I LOVE PARIS WHEN IT SPARKLES

 

I LOVE PARIS WHEN IT SPARKLES BEFORE CHRISTMAS

The pictures in this post are taken where in live in Paris and where the Christmas Lights have been switched on just this week.  The mood is festive and bustling and I had a hard time dodging the cars.

I am posting photos of just a few observations taken on my nocturnal walk and wish that my pics would show the full extent of the sparkles.  Maybe Papa Noel will bring me a new camera !?

 

Here are some of the things that drew my attention

Shop Window in rue St. Dominique

This little sugar plum looks like she's dreaming of her Nutcracker Prince in her Christmas Party dress.  Perhaps she is a future Sugar Plum Fairy with the Paris Opera.

What I love about French children is their knowledge of who they are.  They are aware that they are children and they know that polite children do not command total attention.  Instead, they remain poised next to "maman" and wait to be spoken to by a grown-up.  I marvel at their little bodies, slim without being skinny.  It must be the good food and lack of snacks.  You never see a child walking down the street eating a bar nor do their jaws move unattractively in order to chew gum.  Perhaps that's why "French Children don't Throw Food" Whew that was almost a preach !!

The Restaurants look Warm and Cozy whether they be in the ..........

                    Modern style...........

 

 

 

...........or the more traditional

And as for the flowers

The flower shops are blooming with both 

...........the real 

                                                     .........or the fake

France, or Paris at least, has embraced Christmas as a time to be jolly, friendly and festive like their Anglophone neighbours.  

Good times are being had by all.

A Trendy cafe on the rue Cler

But the most Sparkling of all Lights remains, for me, the symbol of Paris which is non other than the Eiffel Tower

Bon Noel tout le monde and bonne fin de l'annee

FASHION WEEK IN PARIS - There's always a Fashion Week somewhere

Although I have been living in Paris for some time now, I have never become involved in FASHION WEEK.  To me it seemed to come around rather often and then I also thought that it was only for the invited.  The fact that I am not a buyer from abroad, or a registered fashion critic, a person touting a press card or even a celebrity, or a frequent buyer of haute courture I never thought I would ever get near any action.  However, yesterday, I took it into my head to simply go to the Palais de Tokyo with my small camera and see what I could see.

Cute Girls on Roller Skates

When I arrived there was nobody to be seen except two cutely dressed girls, on roller skates and very long eyelashes, offering aerosol cans of dry shampoo.  Their hair was  glossy and shiny and they were very “smily”.  Hmm “merci”, may I take your picture ?  The action seemed to have started.

As there was nobody around I decided to climb the steps of the temple of fashion to see what there was on offer.

Still nobody seemed to have turned up and it was now 30 minutes before showtime in the large space leading towards yet more steps, which would lead me to the inner sanctum of this particular fashion designer's Paris collection.  There were three areas for people to queue in order to enter the performance space.

I stood in the space labelled STANDING, the other spaces being BUYERS and PRESS.  The designer, whose name I didn’t know, nor could I pronounce it, was also displayed in quite a haphazard way.  

Hmm - Jean-Paul Gautier influence !!

Very quickly  crowds started arriving, they were mostly young men and women wearing very creative garb of their own arrangement.  They struck me as students and fashionistas and were often from places outside of France.  They filed into the spaces reserved for Press and Buyers and some even joined into my “Standing” queue.  We were waiting for ages.  The time of the show to start came and went, so I decided to photograph these colourful and creative dressers as blog material.  Such fun and they were only too pleased to be photographed,  unlike other situations where one has to be discreet.

Scary - but oh so sweet !

Eventually there was an almighty rush to be allowed into the “salle d’exhibition”.  We were allowed in twelve at a time.  Whew !  I made it and was seated next to a young man with an American accent. We offered to take pictures of each other and send them on.  The “nice young man” said he was studying music for fashion shows and wanted to compose for this purpose.  I have noticed that music for fashion shows stretches and changes already established music and the style they were playing that afternoon was that of Philip Glass.  “Nice young man” had never heard of Philip Glass, I fell “sploosh" into the generation gap.

Fashion Students

Getting in on the Act

 On with the show.  The garments shown were beautiful and unusual.  There was intricate embroidery on lovely fabrics.  They were timeless pieces that will never date and were totally wearable albeit to some elegant occasion.  All were under €1,000.  The models were stick thin and very tall especially in their high heeled platformed shoes.  The show was over in a flash of 30 minutes.   

By this time I had read the information about the designer.  See below, impressive.

