Tag Archives: art

Paris turning grey and pink

This afternoon I had a talk with one of my followers, Kirt D Tisdale, who is an artist. We discussed the photos I have taken from the balcony (for example Paris prepares for the sunset and Autumn leaves), and how stunning the colors of nature can be. How quickly the sky can change, what reflections the rising and falling sun give to buildings, etc.

In the end of this chat, I suddenly looked outside, and there it was again: the most beautiful sky. Of course I had no choice but to grab my camera. Once again.

Well, I hope you like this photo and I promise to try not to post more photos of this view for at least one week…

Meanwhile, have a great Saturday evening everyone!

Paris prepares for the sunset

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Some of you know that one of my favorite pastime activities is looking out the window and admiring the view we have. Especially in the morning or toward the evening.

Today, the sky changed its color beautifully and I quickly picked up my camera. There were barely ten minutes between these two photos, and it is quite impressive how colors changed from pink and grey to blue.The beauty of life, the beauty of Paris.

PS Happy Valentine’s day everyone! And if you are not in a relationship, then no worries. It is Friendship Day in Finland, my country of origin. We are so democratic in Finland that we never want to exclude anyone…

Waking up to a beautiful day

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Such a sunny morning. The Magritte-blue sky. Freshly squeezed lemon juice with hot water, Greek yogurt with dried figs. Coffee with rice milk. Feels like spring. I need to wipe the dust off my Thierry Lasry sunglasses. Today I am seeing a friend and we will play chic: La Grande Épicerie, Le Bon Marché, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and a lunch somewhere. Maybe at La Palette?

Bonne journée everyone!

PS For those who don’t know yet, Pearlspotting can be found on Facebook too.

Playing with still life in Paris

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Mirror: Antique, French. Not quite sure, 18th or 19th century?

Green vase: Designed by Helena Tynell in the 1960’s. Produced by Riihimäen Lasi, Finland (http://www.laatutavara.com/index.php?hakuteksti=aurinkopullo&page=haku)

Candle holder: Designed by Heikki Orvola in 1988. Produced by Iittala, Finland (https://www.iittala.com/Series/Iittala/Kivi/c/Kivi).

Pendant lamp seen in the mirror: Alvar Aalto bell lamps from 1937 find a new home in Paris and Alvar Aalto bell lamp

Easy oven-roasted cauliflower

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A friend recently sent me a recipe, which included broccoli, but since I had cauliflower at home, I used that. Since that day I have made the recipe several times and cannot seem to get enough. Some people eat chocolate for a snack, I opt for cauliflower!

So, how to begin? Buy a large cauliflower. Cut it into florets. Place them in a large oven-safe bowl. Sprinkle olive oil, black pepper and salt. Add crushed garlic. Roast in the oven (225C) for 30 minutes (cooking time depends on your taste and on the size of florets, so taste to see how you prefer your cauliflower). Once the florets have obtained nice color, remove the bowl from the oven. Immediately after, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (again, add according to your taste). And voila, the dish is ready to be served!! See, super easy and fast to make! FYI: the original recipe said squeeze a lemon at the same time when adding Parmesan cheese, but I have not yet done that. Maybe one day.

PS In case you are wondering, the tiles (carreaux ciment) are from a shop called Mosaic del Sur. Their production takes place in Andalusia, Spain and Morocco. If you are looking for original and beautiful tiles, this is The Place! They have a showroom in Paris, and even if you are not renovating at the moment, stop by to admire these elegant pieces of art! (http://www.carreauxmosaic.com)

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If you are on Facebook, why not to check Pearlspotting’s Facebook page?

Catching the winter sunlight

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Beautiful February sunlight in Paris!

Jewellery: Chaumet and Edouard Nahum, Paris

Wooden box: Traditional lacquer miniature painting, handpicked in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Silver box: Lancel, Paris

French medical humour

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Unfortunately, I had a small back-related medical emergency yesterday and needed to spend one night at hospital. Today everything seems much better and inch’allah stays that way! However, this small excursion in the French medical world struck me as one of those moments when one has no choice but to fully accept the foreign mentality. One is at the mercy of another culture and feeling as helpless as this tiny African statue that reached my home in a suitcase many years ago.My degree of assimilation was tested in various ways but there were two particular moments that now make me laugh. They happened while I was leaving one hospital for a more specialized one.

Incident number 1. When I was inside the ambulance on a rescue stretcher, my husband noticed that the back door of the ambulance was not properly closed. And the driver was about to take off. He called the driver’s assistant and gently asked shouldn’t the door be locked. And you know what the assistant responded? “If your wife falls from the ambulance, then maybe it means that it is a good moment to change your wife.”

Incident number 2. The other hospital I was taken to is specialized in neurosurgery, but most of all it is famous for its psychiatric services. So, upon entering the hospital complex the assistant decided to joke again and asked my husband “are you sure they are going to let your wife out when day?”

