But July and August are definitely one of the best months to be in the city. Beautiful weather, beautiful light, nice terrasses for the warm nights… This year, I’m all the more motivated in finding interesting things to do, not only for my Rue Amandine’s guests, but also because I will be stuck in Paris most of the summer… expecting a little baby girl to come… :-)

So I can assure you that, more than ever, I ‘m going to find the great things to do during these nice summer weeks and week-ends!

Reason 1 : Open air Festival for the Jazz Lovers

In Bois de Vincennes, stands the beautiful Parc Floral, which, as its name mentions, is famous for the beautiful flowers exhibited throughout the seasons. But the parc is also famous for its yearly jazz Festival : concerts during the days and evening in a lovely environment, with great artists for jazz experts or beginners.

Reason 2: … or for cinema addicts

Have you ever watched a movie, lying in a deck chair, eating the food and drinks you brought with you, on a giant screen???? No?  Well, it’s not too late! The festival usually offers a great selections of films. The good news is that the non French films are shown in their original language version: you’ll just have to choose the ones you can understand! I have an unforgettable memory of watching “Breaking the waves” on this giant screen about 10 years ago… hardly ever felt so moved at the movie!

For the French speakers, Le Cinema au Clair de Lune is another opportunity to watch one of the classics of French cinema in the middle of a garden or monument. So parisian!

Reason 3 : Discover new terrasses or go back to the ones you already know

Well, this year, April and May haven’t been  great months for terrasses… We miss them! As soon as the sun is there (and really there), we will most certainly go to the ones we already know, and the ones we haven’t discovered yet

We told you about Pirouette before, but haven’t tested its terrasse yet, same for Edgar, can’t wait to eat their delicious couteaux à la plancha on the charming little square (I’m going tonight but I’m afraid it will be too cold to be outside…). I’ll most certainly go and visit the mythic cinema le Louxor that just opened its doors again, and which Café is on the roof top, and, will most probably try a brunch at the terrasse of the new restaurant Les Chic types, opened recently by Stephane, a friend of mine (post to come!) and then have a rest and a sun bath at the Buttes Chaumont beautiful Park.

Reason 4: Share the frozen moments of life of Ron Mueck at la Fondation Cartier

For his first major exhibition in Europe, Ron Mueck chose la Fondation Cartier, where he had been exhibited 8 years ago. I was there! :-)
Meet his meticulously detailed human figures… which, whatever their scale (from miniature to giant) seem like real flesh and blood, really interacting with each other… sharing real human feelings… Facing those art of work, may give you an ambivalent feeling, a bit disturbed in front of so much realism, and at the same time very admirative.

Reason 5, 6, 7 …

You may still visit the Dynamo exhibition at Grand Palais…
Have a bike ride along Canal Saint Martin and further along canal de L’Ourq or even further beyond the Paris “bonds”…
Have this private cruise on the river with Valerie we’ve often mentionned on this website…
Go on the “Paris beach”, installed everywhere along the river
and so much more!

Enjoy summer in Paris!

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Another opportunity for the foreigners to say that French do not work :) , but also an opportunity for the French (and the turists in Paris) to attend one of the nice exhibitions going on during this “high cultural seasons).

That’s what I’ve been doing yesterday with my little family (now 3 persons including me… a 4th to comes soon) … Going to the very talked about exhibition Dynamo at Grand Palais.

I admit that the notions to explain the concept of this exhibitions are not easy to tell in English, so, to make myself clear, I will give you below the “pitch” given by the Museum itself :

“ Notions of space, vision and light run through the abstract art of the 20th century and interest many world renowned contemporary artists such as Ann Veronica Janssens, Anish Kapoor, John Armleder, Carsten Höller, Philippe Decrauzat, Jeppe Hein, Felice Varini and Xavier Veilhan.

By putting vibration along with the spectator’s perception in the centre of their works, they set up multiple resonances with optical and kinetic art, which first emerged at the Movement exhibition in Denise René’s Paris gallery in 1955, but also, more broadly, with what was later called “perceptual art” at the exhibition The Responsive Eye at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1965″.

In other words… you’re put during the whole exhibition in a world of movement, distorsions, colors and lights, illusions… that makes you feel amused, dizzy, sea sick, admirative, astonished, unbalanced… along the long path of the exhibition showing hundreds of installation.

