Paris Suburb, Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Paris is so full of treasures that once I’m there, I don’t like to leave. But last month, the friend of a friend invited me to the cultured suburb of Saint-Germain-en Laye, a half hour from Paris by train. My only regret was that I couldn’t stay in this elegant, medieval city a little longer.

History lovers in particular will want to visit Saint-Germain. French kings François I, Henry IV, Louis XIII, and Louis XIV have all left their mark on the town; the last made the town’s chateau his main residence from 1661 to 1681. Today the chateau contains the National Museum of Archeology, which houses the world’s largest collection of prehistoric art.

Mozart visited Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1778, staying in the lavish Hôtel de Noailles. This building, built by Hardouin Mansart at the end of the 17th century, is one of the stops on a self-guided walking tour of the city’s historic dwellings. At the beginning of the tour is the birthplace of Claude Debussy, where a small museum contains some of the composer’s personal belongings.

Nabi painter Maurice Denis also lived in Saint-Germain; the museum in his home displays work by Denis, his contemporary Paul Sérusier, and Bonnard, Roussel, Vuillard, and Gaugin. The high point, though, is the 17th century chapel. Entirely designed by Denis and completed in 1928, it is a stunning work of modern art in a beautiful, old world setting.

Complete immersion in the history of Saint-Germain involves an overnight stay at the Château du Val (pictured above). Built as a hunting lodge by Henri IV and later enlarged by Louis XIV, this grand residence with ties to the prestigious Légion d’Honneur sits on the edge of town. Beautifully renovated and appointed, with fabulous food, beautiful gardens, and surprisingly low prices, it’s definitely worth the trip from Paris.

Les Macchiaioli at Musée de l’Orangerie

At the heart of Les Macchiaioli , the current show at Musée de l’Orangerie, is the question of whether Italian painters developed their own version of Impressionism independently of the French, at about the same time.

Macchiaioli, named for areas of light and shadow, or “macchie”, shares traits with French Impressionism, to be sure. Painters of both movements rejected academic compositions and historical themes in favor of rural scenes; they expressed variations in lighting through contrasting patches of color. Both were influenced by photography and plein air painting.

Yet the Italians were fueled by political fervor, to protest against art that had become too elitist. They worked with a more restricted color palette than the French, eschewed industrial innovations as subjects, and developed an unusual elongated horizontal format.

My favorite work in the show, Le Rotonde de Palmierei, by Giovanni Fattori, uses simplified forms and horizontal bands of color to capture the movement of wind and light beside the ocean. It made me think of Boudin, who painted seaside in Honfleur, and of the influence of Japanese prints on French Impressionism.

The show at l’Orangerie is a thoughtful and delightful collection of work. On view are striking images of domestic life, landscapes bathed in sun and shadow, realistic battle scenes, even a film that incorporates political upheaval and decorative interiors.

Until July 22.

Have you seen this show? What do you think?

Epicerie Saint-Sabin

When was the last time you got a French geography lesson with your lunch?

For me, it was last month, at Epicerie Saint-Sabin, a new grocery store/wine cave/café near the Bastille, when owner Laurent Pataille ran down the sandwich choices scratched on the chalkboard near his impeccable deli counter.

I learned that le Noir de Bigorre ham comes from the northern slopes of the Pyrenees; Laguiolle cheese, pronounced “la-yol” and similar to Cantal, is made in the Aveyron; and that tourte de meule is a delicious whole grain sourdough bread made throughout France.

I ordered a sandwich made from all three ingredients, and the lesson didn’t end there. M Pataille also recommended a wine I had never heard of: Fitou, (Champs de Soeurs 2011)—a luscious red apellation from Languedoc-Roussillon.

Wines from Cahors, Marcillac, Fronton, Gascogne, Roussillon; fresh and packaged edibles from Aveyron, Lot, Gars, Hautes-Pyrénées and Toulouse; tins of smoked mackeral, syrup made from poppies, candy made from violets, hazelnut cake from Rouergue, a commune in the Aveyron—the shop is dedicated to terroir.

