Magical moments in Paris

Motivation has been difficult to come by lately which means - for the first time in ten years - I have been lazy in feeding my blog. Inspiration is lacking albeit living in a worldly city such as Paris. For nearly a decade I  have been spoilt picking up the Parisian vibes as they come and taking advantage of all that the city of lights has to offer.

Eclectic as I am, rarely do I miss the occasion to adventure out to experience something new. My palate has been blessed with wonderful emotions and memorable stories: theatre class, cooking course, chocolate workshop, wine tasting, photography lessons, essay writing group, samba dancing, literary evenings, musical performances, classical concerts, jazz sessions, ballet premières, behind-the-scene opera insights, warehouse light shows, city tours, historical visits, UNESCO gatherings, Grand Palais openings, charity events, cultural encounters, ambassador's' receptions, consular lunch invitations, business networking hubs, peaceful manifestations, fashion shows, foodie gatherings, garden parties, heritage days, National Christmas bazaars, Foundation vernissages, Europe's largest flea market, the flavours and colours of the fresh produce "marchés" and I am forgetting many more.

However, the most memorable moments remain the magical terraces views: from the roof top yoga class looking onto the Eiffel Tower, to a farewell picnic on top of the Arc de Triomphe. A clandestine champagne brunch on the Eiffel tower's second floor springs to mind as does the unforgettable grand opening of the Peninsula Palace or the well-deserved pink champagne glass in the rose garden on top of Hotel Raffael. The first visit to the Louis Vuitton foundation and its many level terrasses was breathtaking as is the view of the St.Jacques tower in the city center. The ice rink on top was the Eiffel Tower was another fun moment.

So, the lights have gone out for a while but I am ready to jump into action and start "flaneusing" around town as soon as the portals open up again... and it looks like it will happen soon... slowly but surely. Stay tuned!

Tour de St.Jacques

Centre Pompidou

Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

Tour de St.Jacques

Arc de Triomphe

Tour Eiffel

Fondation Louis Vuitton

Peninsula Hotel terrace

Eiffel Tower

UNESCO building

Maison Blanche roof top yoga session

Galeries Lafayette roof top ice rink

The power of food

It is normal to feel homesick when you are living away from your home but I start feeling homesick when I return to Switzerland. This manifests itself especially in delicious food. My favourite shopping spree is not to the fancy fashion boutiques but rather a quick runaround the Coop, one of Switzerland's two supermarket giants. Further, I just cannot resist those Early Beck bakery's? Too many temptations in too many shapes and colours. I call it Swiss comfort food... here are some of my favourite.

Teatime on the balcony. A chocolate-filled Carac with my tea.

 

Expat Girls favourite: Chiacchiere di Carnevale

Take-away lunch on top of the mountain 

The most Swiss of all drinks: Ramseier and Rivella

Hot chocolate last year in a cosy café

Hot chocolate on-the-go this year due to Covid restrictions 

I'll take them all, please. Carac and Vermicelles

No winter holiday is complete without a raclette accompanied by a glass of Fendant

Gruyères' best kept secret outside of Switzerland: meringues and cream

A typical Swiss light lunch: Laugenbrötli, Bündnerfleisch, Salat und Ramseier

Cannot get enough of those tea cakes

An epic chocolate bar for yourself or as a present

This little lemon cake made it all the way back to Paris for teatime.

Napoli's Golden Boy

Making nearly 200 appearances in a golden era for Serie A side Napoli, Diego Maradona was affectionately named "El Pibe del Oro" or "The Golden Boy" and it's not hard to see why. With 81 goals for the Italian giants, garnering two titles and a Coppa Italia, Maradona shone with Partenopei, becoming one of the greatest players in the club's history. It was in Naples that Maradona’s status as a footballing deity, at least as far as the inhabitants of this gritty southern Italian city were concerned, was confirmed.

Nowhere was Maradona's hypnotic talent and personality more adored than in Naples helping the unfancied club to usurp Milan and Juventus. It really was a match made in heaven, the diminutive street urchin from the wrong side of the tracks in partnership with a dramatic, chaotic city in southern Italy that felt undervalued and looked down upon from the great cultural cities further north, of Rome, Turin and Milan.

"Napoli non e Italia" (Napoli is not Italy), Maradona used to say. He felt right at home in a city where wealth, poverty, violence and football all co-existed on a daily basis.

He might have partied hard and with the wrong people, but the good memories are stronger and here Diego Armando Maradona will forever take his seat next to God under the "cielo azzurro" of Napoli.

It took Napoli mayor only 24 hours after Maradona's death to rename the San Paolo's football stadium in his honour: Diego Armando Maradona stadium.

Forza Napoli SEMPRE!

Curva B, in infamous fan club area of the stadium turned into an improvised Christmas shrine.

This mural dating from 1990 by Argentine artist Francisco Bosoletti has turned into a shrine since his death on Nov 25th, 2020.

The adoration is plastered across the city.... literally!

Little does it matter that Maradona played for Napoli over 30 years ago... he is still omnipresent...

... in every nook and cranny of this city...

... where even Japanese Napoli fans welcome!

This mural by street artist tvboy lasted only a few days back in 2018.

Souvenirs, souvenirs!!!

The spirit of Haute Couture

Honour where honour is due. Prestigious names that the whole world dreams of. Whether it be for a monogram or simply for a spot of window shopping, usually Avenue Montaigne is bustling with tourists and locals enjoying an extraordinary day among the grand hotels and luxury brands.

Last week, I was pretty much on my own strolling down the most sophisticated avenue of Haute Couture savouring the fashion paradise offering window after window of high-class prêt-à-porter and luxury labels. Obviously, luxury does not rank high on priorities these days albeit the holiday season, nevertheless is was a sad sight peeping through the windows and seeing empty shops with bored staff waiting in vain for clients. 

The Avenue Montaigne, at the very heart of the Golden Triangle, is punctuated with world-class boutiques, from French brands to Italian designers.

The iconic Chanel store encompasses 400 square meters of sleek interior mirroring the brand’s signature aesthetics with tweed sofas and an elegant palette of beige, white and gold. 

The Dior boutique is known for its eclectic changing façades. It was built in 1865 by the illegitimate son of Napoleon. In 1947, Christian Dior, presented an impressive 90-piece collection to magazine editors at his recently acquired Parisian townhouse on Avenue Montaigne. 

The Christian Dior shop at 30 Avenue Montaigne is currently closed for large works. The reopening is planned in 2021 with 3,000 m² of sales space, a "Galerie Dior" and a garden restaurant.

The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées was made famous by the creation of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” in 1913. Today's Parisian reality looks quite different!

A dreamy festive window by Repetto.

Fendi’s Paris flagship is known for its Baguette Wall, dedicated to the house’s cult handbag style – perfect for those who are looking for a one-of-a-kind item.

This is Paris. This is the avenue. This is Dior, Dietrich and diamonds. This is where icons and trends are born and love stories have played out since 1913: the Hotel Plaza Athéenée!

Christmas spirit

"May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve."

Best X-mas gift this year. 

A Swiss touch in the kitchen

X-mas table decorations: simple, traditional and festive

We cannot go without the Italian Panettone 

Busy baking with Expat Girl

In remembrance of Nonna... struffoli fatti in casa!

Babà au rhum à la napolitaine.