Be sure to have booked a tickets to avoid the long line and better to avoid week-ends or holidays (well I didn’t) since the exhibition is very successful and busy!

After that, we went for a trendy tea in Le Mini Palais café. So chic! :-)

Dynamo at Grand Palais : until july 22nd 2013

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Well, Rue Amandine’s team found 5 great shows to see during your Spring stay in Paris, don’t miss them!

Fills Monkey, the incredible drum show

This is definitely a great show to see in Paris! Two young guys are doing amazing sketches around their drums, who knew that we can actually play a tennis party with a bass drum? Full of imagination and energy, the two musicians are incredible and you’ll feel like dancing all night long after!

Cirque invisible:

Victoria Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin’s daughter) and her husband Jean-Baptiste Thierrée are presenting a poetic play where dance, magic and circus are all melt to create a unique show… Victoria is dancing with amazing costumes and Jean-Baptiste the clown is cycling, singing, well, performing, a singular show created 30 years ago and still stunning.

We were horses by Bartabas

Bartabas, a famous horseman and rough-rider is training the equestrian school in Versailles. For the first time, his pupils are coming in Paris in Parc de la Villette to present their show, We were horses, created by the choregraph Carolyn Carlson. Dancers and horses are performing together and offer a wonderful show, a must-see!

 Kontakthof by Pina Bausch

From June 11^th to 21^st this play created by Pina Bausch in 1978 will be playing in Théâtre de la ville. This famous dance show, with men and women dancing with chairs in a empty ball room is still full of energy and humour!

Drive in in Grand Palais

For 10 days, the nave of le Grand Palais will be turned on a giant drive-in, the biggest one in Paris so far! On day time, the entrance will be free and you can come for a roller session, a good burger and an Arcade game party. On the evening, take a seat on board of a cute Fiat 500 to watch Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski or Taxi Driver… And after a last milk shake, it’s time to practise your rock-on-roll on stage, it’s party time!

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Our friend Guillaume, owner of 2 other restaurants in Paris (le Petit cheval de manège near Bastille), had the great idea to convert a old textile workshop into a beautiful Art Déco restaurant with comfy armchairs and gold lights.
Once set up at your table you can discover the fishes and seafood of the day and enjoy it with a glass of with wine, so good! And don’t miss the chocolate “écume” dessert with ice cream hidden behind the mousse, naughty but worth it!

The large terrace should be a great spot for a drink on summer, and the week-end brunch with eggs Benedict and fish & chips looks promising, we’ll be back!

And be sure we’ll talk again about Edgar,  since the hotel will be part of Rue Amandine’s new offer very very soon.

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We know that travelling with children can be challenging: unless you have your private jet to transport everything you need, you can be easily dissuaded… Well, a first tip is that you can actually rent many things on line: baby chair, sterilizer, baby bath or a stroller, you can find anything you need on Babytems website and have them delivered in your Rue Amandine apartment.

If you have a young child and want to do something fun with him/her, there is a great musical workshop in Poule Mouillette near the Canal Saint Martin for young children between 1 and 3 years old. The session lasts 45 mn and after that you can cross the street and enjoy the playground in the garden there, unless you want to have a shopping session around!

But being in Paris, you can’t avoid to visit at least one museum and lucky you, more and more artistic places are kids friendly and allow you to spend a great cultural moment with the children!

In Palais de Tokyo, a great contemporary Museum, there is a great exhibition about Julio le Parc which is just a paradise for kids with many interactive pieces of art.  You can share a great moment with your children and have a lunch or a dinner in Tokyo Eat or on the huge terrace on summer. In the same vein, the Dynamo exhibition in le Grand Palais should be fun too.

For the smaller ones, la Maison des Petits in le 104 is a fun place to come, everything is done for artistic activities for babies and young children and it’s a great place for adults too, exhibitions and concerts… there is a lot to do there.

If you are the lucky parents of teenagers, le centre Pompidou created a unique space for them called Studio 13/16, concert, interactive projects :  everything is done for them.

In le Marais, the beautiful Musée de la chasse et de la nature is a wonderful place to discover with wild animals and a interactive documentation about animal species.

But other places like the Wanderlust or la Gaîté Lyrique are also great with children and offer workshops for young kids.

