Heidi Ellison
Culture Wars
Artistic Soul for Sale? Some critics of the French government accuse it of wanting to sell off the country’s artistic heritage, even the “Mona Lisa,” shown here being put into place in the Salle de la Joconde in 2005. Photo: … Read More
The Art of French Cooking
A la Carte Cooking Classes Muriel Foucher of Marguerite’s Elegant Home Cooking supervises a student’s technique. Anyone who wants to take a cooking course in Paris has a wealth of choices, ranging from the famed Cordon Bleu and the Ritz … Read More
Hôtel du Petit Moulin
Couture Couchage Fashion rules in this room decorated with the designer’s illustrations. Updated November 25, 2006 Fashion designer Christian Lacroix has turned his attention from dressing the haut monde to dressing bedrooms for them. This discreet little hotel with only … Read More
Prête-moi ta Main
Fiancée for Hire
After a couple of French friends told me that Prête-moi ta Main was a witty French take on the great American romantic comedies of the 1930s, I decided to give it a try in spite of my low opinion of … Read More
Liza Korn
Fashion’s a Game Liza Korn is something of a rebel in the Paris fashion world. She began her career as an artist rather than a designer and doesn’t hold regular fashion shows to present her seasonal collections, but occasional “happenings” … Read More
Château des Ormeaux
Fairytale Castle
For a weekend escape not too far from Paris but far enough to offer a total change of scenery, it would be hard to find better value for money than the Château des Ormeaux, a small, hillside castle overlooking the … Read More
The Little Things That Count
The Little Things That Count Delerm’s voice is less croaky on his new album. Vincent Delerm, who brought something new to French pop music with his frog-in-the-throat voice, quirky phrasing and lighthearted, often nostalgic lyrics (as in the song “Les … Read More
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Redecorated Home for Decorative Arts
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, located in the Louvre’s 19th-century Marsan Wing, has finally reopened after a 10-year closure, during which both the building and its collection were extensively renovated and restored. The immediate impression is spectacular. Visitors enter the … Read More
La Rentrée Littéraire, Sept. 2006
Seasonal Literature It’s that time of year again. The biannual frenzy of book publishing in France known as the rentrée littéraire is upon us. Pull up an armchair and choose from a stack of over 680 freshly printed novels, around … Read More
The Science of Sleep
Stuck in Dreamworld
The new film, the first Gondry has both scripted and directed, stars that young actor the camera (and the audience) just loves, Gael Garcia Bernal. Oozing charm and boyish good looks as usual, he romps his way through this film … Read More