Mar 9th, 2010 by haveninparis
Text by Tory Hoen & Photos Erica Berman
One of my favorite times of year in Paris is the transition between winter and spring. It’s that miraculous moment when the gray dampness lifts and the first rays of warm sunlight begin to creep their way along rooftops, through windows, over bridges. It’s still coat weather, but hope is in the air.
More importantly, it’s the moment when droves of Parisians emerge from indoors after months of hibernation. A few months from now, they will undoubtedly look healthy and bronzed and full of life; but for the moment, they are pale and wan (and still dressed in black) and seeking sunlight as if it were their lifeblood. I remember walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg on the first warm day last year and being convinced that the city was awash in a sea of vampires. I had never seen so many black leather-clad beings, their skin sparkling beneath the first rays of springtime sun.
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Tags: jardin du luxembourg, spring in paris, sunlight in paris
Posted in Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
Mar 5th, 2010 by haveninparis
Introduction by Maggie Battista
I’m in love, and it’s not just with Paris.
As a member of the Haven in Paris team, I feel very lucky to get to know amazing people from all over the world who stay in our luxury Paris apartments. Guests are very dear, and it feels as if we let them in on a little secret: they can indeed feel like real Parisians by staying in well-stocked, carefully decorated Paris homes. The saying ‘home away from home’ was coined for our apartments.
While each and every guest is special, I met up with the perfect guest at the perfect moment last week. I’ve been a bit lonely, missing my husband, Boston friends and all my blogger friends. And as I’m still learning French, it’s not easy to make new friends. That’s where our guest Kari saved the day.
Kari happens to be a New York City blogger, photographer and all-around great lady. We met up for a quick drink. Four drinks and four plates later, we were fast friends. She blogged about her Haven in Paris apartment and let us re-post it here. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to stay in one of our apartments, and specifically one of our Montmartre properties, read on. Thanks for the kind words, Kari!
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Tags: Haven in Paris, Luxury Apartment Rentals Paris, Montmartre, Paris Vacation rental, Recommended Blogs
Posted in Parisian Living | 5 Comments »
Feb 20th, 2010 by haveninparis
littlebrownpen.com/chicline.com
Text by Tory Hoen
I used to think I was pretty good at French… until the day I actually moved here and realized just how nuanced the language is when it’s coming at you from all angles. Old people, young people, drunk people, foreign people—they all have their own distinct accents, cadences, and vocabularies. I quickly learned that my “A” in high school French Literature meant very little in the real world, and that making sense of real French would be a lifelong challenge. So far, it has been endlessly amusing…
While I like to think I’ve come a long way, even the most basic phrases were slightly confounding at first. I can understand how new visitors to Paris might feel a little shell-shocked, especially when they’re being barked at by a burly vendor at the Belleville market who is insisting that they “MANGEZ!” the tangerine slice he is brandishing (a regular occurrence in my life). Continue Reading »
Tags: french vocab, French-isms, market paris, shopping in paris, tory hoen
Posted in Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
Feb 19th, 2010 by haveninparis
Text and Photos by Tory Hoen
When I lived in the 5th arrondissement, I spent hours pounding the pavement (or the cobblestones, as it were) just exploring and trying to make sense of the diverse elements that make up the neighborhood: the historic Place de la Contrescarpe with its charming cafés, the lively market street Rue Mouffetard, the wild Jardin des Plantes, the magnificent blue-and-white-tiled mosque (La Mosquée de Paris), and the unexpected Arènes de Lutèce (a first century Roman amphitheatre). But more often than not, my walks ended with me staring up at the breathtaking Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute), my face tilted skyward as I struggled to take in the awesomeness that is this structure. Continue Reading »
Tags: arab world institute, arene de lutece, institut du monde arabe, jardin des plantes, jean nouvel, michael herrman, mosquee de paris, place de la contrescarpe, tory hoen
Posted in Design & Décor, Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
Feb 18th, 2010 by haveninparis
Carrot Cake at Rose Bakery: rachelwoodmassey.files.wordpress.com
Text Erica Berman
After all the great things I have heard about Rose Bakery on rue des Martyrs, and the number of times I have tried to go there but never made it for some reason or another, I finally made it for lunch yesterday at their new (well not so new anymore) location on rue Debelleyme in the Marais. I was fairly certain, being somewhat of a pessimist at times, that after all the fab reviews I had heard, I might be disappointed. Wrong. Rose Bakery was all it’s touted to be, and more. Continue Reading »
Tags: 3eme, 9eme, Marais, Restaurant Paris, rose bakery, rue de Belleyme, rue des Martyrs
Posted in HiP Eats, Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
Feb 17th, 2010 by haveninparis
Blogger Kari Geltemeyer is currently staying in Haven in Paris’ Livingstone Penthouse, and we were so excited to find that she’s been writing about her experience on her blog Litwit. It’s always so fun to see this city through someone else’s eyes, and first-time visitors like Kari often have a knack for recognizing the obscure details and nuances that are often overlooked by more seasoned Paris dwellers. We’ve selected some excerpts from her blog that highlight her decision to come to Paris and some of the discoveries she’s made here. We’re glad she took the leap!
