A self-professed chocoholic who rarely says no to dark chocolate, especially if it’s filled with praline, I was thrilled to discover the art of making this decadent sweet treat, first introduced to France in 1615, as a gift to Louis XIII from his Spanish princess. I was eager to learn the tricks of the trade from friend and chocolate connoisseur Lisa Allen of Tarts & Truffles. Lisa’s chocolate-making workshops take place at one of my favorite independent chocolate shops, Edwart Chocolatier near the Louvre.
The workshop began with Lisa teaching us how hazelnut praline is made. With the smell alone, I was in heaven.
The next step on this chocolate journey was to melt the chocolate and prepare it to meet with its praline center.
I must say that while Lisa’s adept hands make ‘tempering’ the chocolate look easy, it’s a process! What resulted from this sweet experience were the most divine truffles, covered in coconut flakes or my personal favorite, topped with almonds. The best part of all was feasting on these homemade creations. We also tasted Edwart’s exquisite array of chocolates in flavors ranging from Corsican lemon to curry. Ask to try their single origins chocolate too, from Venezuela and Papua New Guinea.
If you’re on the market for chocolate in Paris, which you certainly should be, here’s my list of favorite chocolate shops. Or simply contact Lisa and she’ll give you an expert chocolate tour.
If you’re lucky enough to visit Paris this holiday season, there are several not to miss events that I’m sure you’ll enjoy as much as I did. The Christmas tree at Galeries Lafayette outdoes itself every year. It’s a majestic vision from every angle. Head to the 3rd floor for a close-up view from the Glasswalk, a glass platform 9-meters long and 16 meters high! For a bird’s-eye view of Paris, head up to the rooftop of this historic department where you can go ice-skating until December 31st. Read more, here. In case you miss this ice-skating op, discover the largest ice-skating rink in the world is at Le Grand Palais until January 8th!
BHV MARAIS has also put on a holiday show this year, with its first every Alsatian Market serving specialties every day until December 24th. Take a tour with me in the video below and read more about it, here.
To taste some of the best pastries and chocolat chaud in the French capital, make your way to Place Vendôme where Ritz Paris’s pastry chef François Perret (recently named the best in the world) is baking up sweet treats at their Christmas Chalet. Read more about it, here.
For a thrilling night that will leave you dancing and singing your way home, head to Théâtre du Châtelet which just reopened for a spectacular performance of An American in Paris, in English until January 1st. Read more about this musical here, and order your tickets through Theatre in Paris.
Many of you know I try my best to support local designers and am a big advocate of clothing and accessories that, like my handbags, are ‘Made in Paris’. One of the designers I admire most is Mari of Koshka Mashka. Recently I had the chance to stop by her atelier just outside the city where Mari along with her team, creates and produces limited-edition womenswear collections.
Mari Samvelyan, who created the Koshka Mashka brand over 12 years ago after refining her skills in Italy, is a born designer. She creates from her artist’s soul, which is even more evident when watching her in action. Her inspiration comes from her colorful imagination, from walking around Paris, and in Mari’s words, “from beautiful and high-quality fabrics”, resulting in modern and timeless clothing.
The Koshka Mashka atelier is filled with clothing ready to display in the Haut Marais boutique and rolls of fabric waiting to be turned into an elegant dress, a blouse or maybe even a jumpsuit.
Each garment is handmade by skilled artisans who even create made-to-measure pieces. Now that is luxury!
Mari’s junior designer Caroline is an invaluable asset and often creates the samples for new collections.
Mari is not the only artist in the family. Her father is a painter and shares the atelier with his daughter.
Meet Mari and discover the Koshka Mashka collection at her Haut Marais boutique at 36 rue du Poitou, where you’ll also find her father’s artwork. Or join me on a fashion tour and I’ll introduce you! Meanwhile, discover other ‘Made in Paris’ designers, here.
Victor Hugo once said, “Great edifices, like great mountains, are the work of centuries.” This is certainly the case with Notre Dame de Paris. As the world is well aware, this past April flames engulfed our sacred cathedral, threatening to destroy it. As fate would have it, the cathedral stands intact. In tribute to this marvel of Gothic architecture recently celebrating 900-years, Kathy Borrus has just released a book featuring rarely seen photographs and stories from the past to the present day, even including an early map of Paris, with Notre Dame crowning the Île de la Cité.