The Collection Spring/Summer 2015 is called THE FERRYMAN'S TALE

          Fabrics from special looms in India and as mentioned
 over in a FLASH

Someone from The Harry Potter Academy of Fashion 

I was so pleasantly surprised to have had such easy access to a fashion show during Paris Fashion Week and was very happy to see beautiful quality fabrics and creative work at close range. A lovely soft and romantic theme, quite different to that depicted in the film “The Devil Wears Prada” and other behind the scenes stories that  would put you off working in the fashion world.  I wish him continued great success.

   The name of the designer is RAHUL MISHRA from INDIA.  In February 2014, Rahul Mishra won the 2014 Woolmark Prize at the Milan Fashion Week. The award carries an AUS $100,000 prize (over Rs. 5.4 million) and was previously won by designers  Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani.   Mishra was the only Indian to have won the award.

  RAHUL MISHRA

I LOVE PARIS NOW IT'S SIZZLING

We have been having wonderful summer weather in September in lieu of August ? Oh well we can't have it all. all of the time. So I am holding out for a while before checking out the autumn fashions in the shop windows.  We are all getting back into summer wear and instead of having to remember to bring something to keep out the chills I can go out without packing a small suitcase.

In the picture above you will notice that the attachment of locks have started building up.

 It started on the Le Pont Des Arts and has broken out like a rash.   This practise has now become viral on many of the bridges of Paris.  Bridges have become the place where not only lovers declare their undying love by writing their names on locks and fixing them onto the bridge then throwing away the key, but also “friends forever”, parents and children, maybe even dogs and cats are compelled! to do the same! These locks ! what to do ! The bridges are overloaded by the weight and one section of the Pont des Arts had to have its side rail repaired. 

LE BON MARCHE

  Loving the return to warm days and balmy evenings and sipping an apero(S) outside a cafe with friends and when it gets too hot drop into a beautiful shop to cool off.

 

 


Market days are always a pleasure and worth climbing all those steps.

Nice to be back in white jeans again !





  I just love the market. There is always something unusual to see and it's not always French !!

  Then back over the bridge. The lock and key collection is building up !! 

Hmmmmm carrots for dinner !!

 I count myself fortunate in having such a route to and from the market, which is a very good one, and I can look at the fabulous bridges for which Paris is famous.
 

The beauty of the bridges of Paris is best by looking up river and at the golden Pegasus horses of Pont Alexandre III when bathed in the strong light of the summer sun is spectacular. The nymphs and muses of this most extravagant bridge in Paris connects the Place des Invalides and the Champs Elysees and the area of the Eiffel Tower.

 A more detailed view

Another bridge of note, in recent history, is the Pont Alma being made even more famous due to the sad fact that Princess Diana met her untimely death in a high speed car crash below the quay de Pont Alma between the bridges of Alma and d'Iena "Diana!". Close to the bridge there is an exact replica of the Statue of Liberty torch flame "Candle in the Wind!". The candle sculpture has been adopted by Parisiennes and tourists alike as a memorial to the Princess and August 21st marked the 20th anniversary of her death.  Many floral tributes and messages of condolences and praise were placed around the golden fllame. Even throughout the year there are often gatherings of people who take the time to give a few moments to contemplate her sad demise.

PARIS WHEN IT DRIZZLES IN AUGUST

This entry was to be called PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES but oh dear this must be the worst "fin de l'ete" since living in France.  What did we do to deserve this sudden downturn in the weather ?  Yes Paris and the rest of France did sizzle now and then but just when we were getting used to it, down came the rain.  I don't want to continue with a weather report so shall move onto more cheerful topics.

How about these beauties.............................

 Three Lamborghini's in a row outside the Hotel George V in Avenue George V, Paris

 One Porche - Do you think it belonged to the parking attendant ?

 There was quite a buzz of people like me who couldn't believe their eyes at the splender of it all.  It quite made up for an otherwise miserable day. 

I'll go out tomorrow and see if the Autumn Fashions have hit the streets yet.  Actually I am sure they have even though it's not even the end of August.  OK, OK, I shall stop hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

MESSING ABOUT ON THE RIVER

ALMOST A PAINTING BY MONET

 We also live beside a lovely wide river in France for some of the time when not in Paris. In fact the river was the main reason my husband bought this house as he wanted to row his “sciff” and re-live another time in his life. 

