I only recently learned to ski and confess that, in comparison to sporting a beach towel and sunglasses, the prospect of lugging heavy skis, boots, jackets, and bags of other equipment up a mountain in freezing temperatures never really appealed to me. Nevertheless, when living in Switzerland surrounded by world class ski resorts and luxury accommodations, hitting the slopes is what one does in order to maintain any semblance of a social life between January and April.

Since early December the snow has been falling hard and fast in the Alps and cold temperatures above 3600 feet have kept it light and airy – just what true ski connoisseurs seek, or so I am told. So, as ski season reaches its apex and an assortment of new luxury properties open their doors, there has never been a better time for powder-junkies to consider a visit to the region.

On a recent weekend, I experienced the season’s picture-perfect conditions first hand. Along with friends, I was staying in the Portes du Soleil, a wide reserve of 12 ski resorts spanning two countries between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc and, immediately, I was impressed by both the quality and quantity of snow as I hit the slopes with relish.

En route to the first run of the day, my fingers tingled from the cold as I sat in contemplative silence on the lift worrying if I my choice of layers would prove sufficient. “Should have worn thicker gloves,” I anxiously whispered under my breadth. My attire anxiety was, however, quelled by listening to the sounds around me: the tension in the thick cable squeaking above my head, the contrail of ice crystals as metal skis cut into frozen snow below. Then, as I gained altitude, the mountains opened around me – white peaks, evergreen trees and granite colored rock appeared. Finally pushing off my lift chair and letting gravity take control, I snapped out of my torpor. I became oblivious to anyone around me, completely intoxicated by the freshness of the snow, the crisp air rushing through my nose and the feeling of total freedom at a brisk 25 miles per hour.

For your own ski season getaway this season, Geneva is a perfect gateway to both the Swiss and French sides of the Alps. With direct flights from Newark Liberty and Washington Dulles on United and from JFK on Swiss, it is also surprisingly easy to reach. While those mountain-bound can reserve shuttle transfers direct from the airport to a variety of ski stations, savvy travelers take a moment to catch their breath and enjoy this often underrated city.

The newly opened Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix is an ideal spot for international travelers to recover from jet lag before hitting the slopes. After a multi-million-dollar renovation and the addition of some signature Ritz-Carlton touches, the 152-year old property has quickly asserted itself as one of the hottest additions to the lakefront hotel scene. It’s also within easy walking distance of premier shopping along the Rue du Marché and smart cafés in the medieval Old Town.

From Geneva, stylish skiers can opt for a short 2-hour train ride to the glamourous ski retreat of Gstaad. Relive the glory days of Swiss luxury rail travel along the way by picking up the GoldenPass train in Montreux and ride in a fully recreated classic car from the Belle Époque to the brand new, 5-star Huus Hotel. Putting a modern touch on classically alpine interiors, the hotel reinvents chalet-style decor. And with nearly 22,000 square feet of spa, indoor pool and fitness facilities, is there any better way to recover from a long day on the pistes?

Though not accessible by train, a short drive of just over an hour from Geneva opens a wonder of other skiing possibilities on the French side of the Alps. One of the most widely anticipated new properties in this region is the 55-room (including 14 sumptuous suites) Four Seasons Megève. As the only hotel located directly on the slopes of Mont d’Arbois the Four Seasons particularly spoils jetset skiers and snowboarders by offering ski-in, ski-out opportunities.

And for those who may be more into the après-ski than the ski itself, the Four Seasons is also the new home of one of the finest 2-star Michelin restaurants in the region, Le 1920. On my most recent visit to the restaurant, succulent Brittany lobster cooked in lightly salted butter and slow-cooked pork with black truffle were some of the standout dishes that would send me down a double-black diamond in a heartbeat.

For those looking for some heart-thumbing club beats and choreographed dance routines, the epic après-ski parties of La Folie Douce on the top of Mont Joux in Megève will make you lightheaded in the thin mountain air. Just don’t forget after your fourth or fifth cognac-spiked apple cider that you still have to actually descend the mountain.

Back in the Portes du Soleil, as the last rays of February sun pierced through the chilly sky at the end of a successful ski weekend (any weekend with no broken limbs is a successful weekend on the slopes in my book), I no longer felt neither a chill in my body nor trepidation in my mind. To my surprise, I was actually keen for more. “Where to next weekend?” I asked my travel companions. Gstaad? Megève? Verbier? Zermatt? The Alps are calling and we are all spoiled for choice this season.

The post Ski Season 2018: New Luxury Properties and Picture-Perfect Conditions in the Alps appeared first on .

Like so many of my fellow road warriors, I must admit to having something of a soft spot for France if only because my heart always seems to beat differently the moment I touch down at Charles De Gaulle airport in Roissy-en-France. Perhaps the feeling can be attributed to my recollection of the grand romances that have awaited me in the City of Lights; memorable tours of the Loire Valley, Champagne and the villages of Provence that have unfailingly left me in awe; the parties in St. Tropez at which I have twirled away the night; or those quiet sunny afternoons spent simply walking among the vines in picturesque spots like Reims during harvest.

