Living in Paris 2. September 12, 2016

Wandering in Paris neighborhoods - Near St Sulpice church in the 6th arrondissement, the famous Hotel Lutetia is being restored and the Lutetia swimming pool has been transformed in an amazing Hermes store! As anything and everything they design, it is extremely well done and perfectly edited!

Close by is Le Bon Marché: the world's first department store created in 1852 by Mr & Mrs Boucicaut.

In 1923, they added a food counter. Since LVMH took over in 1988, La Grande Epicerie has become the capital's leading food store with products from all over the world.

Later on we met an old childhood friend (Isabelle was in school with her), Muriel V. lives in Toulouse and unfortunately we do not have many opportunities to see her. How much memories and fun to share after so many years of friendship!

Onto visiting "La biennale des antiquaires" in Le Grand Palais with Martine, Isabelle's sister.

The Biennale has been a must-event to attend for Parisians, collectors and art lovers for the past 50 years: a representation of the French Art de Vivre. Starting in 2017, it will be an annual event.

Our favorite piece: This sconce in a shape of butterfly. It was designed around 1925 by Armand Albert Rateau decorator (1882-1938) for Jeanne Lanvin and crafted by Bagues.

That evening, we met Pierre's parents to have dinner at L'Audacieux where Pierre's nephew Martin F. is an assistant chef. A very interesting culinary experience - highly recommended!

A Saturday morning at the Marché aux Puces (flee market) at the Porte de Clignancourt. It is an amazing maze of antiques and everything from old to not so old! We spent time at the markets Paul Bert, Biron and Serpette. A good place to have lunch is the Philippe Starck decorated restaurant Ma Cocotte. The bears hanging on the side of the armoire in the last picture are by the sculptor animalier François Pompon .

Enjoying dinner at our friends Virginie R. and Didier G. with a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower from their terrace. Virginie is the chief of the international desk of Les Echos (a French business daily newspaper) and Didier, her husband also an international business journalist. Guess what we talked about? U.S.Elections, of course!

An "aperitif" at Isabelles's sister Martine M. St G. with niece Elsa M. St G. to welcome back niece and nephew Léa and Jules M. St G. from their trip to Burning Man, the Wild West and Austin with Agathe. We were so happy to know that all went very well and hear all about their adventures and how much they loved it all!

A little walk in our neighborhood to check out a design concept store that Isabelle favors: La Compagnie de l'Orient et de la Chine, located 170 Boulevard Haussmann, 8th Arrondissement. This store also hosts a nice little asian restaurant: Yoko.

As Pierre is visiting his sister Laure F. in Brittany, Isabelle is visiting her distant but very dear cousins Maryline K. and her mother, Juliette M. St G. Juliette and Isabelle's parents had been very close. Both mother and daughter are a lot of fun, Maryline is an artist, showing here a musical robot piece by a french artist: Benoît Couturier.

And enjoying dinner with Mona K. Isabelle and Mona met when they were students. Mona is from Lebanon, we visited her in Beyrouth in 1976 during the war. Memories of much fun and scare at the same time.

An afternoon with Martine at Palais Galleria Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris

Pierre returns from Brittany and meets Isabelle and her cousins at Anne-Douce K. Anne-Douce is married to Gregory, they have two adorable children Marie and Théo. Anne-Douce mother, Christine M. is married to Jim M. Christine is another of Isabelle's distant cousins but very close in her heart as they all spent a lot of time together growing up.

Caroline L. a dear friend and an organizer-guide for american tourists visiting Paris recommended us to go to the Galerie J. Kugel, to see this amazing exhibit called: A Mechanical Bestiary, a collection of Automaton Clocks of the Renaissance. What a feast for the eyes!

We couldn't miss the Paris new hot spot, a bar and restaurant on the top of the Hotel Peninsula, l'Oiseau Blanc (another recommendation from our friend Caroline L). L'Oiseau Blanc was the name of the French plane, a Levasseur PL.8 biplane , that disappeared in 1927 during an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Paris and New-York and competing for the Orteig Prize. L'oiseau Blanc was flown by French World War I aviation heroes, Charles Nungesser and François Coli. Nungesser and Coli vanished only few days prior to the successful crossing from NY to Paris by Charles Lindbergh on the Spirit of St Louis. A replica of the plane L'oiseau Blanc (75% of actual size) is hanging over the central court of the hotel facing the windows of the restaurant.

The following day, on an other beautiful summer day in Paris, we decided to take the "Batobus". The river boat shuttle on the Seine that stops at nine stations where you can hop on and off. Great way to see Paris thru a different eye. We stopped at Le Louvre, lunch in Ile de la Cité, "les bouquinistes", etc... Fun to watch people along the Seine playing "boules", taking the sun, just enjoying life! There is a few cafés on "péniches boats" with flowered terraces that look very appealing like: la Balle au Bond. We did not have enough time!!!

That evening our great friends Dominique and Jacques G., the same friends we visited in London were in Paris and invited us to The Bastille Opera for a representation of Tosca. None of us had ever experienced so much talent, it was a very memorable evening! Thank so so much again Micou et Jacquo!

The next day, Saturday September the 24, the weather was even better and we headed to have lunch in the garden of the restaurant of the Musée des Arts Decoratifs with our friends Marie- Claude and Bernard P. There fifth grand child was born in London as we were having lunch!!!! (Welcome Alice!). The restaurant is located in the Tuileries gardens and is called Loulou, delicious lunch, superb view of the Louvre and great company!