Hi David, our Veterinarian is going to Paris for his birthday in September or October. Can you please recommend a few nice hotels. We usually stay in Ils Saint Louis because it is so central and like a village. We usually rent, but probably too late for that. When we first stayed there, we stayed at Jeu de Paumme (terrible spelling!) It was nice, but tiny rooms. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Love your Newsletter!! ❤️❤️
Thanks for all the great writing and reflections on your life in Paris. I hope to be there in the fall for a few weeks. We had the really great honor; your fellow Chez Panisse Chef Jeremiah Tower has just subscribed to our project, The American Table. I hope to connect with you soon.
I as an American and my British hubby living in the Var for 30 years loved the opening ceremony. I loved the guy leaping the rooftops and was disappointed that he just kind of disappeared rather than having a big role in handing over the flame. So original. The boats on the Seine idea was brilliant but the rain was such a disappointment. But it could have been worse. I loved that all the righties thought some of the scenes were about the Last Supper. This would not be something that would be covered in a secular society particularly since the painting is in Milan and not Paris. Too bad they didn’t incorporate the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Looking forward to the closing ceremony.
Long time reader (blog—>books—>substack), first time commenter! As a huge fan of all your recommendations (Vantre!!! Life changing!!!) I was reading this post and have the strangest request… I will be working in Paris for a few months this fall and am looking for a good Pilates place. Are there any you recommend in/near the 3rd? I’ll be staying around the Temple & Republique metro stops. If so I will add it to my “David’s Recommendations” google map! And thank you always for being such a stellar read. Following all your Olympics exploits with great joy/jealousy.
As an art and cultural historian, I was jumping with joy at so many art historical and cultural references during the Olympics Opening Ceremony. And I loved that each theme was identified as we went along. I wrote about it here, I hope you have a chance to read it. https://www.museemusings.com/blog/the-show-must-go-on-and-it-did
We were kind of baffled watching the opening ceremony. On one hand, it seemed more about Paris than about the Olympics. On the other hand, it was so France/Paris! Having lived in Paris, we found the mix of old and new very familiar. Paris can be quaint and avant-garde at the same time, architecturally, musically, artistically. Some things are much more technologically advanced than in the US (how to get your clothes back from the cleaner; how to pay for dinner without losing sight of your credit card, just two examples), and some things quaint (dare I say how to return an item and get your money back?)
We taped the ceremony and watched again the next night, pausing the tape to Google things and gain some understanding. By that time we knew who the torch bearer was(were). We knew the streamers were blood. We knew about the fashion show models. We didn't know why the can-can dancers were so bad! Vastly more enjoyable the second time around.
Now I need to search for Celine Dion and find out why you said "Say what you will about..."
Love Omar Sy, although he's not as well-known as Tom Cruise. On the other hand, he's French and it wouldn't be the only part of the evening that went over a lot of people's heads
Hi David, it was great to read your interpretation of the opening of the Paris Olympics. I loved it, I did feel sorry for the athletes, but then they would have been just as wet if they were in the arena instead of on the Seine. The only thing we felt though was that the commentators should have had a running sheet to explain some of the things that were happening. Thankfully, after everyone going ballistic about the feast and the headless women etc, someone on Facebook explained it succinctly which made the comments by other uninformed people, stupid! I must admit the only thing I cringed about what the “threesome”. Loved the horse, although as you said it did go on and on and on, the entertainment by all the singers, agree that Lady Ga Ga should have been at a later time and perhaps in a better location, but Celine, well.. who could top her, absolutely brought me to tears. I just checked out the movie on Prime which I will watch later. Thank you for another great read. Until next month. I just noticed something come up on my screen telling me that my credit card was expiring which is not the case, so hopefully my renewal goes through ok. I was wondering whether it might be a scam.
Thanks for your message. I think Substack sends a message when your renewal is coming up, but to avoid any scams, I suggest going through their website to verify and update any personal or billing information. It you tap your profile picture in the upper right corner, there are options there to check everything.
The commenters didn't know what was going to happen as it was shrouded in secrecy. Watching it here, they were just as surprised as we were!
Yes I did love it. A few things could have been better but it was French! Loved seeing the city, the torch carrier and the teams. This was for the Teams. They work so hard. Celine was the Perfect ending!
It certainly had its ups and downs, as well as critics and fans. Since so much of the ceremony was shrouded in mystery, commentators (even in France) weren't prepared, and/or knowledgable enough to explain all the references. Fortunately the games are a success for the athletes who worked so hard to get it and it's great to see them playing and competing.
