Archive for June, 2015

The Impressionists — And the Man Who Made Them

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015
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The Railway by Edouard Manet

The Railway by Edouard Manet
Image courtesy of Akuentic

The Impressionists — And the Man Who Made Them is a documentary film about a man who was smitten by a radical new form of painting and his determination to support and promote it. That new form of painting was called Impressionism and the man who supported it was a Parisian art dealer named Paul Durand-Ruel.

When Impressionist painters first began showing their works in the 1870s, they were greeted with derision by the French public and art critics. Up until that time, art was officially supported by the French government, and art that was accepted for display in its annual salons had to meet the standards of the jury of the French Academy of Fine Art. Art produced by graduates of the academy was characterized by its highly polished, finished style. The general public, accustomed to academic art, viewed the new “intransigent” art (later called “impressionism”) as crude and unfinished. People would go to galleries where these paintings were displayed not to ponder over them as works of art, but rather to laugh at them.

Paul Durand-Ruel was acutely aware of the public’s intense negative reaction to Impressionism, but he was determined to invest time, energy, and money in promoting the art and its artists until the paintings achieved the value that he thought they were worth. The process would take twenty years and bring the visionary art dealer close to bankruptcy on several occasions.

Preparing to Film in the Luxembourg Museum

Preparing to Film in the Luxembourg Museum
Image courtesy of Akuentic

The Impressionists — And the Man Who Made Them traces the history of Durand-Ruel’s struggle to make Impressionism acceptable. Phil Grabsky, a British documentary film maker, takes us into the Luxembourg Museum in Paris where an exhibit that treated the same subject was being installed. During the film, we see Durand-Ruel’s great grandson, great-great grand daughter, and other art curators talk about his unstinting support for the new painting and its artists. We are also treated to sumptuous close-up views of a number of the paintings, whose colors and textures appear with stunning exactitude on the wide screen of a movie theater. Enchanting piano music inspired by melodies of the period interweaves throughout the film, transforming it into a compelling story.

The Impressionists will be released in the United States on July 18. And the Luxembourg Museum exhibit that inspired the documentary has already moved to the United States, opening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on June 24. Entitled “Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel and the New Painting,” it runs until September 13.

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On Bastille Day, Celebrate France’s Joie de vivre with Books by the Members of the Paris Writers’ Connection

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015
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Paris Writers Connection

 

French FlagBastille Day falls on July 14, only a few days away. To celebrate that day, we asked the members of the Paris Writers’ Connection tell us what they like about Paris. Happy Bastille Day and happy reading!

 

Vicki Lesage, author of Confessions of a Paris Party Girl

Vicki LesageMy favorite thing about Paris is my neighborhood boulangerie and the routine of getting my daily baguette. Even though there are two boulangeries closer to my apartment, I still venture out to my favorite one because the perfection of their baguettes is worth it. And now I bring my two-year-old son with me so he can share in this quintessential French experience. He knows how to order the baguette (hilariously addressing the boulangère as “Madame Baguette” in the process), pay for it (if I hand him the correct change in advance), and carry it home like a true Parisian: eating just the end off.

Confessions of a Paris Party GirlVicki Lesage proves daily that raising French kids isn’t as easy as the hype lets on. She penned three books in between diaper changes and wine refills: Confessions of a Paris Party Girl, Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer, and Petite Confessions. She writes about the ups and downs of life in the City of Light at VickiLesage.com.

Buy now: http://www.amazon.com/Vicki-Lesage/e/B00HUZQUI4

 

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Tom Reeves, author of Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light

Tom ReevesThere are many things to like about Paris, but for me the most pleasurable is the quality of the restaurants that one finds here. French chefs, restaurant managers, and staff have mastered the art of preparation and presentation of the food that they serve, the spirit of service, and the arrangement of the dining space. Each week, my wife and I look forward to dining out and then reporting on our experience in our weekly restaurant review.

 

Tom Reeves has been a confirmed Francophile since he first took an unpaid sabbatical in 1975 to travel to France to learn the language, see the country, and pursue a diploma in French language, literature, and civilization. Returning to California in 1978, he eventually realized that while he had left France, France had never left him. He moved back permanently in 1992. Reeves’ latest book Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light helps Paris-bound travelers understand French dining customs so that they feel comfortable when entering into a French restaurant for the first time.