Whatever the reason, ever since I first arrived in Nice by train as an unsophisticated, wide-eyed 18-year-old college student with outsized delusions of grandeur that were not at all belied by the massive backpack that hovered high above my head, I have felt an enduring connection to France that has been defined by culture, new adventures and monumental good times. Needless to say, when I arrived in Paris to begin my latest escapade – a seven-day road trip that would take me to Provence and Cannes and back – that gloriously familiar feeling of anticipation was immediately renewed.

Joining me on this trip was my friend and partner in crime, YouTuber Davey Wavey, who was, at least in part, the inspiration for this particular trip. Those who have followed our other excursions around Spain, across Texas and throughout the great American Southwest, will already know that Davey is the yen to my yang. If he’s Sunday morning, I’m Saturday night.

That said, we both take great joy in gently torturing each other on these outings and this time it was my turn to have a go at Davey (inasmuch as anyone could call a splashy weeklong visit to some of the most beloved destinations in France ‘having a go’). My goal for this adventure was simple and sweet – to show Davey the good life and how it could provide the perfect backdrop to romance.

Arriving in Paris on a Sunday morning, we picked up our rental car and began an 8-hour trek to Eygalières in Provence that would give new meaning to the notion of a Sunday afternoon drive. Though it was a somewhat grueling way to spend our first 8 hours in France, it was also a wonderful opportunity to ground the journey ahead. After all, in my experience, nothing forces local life into clearer focus than a road trip.

Late on that first evening, road weary and a bit bleary-eyed we arrived at the rustic farmhouse where we would spend the next couple of nights. Whenever I’m in Provence, I always find renting a villa or farmhouse preferable to staying at a hotel because I want everything around me to be as French as possible and this farmhouse abutted by an organic farm near Saint-Remy was exactly that – perhaps too much so. But when in France…

As far as the itinerary for our stay in Provence, we kept it light and flexible. However, I would be remiss were I not to acknowledge that part of the magic of Provence is the sheer exploration of the region and the little hidden treasures that you uncover along the way. In our case that meant stopping by a goat farm, milking a few goats and sampling a variety of the farm’s cheeses; meandering through the streets of Saint-Remy – popping into local shops sampling everything from olive oil to meringues and buying everything from perfume to swimwear; and settling down to meals on the outdoor patios of charming local boites likes Chez Fanny where the always reliable Steak-Frites was the star.

Bidding adieu to pastural charms of Provence, we continued on to the livelier Cannes where we checked into Le Grand Hotel Cannes, a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Collection (SLH). Set apart from La Croisette, the main drag in Cannes, by a striking garden and terrace, Le Grand Hotel is a titan of luxe even among the giants that border it.

With retro-glamour to spare, the Prestige rooms we checked into boasted stunning sea views, sweeping terraces and elegant touches including fresh orchids from the hotel’s very own greenhouse. It was 5-star luxury in the most boutique of settings and without a doubt the sweet spot of our trip, from my point of view. It was also the elegant home base from which we would dive into the glitz and glamour of one of France’s most notoriously enchanting destinations.

So, what does one do in Cannes when it’s not festival season? Why what one would do in any luxurious seaside locale of course. One dines, drinks, shops, hits the beach, explores and generally laps up the oodles of luxury that await at every turn. One might even do a bit of a gambling, if one is the betting sort. With no time to waste, we ticked off every box during our short stay with the exception of the gambling bit because, if there is one thing that I know to be true, it is that it is next to impossible to get Davey to go out after 11 PM for either love or money. What can I say? One has to pick and choose one’s battles n’est ce pas?

After an early solo breakfast at the Armani /Caffè on La Croisette, it was off to lunch at the clubby BFire on the private beach of Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes. Private beaches are de rigueur amenities for all the fashionable hotels in Cannes so it will come as no surprise that the one belonging to Le Majestic is among the most stunning (and most exclusive) in town. Over a lunch of fresh fish, steak tartare and salads, enjoyed a la plage on a perfectly sun-dappled and temperate fall afternoon, we relaxed into the laidback sway of life in Cannes surrounded by well-heeled families and patrons dining, frolicking on the beach and basically doing much the same as us.

From there it was off Le Vieux Port de Cannes, the marina that most notably plays hosts to the world’s super yachts and their billionaire owners during the glittering annual Cannes Film Festival. Surrounded by rare sports cars on the shore and a parade of resident yachts in the marina, we boarded a tender for an intimate private boat tour that would take us to Esterel and the Île Sainte-Marguerite.

