The Anti-Museum

Rebellious and uncompromising, the Palais de Tokyo is the one of the best venues in world to experience art with all your senses.  Play gondolier, disappearing through the flooded Acquaalta (Céleste Boursier-Mougenot); marvel the butterfly wings, shed snakeskin, eggshells and painting on ashes (Patrick Neu); and freak out your five year old with the grotesque but kitschy imagery of Tianzhou Chen.

My favorites, definitely Baitogogo (Henrique Oliveira), a spectacular Gordian knot that organically emerges as if from the womb of the building; and Le Païpe, a series of geometric abstractions and monochrome landscapes (Isabelle Cornaro).  Grab a snack at Tokyo Eat, or be seen on the Terrace and just exude intellectual cool at Monsieur Bleu.

A train, A Boat, A Plane, A Camel, and Frank’s Masterpiece

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Jardin D’Acclimatation makes for a seemingly odd juxtaposition.  Like everything else in France, even the amusement parks have an air of elegance.  This retro-chic attraction in the midst of the wonderful Bois de Boulogne is, without a doubt, my child’s favorite part of our stay.  Fresh churro coated in sugar and dipped in nutella in hand, she excitedly darted from ride to ride, played games long since retired at any other stateside parks, rode everything from a lazy river boat to a camel, finally collapsing in the grass to watch a play called (I kid you not) Circus Vegetables.

Don’t get me wrong, this can be a day trip enjoyed by all ages.  Instead of the typical fair food, you can opt for a lunch at the Terrace or one of the Angelina café branches or grab an incredible snack, treat or just a luscious ristretto lungo at one of the too-cute food trucks.

Exhausted from all the child’s play?  Too bad, Gehry’s architectural gem, the Fondation Louis Vuitton should not be missed.  Marvel at the house of LVMH, and cap off your day with dinner at Le Frank.

Marché Madness

The last two weekends have been spent frolicking with Paul Bert, Biron, Dauphine, Jules Valès and the rest of the gang down the Rue des Rossiers.  Cabinets for my curiosities – check; curiosities for my cabinets – check; bric a brac and brocante – check; that once in a lifetime find – check, check, check!

Wow, I don’t know if it is the economy, possible Grexit, the Euro’s recent and precipitous demise, or just luck of the draw – we happened on some killer finds.   As usual, my favorite Marche aux Puces de Vanves, yielded the best results.  “Bonjour monsieur, combien pour tout?  Vraiment?  Oh oui, je vais prendre tout!”

Stay tuned fellow Francophiles, our treasures are coming home.

Canicule

The hot period between July and early September; a scorching heat wave that lasts for at least three consecutive days, with no relief from intense temperatures at night.

One of the worst things about renting an apartment in Paris can be the lack of air conditioning for those “dog days” – the best part, just have to stay in the hotel for a few more days.   It’s been crazy hot the past week, so we have retreated to our 16^th haven (heaven, whatever) and haven’t even been leaving to cruise the city until late afternoon. 

This does highlight a tourist insider bonus – there are practically no lines at any attractions this time of day.  Hidden inside these solid stone edifices are cool sanctuaries of even cooler works.  Sure there is the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, the Pompidou, Rodin and Picasso Museums, but my absolute favorites lie in the Jardin des Plantes.  The Museums of Natural History, especially the Grande Galerie de L’Évolution and the Galleries D’Anatomie Comparée et de Paléontologie.  For something a little off the grid, my husband recommends the Musée des Art et Métiers, or way off the grid, his favorite Musée Dupuytren, hidden inside the School of Medicine.

A Marvelous Day in the Marais

This morning for breakfast, instead of the ubiquitous and undeniably faultless croissant, we opted for a selection of King Leopold’s favorites - waffles from Meert.  No Waffle-house here – these are a refined bunch with flavors like praline with puffed rice, pistachio and morello cherry, blackcurrant and violet, and raspberry with Séchouan pepper. 

After the obligatory visit to Merci (is it just me, or has it kind of lost its cache), we headed down the street to the three story BonTon to do more Solde damage.  Skip the lower Marais (now too bland and blasé) and wander the upper’s crooked streets and marvel the swamp to swank transformation.  Do check out Place des Voges – my preferred address after I hit the loto.

L'Oiseau Blanc

In 1927 a French biplane disappeared in the Atlantic while making a transatlantic flight from Paris to New York.  In 2015, an American girl disappeared for a few days while attempting a summer-long apartment stay in Paris.

All right, I admit I have a thing for new hotels – plus, it was a surprise, plus, it was my birthday, and a milestone at that.  The meticulous restoration of this Haussmanian classic; soft tones accented with high-gloss, chic, simple, elegant was utterly sumptuous.

The service, impeccable; the staff, so accommodating, it makes you blush; the room, control everything from your über-comfy bed.  Special word about the bathroom, a marvel of marble, a swoon-worthy bathtub, and ooh, I’m going to miss you all-inclusive Toto.  You know you are in a great hotel, when even your five year old wants to repeatedly go to the bathroom.

Watching the sunset over the rooftops while finishing our dessert in the conservatory of a restaurant, the Eiffel tower twinkling to life like a fantasy – heaven!