France

Markets and Picnics in Versailles

July 5, 2019 By Allison

Outdoor markets and picnics. Quintessential French experiences that join food, fellowship, and nature. Versailles is lucky to have some of the best farmers’ markets in the greater Paris area. So why not take advantage of the abundance and pair a morning market visit with a picnic lunch?

Marketing and picnicking require some forethought. First, check the weather forecast to assure that your picnic won’t be spoiled by rain. Then, think about supplies. I always travel with bamboo cutlery and a few tea towels, so I’m close to picnic-ready in Versailles. Another option is to drop by a local supermarket to pick up disposable cutlery, napkins, and plates.

Outdoor markets don’t take place every day, and they usually shut down in the early afternoon. Versailles’ main market, the Marché Notre-Dame, has distinct sections and schedules: the indoor part operates every day except Monday. The outdoor part runs on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Sunday is undoubtedly the most beautiful market day, with the most vendors selling their produce. The Marché Notre-Dame is a few minutes’ walk from the Château.

The Marché Saint-Louis, held in front of the Cathedral on Thursday and Saturday mornings, is a vibrant part of the Saint-Louis neighborhood, a 10-15 minute stroll from the Château. Although both this market and the Marché Notre-Dame are frequented by locals, I have noticed that the Marché Saint-Louis is more quaint and less crowded.

Once you’ve equipped yourself for a picnic, you’ll need to select your ideal picnic spot. On the Château property, there is dedicated picnic space on the Plaine Saint Antoine, between the Château and Trianon Palaces. Picnicking is also allowed along the lower part of the Grand Canal, closest to the Château. Please note that glass bottles are not permitted in the Park, so all wine bottles will be confiscated at the security points as you enter. Access to the gardens and the picnic area is free of charge, except on Musical Fountains Shows and Musical Gardens Days. Make sure you check the schedule beforehand!

Another picnic option outside of the Estate is the Lake of the Swiss Guards, accessible from the rue de l’Indépendance Américaine.

Versailles Markets

Marché Notre-Dame, Place du Marché Notre-Dame

Indoor market—Les Halles
Tuesday-Saturday: 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 7:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

Outdoor market—Les Carrés Notre-Dame
Tuesday, Friday & Sunday—7:00 a.m.-2 :00 p.m.

Marché Saint-Louis—In front of the cathedral, Place Saint-Louis

Thursday & Saturday: 7:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m.

Flower Market—Avenue de Saint Cloud, across from carousel

Tuesday, Friday, Saturday: 8:00 a.m.—7:00 p.m.
Sunday: Morning

What lasts from generation to generation?

April 20, 2019 By Allison

This week’s flames at Notre-Dame de Paris sunk us into collective grief and then unified us in hope, as we learned that much of the structure and most of the art had been saved. Many Gothic cathedrals have been lost to flames, but in their grace we forget their fragility.

Notre-Dame has stood on Paris’ Île de la Cité for the better part of 1,000 years. Having almost lost her, it is both sobering and gratifying to consider the cultural artifacts that last from generation to generation. So little survives: works of literature (many of them fragments), examples of religious sculpture, a little music, sacred buildings in varying states of disrepair. We hold on to these traces of western cultures, but to what end? Might it be better for us to loosen our grip on these tangible bits of our heritage?

Like many other French cathedrals, Notre-Dame de Paris honors the Virgin Mary. The most venerated feminine figure in the Christian tradition, she symbolizes a compassionate feminine power. Divine figures of other traditions represent this same quality—Guanyin and Tara in Buddhism and the goddess Kali in Hinduism, to name but a few. The sacred spaces we erect in their honor frame and focus the universal energy that we attribute to the divine, feminine figures. Sacred spaces help us to access these figures and the invisible power we’ve given to them.

Their energy is eternal though intangible. Do we even need to honor Mary, Kali, Guanyin, and other feminine figures with special spaces? Of course we do. But let us embrace the constantly changing nature of scared spaces. Cathedrals will crumble or burn. The generative emptiness they leave will make way for new or altered sacred structures.

