Bonjour Paris!

The blog is dedicated to France during the winter months, a country that has it all: mountains, sea, romantic cities, excellent food and wine. Who doesn’t love France and its capital, Paris? If you’ve never been there, join me and I’ll show you around, if you know the city very well, follow me, I’ll share some exciting stories with you, you’ve never heard before.

Paris is the most romantic city in the world, full of elegance, harmony and creativity. The city is especially charming in December; it’s all about Christmas, festive atmosphere, candle lights, Christmas markets and mulled wine. You can smell and feel the winter! Best way to end your day is to stop by a restaurant, which offers French winter specialties like raclette, onion soup, fondue. Choose macaron as a dessert and enjoy a glass of Champagne! Add a few touches to your outfit from the fashion accessories below and you will be the queen of the holiday season! Create a real, Parisian boudoir in your wardrobe and fill your home with some special Christmas decorations!

Once you are in Paris, you will surely visit the most famous attractions like the Eiffel tower, Sacré Coeur and Notre Dame, it’s a must to see them, so I will write about these sights too, but let me start with some fashion history and my famous exhibition in Paris.

Fashion innovations

Paris is today one of the fashion capitals of the world, and let’s be honest, it all started here in the 17th century initiated by Louis XIV. He was the Sun King and he wanted to be in the center of everything that was beautiful and luxurious, so the luxury goods industry was established by the royals. The French press was created at that time and it’s main focus was fashion and how fashion changed during the seasons. In the late 19’s the French fashion industry exploded due to the foundation of the Vogue magazine in 1892, and the first fashion houses (Source: wikipedia). They were first influenced by Orientist and Art Nouveau. We all know the biggest revolutionist Coco Chanel, who created the most iconic brand in history. My favorite quote from her is:

• www.quotesgram.com
  

I must say she stuck to that. She was a role model for women; fashion was her weapon to show that women are free to decide about their lives. She often proved that in her personal life, she refused the norms; she was dedicated to her work despite all the difficult periods, ups and downs. She died as a legend and even today she gives hope, inspiration and encouragement to women by her personal life as the best example.

Besides Coco I should mention such big names like Christian Dior who lead the world’s attention in 1947, he unveiled his „New Look”, clinched in waists contrasted with majestic busts and full skirts.

www.dior.com

Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain both opened fashion houses soon, and let’s not forget about Yves Saint Laurent, who created „prêt-à-porter” ("ready to wear")  in 1966, he was the first in history who made fashion accessible for the mass.
Paris will always play an important role if it comes to fashion, such an elegant, inspirational city. Walk on the Champs Elysees or Place Vendome, and feel the vibes!

Salon International de L’Agriculture - a culinary experience

There is another reason why I love Paris, and it’s an exciting exhibition held at Porte Versailles, the Salon International de L’Agriculture (https://en.salon-agriculture.com). It’s a discovering, gastronomic tour, where farmers bring their goods to the city, therefore you can pet animals, see the biggest bulls in the country, taste cheese, wine and all regional products of France and the French Polynesia as well. It’s not just an exhibition, but a real culinary discovery in the heart of the city. It will be held next year from the 25th of February till the 5th of March. If you plan to visit the city anyway, make a stop here and you won’t regret it, I promise.

Sightseeing in the city

Tour Eiffel

Now let’s discover the main spots, like the Tour Eiffel. Discover the Iron Lady, the beloved icon of Paris, which was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel, until 1929 it was the tallest tower of the world. Millions of people climb the Eiffel Tower every year and it had over 250 million visitors since its opening. Being so popular, the Eiffel Tower design has been recreated around the world, including a replica at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Nevada, USA and a Tokyo Tower in Japan. The tower's three platforms are home to two restaurants, several buffets, a champagne bar and many gift shops.

Champs Élysées

The most famous avenue in Paris is Champs Élysées. Here stands Arc de Triomphe. Stop at Concorde and walk on the Avenue till the Arc de Triomphe. You will not regret it, enjoy the glam of the city.  Fashion, unique buildings and elegance will surround you on the way.