My sandwich and glass of wine (at 3:00 in the afternoon, when it’s not always easy to find a bite to eat) were the high point of the day, and at 9.50€ a bargain. Especially when you include the duck sausage that tided me over while my sandwich was being prepared. And not to mention the high price of schooling.

Chagall at Musée du Luxembourg

The more I learn about the 20th century Russian painter Marc Chagall, the more I appreciate his work. The current show at the Musée du Luxembourg, “Chagall, Between War and Peace,” taught me this: however much Chagall’s work seems to depict imaginary worlds, the artist was grounded in reality.

The expo examines the artist’s life and work against the backdrop of 2 World Wars, exile, and intermittent moments of peace. As imaginative as his paintings appear, Chagall’s subjects came from his immediate environment.

Paintings of his wife Bella, who he married in Russia in 1915, express safety within the intimacy of family, despite a world at war. Drawings of wounded soldiers in the streets of Vitebsk, near the Russian front, chronicle the ravages of war. Later, Chagall drew on his Jewish roots in his sets for the Jewish Theater in Moscow, and in a series of gouaches in preparation for Bible illustrations.

The show contains more than 100 works, including oil paintings on canvas and paper, ink drawings, preparatory gouaches, watercolors, and pencil drawings. The works evoke a magical world—inhabited by life as Chagall knew it.

Until July 21.

Paris Picnic Food

Picnic season will soon be upon us, and here are two places to find food you will love to eat al fresco.

For a meal of tapas, shop at Da Rosa, where owner José da Rosa has created an épicierie of fine food from Portugal, Italy and Spain. They’re known for their Iberian ham (da Rosa was the first in the city to import it). Other good bets are Italian olives and Manchego cheese.
62, rue de Seine, 6th ,01 45 21 41 30. Open daily.

For the best sandwich in town, stop at Le Petit Vendôme, around the corner from the Ritz. The sandwich starts with a half a baguette from Boulangerie Julien (they won the prize for the best baguette in Paris in 1995, and have since won awards for their croissant and pain au chocolat). Add olive oil, chèvre, jambon de pays, and wrap it in a napkin to eat tout de suite.
8, rue des Capucines, 2nd, 01 42 61 05 88. Closed weekends:

Paris B and B

Staying in a Paris B&B has advantages. You’re greeted by locals, treated to terrific breakfasts, and often have the run of the house.

Françoise Foret started Alcôve & Agapes—the first B&B service in Paris—in 1998, and the company has flourished. She arranges lodging for visitors from all over the world.

Take the time to go through her listings, and you’ll find wonderful surprises: the house and gardens of a well known jazz musician; spacious accommodations on Ile St Louis; a suite that was formerly an artist’s atelier.

Photos and text provide good detail on the hosts and the homes. You can search for properties by location, type of accommodation, or by value added services, such as which hosts provide French conversation, dinner, or wine tasting.

Bonne nuit!

New Ladurée Chocolate Shop

Just when we thought master chocolatiers (Jean Paul Hévin, Jean Charles Rocheaux, Franck Kestener, Jacques Génin) had had the last words about fine chocolate in Paris, Ladurée has entered the fray.

The renowned pâtisserie, known for its macarons, has opened Les Marquis de Ladurée, near the Tuilerie Gardens, to complement their pastries and round out their chocolate offerings.

The shop is a study in opulence, with intricately moulded ceilings, a crystal chandelier, pressed tin walls and exquisite displays. Mirrored cases illuminate towers of chocolate macarons and eclairs sprinkled with gold leaf.

Elegant lamps define perfect stacks of exotic ganaches, precisely arranged rows of truffles, and subtly perfumed cameos that bear the marquis’ likeness.

Chestnut, verveine, rose, Manjari grand cru…these aromes are just the beginning. If you are a Ladurée fan, or interested in the delicate pleasures of fine chocolate, this boutique is for you.

14 rue de Castiglione, 1st, Métro: Tuileries