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

If it weren't for the Eiffel tower...

As usual we hit the ground running upon returning to Paris after a long summer break... however, it all took a turn for the worse last week... tons of administrative backlog, various water leaks, annoying neighbours, schedules turned upside down, forgetful suppliers, and unexpected motoric limitations had me come to a screeching halt. 

Furthermore, the limitations due to sanitary protocol have put a big damper on French laissez-faire lifestyle. It was all hunky dory while the sun was shining but with the first rainfall and cool temperatures the mood seems to have changed. Don't get me wrong Parisians are still out and about but the city has definitely lost its sparkle... at least for the time being! 

It's just an illusion...

An invitation to the Musée de l'Illusion popped up on my facebook feed... that's weird I have not heard of this museum before. A bit of googling confirms it has opened just one month ago. There is no excuse I gather my girlfriends and we are off to explore.

Turns out it is not really a museum rather a few rooms scattered over two floors hidden under a scaffolding in the 1st arrondissement. Our first impression is a rather spartan space but as we go along with the interactive experiences and shoot the photos we are invited to take from a specific place in each section the fun gets better and better.

The parcours exercised our little grey cells by providing a scientific and rational explanation for what our eyes could neither explain nor understand. Every corner of the museum taught us extraordinary things about our vision, our perception and the functioning of our intellect. The goal was to discover why our eyes perceive things that are incomprehensible to our brain.

My first is surreal, my second is as educational as it is playful and my third is unique curiosity. Who am I?..... An optical illusion!

Of the three of us, I was the only one brave enough to jump into an illusion created by the Vortex Tunnel that at first was fun but then drove me slightly crazy as I made my way forward stepping through what seemed a slowly rotating cylinder. What began as a light-headed sensation turned into a real struggle – and yet the surface was completely stable and flat!

For over an hour our reliance on senses were tricked and as we entered the fascinating world of illusions we were confused and amazed... and ultimately also educated!

It's all about deceiving your eyes and entertaining the mind! Definitely worth a try but be sure to visit at a time without too many people, and take your camera with you.

Having fun in the smart playroom

Vortex Tunnel: more challenging than I thought!!!

Can you see him?

Feeling slightly sick looking down into the void.

It's all about illusions!

Charlotte Perriand, pioneer of modernity

When your BFF comes to town the best place to take her is the Fondation Louis Vuitton. It is an outing that combines trendiness, beauty, art, culture, nature and food all in one!

Little did I know about Charlotte Perriand, a French architect and designer, but that wouldn't really matter because the magnificent building is so impressive whatever is inside will be just fine.

Boy was I in for a surprise... who knew that this multitalented artist was Le Corbusier's sidekick... or shall I say his famous chair was actually designed by a woman named Charlotte Perriand? Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society. Her approach to design included taking in the site and appreciating it for what it was.

Charlotte Perriand wanted to work for Le Corbusier and pursue serial production and low-cost housing. She was inspired by Le Corbusier's books, because she thought his writings that criticized the decorative arts aligned with the way she designed. When she applied to work at Le Corbusier's studio in October 1927, she was famously rejected with the reply "We don't embroider cushions here." A month later, Le Corbusier came across her work while visiting the Salon d'Automne, which convinced him to offer her a job in furniture design.

At Le Corbusier's studio, she was in charge of their interiors work and promoting their designs through a series of exhibitions. Perriand described the work as being highly collaborative between Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and herself; they were "three fingers on one hand."

I spent three hours strolling in and out of gallery halls exploring the links between art, architecture and design by a pioneer of modernity, a leading figure of the twentieth century design, who contributed to the definition of a new art de vivre.

Charlotte Perriand truly invented a New World as the exhibition's title promised. It was a pleasure to be taken on the journey of her long, productive, fascinating life.

Recognise the chair and the chaise-longue in front of Fernand Leger's painting?

Charlotte adored Isamu Noguchi's lanterns

A miniature model of Charlotte's world

Snapshot of the past

Avangarde, timeless and so up-to-date

A page out of Charlotte Perriand's scrapbook

The embodiment of Charlotte's vision of a “synthesis of the arts”

Perfect layout for today's chambre de bonne on the 6th floor!

How small, simple and functional can a kitchen be?

My absolute favourite: "Le refuge tonneau" is a

transportable mountain igloo with the interior space of 8m2 built in 1938!

The artist's concepts were in high demand and she worked on many projects from ski resorts to student housing.

Charlotte Perriand put into practice the concept of prefabrication where all components were prefabricated and organized around a tubular steel frame. 

The refuge camp for 6 people had everything you needed to stay toasty on a cold winter night.

Charlotte Perriand looks like quite a character! 

In 1940 the artist sails for Japan where she has been appointed as an advisor on industrial design to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The teahouse she designed in 1993 in the garden of UNESCO’s global headquarters in Paris, is an affectionate homage to the ones she had visited in Japan.

"La maison au bord de l'eau" never saw physical execution un til the LV foundation decided to give it a go. The plans for "the house by the water" were first drafted over eighty years ago, in 1934.

The inside living space... 

... and the original sketch by Charlotte Perriand.

November week in pictures

Taking advantage of all Paris has to offer and enjoying the vibes all while ignoring the agressive cars honking, the unfriendly waiters serving and the looming general strike ahead!

Friday morning breakfast on the Eiffel tower and the sun is shining...

Paris on its best behaviour!

Visit to the French National Library on a Saturday afternoon.

Discovering the art in Paris' metro stations.

A Sunday afternoon stroll with Paris dressed in autumn colours.

Monday night and I'd rather walk than take the metro.

A cultural evening out at the Grand Palais followed by ...

... un chocolat chaud entre copines at the bistro around the corner.

Wednesday evening the lights went out for a second in our arrondissement... that was a first!

Thursday is Thanksgiving and the preparations are in full swing

Friday at the Swedish Christmas market looking for goodies...

... and discovering new parts of town.

Saturday morning and Expat Boy brought back a Milanese panettone!

Je mange donc je suis...

How can I resist an exhibit entitled "Je mange donc je suis"? Even more so when my teenage daughter asks me to accompany her because it's part of a TOK homework assignment. Theory of knowledge will ring a bell IB (International Baccalaureate) parents!?!

Of course, the fact that it is held at the Musée d l'Homme is another plus not to mention that "Je mange donc je suis" must be one of the most quintessential phrases for the rhetoric, erudite, food-loving French.

I eat, therefore I am....

How does the act of feeding oneself, vital and daily, at the same time shape our identities through cultural practices, rituals and prohibitions? What role has food played in our evolution? Are there any "gendered" foods? What are the environmental impacts of producing resources to feed the world today and tomorrow?

Discussing all these questions with a teenager - ignoring the TOK complaining - was enlightening as we discussed the development of taste, table manners, gastro-diplomacy, agricultural models, culinary heritage and meat consumption. No, Expat Girl was not becoming a vegetarian under my roof.

A good mix between the research carried out by scientists from the National History Museum and works by modern and contemporary artists including Pablo Picasso, Gilles Barbier, Pilar Albarracin and Liu Bolin, as we discovered preconceived ideas on how we produce and consume food.

Albeit feeling slightly doomed as it seems we are heading towards ever increasing contemporary food-related challenges, it did satisfy our appetite… for knowledge!

A peek out of the Musée de l'Homme onto the Eiffel Tower

An unusual tourist strolling around Trocadero

Gilles Barbier's hommage to chocolate!

A simple, unpretentious museum with a nick for unconventional exhibits.