And let’s remember that although places like Notre-Dame de Paris can change the course of our spiritual lives, the protective power of the Virgin Mary is by no means contained within a building. The knowledge that moves from generation to generation is indiscernible to the eye and revealed in the soul. Having grown up Catholic, I have always felt connected to Mary, but not because of a church. The rose is my most personal, profound reminder of Mary. Her flower is recalled in cathedrals’ rose windows, but for me the rose is entwined with family, with a Catholic upbringing, and with womanhood. I see roses everywhere, and Mary’s flower is always sure to unlock the healing, compassionate energy she embodies.

Inspirations

Another magnificent cathedral: Notre-Dame de Chartres

Clearing Space and evening walks

Rewriting a Symphony in Stone, by Summer Brennan

Buy Vintage, Save Money

April 12, 2019 By Allison

During a recent visit to a Central Kentucky flea market, I overheard a mother instructing her children: “These are antiques, so they are three times as expensive. Don’t touch anything.” Her words have been rolling around in my mind for a few days, and I must admit that I find antique and vintage pieces to be very reasonably priced. Why? For most people, “old” things are not desirable.

I am dazzled by my recent haul of “old” stuff. I brought home four vintage Limoges teacups—delicate, floral, and elegant. There are no chips, and the saucers are intact. I paid $9 each. I haven’t tried to date them or research the pattern, but I’m guessing that my teacups are from the 70s or 80s. I am tickled by the idea of sipping my morning tea from the delicate porcelain cups.

When I can get my act together to find a vintage or antique plate rack, maybe I’ll display them with the four hand-painted Limoges plates that I scored in the same booth ($6 each). These floral plates are a delight, each featuring a different flower. When I turned one over and saw that it was signed by “Maude”, that sealed the deal. Knowing the name of the artist who painted my plates makes them all the more special for me.

In another booth, I found a charming soap dish painted with violets, also made in Limoges ($7). I’m guessing that this piece was painted in the 50s or 60s. It somehow feels older than my cups, saucers, and plates, due to its patina. I’ll place it in my guest bathroom with a pretty little soap. I finished my great buying day by scooping up a set of eight embroidered napkins. They must be several decades old. I’ll bring them to the dry cleaner for a good cleaning and starching. They’ll be so beautiful during tea time!

Did I need any more cups, saucers, plates, and linens? Absolutely not. Though had I not been wandering around the flea market with my friend Shelley on that Saturday afternoon, I probably would have been spending money in other ways. All of the items I purchased would be more expensive new, and it’s unrealistic for me to expect to find the beautiful craftsmanship and handwork that are not valued as they once were. Bringing vintage and antique items into my home gives new life to pieces that people have left behind. Placed next to the newer items in my home, they create a unique style for a small price.

Inspirations

More flea market inspo

Hand-painted beauty

Decorating on a small budget, NYT

Le Petit Trianon, Marie-Antoinette’s Château

March 29, 2019 By Allison

petit trianon

When Louis XVI presented le Petit Trianon Château to his wife Marie-Antoinette in 1774, he gave her a master key encrusted in diamonds.[1] Although she was the first resident of the Château, it had been commissioned by her father-in-law Louis XV for his mistress Madame du Barry. After his death, Madame du Barry was banished from the court, never having inhabited her Petit Trianon. The Château has always been a space dominated by women. After Madame du Barry and Marie-Antoinette were forced to abandon the estate, other remarkable women followed. Napoleon I’s sister Princess Pauline Borghèse spent time there, and after a major restoration, le Petit Trianon was later presented to his second wife Marie-Louise (who happened to be Marie-Antoinette’s great-niece). In 1867, Napoleon III’s wife the Empress Eugénie transformed the Château into a museum honoring Marie-Antoinette.

Conceived as a refuge for happiness, le Petit Trianon offered Marie-Antoinette respite from the demands of the court. Although sumptuous and extravagant, her château feels cozy next to its neighbor le Grand Trianon and to the even grander Château de Versailles. Its smaller scale makes it inviting, and the bright floral fabrics infuse the space with a femininity that is absent in other areas of the Domain.

The gardens of le Petit Trianon are extensive and varied. The French Garden and French Pavilion are right outside the Château. The garden is orderly and symmetrical, and its seasonal flowers are glorious. Beyond the French Garden is the Queen’s Garden. Inspired by English gardens, it has meandering pathways, lakes, a belvedere, a Greek style Temple of Love, and a grotto. After the rambling Queen’s Garden lies The Queen’s Hamlet, a rustic-looking reproduction of a Norman village whose recent restoration was sponsored by Dior. Visits of the interiors of the buildings are by reservation only, in French, and all visitors are required to wear special slippers!

