Lunch done right

Oftentimes lunch is a rushed affair. A sandwich to go or a salad hastily gulped down and then its back to work. It’s a shame since lunch, done properly, provides a real break from work. When I’ve had my fill of sandwiches or nems, I try to find a nice place to have a good and reasonably priced lunch that won’t take too much time. I’ve recently discovered one such place up on Rue Charlemagne.

Le Framboisy opened fairly recently but is steadily gaining a number of faithful diners. It is cheerfully done in shades of cream and brown enlivened by colorful prints on the wall. The conversation piece in the room is the big old fashioned elevator with a wheel and pulley system that goes up and down the basement when the chef or owner wants to bring back some bottles. And if you are so inclined to sit and bask in the sun, they have a lovely terrasse that faces out on to the quiet street with a view of the Seine in the distance. The chef is English (a fact which musn’t discouraged French diners) and the menu changes daily to reflect the season. There is an emphasis on fresh produce. There are usually three or four kinds of plat du jour and you can have a formule lunch of entrée and plat or plat and dessert.

The food at Framboisy is both savory and filling. My first lunch there featured a lovely red bell pepper stuffed with squash accompanied by a side of green salad. It was delicious. I’m not normally a fan of stuffed vegetables but this particular pepper was piquant and memorable. You had the feeling to eat something healthy but not to eat merely grass. Dessert that time too was memorable—a delicious tarte aux poires et amandes. It was simply delightful and now I go back regularly to check if they have it listed as the dessert du jour. The next time I came around for lunch, I went for their roasted pork with a side of baked potatoes and salad and it was so good, I nearly swooned with the taste. Needless to say, I half- dozed my way through the rest of the day.

Practical Details

Le Framboisy

16, rue Charlemagne

75004 Paris

01 42 72 14 16

Ugly Betty

Les bons échos d'Ugly Betty m'étaient arrivés depuis un bon bout de temps, mais je n'avais pas succombé à la mode. Etant déjà Ugly Betty dans la vraie vie, je n'avais pas particulièrement envie de revoir en série le fac-similé de ma vie quotidienne. Certes, j'ai compris il y a bien longtemps que la frange était très dure à porter, que les lunettes c'est non pour 99% des gens, et heureusement en France, personne ne porte de bagues après 15 ans au plus tard, mais à part ça, j'ai quand même beaucoup trop de ressemblances à mon goût avec Ugly Betty.

Si l'humour passablement irrévérencieux et non politiquement correct du début est assez féroce, et donc drôle, au fur et à mesure des épisodes, cela s'assagit, et perd de son cynisme. Personnellement, j'avais envie de frapper Betty, pour qu'elle sorte de son personnage de "goody two shoes", et qu'elle se lâche. Mais quand elle se prend au sérieux, c'est encore pire... Heureusement les personnages d'Amanda et de Marc sauvent la donne, et bien que personnages secondaires, portent la série. Il paraît que Marc version française est encore mieux, ce qui serait un miracle, mais je n'ai pas encore eu le temps de vérifier.

On remerciera ces deux personnages pour certaines précieuses scènes, comme celle où Betty et Marc forment un couple. Rien que pour cela, je n'ai pas regretté mon achat.

Dans la même veine, que Le diable s'habille en Prada, c'est détendant, mais ce n'est pas une série qui vous fera passer des nuits blanches. Ce qui en soit est je suppose bien meilleur pour la santé.

Stéphanie tu as bien fait de t'arrêter là....

Je savais déjà que je n'étais pas fait pour le "blissed domestic happiness", mais si j'avais besoin d'une preuve, Breaking after Dawn me l'apporte. Quatrième volet de la série Twilight (oui, je suis obstinée et obsessionnelle), Stéphanie Meyer met un point final au destin de Bella et Edward, les deux protagonistes.

Merci les contrats américains, les écrivains étant payés à la page, Stéphanie Meyer s'est lâché, et l'histoire s'étend sur plus de sept cent pages (quoique J.K.Rowling avait fait la même chose avec Harry Potter, donc peut-être est la même chose en Angleterre...). Et cela m'a paru très long et assez enuyeux....

Sans rentrer dans les détails afin de ne pas ruiner l'histoire pour ceux ne l'ont pas encore lu, il semblerait que l'auteur ait été à court d'idées, ou tout simplement qu'elle ait été très heureuse au moment où elle l'a écrit. Il serait intéressant de voir si elle était enceinte à ce moment là....

Il est bien connu que le bonheur ne fait pas vendre, et j'ai tendance à être d'accord avec cette théorie. J'ai toujours trouvé que Love Story et Gone with the Wind constituaient de bien meilleurs livres que Cendrillon et tous les contes de fée qu'on peut trouver.

Pour en revenir à nos moutons, pardon vampires, mon opinion n'est donc pas très objective, mais j'ai trouvé que l'histoire était particulièrement tirée par les cheveux (non pas qu'elle était réaliste, mais dans un monde parallèle, elle était plausible), et tellement plate. L'intérêt résidait dans le personnage de loser qu'incarnait Bella, caractéristique qui permait généralement au lecteur de s'identifier au protagoniste (en espérant que cela général, et non pas simplement moi...). Une fois que le vilain petit canard se transforme en cigne, et que sa vie est parfaite (LE mec parfait, un MAX de tunes, une famille géniale, LE physique de rêve), l'histoire est beaucoup moins croustillante....