Notre Dame de Paris: A Celebration of the Cathedral details the history and architecture of this landmark building while bringing to light its collection of priceless artifacts, the treasured Crown of Thorns among them.
“Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral…” -Robert Louis Stevenson
Notre Dame Cathedral from Quai de Montebello
Discover the rich history of Notre Dame, from the coronation of Napoléon Bonaparte to World War II and beyond.
Chimeras (gargoyles) of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris overlooking Paris
Book Notre Dame de Paris also details the legacy of the cathedral, with artists including Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso depicting Notre Dame in paintings. Cinema too played a role, as Victor Hugo’s classic novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame provoked many a Hollywood film.
West side of the Notre Dame de Paris
Within the pages of this collectors book for anyone with a deep affinity for Paris, I’ll allow you to discover for yourself why Notre Dame Cathedral is often considered an unofficial wonder of the world.
Sometimes life in Paris feels like living a dream. This was the case when I was invited on a private art tour of a closed Louvre Museum. The occasion was to discover the artful inspiration behind eight new limited editionBuly 1803 fragrances, each one created by a leading French perfumer. Ready for this exceptional tour?
Two weeks earlier I met with Victoire de Taillac who in 2014 along with her husband Ramdane Touhami, opened their all-natural fragrance emporium Buly 1803 first in Saint Germain and soon after in the Haut Marais. Read more about the brand in my Luxos feature. Now back to the Louvre tour, starting with “the most feminine woman on earth” Venus de Milo. What does she smell like, you wonder? According to the perfumer inspired by this femme fatale, an exhilarating blend of mandarine, jasmine and amber.
Walking around an empty Louvre was surreal! Joined only by a handful of fellow journalists from around the world, we were led through the stillness of centuries-old chambers by Victoire and our expert guide.
The next stop was to a personal favorite, La Victoire de Samothrace, the Greek goddess symbolizing victory.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Hellenistic marble sculpture of Nike, dates back to the 2nd century BC. I was completely taken by the majesty of this Greek goddess as we shared a moment in quietude. And her scent? A mix of tuberose, magnolia and jasmine with a hint of myrrh.
Our sensory tour continued to La Grande Odalisque, an oil painting by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres from 1814. As interpreted by the perfumer, her fragrance exudes incense and pink pepper along with musky notes.
Discretely hidden in the corner of the Louvre was painting Conversation in a Park by Thomas Gainsborough. As Victoire explained, this scent exudes notes of peppermint and bergamot along with Ottoman roses.
All of my senses were engaged as the tour continued from one empty room to another, the only other personalities present being those captured in frames upon the walls.
Our last stop was to Nymph with the Scorpion by Lorenzo Bartolini. This sculpture inspired a scent composed of heliotrope and jasmine with a touch of amber and musk.
While a tour of the closed Louvre isn’t available to the public, you can take a treasure hunt with THATMuse to discover many remarkable artworks, and have great fun while you’re at it. Trust me, I’ve been on a few!
Before leaving the Louvre we stopped at the Buly 1803 pop-up shop. Here I was able to sample all eight art inspired scents, along with their first collection of alcohol-free fragrances.
Obsessed with fragrances, my chosen scent was La Victoire de Samothrace. It brought me right back to Greece!
These Louvre inspired perfumes are available now until January 6th. In case you can’t make it to the Louvre Museum for your own sensory tour, these eight perfumes are also on sale at Buly 1803 and online.
Next time you encounter an artwork wherever you are in the world, imagine what it would smell like.
In my recent collaboration with top travel site Fathom and favorite department store Le BHV Marais, I wrote an itinerary on how to spend a perfect day in the Marais, my beloved neighborhood. I thought it would make a nice gift to those of you visiting Paris, as you too can enjoy this city like a local. So… here you go! Maybe I’ll see you at one of these favorite Marais spots. For the travel buffs, more of my Fathom features, here.
