Tag Archives: design & decoration

Parisian stairway from 1870’s

The 1870’s building where we live in in the heart of Paris has gone through a lot of renovations since last year. At the moment, we are in the middle of a stairway renovation, which has required a lot of meetings between the owners about choosing the right paint, the most suitable company, etc. It has gotten very technical and my detailed knowledge of French renovation vocabulary has impressed and made laugh many. It is indeed funny to know words in a foreign language that you don’t even know in your native tongue!

Today the steps were sanded, and wow, how beautiful raw wood can be!!!! I wanted to touch the wood everywhere and it felt so soft. The carpet that runs from the top floor all the way to the ground floor can now be fetched from the dry cleaners, and as soon as the steps receive their varnish, it will be installed. We all hope the color coordination stays successful…Some more weeks, some more paint, and a bottle of champagne will be corked to inaugurate the life of this alluring stairway!

PS Have you already checked Pearlspotting on Facebook?

French medical humour

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

Healthy Salmon Salad

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Venice was wonderful and I only have only complaint: there is so much wheat everywhere! Of course nobody forced me to eat all that pizza, pasta, cicchetti and tramezzino, but there is something in the human nature called temptation…

So, this week has been about avoiding gluten. Tonight I prepared a salad that I improvised for my parents over Christmas: it includes salmon, vegetables and nuts, and I am pretty sure it would win the prize for the healthiest salad in the world. This is what it looks like and what you need for making it:

Healthy Salmon Salad:

Mix these ingredients in a big bowl:

celery (raw, cut into slices)
leek (raw, cut into slices)
broccoli (boiled or raw, cut into chunks)
flax seeds (I used crushed ones)
walnuts (I used entire ones; they look prettier)
garlic (crushed)

Add according to your taste:

olive and nuts oil
Herbes de Provence, oregano, dill, black pepper
lots of fresh lemon juice
a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar

Let them marinate for some time.

Next: I had salmon from our lake in Finland, brought to me by my parents before Christmas (Bringing a little bit of Finnish Christmas to Paris), so I baked an entire salmon in the oven, let it cool down, cut it into small chunks and added them to the salad when they were lukewarm. Alternatively, you could use cold smoked salmon (or any other smoked fish).

Lastly, depending on the type of fish you use, add salt. I sprinkled the salad with truffle-flavored salt, which gave it a very subtle final touch.

***

Lastly, following a common recommendation of French doctors, I suggest you eat the salad with a glass of white wine, ideally organic and French. I had vin primeur by Domaine La Grave, Coteaux de Peyriac (Hauts de Badens) (see Marriage of oysters and nouveau wine) but only your imagination is the limit!

Bon Appétit.

PS The wine glass is Finnish design by Tapio Wirkkala, 1952 (http://iittala.fi/web/Iittalaweb.nsf/fi/tuotteet_juominen_erikoisjuomat_tapio).

Venice: ten shades of pink

Franco-Finnish Christmas meal

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Last year we spent Christmas in Paris with my parents who flew over from Finland. Traditional Finnish Christmas meal includes ham but I do not eat ham and my parents were curious to eat like the French, so this is what our Franco-Finnish Christmas meal looked like and consisted of:

1. Champagne for apéritif! My father was responsible for opening the bottle and my mother was ready with her glass (Finnish design, naturally).

2. We begun with an Elegant amuse-bouche recipe for Christmas that included Russian caviar and scallops tarama:

3. And continued with oysters from Cancale (oysters are an integral part of French Christmas):

4. From oysters we moved onto foie gras (another integral part of French Christmas!): Until now we had been drinking champagne but this is when we switched to sweet white wine by Maison Lorgeril from Languedoc-Roussillon: Le Rêve de Pennautier, “Vendanges d’Après” Vin de France (BLANC MOELLEUX). An excellent choice, a sublime wine!!

5. After the oysters we enjoyed some Finnish smoked salmon….

6. …before moving to our already very famous French Christmas meal: stuffed goose from Les Provinces: We also opened another fantastic bottle of Maison Lorgeril from Languedoc-Roussillon: Mas des Montagnes, “Terroirs d’Altitude”, AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages. This extraordinary red went so well with the goose that we could only say “wow”. And continue eating.

