Hillary Davis Travels's Blog

Hotel Review: Le Grand Hotel Cannes

    This is one of the most intriquing hotels in Cannes, and one of the most comfortable. Le Grand Hotel is a large property with a prime location on the Croisette. It even has its own private beach for its guests. Yet it only has 45 rooms and has a distinct boutique feel to it---most likely due to the fact that it has been run by the same family for generations. It is the details, at this hotel, that make it a standout.

    Its exterior is indeed grand. This privately owned property also includes apartments and a large elegant villa used for cultural exhibitions.

    Le Grand Hotel has the highest floor of any hotel in Cannes, and that is where I was taken to see the suite on the 11th floor. When they opened the door, this was the view....

    The first thing I did was make a beeline for the glass doors to open them and walk out on the terrace. It was surprisingly wide, with a small table and chairs perfect for dinner for two. Under a full moon. With a sea breeze. And champagne. Dinner cooked by the Michelin star chef in the hotel. But more about that later.

    I was told that the barrier behind the table could be removed to open up to another spacious terrace including a large jacuzzi, with an entrance to an adjoining suite---providing the possibility of settling into a quite large living space. 

    The view was just unbelievable. You could see the entire bay of Cannes, the mountains, the beach, old town....and I could imagine how it would look at night with all the sparkling lights. 

    Two wicker chaise longues were positioned facing the sea, waiting for someone to snuggle into them for a nap in the sun.

  I could imagine sitting here forever watching the yachts come and go.

    Back inside, the decor was a cool blend of 50's and 60's, which was refreshing and fun.

    Yet there were high tech touches like an ipad and huge flat screen TVs.

    I was again swept away, this time with the view from the bedroom. 

    ....which was simple and comfortable, with red bedside reading lights by Philip Stark.

    Le Grand Hotel was built in the 60's and is emblematic of that error. Major renovations upgraded the entire complex, making it supremely attractive and giving it a contemporary, sleek feel.

    Le Cercle Bar faces the sea and spills outside onto the lawn.....

    ....and artwork such as the "roses" constantly change color at night..........from pale pink to fuscia to red.....

    But here's the best news of all.

    Le Grand Hotel has one of the best chefs on the Cote d'Azur, Sebastien Broda. This Michelin star chef has lifted Cannes' hotel dining scene to a higher level with his inspired cuisine, which reflects the exquisite produce available on the Riviera. You can sample his cooking at Le Park 45, either inside or outside. You will be in the good hands of a chef who has worked with Roger Verger, at La Palme d'Or and at the Carlton. 

    This is a hotel I can enthusiastically recommend. It is retro chic, colorful, filled with light, sparkling clean, in a prime location, with a beach and a beach restaurant, a Michelin star chef, and an atmosphere that is friendly and very upbeat. No stuffy antique lobby at this hotel. It is breathing and alive. Its energy will revive you. Just what a great hotel should do.

Le Grand Hotel, 45 Bd. de La Croisette, Cannes, France

33 (0)4 93 38 15 45

www.grand-hotel-cannes.com

 

A Walk Through Cannes

The sky was black. I heard a huge thunderous boom. And then another. And then the rain came down in  heavy drops, pounding the pavement.

I'm in Cannes, and this morning the dark drama drove me into a cafe where I thought I would wait out the storm for a few minutes and instead encouraged me to sit down in the warmth of the interior for lunch. An hour later and the sky was bright blue.

     I took a walk through Cannes.......first to the antiques market in the Marche Forville......

....then a hike up the hill of Suquet to the top....

..........and back down ...........this was the first time in all these years I noticed the handprints of the stars in the sidewalk outside of where the Cannes Film Festival is held!

.........and now the sun was hot, the beach full, and the superyachts sparkling on the sea........

     One of the best places for free WIFI is at MacDonalds.........and while I was there checking my email I realized that the prices seemed high.........for the same amount of money you could eat very well at a cafe...........and I also noticed not many people there...........mostly people like me checking their email for the price of a not very good coffee......

