Parisian Art
“As an artist, a man has no home in Europe save in Paris.” Friedrich Nietzsche For many, our first taste of the City of Light begins as a flâneur, strolling the banks of the Seine, absorbing the magic that surrounds and envelopes. Inevitably we pause at the Bouquinistes (bookstalls) to peruse antiquarian books and prints, searching for an image that captures the enchantment of the city. Les Bouquinistes by Edouard Cortes Artist Francois Durieux captures the Bouquinistes in Spring, as gossamer thin leaves sprout from cool pink trees, and adolescents rendezvous on the cobblestone...
Read MoreParisian Couture
“If you want to establish an international presence you can’t do so from New York. You need the consecration of Paris.” Oscar de la Renta Indeed, the word consecration does seem fitting, since you feel the urge to almost genuflect when entering a hallowed House of Couture. Centuries of couturiers, lace makers, cobblers, milliners, skilled seamstresses, tailors, button makers, crafters of velvet flowers, and those who bead and embroider onto gossamer and silks, can all be found in the ateliers and workshops of Paris. If you viewed the video in our sewing blog you witnessed the legions of...
Read MoreParisian Cuisine
“Lunch kills half of Paris, supper the other half.” Charles de Montesquieu A three hour lunch in Paris is not out of the ordinary. Perhaps not every day, but more often than you might expect. No, people don’t eat for hours. They commiserate, laugh, discuss, pontificate, negotiate, argue, teach, reflect, flirt, cajole, tease, write and read. They refresh, restore, renew, and enjoy themselves. Not once in the time I spent in Paris did I see a single individual eating ‘on the go’ as has become the standard practice in the U.S. Even when folks grabbed a croque monsieur and Orangina from a...
Read MoreLet the Games Begin
“Life is more fun if you play games.” Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald “One good thing about freezing sleet and rain” my friend Jane confided “is the family gathers around the fireplace for popcorn and hot cocoa.” I bring out the board games in an effort to compete with ipads and Xbox, and I sometimes succeed. There’s something about snuggling in blankets with sleet beating against the window that makes kids reach for an actual book, playing cards, dominoes or checkers. I love it.” Whether you indulge in a simple game of tick tac toe or roll the dice for backgammon, games are a sure fire...
Read MoreSkiing – from Sun Valley to Snowmass
Slaloming, Shredding, Schussing down the slopes … superb, sublime, splendiferous! This sport of champions didn’t always showcase spandex. Back in the day, the swells wore hand knit sweaters from Austria, wool knickers, and billed caps. At day’s end, zipping back to the lodge for an après ski toddy, one might spy the likes of (L to R) Mrs. Gary Cooper, Jack Hemingway, (Ernest’s eldest son), Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. When dressing for dinner ladies might sport a remembrance of their day in the form of a handkerchief tucked in a breast pocket or looped over a belt. This...
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