FRANCE Magazine

Lovers of France, that is. If you’re reading this, I think it’s safe to assume you figure among them? And I surmise, since many of you are fellow-bloggers, that you probably like to write. I thought this was good enough to share.

FRANCE Magazine is offering American readers the chance to write about their recent trips to France, with the oppotunity to win a $100 gift voucher.

To enter, email their editorial page at editorial@francemag.com. What do you have to lose?

Jan del Monte, bridging the difference

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Paris Scene

As you probably know, I’m always on board when it comes to mixing sustainable tourism with a plain, old-fashioned good time.

To kick off the new year, ARTS in PARIS offers you the opportunity to combine a visit to Paris with support for a very worthy cause. On any tour booked between now and April 1st, 10% of the tour fee will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins San Frontières (MSF). Click on the link to learn more about the wonderful humanitarian work of this extraordinary organization.

This offer covers prepackaged tours, as well as custom-designed personalized tours, and applies to all tours booked before April 1 and begun before December 31, 2012.

The next scheduled tour is Impressions of Paris, from May 3 – 11, 2012. For details on this tour, Schedule of Activities and Pricing Information, visit the site by clicking the link.

If spring travel is not on your agenda, learn about the Biennale des Antiquaires tour in September 2012.

I hope we can meet this year in Paris.

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

(Photo by Michele Melick)

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Mint, lemon, coffee and chocolate macarons

Just another advantage of living in la Grande Pomme: this month, Manhattan welcomes the first American outlet of Maisons Ladurée. Operating in Paris since 1862, the venerable maison has branches in 12 (soon to be 13) countries in addition to the six in Paris (including one at the airport — what a fine idea! — and another at the château de Versailles). The shop will offer tea, preserves, chocolates and, of course, the legendary macarons.

The address? 864 Madison Avenue.

Pierre Hermé, what are you waiting for?

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance

(Photo, Liliana Bozier)

© 2011 Jane del Monte

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In truth, I really love walking, having spent most of my adult life in world-class pedestrian cities. Need I say that Atlanta is not one of them? So I’ve renewed my acquaintance with public transportation.

One advantage of taking the MARTA (I almost never slip and call it “Métro” anymore) is that it’s boring — and so I read more.

Not long ago, I picked up an old friend, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. As with many friends who’ve been absent for a while, you find yourself taking up where you left off, rediscovering things about them you had forgotten while at the same time discovering things you had never before noticed.

I had forgotten that this one never fails to make me smile. So enchanting is it in its  innocence that you scarcely notice the depth of its wisdom. But you feel it.

It is generally accepted that the prince represents the author’s desire to return to his inner child; the rose, his beloved wife Consuelo. The book could be seen as a love letter, were it not so much more.

• The book was written in the United States and first published in English. Saint-Exupery, along with a number of French intellectuals, had quit France during the Occupation. It wasn’t published in France until two years later, after the author’s death.
• It has sold more than 80 million copies and  has been translated into 190 different languages.
• It has been adapted to stage, screen and opera.
• Before the euro became France’s official currency, the little prince and Saint-Exupery appeared on the 50-franc note.
• The airport of Lyon, France, birthplace of Saint-Exupery, is named in his honor.

The Little Prince is especially beloved by the Japanese. There is a Museum of the Little Prince in Hakone, Japan. The chapel is a replica of the one in the village of Saint-Maurice-de Remens, Saint-Exupery’s childhood home, with rose and fox motifs incorporated into the stained glass of the interior facade. A café, Le Saint-Germain-des-Près, is modeled on the Brasserie Lipp, one of his favorite haunts, and the more elaborate Restaurant Le Petit Prince offers the cuisine of Provence, prepared (according to the website) by “Monsieur Okabe, who defeated Iron Chef Sakai in a lamb battle on the Japanese TV program Iron Chef.”

And the book is eminently quotable:

• “You are responsible for that which you tame.”
• “All grownups have been children, but few remember it.”
• “Language is the source of misunderstanding.”
• “It is truly useful since it is pretty.”
• “One only sees well with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes.”

Jane del Monte, bridging the distance between Paris and Atlanta

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© 2011 Jane del Monte

“Rendez-vous in December for a Maxi Best of Mona Lisa menu,” announces Louvre pour Tous, an Internet journal aimed at museum visitors. They qualify the plan by McDonald’s to open its newest French outlet (number 1,135) in the Musée du Louvre as a “lack of taste,” citing the “tsunami” of global media reaction.

The most indignant criticism comes from the foreign press, and it is the anglophone press whose knickers are in a collective twist. The New York Daily News calls it “a move guaranteed to wipe the famous smile off Mona Lisa’s mug.”