For a brilliant few hours we sped out to sea, weaving our way around the aforementioned mega yachts, winding along the coast where some of France’s wealthiest and noteworthy citizens including the La Coste family and Pierre Cardin have built magnificent homes (homes that would in fact be impossible to see from any other vantage point), and discovering the many craggy, coves that are a hallmark of the region. It was an up close and personal view of a side of the Cote d’Azur that I had not hitherto experienced in addition to being a fabulous way to while away an afternoon on the French Riviera for those of us mere mortals not fortunate enough to own seagoing vessels of our own.

Following an afternoon stroll, we wound down the evening quietly with an elegant meal at the Michelin-starred Le Park 45 at Le Grand Hotel. Amid the splendor of the restaurant’s intimate and refined dining room, with the hum of La Croisette and sea as a backdrop, Chef Sebastian Broda’s kitchen plied us with a parade of the culinary wonders that have earned the restaurant high marks with foodies and critics alike. Never able to quite get enough of the town, after dinner I took another long turn along La Croisette, looking at store windows, peeking into casinos and generally inhaling the intoxicating life of the Cote d’Azur and its denizens. Before leaving the next morning, I would do more of the same because…um…why not?

For the final leg of our trip, having had our fill of the proverbial romance of the road trip, we ditched the rental car and took the TGV from Cannes to Paris. At this point, feeling that I had doled out lessons sufficient enough for my travel companion to take matters into his own hands, we took off in different directions upon checking into our rented apartment in the City of Lights. My first stop was Neuilly-sur-Seine, the posh Paris suburb about which I had recently read much and was curious to explore, if only because I never had. Actually, much closer to the many of Paris’ notable monuments than I had previously thought, the shops and sights of Neuilly-sur-Seine provided an amusing distraction on my first afternoon in Paris. But then again, we are talking about Paris, which for me is, in and of itself and as a whole, the most amusing of distractions.

Confirming my long-held fondness for mixing high and low, later that evening I decided to check out the American southern comfort food rage currently sweeping across Paris. I, like so many other people associate France with outstanding cuisine, but as a natural born Southerner, I wondered how authentic these new Parisien hotspots touting fried chicken and waffles and Texas-style barbecue would be.

Though I had heard great things about the fried chicken at Ellsworth in the 2^nd Arrondissement, my decision to chart the comfort food course was a bit last minute and I couldn’t get a reservation. So, as I was staying in the 11^th Arrondissement, I opted instead to try the chicken and waffles at Gumbo Yaya, a well-regarded ‘soul kitchen’ not far from the Place de la République.

Packed into a tiny space, with a line out the door, I immediately came to the conclusion that Gumbo Yaya was indeed as popular as had been reported. Once I was finally squeezed into a corner near the kitchen, I ordered a bit of everything – fried chicken, greens, cornbread, mac n’ cheese and, of course, a waffle. My conclusion?  Not bad.  I don’t think my favorite comfort food restaurants across the South have anything to worry about in terms of competition or being outdone by the French, but if you happen to be in Paris and also happen to be in need of a comfort food fix, Gumbo Yaya will more than adequately meet the challenge.

My final day in Paris was one of those dreamily ideal, gray rainy days that demand to be explored rather than avoided. I walked from the Place de la République to the Louvre, turning off into various shopping arcades, before stopping for a hearty, soul-warming lunch of poulet and potatoes at a café. Later that evening, I met up with a friend from Switzerland who happened to be visiting Paris. After dinner, finally aligned with something more of a night owl as a side kick, it was off to mini-bar crawl around Le Marais during which we stumbled upon a new favorite cocktail and whiskey bar.

The whimsically named Sherry Butt turned out to be a laidback, off the beaten path gem, with a menu of handcrafted cocktails that have already earned it a place in the annals of the “World’s Best Bars”.  Hip, mixology-forward, yet unpretentious, Sherry Butt served up a mean Old Fashioned that would rival the best I have ever enjoyed, delivering in the process a flawless nightcap for a flawless evening.

The final morning of my Paris itinerary was reserved for a visit to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs which is currently hosting the epic Christian Dior, Couturier du Rêve exhibition through January, 2018. An extraordinarily comprehensive retrospective of the House of Dior, it’s legendary founder and the illustrious couturiers who succeeded him: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and, most recently, Maria Grazia Chiuri, the exhibition is as much a celebration of France and what makes it so singular as much as it is a look back at the dazzling creations the haute couture giant has produced over the last seven decades. It’s also a great reason to check out the Musée des Arts Décoratifs if you’ve never done so before.

I could have spent the entire day at the exhibition, but alas there was a reservation and a flight waiting at Charles de Gaulle to wing me back home. As my Uber approached the airport and I began to mentally prepare for my flight, my formerly giddy heartbeat began to slow back to its natural rhythm. The bad news, as per the usual, is that I would once again leave a piece of my heart in Paris. The good news however is that I also knew full well that it would be waiting for me upon my return.