Thank you for posting a link to Narsai David's obituary, may he rest in peace. Our family friend, Miles Karpilow, an amazing woodworker, carved the gorgeous doors of Narsai's restaurant. And my first "really good" meal was at Narsai's when I was 17. I have no memory of what I ate, but I do remember that the two of us, both too young to order wine, were treated with the utmost respect and not condescended to at all.
I remember the wood doors of his restaurant, which were magnificent. He was someone whose name is probably lost on a lot of people, as the "food revolution" spread to other parts of America, but he was a local legend and I was fortunate enough to have met him being interviewed on his radio show, and running into him every so often in San Francisco and Berkeley.
It's funny because Romain (who grew up here) didn't get a lot of it either. Some of it was the creators trying to be audacious, and daring, as well as trying something new. The rain changed things a bit plus the idea of doing everything outdoors on the river presented a multitude of other challenges. It'll be interesting to see the closing ceremonies, which are going to be in a stadium, to close out the games.
Loved the Opening Ceremonies. I haven watched anything but the Olympics since it started, great coverage here on NBC. Unfortunately, if you don’t subscribe to Peacock, you don’t get complete coverage.)
A friend here (in France) is watching it on Peacock, using a VPN, but also has to disable his location services. Finally he gave up since it was too complicated, but wish, somehow, since the Olympics is a global event, they might someday come with a website and feature the medal-winning performances and games, for all to watch.
I'm glad you got to go to an event and had a good time. I always start the Olympic period thinking "Oh yeah the Olympics, I guess I'll try to watch some of it" and end it by discussing the finer points of handball penalties (assuming handball has penalties, a sport I know nothing about). I think all Olympic opening ceremonies should be excessive and over the top. Why not? Make it memorable!
There was a lot of pessimism about it here, and buying tickets months ago just wasn't on my radar, nor a lot of other people's. Now I wish I did. There's a resale site for people to resell tickets but they're quite expensive for most events now.
I haven’t seen even one moment of the Olympics, so have nothing to contribute on that front. But two books in the pipeline! Now that is truly exciting and I’m primed and ready for them, despite knowing that I have a long wait for my double treat.
Wonderful. And I'm looking forward to your next book. I have bought every one of your your books, even when not solely a cookbook, and I haven't done that for anyone else. Love your voice.
Hi David, our Veterinarian is going to Paris for his birthday in September or October. Can you please recommend a few nice hotels. We usually stay in Ils Saint Louis because it is so central and like a village. We usually rent, but probably too late for that. When we first stayed there, we stayed at Jeu de Paumme (terrible spelling!) It was nice, but tiny rooms. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Love your Newsletter!! ❤️❤️
Thanks for all the great writing and reflections on your life in Paris. I hope to be there in the fall for a few weeks. We had the really great honor; your fellow Chez Panisse Chef Jeremiah Tower has just subscribed to our project, The American Table. I hope to connect with you soon.
I as an American and my British hubby living in the Var for 30 years loved the opening ceremony. I loved the guy leaping the rooftops and was disappointed that he just kind of disappeared rather than having a big role in handing over the flame. So original. The boats on the Seine idea was brilliant but the rain was such a disappointment. But it could have been worse. I loved that all the righties thought some of the scenes were about the Last Supper. This would not be something that would be covered in a secular society particularly since the painting is in Milan and not Paris. Too bad they didn’t incorporate the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Looking forward to the closing ceremony.
Long time reader (blog—>books—>substack), first time commenter! As a huge fan of all your recommendations (Vantre!!! Life changing!!!) I was reading this post and have the strangest request… I will be working in Paris for a few months this fall and am looking for a good Pilates place. Are there any you recommend in/near the 3rd? I’ll be staying around the Temple & Republique metro stops. If so I will add it to my “David’s Recommendations” google map! And thank you always for being such a stellar read. Following all your Olympics exploits with great joy/jealousy.
As an art and cultural historian, I was jumping with joy at so many art historical and cultural references during the Olympics Opening Ceremony. And I loved that each theme was identified as we went along. I wrote about it here, I hope you have a chance to read it. https://www.museemusings.com/blog/the-show-must-go-on-and-it-did
We were kind of baffled watching the opening ceremony. On one hand, it seemed more about Paris than about the Olympics. On the other hand, it was so France/Paris! Having lived in Paris, we found the mix of old and new very familiar. Paris can be quaint and avant-garde at the same time, architecturally, musically, artistically. Some things are much more technologically advanced than in the US (how to get your clothes back from the cleaner; how to pay for dinner without losing sight of your credit card, just two examples), and some things quaint (dare I say how to return an item and get your money back?)
We taped the ceremony and watched again the next night, pausing the tape to Google things and gain some understanding. By that time we knew who the torch bearer was(were). We knew the streamers were blood. We knew about the fashion show models. We didn't know why the can-can dancers were so bad! Vastly more enjoyable the second time around.
