Frankly, I hadn’t planned at all to write much about Granville and Christian Dior’s boyhood home. Why? I had other grand plans for even going to Granville on the Normandy coast, and they had nothing to do with this very famous couturier. I had this great idea of doing the “traversée” of bay Mont Saint Michel …
My Trip To Granville And Christian Dior’s Boyhood Home Read More »
Jean Jacques Henner may not be well known, especially outside of France, but his nudes, religious subjects and portraits are beautiful and very provocative. There is very little written about his life, but his art speaks volumes about this obscure artist seen in a self portrait as a young man. The first time I saw …
Jean Jacques Henner, His Very Revealing Nudes And Portraits Read More »
Emmanuel Macron is the newly elected French president and I wanted to give you another peek of the beautiful gardens of the French president’s home from a previous post. I am off to the healing Mediterranean sun and sea of Sicily, much needed for my grief wrecked body. No, I wasn’t invited to a garden …
Gardens of The New French President and Prime Minister Read More »
It always bothered me tremendously that Camille Claudel did not have her own proper museum. Finally that has changed with the opening of the Camille Claudel Musée in Nogent Sur Seine or hasn’t it? The brand new Camille Claudel museum left me somewhat disturbed and disappointed when I was looking forward to being delighted! Why? …
Eugene Delacroix was described by his friend Charles Baudelaire as “a volcanic crater artfully concealed behind bouquets of flowers”. He remains in many ways an enigma, where his personality and inner life can be drawn from his art, his tragic childhood losses, and conjectured by reading the correspondence to various persons during his lifetime. This …
Saturday was one of those absolutely perfect warm autumn days in Paris. As soon as I hit the lovely Palais Royal gardens, the heavenly odor of foie gras sizzling in a pan perfumed the air. Les Toques du Canard was well in process celebrating the famous foie gras ducks of the Landes region in southwest …
I have to admit that I have always been fascinated with this lady and the incredible story of her life. Marguerite de Valois , nicknamed La Reine Margot was born into French royalty in the year of 1553. She grew up in the Louvre, which was the royal palace to the kings of France, long …
Queen Margot, A Story of Scandalous Loves and Survival Read More »
With so many fabulous museums in Paris to choose from, the decision can be a tough one, on the first Sunday of each month. I had been putting off going to the Musee Picasso for various reasons that I will explain below. If it’s between October and March, I will generally gravitate returning to the …
Europe is once again battling invasions of terrorism and violence, not yet with the same dimensions as during the life of Maria Skobtsova, also known as Saint Maria of Paris and Ravensbruck. She dedicated her life to easing the pain and suffering of hundreds in Paris plagued with hunger, racism, homelessness, mental illness, addictions and …
Saint Maria Skobtsova, Gutsy, Courageous And Charitable To The End Read More »
It was one of those perfect late winter Sundays with sunny skies that held the promise of spring, mobilizing Parisians to get outdoors. Bundled up, the sun felt warm on my face, buffering the cold wind as I walked slowly up the very steep cobblestone hill, past the vineyard and Le Lapin Agile towards the Musée …
Museé Montmartre Celebrates Utrillo, Valadon and Utter Read More »
Louis Pasteur would certainly be back in his laboratory in a flurry of urgency over the recent surges of dangerous viruses lurking around today. The father of bacteriology, microbiology, vaccinology and the germ theory of disease has more discoveries to his credit than any modern scientist. He totally revolutionised world wide medicine, veterinary science, the …
There are so many stories that lurk behind the old walls of Paris. One that always grabs my heart took place just behind Notre Dame Cathedral on Quai aux Fleurs, facing the Seine and Ile St Louis. There is a plaque that reminds you that it was here this immensely tragic love affair took place. It …
Forbidden Love, Heart Wrenching Story of Héloïse And Abélard Read More »