The LivingWells List

Provence

Chez Fanny

Place Mireille Moatti
Saint-Rémy
13210 Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur
France
+33 4 90 92 90 89

Cannes

Armani /Caffè
42/43 Boulevard de la Croisette
06400 Cannes
France
+33 4 93 99 44 05

BFire
La Plage Barrière Le Majestic Cannes
06400 Cannes
France
+33 4 92 98 77 32

Black Tenders
Port Du Beal
110 Boulevard du midi louise Moreau
06150 Cannes la Bocca
France
+33 6 30 83 88 72

Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes
10, La Croisette
06407 Cannes
France
+33 4 92 98 77 00

Le Grand Hotel Cannes
45 Boulevard de la Croisette
06400 Cannes
France
+33 4 93 38 15 45

Le Park 45
Le Grand Hotel Cannes
45 Boulevard de la Croisette
06400 Cannes
France
+33 4 93 38 15 45

Paris

Ellsworth
34 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris
France
+33 1 42 60 59 66

Gumbo Yaya Chicken and Waffles
3 rue Charles Robin
75010 Paris
France
+33 9 84 15 40 88

Musée des Arts décoratifs
107, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
France
+33 1 44 55 57 50

Sherry Butt
20 Rue Beautreillis
75004 Paris
France
+33 9 83 38 47 80

Watch Davey’s take on our adventure below:

To read this article along with more of my posts at the Huffington Post, click here.

The post France: Je t’aime | Road Tripping from Paris to Cannes appeared first on .

I’ve spent more nights than I can count (and certainly more than I can remember) dancing the night away in any number of those dim, uniquely Parisian bars that are short on light and long on the kind of fun that goes on past dawn. And more often than not, the rhythmic hooks of Bob Sinclar have, at least in part, provided the soundtrack on the more memorable of those evenings.

Years ago I unknowingly sat next to Bob Sinclar [real name: Christoph Le Friant] at a small gathering of music journalists in a cramped conference room at Warner Bros Music in Burbank, California. The occasion for the meeting was a very private listening session heralding the arrival of a new Madonna release. I recall thinking that ‘Chris’, as he was introduced to me at the time, was another music journalist. He was quiet and seemingly listening far more intently than I (which made me feel slightly inadequate) but he was not so intense that I didn’t have time to formulate the impression that he seemed a very good soul. In fact, I actually remember thinking, “What a nice guy,” as we all walked out of the building and shared a few words.

It was only later that I would discover that ‘Chris’ was in fact, Bob Sinclar, the legendary DJ and music producer behind massive global hits like “World Hold On”, “Love Generation” and so many of the other indelibly magical house-flavored tracks that I had come to associate with wondrous nights in Paris. Suddenly the realization that the unassuming Chris was also the groovalicious pied piper of Paris, made me love the music all the more and I’ve been an even more unabashed fan of his work ever since.

With that bit of historical trivia in mind, imagine my joy upon the arrival of Paris by Night (A Parisian Musical Experience), Sinclar’s 2013 release which, just as the title suggests, celebrates the sounds and rhythms that are so unique to the City of Lights. In this one collection, Sinclar captures the singular spirit of Paris nightlife with instant classic tracks like “C’est La Vie” that immediately transport me back to my favorite memories of sexy Paris nights. And though I have not had the pleasure as of yet, I am almost certain that this collection is only the briefest introduction to Monsieur Sinclar’s much buzzed about “Paris by Night” sets that have developed a cult like following from Miami Beach to Mykonos.

So when my thoughts turn wistfully to Paris and I’m here in LA (or anywhere else in the world but), I turn down the lights, pull the shades and crank up  Paris by Night (A Parisian Musical Experience) and I highly recommend the same to anyone feeling a similar pang of desire. No it’s not the same as being there, but if you close your eyes and let the music wash over you, it is almost, at least for few seconds, as if you are.

Catch Bob Sinclar on tour in 2014 all over the globe and stay on top of the latest from his world at www.bobsinclar.com.

Listen to a sneak peak of Paris by Night (A Parisian Musical Experience) below:

The post Bob Sinclar: The Pied Piper of Paris Nightlife appeared first on .

For years I honestly didn’t understand the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. The fact that the former honors the brave men and women who have died during military service, while the latter recognizes all veterans of the armed forces, living or dead, was a distinction that had always been quite lost on me, even though my own mother had served in the army.

Being old enough to remember crying like a babe in arms during “Saving Private Ryan” but too young to recall any family member who had actually fought in the last World War, the full gravity of the pivotal conflict had never really occurred to me beyond what had been conveyed by textbooks and films. Of course I understood the import of what had occurred during World War II but I hadn’t actually connected to it. That is, until I stood on the shores of Normandy at Caen and looked out over the beaches where Allied troops clashed with German military forces nearly 70 years ago in what would be the decisive battle of the war.

