Collioure: the pearl of the coastal Roussillon

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Collioure is one of those Mediterranean towns that every artist seems to have loved. Matisse, Picasso, Derain, Dufy, Chagall, Braque –you name it– have all immortalized this cute seaside town in the south of France. We spent one night in Collioure, and even if the weather has turned cooler and greyer, we could see and feel the charm of the old town and the historic harbor area.

CollioureI could only wonder how old these plane trees are! It looks like many artists have leaned on them… …imagine the storied they could tell us!

We also witnessed one brave man having a swim in the sea. But after all, who would not be tempted in such beautiful surroundings?Collioure

Collioure has a rich past. Throughout its history, the Spanish have had their fair share of Collioure occupation, and once upon a time Collioure was a summer residence of the King of Majorca! It has been part of France only since 1642.

There is an impressive fort built by Vauban, the military architect of Louis IV, which reminds us of the old battles and the strategic location of Collioure.Vauban fort

Collioure

If you are traveling in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, make sure to stop here for a day or two. Even during winter season (like last weekend) the life goes on and the tapas scene is quite active. In addition, there are delicious anchovy shops and a dozen of art galleries. And there is the wine route that passes by Collioure –after all, Collioure has its own appellation (appellation d’origine contrôlée, AOC). No wonder all of those artists loved it here!

Salvador Dali’s house in Portlligat

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House in Portlligat was the only stable residence of Dali from the -30’s onwards. This is where he worked and lived with Gala, his wife, until her death in 1982. We made an overnight trip from France to this northeastern corner of Spain to see the house yesterday.Salvador Dali house Portlligat

Once inside, the first thing one notices is a huge polar bear holding a lamp. An owl is watching the bear and the visitors. The entrance makes an impression!Entrance to house-museum of Dali, Portlligat

From the entrance the tour continues to the dining room, the studio, the library, the bedroom (the biggest room in the house) and other rooms.

The dining room:Salvador Dali's dining room

The library: Salvador Dali's library

The bedroom (can you spot the animal?):Bedroom of Dali and Gala

Wall decoration: Dali Portlligat

Posters that cover the dressing: The dressing in Dali's house Portlligat

Lastly, one can visit the garden and the pool area: the pool area Portlligat

The guided visit takes about 40 minutes and the house is definitely worth the visit! Be prepared to see a lot of stuffed animals… And remember that one must reserve by internet or telephone. In summer, it is not unusual to book 5-6 days in advance.

Information and booking: http://www.salvador-dali.org/museus/portlligat/en_index.html

Perpignan: a photographer’s paradise

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One-hour walk in Perpignan this afternoon was enough to impress me. The town is such a mixture of French and Spanish/Catalan architecture, the buildings are covered with splendid colors and there is that rough, southern-Mediterranean creative edge… If you pay attention, you hear inch’allah more than bonjour. Then there are the jambon shops and bodegas. And there are gypsies dressed in black.

Join me on this inspiring walk!

PerpignanThese first three photos were taken in the gypsy quarter. I had arrived here by accident, and yet I had noticed that the area looked rather poor compared to more touristic and commercial areas, I was just too happy to take photos and watch the life go by. Suddenly a man approached me saying that I should maybe head back toward the center, and it may not be safe to walk around with my camera… Well, I had a glimpse of the famous gypsy quarter and I may even head back tomorrow during the daytime (but with more modest clothes and no jewellery on). Why is it that the forbidden things are often the most attractive ones…?Perpignan

Perpignan gypsies

The following photos were taken in the historical center of Perpignan, which is a cleaned-up version of the gypsy quarter, but equally charming.

Don’t you just love these Catalan-style balconies?Catalan balconies

Or do you prefer this style, often found in the French riviera? Perpignan

On that “less-polished side”,  what do you think of these two photos? Perpignan IMG_7177

Lastly, one more photo (after all, it is the apéritif hour and the bodega is waiting for me!)Perpignan

PS If you are interested in learning more about the Languedoc-Roussillon region, why not to join the Pearlspotting’s Facebook page? I will be here for five days and update Facebook whenever I can!

Happy Diwali!

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Diwali, the festival of lights, symbolizes the awareness of the inner light and the victory of good over evil. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu new year.

With this photo of Taj Mahal waking up to the morning sun rays, I wish all of my Hindu followers a Happy Diwali! Let your inner light shine like Taj Mahal and keep searching for your ātman, the soul. Taj Mahal

PS This photo was taken in March 2008 during my first visit to India. It was when I fell in love with India, and where I have returned twice since 2008. Looking at my old photos always makes me very happy, so I will try to post more about India. Meanwhile, have you been to India and what is your feeling toward this astonishing continent?