With limited time in Versailles, should you even venture to Marie Antoinette’s château? Without a doubt, yes. In fact, you should spend an extra half-day in Versailles so that you can have a leisurely visit of Marie Antoinette’s château and gardens. Louis XIV’s golden palace draws people to Versailles, but Marie Antoinette’s estate is slightly less crowded and therefore much calmer. If you visit France with daughters, nieces, or granddaughters, le Petit Trianon gives them a glimpse of a world in which women had a degree of agency and power. In addition, the stunning gardens and Queen’s Hamlet alone are worth an afternoon visit.

If you are on the fence about carving out time for a visit of Marie Antionette’s estate or if you want to treat yourself to a visual feast, check out Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antionette (2006). The film contains a number of historical inaccuracies, but the scenes shot at le Petit Trianon depict the Château as the refuge of happiness intended by its most famous mistress.

Allison’s Tips

Access: Le Petit Trianon is 30 minutes on foot from the Château de Versailles or 20 minutes on the Petit Train. Visitors can also access le Petit Trianon from the Boulevard de la Reine.

Hours: 12:00-5:30, Tuesday-Sunday

Tickets: Visit of the Trianon Estates is included in the Passeport tickets (20-27€) . Otherwise, tickets cost 12€. Children under 18 are free. Visit of the gardens is included with admission.

For a detailed introduction to Le Petit Trianon, read Jérémie Benoît’s guide The Petit Trianon: Marie-Antionette’s Château

[1] The Petit Trianon: Marie Antionette’s Château, by Jérémie Benoît

Recent Reads

March 16, 2019 By Allison

These days, I’m living my best book life. I have short, precarious stacks of books all over the house: travel guides, novels, poetry, cookbooks. I love my books, but I am hard on them. I make copious notations, I stash them in my bag when I’m on the go, and if I sense someone needs my book more than I do, I give it away.

Our winter wasn’t as cold and snowy as some, but it was grey and damp. I spent those months dabbling, skipping from book to book, and rereading a few favorites. If I begin reading a book and I’m not hooked after a few chapters, I set it aside. I spent ten years as a student of literature, and I always read what I was instructed to read. Now I’m more reckless. Sometimes I purchase a book simply because it has a pretty cover. I read more in English. Unfinished books linger. It’s glorious to flit between subjects and genres and to touch so many different books in one sitting.

For this post, I gathered a selection of some recent and favorite reads that might lead you to your next book. Dainin Katagiri’s The Light That Shines Through Infinity has been a steady, insightful spiritual companion that I have already gifted to a friend and that I will reread multiple times. Michelin’s guide to Brittany has had me dreaming about France’s rugged coasts, and Alexandre Maral’s Versailles: côté ville, côté jardin has furthered my research on the Royal City. My cookbook collection is unmanageable, but Emeril Lagasse’s review of Bottom of the Pot made Naz Deravian’s new book on Persian cuisine irresistible.

A few months ago, I embarked on a poetry project with a friend. Each month, we read one poem by Irish poet Eavan Boland. We stay with that poem for a whole month, and then we each compose our own poem that is inspired by and seems to grow from the month’s poem. Writing and sharing poetry terrifies me, but our Eavan Boland project has helped me to go deeper with poetry and to feel brave enough to write my own poems.

If English is my first and most comfortable language, French is my chosen and beloved language. My French winter reads were delightful. I’ve been enjoying random selections of François Cheng’s De l’âme (About the Soul). He unfailingly brings me beauty as he bridges philosophies of the East and the West. In Le camélia de ma mère (My Mother’s Camellia), Alain Baraton, the head gardener at the Château de Versailles, sings the beauty of his mother’s favorite flower. And after teaching L’Elégance du hérisson (The Elegance of the Hedgehog), last spring, I am treating myself to a third or fourth reading of Muriel Barbery’s novel on the beauty of friendship.