L'intérêt est qu'au moins, cela a permis une excellente "closure" à cette série, puisque je suis ravie de passer à autre chose... enfin en attendant les films.

Before I head off to see Audrey's new movie

More than thirty years after her death in 1971, Coco Chanel remains one of the most fascinating figures in fashion history. There remains an abiding interest in her. Proof being that there are two new movies and a new biography coming out this year. Another welcome addition to the existing Chanel material is the recent publication by Pushkin press, for the first time in English, of Paul Morand’s L’allure de Chanel”. I was so excited to get my copy of this book sent directly from Pushkin.
The book was born from the interviews conducted by Paul Morand at the end of WWII when Chanel invited him to visit her in St. Moritz. Strangely enough, the notes were all put away in a drawer and only came to light after Chanel’s death. Lucky for us that the notes came to light when they did! The interviews are separated into different chapters where we have Chanel dishing on her great love affair with Boy Capel, her relationship with Diaghilev and Misia Sert and her often acerbic though still relevant views on work, money, fashion and women. Just consider some of her views:

“Money is probably an accursed thing, but does not our entire civilization derive from a moral concept based on evil? …Money is not attractive, its convenient. Money adds to the decorative pleasures of life but its not life.”

“Expensive jewelry does not improve the woman who wears it any more than costly fabrics woven with precious materials do; if she looks plain, she will remain so.”

Particularly pertinent in our couture obsessed days…

“….And there’s no more art of couture. Couture is a technique, a job, a business…It may be that there is an awareness of art, which is already a great deal, that it excites artists that it accompanies them in their cars, on the path to glory; that a bonnet with ribbons should be immortalized in an Ingres drawing, or a hat in a Renoir, so much the better but it’s an accident; its as if a dragonfly had mistaken Monet’s Waterlilies for the real thing and had alighted there.”

These interviews paint a fascinating picture of this woman. She was strong, sometimes harsh, fiercely hardworking and determined. Maybe because I’d just read about the Veuve Clicquot (see review under Book Reviews), but there are certainly parallels in their determination to run their respective businesses as they both saw fit. Despite such portraiture there is still an enigma about Chanel. It doesn’t help that she often gave contradicting information. Neither does this book deal with questions regarding her involvement with the Nazis during the war. I guess this was one topic that she didn’t want to talk about and it remains to be seen whether the new biography will tackle the matter. On verra!

Rachel getting married

Je l'avais découverte dans Princess Diaries (no comment), mais dieu merci, Anne Hathaway est vite passée à des films d'un autre niveau tel que Brokeback Mountain ou The Devil wears Prada (je vous l'accorde, ce n'est pas une référence culturelle, mais un film avec Meryl Streep est gage de qualité de toute façon). On oubliera Brides War, pour ne retenir de l'actrice que ses capacités à exprimer beaucoup d'émotions assez subtilement.

Rachel Getting Married est un film assez discret mais qui a quand même réussi à obtenir à l'actrice une nomination aux Oscars. Elle y jour le rôle d'une ex-junkie, ex-alcoolique qui sort de cure pour assister au mariage de sa soeur. On aime ou on n'aime pas les drames familiaux (et manifestement mon voisin de derrière n'aimait pas...), où il ne se passe pas grand chose côté action, mais où beaucoup d'émotions s'expriment. La famille est un sujet épineux et ce depuis la nuit des temps. Déjà une cellule simple est difficile à gérer, mais quand s'y rajoute la mort d'un enfant et des parents divorcés, on peut comprendre que la drogue appaise la douleur.

Le film décripte assez bien les liens et tensions entre les membres d'une même famille, cet amour mêlé d'incompréhension, déception et de colère, et Anne Hathaway y jour parfaitement bien son rôle.

From one end of the city to the other

I admit that we’re pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants in the neighborhood. That’s why whenever there is an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone, we don’t hesitate to grab it. Two recent occasions required us to find restaurants in the 15th and the 17th arrondissements and it was a great chance to test some new restaurants that we wouldn’t otherwise necessarily get the chance to try.

Afaria in the 15th is located just between Convention and Porte de Versailles. It’s a handy address to keep in mind if you were to find yourself hungry at the end of a visit at any of the on going fairs and exhibitions at the Porte de Versailles exhibition halls. After stints at Le Carré des Feuillants and Drouant Chef Julien Duboué finally decided to set up his own place with a bold emphasis on Southwestern cuisine; a fact which was greatly celebrated by numerous food critics. The decor is simple with warm earth tones and wooden tables. The clientele from what I could see and deduce seemed like people from the neighborhood. Despite the neighborhood feel of the place, service was a bit on the snooty side though I think this just depends on which person waits on you. The person who took our orders was more on the snooty side while her colleague was a bit friendlier. The menu is divided into 5 themes---Les Sudistes for food from the South, Retour du Voyage for cuisine inspired by other parts of the world, Petite Appetit, if you were watching what you eat, A Partager, for sharing and Produits Nobles. Each theme has its own entrée, plat and dessert but fortunately you’re free to mix and match as you please. Oh and before I forget there is a separate tapas bar menu which looks extremely promising too but isn’t served at the regular tables. Given that we were there at lunch, we tried to be reasonable and go for the plat du jour which in our case was a hearty Southern style casserole of meat and vegetables slow cooked till the meat was falling of the bone tender. It was rich and flavorful though it was not by any means light! The other choice was a pan fried veal chops served on its bed of potatoes which was as well quite tasty though again on the heavy side. Nonetheless, the veal was cooked just right without being too or under done. Dessert was a beautiful chocolate soufflé served with a side of apple sauce. Delicious to say that least and we staggered out of the restaurant with our bellies quite full.

