It is our last evening in our beautiful apartment and our last day in Paris. We are curled up on our big deep sofa with the soft warm flutter of the candle lit room letting the sparkle of the Eiffel tower outside our window steal the show. My palate has been teased and tantalised by Incredible flavours and textures. The visual stimulation; from the enormity of elegantly, eclectically, colourfully designed spaces to the tiniest details on the plates […]
Today is market day. We rise early, dress and enjoy a hot espresso before wrapping ourselves, scarves, coats and hats and stepping out into the crisp blackness of the winter morning. Our street is dark and still, not another soul. Moving through the Paris streets at this time is magical. So quiet it is like time has stopped just for us to enjoy the beauty of the city alone. Within the deep calm as we walk, I feel the essence […]
I can’t believe today is happening. We have read many of John Baxter’s books, fantastic memoirs of his life in Paris. John is an Australian expat, author, Journalist, filmmaker and film critic, who moved to Paris many years ago after meeting and marrying a French woman Marie Dominique. One of his books talks about the literary tours he got roped into doing in Paris, by a friend who needed rescuing from a dud tour guide that she had engaged to […]
Our Paris apartment is beautiful. On the top floor of a building in the 16th arrondissement with huge picture windows giving us a stunning view over the Paris rooftops to the Eiffel tower. We love being self-contained and not in a hotel room. We get to really live like Parisians while we are here. Part of the fun is grocery shopping, yes it’s a bit of a chore at home but here in Paris it is a fascinating exciting […]
This story is about my feelings as he takes me by the hand and leads me through some of the most wonderful culinary experiences of my life. A journey of discovery of deep pleasure and many firsts. Pleasure in Paris. Paris in December, cool, fresh and draped in a soft grey light that seems to gather things closer together securely enveloping the city. The air is crisp and I love the feeling of being back in Paris. I’m not sure […]
My soul has been put back together, thank you Paris, but time has now come to enjoy our last night in this beautiful city. We head down our little stairway and step out for our final evening stroll in our rue St Honore neighbourhood. We are heading to our favourite little casual bistro, Le Petit Machon. We had initially stumbled across it after an overwhelming morning in the Louvre. Emerging onto the open street from the immensity of the […]
The beautiful Musee d’Orsay, once a Belle Epoque train station, now houses a staggering collection of Impressionist art, as well as other items created between 1848 and 1914. Don’t miss the views of Sacré-Coeur from the balcony—this is the Paris that inspired the Impressionists. I am so excited about today. We have planned a day at the Musee d’Orsay, the museum that holds one of the biggest collections of impressionist and post impressionist pieces. We start our morning early […]
Since opening in 1996, the Hôtel Costes still draws the film, fashion and media jet set. The interior, awash with maroon and mahogany, is lavish Napolean III as conceived by designer of the moment Jacques Garcia. There’s an Italianate courtyard overlooked by Roman gods, and a fitness club and swimming pool. The restaurant is for people-watching, as the din means you certainly can’t converse, and the waitresses seem chosen for their looks rather than efficiency. Summed up beautifully by […]
Together with its gardens, the Château de Versailles is one of the most famous monuments of world heritage. The buildings trace the architectural style of the 17th and 18th centuries and comprise: the Royal Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, the Chapel, the Royal Opera and the Museum of the History of France. The Park is decorated with statues, fountains, water parterres and outstanding buildings such as the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, the Temple de l’Amour and the […]
The Centre Pompidou houses the biggest collection of moderne and contemporary art in Europe, and one of the finest in the world. Even the building itself is art, it’s building that is an icon of 20th century architecture. If the art isn’t enough there’s a wonderful view of Paris. Not far from our apartment is the Pompidou centre. We walked by it on our first big promenade around Paris. We had seen hideous cues, so today we have timed […]