curi·ous {Old French curios} Drawn to investigate, prick up the ears, ponder for the sake of pondering. Enticed by mysteriously labeled bottles.
vo·luptu·ary {Late Latin volupturius} A lass devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. An unabashed epicurean, hedonist, libertine, sensualist, lotus-eater.
Y’all might not yet have been enchanted by Alfonso’s secret wistful side, but now his inner dreamy Nouveau lady is unleashed upon Paree. Alfonso had a meeting, I had some business of my own, and this was how the working afternoon was spent, in the nook of Marais/Bastille. There was an afternoon glass of Rosé [...]
Sunday morning snow storm and meeting my honey at the Gare de l’Est (built 1849, doubled in size 1931, a departure point for French troops in WWI). Or I should say judging by this photograph, I was unable to make it and sent my freezing, sleep-deprived crazy twin instead. Train forty-five minutes late, open-air interior [...]
Paris is known as La Ville-Lumière (referring both to its having been a center of ideas during the Age of Enlightenment, and its early adoption of street lighting), but it also loves it’s ladies. Here are a few distinctly Parisian grand dames I’ve seen around town–chignons, pressed powder, fur, gloves, giant sunglasses, emphatic gestures–and some [...]
Inspired by my honey who taught himself English by listening to London Calling, I’m attempting to re-learn French by deciphering the lyrics of pun-hound Serge Gainsbourg (with help found here.)
An example, from Chez les yé-yé: “Ni les gris-gris que tu portais” translates to “Nor the grey-grey you were wearing” (and picks up the rhythm of [...]
Today is the ninth anniversary of our first date. I will never regret letting you eat from my plate. Joyeux anniversaire de premier rendez-vous, mon amour!
Above: 7am trek through West Village to clean the reception loft before flying back to Switzerland, 2008. Exhausted after nine days of wedding, but happy. Below: our first picture, in [...]
Low-key and lovely Thanksgiving in Monmartre at the home of a journalist friend from high school and college. She managed to bring an impromptu yet impressive table together for a cluster of expats, visitors, and a lone French guest who made a pumpkin pie from a pumpkin. Also had a incredible plum tart, and one [...]
Tomorrow marks the end of week one. Met the lovely Tim and Katherine for a glass at Chez Prune and dinner at La Marine, both along the canal Saint-Martin. Then an apres dinner stroll up to Belleville, and later, a chance to show-off my swanky digs. Excellent tagine d’agneau aux pruneaux, and even better company. [...]
We spent the week in New York primarily hosting two parties and trying without luck to find the right sublettor for our apartment. We happened to arrive over our one year wedding anniversary weekend, and I was able to lure Alfonso to the very spot we exchanged vows, Ladies Pavilion of Central Park. (the park [...]
We celebrated my Grandpa Boone’s 85th birthday, this was what brought us to the states in the first place, a big ol’ shindig with all the family there. I made a book for him, of his life and memories of all the guests.
We drove my mom’s new convertible hardtop around the old freeways and [...]
View from lunch at Nepenthe, named for the mythical drug inducing a forgetfulness of pain and trouble, from Homer’s Odyssey.