Paris In November
Audrey Hepburn was right. She said, “Paris is always a good idea.”
My mother loved fashion. Living in the Bronx on a tight budget, she still managed to dress like a movie star. The latest edition of Vogue Magazine always topped the pile of art books on our coffee table. I began to like fashion too and my ears perked up every time someone mentioned Paris.
My Mother, Eileen Marlin In The Bronx, New York
At age 11 my father signed me up with a modeling agency in New York City and my first job was a shoot in front of the famous tea and dessert cafe, Rumpelmeyer’s, on Central Park South. Afterwards we treated ourselves to fancy pastry and hot chocolate. The family at the table next to ours was speaking French. It sounded beautiful. On our way back to New Rochelle that afternoon, my father stopped at a bookstore and bought me a photo book of Paris. I was smitten.
Posing With A Boy Model In Front Of Rumpelmeyer’s.
First trip to the French capital when I was 19, was insane, several decadent nights at the Hotel de Crillon, the stone palace on the Place de la Concorde. I became a bread freak, sampling baguettes and pain au chocolat from all the great boulangeries.
Inside A Paris Boulangerie/Baguettes
Tarte aux framboises from Stohrer, the oldest patisserie in Paris, became my daily obsession.
Paris Patisserie
Nestled inside a small white box at the bottom of my purse, my little raspberry tarts delighted me to no end. I loved to eat them while resting on a park bench, either in the Tuileries, Luxembourg or Palais Royale gardens.
Sketching at the Jardin de Palais Royale November 2018
Yes it would be good to model a bit longer so I could afford to come back to Paris.
Photo Credit: Michael Ansell
I have indeed been back, many trips, and oddly enough, most of them have been during the month of November. This is a great month for sweaters and coats, hats, scarves, boots, all the articles of clothing I love best. I especially love coats.
Paris In November Photo Credit: Ira Resnick
I was in Paris November 13th, 2015, the night of the attacks on the city. Not only was the brutality of the event stunning, but the resiliency of the people was as well. The next day, my birthday, was one I will never forget. Beneath a leaden sky the somber emptiness of the usually bustling streets on a Saturday morning was, profound.
November 14, 2015, My Birthday
Some folks have abandoned Paris for other European cities with charm and history, where the local populace is less, you might say, volatile. I get that, but I also get where the attitude comes from. It’s a bummer, having to deal all day with tourists like me, who don’t know how to order coffee properly.
Cafe Les Deux Magots In Saint Germain
On November 8th, 2018 husband George and I boarded the Eurostar from London to Paris for a week.
On Our Way To Paris
Three hours later I was opening the door to our room at the Grand Pigalle, a small, charming hotel of distinction in the 9th arrondissement.
Arriving At The Grande Pigalle Hotel/9th Arrondissement/ Paris
November again. The forecast was calling for three days of very inclement weather so I brought my waxed jacket, long down waterproof coat, English country pants impervious to rain, rubber boots, beret and an umbrella that malfunctioned during the first downpour.
Well in advance of the trip to Paris, I prepared my standard 2-category list. First category is Hallowed Repeats, places that grind deep into my soul and must be revisited. Second category is more about doing things I have never done before. I named it Pathetically Long List of Bucket Items and I rarely get to these because I have so many Hallowed Repeats.
Hallowed Repeat, Le Tour Eiffel
Le Tour Eiffel is always part of category one. From any angle, it takes the breath away, much like the Golden Gate Bridge does, in San Francisco. I like to stroll around the Champs de Mars as daylight wanes and the lights come on.
Once the sun goes down I get swept up with emotion. Paris at night, especially walking along the Seine, is relentlessly romantic.
Notre Dame de Paris
This trip I was determined to hack away at the bucket items. No doubt the collections in the grand museums such as the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay are stunning, but the crowds bum me out. On the prowl for something small and intriguing, I checked Musee De La Vie Romantique off the list. Built in 1830, the home of artist Ary Scheffer (1795-1858) was the gathering place for friends like Frederic Chopin, Eugene Delacroix and Franz Liszt. My favorite room in the house is dedicated to writer George Sand (1804-1876). Famous contemporary Paris designer Jacques Garcia created a study filled with her furniture, art and personal belongings. I want to live in it.
George Sand ‘s Drawing Room/Musee De La Vie Romantique
There is also a sweet little tea room and a garden to sit in, when it’s not November and pouring down rain.
Musee De La Vie Romantique
Finally the storms abated and the sun came out, perfect for a day trip to a legendary chateau, thirty miles from Paris by train. It’s been on my bucket list forever, due to an infamously extravagant royal party and suicide.
Chateau de Chantilly On A Fall Afternoon
In 1761 a three-day celebration was underway in honor of King Louis XlV, who had come to stay with the Prince of Conde along with approximately 2,000 other guests. They were all assembled at the Prince’s grand palace, Chateau de Chantilly. It was during those festivities that the maitre d’hotel, or main steward of the house, Francois Vatel became overwhelmed with the task of feeding and hosting invited guests and a ballooning number of personal attendants. With only a couple of weeks to prepare, things did not go smoothly. Vatel became increasingly weary and depressed, suffering from lack of sleep. Topping the list of mishaps was the magnificent fireworks display that could not be viewed due to fog. Fiasco. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a simple miscommunication regarding the delivery of fish. Fish for thousands was ordered from sea-faring communities far and wide and Vatel was anxiously awaiting delivery, which was late. When finally a vendor with a surprisingly small amount of fish arrived at the chateau, Vatel panicked. He asked the man if that was all there was. Yes, answered the vendor, not knowing that other large shipments of fish were coming from elsewhere. Fastidious proud perfectionist Francois Vatel fled to his room, overcome with embarrassment and despair. With his honor compromised, he took his life with his own sword. A short time later, deliveries began to arrive and someone came to apprise him of that fact, but it was too late. Vatel was dead but the guests partied on.
The Grand Prince of Conde
The excesses of the aristocracy during this period leading up to the French Revolution were prodigious and Chantilly is testament to that. The last resident of the chateau, the Duc D’Aumale, bequeathed it to the Institut de France in 1886 upon his death. All of the art and artifacts remain here including the second largest collection of antique paintings in France. Largest of course is the Louvre.
The Gallery of Painting (Grande Gallerie) with its glass ceiling houses 85 works of art, leading to a marble rotunda which was built to display Italian Renaissance masterpieces. Paintings by Raphael (1483-1520), whose main contemporary rival was Michelangelo, hang here.
Grande Gallerie, Chantilly
The library contains 60,000 books from all over the world including many rare Medieval illuminated manuscripts.
The Library at Chantilly
Outdoor spaces were designed by the king’s favorite landscape architect, Andre Le Notre, known for the gardens at Versailles. One feels transported back to a time before revolution changed everything.
Topiary at Chantilly
Done with the chateaux’s architecture and objects, I wandered over to the Great Stables (Grande Ecurie), a palace for horses, built in the 1700’s. Timing was perfect as an equine performance rehearsal was taking place to which the public was invited.
Another November escapade, over. Hallowed Repeats did not disappoint and new explorations were delightful. Indeed, Paris is always a good idea.
Paris, My Happy Place In Any Season