Place Vendôme

There is another center of luxury in Paris, that’s the Place Vendôme. The impressive buildings on the square serve today as residences as well as retail stores, including some well-known dress designers. The very expensive Hotel Ritz and Hotel Vendôme are also located here. A number of famous people have also lived along Place, including composer Frédéric Chopin (who died in no. 12), Ernest Hemingway even claimed to have helped liberate the Ritz in 1944.(Source: Wikipedia)

www.vendomepasty.com

Montmarte and Moulin Rouge

Montmartre is a large hill in Paris, many artists had studios here, worked and lived in the area like Claude Monet, Salvador Dali, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, just naming a few of them. It’s the arty, bohemian district, you will feel the atmosphere. Get there by metro line 2 and stop at Pigalle.
 
The very famous Moulin Rouge is located here too. At the beginning, the Moulin Rouge throw champagne-filled parties, where famous dancers performed. In this period the world famous quartet known as the French Cancan was born as well. The Moulin Rouge served drinks during shows, spectators sometimes themselves dancing on the dance floor. With an unconventional architecture and extravagant decoration, the Moulin Rouge was more than just attracting clients who simply wanted to have fun.

Back in 1899  - source: dailymail.co.uk

Now

The eyes of the Moulin Rouge was Toulouse–Lautrec, who loved Montmarte and attended the shows every evening, his task was to draw the dancers and the customers. He drew the first advertising poster for the Moulin Rouge in 1891 (La Goulue). Even today it’s the symbol of the place. Through his work and art, the era and the atmosphere of the district is well demonstrated. At that time such a poster was an important innovation concerning the silhouette and letter styling. Today anybody can enjoy a show at the Moulin Rouge and travel back in time.

Sacré-Cœur

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is a Roman catholic church on the highest point in the city. The basilica was built in response to the Paris Commune uprising of 1871. The huge central dome that, seen from a distance, gives the basilica a passing resemblance to the Taj Mahal (Source: dailymail.co.uk). The view is stunning from here.

Notre Dame

Let’s go beneath the surface. Notre Dame de Paris is visited by approx. 13 million tourists every year. The cathedral was built between 1163 and 1345, it is designed in the Gothic style. The largest bells in the South tower weights 13 tons. The three rosettes Notre-Dame de Paris are one of the greatest masterpieces of Christianity.

Latin Quarter

An absolute lovely district is the Latin Quarter close to the Notre Dame. You can easily get there by metro or RER stopping at Saint Michel/Cité. Start your tour in the Notre Dame, than cross the Seine and explore the neighborhood. It gets the name from the fact that Latin was the language of the students in the Middle Ages, here are the oldest universities in France, Sorbonne is a few blocks away. The district is known for its student life, bistros and restaurants. Have a lunch here with your friends and enjoy the laid back atmosphere.

Source: www.lonelyplanet.com

Sorbonne and me

Food and drinks

For breakfast try croissant with a bit of jam and an espresso, it’s a must.
 
Escargots are typical Parisian bistro fare, stuffed with butter, parsley and garlic. Mop up the baguette in the sauce!
 
You can find steak everywhere on the menus. It feels good to eat a warm soup in the cold, I often prepare French onion soup at home, it’s easy to make and it’s delicious.
 
In France you will find crêpes stands everywhere, it’s made of wheat and filled with anything salty or sweet you can wish for.
 
Ladurée and  Pierre Hermé: Note these two names if you would like to try a real, French macaron. Both of the houses are big names in pastry and truly French.  https://www.laduree.com/en_int, http://www.pierreherme.com

parisfoodiary.com

Ladurée

fabrisons.com

Christmas menu

Traditionally a French family is attending a holy mass and after that they gather for a Christmas Eve dinner, le réveillon, how they call it. If it comes to Christmas menu, try the famous Foie Gras, made of duck liver, it has a buttery, rich taste, it comes as a pâté. Escargot is also a common choice as a starter, just like oysters. For main course there are so many variations, it also depends on the region. Duck, turkey, ham and fish are mostly on the menus. Chestnuts are used for stuffing and cranberries for sauces. Une bûche de Noël is the traditional desert, a buttercream cake in the shape of a log, topped with colorful little Christmas figurines, and cut in individual slices.
 
What to drink for all these delicious courses? French champagne is in harmony with the first course and choose a red Bordeoux for the main dish. If you are a wine lover, you will find some excellent wine selection all around France.

Santé!

Fashion >>>