Buy now: http://amzn.to/1nkgCyu

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Lily Heise, author of Je T’Aime…Me Neither

Lily HeiseThe thing I love the most about Paris is its joie de vivre. This is manifested in different ways, but I truly feel that Parisians celebrate life. They take the time to sip un petit café at the bar or a laugh over a glass of rosé en terrasse. They savor their meals over hours instead of gobbling down a quick bite. They spend Sunday afternoons in the park or taking in an exhibit at the city’s vast array of excellent museums. This energy keeps me here and keeps me alive!

 

 

Je t'aime... me neitherApril Lily Heise is a Canadian writer and romance expert based in Paris. Her writing has been featured in the Huffington Post, Conde Nast Traveler, Frommer’s, City Secrets, and DK Eyewitness Guides and other local and international publications. She is the author of Je T’Aime, Me Neither, a lively novelized memoir on her romantic misadventures and continues to share dating tips, stories, and travel features on her blog www.jetaimemeneither.com.

 

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Rosemary Flannery, author of Angels of Paris

Rosemary FlanneryThe truly great thing about Paris is its constant surprises. This evening Radio Classique offered a classical music concert sponsored by the RATP in the great hall of the Miromesnil metro station. The space was packed, the acoustics were perfect, and the violinist, Nemanja Radulovic, a brilliant young star. Tattooed, his huge mane of hair waving as he moved, his passion for the music was palpable, and the familiar pieces resounded as never before. This was not the first time Radulovic played in the metro: it was here at the age of 14, having moved with his family from Serbia to France after the Yugoslav Wars, that he began his career, busking for money. I felt truly grateful to have been part of such an original evening, and thought ‘only in Paris’. . .

 

Angels of ParisRosemary Flannery is an author, photographer and tour guide. She arrived in France in1989, just in time for the bicentenary of the Revolution and the inauguration of the Louvre museum and its Pyramid. Passionate about Parisian architecture, she wrote Angels of Paris: An Architectural Tour of the History of Paris, celebrating the illustration of angels in the city’s facades, fountains and rooftops. Released in 2012 by The Little Bookroom NYC and distributed by Random House, her book will be published in French this September as Les Anges de Paris: Voyage au coeur de Paris, by Editions Exergue.

 

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Leonard Pitt, author of Walks Through Lost Paris

Leonard PittParis is made for walking. There are walks I’ve been doing for over fifty years and they only get better. Like turning a rich soil and taking in the pungent aroma of fresh earth that flairs the nostrils with pleasure. An early morning when the cafes are just opening is best, before traffic, crowds, and tour buses. The city breathes Zen.

 

 

 

Walks through Lost ParisLeonard Pitt is an author, actor, and teacher. He lived in Paris for seven years in the 1960s and learned nothing about the city. It was only much later, in the 1990s, when he became shocked upon learning what he did not know that he started reading and researching everything he could about Paris and its history. As someone once said, “If you want to learn about something, write a book about it.” Leonard has written three books about Paris. His first, Walks Through Lost Paris was a bestseller in the French capital. In addition he has written, Paris, A Journey Through Time, and Paris Postcards, the Golden Age. His new book, My Brain On Fire, Paris and Other Obsessions, is a memoir. It will be published later this year by Counterpoint Press.

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On Bastille Day, Celebrate France’s Joie de vivre with Books by the Members of the Paris Writers’ Connection

An Artisanal Beer and Chocolate Pairing during Paris Beer Week
By Monique Y. Wells

Sunday, June 7th, 2015
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Our favorite neighborhood chocolate boutique, Mococha, and favorite beer purveyor, Brewberry, teamed up for this year’s Paris Beer Week festivities to present a self-guided beer and chocolate pairing. It took place from 6 – 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27 at Brewberry. Reservations were required but there was no set time for participants to arrive.

The lovely proprietors, Marie Gantois of Mococha and Cécile Delorme-Thomas of Brewberry, worked together to select beer and chocolate pairings based on complementary or opposing notes between the products they carry. During this process, they found that most of the ganaches and pralinés that Marie stocks did not work well with Cécile’s beers.