For an outdoor afternoon, the classic Jardin du Luxembourg is still an hit with the children: pushing wood boats in the “bassin”, jumping in the playground, going to the famous puppet show “Guignol”, or riding a pony, they will for sure be really busy! Les Buttes Chaumont in the North are a great spot too with ponies and  merry-go-round, but one of the best places is still le Parc de la Villette. It’s a great place to have a picnic on the grass, go to the free playground, and if it’s raining, spend a few hours in la Cite des Enfants with amazing activities.

And for a Sunday brunch with the kids but still quiet, you can try le Café Rouge in North Marais: soft sofas for adults in the ground floor, and activities for the kids with a baby sitter on the first floor.

And don’t forget that from mid-July you can take your swimming costume and go to Paris Plage for a suntan session on the Seine shore : unique!

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-      To taste Bordeaux wines latest vintages either in one of Bordeaux wine merchants’ cellar, or even in that of a Château, some are very close to the city…

-       To have a typical oysters and sausages plate at the outdoor Quai des Chartrons Sunday food market on the River side under the sunlight

-       To cross the river Garonne on the newly inaugurated, and largest European vertical lift bridge

-       To celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Bordeaux Centre of Contemporary Visual Arts (CAPC) and discover its 2013 specifically designed program

-       To spend an afternoon on the nearby Bassin d’Arcachon beaches, and maybe even swim a little, since temperature have reach 18° lately

- To enjoy the 2013 edition of “Bordeaux River Festival” (from May 24 to
June 2, 2013), which will welcome the sailing competition, “La Solitaire
du Figaro” and offers the opportunity to meet with the skippers, as well as
attend talks, special events, tasting and photo exhibition.

And also… eat “couteaux à la plancha” at the terrasse of Le Petit Commerce, run along the river at sunset… go for antics in trendy Chatrons area or at Saint Michel flea market… Ride your bike through the small paved charming streets of the historical center of the city… Eat the traditional Canelés, only good when they have just been baked…

And so much more…

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Tons of reasons to come to Paris in June and share this general enthusiasm, we had a hard time selection just 5 for you  :

REASON  1 : LONGEST NIGHTS… MAKE THE MOST OF THEM!

Enjoy the long and warm evening June offers in the City.

It can be by having a beer and play the pétanque on Canal de l’Ourq, that has become one of the boboiest area for the last couple of years. If you really want to fell like in Marseille (where the pétanque comes from originally), you can also have a pastis, but then you must be very well organized, carrying ice cubes with you :-)

A more how off option will be to have a dinner at Tokyo Eat Terrasse in Palais de Tokyo,  one of the hotest spots in Paris when it opens with the beautiful days. Sip a cocktail while waiting for your salmon tartare and admiring the Eiffel tower which lights become more and more glittering when the night eventually falls.

And last, but not least, the most unique and intimate experience: like Valérie, owner of a beautiful private house boat, you can have the unique experience of cruising on the river… eating tapas and drinking wine with the view on the parisian highlights (that even us parisians are never tired of). Then, believe me, you feel really like a king!

REASON 2 : CELEBRATE WITH US THE “FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE”

A unique day in the year, where everyone can share his/her musical talents by playing his/her music in the street, in bars, gardens etc… Even you, if you feel like singing “La vie en rose“ a capela … you may do so… the crowd gathering around you will only depend on your talent :-)
June 21st is not only the longest night in the year and the official arrival of summer, it’s also one of the liviest night in the city : music everywhere, concerts, people dancing to the sound of their favourite songs, glasses of fresh rosé, tapas… Well, get ready for an endless night!

REASON 3 : STILL TIME FOR THE CHAGALL EXHIBITION

No need to introduce you to Chagall. No need to introduce you to Luxembourg Gardens… Well, since February 20th and until `july 21st, Chagall’s work is exhibited in the Luxembourg Museum.

The exhibition shows how Chagall’s work, who lived almost 100 years has crossed the XXth century between peace and wars  and how it influences the themes that keep coming in his work: his native city Vitebsk, Jewish traduction, The Bible, the couple, family, and circus.

The Luxembourg Museum, a “small Museum” is the perfect place to host the artists paintings. The perfect exhibition to go between a shopping session in Saint Germain des Près and a rest on the famous chairs of Luxembourg gardens.