    

.........on the other hand, this looked good! Two pounds of mussels, cooked either in cognac or with gorgonzola cheese.........hmmmmmmmm!

     I'll be here for another few weeks, so perhaps?...........if I come back for dinner, I'll post a picture for you!

 

 

French Doors

I have a passion for French doors. My love is a visual one, and it is stoked by the fact that there are so many of them and they are all unique in their own way. 

Just look at these, which I found on a walk along the Seine in Paris. Even the color is exciting.

I grew up in New England and was used to very plain doors. Which is perhaps why, when I am in France, I end up photographing so many of them. These were taken in Paris. 

Hand carved, surprising, and the kind of door that makes one stop and think! What are you meant to find on the other side?!

I think behind this one was a convent.....so lovely, so inspiring. I love the little putti angels floating above the scene.

And I can never resist taking pictures of French Door knockers. So many are hand-crafted, stunning, heavy and impressive.

Some of the doors are wide enough to let a car through from the inner courtyard to the street. The Jour et Nuit sign on a door or near one tells you to expect a car to enter or leave, at any time of the day or night.

This is the door to a building I used to live in when I was a newlywed in Paris. I remember how heavy it was to push it open, and I rememer the sound of the click behind me when it shut.

It's like an outdoor museum. Each and every door a new discovery, a new piece of art.

And even if you find one that is transparent, French Doors are always a mystery.

 

A Day At The Louvre

Hello Everyone!

Sit back. Relax. Today I am taking you to Paris for a visit to the Louvre!

This is a view from one of the windows of the Louvre. Loved the gray sky so heavy and low above the delicate green gardens.

Today I am taking you to Napoleon III's apartment in the Louvre. I saw this bed and it looked so comfortable I wanted to climb in!

The apartment wall coverings were a deep luscious red accented by glowing gold everywhere.

The chandeliers throughout the apartment were amazing. Absolutely exquisite.

Look at this one! With candles to illuminate the painting above! Can't imagine how they lit them. But the illumination must have been dreamy.

The furniture was well restored......

Embellished wood paneling................

I really loved these sofas. They could only look this good in this kind of space though.

Intriguing spiral staircase seen from below......

Ohhhhhhh, the painted ceilings!

This threesome chair made me think it was not very sociable! Or was it??

Isn't this fabulous? A crystal dressing table!

 

A formal really long dining table with huge ornaments down the middle.

As I left to walk in the rain in Paris, I was reminded of the beauty of simple lines.  I was standing under the pyramid looking up. Rain coming down but not touching me. I love Paris. I love the Louvre. I love the diversity of style and design and tone and color found there. All in one day in the Louvre, in Paris.

Amazing Find: Cire Trudon

Travel sometimes takes me to the past. I found this store in New York City and was transported to another time.

It is the oldest candle maker in the world, so you can imagine what it was like entering their new space in Greenwich Village, an odd location for a really upscale store like this. Somehow I thought it would be better suited to Chelsea or Tribeca or even Soho. That said, I felt tremendously lucky to have found it.

"In 1643, a salesman named Claude Trudon arrives in Paris. He soon becomes the owner of a shop on Saint-Honore street thanks to a fruitful and happy marriage. Among groceries, the store also provides its customers with wax, candles for any domestic usage as well as church candles to the neighboring Saint Roch parish."

That was written in the 18th century, and the original store still exists in Paris today. The company makes candles for all the top French brands, including Hermes and Cartier. They still make the candles for the Chateau de Versailles.

As I walked in, I expected to be overwhelmed by aromas from the candles. Not a whiff. Almost all of the candles are under glass to preserve their scent until you lift the glass to smell them. 

Except of course for these beautiful tapers. 

What a treasure trove of visual treats. The color of the paneling, the wax busts, the antiques for lighting candles and displaying them.....all were from a distant past when light bulbs hadn't been thought of and candles were vital to survival as well as love.

I loved that they had so many candles lit and it was not even noon. It made a point. Candles are not just for the dark. 