We had barely recovered from our lunch when it was time for dinner. This time our destination was L’Accolade. The restaurant is headed by Chef Sebastian Altazin who trained at the Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang. Given such prestigious training and an area that is renowned as being rather pricey, we were happily surprised to find that the restaurant proposes a complete menu comprising of entrée, plat and dessert for 32 euros. The décor is tasteful and the ambiance cozy. You can easily have a romantic dinner here or a nice dinner with friends or family. And remarkably enough the staff was nothing but nice and the service was faultless. Even without having had a bite to eat yet, I already liked the place! The menu is tailored to reflect the season although there are some staples like the Oreilles de cochon croustillant (or crunchy pig ears---less elegant when translated) and the tartare de thon rouge for the starters. Both starters proved to be a hit. For those who prefer a lighter starter, there is also a vegetable millefeuille interspersed with mozzarella. Not the most innovative but fresh and light. For our plat, we went for the risotto with scallops and it was just wonderful. The risotto had just the right amount of consistency, neither too wet nor too dry, and with just enough parmesan to complement and round off the juicy scallops. Other dishes we tried that night was the beef filled pie and the rognon de veau which judging from our friends satisfied expressions were quite good. As for dessert, I was trying to walk the path of the straight and narrow but succumbed to the temptation. My only concession to my figure was to share the dessert and to choose the crumble aux poire (a pear pie) served with a side of caramel ice cream rather than the fondant au chocolat. I realize that this isn’t much of an effort but I have no regrets. The pie was absolutely yummy and I could’ve devoured the whole thing myself! Definitely an address worth going back to!

Practical Details

Afaria
15 rue Desnouettes

75015 Paris

Tel : 01 48 56 15 36

Metro: Convention

L’Accolade
17, rue Guillaume Tell

75017 Paris

01 42 67 12 67

Metro: Perreire

Imposture?

Non, je ne suis pas obsédée (même si j'ai quelques côtés obsessionnels) et ai d'autres occupations que de lire sur les vampires. Cependant la série inspirée par Dead Until Dark étant censée être excellente (visible uniquement aux USA, et après on me demande encore pourquoi je n'ai pas de télévision?), et les livres étant généralement meilleurs que les films/séries qu'ils inspirent, et le roman m'étant gentiment prêté, je me suis attelée à la tâche.

Grande surprise, à peu de choses près, l'histoire est à peu près la même que celle de Twilight. Une fille peu populaire tombe amoureuse d'un vampire, ce qui est évidemment prohibée par la morale, mais heureusement leur amour est plus fort que tout (et il y a de quoi admirer l'héroïne parce que le vampire a l'air ennuyeux comme la pluie). On y retrouve des loups garous chez leurs amis qui étaient pourtant censés être humains, et des méchants vampires qui ne veulent que manger des humains.

Les différences sont que cette fois ce n'est pas le vampire qui peut lire dans les pensées, mais l'héroïne, mais de toute façon, la chute est la même: elle ne peut pas lire les pensées de la seule "personne" qui l'intéresse, en l'occurence Bill, son vampire. Et qu'ici les vampires ont légalement droit de séjour.

Je suis légèrement obsessionnelle certes, mais en revanche je déteste lire deux fois la même histoire avec des versions différant légèrement. D'autant plus quand la deuxième moins bonne, désolé Charlaine Harris. Peut-être est-ce aussi dû à la répétition....

En tout cas, chapeau bas à Stéphanie Meyer, qui après vérification, a publié son livre après Charlaine Harris, et qui a donc probablement pompé une bonne partie de son inspiration sur sa compatriote. A la fac, elle devait faire partie des étudiants qui pompaient les mémoires et rapports de stage des années précédentes. Ce n'est évidemment qu'une supposition, mais je suis surprise que l'hypothèse n'ait jamais été évoqué tant les romans sont similaires. Quoi qu'il en soit, Dead Until Dark, n'est à mon sens qu'un pâle copie de Twilight, qui est beaucoup plus addictif! Comme quoi l'honnêteté n'est pas toujours récompensé.

Pour la peine, je vais me précipiter sur le quatrième et dernier tome de Twilight...

The reader

Avant d'être un film qui fit gagner à Kate Winslet l'Oscar de la meilleure actrice, The reader est un livre écrit par Bernhard Schlink, allemand comme son nom l'indique.

Si la Shoah reste toujours un sujet littéraire d'actualité, comme l'atteste le succès des Bienveillantes de Jonathan Littell il y a quelques années, The Reader se concentre davantage sur la reconstruction de l'Allemagne après la guerre. De même que la série Une saison de machettes se posait la quesion du Rwanda après le génocide, Bernhard Schlink met en valeur le malaise de l'Allemagne de ces années après-guerre. Les procès furent un moyen d'exorciser les regrets, mais ils furent davantage symboliques puisque la majorité de la population se sentait coupable. Le conflit de générations engendré est extrêmement bien décrit: les enfants peuvent-ils/doivent-il pardonner à leus parents pour ceux qu'ils ont laissé faire/fait ou doivent-ils couper tout lien afin de montrer que la nouvelle Allemagne est différente?