My husband just responded ce n’est pas très drôle (it is not very funny). Even he did not have the courage to laugh.

If you are not French or have never lived here, these examples may sound cruel and mean. Many expats have hard time with this kind of humour and in my case, it is only my mood that decides whether I laugh or not. And in this case, I did not laugh. In fact, the second “joke” only made me feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in the Shutter Island…

So, if one day I disappear from the blog writing, you know where to find me. In the abyss of the Parisian psychiatric world. Munching butter croissants with Leonardo.

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PS If you live abroad, when was the last time your patience was tested?

Revisiting Angkor

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Today was the last day of the exhibition Angkor, Birth of a Myth- Louis Delaporte and Cambodia at Museum Guimet in Paris. Coincidentally, it was almost one year ago that I visited these ancient temples myself. Even if we spent a rather long time (five full days!) in Siem Reap (Eat Drink Sleep Siem Reap (survival guide to Siem Reap) visiting nearby temples, I still felt it was not sufficient to really absorb and understand what had happened in the past. “Who what why when” became more complicated than ever! There were the Hindu Kings, then Buddhism; there were many different empires. To notice architectural details each religion brought to different temples during different times was not always easy, and having a lousy guide did not help. Indeed, it felt very overwhelming to be honest. And maybe this is why I still have not written anything about the Angkor temples (after one year!!).However, visiting the exhibition this afternoon enlightened me. It was such a great pleasure to see old drawings, photos, maps, paintings, moldings, replicates, etc. that I now feel one step closer to actually being able to write something about this extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Meanwhile, have you ever felt the same about a historic or archaeological place somewhere in the world?

More information about the exhibition: http://culturoid.com/2013/10/angkor-birth-of-a-myth-louis-delaporte-and-cambodia-musee-guimet-paris/

Museum Guimet: www.guimet.frPS Museum Guimet is an architectural pearl. It hosts one of the best Asian art collections of the world, if not the very best. So pay a visit if interested in Asian art.

Palazzo Stern in Venice

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Palazzo Stern is one of those romantic, historic and beautiful hotels that makes one dream. Built during the 15th century, it follows Moorish style. Its inhabitants have been art collectors and traders, and who knows what else. Today, its premises are full of sculptures, mosaic, paintings and pieces of art that reflect these different owners and periods of history.We chose this hotel based on an offer on http://www.verychic.com; a French website that sells hotel deals around the world. We liked the fact that Palazzo Stern is situated right next to the Ca’ Rezzonico Alilaguna stop and many important art collections. The day of our arrival I called the hotel about our late arrival and was told that upon availability we will receive an upgrade. This is exactly what happened: there was an upgrade from standard to deluxe and we had a room overlooking the courtyard and the Rio Malpaga canal. The deal we got from http://www.verychic.com included a bottle of prosecco, which waited for us in the room. With ice and a weather forecast, of course. Our room was comfortable. Nothing trendy, not very large, but cute in a way. It felt like being away from home. The heating worked very well, so well in fact that we had to turn it off as it was getting too hot. The bathroom was something that made me smile every time I entered it. Not the decoration I would like to have at home, but something you would expect in a renovated 15th century palace.There is no restaurant at the hotel but buffet breakfast is served until 10h30. In addition, there is a sumptuous bar that we did not try because we were too busy to learn what Aperitivo hour in Venice is like… Our three nights were very pleasant, so would I stay again at Palazzo Stern? Yes, I would, if I got a very good deal. But then again, there are so many palaces in Venice, so why not to be adventurous…?

PROS:

Very easy Alilaguna transport to and from the airport
Alluring design and architecture
Room very warm, even in January
Very pleasant and not-too-touristic neighborhood (Dorsoduro): perfect for art lovers, excellent restaurants

TIPS FOR THE HOTEL:

The front desk staff was always polite and correct, but I would have expected something special from a four-star hotel of that price category. Smile more people, smile, especially in a city like Venice that relies so much on tourism!
I would have liked to learn more about the history of the building right at the arrival or the first morning. Maybe a leaflet in the room? So much must have happened during the last 600 and plus years!
The front desk had no information on the nearby museums and galleries, which I found strange because Dorsoduro is The Art Collection quarter of Venice (a tip: if you don’t know something, maybe call to find out?)

Hotel Palazzo Stern – Dorsoduro 2792/A – 30123 Venezia – tel. 041 2770869 – fax 041 2412456 info@palazzostern.it – http://www.palazzostern.it

Venice: ten shades of pink

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It was dark when I returned home from the airport and it was grey this morning when I went to buy milk for my coffee. They say Paris is the most beautiful city in the world and I do agree to some extent, but this morning I truly noticed how grey Paris is. Especially compared to Venice: a city full of deep and rich colors that can compete with the colors one usually only finds in India!

This said, I think there is one color that is more prevalent than others in Venice, and it is pink and its different shades. Hence some pink photos from my recent weekend in Venice: