Raffles Luxury Hotel Reopens in Paris

Le Royal Monceau-Raffles has just reopened in Paris with a series of design flourishes that are uniquely Philippe Starck. The guest rooms and suites are invitingly warm, spacious, eclectic, and evoke the finest in Parisian life – both then and now. Highlights include Le Cinéma du Lumières, a 100-seat state-of-the-art screening room that will feature premieres, festivals, and surprises for guests. The ultimately luxurious Spa My Blend by Clarins is unparalleled in its personal indulgences and features an 80-foot-long swimming pool (the largest in any Parisian palace), a team of fitness coaches, and every well-being amenity imaginable. The French restaurant, La Cuisine, blends the finest of contemporary French cuisine with the spirit of community with its long tables that face an open kitchen, while Il Carpaccio brings the sunshine and flavors of Sicily to well-appointed tables in a beautifully illuminated dining room. Both restaurants and Le Bar Long open out to Le Jardin, lushly landscaped and crowned with a giant wire and topiary teapot.

Hôtel Royal Monceau
37 Avenue Hoche (near the tony Rue Faubourg)
Tel: +33 1 42 99 88 00
Email: paris@raffles.com

Celebrating All Saints Day

The day after Halloween, La Toussaint (All Saints Day), is celebrated throughout France in honor of the Roman Catholic Saints. The following day, November 2, is Le Jour des Morts (Day of the Dead), a special time of remembrance of deceased loved ones. The traditions of these French holidays are joyous rather than somber, and include lighting candles in the cemeteries, decorating the graves with banners and chrysanthemums, and town- and citywide church bell ringing. Families and friends gather together for reminiscing, singing, and enjoying a special meal of pancakes, bacon, black grain and cider. For travelers lucky to be in Paris during this time, Père Lachaise, established by Napoleon in 1804 and one of the world’s most famous cemeteries, is worth a special visit to witness the traditions and colorful decorations on the graves.

Autumn Festival, Paris

Since 1972, a citywide celebration of the arts–Festival de l'automne–has blossomed in Paris, growing annually and showcasing an incredible variety of international dance, theater, music and film. For example, a four-part dance homage to the choreographer Merce Cunningham features music by Brian Eno and John Cage, and sets by Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns. In theater, highlights include Japanese and Argentinean stories, as well as a Russian avant-garde version of Hamlet. The numerous music offerings include a Romanian musical epic by the Cluj Philharmonic, a cappella choirs, pieces commissioned especially for the Festival, and a symphony of “landscapes” played both on instruments and by hands and mouth sounds.

Venues include the Centre Pompidou, the Paris Opera, The Bastille Theatre, Theatre de la Ville, and numerous other theaters and concert halls around the city.
For more information and tickets:
www.festival-automne.com

Hair At The Movies

With its collection of 40,000 films, and an incredible assemblage of film memorabilia and paraphernalia, Paris’ Cinémathèque française is one of the world’s largest film archives. Any cinephile will love the costumes and props on display, not to mention the incredible selection of films on offer daily.

Just opened is the new exhibition, Brunes/Blondes, which brings visitors into the intriguing world of hair and illustrates how film directors have featured—and exploited—it through the ages. Just think of Kim Novac’s tidy chignon in Hitchcock’s Vertigo or Brigitte Bardot’s teasing tousled tendrils. Through photos, paintings and clips from the earliest to recent films, the stars and their hair, both brunette and blonde, shine supreme.

DETAILS
When: Through January 16, 2011
Where: Cinémathèque française, 51 Rue de Bercy
Hours: Monday to Saturday 12pm - 7pm. Sunday 10am - 8pm (CLOSED TUESDAYS)
Admission: Exhibition: 8 € Museum: 5 €
Tickets may be purchased online at: www.cinematheque.fr/fr/infospratiques/billetterie-cinema/achat-en-ligne.html

Rubens & Poussin at the Jacquemart-André

The outstanding Jacquemart- André Museum, a 19th century classical mansion, is tucked away on the Boulevard Haussmann, one of Paris’ most celebrated shopping avenues. Showcasing the amazing collection of art and antiquities collected by Edouard André and his wife Nélie Jacquemart, this cultural gem is not to be missed. Da Vinci, Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Fragonard grace the walls while superb furnishings from all over the world create an elegant and gracious setting.

The superb exhibition, Rubens, Poussin and 17th Century Artists, now on view at the museum brings together two major artistic trends of the 17th century: Flemish Baroque and French Classical. More than 60 paintings from both major and private European collections shine a spotlight on the techniques of Rubens and Poussin and their profound influences on one another, and therefore on the whole of art history.

Details:
Exhibit runs through January 24, 2011
Jacquemart-André Musem
158 Boulevard Haussmann

Chocolatine Tip: Visitors can plan their museum visit to include afternoon tea and homemade pastries in the lovely, tapestry-adorned Jacquemart-André Café, daily from 3–4:30 p.m.

Murakami’s Fanciful Creations at Versailles

His work is charming, witty, colorful, mischievous, and delightful. Cute even. And ultimately complex. In 2008 Time Magazine hailed him as one of the 100 most influential artists of our time. Now Takashi Murakami’s sculptural creations grace the halls and galleries of the Palace of Versailles, greeting us as whimsical figures, fabulous forms, and fantastical flamboyance that might not be quite so out of place in a hall of mirrors and gold guilt-smothered ceilings that were once the wild imagination of a king. Many of Murakami’s pieces are exhibited for the first time; some of them took years to finish. For lovers of contemporary art at its most innovative – in a setting of utter splendor – this is an exhibition not to be missed!

Details
Versailles Palace
Through December 12, 2010
Hours: 9 a.m. – 6:30 (through October 31);
9 a.m. – 5:30 (November 1 – March 31)