Canal cruising in Paris

It was definitely not as interesting as the Seine cruises are, but it was good to learn about the Paris canals. We boarded the boat at Parc de la Villette - mistakenly thinking the boat would return there after the cruise. Note: It is a one-way trip between Parc de la Villette and  Musee d'Orsay. It ended up being a long day after that because we'd left the car at Parc de la Villette.
There were parts of the cruise that were interesting along Canal St. Martin, like seeing the urban regeneration happening along the canal in the 19th arrondissement.

Meanders in Fontainebleau

Yesterday was le 15 août - Assumption Day, and my family's one year, two day anniversary in France. I cannot believe that it has been a year already. Last year I was told, tongue-in-cheek that the day was meant as a rest day, to prepare people for the rentrée after the summer vacances. No, it's a religious holiday.  We decided to honour our anniversary with a trip to Fontainebleau. We had lunch then went to see the legendary château de Fontainebleau. I could not entice my kids to go for a tour of the castle.

The dotty collaboration of Yayoi Kusama and LV

"The much-anticipated collaboration between Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Marc Jacobs by Louis Vuitton..." reads the Wall Street Journal article on what's trending between art and design. Dotty? Absolutely.
I saw the window display last night, and Kusama's polka dots have taken over the windows of LV's flagship store. I enjoyed her  exhibition at the Pompidou a while back - I hadn't realised I'd be treated to a freebie so soon. Even last night, without the winding queues that are synonymous with LV, the display still drew quite the crowd. There were murmurings of "crazy", "interesting", "weird", "bizarre", "wonderful" abound as I made my way around the crowds to snap a few shots with my iPhone . If anything, the display is eliciting reactions - is that not what art is meant to do after all? Brand watching has just become more interesting.

Books: THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls

Title: The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Published: 2005
Genre: Memoir

I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out of the window and saw Mom rooting through the Dumspter. It was just after dark. A blustery March wind whipped the steam coming out of the manholes, and people hurried along the sidewalks with their collars turned up. I was stuck in traffic two blocks away from the party where I was heading.
Mom stood fifteen feet away. She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash while her dog, a black-and-white terrier mix, played at her feet.

This is the opening paragraph of Jeannette Walls's book. I read the book a couple of years back  as a book club read, but decided to read it again last week. Let's be honest, some of those book club reads can be very rushed - especially when you realise that 'Oh, oh! Book Club next week and I haven't finished the book.' I felt that a repeat read was needed, and this time at my own pace.

A spot of tea at Mariage Frères

That time of the year again - bidding farewell to friends who are moving on. I had a farewell brunch with a friend at Mariage Frères yesterday. Mariage Frères is a tea house, purveyors of international teas, and a restaurant that serves delectable salads and fish dishes with flavours enhanced with their teas. The last time I was there I had a cabillaud in a beet and jasmine tea soup, delightful desserts, and as I discovered yesterday, they do a simple but perfect brunch.
There was iced tea; fresh juice; toasted brioche with a selection of tea-infused jams; and a savoury plate of scrambled eggs, salmon and prawns.