Across the Channel, the British press sees the move as a defeat in the battle between high gastronomy and standardized (to be polite) food. Not that they don’t appreciate the irony of the fast-food giant doing so well in the country where cuisine has attained art form status. London’s Telegraph calls it “a move which has managed to get both France’s art lovers and gastronomes choking on their Gitanes.”

For those who cringe at the specter of super-sized tourists munching Big Macs before the Venus de Milo, relax. McDo, as it is known here, will be joining similar restaurants in the food court of the Carrousel du Louvre, the commercial space beneath the Pyramide. Described in its publicity as “a successful meeting between culture, tourism, history and shopping,” the plan was to have stores that sold high-ticket items or, at least, those related to culture, and many remain. However, McDonald’s might be seen as a logical addition to Virgin Megastore, Tie Rack and Hertz. Can Jenny Craig be far behind?

The chain is seen in France and around the world as a symbol of American globalization. French deputy José Bové gained prominence in 1999 when he and a band of militants bulldozed a McDonald’s construction site in a two-pronged protest against American sanctions on certain European products and against malbouffe or junk food.

Yet France is the chain’s largest market outside the U.S., and the outlet on avenue des Champs-Elysées is the most profitable in the world. McDonald’s chief executive Jim Skinner attributes that success to the fact that “we are perceived as a French enterprise.”  One has to wonder where he gets his information.

I’d love to have your thoughts on this.

(Photo Credit: La Tribune)

Jan del Monte,’ blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

 © 2009 Jan del Monte

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Of course you’ve seen the windmills in Paris, but have you been to the vineyard? A vineyard in Paris? Indeed there is. In fact, there are over 150 vineyards in the greater Paris area, most of them educational and community projects (the European Union restricts the creation of new vineyards) that do not sell their wine through the usual outlets. The Clos Montmartre is the only one operating within the city limits.

Poster for this year's Fête des Vendanges

In Roman times, much of Montmartre was covered with grapevines, and a temple to the wine god Bacchus sat at the top of the Butte. From the 12th century the nuns of the Benedictine Abbey operated a winepress, the only one in all of Paris. Wine production continued even after the Abbey (like many properties belonging to the Church) was destroyed during the Revolution.

Montmartre was outside of the city limits of Paris at that time, and the wine produced was sold inside the city gates, while  the cabarets around Montmartre served a red of significantly lower quality known as a piquette. The development of railroads during the 19th century made it possible to transport wine from other regions, and the demand for the local product decreased.

In the early 20th century, the vines were devastated by a combination of factors — phylloxera, mildew and urbanization – effectively putting an end to most of the vineyards around Paris. In 1921, a group of local artists and residents protested a real estate development project. The terrain was protected, and in 1933 the vines were replanted.  

The Clos Montmartre covers a surface of 1556 square meters, maintained by a specialized team from Parcs et Jardins de la Ville de Paris. Roughly 27 varietals are grown, with Gamay (75%) and Pinot Noir (20%) holding the lead; the remainder are Seibel, Merlot, Sauvignon bland, Gewurtztraminer and Riesling. The names of each vintage reflect the history of Montmartre: Toulouse-Lautrec, Dalida, Moulin-Rouge, and Lapin-Agile are but a few examples. The yearly production is less than 2,000 bottles, which will be sold at auction. Bidding can reach astronomical heights, with all profits going to benefit local charities

Commanderie du Clos Montmartre, the local wine brotherhood

Autumn is in the air, and the grape harvest began last week at the Clos Monmartre.  Harvest ends with the Fête de Vendange, a harvest festival first held in 1934. This year’s guest of honor will be Charles Aznavour. There are music and merriment, balls, fireworks, exhibitions, not to mention food and, of course, wine. There is a parade that includes the confréries bachiques (the wine brotherhoods) and the chevaliers du tastevin (winetasters) in traditional costume, and the wine auction.

The Fête des vendanges will take place this year from from 7 to 11 October. The parade begins at 3:00 p.m. at the Mairie of the 18th arrondissement and ends at place des Abbesses.

(Photo Credits: (1) Mairie du 18ème Arrondissement; (2) Montmartre-Guide)

 Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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Beekeeper Nicolas Géant at the Grand Palais

In fact, the Parisian bees produce more efficiently (four or five times so) than those in the countryside, due in part to the biodiversity of the capital city — an important variety of flowers, as well as trees such as acacia, chestnut and lime — as opposed to that of the country, where fields dedicated to production of specific crops have greatly reduced the number of flowers.

Another factor is that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not employed in the municipal gardens, a practice that has decimated the bee population of the countryside. The mortality rate for bees in the country is 30% to 50%, as opposed to 5% in the city.