When I arrived in Normandy after an hour long train ride from Paris, visits to the D-Day beaches and war memorials had been on my list of “to dos” but, if I’m honest, they weren’t at the top of that list or even close to it. I first wanted to visit the horse track and shop the chic boutiques in Deauville, to explore Étretat and the cliffs that had so inspired Monet and to experience the enduring majesty of Mont St. Michel.

I wanted to drift around the scenic port of Honfleur, sample Calvados in Breuil-en-Auge, stroll Claude Monet’s mythical gardens in Giverny and dine at France’s oldest inn, La Couronne (which is perhaps most famous to us Americans nowadays as the place where the late Julia Child enjoyed her first meal in France). Thankfully I got to do all of those things, but none of them left as lasting or arresting an impression as my visit to the Caen War Memorial and the sight of Utah Beach, Omaha Beach and the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer.

A moving film about the D-Day landings, made up of archives and extracts from fictional films, served as my introduction to the Caen Memorial Museum and set the tone for my visit. By the end of the film I was already teary-eyed, because the film and the exhibits made the war so real. This version of events was not a sanitized, testosterone driven account of a historic battle. This was instead real life human drama played out with news reels from wartime, the voices of the actual players and the faces of men who left their families and gave their lives in service to their country because they believed it was the right thing to do.

I abhor war, but as my eyes swelled with tears outside that poignant memorial, my heart also swelled with pride. While I cried at the sight of the 9,387 perfectly aligned tombstones spread out over 173 acres of the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, I also felt a deep sense of gratitude for the sacrifice these soldiers made in a way that I had never felt it before. I finally connected.

I would dare anyone to stand on the cliffs above Omaha Beach and not appreciate the courage it took for the soldiers who landed in Normandy on that fateful day back in 1944 to leave their battleships, knowing that for many of them doing so would mean certain, if not immediate, death. Their ghosts haunt these cliffs as does the scourge of war. That such a naturally beautiful and peaceful place should also be associated with such tragedy and inhumanity is almost incongruous. And yet the connection between the two seems anything but tenuous.

I left that memorial and those beaches with an odd combination of melancholy and hope in my heart. I was sad because of the knowledge that following a horrendous war that had been sparked by a dictator and filled with unspeakably horrible atrocities and loss of life, we are still, 70 year later, at war with dictators who inflict unspeakably horrible atrocities on innocent people.

I was also sad at my questioning of whether the aim of our current conflicts is as heroic, pure or even as clear cut, as was the goal of liberating Europe in World War II. I wondered if we are as brave a nation as we once were? Are we as selfless in this era of utter self-involvement? The obvious answer is probably yes and no, particularly when one weights the fact that my notions of last World War still bear the benefit of the romanticized re-tellings that I have absorbed with interest over the years.

However, despite my sadness I was also happy. Happy that the stain of war spawned a peace that has for the most part endured, but even happier that there is a Normandy and a heartwrenching memorial to remind us that war is an ugly, painful business that should always be the course of last resort rather than the first. Let us always remember, so that we can strive to do better. Let us never forget, lest we repeat.

Find out more about the Caen Memorial at www.memorial-caen.fr. Find out more about Normandy at www.normandie-tourisme.fr.

The post Remembering Normandy: Let Us Never Forget appeared first on .

For some reason, I’ve been waxing nostalgic about Paris this week. Perhaps it’s because Fashion Week and all of the spectacle of the 2013 collections will soon take over the City of Lights in a way few events can. Or perhaps it’s because January tends to be a reflective month that has as its companion this spiritual vessel into which we pour our hopes, dreams and plans for each new year (which in my case always includes a visit to Paris). Or maybe it’s simply because I miss Paris.Whatever the reason, I’ve got a case of Paris on the brain, and I’ve got it bad. So of course, this week, I’m revisiting the City of Lights with an eye toward two options for accommodations that are quite, quite 

Case in point—on my first visit to Paris as a teen, I stayed in a charming hotel right off the Champs-Elysées and had a wide-eyed and wonderful introduction to the city. But since that initial visit I have often rented an apartment, because, to be completely cliché, I am enthralled by the lives of Parisians and as such get swept up in the feeling of living like them. There is no better way to do that than to live in the heart of Paris life. Living in an apartment allows you to really slink into the rhythm of the city, get to know a neighborhood, meet people, find out-of-the-way places—and these are the experiences that make Paris such a remarkable city to visit.

With that in mind, there are two apartment rental resources in Paris that stand head and shoulders above the rest—Haven in Paris and Absolu Living Paris.

Absolu Living Paris is a straight-friendly resource primarily dedicated to serving gay and lesbian patrons (though they welcome all clients). In Paris, many of their apartments are located in Le Marais, which is not only one of the most stylish neighborhoods in town but also the heartbeat of gay life in the city. That means that when you stay at one of these apartments you’re in walking distance of fastastic shopping, the Metro, celebrated restaurants and, of course, Le Marais’s notable nightlife scene.

