French Links Tours

11/09/2020

The view looking up from my terrace table at the Mini Palais this week. The stunning mosaics were restored some years ago when they redid the roof as well. Now the building is closing in December for massive renovations for the next four years. It is by far the biggest meeting space in Paris and has been used for multiple events ranging from car shows to indoor food shows and even an ice skating rink. I was there this week for the opening of Art Paris, one of the most intriguing art shows of the season. @le_grand_palais @minipalais @artparisartfair #art #artfairs #architecture #architecturephotography #mosaic #mosaicart

08/09/2020

Even a traffic jam on the Rue de Rivoli cannot d’être me from gazing at the beauty of the Saint James Tower at dusk with its glowing stained glass windows calling out to us like a lighthouse beacon in the night. The tower has outlasted bloody revolutions and civil wars, the pollution of cars and the anticlerical battles—and yet it stands for the ages. @hipparis @parispropertyconcierge @francefr @architectanddesign @monumenthistoricalsociety #france #architecture

02/09/2020

These days when the sun is out, I am more attentive to the outdoor sculptures and architecture of Paris. It is one of the great outdoor museums of the world and I feel so privileged to be living and working here. I hope my fans and future followers are inspired to revisit their home towns. In the midst of a pandemic and pandemonium, beauty still outweighs everything else!
@hipparis @doitin_paris @parisdiaries @francefr @france.focus_on #architecture #architecturephotography #sculpture #sculptureart #sculptures #ilovemycity

31/08/2020

Rue de Caumartin, named after the head of the Paris merchants association, is a good name for this commercial district near the Opera Garnier, the Nouvelle Athénée Theater, the Fragonard Perfume museum and gift shop, and a slew of newly renovated hotels, still offers surprises like this elegant bar that pays tribute to the ancient glories of Rome. Now it is selling tapas and the chairs outside are straight from Ikea but who cares?! The glorious frescoes burnished with time, the wooden bar and ceiling, even the tiled floor, remain untouched.
Now the street has introduced a flagship for an old French leather goods brand Le Tanneur and even given it a new metal logo accessory. @letanneur_official @operadeparis @theatre.athenee @fragonard.sa @fragonardparfumeurofficiel @rasoirservice #opera #theater #streetphotography #street #streetstyle #sculpture #art

31/08/2020

The rue Caumartin which is the happy recipient of a nice cleanup job reserves many surprises. So does the rest of the Opera Garnier district including the Athènes Theater. I love the whimsical homage to Paris in Fragonard’s store windows and the high fashion revival of Le Tanneur, an old French name in leather goods.
@letanneur_official @fragonardparfumeurofficiel @fragonard.sa @theatre.athenee @operadeparis @opera_fan #shopping #bar #architecture #operahouse #paris #parisianstyle

31/08/2020

Even the gift shop at the Jacquemart-AndréMuseum is worth the detour. Not only not do they have one of the collections of art and garden books as well as show catalogs, they have an outstanding array of thoughtful hostess gifts. Their tearoom isn’t to sneer at either but you must get there early. @jacquemartandre @cultureespace @institutdefrance #gifts #museum #museums #giftideas

31/08/2020

The Jacquemart-André Museum, one of the most beautiful house museums in the world, on a par with the Frick Collection in NYC, continues to amaze me. Not only has it restored masterpieces from the Italian Renaissance by Mantegna, Bellini and Ghirlandaio, but it offers stunning furnished rooms with superb explanatory cartels. Founded by Nelie Jacquemart-André, it continues to surprise, this time with an enlightening Turner show of watercolors and paintings. Not only does the show explain how Turner worked, it also revealed that the man painted outside in Wales, England, France and Italy as soon as Napoleon was forced to abdicate and continental Europe was open again. Before he died he left all his work to the nation!! What a man!!
@jmwturner_ @_william__turner_ @jmw.turner @tatebritainlondon @_tatemodern_ @royalacademyarts #watercolor #watercolorpainting #watercolorart #landscape #landscapepainting #artistsoninstagram #artist