Text and photos by Kari Geltemeyer
Day 1
When I say it’s a very big deal to come to Paris, I don’t say it because I’m an idiot, I say it because where I come from people stay in their places. And this can’t be understood, perhaps, unless you grew up in exactly the same way, in a town of 8,000 people and a family of seven in the middle of Wisconsin surrounded by dairy farms, where—when I was young, at least—nobody seemed to stray too far. It wasn’t done, it wasn’t much considered, and if it was talked about, it was something impossibly foreign and unbelievably expensive and certainly too far away to actually be real… (To this day my parents’ reaction is “Ack! Paris! Alone??! Aren’t you scared!”) Of course I’m scared! That’s why I’m doing it. Continue Reading »
Tags: Glou, Haven in Paris, kari geltemeyer, litwit, livingstone penthouse, Montmartre, paris blog, Place des Vosges, travel to paris
Posted in Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
Feb 16th, 2010 by haveninparis
parisviewfinder.blogspot.com
Text by Maggie Battista
As a new girl, a new American girl, in Paris, I’ve been inundated with suggestions on where to go, what to eat and, in general, how to suck the most from my Paris experience.
Often, these suggestions are truly personal, inspired by a friend’s visit with this city or a friend of a friend’s semester abroad. About twenty-seven people have reminded me to get a falafel sandwich at L’As du Fallafel in the Marais. Fourteen people have demanded that I enjoy the ice cream at Berthillon on Ile Saint-Louis. And I’ve had to promise every single one, in blood no less, that I’d indulge at both La Durée and Pierre Hermé.
flickr/CanonS3
While I sincerely appreciate all the insider advice, I’d be lying if I didn’t add that I’m a bit overwhelmed. I truly want to act on each and every suggestion because it was delivered with such love, or in some cases, with such insistence. I recall one friend saying she’d die (quelle horreur!) if I returned without enjoying a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) at Angelina’s on rue de Rivoli!
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Tags: maggie battista
Posted in Parisian Living | 6 Comments »
Feb 14th, 2010 by haveninparis
Erica Berman
Text by Tory Hoen
After seven months away, I’m back in Paris for a while and am greedily soaking up every minute of it. After two weeks, I’ve slipped back into many of my happy habits, though I’ve come to realize that settling back into my Parisian life does require a few active adjustments. For instance:
1. Dietary shifts. You’d be surprised how fulfilling a diet composed solely of butter, cheese, Dijon, bread, chocolate and macarons can be. Although I must admit, a steady stream of coffee and wine leave me perpetually dehydrated. Note to self: water is the essence of life, even in Paris.
idata.over-blog.com/wallpaper.com/parisviewfinder.blogspot.com
2. Embracing linguistic limbo. When I get back to France, I regularly find myself in situations where two, three, or four languages are being spoken simultaneously. While the linguistic mélange is always exciting, I find that my English often starts to slip before my French has time to pick up the slack, and I am therefore left in a strange language-less limbo. Continue Reading »
Tags: baguette, Cafe, chocolate, life in paris, macaron, paris, wine
Posted in Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
Feb 11th, 2010 by haveninparis
Erica Berman
Text Tory Hoen
It’s hard for me to pass by the Vaissellerie St. Antoine without stepping inside to poke around for a few moments. I inexplicably find myself stroking the blades of knives, holding quirky corkscrews up to the light, brandishing honey-drizzlers (can’t live without one of those), and faux-sipping out of pretty ceramic mugs. Mind you, these actions are involuntary and probably make me look like a crazy person. Continue Reading »
Tags: ceramics paris, espresso cups, kitchen store paris, kitchen supplies, vaissellerie, vaissellerie st. antoine
Posted in Fashion & Shopping, Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
Feb 10th, 2010 by haveninparis
Erica Berman & Alain Ollier
Text by Tory Hoen
I’ve always loved Europe in the winter—and Paris in particular. And by winter, I mean real winter: January and February, when the holiday crowds have cleared out and it’s gray, gray, gray all day. I can sense you raising your eyebrows as you read this, but bear with me. Not only is it a particularly tranquil time to be in Paris, but you can also find great deals, with airfare rates down and many accommodations offering discounted rates for visitors to the city.
Most peoples’ visions of Paris probably involve leisurely summer picnics, springtime flowers, and long strolls along the Seine on warm evenings. I would be lying if I said thoughts of these things don’t make my heart race, but winter has its own distinct charms, and on cold February days, I love feeling like I have the entire city to myself.
Plus: in the deepest, darkest depths of winter, we have an excuse to indulge in activities that might otherwise seem just a bit too decadent. Hot chocolate for breakfast? Bring it on… we have to stay warm somehow! Some favorite things (and guilty pleasures) to explore this winter… Continue Reading »
Tags: angelina, chocolat chaud, cocktails, films in paris, fumoir, harry's bar, hot chocolate, kiliwatch, La Pagode, le baron rouge, saveurs de savoie, tory hoen, winter fashion, winter walks
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