Paris Delices City Guide

June 19 – September 16
Musée d’Orsay
Temporary Exhibition - From Cézanne to Picasso, Masterpieces from the Vollard Gallery

A pioneer among late nineteenth-century art dealers, Ambroise Vollard (1866-1939) played a decisive role in the development of Modern Art until the early decades of the 20th century. Thanks to his intuition, his talent for business and his boldness, he has achieved a special place in the art market by his passionate defence of unknown or “banned” artists. In particular Vollard was the first to organise a one-man exhibition devoted to Paul Cézanne in November 1895; he exhibited the Nabis and he supported several young painters such as Derain and Rouault. His enlightened investments now seem incredibly far-sighted.

Vollard maintained a special relationship with each of “his” artists, whilst his extraordinary sensitivity enabled him to discover the unique talent of each. In particular, he encouraged Maillol and Renoir to produce sculpture.

Moreover, the way he developed relationships between creators, great collectors and other art dealers gave the small world of Parisian art an international dimension.

Finally, Vollard also played a crucial role in the world of publishing, which was then undergoing profound changes. He published many albums of original lithographs and “artists’ books”. He was also the author of monographs on Cézanne, Degas and Renoir, not to mention the account of his memories.

All these activities make Vollard a true promoter of Modern Art and one of the major figures of the art world of his time.

Resources : Musée d’Orsay

HOW TO DINE IN PARIS

TIMING EVENING MEALS
As many Parisians choose to dine around 8:30 pm, many Paris restaurants will not be ready to serve until 8pm . If you would like to dine earlier, expect to be the first to arrive or to share the restaurant with other vacationers.

RESERVING YOUR TABLE IN PARIS
Reserve your table. Many restaurants are small, independent businesses owned by individuals. They are often closed on Sunday, Saturday afternoon, one week in December, and the entire month of August. We highly recommend that you call in advance to ensure the restaurant is open and can seat you. As is common courtesy, cancel your reservations if you have a change in plans.

NON-SMOKING TABLES IN PARIS
If you prefer to dine separately from smokers, ask for “non-fumeur” (non-smoking) table when you call to reserve your table. Many Parisian establishments now have a special non-smoking section or will seat you at their best non-smoking table. If you dine early, around 8pm, you may find that restaurants will be less smoky than later hours.

BEING SEATED
You must wait to be seated when entering a restaurant or bistrot. Someone will soon greet you and either take your name if you have reserved or ask you “combien de personnes?” (how many people) before seating you. In a café or brasserie, you may seat yourself, unless the establishment is especially crowded or you need assistance. One will find that the staff will treat you more kindly if you take the time to ask for a table

WATER
Restaurants never require their guests to order bottled water. If you would like to be French ask for the complimentary ‘carafe d’eau’. If you choose to order bottled water be sure to tell the server “l’eau gazeuse” (with gas) or “l’eau plat” (flat, without gas).

Drinks are rarely served with ice.

In the summer months, when flocks of tourists plant their feet on the Parisian soil, lines at Paris’ largest museums begin to grow longer. You will find that the Louvre’s Denon wing is bursting at the seams as visitors crowd around Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The line at the entrance of the Musée d’Orsay, home to the world’s largest Impressionist collection, wraps around the museum’s façade and out onto the street. With only a few precious days to visit Paris, it is possible to admire the master’s without battling the crowds, at some of the city’s more decadent and petit museums. continue reading »

Following a 35 year renovation, the Galerie des Gobelins reopened its doors to the public on May 12. Over 1000 m2 is dedicated to the display of Royal Antique tapestries, furniture from the Mobilier National and jewels of the French decorative artisans. The gallery will also host temporary cultural exhibitions.

The Gallery is located inside the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins, which was home to the first royal tapestry workshops. The first exhibit titled “Les Gobelins 1607-2007, Trésors dévoilés - Quatre siècles de creation” will display both old and contemporary tapestries.

Galerie des Gobelins. 42, avenue des Gobelins, 75013 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 08 52 00
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 12:30pm to 6:30pm
Admission: 6 euros

AIRS DE PARIS
25 APRIL - 15 AUGUST 2007
GALLERY 1A, LEVEL 6, 2000 m2

The Centre Pompidou is celebrating its 30th anniversary with “Airs de” seventy-three contemporary artists, architects and designers. The title echoes that of a piece by Marcel Duchamp, with a retrospective of whose work the Centre Pompidou opened in 1977.

Consisting of two parts, the exhibition presents works from the Seventies to the present, on the theme of the city and urban life. It treats Paris as a point of convergence, where the exhibited artists may have lived or worked or intervened.