A travers le personnage principal du livre, on suit cette Allemagne sur une trentaine d'années. Le narrateur tombe amoureux à quinze ans d'une femme plus âgée que lui et vit une histoire d'amour jusqu'à ce que sa maîtresse disparaisse brutalement. Il ne retrouvera Hannah que biend des années plus tard lorsqu'elle sera jugée en tant que gardienne de camp de concentration.

L'amour reste-t-il intact malgré les actions que l'on peut faire? L'homme se distingue-t-il de ses actions? L'ordre est-il fait pour être désobéi? Que reste-t-il à l'homme une fois que toute dignité lui a été retiré et que vaut la vie après cela? Autant de questions que l'homme se pose depuis des siècles, mais auxquelles manifestement il n'a pas trouvé de réponses.

Il ne reste qu'à espérer que le film sera à la hauteur du livre, mais Kate Winslet devrait faire une excellente Hannah.

Transported back in time

For a real trip back in time, fashion wise at least, there are two current exhibitions well worth checking out. One is at the Chateau Versailles and it features an impressive collection of royal court dress, reunited together for the first time. The other exhibition, hosted by the Musee Galliera, features fashion from the Second Empire. The Galliera being located closer to us than Versailles, we headed there one rainy Saturday afternoon.

It certainly wasn’t a hard trip to make considering that I love the Musee Galliera. It is the city’s Museum of Fashion located inside a lovely 19th century building originally built for the Duchess of Galliera. It opened as a museum 1977. There are about 90,000 pieces in the Galliera collection, all of which which illustrate and display the developments in historical and contemporary fashion. The collection can only be viewed through special temporary exhibitions. In fact the museum opens only for these exhibitions which are either on a specific theme or designer. The rest of the time, the museum preserves and takes care of their collection. The first time I visited the museum was last year for the memorable Roaring Twenties Exhibition and I enjoyed it immensely. It was a rich exhibition featuring a number of rare Poiret dresses and early Chanel.

This time around, the exhibition (titled “Sous L’Empire des Crinoline") is all about fashion from the Second Empire or the years between 1852-1870. During this period, the crinoline was the symbol of the Second Empire’s fashion. Its form reflected the elegance of an époque that was living through the beginnings of the modern age. Crinoline fashion reflected this modernity with the rise of machines that allowed for greater production and the rise of designer as an artist in his own right. Rapid production meant more dresses could be more quickly available and innovations were quickly realized on even the way the crinolines were shaped. And the designer as artist, we only have to look at Rose Bertin anointed as Minister of Fashion by Marie Antoinette herself to see how the cult of “designer worship” may have had its beginnings. Also it wasn’t that long into the period of the Second Empire when the first formal house of couture was established by Charles Frederick Worth in 1857. I should also mention that it was at this time that the Grand Magasins saw their rise to pre-eminince. All these factors contributed to make Paris the luxury fashion capital of the world.

However uncomfortable some (if not all) of the dresses may have been, there’s no arguing that these dresses conveyed elegance and luxury. Appropriately enough, the first part of the exhibition begins with magnificent ball gowns. They are memorable confections in silk that have retained their luminosity even after all these years. Most of them have wonderfully intricate Chantilly lace shawls that reach almost to the floor. A peek at the labels reveals that some of them belonged to the Empress Eugenie herself. Of course one cannot always swan about in ball gowns so the second act was a display of more “modest” dresses for the day. These were dresses meant to be worn while living one’s daily life. This time they were colorful and richly patterned with flowers such as one dress worn by George Sand. Another beautiful day dress worn by the Princess Mathilde was a striking red and black stripes combination. Whether they were ball gowns or day dresses, one thing that struck me was how tiny the waists were! It must have been some work to fit into these clothes and makes me glad for the more forgiving fashions of today. I don’t think my waist could handle it.

Of course this exhibition wouldn’t be complete without the accessories that go with it. Some big names naturally accompanied the dresses---Mellerio dits Meller, Cartier and Boucheron came up with some fantabulous pieces. But accessories did not only mean jewelry. The exhibition featured the whole gamut, from delicate lace tipped fans, to ivory buckled shoes (again, the women must have had tiny feet because the shoes on display look like children’s shoes compared to today’s sizes), carved flacons of Guerlain, tiny purses and even tinier notebooks called carnet de ball which could sometimes be worn on the wrists. It’s amazing how much work went into the creation of all these objects that were designed for pure luxury. Devoted fashion students could literally spend hours peering into every detail that went into each and every dress and accessory.
For the price of a museum entry ticket, we were transported back to an era and style of living that has completely disappeared now. And I emerged from it lost almost in reverie, dreaming of the gracious life draped in silks and lace.

Some photos to induce you to make the trip...

Robe de ball vers 1866

Another lovely ball dress

A summer dress, complete with bolero, belt and skirt vers 1865

Practical Details:

Musee Galliera

10, avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie – 75116 Paris

tél.: 01 56 52 86 00

M° Iéna ou Alma Marceau

Until the 26th of April 2009

Is it worth giving a second chance?

