After a nice french breakfast, we started out with a visit at ‘La Defence’. The business district of Paris, Dubai in Paris. Then we decided that we earned a little shopping. Even if lots of restaurants and stores are closed in August, there is always a way to shop in Paris. The Galleries Lafayette, Printemps, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermes were all open… Hello creditcard 🙂
The golden shopping triangle is located between three of Paris most famous locations: The Champs-Elysees, Ave Georges V and the Avenue Montaigne. This location is fashion heaven for me, a shopper’s paradise. High-end designer shops like Gucci, Chanel, Celine, Dolce&Gabbana, Prada, Lacroix, Dior and many others. Celebrities like Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, the Beckhams, Halle Berry and Madonna were often located at this location.
I must admit that I always feel a bit like I’m playing a part in the movie ‘Funny face’ with Audrey Hepburn. I always picture Audrey Hepburn in Paris, even though she never lived there. Or perhaps it is because of the 1954 movie ‘Sabrina’, in which Audrey represents the ultimate American dream: You go to Paris as a gawky teenager and return looking so unbelievable chic that your old friends no longer recognise you. Who hasn’t at some point secretly hoped that a visit to Paris would result in a similar transformation? Be honest now…At one point, Audrey tells Humphrey Bogart: “Paris isn’t for changing planes, it’s for changing your outlook! For throwing open the windows and letting in ….letting in la vie en rose”
In the afternoon, we visited the Sacre Coeur and the lively Place de Tertre with the endless cobblestones, the many painters, artists and restaurants, with it’s own vineyard and the feeling of a small French town. We stumbled upon ‘La Maison rose’ which is arguably the most instagrammed house in Paris. My thoughts when I walked passed it? First that it was adorable, and secondly that I knew there had to be a story behind it. So I did some digging. La Maison Rose has been open for well over one hundred years, but no one knows the exact date it was built. What is known, however, is that the café has been serving coffee since it’s beginnings, and was also once a boarding house where local writers could eat inexpensively. As you’ll see, La Maison Rose has always had a close relationship with the writers and artists of Montmartre.
When La Maison Rose was purchased in 1905 by Laure Germaine and husband Ramon Pichot Girones, the building was your average beige color. Germaine was always an artistic person, and was once Picasso’s muse and lover. As rumours have it she decided to paint the building pink after a trip to Barcelona where the colours inspired her. They added the words La Maison Rose déjeuners & diners (lunches and dinners) written in green, with shutters painted in the same shade to match. Once it was remodelled, the artsy establishment blended right into Montmartre, which was known as an artists haven in Paris throughout the 19th and 20th centuries! Drumroll please…finally, the story of Laure Germaine and Ramon Pichot! The couple is quite an interesting one, as Germaine was the former love interest of Picasso’s best friend, Carlos Casagemas. The pair met in Spain and soon became close friends who began to travel to Paris together. It was in Paris that Picasso and Casagemas met Germaine. Casagemas quickly falls in love with Germaine, but she is not interested in him as she is already married to Pichot. Casagemas becomes obsessive, and Germaine constantly had to fight off advances from him. On February 17, 1901, at the cafe L’Hippodrome, on boulevard de Clichy, Casagemas commits suicide in front of the guests (including Germaine) he invited. This tragic event inspired Pablo Picasso and his painting “The Death of Casagemas” (1901) meant to celebrate his friend’s life. Picasso was not there at the time, and he felt so guilty that he was not there to stop his friend, that he becomes severely depressed. Picasso fans will recognize this phase in his life as “The Blue Period.” After Casagemas’ death, visiting Germaine is like a comfort to Picasso. Eventually, Germaine becomes a muse for Picasso. Even in their old age, the two remain close friends, and Picasso was often found at La Maison Rose!
Today, Montmartre is more of a tourist destination than an artists haven, but there are still plenty of places worth checking out if art is your thing. There are quite a few museums, and one can’t forget the Place du Tertre located just next to the Sacre Coeur cathedral, where you’ll find dozens of artists selling their goods in the square. Place du Tertre is a small plaza in the middle of the Montmartre neighborhood where 140 spaces are offered up to artists willing to spend the day creating works right there on the street. Many of these artists have ready made works up for sale that you can browse through. Others will create while you wait. Here you’ll find many tourists eagerly waiting to have their portraits painted, a truly unique souvenir to take home from a trip to the city of lights.
I’m sad to leave Paris, but it was again a wonderful weekend and if all else fails”we’ll always have Paris’…
Isabelle's travel stories 