Tag: st paul

Categories
Architecture Art

St Paul + St Louis Church Paris

Nous Emmener à l’Église

St Paul and St Louis Church Facade Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

In the very heart of the village of St Paul in the very heart of the quartier of Le Marais in the very heart of the 4th Arrondisement in the very heart of Paris is St Paul and St Louis Church. There is nowhere more atmospheric to be on a late Saturday afternoon in the depths of winter than this candlelit thin place resonating to the thrilling grandeur of organ playing.

St Paul and St Louis Church Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul and St Louis Church Dome Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul and St Louis Church Angel Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul and St Louis Church Balcony Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul and St Louis Church Ceiling Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul and St Louis Church Carving Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul and St Louis Church Cross Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Someone, somewhere, recently asked us what the sign INRI means above a crucifix. The acronym stands for the Latin phrase ‘Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum’. John 19:19 explains, “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews’.”

St Paul and St Louis Church Candles Le Marais Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Categories
Architecture Art Fashion Hotels Luxury People

Hôtel Charles V + St Paul Le Marais Paris

De Temps en Temps

St Paul Architecture Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Continuing the bookending theme of a year well spent: Easter in George V, Christmas in Charles V. The former, westward upstream of Notre Dame; the latter, eastward downstream. One, extrovert art deco; the other, discreet Swedish rococo. Charles V Hôtel is in St Paul, a village embedded in the city between the River Seine and Rue St Antoine. It’s on the site of Hôtel St Pol built by Charles the Wise in the 14th century. Even back then, St Paul was super fashionable. Later hôtels particuliers there are aplenty. Within a polished stone’s throw of Hôtel Charles V are Hôtel d’Aumont (now offices), Hôtel de Sens (now a library) and Hôtel Hénault de Cantobre (now European House of Photography). Next door to Hôtel Charles V is La Mâle d’Effeenne, fashion designer and visual consultant Nico Thibault Francioni’s treasure trove of a shop. Nico calls it a “univers de choix”. Ian Nairn wrote in his eponymous guide to the French Capital: “Paris is a collective masterpiece, perhaps the greatest in the world.” St Paul is a sophisticated slice of that masterpiece. Hôtel Charles V (petit boutique five storeys with just two to six bedrooms per floor) adds some fairy dust. Bises de Paris.

St Paul Rue Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Bistro Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Foyer © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Sitting Room Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Terrace Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Dining Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Fireplace Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Madonna Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Charles V Bed Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel de Sens Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel d'Aumont Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul Hotel Henault de Cantobre Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul La Male d'Effeenne Decorations Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul La Male d'Effeenne Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

St Paul La Male d'Effeenne Present Paris © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Categories
Art Luxury People

National Geographic Store Knightsbridge London + The Ghost of Crete

Grecian 2015

The Ghost of Crete @ Lavender's Blue photo by Apostolos Trichas

Destination known. Another evening, another ambassador. Diplomatic community. Greek Ambassador to the UK Konstantinos Bikas co hosted a party along with his cohort the Governor of Crete Stavros Arnaoutakis at the National Geographic Store opposite Harrods and basking in the afterglow of The Lansbury. It was the London Launch of a celebration of all things Cretan. Incredible Crete.

Paulina Filippou Isle of Olive © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

Stavros commented, “Over half a million people from the UK have visited Crete this year. Tourism makes up 70 percent of our GDP. We have 1,000 kilometres of coastline and one third of all five star hotels in Greece are on our island.” Woody Allen ponders in Love and Death, “I wonder if Socrates and Plato took a house on Crete during the summer?” The island is after all where the first civilisation in Europe began and later home to Titus, recipient of an epistle from St Paul.

The accompanying photographic exhibition illustrated the built and natural wonders of Crete. The ghost of Crete. Shot in 1905 and then again 101 years later. Previously the only evidence of the rural legend of the Cretan wildcat was a couple of pelts purchased at the turn of last century by palaeontologist, zoologist and ornithologist Dorothea Bate. An expedition by the Natural History Museum of Crete and the University of Perugia rediscovered the Cretan wildcat in 1996. One was captured, photographed, studied, tagged, released and tracked for a few months across its habitat on Psiloritis Mountain.

Notes were swapped at the soirée on the travels and travails of reportage with The Fly Away American, a Texan turned serial expat. Snappy wordsmiths at work. Isle of Olive (say it quickly) did the catering. “We’re based in Broadway Market,” said Christie Turlington Paulina Filippou, who owns the company with her husband. “And sell a range of natural Greek products.” The healthiness of the Mediterranean diet was on display. Dittany by Votania, artichokes, cheese, tomatoes, olives and olive oil by Lyrakis and of course, no meat. Nothing tastes as good as skinny Dakos. Destination next also known. The Tom Dixon lunch @ The Mondrian. 

House of Olive Party © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley