Room 309

After Seattle, Jp and I took a sea plane and hopped over to Victoria, Vancouver Island. The pink and white 1990 condos that lined the Victoria bay started to instill a panic between Jp and I. We drove the next day for 5 hours to Tofino, on the West side of the island. We went through miles and miles of VI suburbia and let me tell you one thing, it ain't pretty. Dairy Freeze and A&W fast food joints are alive and well on Vancouver Island. I even spied a few Howard & Johnston hotel/restaurants! Once we arrived on the west side, we parked our car at the Wickaninnish Inn which is built directly above the pacific ocean, pounding waves and all. As we entered our room, Jp and I knew we would spend most of our two days in bed staring at the waves. Panoramic windows framed the room leaving very little to imagination. I woke up in the middle of the night and had vertigo. My stomach dropped for a split second...Where was I? I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Later on that day I read the guest book. The couple who stayed in the room before us were so enthralled by the view that they decided to order two chocolate cheese cakes with strawberry ice cream and spent the evening eating their sugar ecstasy in bed while taking in the view...I hope they changed the sheets!

Off to Seattle

After spending the Thanksgiving holidays with the family in Sonoma, California, as well as drinking a lot of flabby Pinot Noir wine, Jp and I headed up to the big North West, Seattle and then Vancouver Island. I heard many great things about Seattle so I was surprised to find an empty city with its share of aggressive homeless citizens roaming the streets. It still was fairly warm in the city but the plethora of fleece covered woman started to get me down. One does feel very removed from the rest of the world in Seattle. Still couldn't get a tasty glass of wine. Finally ordered a St Joseph from Chave to share with our friends in Seattle. I found out that a little French red wine can go a long way.......

My Californina

Sorry for the long delay. I was traveling through California, Seattle, and Vancouver Island.

Here are a few photos of the beautiful coastal walk just north of San Francisco.

I do have to say, after traveling through Washington and Canada, California is one gorgeous place.

Five Easy Pieces

I loved Martine Sitbon's Fall 2009/10 collection for RUE DU MAIL. She effortlessly fused her edgy Martine Sitbon brand with the maturity of RUE DU MAIL. I picked out a few pieces to carry me through the MIC MAC promotion season and those dark, grey winter Parisian days that never seem end. I do not like having too many choices in my closet when I figure out what my winter look will be. I always pick only five pieces from each season to carry me fashion forward. These are strong pieces and not to be abused with bad makeup and hair. I take my fashion playfully with a dose of fantasy eg: rock-n-roll groupie, 1980's downtown goth, or a funky Mary Poppins. I did pair my Rue Du Mail pieces with some faux Isabel Marant boots made by SANDRO. Perfect for creating that mysterious edge...with some killer Chanel eyeliner. Oh, whatever you do, buy a pair of sturdy black leggings for this season (#5) . The perfect glue to spice up one's wardrobe!

Dirty Socks and Art

After our share of drinking red Bordeaux wine, Jean Pierre and I took the Eurostar to London where Jp's film, MIC MACS was competing in the London International Film Festival.

I love the fact that London is only a hop, skip, and jump from Paris yet with its imposing architecture and natives that actually smile, it couldn't be more different from Paris.

We arrive a day early so that we could take advantage of checking out the Frieze Art Fair. I love roaming around the Frieze since it is like having a smorgasbord of the best art galleries worldwide all under the same roof. Every time I was attracted to an art piece, the gallery was based either in New York city or Los Angeles. Is that a coincidence or am I a byproduct of American culture that uses symbols and language that I am familiar with?

This time at Freize was different. I found the ambiance to be more pretentious and awkward. What do I know about art? Not much....at the end of our Frieze Art Fair tour, I looked on the floor in one of the galleries and saw a pair of dirty socks. I asked myself, "Is this an installation piece or did someone get rid of their smelly socks? Now, that's A-R-T

Bontemps de Bordeaux wine!

Later on the same day, Jean Michel Cazes initiated Jean Pierre into the Commanderie du Bontemps. This is a sort of wine club that has its origins back to the Moyen Age. When the members came out in their colorful robes, I felt like I witnessing the revival of the the Da Vinci Code trilogy rather than to a wine aficionado club. In any case, it was entertaining to see Jean Pierre perform the wine ceremony with humor and dignity.

The Irish are coming........

