View from the Back
Ramblings of a retiree in France
Tag: Patrimoine
French Fancies: Airelles Collection
The story of the Airelles brand began in 1988, in the heart of the French Alps, with the Les Airelles Palace in Courchevel. In 2007, Stéphane Courbit breathed new life into this and decided to take the innovative Airelles experience and vision to new destinations.… Continue Reading “French Fancies: Airelles Collection”
Trip to Le Bristol
My love of “posh” hotels can be blamed on my parents. As a child I ate out a lot and in those days most restaurants were in hotels, at least in the UK. And, I loved, loved going out to eat – who doesn’t!… Continue Reading “Trip to Le Bristol”
Trip to Musée Jacquemart-André
I love museums that display a lifetime’s worth of private collecting. The Musée Jacquemart-André is a private museum located on Boulevard Haussmann in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The museum was created from the private home of Édouard André (1833–1894) and Nélie Jacquemart (1841–1912) to… Continue Reading “Trip to Musée Jacquemart-André”
Trip to l’Hôtel de la Marine: Part II
Yesterday’s post explains the building’s history and today’s the big reveal of the full restoration in all its glory. The tour of the building is interactive, with room-connected headsets, we enjoyed an immersive visit that plunged us into 250 years of the monument’s history.… Continue Reading “Trip to l’Hôtel de la Marine: Part II”
Trip to l’Hôtel de la Marine: Part I
I’ve already written about our visit to one of the two matching properties on Place de la Concorde, the Hôtel de Crillon, now I’m going to tell you about our visit to the other. How it all began Once the plans had been drawn… Continue Reading “Trip to l’Hôtel de la Marine: Part I”
Notre Dame Update
On the evening 15 April 2019, France and the world watched transfixed in horror as flames ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, fearful that the heritage landmark could be lost forever. Nearly two years on, what’s happening? While the spire collapsed and much… Continue Reading “Notre Dame Update”
Trip to Fréjus: Part III
This is the third and last part of our recent trip to Fréjus where we wandered around its lovely Medieval Old Town. I’ve already covered its Roman heritage in Part I, so what happened to it after the fall of the Roman empire? Its… Continue Reading “Trip to Fréjus: Part III”
Postcard from Paris: Part I
My beloved and I decided to celebrate 40 years’ of married bliss with a long week-end in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. While I’ve been fortunate to traverse much of the city on foot and visit all its major monuments and… Continue Reading “Postcard from Paris: Part I”
View from the Back 