The new government, what a good surprise!

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Prime minister Edouard Philippe is a writer and an amateur boxer

What a series of amazing surprises have happened this week in France with the nomination of 22 new ministers. Emmanuel Macron had promised many women and some experts. We got both. With Prime minister Edouard Phiippe at the helm, his town of Le Havre in Normandy is put forward. He is slick, wears the trendy beard and light navy blue suits that seem to be the uniform of his generation.  And he learnt live on TV that there is a boxing room at Matignon, his new residence.

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“Etiquette at Versailles” by Daria Galateria

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Daria Galateria is a university professor in Rome and writes for la Republica on French literature. She is standing here on her Rome terrace near the Pantheon

A specialist of Marcel Proust and 17 th century French litterature, Daria Galateria has always followed the French scene for Italian newspapers and her Sapienza university students. She shares her life between Saint German des Près in Paris, the Pantheon in central Rome and the city of Trappani where she writes and swims on the islands of Southern Sicily. Her latest book on “Etiquette at the court of Versailles” is just coming out in Paris.Read More

Normandy’s inspired writers

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Gaston Leroux wrote about château d’Eu, where Louis Philippe received Queen Victoria

It is always a great pleasure to attend an opening at Jérôme Marcadé’s gallery near Théâtre de l’Odéon. « Jardins en Art » is a very special spot with a lovely courtyard for cocktail parties, and a good selection of sculptures, photographs, paintings and mostly, books on gardens. This time the owner was presenting his own book « Lieux d’inspiration », Houses and gardens of writers in Normandy, with Sipa photographer Benoît Delplanque who spent a year catching the different seasons.Read More

Thaddaeus Ropac in Mayfair, and more London goodies

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Olivier Beer, “Devils”, live sound installation: 16 antique and modern vessels at Thaddaeus Ropac on Dover street

London is always full of news and this time, it was of Christie’s auctioneers  reshufflings of their team and François Curiel being made chairman of Europe and based in Geneva. Thaddaeus Ropac, the dashing galerist established in Salzburg and Paris, opened his new super chic London house on Dover Street. And before visiting the very large David Hockney retrospective at Tate Britain,  lunch at the Ritz was a real discovery.Read More

“Big Trouble” in Montmartre

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The view from la Halle Saint Pierre where “Grand Trouble” is taking place

The title of the exhibition « Grand Trouble » is a reference to our world, full of incertitudes, brutality and  cruelty but also full of dreams, friendships and beauty. The forty or so artists assembled by Martine Lusardy who founded la Halle Saint Pierre in Montmartre are mostly friends. A small group led by Frédéric Pajak invited other artists and the result is a fun and very diverse show of caricaturists, photographers, sculptors and painters who invested the Paris temple of Art Brut in Montmartre.Read More

Done!

parisdiaHappy moments9 Comments

He is 39, bright and handsome

When the tv screen announced at 8 pm that Emmanuel Macron had won with the overwhelming score of 65,8% (actually 66,1% the day after) our hearts suddenly exploded and respite overtook us. What a relief and what a great victory ! I want to thank all of you, faithful readers and friends, who sent text and e mail messages from Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Poland and the US. It was as if suddenly, the year long series of International bad surprises in the polls had ended. France and Europe can now take a new start.Read More

Saturne, a dinner in outer space

parisdiaRestaurants & Hotels1 Comment

A tartar of tuna and peas was one of the highlights of dinner

Last summer, American friends who were staying at the Bristol were recommended this address by the concierge, but when we showed up for lunch, some very nice carpenter welcomed us in a complete construction site. I was very disappointed and forgot about it. It is not until my niece Océane, who works in the restaurant world, reminded me of Saturne, that I thought of booking for dinner. The single 85€ menu is full of surprises and we had a very good time.Read More