On my first visit with Absolu Living, I was pleasantly surprised by all the services they offer. They can pick you up from the airport, help you get into your rental, give you an introduction to the appliances (which can have a few quirks) and even offer a walking tour of the neighborhood so you can familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. Not only that, they remain available to you 24 hours a day should you have any emergency needs arise. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that my rental was stocked with guides to Paris, a selection of DVDs and a library of great books celebrating the best of both Paris and France. Trust me, few hotels have ever made me feel so at home.

Haven in Paris offers all of the same amenities as Absolu Living and much more on a more luxurious scale. Visiting one of the Haven in Paris apartments is like stepping into a dream. Each apartment is carefully selected, beautifully appointed and located at one of the best addresses in Paris. Think a two-bedroom penthouse in St. Germain with a panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, a picture perfect one-bedroom flat just around the corner from Notre Dame or a breathtaking three-bedroom designer loft in Montogueil and you’ll get the idea of what Haven in Paris is all about.

Add to all of that the fact that Haven in Paris clients have access to a chauffeur and concierge service as well as tours and classes for everything from language to cooking, and you have the makings of an anything-but-run-of-the-mill visit to the City of Lights. I have had conversations with the owner of Haven in Paris, and she goes out of her way with the help of her many connections to make your Parisian fantasies come true.

Are you having champagne dreams and Eiffel Tower wishes yet? Well, If you’re not, I’m sure to be having enough for the both of us (and you’re crazy).

Until next time…be well…live Wells!

Find out more about Haven in Paris at haveninparis.com.

Find out more about Absolu Living at absoluliving.com.

The post In Paris: A Room with a View appeared first on .

In Paris, I set up home base at the sleek, new Mama Shelter Hotel (109 rue de Bagnolet. Tel: +33-143-484848. www.mama­­shelter.com) and proceeded to spend the first half of my weekend merrily ambling around gay Paree, frequenting cafés, noshing on Croque Mesdames, and making the usual stops in and around Le Marais, the Trocadero, Montmartre, and, of course, the Champs-Élysées.

Then, on Sunday morning, I hopped on a TGV train to the Pays de la Loire. Ninety minutes later, I disembarked in Angers, the heart of the Loire Valley, just about 200 miles southwest of Paris.

It didn’t take long for me to figure out that Sundays are pretty quiet in Angers. This is particularly so in the city center where I checked into the Hotel D’Anjou (1 bd Maréchal Foch. Tel: +33-241-211211. www.hoteldanjou.fr), a cozy little three-star property with all the trappings of a luxurious private home, albeit one from another era (spiral staircase, ornate furniture, and cage elevator included).

Anxious to explore, I set out on a walking tour of the town. The rich history of the valley that was once the home of Eleanor of Aquitane and the Plantagenet kings, who ruled England from the 12th century, would later inspire Hollywood classics like Robin Hood and Lion in Winter.

My first stop was at the place du Ralliement—the nerve center of downtown Angers. Though its original charm was somewhat obscured by one of the many construction projects that seem rife across France at the moment, the Renaissance architecture and mood of the square swept me back in time. I could almost hear echoes of 18th-century crowds that once gathered to sew the first seeds of the French Revolution.

From the place du Ralliement, I meandered, taking special note of the medieval Angers Cathedral (4 Rue Saint-Christophe. +33-241-875845) perched on high with its magnificent stained glass windows that peer out over the entire city.

In the shadow of the cathedral, I stopped at the place St. Croix to examine the whimsical wood carvings that decorate Angers’ oldest house, a half-timbered, 15th-century craftsman structure known as the Maison d’Adam (the House of Adam). I peered into the windows of the 16th-century houses on the rue de l’ Oisellerie, and I even took a quick gander at the iconic sculptures in the David d’Angers Gallery (33 bis r. Toussaint. Tel: +33-241-053800) before finally landing at the city’s crown jewel, the Chateau d’Angers (Promenade du Bout-du-Monde. Tel: +33-241-86487. www.monuments-nationaux.fr).

Sweeping panoramic views of Angers and the bordering Maine River are among the Chateau d’Angers’ most alluring assets. The Chateau is equally renowned for being the home of the Apocalypse Tapestry, a staggeringly massive, seamless work so extensive it deserves hours to fully appreciate.

That evening, I dined across the street from the Grand Théâtre d’Angers at the Brasserie du Theatre (7 place du Ralliement. Tel: +33-241-241515. www.bras­­serie-du-theatre.com), which is especially noted for its selection of fresh, locally sourced seafood.

My next day was devoted to exploring the Loire Valley’s natural treasures by renting a bicycle and riding along the tree-lined, park-like banks of the Maine River all the way to its confluence with the Loire.

As a treat to myself for making such a healthy start to the day, I popped off to Château des Vaults(1 place du Mail, Savennières. Tel: + 33-241-728100. www.sa­vennieres-closel.com) for a sampling of Savennières, the Chenin Blanc wines for which Angers is best known.