The part devoted to the visual arts (1500 m2) is divided into ten sections organised around themes suggested by the works exhibited. These explore, through the artists’ eyes, the technological, economic and social changes undergone by the city and the new communities and cultures that have emerged in it, together with the new perceptions of space and time associated with these transformations. The exhibition examines the notions of the risk society and of urban ecology, and offers responses to questions concerning the place of the individual (and its redefinition) in the urban space.

Among the artists shown are some linked with the Centre’s history, such as Marcel Duchamp, Gordon Matta-Clark, Chris Marker, Gérard Gasiorowski and Raymond Hains. There are also new works by Tatiana Trouvé, Carsten Höller, Stéphane Calais, Jean-Luc Moulène, Daniel Buren, Saâdane Afif, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster and Nan Goldin, among others. continue reading »

VAT (value-added tax, known in France as TVA), is a tax on the consumption of goods and services, and is paid by the consumer at a standard rate of 19.6% (33% for luxury goods, 5.5% for food). If you are a traveler who is normally resident in a country which is not a member of the European Union, you may deduct Value Added Tax (VAT) from the total of the purchases you made in France.

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The city of Paris is relatively small - approximately 6 miles (9.5 km) north to south by 7 miles (11 km) west to east. Paris’s city center is separated into the Rive Droite (the Right Bank) which lays north of the Seine and the Rive Gauche (the Left Bank) lying south of the Seine.

Paris is divided into 20 “arrondissements” or districts which spiral out clockwise from the city center. Parisian addresses always include the arrondissement number as there are many streets with the same names in various districts. You can determine the arrondissement of an address from its postal code. For example, 75001, indicates that this address is located in Paris’s first arrondissement. The exception to this rule is those addresses with the word “CEDEX”.

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Currency
The currency used in France is the Euro which is made up of 100 centimes. Bills come in denominations of €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5. The coins in use are €2, €1, 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c and 1c.

Banks *
Business Hours
Monday to Friday - 9am to 5pm
§ certain branches may close at lunchtime, between 12.30pm and 2pm
§ certain branches may be closed Monday and open Saturday morning
All banks are closed on public holidays.
The Banque de France no longer provides an exchange service.

* Please note, not all banks provide a currency exchange service.

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While hotels are constantly refashioned in order to attract the millions of tourists who flock to Paris each year, rental agencies, eager to expand their range of services, have begun to propose an attractive selection of exceptional apartments for vacation rental. And the “chambre d’hôtes” or bed and breakfast, an option which seemed to exist only in rural France, is slowly gaining popularity among amiable Parisians.

It can be difficult choosing the perfect accommodation as there are many factors which tend to affect our final choice - budget, length of stay, comfort, amenities and number of persons in party.

Before choosing the location, carefully assess your travel style – original, comfort, conventional, or independent – then assess your options. Here is what you should consider before you book:

Unique location
Lively neighborhoods, unforgettable views, nearby attractions, restaurants, the location will never disappoint.

Premium services and amenities
Whether you choose to reserve a luxury apartment, boutique hotel, or hosted bed and breakfast each accommodation provides services and amenities that are of 5-star quality.

Superb hosting
Informative, delightful, accommodating, the host and/or staff are exemplary.

Distinctive buildings
Demure or contemporary, boutique or palace, each accommodation proposes an unmatchable character.

The Luxury Vacation Apartment
You have arrived at you new adobe, the driver disposes your last piece of luggage and quickly drives off down the narrow street. You confirm the building’s number, push the intercom button and wait for “Martin” to respond. There is a short exchange, and then a buzz which signals that the door has been unlocked. Your apartment is on the fourth floor, door to the left. A lady, sorting through her mail, politely says “Bonjour, Madame, Monsieur,” and that is when you notice the elevator, which is barely large enough for you, your companion, and your luggage. When you ring the bell, Martin invites you in with a warm welcome. The apartment is just as you had imagined, charming, cozy and quintessentially French.
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When I stopped to linger in front of a famous chocolatier’s window, the Paris drizzle was dampening my wool coat and frizzing my hair. The day was melancholic, grey, and though I could not see one ray of light on the horizon, the glint of a coffee bean perfectly placed on the top of a chocolate square caught my eye. While I slowly scanned the rows of exquisite mouth watering delights the door opened and the aroma of bittersweet chocolate skipped out onto the street. I inhaled, the aroma was inebriating. I took one last look at the exquisite display, opened the door and blissfully waltzed inside.

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