The Clicquot Champagne Empire in France – Le vin, c’est moi ! The French champagne empire developed in times of war, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the French Revolution. The Champagne Region of France was (and still is) limited to 323 villages with a close-knit but competitive community. But how did it all begin? Author and historian Tilar J.Continue reading “The Clicquot Champagne Empire in France – Le vin, c’est moi !”
Category Archives: Opal Hush
Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. In the Victor Hugo museum is an exhibition, from 10 June to 21 November 2021, called Dans L’Intimité du Genie – In the Intimacy of Genius – with Hugo’s paintings, drawings, engravings, and artwork. Hence, it’s time to re-read Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) is set inContinue reading “Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”
Victor Hugo: House, Museum, and Art Exhibition
Victor Hugo: House, Museum, and Art Exhibition. French author Victor Hugo, noted for his novels The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Miserables (1862), lived in Paris from 1832-1851, before his exile to Guernsey. His home is now a museum. The living quarters are on the second floor and the museum of his paintings and worksContinue reading “Victor Hugo: House, Museum, and Art Exhibition”
What is an Éclair?
What is an Éclair? Enter any patisserie or boulangerie in Paris, and you will find éclairs. An éclair is a sweet French pastry – an elongated choux (puff) pastry topped with glacé icing, such as chocolate, coffee, or caramel, sliced in the middle and filled with whipped vanilla cream. Before 1850, the éclair used to be called pain à laContinue reading “What is an Éclair?”
Napoléon Bonaparte’s love story
Napoléon Bonaparte’s love story. To commemorate 200 years since the death of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor Napoléon I of France, this year, I read his love story again. In 1795, at 26 years of age, before he become Emperor, Napoléon Bonaparte wrote a short story, a novella, called Clisson and Eugenie: A Love Story. The 2007 edition includes anContinue reading “Napoléon Bonaparte’s love story”
2021 Napoléon Season: bicentenary of his death
2021 Napoléon Season: bicentenary of his death. To commemorate the bicentenary–200 years–since the death of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor Napoléon I of France, there are a number of exhibitions and events under the banner of the “2021 Napoléon Season.” These include a large exhibition at La Villette in Paris on Napoleon from 14 April to 19 SeptemberContinue reading “2021 Napoléon Season: bicentenary of his death”
France’s Covid-19 ‘health pass’ mandatory on 9 August 2021
France’s Covid-19 ‘health pass’ mandatory on 9 August 2021. France has made it obligatory to show a “passe sanitaire” (health pass) – proving that you are vaccinated or have tested negative for Covid-19 – for access to public venues for more than 50 people since 21 July 2021. On 9 August, the health pass requirementContinue reading “France’s Covid-19 ‘health pass’ mandatory on 9 August 2021”
Cherry Blossoms – First-ever Damien Hirst Exhibition in France
Cherry Blossoms – First-ever Damien Hirst Exhibition in France. The Cartier Foundation in Paris has opened the first-ever exhibition in France of British artist Damien Hirst’s artworks. From 6 July 2021 to 2 January 2022, his Cherry Blossoms series will be a display – and described as ‘a celebration of colour within chaos.’ The exhibitionContinue reading “Cherry Blossoms – First-ever Damien Hirst Exhibition in France”
Animal art installations in the Luxembourg Garden, Paris
Animal art installations in the Luxembourg Garden, Paris. On 11 April 2021, the Luxembourg Garden in Paris added a new feature in its large grounds – three wooden deer statues. A week later, another art installation appeared – a group of foxes and rabbits. A few days later, yet another one appeared – wild boar.Continue reading “Animal art installations in the Luxembourg Garden, Paris”
French Women Painters 1780-1830: The Birth of a Battle
French Women Painters 1780-1830: The Birth of a Battle. The Luxembourg Museum in Paris, France, is holding an exhibition called “Women Painters 1780-1830: The Birth of a Battle” until 4 July 2021. The women are all French painters. The exhibition covers half a century, from the pre-Revolutionary years to the Restoration, and features about 70Continue reading “French Women Painters 1780-1830: The Birth of a Battle”