Merry Christmas

Last run of 2013

I just couldn't resist posting more photos of my morning jog through the Bois de Boulogne. The Weather Gods have been accompanying us throughout this month in Paris. I can stand the cold, I can resist the rain but I cannot go without sunshine. We have been blessed with lots of bright sun this winter and there is no better way to take advantage than being outside in the nature.

Now, as to my New Year's resolutions... run more in able to eat more chocolate!!! As someone once said: “Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

A picture-perfect scene

A romantic Paris

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. 

It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. 

It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.

It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle 

when the sun comes up you'd better be running."

First frost

Uhh, I can spot the Saveurs Pompiers under the hut

Worshipping the sun

Christmas spirit at the Bon Marché

The Bon Marché is the epitomy of French shopping. You will find no tourists. As a matter of fact, you'll find hardly any people unless you happen to go on a Saturday. This is rather unfortunate because it is a very posh department store full of creativity and style along resolutely contemporary lines.

They sell the most prestigious brands from the world of luxury goods, unique and innovative furniture, original and exclusive kitchenware, unsusal books, delicious gourmet delicacies, the best brands of lingerie. You name it, they'll have it.

The other day I took myself off to admire the Christmas decorations under the unusual setting of the renovated glass ceiling on the 2nd floor. I indulged into to some Christmas nostalgia. I miss the anglosaxon Christmas overindulgence during December. The purple spiral lights down the Champs Elysées just don't do the job for me. I DO like the fuchisa fake Christmas trees some of the florists are selling. They seem to have sold out within a week! Long live kitch!

One of four Christmas trees

Classic deco

Deco for the kids

A natural touch

Bright creche figurines

Red, Gold & Green

A distinct Parisian ambiance

A chic Parisian Gingerbread man

Le Bon Marché's Christmas window display

La Grande Epicerie and the Cuban defilé

Supposedly the Cubans carry arrangements of fruit on their head? Well, tonight the French went overboard with their love for food.

I am talking about the reopening of the newly-fitted mecca of gourmet food: La Grande Epicerie, a Parisian institution which occupies an area just short of 3,000m2. This food hall belongs to the Le Bon Marché, a department store which oozes French style and attitude. In 1852, Aristide Boucicaut invented modern shopping as we know it by creating the world's first department store, Le Bon Marché. Effectively it is the French that shop there, the tourists are lured to the Galleries Lafayette, buy the bus loads.

First, my hubby and I descended into the remarkable wine department on the lower ground and then browsed around the main floor. All those aisles of gourmet products (30'000) and everybody is busy mingling, not one pick pocketer in sight! I wonder how much budget the management calculated for stolen goods tonight? It would also help if the management weren't chewing gum.

The most surprising fact this evening was not the store itself - which was fine the way it was - but the clientèle that showed up, everybody from classic middle-aged to the young & hip. Bourgeoisie was their common denominator. This proves Le Bon Marché has hit their target spot-on and know their shoppers.

Anyways, the defilé that followed was surprising. The staff received a round of well-deserved applause and cheers as they marched through the shop in one line - some even playing well-aged instruments. However, the headgear of the ladies and gentlemen was mind-boggling. Cheese plates, Seefood platers, Fruit baskets, Patisserie peaks, spoon mountains were worn on heads and shoulders depending on the department they worked at.

I have come to the conclusion I have yet to understand the food psychology of the French. In the meantime, upon our departure we were kitted out with a shopping bag which we could fill with goodies for the next morning. What a charming idea? My kids will love their breakfast tomorrow and wonder what they did to deserve this treat!

Merci. C'était un vrai plaisir!

Baking Gingerbread Men for charity

Expat girl and I share a passion: baking! When she was a toddler we used to make Swiss Christmas biscuits. Of course, I always ended up cutting and baking the last couple of batches because the icing part was so much more fun. For the past two years, we stepped it up a little by making a gingerbread house from scratch which she would share with her class mates.

This year my little girl asked me if we could make something to raise money for the charity stall at the school's holiday bazaar. She wanted support a project that provides clean, safe water to communities by drilling wells in African villages. Since neither of us are very artistic and do not have the patience for manual crafts, we decided on something we both enjoy: baking.

We produced an army of Gingerbread men and X-mas trees. Needless to say the icing part is still the most fun. 

Seeing the little kids' faces as they reached for the festive-wrapped gingerbread cookies was worth the trek across Paris to find the gingerbread man cutter and the cellophane bags the day before.

Expat girl will go down in Primary School history as the Gingerbread Girl.

Hunting for the Gingerbread Man

What started as a cultural morning at the Musée de l'Orangerie turned out to be a fast-track Paris gourmet tour for my dear Spanish friend who just moved to the city of art, fashion and gastronomy.

Having booked the tickets a month in advance, we were on the fast-track to beat the tourists into Frida Kahlo's exhibit at the Orangerie. The five-minute wait in the sunshine was actually quite invigorating. I have learnt to appreciate every minute of sunshine in this city, however brief it might be!

Needless to say the works of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo turned out all I expected them to be: emotional, fervent, passionate and inspiring.

The plan thereafter was to head towards Mora, Paris' reference when it comes to kitchen apparel. However, we did get slightly sidetracked on the way there. This is what happens when you decide to cross Paris by foot rather than go underground!

We picked up a few books at WH Smith (the largest English bookshop in France since 1903), then had a second breakfast at Angelina's, Paris it-place for hot chocolate and Mont Blanc patisserie. Full of strength, we hit the posh concept store Colette. I was told about the "water bar" serving more than 100 brands of bottled water. Very inspiring but also very expensive, we swiftly carried on past Claus, another hip place for brunch. We passed Eric Kayser - contemplating whether to buy his world-best croissants - but carried on along Rue Saint-Honoré. We discovered the neoclassical passage Gallerie Vérot-Dodat home to not one but TWO Christian Louboutin stores!

We whizzed by the Cathedral Saint Eustache, checked out the market stalls in it's shadow and heading down Rue Montmartre could not resist entering Relief Deco, universe of professional bakery, pastery and chocolate material. We finally reached our destination Mora, which offers the best selection of chocolate molds in Paris.

But oh my, in their selection of over 5000 products they did NOT stock what I was searching for: a gingerbread-man cookie cutter! Now how would you say Gingerbread Man in French???

Not to worry, another quick trot across the road to La Bovida. The first floor is like Ali Baba's cavern and boasts over 10'000 references, everything from food wrappers to delicatessen pepper and salts... as well as Gingerbread Man cookie cutters. Hurray!!

At this point, I could not resist to point out Paris' specialty food stores G.Detou to my well-natured following friend. Perfect for stocking up on holiday goods. Chocolate, mustard, honey, olive oil, fois gras, pistachio paste, you name it.

Time to head home to bake...run, run, run, he's the Gingerbread Man, we have found him with our brilliant master plan!

When contemporary meets Marie Antoinette

For two years I have been wondering how to get into the Conciergerie - a former royal palace converted into a prison during the French Revolution - without having to queue for hours! Those destined for the guillotine would languish here, as Marie Antoinette did. Today was my chance to step back in history. An invitation to a private guided visit through Pinault's contemporary art collection was plain simply irresistible. Especially when offered after hours which means no people. This is a luxury in overcrowed touristy Paris.

Mr Pinault had the Ile Segur in mind to create a home for his immense collection but had made his plans without the French bureaucracy. Ironically, we had just been to Ile Segur on Sunday night which now houses the impressive Cirque du Soleil. Small world!

The exhibition, "À Triple Tour" (Triple Locked), brought together some 50 paintings, photographs, and installations pertaining to captivity, whether criminal, political, mental, or emotional. I had never heard of the 22 artists, mostly being exhibited for the first time, but you learn every day. I had booked the ticket as a treat for my hubby who loves contemporary art. Needless to say he was away on a buisness trip therefore a keen girlfriend jumped in and joined me on my adventure.

The Hall of the Guards, one of the largest surviving medieval parts of the Conciergerie presented a fascinating Gothic backdrop for the ecclectic mix of modern vs antique.

I wonder what Marie Antoinette would have made of it?

Pistoletto's La Gabbia

Chernobyl's new inhabitants

Boris Mikhailov's unhappy girl

Mona Hatoum's bunker

Julie Mehretu's Chimera

Unsettling work of two Chinese artists Yuan & Yu

Halloween in Iraq???

The most disturbing piece of art by Australian Kristian Burford: "Last night you brought a man up to your room after having a late drink at the hotel room. Knowing that you are HIV positive you had sex which caused him to bleed. After a day of meetings you now return to your room."

Damien Hirst's pharmacy. Just hope the cleaning lady doesn't take to the cabinets.

Chinese art meets French gothic

Justin Matherly lost in time and space

Friedrich Kunath's "Past is a foreign country"

A stunning collection with a magnificent backdrop

An unexpected morning treat

Today I needed a break from the world. Yes, it even happens to me. After a weekend that did not go exactly as planned (yes, I am a control freak) and a dinner meal that didn't digest the way it should have, I was thrilled to see the sun shining this morning.

A quick check on my weather app revealed 7°C. "It's warm outside" I told my puzzled-looking husband. Amazing how your perspectives can change. After last year's freezing winter, a mere 7°C seem like a treat. And off I went for my morning run.

Even though we are beginning December, we are blessed with the colours of an Indian summer thanks to a mild autumn. This morning's jog through the Bois de Boulogne was a real delight.