I first heard about La Bellevilloise from Red Addict who had gone there to watch a concert. Based on her review of her evening it seemed like a nice place and I dutifully noted the address in my notebook. I was especially interested in trying it out since they served Sunday brunch. The perfect occasion arose recently when we needed to find a place for brunch in the general direction of Bobigny where an afternoon at the theatre awaited us. La Belleviloise seemed to be just the right place
So we set out with great anticipation. On that particularly quiet Sunday afternoon when it seemed that the whole neighborhood of Menilmontant had gone indoors for the familial lunch, it hardly looked like a place where a restaurant would be open. It was another thing all together within La Belleviloise. It is much larger than what you’d expect from its somewhat humble exterior. All together there are at least two buildings next to each other, one of which has three floors and the other called La Halle aux Oliviers where they have brunch. It actually has a long history behind it. The complex was founded in 1877 as the first cooperative in Paris. Its members intended to have a place where people could have free access to music, arts, politics and general culture. During the war, it served as a resistance center and was one of the first places to have equitable commerce among the different neighborhood merchants. It played quite an important role in the cultural and economic life of the Eastern side of Paris from 1910-1949. Currently it aims to provide ample space for all kinds of spectacles, exhibitions and concerts.

My first glimpse of La Halle aux Oliviers was promising. It’s a large light filled room with olive trees literally planted strategically in different parts of the room. It was also packed with people eating and chatting away while a jazz band played. And while we had taken precautions to reserve a table for six, in our case it meant being shoved near the entrance where a draft blew incessantly and next to the spread of fruits and jams. I was less than thrilled but I have to grudgingly admit that perhaps without a reservation, we might not have been even accommodated. Next unpleasant bit was the grumpy and snotty attitude of the person who was assigned to our table. I have come to accept (with great difficulty) the quality of French service (often mediocre, sometimes good) but this time around she was downright unpleasant. Its quite a testament to our patience (okay, mine) that we didn’t call her out on her surliness. After all, we were paying clients!
It’s a shame that service wasn’t better, though to be fair the other waitresses circling around were a bit friendlier than the unfortunate one we had, because the food while plentiful, isn’t exactly going to win any Michelin stars or even a value for money award. The way it works is that all the sweet stuff are laid out while you had a choice of three different plates of savories. There was a big spread of croissants, viennoiserie, pain perdu (which was my favorite of the whole spread), cookies and bread. They also had a big bowl of yogurt that you helped yourself to and a fruit salad to accompany it. For the hot plates, they had an English plate consisting of bacon (though they served it that day with normal ham)and eggs, Cheeseburger served with fries and the Charcuterie plate filled with cheese and at least two kinds of ham.

The nicest thing about the place was probably the Jazz Band. They were very good and it’s a shame I wasn’t able to get their name as I wouldn’t mind watching them again at a proper concert. And the room itself is quite charming with their olive trees here and there. It was also nice that it was very family oriented as attested to by the number of children running about and playing. I suppose I also have to mention that there is a chance that you will see some French actors having brunch too as we saw at least two while we were there. Granted, they weren’t Marion or Audrey, but I can attest that the other girls nonetheless recognized them!

Here you can get a glimpse of the buffet of sweets...

Practical Details (Maybe someone wants to give them a try nonetheless)

La Bellevilloise

19-21 rue Boyer

75020 Paris

01 46 36 07 07

Metro Gambetta or Menilmontant

Bus no 96

Eclipse

Il est amusant de constater que certaines lectures paraissent anodines et le sont finalement moins qu'ils ne paraissent. Tout le monde fait des gorges chaudes de L'attrape Coeur de Salinger, qui m'avait cordialement ennuyé, alors que la série Twilight est censée être pour adolescents et pourtant me fascine. Cernes, il n'est pas nouveau que j'ai une légère inclinaison envers tout ce qui touche aux vampires. On m'a dit que dans une vie précédente, j'avais dû être hippie à San Francisco et juive. Je suppose qu'après tout, rien n'empêche d'être les trois.

Ou mon intérêt pour la série tient-elle peut-être seulement au fait qu'elle me rapelle la période (relativement) bénie de l'adolescence où l'on pense que tout est à la portée de main (une fois qu'on est parti de chez ses parents bien sûr). Arrive l'âge adulte et comme dirait Monica dans Friends "Welcome to the real world. It sucks, you are going to love it!". Or not, whatever.

Eclipse continue dans la même veine que les précédents, sauf que l'introduction n'est plus à faire (comme dans Twilight) et l'action ayant été dominante dans le précédent tome -New moon-, ce qui permet à Stéphanie Meyer de poser quelques jalons pour des questions existentielles (toutes proportions gardées, c'est un bouquin pour ados, pas un écrit de Kant).

L'amitié, l'amour, le sacrifice, l'entrée dans la vie adulte, la mort, toutes ces sujets qui paraissent pour certains des évidences et qui pour moi restent des énigmes, sont évoqués plus intelligement que je ne m'y attendais. Certes, cela ne se ressent pas dans les six cent pages (et oui les écrivains américains sont payés à la page, donc si une série plaît, les tomes s'épaississent), mais assez pour que piquer mon intérêt, ce qui est une bonne chose, vu que l'histoire commence un peu à lasser -même si l'auteu a tenté d'introduite un peu d'action dans le couple, comme me l'a fait remarqué A.-. Je suppose qu'il est temps d'affronter la réalité plutôt que de me réfugier dans des histoires de vampires.

