After my trip to New York, I headed over to Paris to meet my bff, Lin Stranberg, a writer who lives in Toronto. While I was in New York, Lin was in Normandy spending time with friends, who had graciously lent us their pied-a-terre in Paris, a duplex they occasionally rent by the week. These slides tell the story of a whirlwind week seeing art, visiting friends, eating and shopping. Lin has included a few slides of a gem of a hotel she discovered in Deauville.
Along for the Ride: Paris & Deauville
Ah, Paris!(01 of12)
There's nothing quite like the rooftops and the steely skies of Paris in the fall. While I was making my way to the French capital from New York, Lin was hanging out in Deauville.
Le Central in Trouville(02 of12)
LIN WRITES: The coastal town of Deauville, in Normandy, is home to some of the finest stables in France, but thoroughbreds were the last thing on my mind when I passed a bar called Le Pur Sang, which literally translates to "pure blood." In my jet-lag haze, I thought Sookie and Bill and the True Blood craze had caught on with the locals in a pretty big way. I didn't make it to Le Pur Sang, but if my friends hadn't cooked up a storm -- Coquille St-Jacques, Dover sole -- I'd have channeled Marguerite Duras and eaten across from the fish market at the brasserie at Le Central.
Villa Josephine in Deauville(03 of12)
LIN WRITES: I stayed a couple blocks away from my friends' house at Villa Josephine, a small hotel in a late 19th century Norman style mansion. When Josephine Gil-Petit, a former ad exec with L'Oreal Paris, came up and bought it in 2005, she envisioned nine different rooms with fin-de-siecle style and 21st-century convenience. Breakfast here is a treat from another lifetime--all white linen and Limoges china, Marriage Freres tea, and homemade yogurt that's out of this world. It's blissfully peaceful, but not at all stuffy-- Josephine is a charming and vivacious hostess whose service standards merit way more than three stars.
Imperial Suite at Villa Jospehine(04 of12)
LIN WRITES: I loved staying in the Imperial Suite, with its lush colors, elegant bath, and slice of sea-view visible from the queen-size bed. The Duc du Morny has French doors to the terrace and lawn. The Josephine is a small gem in Tiffany blue.
Monet at Le Grand Palais(05 of12)
One of the first things we did in Paris was hightail it over to see the enormous Monet exhibit, in the newly refurbished Grand Palais, which runs until Jan. 24, 2011. This line of people represents a 4-hour wait to get into the show! Luckily, my LACMA press pass and some fast talking got us right in, where we swooned over the pictures, including Monet's masterpieces painted in Venice and London (extremely Turner-esque!) and his take on "Sunday in the Park..."
David Hockney: Paintings on iPad(06 of12)
We attended the press preview of David Hockney's show of iPad and iPhone paintings, which were amazing, especially since the technology allows you to see the artist's process, how he proceeds from the very first line. (He paints with his finger, mostly using the Brushes Ap.) The show will be up until Jan. 30, 2011. http://www.fondation-pb-ysl.net These "Fleurs Fraiches" are bouquets that Hockney emails to his friends. We also saw an extensive exhibit of Andre Kertesz's photographs at the Jeu de Paume, which runs through Fed. 6, 2011.
Gigi Boutique(07 of12)
Top of the shopping tour is always Gigi on the rue de la Chaise, a stone's throw from the Bon Marche department store (where we buy Descamps bath mitts that you can only find in France), Barthelemy cheese shop (Camembert and tomme d'Auvergne) on the rue de Grenelle and many of our other favorite shops on the rue du Bac. At Gigi, Lin bought fabulous leather belts for herself and her daughter and I walked away with a navy blue cashmere sweater.
Le Comptoir(08 of12)
We heard it was impossible to get a reservation at the newest, hippest Parisian bistro, Le Comptoir on the Carrefour de L'Odeon, but since they do not take reservations for lunch, we arrived at 11:45AM and got the perfect table on the terrace. Lin and I started with mushrooms cooked in garlic, parsley and olive oil, followed by a beef stew and a classic brandade (pictured) for Gigi. Desert was something smooth and chocolate. Delicious food, excellent company, with great ambiance and service. Who can ask for more?
Au Pied du Cochon(09 of12)
LIN WRITES: We ate at well-known brasseries twice: once at Le Lutetia Hotel, where I had perfectly delicious Oleron oysters; the other, when I sampled the eponymous specialty at the touristy Au Pied du Cochon. Sampled is the operative word here -- a pig's foot has bones, tendons, and very little else. The idea was to pluck and suck each of the 32 bones, a challenge not lessened by the accompanying Hollandaise and fries. For me, it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And now I know why Bessie Smith ordered hers with a bottle of beer.
rue Jacob apartment(10 of12)
We were incredibly lucky to have this typically Parisian apartment for our stay in Paris. Since our friends live mostly in Normandy these days, they sometimes rent their charming duplex out to lucky tourists! It is perfectly situated in the 6th arrondisement, in the heart of St. Germain-des-Pres, and was the PERFECT home-away-from-home. Every time we buzzed ourselves in from the street we felt like true Parisians.
Parisian apartment for rent(11 of12)
The downstairs bedroom leads to a private garden that is shared with another smaller apartment our friends rent out as well. It is extremely quiet and a true oasis in the middle of Paris.
An oasis in Paris(12 of12)
The duplex rents by the week from 2,000-2,500 euros, depending on the time of year, and the one bedroom flat rents from 1,500-1,800 euros per week. For more information contact jlcx006@gmail.com.
This post was written on 11/07/10.