"A true Gentleman is one who is never unintentionally rude." Oscar Wilde


Complete you education here.

A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam we found the Flower Market by chance!




Sunday Sound

"Bye bye Baby" by Marilyn Monroe - 1953

A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam I found adorable thrift shops.



The streets of Amsterdam.



I had an awesome surprise two days ago. It was an important day for me, I was still full of stress and anger when I arrived late at home. My door would not open, nothing was going right... until a bunch of colourful balloons jumped on me! My nearest and dearest had use their key to my apartment to prepare a surprise: balloons, aperitif, champagne and cupcakes. It was only us three, we sang, we danced, we drank champagne and red wine... It was just what I needed and I can not thank them enough for being there for me!




A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam I slept on a boat... owned by a very friendly Hippy.


How to survive Winter #12:
Write to your friends. I love handwritten letters, there is something so special about them. I love the surprise of finding an envelop in the mailbox, it brings me back to my childhood. I used to move quite often with my parents so I left friends a little bit everywhere, and my mother taught us the importance of writing to keep in touch. This is one of the most important lesson she gave me.



Illustrations by Rebekka Seale, a very talented illustrator from Nashville, Tennessee.
Close your eyes, raise your glass, bottoms up! Sometimes this is all you need!


I can not remember where I found this picture but this is really what I need right now!

A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam we had drinks: one coffee, three beers, one big Happy Family!

A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam I saw awesome bars...






A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam I saw a Castle...

A la Prévert...

In Amsterdam I saw lots of pretty buildings...





First Glimpse of Amsterdam.

Sunday Sound

"Lullaby of Broadway" by Doris Day - 1951

Going, going, gone... to Amsterdam!


"A Amsterdam" by Guy Béart - 1976

"A Amsterdam, il y a Dieu, il y a les dames.
J'ai vu les dames de mes yeux, j'ai pas vu Dieu à Amsterdam.
A Amsterdam, il y a les eaux, il y a les âmes.
J'ai vu les eaux dans les canaux, j'ai pas vu d'âme à Amsterdam.
A Amsterdam y a des vélos et y a des trams
et des bateaux qui font font l'amour au carrefour à Amsterdam."

Source here.
I went for a drink at the "Deux Moulins" Café, also known as Amelie's Café.
Well well well... Too modern. That is my impression. Too clean, too much renovated, too much pop music, not enough smiles. It does not have that "Parisian Titi Attitude" you can find in most Montmartre cafés. I was clearly disappointed. I like Amélie but I do not like what she unintentionally did to that place...




Café des Deux Moulins
15 rue Lepic, 75018 Paris 
Tél : 01 42 54 90 50
Painting the Apples Pink
We're painting the Apples Pink
We dare not stop or waste a drop
So let the paint be spread!
We're painting the Apples Pink
We're painting the Apples Pink!

Source here.

Last week end, I had Brunch at Rose Bakery. You can eat there are take away some tarts and cakes, they also sell all sorts of store cupboard bits and pieces including organic chocolate, speciality tea, breakfast cereal and fresh fruit. I had heard a lot of nice things about the place and was a little bit confused. I can not make up my mind: I loved the aesthetic quality of this Restau-Bakery but was a little bit puzzled by the service and the food. The waiters seemed overwhelmed by the very numerous bourgeois customers, the bread was over-baked and I found the cakes a little bit too heavy. I understand why it is "The place to be": the whole menu is made out of organic ingredients and the farm-like interior design is very trendy. It is a lovely place to have a tea, scrambled eggs and scones (traditionnal and safe dishes) but I still need to be convinced by the cakes. Sounds like the perfect excuse to go back find out a little more about this English Farm in Paris.






Rose Bakery
46 Rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris
Tél: 01.42.82.12.80
Dream House!


Source here.
I went to the Theater yesterday evening and I really want to thank my Celsa Girls for this lovely discovery: The Sea Girls are kind of Music Hall meets Burlesque, meets French Music. Hard to imagine, I know, but these 4 ladies did it. They are tall and small, blond and brunette, funny, have incredible outfits, look like they have just escaped from the Moulin Rouge, are sexy but can wear a moustache, from a esthetical point of view... well, there is a lot of colour! They sing beautiful old French Songs from Jean-Max Rivière who use to write for Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot, France Gall and Françoise Hardy, and they mix it with new songs. There is a lot of Poetry in this show, it is really something worth seeing.





They will be in Paris until February 26th.
at Théâtre de la Nouvelle Eve, 25 rue Pierre Fontaine, 75009, Métro Pigalle
it costs between 16€ and 32€
http://www.les-seagirls.com/

Sunday Sound

"Gone fishing" by Bing Crosby and Louis Amstrong - 1951


Source here.
I have always had a thing for the tiny Madeline. Ludwig Bemelmans created the character in 1939. Being a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Vogue, Holiday, and Town & Country magazines, he considered himself as an artist illustrator rather than a writer, but the impetuous little girl got so much success he wrote up to 6 books. And after he disappeared, his son John Bemelmans-Marciano took over and continued to imagine new adventures. 
What I particularly love are the illustrations. I admire the very naive and simple way Bemelmans has to create an ambiance: with a few lines, he can take you to Paris or London. It is simple as a Children World. 
And who can resist this tiny little girl's attitude? She is fancy but still adventurous, and spunky, a real 7 year old Free Spirit!






 Click here for the official website.
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