Marie Gantois, Proprietor of Mococha

Marie Gantois, Proprietor of Mococha
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Cécile Delorme

Cécile Delorme, Proprietor of Brewberry
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Undeterred, Marie decided to test some of her chocolate bars with Cécile’s beers. She and Cécile were much happier with the resulting flavor combinations. In the end, they paired three artisanal beers with five artisanal chocolate bars and one ganache for the event.

Five Bars and One Ganache in Search of Three Beers

Five Bars and One Ganache in Search of Three Beers
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Participants received an fact sheet containing gustatory details of each beer and each chocolate presented during the evening. Each beer was paired with two chocolates, as follows:

• Beer #1 – Naparbier Barley Wine white wine BA (12°) with Kochi (Johann Dubois) and Cuba (François Pralus)

• Beer #2 – TOOL Black Maria (8.1°) with Mélissa (François Pralus) and Brésil (François Pralus)

• Beer #3 – Omnipollo Hypnopompa (10°) with Tonka (Benoit Nihant) and Lait d’amandes (Benoit Nihant)

I’m not a beer drinker but am always willing to try pairings organized by Marie because I find her taste in chocolate to be exquisite!

Three Beers Paired with Six Chocolates

Three Beers Paired with Six Chocolates
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The first pairing was my favorite, by far. I tasted the beer before the chocolate — and loved it! I learned that Barley Wine is a style of beer, like IPA or stout. It is aged for 15 months in oak barrels that were previously used to age white wine.

At 12°, Naparbier’s alcohol content is quite high for beer. With its notes of caramel and stewed fruit, it tasted like an after dinner drink. I would buy this beer to enjoy on its own, without chocolate!

I then sampled the chocolates, with and without tiny sips of beer. Kochi, by Johann Dubois, was the only ganache that “made the cut” for the Paris Beer Week tasting. It is made from milk chocolate (40%), hazelnuts and yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit). Cuba, a dark chocolate bar (75%) made from Cuban chocolate, was quite spicy and potent. The information sheet indicated that this bar, made by François Pralus, likely represents the last opportunity that Europeans will have to taste chocolate made from Cuban cocoa beans. No explanation was given as to why cocoa beans from Cuba would be banned in Europe.

Of the two chocolates, I liked the dark-chocolate Cuba bar the best — with and without the beer.

My next favorite pairing was the Omnipollo Hypnopompa beer with the Lait d’amandes bar. I described the aroma of this brown, Swedish beer as slightly funky and animal-like, though later, I could detect notes of coffee. I did not like it on its own but found that it accompanied both chocolates nicely.

I did not like the TOOL Black Maria at all, but loved both chocolates that were paired with it.

I found the format for this tasting to be quite agreeable — I much prefer being able to arrive at my convenience, then taste, take notes, and ask questions at my own pace.

I hope that Marie and Cécile will organize a tasting for Paris Beer Week next year!

Mococha
89, rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Tel: 01 47 07 13 66
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Metro: Place Monge, Censier Daubenton (Line 7)

Brewberry
18, rue de Pot-de-Fer
75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 36 53 92
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 2 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Metro: Place Monge (Line 7)

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Paris Beer Week – The Grand Final – Part II

Friday, June 5th, 2015
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Paris Beer Week Logo

Did I say in Part I that the greatest thing about Paris Beer Week is that only artisanal beers are featured? I didn’t fully comprehend this until I walked upstairs to the exhibition hall where thirty-one artisanal breweries from all over Europe had their stands. It was then that I realized that I would need a lot of tokens to taste them all!

Exhibition Hall at La Bellevilloise

The Exhibition Hall at La Bellevilloise
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The hall is vast and because I arrived fairly early, there was lots of room in which to move around. The brewers’ stands had been set up all around the periphery. The first thing that I did was to look to see which brewer was pouring the black beer that had elicited so much enthusiasm down on the terrace.