Now I need to search for Celine Dion and find out why you said "Say what you will about..."
I just bought a copy of The Sweet Life in Paris. I then noticed a copy on my bookshelf. I guess a Paris loving friend will get a copy!
How cool would it have been for the masked person to be revealed as Omar Sy, the star of Lupin?? Much cooler than Tom Cruise :).
Love Omar Sy, although he's not as well-known as Tom Cruise. On the other hand, he's French and it wouldn't be the only part of the evening that went over a lot of people's heads
: )
Hi David, it was great to read your interpretation of the opening of the Paris Olympics. I loved it, I did feel sorry for the athletes, but then they would have been just as wet if they were in the arena instead of on the Seine. The only thing we felt though was that the commentators should have had a running sheet to explain some of the things that were happening. Thankfully, after everyone going ballistic about the feast and the headless women etc, someone on Facebook explained it succinctly which made the comments by other uninformed people, stupid! I must admit the only thing I cringed about what the “threesome”. Loved the horse, although as you said it did go on and on and on, the entertainment by all the singers, agree that Lady Ga Ga should have been at a later time and perhaps in a better location, but Celine, well.. who could top her, absolutely brought me to tears. I just checked out the movie on Prime which I will watch later. Thank you for another great read. Until next month. I just noticed something come up on my screen telling me that my credit card was expiring which is not the case, so hopefully my renewal goes through ok. I was wondering whether it might be a scam.
Thanks for your message. I think Substack sends a message when your renewal is coming up, but to avoid any scams, I suggest going through their website to verify and update any personal or billing information. It you tap your profile picture in the upper right corner, there are options there to check everything.
The commenters didn't know what was going to happen as it was shrouded in secrecy. Watching it here, they were just as surprised as we were!
Thank you David, I did need to change my credit card details so all set for the next 12 months subscription 🤗
Yes I did love it. A few things could have been better but it was French! Loved seeing the city, the torch carrier and the teams. This was for the Teams. They work so hard. Celine was the Perfect ending!
It certainly had its ups and downs, as well as critics and fans. Since so much of the ceremony was shrouded in mystery, commentators (even in France) weren't prepared, and/or knowledgable enough to explain all the references. Fortunately the games are a success for the athletes who worked so hard to get it and it's great to see them playing and competing.
Thank you for posting a link to Narsai David's obituary, may he rest in peace. Our family friend, Miles Karpilow, an amazing woodworker, carved the gorgeous doors of Narsai's restaurant. And my first "really good" meal was at Narsai's when I was 17. I have no memory of what I ate, but I do remember that the two of us, both too young to order wine, were treated with the utmost respect and not condescended to at all.
I remember the wood doors of his restaurant, which were magnificent. He was someone whose name is probably lost on a lot of people, as the "food revolution" spread to other parts of America, but he was a local legend and I was fortunate enough to have met him being interviewed on his radio show, and running into him every so often in San Francisco and Berkeley.
I loved the opening ceremonies... but I commented to my husband that if you did not know Paris it might not have made much sense.
It's funny because Romain (who grew up here) didn't get a lot of it either. Some of it was the creators trying to be audacious, and daring, as well as trying something new. The rain changed things a bit plus the idea of doing everything outdoors on the river presented a multitude of other challenges. It'll be interesting to see the closing ceremonies, which are going to be in a stadium, to close out the games.
Loved the Opening Ceremonies. I haven watched anything but the Olympics since it started, great coverage here on NBC. Unfortunately, if you don’t subscribe to Peacock, you don’t get complete coverage.)
A friend here (in France) is watching it on Peacock, using a VPN, but also has to disable his location services. Finally he gave up since it was too complicated, but wish, somehow, since the Olympics is a global event, they might someday come with a website and feature the medal-winning performances and games, for all to watch.
I'm glad you got to go to an event and had a good time. I always start the Olympic period thinking "Oh yeah the Olympics, I guess I'll try to watch some of it" and end it by discussing the finer points of handball penalties (assuming handball has penalties, a sport I know nothing about). I think all Olympic opening ceremonies should be excessive and over the top. Why not? Make it memorable!
There was a lot of pessimism about it here, and buying tickets months ago just wasn't on my radar, nor a lot of other people's. Now I wish I did. There's a resale site for people to resell tickets but they're quite expensive for most events now.
I haven’t seen even one moment of the Olympics, so have nothing to contribute on that front. But two books in the pipeline! Now that is truly exciting and I’m primed and ready for them, despite knowing that I have a long wait for my double treat.
Thanks for another fascinating newsletter.
Wonderful. And I'm looking forward to your next book. I have bought every one of your your books, even when not solely a cookbook, and I haven't done that for anyone else. Love your voice.