2007 September | parisian party

Monthly Archive for September, 2007

Ole Man River….

David P Henry Cruising along the Seine at sunset. It’s a cliché, I know. But it is pretty spectacular, if it’s Arnaud Frich done right. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a Paris Cruise Snob- all you have to do is take a peak at Les Bateaux Mouche with their blinding spotlights and obnoxious loudspeakers and you’d be as picky as me! The last thing I’d want to do (or suggest to my clients to do) is to spend valuable vacation time crammed aboard one of those monstrosities. That said, not ALL Paris cruise companies are bateaux mouches- just google it, and you’ll find pages upon pages of varying levels of Paris dinner cruises. My snobbishness almost got the best of me until last week when I was invited for lunch aboard the Mighty Mississip! (well, actually it’s just called the “Mississippi”, but I can’t stop saying Mighty Mississip!) The Mississippi is one of a fleet of riverboats offered by La Compagnie des Bateaux A Roue. I had seen these boats before, and had always thought that they would be sort of cheesy- I imagined candy-striped dixieland musicians and hot dogs, but nothing could have been farther from the truth.

La Compagnie des Bateaux A Roue is operated by the Elior group, which also operates Le Ciel de Paris on top of Tour Montparnasse and Les Ombres, the restaurant of the Musée du Quai Branly. Like those restaurants, this is a sophisticated venue which offers refined service and an amazing view. The cuisine, by Honoré James, is fresh, creative and beautifully presented- not a hot dog in sight! The boat itself is very intimate- there’s a small deck with a bar, so that you and your guests can have cocktails outside before stepping into the dining room for lunch or dinner. The dining room looks as if it could seat around 50 or 60 guests for a meal, at least 100 for a standing cocktail. If you’re looking for a dinner cruise in Paris which offers understated elegance, I definitely recommend the (Mighty!) Mississip(pi)

La Compagnie de Bateaux A Roue Mississippi

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a bit of a rugby rant

When you come to Paris to get married, what’s the Money Shot? Couple Kissing in Front of Eiffel Tower, right? Money Shot does NOT include a Rugby Supporters giant inflatable rugby ball! Paris is currently hosting the World Cup of Rugby. Now, I don’t know much about rugby (except that I LUVS me some All Blacks when they do that Haka dance), but judging by the supporters’, um…enthusiasm, I’m assuming it’s a pretty big deal. What I DO know is that there is a giant inflatable rugby ball hanging off the Eiffel Tower, and it has GOT to COME DOWN! While most of my guy clients have found it “kinda cool”, the brides (understandably) have not. I’ve spent a nice chunk of this past week re-arranging itineraries around that blasted ball. Monsieur Delanoë, I have one question for you- when is it coming down??

Paris Rugby Ball

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A Loverly Day at The Races- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Chapeaux de l’Arc Paris

It’s time to go hat shopping!!!

The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is coming up on October 6th and 7th at the Hippodrome de Longchamp in the Bois de Boulogne, and I wouldn’t Eliza Doolittle at Ascot be caught dead in last years’ chapeau! Oh! First, I should mention that horse racing aficionados travel from all over the world for this race- one which showcases the best thoroughbreds in the world. It’s followed by over 55,000 spectators and 1 billion television viewers in nearly 200 countries! It’s a very, VERY big deal on the horse-racing circuit.

That said, it’s also a big deal for fashion (and fun!) aficionados who pounce on the opportunity to show off the finest in Parisian millinery. The Chapeaux de l’Arc, now in its’ 7th year, is a fabulous hat contest sponsored by Lucien Barrier Hotels and Casinos and Madame Figaro. The contest, which will be held on Sunday October 7th, is free to enter and is open to all women who sign up between 11h00 and 17h00. There are 2 different categories that you can enter: Category no.1: which is for women sporting professional hats (created by professional milliners or bought in a store or a boutique, etc.), and Category no. 2: which is for those show-offs with no professional hat-making experience who have whipped up their own, personal creations just to make the rest of us feel bad for showing up in our plain-old “store bought” toppers (sigh!)… In past years, over 500 women have competed for prizes like a week-end for 2 at a Barrier hotel, or dinner at a Barrier establishment. Which brings me back to my original thought…It’s time to go hat shopping!!!

Even if you aren’t planning on competing in the hat contest, there’s no reason not to show up looking like a finalist! For first-time hat buyers, Celine Robert hat the obvious place to start would be the larger department stores- Printemps and Galleries LaFayette carry independent designers, as well as their own line of fine hats. One designer that I really like is Celine Robert, who sells at Le Bon Marche and Galleries LaFayette, as well as out of her own boutique on boulevard Sebastopol in the 3rd. I bought a sweet 1920’s-inspired cloche of hers at les soldes last year, and have been trying to squeeze my gargantuan noodle into it ever since! Her hats are feminine, classic, a little bit funky, but without being so over-the-top that after Longchamp you’ll never wear it again. If “off-the-rack” doesn’t suit your Parisian hat-buying tastes, try Estelle Ramousse in the 20th arrondissement for a luxe, made-to-measure chapeau. I’ll see you at the races!