REASON 4 : LAST DAYS ON ROLAND GARROS’S STADIUM

Agassi, Mc Enroe, Chang, Willander, Graff, Noah…. are waiting for you in the famous Tennis French Open Roland Garros…

Well, am I missing something….? Well, I’m afraid I’m a couple of decades late… But apart from Nadal and Federer, I must admit that hardly any other names come to my mind… I’m not an example to follow, and I confess that there’s been some time since I was a student and could follow eagerly the games on my TV set or in the stadium itself! :-)

My 92 yo grand mother ( if she new I mention her age!) is still a great fan and wouldn’t miss a game. But actually going there is for me every year a dream, and for those who do not have such a shameful gap in tennis history, it’s even more exciting! And it’s often on the smallest games that you get the best surprizes.

This year, it will be from May 21st to June 9th. Don’t miss it!

REASONS 5, 6, 7 8…

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It’s just like a little house… on the lower floor, a living room with a cosy living corner, a dining table… the kitchen, of course you need a kitchen: you’re in France! The first bathroom with a bathtube… Climb the stairs… an get to the second floor. That’s precisely when we start feeling in a little house… A small corridor leads to two charming bedrooms… with beds that are just inviting to be tested…Heavy curtains… Windows giving on… well the sky and the famous parisian roofs!
In the second bedroom… a lovely dressing table! … Large cupboards… a second bathroom with shower…
Chhh Chhh …It’s all so quiet!

Well… yes I’m taking it! I want Rue Amandine’s guests to enjoy staying in this most charming and cosy place.

Want to see more? Here it is, it’s all yours! (click here)

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We were among the lucky ones who could attend this unique gastronomic parisian rendez-vous : the monivore world tour, and attended one of the “Omnivore fucking dinners” (sorry but this is the official name”), taking place in the latest trendy place in Paris “Wonderlust” in Cité de la Mode et du Design.

The pitch? Be among the 50 lucky guests that will have the privilege of sharing a dinner prepared by 3 famous top chefs. Let’s put together Danny Bowien, the 31 yo American, old enough for being given the “2nd best new restaurant in the USA”  in 2011, with his restaurant Mission Chinese food… William Ledeuil, the Michelin Starred Chef, with his “The Kitchen Gallery”… and Pierre Hermé which famous pastries we do not need to introduce anymore. Three kinds of Chefs, 3 kinds of men….

The tastefull bouillon of Danny enhanced by the Saint Jacques… the melting beef of William… and lemonish desert of Pierre…. Pure delight!

After this dinner, we could enjoy the pleasure of shaking hands with the Chefs (Amandine on the left with Bowien and Isabelle on right with Hermé)… As shy or excited as a supporter could have been meeting David Beckam. Our idols are Chefs… cooking is so seducing!

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The season will start as usual with the Art Paris fair taking place in le Grand Palais from March 28^th to April 1^st. This events focuses on artists coming from East Europe, with Russia as the guest of honor.
This fair is a great opportunity to follow the last exciting movements in the Contemporary art and even buy your first piece of art!

After the fair… 2nd arty session for an evening in Palais de Tokyo : have a good dinner at the Tokyo Eat AND discover the work of Julio le Parc. For the first time in Paris a large exhibition is dedicated to this major figure of contemporary art. Don’t miss this great event where the spectator have a part to play in the middle of those interactive installations!

The same Julio le Parc will also be a part of the other major contemporary exhibition, Dynamo in le Grand Palais. This event presents the work of many artists who studied the movement like Calder or Kapoor, another fun exhibition to do!

As for the fans of design, don’t miss the PAD fair in les Tuileries garden from March 27^th to April 1^st, a great event with the most famous design galleries.

In April, le Salon du Dessin (the drawing Fair) will take place for 5 days (April 10^th-15^th) in the Paris old stock exchange, la Bourse. From Tiepolo to Delacroix and from Ingres to Bonnard, more than 1000 drawings will be presented to the public in the exceptional setting of the Palais Brongniart. This fair could be the opportunity to buy a drawing from your favorite artist!

And from May 15^th to June 12^th, you can discover more than 70 young artists presenting their works to le Salon de Montrouge, a selective fair with an international jury and reputed awards.

And if you don’t want to get lost in all those amazing events, we can organize a private tour for you with our specialist partner City Art Insider.

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