Of an estimated nearly 300 declared hives in Paris (exclusive of the wild hives found in trees and chimneys), perhaps the most celebrated are those on the roof of the Opéra de Paris. Since 1983, the bees of the Opéra have produced a golden nectar with a price to match: 15€ for 125 grams, or 120€ the kilo, sold exclusively at the boutiques of the two Paris opera houses and by Fauchon at place de la Madeleine. Despite the elevated price, there remain only 7 jars of 600 delivered in July to the boutique of the Opéra Garnier.

You will have to wait until next year to sample the honey from the Grand Palais. Afer the encouraging result of the first year’s harvest, three new hives will be added, with an anticipated production of 500 kilos.

(Photo Credit: Stephane de Sakutin, AFP)

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

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Now, like many a Parisian, I have come to love the city in August, to cherish the calm and solitude. There is the opportunity to explore things old and new without the crowds, perhaps, by taking a road less traveled, to discover something for the first time that has always been there. Fewer people mean fewer cars and, thus, less pollution, not a small thing for someone who has recently developed asthma. It is as if my vacation came to me, and there will be ample opportunity to travel in the next few months if I feel so inclined.

So here we are in September and the rentrée is upon us, that time of year when people resume their usual activities. Stores and restaurants have reopened, and, for most, it’s back to work or back to school. The public schools begin classes on Thursday, most private schools the following week.  It’s very agreeable to see familiar faces.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La Baigneuse aux Cheveux Longs

This rentrée brings new exhibitions too numerous to mention and too good to miss if you happen to be in the area. In and around Paris, a few highlights are the Salon du Collectionneur, which is held at the Grand Palais on alternate years from the Biennale. Also at the Grand Palais will be a Renoir exhibition, and at the Centre Pompidou a retrospective of Pierre Soulages. At the cozy little Musée Cognacq-Jay, an exhibition of Fragonard and his sister-in-law Marguerite Gérard, who collaborated with him, largely unrecognizedat the time, is being heralded as a must-see.

J-H Fragonard, M. Gérard, Le Chat Angora

In another life, I had a stained glass studio for about 10 years. Louis Comfort Tiffany is one of the gods of that medium, so I am eagerly anticipating the exhibition of nearly 160 of his works to be held at the Musée du Luxembourg.

After last year’s controversial Jeff Koons exhibition at the Château de Versailles, on 13 September the domaine will welcome installations by Xavier Veilhan. For those who believe that the major art movement of the last half of the 20th century is marketing, Koons is indeed a major force. Judging from the photographs I’ve seen, the upcoming exhibition seems considerably more thought out and intelligent than the former. Chacun à son goût.

For more information on exhibitions, be sure to check Save the Date. As usual, I will post it at the beginning of the month, and additional entries will appear during the month as information becomes available.

Finally, to sweeten the rentrée, Fauchon (26, place de la Madeleine, 75008 Paris) proposes a “Week-end Eclair.” During the past five years, their pastry chef, Christophe Adam, has pushed this French classic beyond all limits – sweet or savory (Would you believe a smoked salmon and pea éclair?), in colors that often have nothing to do with nature (black and white, inspired by le smoking, or tuxedo; blue-white-red for the 14th of July; the mysterious gaze of the Mona Lisa). This weekend, indulge your sweet tooth (at €5 apiece). The latest creation is the “chien chaud caramel framboise” (caramel raspberry hot dog), liberally inspired in appearance, if not in taste, by the ballpark frank.

An embarrassment of choices chez Fauchon

Bonne rentrée à tous.

(Photo credits: La Baigneuse and Le Chat Angora, Wikipedia Commons; Fauchon Eclairs, L’Express)

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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“Pride goeth before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction.” Proverbs, 16:18

If only Nicolas Fouquet had heeded that admonition, we might not have today one of the most splendid monuments in all of France. For, you see, it was his château, Vaux-le-Vicomte that inspired Versailles as we know it.

Fouquet was the minister of finance and faithful to Louis XIV. His loyalty did not go unrewarded, nor did it prevent him from skimming the Treasury. That, coupled with two successive “good” marriages, allowed him to amass an impressive portfolio of real estate; the jewel was Vaux-le-Vicomte. For this property, he called upon upon a trio of brilliant stars of the epoque — Louis Le Vau, first architect of the King; the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun, who essentially controlled the arts during Louis’s reign; and André Le Nôtre, the noted landscaper. 

The work was completed in 1661. The result was a château that was innovative at the time and remains one of the finest examples of 17th century French architecture. It is surrounded by a moat and connected to the grounds by drawbridges. Nor did the grounds disappoint. Le Nôtre had created the first jardin à la française, with boxwood hedges in the form of arabesques, echoing the motif of an Oriental carpet, lagoons and canals, grottoes and fountains.