These are some of the less expensive and absolutely delightful smelling candles you can find there. Most of the candles are quite pricey, however, considering that they burn at least 80 hours makes them actually reasonable. The quality and the colors and dyes and perfect fragrances all combine to make these some of the finest candles in the world. 

For instance, these pillars with individual cameos are $130. They come packed in a beautiful grey and red box with a book about the candle maker. 

The candle on the left under glass (cloche) is their signature candle. The gold coat of arms of the candle maker is on the front. It is hard to make out, but it is of a bee hive, with bees and the caption, "Bees work for God and the King." They come in a small travel size all the way up to a huge 7 pound candle. All are set in hand blown glasses from Vinci in Italy. 

My favorite? Has to be their candle scent called "Mademoiselle de la Valliere" because it is all tuberose, my favorite flower. All the scents are magnificent though and their descriptions delightful.

Carmelite sent: "The perfume of old stonewalls, in the shade of cloisters and convents, this scent of fresh and mossy stone tells us about the black and white silhouettes of sisters moving in the silence of ritual mass. Under the light of votives and psalmody, Carmelite refers to the peace of souls and eternity."

CIRE TRUDON, 78 rue de Seine, Paris   http://ciretrudon.com     http://blog.ciretrudon.com

54 Bond Street, New York, New York  

Travel Guide Review: Paris Made By Hand

 

Oh, you are so going to love this little paperback guide called Paris: Made by Hand: 50 Shops Where Decorators and Stylists Source the Chic & Unique.

This wonderful book is written by Australian stylist, Pia Jane Bijkerk. As a stylist, she is constantly searching for the unusual or beautiful. Paris Made By Hand is her personal treasure trove of shops and workshops she found in Paris that still make things by hand. Or of shops that stock antique hand made items. 

Even if you have traveled to Paris for years, or have lived there, you still may not know most of the artisan boutiques she conveniently lists by arrondissement. With lush photography and evocative prose, Pia totally communicates the wonder of finding these places.

   These are her words describing Le Petit Atelier De Paris,"There is a common theme among the delicate, organic-shaped vases, the glossy, free-form tartlet dishes, the tiny house sculptures, and the little alphabet letters that fill the shop-each item is made by hand on the premises."

"As a lover of flea markets, this is where I come when there is not a flea market to be found in the city---the items are unassuming, rustic, and affordable, with little chairs and tables starting at 30 euros, and bigger items, like desks and dining tables, steady at around 400 euros."

I can't wait to go back to Paris to visit these extraordinary boutiques. Thank you Pia for sharing!

Paris: Made by Hand: 50 Shops Where Decorators and Stylists Source the Chic & Unique by Pia Jane Bijkerk

 

Love Locks

For all the walking, for all the years, I had never seen this until recently. I was crossing the Seine heading towards the Ile de la Cite and found these love locks along the Pont de l'Archeveche.

Mais oui! I was in the city of love! Lovers find their way here, clip their padlock onto the fence of the bridge, and throw away the key---declaring their eternal love.

Was the little pink heart lock put there by a young female who also tied a pretty pink ribbon to it? Was the largest one on the fence put there by a biker? Was there one there, locked firmly in place, by someone wishing for love?

And if I held one and said a prayer, would it bring me luck in love? Already my heart was reveling in all the love on this bridge.

A Visit to Provence In The South Of France

It's never to early to make your plans to visit the south of France. So I thought I'd get you in the mood! 

I've put together a video of a recent visit I made to Provence in the south of France which I will attach at the end of this post, but first of all I wanted to share with you some of the photos I took. It is the color and the light of this part of the world that is so appealing.

I yearn for that aqua blue color so many of the shutters are painted in. And the little stone house in a provencal village to go with it......

And to be near the fields of lavender that are everywhere.......

And no visit to France is complete without a visit to the open air markets. 

So here we go! Sit back and enjoy the following video visit to Provence in the south of France!

 

 

Culinary Wine Cruise Set For September 2011

Give me a car a train a ship or a plane and I'm off. Just the sound of a plane engine revving gets my blood running! I, of course, am a travel addict. Love it. And I've always been an independent traveller, never joining tours or even hopping a tour bus. 

