guest speakers… book signings… special soirées...theatre... international venues...

SELECTED EVENTS WILL BE POSTED AS THEY ARE SCHEDULED

[To get on our guest list for private and/or V.I.P. events and parties please contact us.]

- "Edvard Munch or the Anti-Scream" - Retrospective of the work of Expressionist Edvard Munch, whose extraordinary stolen-then-recently-found again "The Scream" is the stuff nightmares are made of. Approximately 100 paintings and sketches. February 19 til July 18, 2010 at La Pinacotheque de Paris.

- Celebrity Christmas Shopping in Paris was the theme of an article I wrote for Boulevard France where I had to interview glitterati from near and afar. My own Christmas shopping list was made easy this year thanks to Fragonard in Saint-Germain-des-Prés: beautiful scarves, scented candles, soaps, unusual gifts, boxed perfume sets for men and women, more, without breaking the bank. Nice for gifts all year round. Fragonard Saint Germain 

- Mother-Daughter / Girlfriends elegant gift idea: Every month historic palace hotel Le Bristol serves up an haute couture fashion show along with a full gourmet Tea service (pastries, mini-sandwiches...) in its tea room overlooking private gardens, for just 50 euros per person. Reservations a must.

 - Wine Tasting: LA DERNIER GOUTTE ("The last drop") that tiny wine shop tucked away in Saint-Germain-des-Prés rolls out their weekly degustation of carefully selected wines every Saturday from 11 a.m. til 7:30 p.m. The vintners themselves are there to welcome you and answer questions. Check their website for featured wines.

- Arts - Opera de Paris: It's always fun when friends and family are part of huge productions (the after parties and excuse to trot out designer frocks notwithstanding), but this season's offerings demand an encore. Richard Strauss' decadent Salomé now playing at Opera Bastille has been packed with international audiences every night. On the night we went, Thomas Moser as Herodes stole the show while Camilla Nylund as Salomé kept the audience rivetted all the way to the gory dénouement. Warning: Vincent Le Texier's rich baritone as the doomed Jochanaan will ring in heads for days.

- Waiting for Monet: Everyone agrees that the Musée de l'Orangerie’s six years of renovation was well worth the wait. If you don't have time to swing by Giverny this visit, or if you did and simply want to supplement your awe, this museum, located just inside the Tuileries Gardens on Place de la Concorde, is a must-stop. Monet's Nympheas and Waterlilies cover two large oval rooms and give no hint to the mind-boggling collection of other Impressionist works lurking just below.

- It's called "L'Arc" (after l'Arc de Triomphe), it's the first Sunday of every October and the most prestigious horse-racing event in all of Europe. [Sorry Ascot...] Get on our guest list early for free passes. Ladies, outrageous hats de rigueur!

- Paris Through A Flute of Pink Champagne - Glide carefree down the Seine under ancient bridges swilling a variety of yummy champagnes. The Ô Chateau Team offers an unbeatable Champagne River Cruise that will leave you clinking glasses from a private room that extends onto the front deck.

- Raw fish - Isn't that Bruce Willis manning OZU, Paris' mega gastronomic Japanese enclave just steps from the Eiffel Tower? No, it's Thierry Marx, thanks to whose artistry anything you order is an event. Inside aquarium complex CinéAqua, "the most beautiful aquarium in all of Europe."

** Once again acclaimed photographer Wilf James is offering photo tours from his home in the breathtaking Mediterranean village of Peyriac-de-Mer in the Southwest of France. Contact Wilf at World Photo Adventure. **

International & Travel Corner

Paris-Wien - Let us help you shop for your couture gown and tails in Paris, then head to Vienna where dancing, fine dining, concerts and musical galas will warm winter evenings. Contact us for Paris shopping and info on Vienna including list of best places to stay, dine, shop.... Vienna Concerts

After departing from Paris for a scary (but fun!) Halloween weekend in a private Celtic castle in Scotland, the New Year was welcomed in at a luxury ski chalet in the French Alps complete with helipad, on-site chef, skiing under the stars and collapsing nightly in front of a massive fireplace with hot mulled wine and a sumptuous buffet (starring four different cheese fondues).

Talks / photo workshops / gourmet / art events
- Greece: The Cyclades*
- Photojournalism workshops in Vietnam and Cambodia
- A private castle in Scotland
- The French Caribbean and The Rum Route
- A monastery is Tuscany
- Selected locations in France (Perigord, Provence, Normandy, Côte d’Azur...)

Please inquire for details

* A special thanks to everyone who was able to join us in the Greek Islands, and to The Gods for perfect weather every day!

What's Brewing?

THE FRENCH ART OF TEA at The Tea Garden, Beverly Hills, CA January 18 - Starts at 6:30 p.m. 

"Barbara Pasquet James, travel editor and Paris-based author of USAToday.com’s Paris City Guide will be speaking about the Art of Tea in France and how the French have infused the term 'Tea Time' with their own unique spin as she describes the contemporary tea scene in Paris...."  The Tea Garden and Herbal Emporium