To inaugurate his property, and at the urging of the King, Fouquet hosted a grandiose celebration on 17 August 1661. The 3,000 guests (including the court of France, with the King as guest of honor) enjoyed a spectacular visit that included pieces of theatre, fireworks, and even the sight of a whale in one of the ponds. At nightfall, thousands of candles lighted their way as they discovered the interior and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner.

As the evening progressed and evidence of Fouquet’s wealth became more and more evident, the King grew increasingly annoyed. How could this upstart live in such grandeur, when the King’s palaces were in shabby disrepair? Louis wanted to arrest Fouquet on the spot, but was dissuaded by the queen mother. Two weeks later, Fouquet was siezed at Nantes, far from his Parisian supporters. After a trial, he spent the last 15 years of his life in prison.

The arrest of Nicholas Fouquet cannot be solely attributed to that evening, as the King had for some time (and not without reason) suspected him of diverting funds.

While Fouquet’s pride in his domaine was justifiable, one might argue that it was the haughty spirit of his King that led to his destruction. In the words of Voltaire, “The 17th of August at 6 o’clock in the evening, Fouquet was the King of France; at 2 o’clock in the morning, he was nothing.” There could be but one King of France.

As for Louis XIV, he engaged the trio, Le Vau, Le Brun and Le Nôtre, to undertake the renovation of Versailles. It incorporates many characteristics of Vaux-le-Vicomte, but on a much grander scale. Finally, the King had the most magnificent house in all of France.

Every Saturday night until the 10th of October (excluding the 12th of September), the château recreates its 17th-century splendor, offering visits by candlelight. More than three hours of preparation are necessary to light some 2,000 candles that illuminate the château.

 Vaux-le-Vicomte is open to visitors daily from the 14th of March until the 8th of November from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (closed on Wednesday, except in July and August). Acess by SNCF or RER ( Ligne D, Châtelet) from Paris to Melun; shuttles are available from the station in Melun to the château. Details are available (in French and in English) at www.vaux-le-vicomte.com.

(Photo credit: Direct Matin)

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© 2009 Jan del Monte

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Miranda in the Bois du Boulogne

One of the necessary steps before any absence from home is to arrange for someone to care for my running buddy and assistant par excellence, Miranda. After a few stressful days when I lost my original caretaker,  I found the perfect dogwalker. Her name is Michèle, and she is heaven-sent.

I am used to the gold standard for dogwalkers — my daughter, who ran a successful dog care business while attending university — so my expectations are high, and Michèle didn’t disappoint. She arrives in a minivan to pick up the dogs and, then, it’s off to play in the Bois du Boulogne. Now, this is a Frenchwoman, so I shouldn’t have been surprised to see that she was better dressed for an afternoon in the woods than many for a day at the office. She is  professional and attentive to details, and I was impressed to learn that she replaces each dog’s collar with one of her own, bearing her name and phone number, in case anyone decides to take off on his own.

She has the warm, fuzzy aspect covered, too, and it was obvious after our first meeting that Miranda loved her. She kept in touch with progress reports by e-mail while I was away, sending a photo (above) one day, a video another. Despite several hours of my best efforts, I have been unable to upload the video. Obviously, I’m not as techno-savvy as I would like to believe.

The life of a Parisian dog isn’t so rough. During my relatively quiet time in Atlanta, Miranda camped in a lovely Art Deco building behind Les Invalides, after running every day for a couple of hours in the Bois. One weekend, it was off to the beach, where she and her doggy friends frolicked on the beach at Deauville. Although reports have it that she never made it to the Casino, who can you trust these days?

When I returned home, Michèle delivered a calm, well-behaved, whippet-thin dog. Gone was my enfant terrible. I wish I could replicate whatever magic she performed. Clearly, Miranda had benefited from her spa experience, although she is showing signs of her former self. I think it’s time for a refresher course.

The day after my return, I had lunch at Café Flore with the adorable cigalechanta, whose comments you have read on the blog. It was nice to finally put a face with the name, and I think we both had a wonderful time. Suffice it to say that the wine industry in France isn’t suffering on our account.

Then, it was back to work.  As you may know, when I am not blogging here or unearthing (sometimes literally) art and antiques for a client, a part of my job that I love  is introducing people to the Paris (and its environs) I love, one they might not find on their own. I am currently developing some new tours, and I am really excited. In addition to expanding the scope of the visit to the Puces at Saint-Ouen, I am working on a couple of day trips close to Paris, as well as putting together something on a very important, often-overlooked part of the Musée d’Orsay.

So this promises to be a busy summer, both with work and with old friends who come to town. So far, everyone who has visited has had the kind of weather you always hope for when you come to Paris. The season is filled with new exhibitions and other things to do, and I’ll keep you posted on Save the Date as I learn of them. 

Here’s to a wonderful summer, and à bientôt.

Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France

© Jan del Monte

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