But yesterday I changed my mind. Yesterday I attended an event at one of my favorite country inns in New Hampshire, Colby Hill Inn in Henniker. The well-travelled owners are putting together a special Culinary Wine Cruise for September 2011 and they invited a group of us to come listen and learn and see if we would be interested in joining them. I arrived interested and I left convinced. 

What made me change my mind? Well, although I speak fluent French, there are people that don't that really want to visit France and Italy but are hesitant that they will get enough out of their trip without understanding what anyone is saying to them. A cruise on an American ship (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line), and a personal tour with American hosts, Cyndi and Mason Cobb, owners of the Colby Hill Inn, would make all the difference.

Also traveling in a small group that dines together and explores together would make it a fun and friendly way to travel. Even more, this cruise tour is being co-hosted by Ken Scupp of Kobrand, a company that owns vineyards around the world, which means that the tour gets you into places you can't get into on your own. For instance, a private sit down lunch with one of the vineyard's owners.

So, my friends, I decided to share this information with you because it sounds like a wonderful way to travel the Mediterranean.

They are flying over to Barcelona to stay overnight before boarding the ship for a cruise that visits Toulon and Nice in France, then visits Livorno, Rome, and Naples in Italy. One day there will be a private tour with wine expert Ken Scupp to Chateau D'Aqueria in France and one day a visit to Nozzole Vineyard in Italy including a lunch with the owners. The other days are free to explore Provence and the Chianti region and Rome. If guests want to join Cyndi and Mason on special trips around the countryside they can do so for sightseeing, shopping, or whatever the group decides they'd like to do.

While I was at the event learning about the cruise, I realized yet again why I like this inn so much. It's more than being a comfortable cozy home serving great food in an intimate dining room with a view.

As with all inns, it really comes down to the personalities that run it. Cyndie and Mason are great hosts. They also know their food and wines! Here is a picture of my favorite of the appetizers they served yesterday. It's Country Pate with Lavender Mustard (thank you for the recipe, Chef Gage!)

Yes, I got the recipe. It was that good. His secret was to crush lavender (you can buy it online) in a mortar and pestle before combining it with stone ground mustard and Dijon mustard. So delicious!

I took a walk around the inn before leaving. The fire was crackling and comfortable chairs were placed nearby. Guests wandered in and out for coffee or to play a game of cards or to snuggle into a sofa with a book before dinner.

I only live an hour away but I know I'll be coming back soon for a meal, perhaps their Sunday brunch. Then a sit in one of their living rooms with a cup of tea and a notebook to sketch in, and I'll be happy.

For more information on the Culinary Wine Cruise in September 2011 give Cyndi or Mason a call: 1-800-531-0330.  (and tell them I sent you!)

or:  HAPPY TRAVELS Travel Agency handling the cruise

Tel: (603) 995-4019 

Tel: (877) 378-4097 (Toll Free)

Fax: (877) 310-1692 

website: www.HappyTravelsAgency.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HappyTravels

Paris Luxembourg Gardens

You would think that a garden would be at its most beautiful in the summer. Yet, for me, this fall, the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris seemed to evoke another kind of beauty than achieved in the summer when it is filled with a riot of blossoms. It was a beauty composed of stillness and sweeping lines. 

 

Yes, the leaves had fallen. But in their place were graceful tree limbs. 

I strolled over to the Medici Fountain and found a seat where I watched the ducks play and splash and meditated on the reflecting pool. 

Marie de Medici, one of my favorite historical personages, was responsible for building the Luxembourg Palace and the gardens in the 1600's. She requested the gardener to design a garden that would remind her of the formal gardens from her native Florence. 

Do you see in this picture how the flowers in the large urns so perfectly cascade down?

I discovered the secret. Look closely at the next picture and you should just be able to see a green plastic trainer that holds the stems from underneath so that they grow in a graceful curve downward. 

I find myself totally revived after a long walk here. Others stop a bit longer and perhaps have a bite to eat.

 

And many many others find a chair and totally unwind.