A Japanese hideaway twenty minutes from rue du Bac
What made me take the metro and suddenly head for Boulogne (Pont de Saint Cloud station) on a sunny winter afternoon? I don’t know but the impulse was irrepressible and the beauty that awaited me in the deserted museum Albert Kahn was unbelievable.Read More
Wallpapers are exhibited thematically and date back to four centuries ago
The visitor has to be pretty motivated to find out about wall papers and fabrics in this exhibition located on two floors at Musée des Art Décoratifs. The explanations printed in gold on the walls are unreadable because of the lighting, and there are no captions anywhere to be seen. If you are lucky enough to grab an explanation sheet, you then have a hard time connecting them to the art! So use your imagination and your eye!Read More
Thaddaeus Ropac’s Pantin gallery built in a former factory. With Antony Gormley’s “Giant” in front. Definitely a place to see.
Charming Thaddaeus Ropac is a visonaire. He was one of the first in Paris to move to Pantin, a suburb north of the new Philarmonie concert hall, and now Chanel and Hermès have followed with their workshops, creating a hub in this poor neighborhood. Last Friday, he was having the « Tout Paris » for dinner, in honor of Jean Marc Bustamante, a brilliant photographer turned painter, and now the director of Ecole des Beaux Arts. His new work uses lightjet on silver paper that he enlarges. The effect is very decorative. (until March 5th)Read More
It was a chilly Sunday night and security was high at the Radio France auditorium, a definitely beautiful concert hall. And I could not have been happier to hear James Conlon conduct the Orchestre National de France in Johannes Brahms and Dvorak.Read More
Irish director Declan Donellan met his scenographer Nick Ormerod at Cambridge. He is a permanent resident at the Barbican
Going to Théâtre des Gémeaux in Sceaux, a family friendly suburb south of Paris, is always a matter of utter excitement. The friend who invited me, was just as intense. We left early for an 8.45 pm show, and found ourselves perfectly on time for a bohemian buffet dinner at the theatre. A very nice and pretty waitress, who had obviously never carried a plate in her life, let alone listened to a food order, made us immediately happy with her beautiful smile. How soothing to let things happen in a disorganised way. We managed to kidnap a table and two chairs and very soon, two old friends showed up, Patrick and his delightful daughter Marianne, who studies acting. The draw of the evening was Declan Donnellan’s new staging of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”.Read More
Maryse Wolinski with Georges in happy times
There have been many books and articles devoted to “Charlie Hebdo” in the beginning of the year, to celebrate the first anniversary of January 7 th, 2015. But none have the simplicity and the literary style that Maryse Wolinski shows in her moving and fascinating book : « Chérie, je vais à Charlie » (Darling, I am leaving for Charlie)Read More
Ring Hortense de Navacelle and museums open up
So many young people complain about working too hard or not working at all that it is really exhilarating to meet a 33 year old young lady, mother of (soon) 3, who trained as an engineer, worked in marketing for Voyages SNCF, the French train company, and who has now opened an agency for booking museum private tours.Read More
A view from my window on New Year’s day in Poreta…
I could not have started the year better than at Villa della Genga, built in 1673 in the medieval village of Poreta, half way between Assisi, Perugia and Spoleto. The olive trees and lentil agricultural estate owned by Alessandra and Paolo Montani, was once inhabited by Pope Leon XII and it now houses a small “village hotel”, entirely renovated twelve years ago with old stones and local materials. Run by their dashing son Filippo Montani, it is the best escape from city life one can find and I want to return next summer, for the Spoleto music festival with my 45 best friends.
The interior decoration of the hotel is cosy and chic