Inspirations

Discovering Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca

Thoughts on beauty and grief

La rue des Deux Portes

January 12, 2019 By Allison

la rue des deux portes versailles While the grandeur of Versailles resides in its Château, its charm is surely in its diminutive streets, passages, and courtyards. Lying in the shadow of the Château, la rue des Deux Portes (The Street with Two Doors) has mixed residental and business since the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Connecting the rue Carnot to the Place du Marché, boutiques and restaurants saturate this short pedestrian way. La rue des Deux Portes is lively, local, and picturesque, well worth a quick visit after your market trip or Château visit. Alternatively, make an afternoon of shopping on this street and in the antique district, le Quartier des Antiquaires, also located close to the Place du Marché.

Allison’s Tips
Access
Leaving the Château, take the tree-lined avenue de Saint-Cloud to the avenue de l’Europe. Take a sharp left on the rue Carnot, where you immediately see the south entrance to the rue des Deux Portes.

Coming from the Place du Marché, the north entrance to the rue des Deux Portes branches off the rue Ducis, on the west side of the Place.

Boutiques
Coffee and Tea Merchant—La Finca 15, rue des Deux Portes

Kitchen Store–Culinarion 13, rue des Deux Portes

Hat and Glove Shop–Falbalas Saint Junien 10, rue des Deux Portes

Toy Store–La Palette de Jeux 12, rue des Deux Portes

Cuisine
Maison Sephaire 17, rue des Deux Portes
Traditional French butcher and caterer that provides high end, traditional French food to go: artisanal charcuterie, pâté, roast chicken, and various sides such as carrot salad

Les Biscuits de Madame Georges 7, rue des Deux Portes
British inspired afternoon tea featuring homemade Bundt cakes

Eléphant d’Argent 6, rue des Deux Portes (Thai restaurant)

Crêperie des Deux Portes 12, rue des Deux Portes

Nightlife
BiBoViNo Versailles 15, rue des Deux Portes
Wine shop and bar featuring high quality « bag in box » wines. BiBoViNo’s liquor license requires that food be served with alcohol, so patrons must also order charcuterie and/or cheese boards to accompany their wine.

L’Equilibre 8, rue des Deux Portes
Trendy tapas bar with more than thirty wines by the glass. Happy hours from 5-8 p.m. Arrive early to grab a table!

Timeless Strasbourg

December 12, 2018 By Allison

All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist.
–Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

Strasbourg, France is one of my moveable feasts. Years on, my glorious and trying stint in Strasbourg moves with me and through me. The city has accompanied me in my successive endeavors. I protect Strasbourg. I revel in Strasbourg. I share Strasbourg. On occasion, I return to this cherished touchstone city.

Last night, when tragedy struck in my old stomping grounds, I realized that a part of me still inhabits Strasbourg. If I’ve kept this place with me through the years, I now understand that I also left a slightly younger, more naïve self in the stunning city on the banks of the Ill River. Removed from time, I still gaze at the pink sandstone cathedral in the center of town, I wander the uneven pedestrian ways of La Petite France, and I frequent the Marché des Producteurs on Saturday mornings. I pop into chic boutiques, and I track down the flakiest baguette in the city.

The Christmas market violence that rocked Strasbourg also shook me. It rattled all of us who entrust our more innocent, wide-eyed selves to this timeless place.

Inspriations

On Love graffiti in Paris

A favorite Strasbourg tea spot

Nana Ding: Lessons of Tea

October 2, 2018 By Allison

…le mouvement de la vie est pris dans un réseau de constants échanges et d’entrecroisements
…the movement of life exists in a network of continual exchanges and intertwinements
François Cheng, Cinq méditations sur la beauté

Nana Ding’s tea shop is on a quaint street in Strasbourg, France. Quiet and elegant, the rue des Charpentiers winds behind the Gothic cathedral. When I was visiting in March, her toasty shop was a welcome escape from Strasbourg’s damp and chilly weather. When you step into Nana Ding Thés d’Exception, you enter a tea haven. Delicate Chinese tea objects occupy every shelf and corner—tiny Yixing tea pots, painted gaiwans, fragile tea bowls, all selected by Nana Ding during her trips to China. Behind the counter reside rare and special teas that she sources from China. Puerhs, oolongs, rock teas, green teas, red teas, white teas… how to choose?!

Madame Ding and I spent two lovely mornings together, infusing, sipping, and observing. Our encounter felt hushed and sacred. The teas she shared with me were ethereal. A green tea from Sichuan Province that we steeped six times and a red tea from Yunnan Province harvested from uncultivated tea trees that are more than 2,000 years old. I found both teas to be otherworldly and subtle.