Living vicariously through a book

The minute I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read it. The cover featured a pretty pink dress that I wouldn’t mind wearing. The little blurb below the title–Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings?---clinched the deal for me.
The Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff is the story of Phoebe who realizes her dream of opening her own vintage store. Already, the story line had me hooked, given my fascination for all things vintage. It’s a dream come true and to all appearances, Phoebe is on her way to great success. But she is hiding a dark secret that threatens to overwhelm her. When she meets Therese, an elderly lady with her own collection to sell, a story to tell and a devastating secret of her own, Phoebe comes to realize that healing their past mistakes might not be so far off after all.
It was so much fun reading this book! If you’re a vintage fan and have dreams of opening your own store, this book is a vicarious way of doing it. Granted, real life doesn’t run half as smoothly as it does in books, but that’s precisely why it’s good to read this book. The plot runs smoothly and I really appreciated the details that the author put into it. Its light and breezy tone notwithstanding, it’s clear that the author put in some research so as to get the all the details right. So we get to read all about a Christie’s auction that Phoebe attends and the lengths she goes through to obtain a one of a kind Madame Gres dress, as well as read about taking a trip to Avignon to acquire more Broderie Anglaise. It’s almost as good as being there myself.
I also really liked that the focus wasn’t so much on the romance aspects of the book but on the character’s development. It’s a step up above the usual boy-meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after, storyline. All in all, a nicely diverting read that’s totally in keeping with the current vintage rage.

Portrait of a woman

Lord Byron once famously declared "that lobster salad and champagne were the only things a woman should ever be seen eating." If this were to be true, then French women would have a headstart given the importance of champagne in french life. Beyond the confines of France, champagne has come to symbolize high glamor and the good life. Its the drink of choice whenever there is a reason to celebrate. Undoubtedly, one of the most recognizable among the champagne houses is the Veuve Clicquot with its distinctive orange label. But as pointed out by author Tilar Mazzeo, hardly anything is known about the person behind the wine. And so she began a search for this elusive woman whose skill, acumen and audacity helped change and redefine the champagne industry.

Thanks to Mazzeo’s laudable efforts, we now have a book devoted to the story of The Widow Clicquot. As the author finds out in the course of her long research, very little material is actually available on Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin. There are only the barest details on her birth, marriage and subsequent widowhood. What the author has done, and in an excellent manner I might add, is to weave these details into a coherent and fascinating story that gives a good idea of the person. We learn for instance that Barbe-Nicole was widowed at a very young age and that rather than give up their shared dream, she chose to pursue the business. And under very perilous conditions. Interwoven into the Widow’s story is the dramatic and often turbulent history of France during the years of the 19th century. It is a tribute to the author’s skills that parts of the book read like a gripping thriller. For example while reading how the Widow conspired to be the first to ship her precious wines into Russia before the actual restoration of international trade at the end of the Napoleonic wars, I actually felt my tension mounting.

Apart from the story of the widow herself, this book is a great mine of information about the wine industry and how champagne itself has evolved. The champagne taste we know and love is actually very different from its original taste. Imagine it 10 to 15 times sweeter, served icy cold and you get an idea of what it used to be. But what is even more unimaginable is the fact that in the beginning, champagne bubbles that are its hallmark now were thought to be disgusting. In fact, wine makers tried very hard to get rid of it. And as for the tale that Dom Perignon was the inventor of the bubbly, it’s a myth. Hard as it is to believe, the British were the first ones to discover champagne.

At the end, I found myself deeply impressed by Barbe-Nicole and her incredible story. And while, centuries separate us, her words continue to resonate with as much, if not more, truth now.“The world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow. One must go before others, be determined and exacting, and let your intelligence direct your life. Act with audacity.”

Vampires (again and again)!

J'ai craqué. Je m'étais persuadée que je n'avais lu Twilight que pour rester un tant soit peu au courant des goûts de mes concitoyens, mais quand on m'a prêté la suite, je me suis enfermée chez moi et ai oublié le reste du monde.

Comme la plupart des suites, les tomes suivants n'égalent jamais le premier volume. Ce qui faisait la force de Twilight (à mon sens) était l'analyse et la description de ses personnages, situations, et de leurs sentiments. Stephanie Meyer s'est davantage consacré dans New Moon sur la narration de l'histoire, que l'on devine en plus plus ou moins (selon que vous ayez été attentifs avant). Il est aussi perturbant de voir que l'un des deux personnages principaux disparaît pendant une bonne moitié du livre.

Et pourtant, en dépit de tous ces reproches, la série est complétement addictive. J'ai essayé de me lever de mon lit, de faire autre chose, et je n'ai pas pu. Je savais globalement la fin (la loi des séries aidant) mais je voulais connaître le chemin pour y arriver! Certes Stéphanie Meyer n'est pas Victor Hugo, et Twilight n'est pas les Misérables, mais que c'est bon de retrouver une série pour laquelle on est prêt à faire des nuits blanches, ce qui ne m'était pas arrivé depuis Harry Potter. En tout cas, je sais ce que je vais faire ce week-end....

The Woman in the Fifth

Le livre me tentait depuis longtemps dans la vitrine du libraire (certains ont l'eau à la bouche en regardant les vitrines des boulangeries, moi ce sont les librairies qui me font cet effet), mais j'associais cet auteur aux Marc Levy and Co, donc j'ai résisté. Une bibliothèque permet de briser quelques unes de ces réticences.

J'ai été grandement surprise par The Woman in the Fifth, et ai vite été prise par l'histoire. L'histoire d'un loser américain, qui a tout perdu et se retrouve à Paris, est férocement drôle. La vision de Paris vu par un étranger est pour une fois réaliste, et non pas réduite à des clichés telle que Paris = Amor, French Kiss et pains au chocolat. Douglas Kennedy a manifestement beaucoup d'humour, et cela fait du bien.