31/08/2020

When people want to see a sumptuous furnished castle without the crowds, they should head to the Castle of Chantilly which has done a stellar job during COVID-19. Here is a series of photos highlighting the monkey frescoes from the 18th century which were miraculously saved from destruction.
@chantillydomain @chantillysenlistourisme @hyattregencychantilly @hotel.jeudepaume #castle #chateau #frenchinteriors #france @ Domaine de Chantilly (officiel)

31/08/2020

An hour outside Paris is the charming painters colony of Barbizon much improved since my first visit in 1967. While the masterpieces painted by the first school of outdoor painters now hang in the world’s major museums. The town pays tribute to their memory in these stunning mosaics set into its stone walls. You can twin this visit with either Fontainebleau and its castle or Vaux-le-Vicomte. @barbizonvillage @lerelaisdebarbizon @ledomainedebarbizon @chateauvlv @ Le Village des Peintres Barbizon

30/08/2020

One of the most beautiful villages in France is known as Tourtour which is located on a hilltop in la Provence Verte. Rose AOC wineries are everywhere but it is best to have one of our drivers take you in these winding roads, especially if you are tasting these vintages.
I loved the charm and easygoing nature of this well preserved village. @labastidedetourtour @mairie_de_tourtour @var_tourisme_urban @beauxvillagesimmobilierfr @lesplusbeauxvillagesdefrance @provenceverteverdon #provencestyle #provencerose #provenceguide #france @ Tourtour 83690

29/08/2020

A walk down memory lane starting with streets transformed for a movie during the Nazi occupation taken after we were allowed to leave NeuillysurSeine. Thinking about the confinement of the French including Jews in hiding between 1940-1944.
Montmartre is also its street art and the French cancan at the Moulin Rouge. It’s a village of contrasts that is empty if visitors ...
@tourism_office_of_montmartre @montmartraddict @cinema_france_canada_movie @doitin_paris @parisinfo.fr #paris #parisfrance @ Montmartre

29/08/2020

As you can see I really fell in love with the frescoes and paintings from the Mannerist period during French Renaissance magnificently restored at Ancy-le-Franc. This is a period that is best known to us through the castle of Fontainebleau but which deserves greater study. It inspired both Dominique Ingres and the Surrealists—hyper reality and fantasy still makes an impact on us today and likely has influenced video games and more...
@chateaudancylefranc @yonne_burgundy_france @chateaufontainebleau @fontainebleau_tourisme @burgundy_castle #architecture #mannerismart #mannerismarchitecture #italian #humanist #art #frescoes @ Château d'Ancy-le-Franc

29/08/2020

This magnificent château at Ancy-le-Franc is one of the treasures I found during my journey through Burgundy in July 2020. While guided tours were unavailable due to Covid-19, its Renaissance architecture and painted ceilings were a revelation. Many of the same artisans who worked at Fontainebleau, including those influenced by humanism, left their mark on this stunning estate. Too bad a Lego exhibition has to mar the public rooms— apparently kids of all ages felt this left a special touch. Not!!
@chateaudancylefranc @yonne_burgundy_france @burgundy_castle #touring #chateaux #frenchchateau #castle #formalgarden #frescoes #renaissance #architecture @ Château d'Ancy-le-Franc

29/08/2020

I love the blend of 18th century Neoclassical architecture and this Art Nouveau window in the Montorgueil district of Paris. It’s the surprising details of the French capital that never cease to amaze me. @hipparis @stilltraveling.justdifferently @paris @doitin_paris @paris_maville

29/08/2020

More views the Sarthe and the Perche regions; first two photos of Saint Cenerie de Gerie one of the most painterly villages in France
@perchesarthois @perche_tourisme @unemaisondansleperche @parcregionalduperche #countrylife #countryliving #france @ Le Perche, Normandie

