Christmas in Nice

A room with a view....quite a view I must say!

Visiting our dear friends, Mimi and Dore Gormezano, living now in Nice, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Hotel Negresco. 

Mimi and Dore showed us a great time in this wonderful city bestowed with incredible weather and natural beauty.

This view was part of our morning walk each day....

Built in the mid 1800's , La Reserve, is the home of Mimi and Dore.  Their apartment has a spectacular 180 degree view of the villa studded cliffs to the blue azur color of the Mediterranean.  It almost seems as if they are floating on the water.

Le Corbusier

Designed and built in the 1920s, Corbusier has several homes he designed scattered around Paris, primarily on the outskirts of the city.  We first attempted to reach this home by bus with no success and then finally succeeded the following day traveling by metro to the end of Line 4 in the 14th.

Another example of his work located in the 13th on the periphery of the city.

We visited the Le Corbusier Foundation (Maison Jeanneret) in the 16th and had an opportunity to go inside one of his homes adjacent to the Foundation called Maison La Roche.

Raoul La Roche set up an outstanding collection of modern art, including works by Picasso, Braque, Leger, Gris and Lipchitz.

To house his collection, he commissioned from Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret a combined house and art gallery, which was built in Square du Docteur Blanche.

When Le Corbusier was given the commission for Maisons La Roche and Jeanneret, he was 36 years old and had already completed several buildings in the town of his birth, la Chaux-de-Fonds, in Switzerland.  He was an architect, town planner, painter and theorist and deeply committed to developing housing for the working man but, paradoxically, what established his reputation  as an avant-garde architect was the work he undertook for an enlightened middle-class clientele. 

All dressed up for the holidays....Notre Dame.

Does anyone ever get tired of this view????

or what about the view from the back....takes your breath away every time. 

 

Larry arrived....finally

and what is an arrival without a lunch at les philosophes???...the neighborhood hang out.

Fromage......

Those who know me well have always said that I should work in a cheese shop........I love everything about a fromagerie and have a hard time walking past all the wonderful ones here in Paris without going in and taking a look.....this particular goat cheese was dried on a chestnut leaf. 

Isn't it beautiful....tres beau?

Musee Jacquemart Andre

Relatively small museum in the 8th housing the family's personal collection which included Rembrandts and Botticellis.

Paris cafes at night in my neighborhood ready for the Holidays.....

Saint Regis on Ile Saint Louis

Le Lutetia on Ile Saint Louis

Cafe Louis Philippe just down the street....

Tres beau! 

Christmas in Paris

Christmas trees in Paris are flocked in all colors...mostly white, blue and red...

My Christmas ornamentation takes a different twist with white lights on my bouquet of tulips last week....I turn the lights off in the apt and feel the spirit!

Le Pantruche ...30 Novembre .....with Barbara on her arrival

Huitre en tartare creme de laitue pour Barbara and Pamela

Nois de St Jacque, panais, salsify et jus chataigne pour Barbara

Colvert roti (roasted mallard duck), chou rouge confit et amandes grilles pour Pamela ....my brother, Jim, would be envious. 

Souffle au Grand Marnier to share....Bon Appetit!

Avenue Daumesnil in the 12th......anyone for an umbrella...a complete work of art?

After a lunch of pheasant at A la Biche au Bois, a restaurant known for their game,  I walked the length of Avenue Damensil.  The old Paris to Strasbourg railway, now referred to as Le Viaduc des Arts, has been transformed into arched artisan's studios.

As I was "window licking" (the French term for window shopping) all the way I could not resist photographing the handmade parapluies.

I watched from outside as the seamstresses worked on each parapluie.

I apologize for the reflection in the photos but in a way I quite like it.

 

Setting sun over Pont Saint Louis

Sitting outside at a side walk cafe around 5 pm

I watched the sun set over the Seine.

It was sunny and cold today with a sky clear as a bell.

I went looking for the woman who walks her cat every day across Pont Louis Philippe with a leash on the railing of the bridge.  I did not find her but instead discovered the most glorious sunset! 

Huitrerie Regis

Huitrerie Regis is the go to spot for Marennes-Oleron oysters in Saint Germaine des Pres.  Barb and I arrived late for lunch and were treated to "Open Bar" by the owner who was hosting Emmanuelle MELLOT, the owner of the winery Domaine Alphonse Mellot, a vineyard in the Loire valley specializing in Sancerre.  It was our lucky day!

Tiny white dining room......no bigger than a

postage stamp but with lots of charm.

autolib'

The newest addition to the neighborhood is 5 parking spaces for electric cars which can be rented, driven around and returned to this location on Rue du Pont Louis Philippe or to another autolib' location.   Pretty groovy, eh?

Christmas Trees in Place Baudoyer

My apt is very near the Place Badoyer bordering on Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and the entire Place is decorated with Christmas trees made of plastic green bottles!  I had to take a photo!  What a good idea.

La Cuisine Cooking School

Just around the corner from my apt is this lovely school located on the river.  Barb and I joined the group and assisted in preparing

Agneau a l'ail, romarin et moutarde

Courgettes farcies

Fondant au Chocolat

Barb is doing a masterful job preparing the courgettes  

Barbara, mon amie, and her French friend, Nicki

Lescure for lunch.....

Barb and I had lunch at Lescure (recommended by the Adams) and had a most hilarious time!  Sitting next to two adorable French women, Barb struck up quite a consversation with them.  They now live outside of Paris but they were in town to visit a furniture museum.  The woman in the light blue used to work in the area and came to Lescure for lunch often as a young woman.

The waiter, who was quite brusque with us to begin with, concluded the meal by giving both Barb and me a big kiss.  Our older friend remarked "Shocking" only to be given a big kiss herself by the waiter!  

Sunday evening in the Marais 27 Novembre

Walking home from the Place des Vosges on a beautiful Sunday evening, 

all of the streets are open on Sundays to only pedestrians, bikers and roller bladers.  I came across two musical groups...this group was special because of the danseur who had joined the group.  She was into it!

Merci on Boulevard Beaumarchais

Quite the retail endeavor...beautiful space with prices to match!

Chez Janou

Thanks to Pete Spriggs who recommended that we go to Chez Janou

and order the chocolat mousse.  We just did not realize they

were going to bring the entire bowl...OMG!

The London Symphony Orchestra members sitting

nearby had the exact same idea....they had been there before!

Cloud Cookies in Le Bon Marche's La Grande Epicerie Paris

Congratulations to my dear friend,

Tamalpais Roth McCormick, for scoring big time! 

Her cookies have now arrived at the most chic department store in all of Paris.

In fact, here I was able to capture a photo of a gentleman making a purchase!

Off he went with his "Clouds"!

What a gorgeous display!  Bravo Pai!

Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris - Avenue Montaigne

Did you notice a striking resemblance to the

Flood Building in San Francisco?

It would be those fabulous red awnings.  Isn't that correct, Mr. Flood?

Thanksgiving in Paris

Michael and Jackie provided the oven for the turkey from the store entitled "Thanksgiving" and we celebrated with some fresh oysters and champagne beforehand.  Nick did a magnificent job of opening all 36 oysters!

Voila...all was good with the five of us!