7. After the goose it was finally time to dig into cheese and there is no better time to eat Mont d’Or than Christmas: (Unfortunately the wine (red Irancy) was not the most perfect choice to go with the cheese; especially after the previous wine)

8. If you now think we could not eat any more, you are wrong… For dessert, we had marron glacé and calissons:

with some chocolate and vin chaud:

Our Christmas was merry and delicious, and I hope yours was too!

If you want to know more about our cooking ingredients etc., have a look at this post too: Christmas meal essentials!

And to learn more about the wines, please go here:

PS If you liked this post, you may want to check out Pearlspotting’s Facebook page! Especially since I am flying to Venice tonight and will be updating from there too.

Romanian Scenes at Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton

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As someone who professionally observes economic and political developments in different fast-developing emerging markets, I find it particularly interesting what Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton is doing. Since 2006 they have organized three contemporary art exhibitions per year, gathering artists from all over the world (but mainly from emerging markets) to show their work around different themes such as travel, heritage, art and fashion. These themes are then presented in the light of globalization, localisation, conflicting identities and nostalgia that compete to win the future in so many countries today, and as one could image, the result of intriguing!

I have followed Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton exhibitions since the beginning and some of my personal highlights are the very first exhibition called Métamorphoses (presenting the South Korean artist Sookyung Yee, who was also portrayed at FIAC 2013) and Somewhere Else (another great presentation of today’s globalized world and identity struggles seen through the eyes of artists).

Last Sunday I went to see the latest production of Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton: Romanian Scenes. The exhibition combines works from artists that come from two different eras and two different artistically-important locations. Era-wise, there are those from the Communist/Soviet/Cold War period and those who emerged after the collapse of the great Soviet power. Geographically, Bucharest is presented as the more traditional home and the artistic capital of the country, whereas Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania is portrayed as “today’s creative epicenter”.

The exhibition provides an intriguing opportunity to time travel in the past and the future of Romania as well as to learn more about this grand European nation. Indeed, a highly recommended exhibition, but hurry up: Romanian Scenes ends January 12!

Lastly, the million-dollar view of Paris and Parisian architecture you get from Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton is another good reason to head toward avenue des Champs Elysées… Just don’t be afraid of the dark (you will see why)!

Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton (http://www.louisvuitton-espaceculturel.com)

Main entrance: 60, rue de Bassano, 75008 Paris
Entrance by the Louis Vuitton shop: 101, avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris
Opening hours: Mon to Sat 12am to 7pm; Sun 11am to 7pm (no entrance fee and open on French holidays)

PS The copyright of the image goes to Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, whose press service I thank for kind cooperation with Pearlspotting.

Christmas meal essentials!

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One of my favorite things to do in Paris is visiting La Grande Epicerie de Paris. Their recent renovation is so stylish and the service impeccable. Not forgetting their sophisticated food items’ offer and regular dégustations…

To add that extra touch of elegance and perfection to our Christmas meal, I did a bit of groceries at La Grande Epicerie de Paris on the Christmas Eve and this was the result:

From left to the right:

Bordier butter: the butter of “the real chefs”; the best butter in the world
Grey salt from Guérande with summer truffle by Maison de la Truffe: an absolute cooking must! (if you like truffle, do not miss their restaurant at 19, place de la Madeleine)
Balsamic vinegar from Modena by Fernando Pensato: a fine product of Italy, used by the most elegant restaurant and hotels of the world
Extra virgin olive oil with white truffle: another cooking must by Maison de la Truffe. Particularly good with the Finnish sweetened potato casserole
Organic Boletus-mushroom mustard by Savor & sens: excellent with smoked salmon
Onion confit by Le Coq Noir: an essential companion to foie gras
Scallops-flavored tarama: a bit more original than the ordinary tarama (also exists in truffle and other flavors)

La Grande Epicerie de Paris: http://www.lagrandeepicerie.com/en.html

Importance of the new year

Happy new year dear everyone!

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Champagne in Paris! Big Indian dinner waiting for us at the table!

Happiest new year to all of you and your loved ones!!

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