28/08/2020

The Chateau of Montmirail is one of the most enchanting I’ve seen in the Sarthe Perchois region. The guide pictured in this photo album was charming and the tea room in the former stables is inviting.
Best of all you can sleep in the castle, breakfast in the dining room and host a lovely wedding. Who could ask for more?
@perche_tourisme @percheetdemeures @perchesarthois @chateauxtravel #castles #castlesofinstagram #countryliving #france #french #artdevivre @ Château de Montmirail (Sarthe)

27/08/2020

I loved this Écomusée du Perche located in a former priory showing the different trades of the region: weaving, cider making, apple crushing and wheelwright artisans. A forgotten world. I also loved the Renaissance sculpture of Adam and Eve surrounded by a headless snake of temptation.
@perche_tourisme @percheetdemeures @unefermeduperche @normandieweekend @tourisme_normandie @regionnormandie #france #france🇫🇷 #metiers #prieuré #normandy

27/08/2020

The Jardin du Montperthuis in Chemilli was one of the surprises of the Perche. Created by a garden designer who has worked around the world it is both traditional and eclectic. The hosts are charming and when the weather isn’t too hot you can admire their lhamas @jardins.secret @jardinsprives @percheetdemeures @unemaisondansleperche @perchesarthois @jardinsdumontperthuis #gardensofinstagram #gardenscapes #gardenstyles @ Chemilli, Basse-Normandie, France

27/08/2020

Le Jardin François, is an oasis of beauty and intelligence—the only completely organic garden in the Perche that blends wild flowers with domestic plants and which has a collection of hardy roses that can withstand summer heatwaves. Monet would have been proud.
@jardin.francois @perchesarthois @unemaisondansleperche @percheetdemeures @jardinsprives @jardins.secret #gardensofinstagram #gardens #frenchgardens #inspiration @ Frazé, Centre, France

27/08/2020

More memories from the Perche region...the towns of Frazé . Moutiers-au-Perche, Croix de Perche, the estate of Chateau du Tertre where Roger Martin du Gard wrote Les Thibault, this is the hidden France less than two hours from Paris ...#france #myfrenchlifemagazine #normandy #normandie @perchesarthois @perche_tourisme @regionnormandie @tourisme_normandie @ Frazé, Centre, France

22/08/2020

Paris in August means a reprieve from the summer rush and hectic pace of museum going and frantic tourism. The Petit Palais and the Alexander lll bridge are glorious in the sunshine. The drawing collection put together by Prat is outstanding, demonstrating that every major work of French art began with a drawing. The choice works, some of which are shown in this post, are by such Baudelaire, Degas, Delacroix, Dore and Chasseriau to name a few. Another reason to savor France—in these maddening times.
@petitpalais_musee @wildenstein #paris #parisfrance @parisinfo.fr #drawings

21/08/2020

Here are scenes from Alençon and Bellême, two of the prettiest towns in the Perche region, where Parisians are buying up secondary homes for a fraction of the price of a studio in Paris. Simple pleasures like driving through the woods or listening to German Baroque music at the Notre Dame church in Mortagne-au-Perche sur Perche made for an unforgettable stay. French heritage at its best.
@perche_tourisme @percheetdemeures @perchesarthois @bellemetourisme #countryliving #countrylife #france @ Alençon

21/08/2020

A choice collection of artwork is on display at the Beaux-arts Museum of Alençon and numerous surprises on offer such as this painting of Napoleon and Josephine depicting a chagrined couple forced to separate for dynastic reasons. Josephine got menopause at 36 and was unable to deliver an heir. Marrying her daughter Hortense to her husband’s brother Joseph seemed the wrong move—yet he would grow up to be Napoleon the Third who would transfer Paris and suffer an ignominious defeat at Sedan. @napoleonbonaparte_officiel @bonapartejosephine @ Musée des Beaux-arts et de la Dentelle, Alençon

21/08/2020

For those who have been enthralled by the intricacies and beauties of lace, the Alençon Beaux-arts Museum is your ticket. Here you will learn about its origins in Venice and its development in France. Both the nobility and the clergy wore lace and it was a bisexual ornament until the French Revolution. It’s hard to believe people used to blow their noses or dry their tear with lace edged handkerchiefs. Even when the world seems chaotic and barbaric, the dedicated and creative lace makers of the past and present remind us of man’s achievements in fashion, design and beauty.
@alencon_destination_normandie @alenconmaville @le.point.d.alencon #lace #laceweddingdress #laceveils #museum #fashion #fashionhistory #fashionhistorymuseum #france @ Musée des Beaux-arts et de la Dentelle, Alençon

19/08/2020

Alençon, known for its exquisite lace and cathedral, is a city filled with charm and surprises. Here’s a potpourri of photos taken that reveal some of the city’s charms. @alencon_destination_normandie @tourisme_normandie @regionnormandie #cathedral #gothic #gothicstyle #stainedglass #windowshopping #artdevivrealafrancaise #artdevivre @ Alençon

19/08/2020

Le Clos Saint Sauveur, a five star bed and breakfast in Bellême, offered us beauty and friendship over 11 days and nights. We will be back and telling our friends and family. @bellemetourisme @percheetdemeures @bellemetourisme @unemaisondansleperche #france #countrylife #innkeepers #chambresdhotes #artdevivre @ Bellême

12/08/2020

La Dîme de Giverny

I would check this place out for my guests

Détente et tranquillité vous attendent à 1h de Paris seulement 😎 ! Découvrez un lieu #Authentique & proche de la #Maison et des #Jardins du célèbre peintre Claude Monet 🎨🤩

07/08/2020

It may not be easy to get to—but Splash is well worth the detour for a nice summer meal. Overlooking the Port Van Gogh in Asnières, you can enjoy a delicious three-course meal for 39€ without beverages. Or a barbecue for two or more. I can during August the place is busy but they do take your temperature on arrival. The service is excellent by the way.,I wish people made more of an effort to dress for dinner and remember table manners!
@splash_asnieres @hipparis @insiderfrance #restaurant #restaurants #restaurante #restaurantdesign #restaurantlife @ Splash-Bistrot Sur l'eau

07/08/2020

Paris in August: cloudless skies, monumental architecture without the crowds, and a choice exhibition on the latest finds at Pompeii at the Grand Palais before it closes for four years of renovations, already underway. A brilliant AV show demonstrates the tragedy of Mount Vesuvius destroying a magnificent coastal resort in minutes in 79 AD. So much was left behind—artifacts large and small, elegant homes with mosaics and frescoes, lamps and furnishings, precious jewels and musical instruments...Two thousand years later, the same week Beirut exploded in an unforeseen industrial accident waiting to happen, we are still moved by the disaster of Pompeii @ Paris, France

04/08/2020

A Sunday in August is the perfect occasion to visit the Fondation Giacometti and its current show “L’homme Qui Marche » which is a stunner. Housed in a magnificent Art Deco and Art Nouveau inspired mansion designed by decorator Paul Follot, its small space reveals treasures large and small. Giacometti never lived here nor did his widow who died in 1993 survive to see her dream fulfilled. It took the sale of a small Miro to get the funds for the building and its splendid restoration. Luckily, the artist’s widow safeguarded his studio and his collection including photos, drawings and prints, so they can be admired today. Next year, I hope to arrange group visits and cocktails.
The last photo in the series is the building that once housed Picasso’s studio. Up the street lived Simone de Beauvoir until her death in 1986. She is buried across the road with Sartre, inside the Cimetière de Montparnasse. As they say, she exchanged one bed for another.
@fondation_giacometti @simone_de_beauvoir_oficial @museepicassoparis #picasso #picassoart #thesecondsex @parisinfo.fr #sculpture #atelier #giacometti #sculpteur #beauty @ Paris, France