
Historian Robert Moskin is taking advantage of the eclipse with his wife Lynn Goldberg (right) and three admirers, May, Artmis and Gail in the park on Monday
Author of eight books on American politics and the army, Robert Moskin was editor of Look for 19 years and is now writing history books. His latest “American Statecraft, the Story of US Foreign Service” was published by McMillan.Read More
Per Barclay, Oil Chamber allows outside buildings to reflect into La Nef
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, the city has decided to build a center for contemporary creation (CCCOD) wiht his name attached to it and the new building is successfully designed by Portuguese architects Manuelo and Francisco Aires Mateus.
François Méchain, L’Arbre aux échelles. 2009, Parc Historique, from the book “Art et Nature” published by Flammarion ©Eric Sander
It is rare to find such a great combination of history and contemporary art as in Chaumont sur Loire, a Renaissance castle inhabited by Catherine de Médicis set in a park over the Loire and magnificently embellished by Prince and Princesse de Broglie at the turn of the century. It was given to the state in 1938 and is now energetically run by Chantal Colleu-Dumond, an inventive and very international director. It holds a festival of gardens every year from April to November 5 th. Its permanent collection features land artists as brilliant as Andy Goldsworthy, Nikolay Polissky, El Anatsui, Cornelia Konrads and Tadashi Kawamata. And this year the main exhibition is dedicated to Sam Szafran’s jungles « Arborescences » in the castle.Read More
Ombeline d’Arche, with a set of Aldo Bakker Sèvres water jugs for sale in the shop of the museum
It was an incredible privilege to be toured around the Manufacture de Sèvres by Ombeline d’Arche, the commercial director, who has worked there for thirty years! and was telling us about all the new projects developed by the center for French porcelain founded in 1740. I had been to the museum many times of this Royal city just outside Paris on the Seine, where the ateliers were settled by Louis XV th. But this time, I was able with a small group of art lovers, to see how each piece of old and contemporary china is being made and painted. And so can you if you book.
Estonian Chef Peeter Pihel will cook on August 28 at Fulgurances
Again it was one of my nephews who recommended this original and unpretentious restaurant on rue Alexandre Dumas (you know the author of Les Trois Mousquetaires!) near boulevard Voltaire in the 11 th, the heart of Paris’ trendiness. I chose to invite young architect Leonie Mason who works nearby and happened to be intimate with the owners… A nice coincidence.Read More