Malheureusement, son roman pourrait illustrer une courbe de Gausse: l'intérêt monte très très vite, mais après avoir atteint un point culminant redescend tout aussi vite. L'auteur donne l'impression d'avoir été pris à son propre jeu, et qu'à force de construire de multiples intrigues, il ne sait plus comment s'en sortir, et sort un deus ex machina pour tout expliquer. Alors certes, il tient sa solution, mais pour le lecteur, c'est extrêment décevant. Il reste quand même les trois premiers quarts du livre qui ont été enchanteurs, alors après tout si l'on prend cela rationnellement, c'est à lire pour le plaisir que cela a procuré.

A beautiful discovery

At any given time, there are a number of things going on in the city. You could easily spend all your time visiting all the exhibitions both temporary and permanent in the city’s numerous museums. That said, its very easy to miss the less known museums. One good example would be the Musee Nissim Camondo. I’d first heard of this museum from Y, who, on her numerous visits to Paris was always keen to discover the little known gems of our fair city. A bit of online checking proved sufficient to entice us into spending the afternoon in the area. Fortunately, the Museum is located within a close proximity to the lovely Parc Monceau.

The park was established by Philippe d’Orleans , the Duke of Chartres in 1769. He was greatly fond of all things English and the Parc Monceau reflects this. It is different from other Parisian parks with its curved walkways and the absence of a formal layout. The park became state property in 1860 and it is thanks to Baron Haussman that half of the park’s area was saved for us to enjoy today. The other half was sold to form residential buildings. On a lovely sunny day it is packed full of people jogging, or picnicking on the grounds or generally just sunning themselves. It was certainly a great way to reach our destination of the day which lies just behind the park.

The Camondos were a rich Jewish family who established one of the largest banks in the Ottoman Empire. During Napoleon III’s reign in the 18th century, Abraham-Behor and Nissim, sons of the Patriarch Salomon, arrived in Europe to set up a European branch of their operations. They decided on Paris and they settled on two mansions overlooking the Parc Monceau. The brothers were astute bankers but their real passion was the collection of art. Nissim bequeathed the house on 63, rue Monceau to his son Moise in 1910. Moise was himself an avid collector of 18th century art and furniture and who by this time had a substantial collection of is own wanted to properly house his collection. He had the house destroyed and built from ground up according to his specifications. It was designed to resemble the Petit Trianon and a number of the rooms were fitted with 18th century wood paneling.

It is a lovely and gracious building. On the first floor are lovely rooms with which guests were welcomed. And while the outside façade may be 18th century the inside reflected a much more modern outlook. Unlike the usual 18th century residences where rooms were set next to each other without access to each area, all of the reception rooms were designed for guests to move in and out of the rooms which by the way overlook the garden, separated only by hedges from the Parc Monceau. Each room is tastefully filled with lovely pantings, rich Aubusson tapestries and delicate furniture fit for royalty. The upper floor hosts the former bedrooms of Moise’s children. Their rooms are no less richly furnished and you could spend hours gazing upon the art arrayed on the wall, the Chinese and Japanese porcelain and the furniture which was tastefully assembled obviously by someone with much good taste. Easily my favorite part of the house was the impressive library, located exactly at the center of the house. As such it has an impressive garden view. The library’s shelves are dark wood polished to a gleam and the upholstered chairs provide a comfy looking spot for which to peruse the books. During his lifetime, Moise was less taken with literature , as with art, though this did not prevent him from being a member of several bibliophile societies.

Here's a shot of the library...

A study of the family’s genealogy shows that the family did not fare so well in the intervening years. Moise’s only son, Nissim, to whom he wanted to bequeath the house and its treasures, was killed during WWI and as he was Moise's sole heir ( I don't know why he didn't leave it to his daughter), the house and its treasures were bequeathed to the Union Central des Artes Decoratifs. His only condition—that the museum be named after his beloved Nissim. Later on, Moise's daughter Beatrice and her family perished in WWII.

The family may be long gone but I suppose something of their spirit remains in the house they so loved. Far from being a sad or dark house, it is full of light and in a way, joy. It remains inviting to guests (as it must have been when the family actually lived there) and wandering around its rooms you get a good idea of the vibrancy of the lives lived within its walls.

One of the reception rooms on the upper ground floor...

Le Salon Bleu which was Beatrice's bedroom, turned into a study after she moved with her husband to their new home...

Practical Details...

