Lunch at Grand Vefour

David, Lionel and I had lunch at Grand Vefour - my favorite restaurant. The sun poured in thru the windows, the food was exquisite, the welcome was warm and friendly.



My Entree was a simple potato salad covered in truffles - an overwhelming aroma!

The Main course was turbot with caviar.

Dessert was an amazing creation - a chocolate cube which, when cracked open, poured out ice cream, raspberries, chocolate truffles - Stupdendous!

Vespers at the Russian Cathedral

On Saturday evening, I went to The Russian Cathedral for Vespers - a profound experience. The choir sings beautifully and continually, the priests sing in strong voices - the sound of the basses! The incense rises, and most of the litrugy takes place behind the icon screen. The worshippers do not sit - they stand, light candles in front of the many icons, pray, go to confession and, when instructed by some v. insistent old women, line up in rows for various liturgical moments. On occasion, all the lights in the room are turned on and a priest comes out from behind the Iconostasis with an incense pot and we all get smoke swung at us or an important piece of the Gospel is read. Afterwards, the light go out, we're back in the candlelit room. The worshippers are intensely involved in the liturgy - it's dark, mysterious, glorious and deeply moving.





The Cathedral was built with a gift from the Czar and serves as the church, social centre, gathering place for the Russian community. There are lots of fun Russian restaurants around the church for blinis, caviar and vodka.

Parisian organ cases - les Buffets

The most beautiful organ case in Paris - St. Etienne du Mont

The Choir organ at St. Roch



St. Roch - restored Cavaille-Coll organ in a beautiful church - where Andre le Notre is buried


St. Germain de Pres - I have such lovely memories of Sunday afternoon recitals here when I was a student

Mes Amis

Francois Loscheider producing another gorgeous dinner


Francois expresses his extreme enthusiasm for the production of la Perichole at the Opera Comique


The best hosts in the world - at the Theatre de Champs Elysees for Ariodante


David & Lionel in the Palais Royale garden

People

The Chairman and the First Lady of the Stanford Society, with Charles at Trinity College chapel



















Charles Covell and attendees after Evensong at Kings



















Charles and Gretchen after Evensong at Kings



















Our Fabulous Lunch at Grand Vefour - Lionel's debut!















David immerses himself in Monet





















Francois and Lionel in our incredibly fab (2nd row) seats at Ariodante




















mes tres amis d'opera - David, Francois and Lionel - discuss something v. important after La Juive















At the Opera Comique with my opera bud



















The Shepros listen to the Sulpician Titulaire's recital



















Daniel at the Console

Street Scenes

My cafe




















I want this fabric!




















THE place to buy renonculus in the R. de Buci














A flower shop




















The metro near the Opera Comique



















A view towards l'Eglise de Notre Dame de Lorette and on to Sacre Coeur

The Jeu de Paume has been completely renovated and Monet's famous - and large - water lillies have been re-installed. Two rooms of beauty and serenity - I couldn't leave

Paris

A gorgeous Louis Philippe bed - Zuber panels
An early 20th C. dining room in the M. des Arts Decoratifs
A panel from the Lalique exhibit

On Tuesday, after breakfast at Deux Magots, I walked up to St. Sulpice to say hello to the organ, then to the Musee de Luxembourg to see an exhibit of jewelry by Rene Lalique - v. exquisite! A great stroll back thru St. Germain, around the Institut de France, across the Pont des Arts, and to the Louvre to see the newly renovated Musee des Arts Decoratifs - in the works for the last 10 years or so. It's an overwhelming experience - it begins with medieval arts and finishes with yesterday. After 2.5 hours I had to leave and go sit in the gardens - my brain was smoking! For example: to demonstrate the evolution of the 17th-18th C. chair they begin with Louis XIII and show an example of every transition up thru the Consulate. Stunning! The only thing to do at that point is go sit in the sunshine.