FIAC 2013

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Since my first visit to FIAC in October 1999, I have tried to go back whenever I am in Paris. To me, FIAC is an important window to the contemporary art scene that is not limited to France and the francophone world. It gives me a concrete way to witness how our globalized world is changing, and even if old European cities are still strongly represented, galleries and artists from India, South Korea and Israel are definitely gaining a solid position in the international art world.  FIAC 2013

For example, Yeesookyung is a South Korean artist living in Seoul. We saw her work at Espace Louis Vuitton in Paris in 2008 and recognized her work immediately at FIAC (she reconstructs trashed ceramic vases).Yeesookyung

Jitish Kallat is a Mumbai-based artist whose work reflects the diversified yet complex character of his home city. I am curious to know the story behind this sculpture of four men, so if you know something, please let me know! Otherwise I will pay a visit to Daniel Templon gallery.. (or ask my Mumbai friends!).Jitish Kallat

It would be difficult to make an exhaustive summary of everything I saw at FIAC, but some other interesting art pieces are pictured below:

Suenos by Jason Martin (2012): Jason Martin

Lisa by John DeAndrea (2005): Lisa by John DeAndrea

Indeed, this year we saw many real-life size sculptures of human beings, which made me leave FIAC wondering how the global crisis are influencing the artists’ works….?

PS In addition to the high-quality art, I love FIAC because of its stunning venue: le Grand Palais built in the Belle Epoque era. To see an exhibition at le Grand Palais should be on everyone’s “once in a life time” list so try to make a stop there during your next visit to Paris!

Links to the artists:

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/yeesookyung.htm?section_name=body_language

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/jitish_kallat.htm

http://www.artnet.com/artists/jason-martin-2/ (Note to my Finnish friends: Jason Martin exhibited at Galerie Forsblom in Helsinki 2012)

http://www.artnet.com/artists/john-deandrea/

 

My love affair with Saravanaa Bhavan

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Since our trip to Tamil Nadu we have been regulars at Saravanaa Bhavan, which is a South Indian restaurant. It started in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and has gained a lot of success all over the world in recent years. You can find Saravanaa Bhavan in Dubai, New York, etc.

Everything at Saravanaa Bhavana is vegetarian so don’t expect the usual palak paneer, cheese nan and butter chicken. If you have never been to South India, you will probably find dishes that taste like nothing else you have ever eaten before. And this is what I love about Saravanaa Bhavan: the taste is sublime, sophisticated and curious!!!!!! And good for your health.

Last night we had our usual: South Indian meal (thali), onion rava masala dosa and business meal. This is a bit too much for two, but since we love all of these three dishes, we can never decide!

South Indian meal looks like this:South Indian mealand consists of: chappathi with side dish, rice, sambar, rasam, special kuzhambu, vegetable curries, raitha, curd, appalam, pickle and something sweet. What is nice about this thali is that you can order more of any side dish and rice for free.

Onion rava masala dosa looks like:onion rava masala dosaand it is a crispy wheat and rice flour crepe stuffed with mildly-spiced mashed potatoes and onions.

Business meal looks like this: Business mealand it includes sambar rice, curd rice, special rice of the day, poriyal, appalam, pickle and something sweet.

I feel eternal love toward all of these dishes and cannot have enough them!

PS Saravanaa Bhavan increased their prices this summer, but it is still very affordable. South Indian meal costs 13€, business meal 10€ and a dosa 7€50. Our only disappointment is that they don’t serve Indian wine any more –only Bordeaux. As we told the waiter yesterday, Grover is an excellent Indian red wine!

Saravanaa Bhavan:

170, Rue Du Faubourg Saint Denis,
75010, Paris.
Tel : 01 40 05 01 01

http://www.saravanabhavan.com/

Marriage of oysters and nouveau wine

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Fifteen oysters with vin primeur, and my Saturday night is perfect!oysters from NormandyOysters: cultivated by Patrick Liron in Normandy. They can be found in three different arrondissements in Paris: 3, 7 and 15. Our favorite oyster type is huître sauvage but I was told yesterday that they will only be available starting November. We purchased 30 oysters in total, three different types but all size two, for 37€.