Musee Nissim Camondo

63,rue Monceau

75008

Opening hours: Wed to Sat 10 am to 5:30 pm

The 3rd edition of the Salon du Vintage

It hardly seems possible that a year has passed since the last time I went to the Salon du Vintage. How time flies. When I read the flyers advertising this year’s Salon, I was quite excited since I had enjoyed the last one tremendously. I wondered though how they were going to fit in their new venue, the Cour du Marais located in the third arrondissement.
Despite being prepared to like the Salon, and despite being a fan in general of vintage, I was greatly disappointed with the Salon. The new venue was far too small to host the Salon. People were packed like sardines in the can and made browsing a chore. Walking around was close to an impossibility and you hardly had room to really take a good look at what was available. I couldn’t even take out my camera to take pictures, it was that claustrophobic. When I asked the woman who runs Frjp, one of the regular participants, she told me that the change in venue was due to the absence of any sellers of furniture. This year’s edition was concentrated on clothes and accessories, specifically the 80s period. That was a shame since having furniture and other objects really made last year’s Salon interesting to a greater number of people.
The venue being less than ideal, I nonetheless steeled myself to give a good look to what was there. And what really struck me were the outrageously expensive prices attached to most of the stuff on sale. I’m not an expert on vintage (at least, not yet), but I do go to vintage stores on a regular basis to stores that have been around a long time, and I can tell you that the prices in the Salon were tremendously inflated. One store was selling a small 80s Chanel bag, hardly in mint condition (it was scuffed pretty badly and the interiors were dirty) for the staggering sum of 1200 euros! I overheard one girl looking at the bag say in a mutter that “for such a price one might as well go to Rue Cambon to get a new one”. And I have to agree with her. I suppose with the rise in demand for all things vintage, the prices have accordingly gone up but what a disappointment this is. Vintage pieces can justify their high prices only under certain conditions, like the condition of the piece (it has to be pristine) and/or its rarity (last time I checked, Chanel bags are still selling like hotcakes). Like it or not, vintage clothes or bags, simply anything vintage, are things that have been used before and so prices should take into account their condition of usage. This unfortunate tendency of high prices have the corresponding effect of turning people away from vintage pieces and makes it out of reach to a good number of people.
So I didn’t love the Salon. The only saving grace as far as I was concerned was meeting a few people who had good, quality merchandise at still reasonable prices. More importantly they were nice, not at all snooty, and quite willing to discuss with you about the pieces they had. One was a nice woman who runs a on line vintage boutique called by Solange. She had lovely scarves from Gres, Cardin, YsL and Courreges ranging from 40 to 80 euros, a good number of dresses and jackets from Courreges and different bags. Oh and she had some lovely ladies gloves too! Another lady who similarly participates only in antique fairs had some fabulous jewelry. She had wonderful Art Deco necklaces and earrings, cool swinging Sixties necklaces and some pretty Trifari bracelets. Other notable pieces in her collection included Lanvin, Chanel and Versace. All her pieces were in mint condition and prices depended on their condition. She’s also not averse to giving a small discount if you’re really in love with one of her pieces. Thank goodness, there are still a number of sellers who have not jumped into this practice of inflating prices! Hope springs eternal that vintage hasn't completely become a thing of luxury.


Practical Details,
If you've time to spare today and the desire to be close (literally!) to humanity, the Salon du Vinage is at Le Cour du Marais
81 rue des Archives
75003
Metro: Temple

Playing tourist for an hour

Normally, I don’t look forward to going to the bank but as I had to go to my agence which is beautifully located at the Place Dauphine, it gave me the perfect opportunity to play tourist for an hour. The fact that today truly felt like spring made it even better. I walked across the Pont Neuf, struck afresh by how beautiful this city really is till I reached the Quai de l’Horloge. It wasn’t long before I reached the Place, which itself is just behind the Palais de Justice. I’d been here once before but had forgotten all about it. It’s a charming little place, and quiet, with just a few people lingering in the sun. It had quite an importance in the past as it was one of Henri IV’s most important urban projects. Construction was begun in 1607 and was finally completed in 1616. Funnily enough, Baron Haussman had planned to demolish the Place in order to construct an altogether different Place. Fortunately for us, such plans didn’t materialize.

There are a few restaurants in this Place and as it is literally next door to the Maison du Barreau and the Palais de Justice, its safe to say that the three restaurants were chock full of lawyers. After a bit of a gander, I chose La Rose de France on the eastern end of the Place. It had a charming look, with the interior windows slid open to let the sunlight in to those who had to dine inside. Needless to say their little terrase was full. Suited men lunched with impeccably dressed women (some with ginormous jewelry) and I in my jeans and sneakers, though golden in turn, must have stuck out slightly. Nonetheless I was welcomed warmly and given a nice table, not at all near the toilets!
The menu was surprisingly impressive for such a tiny place. Entrees included foie gras and smoked salmon, while the mains included gambas, steak, lamb and duck. Oh, and they also had escargot as a main dish! And if you’re not feeling quite like meat or fish, they also have giant salads plates that looked tempting and succulent. After a bit of a struggle, I decided on the plat du jour which was a nice roasted side of chicken served on a bed of tagliatelle noodles. It proved to be a delicious choice! The chicken baked just right, the meat retaining its juiciness without being undercooked. I couldn’t resist having dessert because as I walked in, I was immediately struck by the luscious looking fondant au chocolate decorated with slices of orange that the couple next to me were having. It proved to live up to its promise. The fondant had the perfect gooey center that melted as your fork cut into the cake. And they served it with thick orange based syrup on the side which complemented the chocolate in just the right way, the sauce making the dessert sweet yet tangy at the same time. The only quibble that I have for this place is its price. It’s not exactly a budget lunch. Entrees were 13 euros while main dishes were at 19. Their formule menu is 27 or 36 depending on whether you are having a two course or three course meal. Salads were a little more reasonable. Oh well. I guess the prices are pretty much within the price range of its regular habitués. Nonetheless, I can’t regret my lunch there. Good food, the sun shining brightly and a great view to enjoy. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Practical details

La Rose de France
24, Place Dauphine
75001 Paris
01 43 54 10 12

The beautiful Pont Neuf with La Samaritaine in the background...

Did you know that this little square just below the Pont Neuf was the original level of the Ile-de la Cite?.....