The elegant chatelaine of the estate, the Viscontess Evelyne de Pontbriand, was my guide around the 17th-century chateau, its surrounding gardens, and 15 hectares of organic vineyards. Here, I sampled Do­maine du Closel’s much lauded La Jalousie, a light and fruity Chenin Blanc that more than lives up to its award-winning hype. If you get the chance, you really should make it a point to try Savennières in Angers. Unlike most Chenin Blancs, the wines from the village of Savennières are imbued with a unique mineral-like quality for which the area’s slate rock terroir is widely credited.

The next morning I began about an hour away from Angers in Saumur, a postcard-perfect town along the left bank of the Loire Valley, where homes from the 16th and 17th centuries commingle with modern enterprises. A hub of activity can be found in the town’s place St. Pierre, where restaurants and cafés brimming with local patrons buttress the Eglise St. Pierre, the square’s most historic structure. Fashion­istas will appreciate that Saumur was also the birthplace of Coco Chanel.

Lording over the city from the opposite side of the Loire is the Château de Saumur, the views from which are well worth the steep climb it takes to reach it. Once at the summit, take in the gardens and spectacularly unobstructed views down the Seine before lunching at the airy Saumur l’Orangeraie (Les Feuquières, Château de Saumur. Tél : +33-241-671288).

Saumur was once known for the tuffeau stone that was extracted from the area’s many caves for the purpose of building stately French castles and monuments. These same caves, many of which are now used to grow mushrooms and to store and produce wine, are really a must see. I elected to sample the sparkling wines at Bouvet-Ladubay (1 rue Jean-Ackerman, St Hilaire-St-Florent. Tél : +33-241-838383. www.bouvet-ladubay.fr), before continuing on to an extraordinary and rustic dinner deep in the bowels of La Cave aux Moines (Préban 49350, Chênehutte-les-Tuffeaux. Tel: +33-241-679564. www.cave-aux-moines.com).

I walked hunched over into the cool, dimly lit confines of La Cave, but the restaurant’s dining room is a warm and familial affair. From a blazing wood-fired oven in the center comes wheat-flour pastry that expands in the oven to create a perfect little pocket destined to be slathered with salted butter and filled with beans and local goat cheese. Mushrooms of several varieties, all grown in the cave, are served in a number of preparations, the most memorable of which were the ones delivered stuffed with a chunky pork pâte. Ditto for the snails, also raised in the cave and classically prepared with butter and garlic. Adding to the hominess of the experience, all dishes are served family style.

On my next to last day in the region, I got to explore the element of the Loire Valley’s history that has always most intrigued me – Eleanor of Aquitaine and her favorite son, Richard the Lionheart. At the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud (BP 24 – 49590 Fontevraud l’Abbaye. Tel : +33-241-517352. www.abbaye-fontevraud.com) I indulged my obsession with a tour of the 12th century monastic site where Eleanor of Aquitaine lived out her final years and lies entombed alongside her husband King Henry II, and several Plantagenet kings (many now believe that the bones of Eleanor, Richard, and King Henry have been pillaged or stolen, yet their sarcophagi remain).

Then it was off to the nearby Fortresse Royale de Chinon to delve deeper into the history of King Henri II and Eleanor of Aquitane. After nearly six years of restoration, the Fortresse Royale is nearing completion and will soon offer an interactive guide system to enhance the guest experience.

For lunch, I finally got out onto the Loire River. I hopped on a boat cruise aboard the Enterprise Amaranth (37500 Candes St Martin. Tel: +33-247-958085. www.loire­terroir.com), which I highly recommend as the best way to understand the scope and reach of the valley. A pair of handsome brothers, Sylvain and Robin, operate the lunch cruises, with one doing the entertaining and the other preparing a light but filling lunch of stuffed mushrooms and fresh baked bread. Floating past villages and châteaus, the wind whipping through the boat’s sails, you genuinely sense the lush bounty of the region from a different perspective and come to understand why so many wars were fought over its control.

Later that night, I checked into the Chateau Hotel Domaine de la Tortinière (Route de Ballan Miré, Les Gués de Veigné. Tel: +33-247-343500. www.tortiniere.com). Spread out over 15 acres, the 19th-century chateau itself is comprised of 11 luxuriously appointed rooms, while another 24 individually designed rooms and six apartments are strategically positioned across the park grounds.

Situated as it is between the fabled Château of Azay-le-Rideau and the much-visited Château of Chenonceau, the grande luxe accommodations provide a vivid reminder of why the Loire is sometimes referred to as the “Valley of Kings.” It’s little wonder that everyone from Audrey Hepburn and Juliette Binoche to former French presidents George Pompidou and Valerie Giscard d’Estaing have laid their heads in the Château.