Where to find Patrick Liron oysters in Paris? http://www.huitres-normandie.fr/points-de-vente-%C3%A0-paris.html

Wine: vin primeur by Domaine La Grave, Coteaux de Peyriac (Hauts de Badens). Vin primeur means new wine, and it is sold the year it was harvested. Sometimes only few weeks later. It is at its best within few months of the release. The most famous vin primeur is obviously Beaujolais nouveau.

The white wine we had yesterday comes from our favorite caviste, Bernard Bouichet who has an outstanding taste in good-quality, healthy-tasting wine. We bought one bottle of vin primeur last weekend and returned yesterday to buy ten more. At 4€80 per bottle, the price-quality ratio is excellent.

Where to find this excellent vin primeur? La Cave du Voyageur, 21 rue de la Croix Nivert (75015). Tel. 01-42 73 07 81.

PS Have you already checked out the Pearlspotting’s facebook page?

Bringing a little bit of Châteauneuf-du-Pape home

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France is a very diversified country. Each region has its distinctive history and culture that translate into specific types of cuisine. Tripe and cider in Normandy, crêpes and galettes in Brittany, bouillabaisse and ratatouille in the Mediterranean, socca in Nice, snails in Burgundy, duck and foie gras in the south-west, choucroute in Alsace, etc. The list is next to endless.

Every time I travel inside the Hexagone, I discover something new food wise. And it is almost as fascinating to live in Paris, and visit restaurants, grocery stores or food fairs to discover products of those regions that I have visited. It is like bringing a tiny bit of vacation home…Châteauneuf du PapeEarlier this year we visited the Salon des vignerons indépendants and saw a stand that looked familiar. It said AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape and the bottles had Château des Fines Roches written on them. We knew immediately where they are located: 15km from Avignon, in the southern Rhône Valley. Fines Roches refers to the château around which the grapes to make this wine grow, but it is also a place where we had a fabulous lunch in August 2006!Chateau ddes Fines RochesWe started talking with the owners and ended up buying some bottles of their red. And last week we opened one of these bottles, a bottle of AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape Château des Fines Roches (2010) to celebrate our wedding anniversary. And this week the winemakers, the Mousset-Barrot family, sent us an invitation to the Salon des vignerons indépendants that will take place in Paris during the last weekend of November. Très sympa! Château des Fines Roches à Châteauneuf du Pape

Links:

Château des Fines Roches (hotel & restaurant): http://www.chateaufinesroches.com

Salon des vignerons indépendants: https://pearlspotting.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/wine-tasting-at-salon-des-vins-des-vignerons-independants-2/

Warming up for FIAC

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After my meeting in the 16th arrondissement this afternoon, I started walking toward Grand Palais, which equals FIAC this week. However, on my way, there was Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, one of my favorite museums in Paris. So, I walked in. It has been several months that I have not have my Delaunay, Dufy and Modigliani dose! Dufy, The Electricity FairyThe permanent collection of this museum is free, and the building is full of light. I describe this museum “cheerful”. It rarely is a top priority for a tourist visiting Paris, but in my opinion it makes an excellent introduction to the turn-of-the-century artists. I find Dufy’s La Fée Electricité (The Electricity Fairy) fascinating.

After an hour or so, I walked out. But there was another “obstacle” between me and FIAC. Palais Tokyo was a few steps away, so I decided to check out its new restaurant Monsieur Bleu. I loved the interior design and thought that the green, which dominated the restaurant, was a particularly beautiful shade of green. There was also a dark grey fireplace made of marble, almost identical to the one we have at home. The lamps were massive but discreet. Indeed, I give full ten points to Monsieur Bleu’s looks!  Monsieur Bleu

By the time I closed the heavy metal door of Monsieur Bleu, my feet stopped cooperating. No FIAC today, they told me.

Mea culpa –a new try tomorrow or Saturday!

Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris: http://www.mam.paris.fr/

The Electricity Fairy (by Dufy): http://www.mam.paris.fr/en/node/359

Monsieur Bleu: http://monsieurbleu.com/

PS why not to follow Pearlspotting on Facebook, too?

Autumn leaves

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Isn’t that red on the wall an outstandingly deep color? This is the view from our balcony and I cannot get enough of it. Since I got back from holidays, I have been watching those leaves turn red. Not just yellow and orange, but red, as if the leaves were burning. autumn leaves ParisPS I took a similar photo last May and it is here: https://pearlspotting.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/good-morning-the-rooftops-of-paris/

Which one do you prefer? Spring or autumn colors?