The next day after another hearty meal in Bordeaux, Jean Michel Cazes took us on a tour of the Lynch-Bages winery. It was in full working force since the wine vendage was done a week ago. Red opaque liquid was pouring out several steel vats like a Roman Bordeaux bath house. Mr Cazes told me that this was going to be a very special year in Bordeaux. The grapes were as plump and juicy as in many great vintages. As we walked besides the steel containers, I could smell the pure sweet raison awaking my senses. Jean Michel handed me a glass of the grape juice that is destined to become a great Bordeaux. It tasted like warm sweet wine sans alcohol laced with pure tannin. Absolute anti-age tonic in a mouthful! And to think it may have been one of my Irish ancestors who helped founded Lynch-Bages. My grandfather Sullivan's mother maiden name was Lynch. Thomas Lynch made his way to Bordeaux in 1691! Then, to round out the Lynch dynasty, there is my favorite wine transporter and bon vivant, Kermit Lynch. That is a good enough excuse to drink a little bit more of this red nectar...I have it in my blood!

MicMac mixes with Bordeaux Wine

What does Bordeaux wine have in common with the movie industry? 'Bon vivant' is what come to mind. Jean Pierre and I are invited to stay at the Lynch-Bages estate while promoting his latest film, Mic Mac. I do not follow Jp everywhere during promotion since it is completely exhausting, but being the wine lover that I am, I cannot deny the experience to learn more about my favorite vice.

I am more of a Cote du Rhone girl when it comes to my wine preference.I want a wine that does not punch me in the face with 'gobs of fruit' and high alcohol content.I want to taste the earth and be flown to another world. I am mystified by Burgundy wine and all its subtle terroir and family feuds. What do I know about Bordeaux wine? Not much but I am open to learn and explore this vast wine region that I refer to as Robert Parker/Michel Rolland territory.

When I first arrived in Paris in 1999, I favored Bordeaux wine since it was the closet thing to what I had already known and tasted in California( using Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot cepage) That all changed with my first glass of Volnay or Cote Rotie. When Jp and I were married in 2001, we shared a many bottles of our favorite Cote Rotie 1997. I fell in love with the mysterious tone of these wines that were not like anything I had ever tasted before..I caught whiffs of truffles, tobacco, and pepper in my glass...Fast forward to Pauillac, 2009.

Jean Pierre and I are invited to have lunch with Lynch- Bages owner and winemaker Jean Michel Cazes who treats us not only to his superb wine but to the haute cuisine of Thierry Marx( who has a canny resemblance to Bruce Willis!) Jean Michel is so gregarious and pure passionate fun when it comes to his wine and to films. He is a true bon vivant. Jean Pierre and I feel very much at ease in his universe. Salut Bordeaux!

Heaven

If you were to die and go to heaven, where would that be?....Well, if you love shoes and other accessories that would be the Atmosphere Salon in Paris. One enters the tents and is suddenly taken away to another world...an universe of the next collection for jewelry, shoes, handbags, belts, and other fashion accessories. I was taken aback by the plethora of material....tons of beautiful things crying to be touched and tried on. I ran into my friend, designer Yaz Bukey. I have to walk ten minutes to finally reach her stand of Plexiglas Jurgen Teller and handsome Karls. After 45 minutes in heaven, I have to exit to find a toilet ( bad news, no toilets in heaven). I am spellbound by the quantity of luxurious frivolous....Je t'aime Paris

Back to the City of Light

When I arrived back in Paris, it was just the beginning of fashion week so there were a few cocktail parties and defiles to attend. I stopped by to see Olympia Le-Tan's new handbag collection. Olympia told me that she was inspired by her collection of first edition books. Her clutches were more like embroidered pieces of art. I guess it looks more mysterious to have a book in one's hand than the latest it bag.

A grand farewell....

On our way to drive over the Italian alps to France today....Mario and Silvia had a big breakfast spread for us. She made a delicious soft cake with fruit from her uncle's recipe. Mario climbed on the roof and picked off some figs for our trip. It was quick our sejour but mario and Silvia really impressed JP and I with their way of living.....back to nature.

Walk in Italian nature and art...

We spent most of the day taking long walks around the vineyard and the surrounding rolling hills. Everything was still green from the recent rain. I felt like I was more in Bali, Indonesia than Northern Italy. When we arrived back at the B&B, Mario gave us a tour of his other passion, pottery. He uses the same technique as they did in the Middle Ages. He is part of an artist community that promotes art installations in nature rather than in a stuffy gallery with artificial light source. Mario even makes his own soap to benefit his art installations.

Vine, vino, vin.....

The first thing Mario does when guests arrive at Il Bosso delle Terracotte is pour them a glass of his home made wine. I found it to be very young and well, tart. Jp said it was too 'wild' for his taste. I tend to think things taste better when they are home made no matter how bad they may be. Maybe it has to do with the less added preservatives or sulfites. In any case, Mario gave me a tour of his wine cellar which was more of a room inside a storage space than a real chai. Mario is trying very hard to keep the winery financially afloat so that is how he came up with his 'Adopt-a -Vineyard' campaign. There was something so peaceful about the Il Bosso delle Terrecotte. It is a choice of lifestyle but to do it with such passion and organization really impressed me about Mario and Silvia.