I ventured out early on my last morning for a quick visit to Amboise and Clos Lucé (2 rue du Clos Lucé. +33-247-570073. www.vinci-closluce.com), the final home of Leonardo da Vinci, where the history of many of his inventions, along with replicas of the same, have been collected. Following a quick stroll around the grounds of the Parc Leonardo da Vinci, I journeyed into the city and was soon sipping an aromatic cup of tea, ensconced in a booth at Bigot Patisserie (place du Château. Tel: +33-247-570446. www.bigot-amboise.com), one of my favorite places in Amboise. Opened in 1913, family-run Bigot makes seductively delicious chocolates, ice cream, and cakes, and is still run by Christiane, a silver-haired dynamo who carries on the tradition. A favorite of celebs like fashion designer L’Wren Scott (paramour of Mick Jagger), Bigot chocolates are actually shipped globally, but somehow they taste better in Amboise.

Later that evening, just steps away from the Bigot Patisserie, I tucked into a casual little boîte and wine bar called Chez Bruno (40 place Michel-Debré (Place du Château). Tel: +33-247-577349) situated at the foot of the Chateau d’Amboise. Run by a lovely and inviting English proprietress named Louisa, the fare is distinguished for being hearty and thoroughly satisfying. Think rustic paté, braised ham and cheesy potatoes, and the original Tarte Tatin first made by the Tatin sisters and sold in the woods of Sologne in the Loire Valley. The wine list is a point of interest featuring many options produced by Louisa’s husband, whose family has been making wine in Loire Valley since 1508. Even on a Thursday night, Chez Bruno was overflowing with patrons.

Stepping out from Chez Bruno into the moonlight, I reflected on the range of delights with which the last several days had spoiled me. From the urbane modernity of Mama Shelter in Paris to the intimate authenticity of the Loire Valley’s châteaux, I sensed, as always when I visit, the sweep and diversity of French life, and I vowed to never choose one over the other again. After all, why not have your croissant and eat it too?

The post Globetrotting: Paris to the Loire Valley appeared first on .

With that as a backdrop, imagine the shockwaves that shot through my animated person when I recently sat down to dinner in Rouen, France at La Couronne, the restaurant credited with giving Julia Child her first real taste of the joys of French cooking. Plunked down in a half-timbered structure opposite the magnificently quirky Church of Saint Joan of Arc in the old market square in Rouen, La Couronne traces its roots all the way back to 1345. Yep you read that right…1345! So suffice it to say, the glittering contemporary restaurant that is meant to be La Couronne in the film Julie & Julia, is not only cinematic fiction, it doesn’t even begin to capture the charm and authenticity of the real thing.

Foodie or not, I’d dare anyone to walk through the doors of this venerable establishment, climb the narrow staircase lined with photos of former diners including everyone from Sophia Loren and Woody Allen to Salvador Dali and Princess Grace of Monaco, enter one of the cozy dining rooms and not immediately experience the beginnings of a love affair with French food, just as Julia Child did when she first set foot in this atmospheric restaurant back in 1948.

As an ode to Julia, my entire group ordered the exact meal that Julia enjoyed so much on her first visit to La Couronne and we all swooned appropriately as each course was delivered. The first course was a half dozen oysters, served with rye bread and butter and vinegar mignonette. Briny and bright, these oysters underscored why this region is so famous for the popular mollusks. Did you know that Marie-Antoinette ordered her oysters from nearby Etretat? True story. The oyster beds that produced the oysters that Marie-Antoinette favored are no longer active, but the legend of their existence is proof positive that the region’s oysters are fit for a queen of any variety- male, female, questioning or otherwise.

The second course was Sole Meuniére, which is Dover Sole, lightly seasoned and dredged in flour, fried in butter and served with lemon and parsley. I know…I know…it seems rich but in truth the dish is not nearly as decadent as it sounds. Though there is probably enough butter in this entree to make Paula Deen happier than a drag queen at a sample sale, each bite was light and airy and not the least bit oily. Truly a testament to the mastery of the chef.

Next we were served a green salad in a light vinaigrette followed by a beautiful selection of fromage blanc (cheeses), both of which aptly prepared our palettes for the final course…fresh seasonal berries in a light syrup, topped with dollops of lightly sweetened, freshly whipped cream. So simple, but so delicious. Which brings me to the point that underscores the impression that La Couronne left on me. This was a meal about beautiful ingredients, prepared simply without a lot of bells and whistles and because of that it was an experience that actually outshined flashier meals I’ve enjoyed at some Michelin-starred restaurants.

As Rouen is only a little over an hour by train from Paris, I’d highly recommend dinner at La Couronne and an overnight in the city. Try staying at the chic and contemporary Hotel de Bourgtheroulde which is just around the corner from La Couronne, and spend the day exploring the charm of Rouen. Like me and like Julia and like so many others…you just might find yourself falling in love with all things French in a way you never imagined.

MoxieQ Rating: Fiercely Unforgettable

The post An Evening At La Couronne: Dinner With Julia Child appeared first on .