Paris in Spring

OK, I'm pretty lucky because I'm here in Paris. It's my mother-in-law's 70th Birthday and today we celebrated with many bottles of champagne and cassis. But I'm working too! And I'll blog to prove it. (By the way I haven't turned off my phone-I swear! But it's mysteriously not working....)

So a couple of places that are real favorites of mine are the Musee du quai Branly, which is a museum that I've actually never gone into but have always enjoyed it's gardens and it's famous green wall by the artist and horticulturist Patric Blanc. And the second place is the Rodin Museum that has a lovely garden full of his sculptures. Both these gardens are beautiful but they're very different. The gardens of Branly are quite modern, informal, and naturalistic, sort of like the Highline (by the way the first Highline was made in Paris, and I've yet to see it but it's on my to-do list). The Branly gardens are filled with tall grasses, an interpretive wetland, reclaimed metal gates and arbors, and beautiful magnolia trees.

The green wall which covers the one side of the building is now a few years old and I think it looks pretty good. But nonetheless there are some noticeable bare spots where you can see the fabric and pockets used for the installation.

And the gardens at Rodin are classic formal garden estates, with a highly manicured lawn and border gardens with yews that are meticulously controlled to be perfect spheres. Check them out:

Even though the garden is rigid in it's format, it's serene and a wonderful way to escape the city's mass of tourists, cars, and Parisians rushing about and appreciate art.

So that's my Paris Review. Hope it hasn't made any one too jealous, besides it's raining here!

I'll be back in NYC on the 29th, but until then please call the office :) Cheers