I often sip exceptional teas with tea-loving friends. Over tea, we learn from one another. Nana Ding taught me that the tea itself speaks to us. Each infusion seemed to unlock and share a lesson—lessons that I continue to unravel, many months after our tea mornings.

Since those blustery March moments, I have taken to honoring the tea leaf. I sip more slowly, I infuse more respectfully, and I attune myself to the messages that each tiny cup of tea offers me.

…the movement of life exists in a network of continual exchanges and intertwinements

Nana Ding Thés d’Exception
13 rue des Charpentiers
67000 Strasbourg

Old Versailles

September 22, 2018 By Allison

Le Vieux Versailles, or Old Versailles, is not the Royal City’s oldest neighborhood. The medieval village acquired by King Louis XIII once stood there, but most of it was destroyed in the 17^th century. Occupying the streets to the south-east of the Château, Old Versailles is ideal for meandering and admiring elegant 17^th and 18^th century architecture: sober grey and beige stone into which decorative medallions, garland, and faces are carved, cast iron railings and balconies, touches of blue and ochre that draw our eyes up the buildings and to the sky.

For history lovers, a visit to La Salle du Jeu de Paume is a must. Constructed by the royal family in 1686, the Salle was one of the first sporting centers in France. A precursor to tennis, “palm ball” was invented in France and initially played without racquets. In 1789, 578 Frenchmen met in this spacious room, declared themselves to be the National Assembly, and swore to stay together until they had drafted a constitution for France. Now known as the “Tennis Court Oath”, this moment was key in the lead up to the French Revolution. The Salle is open for visits on Tuesday-Sunday afternoons from 2-5:30. Admission is free.

Relatively new to the neighborhood, the Cour des Senteurs is a calm courtyard dedicated to the art of perfume and upscale shopping. The Maison des Parfums offers a simple introduction to the history of perfume, and the quiet urban garden offers respite from a day of touring. Admission is free to both. Michelin starred restaurant La Table du 11 is located in the courtyard; reservations are essential.

The bustling pedestrian zone rue de Satory offers a number of dining options. A future post will list some of the rue de Satory’s best restaurants.

Allison’s Tips
Access: The Vieux Versailles quarter borders the Château property. Standing in the Place des Armes with your back to the Château, the neighborhood will be behind you and to your right.

Allow 1-3 hours to explore Vieux Versailles.

As you stroll through the area, there is no need to follow a prescribed route. Rather, let brown tourist signage serve as a loose guide: La Cour des Senteurs, La Salle du Jeu de Paume, La rue Satory.

Ore: a golden pause

September 8, 2018 By Allison

Visiting the Château of Versailles can make for a long day: lines, crowds, and so much sumptuous history to take in! For sanity’s sake, why not break up the day with a calm, delectable lunch?

Located on the grounds of the Château, Chef Alain Ducasse’s ORE serves carefully prepared, high-end café fare in a light, airy setting. Ore means mouth in Latin and also plays on the French word for gold (or). The gold décor and sunburst tableware speak to the historic setting, and the menus correspond to the seasons. On my last visit I ordered a perfect spring vegetable tartelette resting on a green pea purée, followed by a verbena and raspberry soufflé. Disconnected from the effervescent commotion of the Château, my friends and I enjoyed classic French cuisine graced with touches of modernity, all in a discreet, elegant setting.

At ORE, The service is attentive and efficient, the food beautifully plated and delicious. After a quiet, relaxed lunch, you will be ready to continue your visit of the Château.

Allison’s Tips
ORE teams up with the Château of Versailles to offer breakfast or lunch followed by direct access (no lines!) to the Château and its grounds. Reserve for breakfast + direct access (40€) or lunch + direct access (60€). The set menus vary according to the season.

Make a reservation for breakfast (starting at 12€), lunch (starting at 16€), or afternoon tea (35€)

Make a reservation for evening dinners, offered on select dates throughout the summer

Reserve ORE for a private evening function by calling +33 1 30 84 12 97

Access: ORE is on the second floor of the Pavillon Dufour at the Château of Versailles. From the security checkpoint on the Place d’Armes, enter the Cour d’Honner and hang left as you approach the Cour Royal and the Pavillon Dufour. From the gardens, follow the signs to the Cour des Princes and access the Pavillon Dufour from the Cour des Princes courtyard.

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