MY LAST DAY IN PARIS

It's three weeks to the day since we got home from our trip to Paris.  Jetlag seems to be getting tougher as I get older, and yes,  I am making excuses for the lack of blogging!   

I thought I had all the time in the world to see Paris at the beginning of our 12 days in Paris.  Isn't it funny that when there's only a day left, there's suddenly so much more to fit in?!

I wanted to make another visit to my friend Alice Vermelin's store in rue de Verneuil, so I dashed off after breakfast while Michael was dealing with last minute packing and airport transfers etc.  Luckily our flight was in the evening.  I have blogged about Alice's gorgeous store before and this time, I was very  happy to meet Brigitte, her mother. 

Brigitte was very busy getting herself organised for an event the following day.  She explained that every two months, she and her daughter Alice, decorate three luncheon tables at the restaurant of the famous French Chef - Guy Savoy.  The theme for the lunch was 'truffles' and she showed me the delightful items she had sourced for the tablescape. Some photos below are from Alice's website, linked above, of the event.

Brigitte and Guy Savoy

Brigitte found these adorable pigs at Maison et Objet and I love how she has placed them amidst twigs, moss, acorns and bark shavings - perfectly depicting the "Truffle" theme!

  

These 'faux bois' china plates in her store, suited the theme perfectly!


There are many treasures to be found in their store, and below are some of the beautiful tableware items they have available.

Hand-painted porcelain

That bunny tureen is adorable!

Glasses from Murano

After saying good-bye to Brigitte, I had just enough time to rush back across the Seine and visit the  Goossens "pop-up" shop on rue Saint-Honoré.   

Goossens pop-up shop in Rue Saint-Honoré

Visiting this tiny 'pop-up was such fun! While I was there,  people streamed in and out and lots of sales were made. The girls working there were so friendly and were delighted for me to take photos.  Sadly,  some of my photos have 'disappeared' as I have had endless computer problems. I had to include some on their website.

 For those not familiar with

this brand,  the story is fascinating.  Robert Goossens loved mixing fakes with genuine stones.  His clients, including Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and especially Coco Chanel who loved the way in which he managed to blend genuine semi-precious stones with artificial gems.  Highly regarded as one of the greatest jewelers and goldsmiths in Paris, Robert Goossens used silver and gold-plated metals, to surround his semi-precious stones, pearls and quartz for the House of Chanel, creating their now famous Sautoir necklaces.  

Goossens met Coco (Gabrielle ) Chanel in 1953 and she appointed him as the official jewelry supplier for the house.  After Coco's passing,  Goossens continued to work with Karl Lagerfeld, creating jewelry for the couture and ready-to-wear collections.    When Robert retired, his son Patrick Goossens took over the directorship and, in 2005, Karl Lagerfeld added Goossens to his stable of ateliers (Métiers d'Art) as a way of protecting the brand.

I sadly did not have time to visit the Goossens store on 42 Avenue George V

Below are the beautiful pieces I saw in the pop-up.  They are unique and unusual and quite affordable. 

That's all from Paris for the moment.  Although only three weeks ago,  it feels like yesterday..

OUT AND ABOUT IN PARIS

The Musée d'Orsay was a short stroll from our hotel through the Tuilleries Gardens.  It had been a while since visiting this guardian of the world's largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces.    I was looking forward to gazing upon Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh and Sisley once more. 

The walk through the Tuilleries is rather interesting  as one is reminded that this 23- hectare site which links the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde has been in existence since the 16th Century and is over 300 years old!  It was also the first garden to become open to the general public in Paris. Originally designed by Catherine de Médicis, the gardens were later modified in 1664 by André Le Nôtre and more recently by Cribier and Benech.   

image via pariscentral.com

image via vitra nostra

I loved walking through the gardens on this cold grey day.   The scattered iconic green chairs, were silent reminders of sunny, warmer days.

The stark beauty of one of the many walks in the gardens

The Musée did not disappoint.  Time seemed to stand still as I visited old friends and I was astounded once more by their beauty.

Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne

Vincent van Gogh

Renoir

Edouard Manet

We visited Musée Cluny and saw La Dame à la licorne - The Lady and the Unicorn.  The six tapestries which make up this collection held a special interest for me as they were re-discovered, rolled up and damaged,  in the Chateau de Boussac.  We have visited this Chateau as it is situated in the small town where we own a house.   George Sand, (a woman) the French writer who used to visit this Chateau regularly, and who had a relationship with Frédéric Chopin, wrote of these tapestries, describing their sorry state.  She correctly dated them to the end of the fifteenth century and her references brought their plight to public attention.  They were restored and now hang in a special space designed for them in this museum.

Some of the beautiful plates and bowls I saw at La Tuile a Loup, a beautiful destination for those who love tableware with a difference.  All the pieces are hand made by French artisans throughout France and are truly beautiful.  I will write more about this delightful store later. 

Food always becomes an important part of our holidays!  We returned to Bistro de Paris in Rue de Lille and once more enjoyed good food and excellent service!

Staying with good eating,  we made a new discovery. A very good friend recommended this restaurant and we were very lucky in securing a lunchtime booking.    Hiding quietly in the charming Passage des Panoramas, behind white curtains, is Passage 53.  The dining experience was one of 'surprise'.  There is no menu and the wines are selected for you.  The food was exquisite - both in taste and in the presentation.  A very small restaurant, all in white, but packing a punch of perfection with every course.   

Passage des Panoramas

The entrance

The unusual ceiling lights

The utterly delicious wafer thin vegetables covering a cervice of scallop

Cod with spinach three ways.

The chef is Sinichi Sato and the restaurant has 2 stars!  The lunch was very reasonably priced at E70 per person excluding wine.  It was an experience I can highly recommend.

On a more frivolous note - Owen Wilson and his brother Luke were staying at our hotel - on our floor actually!  One morning,  he barged out of floor as we were getting in and said "Excuse me" most politely!!

Finally, we visited Château de Fontainebleau, 55 kilometres outside of Paris.  We spent a few perfect hours in this magnificent palace and gardens and you can read more about Fontainebleau here on the fabulous Quintessence Blog.

This image above is of Napoleon's campaign tent which I found intriguing!   

HERMÈS & ARDMORE - A Special Collaboration

HERMÈS & ARDMORE

A special collaboration

via Hermès website

Two very special brands have collided and their origins and heritage couldn't be more different.  

Ardmore is a brand very close to my heart as it is South African.  This dynamic organisation began life in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal nearly 30 years ago. It all began with Fèe Halsted teaching Bonnie, the daughter of her housekeeper how to work with clay on her farm Ardmore.  

Fèe Halsted ( via website)

Gradually more and more women took up the training opportunities offered by Halsted and in so doing,  created pieces which began bringing in income for the newly formed studio.

via google images

Ardmore Design Collection launched in 2010 producing superb quality dinnerware, ceramic sculpture, tapestries, fabrics and more.  Over the years,  Ardmore's artists have won numerous awards and exhibited in South Africa as well as around the world.  Ardmore is currently available not only in South Africa but throughout the world at various galleries and fine art retailers.   These artworks are also available  through auction houses such as Sotheby's, Bonhams and Christie's who have acknowledged Ardmore Artworks as "modern day collectibles". 

via google images

via google images

Back to the collaboration story and obviously,  Hermès, the French Luxury brand needs no introductions!  Hermès designers approached Fèe Halsted at Maison et Objet in 2013 and the collaboration process was set in motion.

Catherine, Fèe's daughter, together with several of the Ardmore artists, began working on the designs for the scarves, and the results perfectly capture the brand's dynamic personality.

via House & Leisure

Two designs have been created - La Marche du Zambèze and The Savana Dance.  The former features a central elephant surrounded by indigenous flora and other creatures of the Zambezi.  

via House & Leisure

The Savana Dance shows a leopard chasing a monkey, surrounded by protea flowers and other symbols of Zulu Culture.  Both scarves come in various colour ways.

via House & Leisure

I visited the Hermès store in Rue de Sèvres this week to view these gorgeous creations!

 

Walking into this iconic store validated the amazing outcome for this once fledgling South African ceramic studio.  I can only think that their continued journey will prove to be astounding.  We laid each scarf out on the counter and what a thrill it was seeing them in reality.

There was another customer standing close by and she listened as I told the story of the collaboration.  She bought one of them for her daughter "she will love the story behind it all" she said!

The silky folds revealed exquisite, vibrant works of art.

With special thanks to House & Leisure South Africa.