Cécile Thomas Serves Aupa Tovarisch from Laugar Brewery in Spain

Cécile Thomas Serves Aupa Tovarisch from the Laugar Brewery in Spain
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I quickly found it. The beer is called Aupa Tovarisch and it is brewed by the Laugar Brewery in Spain. The lovely Cécile Thomas, whom I have blogged about before, was pouring. She told me that the beer is aged for one year in 18-year-old barrels that once contained Lagavulin whisky.

Aupa Tovarisch from the Laugar Brewery in Spain

Aupa Tovarisch from the Laugar Brewery in Spain
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Aupa Tovarisch is an opaque beer with strong, bitter flavor of coffee and chocolate. I enjoyed its taste at first, but as I continued to drink it, I began to think that it was like drinking cold, bitter coffee left over from the day before.

Cécile told me that the price of a glass of this brew was two tokens, not one. That left me with only one token.

Which would be the last beer that I would choose? As I looked around, I asked myself, “Why not try an English beer?”

Sam Pouring Siren Craft Brew's Life is a Peach

Sam Pouring Siren Craft Brew’s Life is a Peach
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I found Sam pouring Life is a Peach, brewed by Siren Craft. He told me that the brewery is located near Reading, about 30 miles from London.

Life is a Peach by Siren Craft Brewery

Life is a Peach by Siren Craft Brewery
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

This golden beer tasted somewhat bitter, with the mild flavor of peach. Nice!

Alix and Her Sketch of Me

Alix and Her Sketch of Me
Photograph of Alix by www.DiscoverParis.net

I spotted sketch artist Alix Maubrey across the room. She captured my image in five minutes and made me look 50 years younger. Thanks, Alix!

It had been a good day, tasting craft beers and meeting people. I look forward to next year’s Paris Beer Week!

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Paris Beer Week – The Grand Final – Part I

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015
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Paris Beer Week poster

The Grand Final of Paris Beer Week is over and is nothing but a sudsy memory. But what a good time it was!

The day-long event was held at La Bellevilloise, a concert and exposition hall located in eastern Paris.

La Bellevilloise - Originally Founded as a Workers' Collective, Now a Place to Party

La Bellevilloise – Originally Founded as a Workers’ Collective, Now a Place to Party
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I purchased my entry pass over the Internet three weeks in advance. For only 30.99€, I got an entry ticket, a “Paris Beer Week” T-shirt, a “Paris Beer Week” drinking glass, and four tokens for beer. This was a pretty good deal, I thought, considering that I was in need of a new T-shirt for beer drinking.

André and Martin Collecting Tickets at the Door

André and Martin Collecting Tickets at the Door
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

André (left) and Martin (right), both sporting orange “Paris Beer Week” T-shirts, collected tickets at the door and distributed T-shirts, beer glasses, and tokens. I told André that I was alone, that my wife didn’t like beer and wouldn’t come with me. He replied, “That’s alright. All the more beer for you!” He also told me that my glass was called a galopin, a glass that holds 12.5cl of beer. I was satisfied with this quantity. After all, how much beer can one purchase with only four tokens?

People Enjoying the Terrace

People Enjoying a Beautiful Day on the Terrace
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A Beautiful Day in Paris for Drinking Beer

A Beautiful Day in Paris for Drinking Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I passed through the reception hall and walked out of the back door onto the terrace. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for enjoying a beer in the sun or shade!

Joan Serving La Onze Beer

Joan Serving La Onze Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I spent one token to purchase a glass of La Onze beer from Joan, who was serving at a bar off to the side of the terrace. La Onze is not just any beer, but is specially brewed for the occasion by a cooperative of local craft-beer brewers. Cloudy, light-rust in color, not too bitter, it had a fruity flavor. This was a beer that I could stay with all day, but there were so many beers, so little time.

Antipasti Sandwich

Antipasti Sandwich
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I purchased an antipasti sandwich (mozzarella, yellow and red peppers, and salad leaves in a baguette) to accompany the beer. It was a perfect gustatory match! What a day this was turning out to be!

At the table next to mine, I overheard some guys exclaiming about a black beer that one of them brought down to the terrace from the exhibition hall upstairs. “That’s the next beer that I’m going to try,” I told myself. I finished off my sandwich and headed upstairs.

Next…the serious beer-drinking begins.

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