 

Another other idea was to have a small fishing boat which he would retore and in the summer have picnics whilst “putt putt......ing” up and down admiring the wild life both in and out of the water whilst we stayed mainly in the boat . We now have such a boat which has an almost silent engine so as not to disturb the birds on the river banks and now the fishermen don't get as upset as before and yell at us when we pass as even the fish require silence to oblige being caught. 

 

The Paris Fashion Tour for American Dancers

The month of May also brought 15 dance students from a well-known dance department of an American university.  This was the third annual educational tour of Paris taking in the world of Dance and Ballet where it all began. 

  I was delighted that my Fashion lecture and tour was part of the plan. I had been associated with the university as a guest ballet teacher for some time and they have kep up the connection with me when moving to Paris.   The Fashion Tour is about the tradition of Paris Haute Couture and

 we started the tour in my apartment for a pre-tour lecture/talk to outline what is Paris Haute Couture and its evolution.  So much easier than talking in the street with traffic noise and people trailing behind not hearing anything.

Dancers enjoying some light refreshment in my apartment after the lecture 

I explained that although Haute Couture started in the courts of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI whose couturier was Rose Bertin, today, my lecture would commence with the reign of the post revolution French Second Empire of Napoleon III from 1852 until 1870. 

The two pictures below show the first and last garment styles from the House of Worth, the recognised first couturier of post revolution times.

CONTRASTING GARMENTS FROM THE HOUSE OF CHARLES FREDERIK WORTH

Empress Eugenie in 1897                                                    Lady Mandl's evening gown from 1920

   

 

After the lecture we walked up to Avenue Montaigne, passing the replica flame of the Statue of Liberty beside Pont Alma which has now been adopted by everyone as a remembrance monument to 

Princess Diana who famously died in a car accident in the tunnel beneath our feet.

Replica of the Statue of Liberty Flame adopted as the Princess Diana Memorial

Avenue Montaigne is where most of the shops of the modern day of the haute of haute couturiers are to be found . The grandmother and grandfather of haute couture, namely,Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, dominate this beautiful tree-lined avenue. Their shops stand on opposite sides of this famous street which reached renewed heights of fame in the 1980’s.

A beautiful arrangement of fresh Peonies in the Christian Dior Flagship shop

The avenue was originally called Allee des Verves, where the young widows of the Napoleon I wars met and no doubt comforted each other. It has always been a women's street and during the reign of Napoleon III it was named after Monsieur Montaigne who held the glittering Maybille Balls. 

 Michele de Montaigne was a Renaissance writer, a peacemaker and also a man of amusing “pithy” sayings. 

  My lecture could be called even an irreverent comparison of important world events but even during the times of war women sought to dress up and adorn themselves.  Who better to give them this opportunity to indulge their fantasies than the best garment makers in the world at the time.

Picture of us in Avenue Montaigne

Swan - Visiting the Scottish Highlands

 

Swan – Visiting Scotland - The picture shows a «Fascinateur» not a rare Scottish species

For the British Whitsun w/e as opposed to the French one, we visited Scotland for a family reunion and anniversary of the 100 years of my husband’s mother’s family living in the same house. We being, husband and I + elder son and his wife travelling by plane up to Inverness from London, us the French contingent, having arrived by Eurostar into Victoria Station, then the four of us made off to Gatwick airport to fly to Inverness. We picked up a car hire to take us to our final destination in the Scottish Highlands. Quite a long journey and only reported for the benefit of those who like planes and trains.

Inverness and beyond is the most far north I have ever been in the world ! I think next stop is the North Pole, at the very least we were on the coast of the North Sea and the locals say that on a good day one can see the Northern Lights, or at least be aware of the changing light in the sky. On a good day probably means that the Scottish mist lifts for a while. Yes Scotland is as beautiful as they say and the mountains are really purple with green gullies and glens. It’s easy to slip into the local vernacular and now I am going to write that the loch’s were in spate even at this time of year as a day without rain is rare even in the months approaching summer. 

On the subject of lochs we passed the famous one where Nessie supposedly lives. We drove right by Loch Ness, but there was no sign of her/him who must be very old by now. However, there may be a lot of Nessie descendants who might also be celebrating their family reunion in a monstrous way. Now I’m getting “twee”, it’s catching !

 

We stayed for three days in total and on the great day of the "Open House" party the sun came out and there was no rain. The 50 +/- family members whose ages ranged from approximately 2 years to 90+ were able to survey the vast oak forests planted over the last 55 years by the great uncle who lives there. His oak tree plantation is his legacy and vision to replenish the de-nuding of oak trees during WW2 and the lack of re-planting. An impressive and noble project, one of which Great Uncle can and should be very proud.