By sheer chance, we’re in the Paris region right when the Maison & Objet showis happening. It’s a very renowned show I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. And by pure coincidence, Carole M. gave me some entrance tickets (thanks!). It’s a trade-only show, but there are still a few private individuals who go. The entrance ticket is quite expensive, so private individuals must be very motivated or get tickets gifted like we did. We park in the car park (3.6€/hour) and take the shuttle that drops us off in front of the entrance to 5A. It’s perfect because that’s the section with fine craft (métiers d’art). On the…

Another summer where I’m cat-sitting. This time, it’s for friends. Three cats in total. It’s surely my (late) Rosalie who sent them my way. I was looking at Rosalie’s photo, thinking how much I missed her; that being sedentary was useless if you don’t have a cat, etc., when we were asked to take care of the cats during the August holidays. In Paris / Île-de-France. Since JB can work remotely unlimited and I have no geographical constraints, we happily accept. Lille is only a 1h30 train ride from Paris, but it’s quite a hassle to do a round trip in one day when we have quite a few museums…

Apparently, it would be easier to meet the Pope or the President of the United States in person than to see the manuscript Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, carefully kept at the Musée Condé in Chantilly. Even researchers struggle to access this treasure. But we are very lucky because right now an exceptional exhibition is being held dedicated to Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry. This presentation, running until October 5, 2025, is a major event in the world of medieval art. A truly exceptional manuscript finally unveiled Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry represents one of the absolute masterpieces of medieval illumination.…

A month and a half after settling in Lille, I think it’s time for a quick round trip to Paris. I’m sore all over and my favorite masseuse is in Paris (I call her “healer” because she has magic hands). Plus, I need to buy interfacing for my sewing projects, but the selection in Lille isn’t exhaustive. JB tells me he still has the Fine Dining offer with American Express (€100 credit at a selection of restaurants) that I can use in Paris. Appointments booked, I leave fairly early in the morning and take the TGV. A little over an hour later, I arrive at Gare du Nord. Lafayette Saltiel…

Today, I’m sharing with you my photos of the Sainte-Chapelle, which we visited last year. There’s always a crowd in front of the Sainte-Chapelle, so I highly recommend booking your tickets in advance and coming with an ultra-light bag, as bags will be scanned and searched at the entrance. Then, you enter a kind of administrative courtyard, and you need to follow the arrows to know where to go. The ground floor is quite beautiful but dark, and the most impressive part is upstairs. There’s a small staircase leading up, don’t miss it! Nestled in the heart of the Île de la Cité, the Sainte-Chapelle is a treasure from the…

It’s September 2023: For once, I receive invitations to the Rare Book and Graphic Arts Fair, after buying a second-hand book that reeks of smoke on a site for book lovers. Tickets cost 10 euros each, but thanks to these invitations, I can go for free with my girlfriend M., which makes up a bit for the smelly book I put in the “books to swap” box outside the metro. My friend M. is curious and interested in everything, so she’s already been to the gem and jewelry show with me, and now to the rare book fair even though she’s not a bibliophile. I am (a bit) bibliophilic for…

We had already tried the tea time at The Peninsula Paris (which I really enjoyed). This time, we head up a few floors to test their Michelin-starred restaurant (2 stars in the Michelin Guide) with a view of the Eiffel Tower. As every year, we get 200 euros per year with our American Express Platinum card (referral code here) to enjoy a gourmet restaurant. This year, to properly celebrate JB’s birthday, we chose L’Oiseau Blanc. The restaurant’s name pays tribute to the two French aviation pioneers, Charles Nungesser and François Coli, the first to attempt a non-stop transatlantic crossing in a biplane. They allegedly succeeded before disappearing forever in the…

I wasn’t supposed to go to the World Biennial of Art Bookbinding in 2024 because I was staying in the northern suburbs of Paris and had to go all the way to the end of the RER B line to attend. But a Vietnamese bookbinder won a prize and a mutual friend put us in touch. I went mainly as a favor. I did enjoy it a bit, but I’m glad I combined the trip with another event in Paris because 3 hours round-trip for that alone would have put me off. It’s a bookbinding competition open to everyone: professionals and amateurs. Everyone has to bind exactly the same book…

It’s becoming almost a habit: every summer, we look after my sister’s cat(s) while she’s on vacation. We make the most of our time in France to: When I came back from Vietnam, I brought back a ton of leatherworking tools. Honestly, as I was storing these tools in my sister’s basement, I wondered what had come over me to buy so much. But then, when I started making my second and third leather bags, these tools made my work so much easier that I no longer regretted buying them. Since we had to go to Paris three days a week for the Olympics, I worked on my leatherworking projects…