Monday food thought....................

"The only irritating thing about eating in France , is that when you are done, you are no longer hungry" - H.E. Lewis

The South Of France - This Side of Paradise...... Found!

This March, in my whirlwind trip, 3 week trip across France, I had the good fortune to be in the South of France and to stay at La Reserve Ramatuelle near Saint-Tropez., Its in a gated community east of St Tropez ( actually the famous beaches of St Tropez are really in Ramatuelle,) it's a true retreat nestled among hundreds of pines and a view of the sea that is to die for. The plus for me here, was the fact that even though it was close to the action of celeb central Saint-Tropez ( in the summer – its season is from June to August and- it attracts hundreds of thousands of people a day) and the pretty medieval village of Ramatuelle, (up the hill) yet it felt a world apart from the tourist crowds with only 23 rooms perched over the Mediterranean. The resort was masterminded by French designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte who focused on creating airy, light-filled spaces that were still very luxurious, the perfect aesthetic for a place where the focus should be on the view. The rooms (all with a fantastic view) are large, and when I mean large; its large!, my room ( #50) could have held a USC football team and yet still had plenty of room left over. The walk in shower was huge on top of that!

The hotel also has a spa, Some European "beauty centers," while they look good are a little lightweight on treatments, but the spa at La Reserve Ramatuelle was a standout. It was obvious that my technician (Isabelle) was just as concerned with my alignment as making sure I was relaxed as I was. And I loved the spa's internal pool, the counterpoint to the huge outdoor swimming pool that also seems to hang above the sea. It was hard to leave my room, but I did manage to make a couple of stops into Ramatuelle for the market and also to Saint-Tropez to admire the über-yachts (if the economy is bad, these seafarers didn’t seem to have gotten the memo). Even in March it was a mad house. So if you are heading to the South of France you'll want to make La Reserve a part of the itinerary.
The staff is phenomenal, from Nicolas VINCENT (the GM),to Lionel, the Matre D to Isabelle, my masseuse. The food is spa cuisine, but not the insipid spa cuisine you find in the United States, after all this is France! Everything is weighted, but its so good and so French, you can hardly call it Spa Cuisine ( but it is). The joke is they hide the croissants in the morning, but if you want some, they will gladly give them to you.
The resort is not for everyone; it’s quite, restful and relaxing and its not cheap, but what is anymore that is luxurious. You’ll need a car to get to the beaches (about 8 minutes away).

Paris - A Paradise for 13 - 19's - Parents Pay Attention!

Paris – secondhand and retro clothes shops - Rue du Roi de Sicile,

This intersecting triangle of streets in the heart of the Marais – the city’s original Jewish neighborhood – reveals all you’ll need to know about what is one of the hippest quarters in Paris. On rue des Rosiers you’ll find a multitude of Jewish epiceries, bakeries, falafel outposts and, among them, the avant-garde boutique L’Eclaireur (01 48 87 10 22), where adventurous and knowledgeable fashion types go for the great collection of brands, including Yohji and Maharishi. Next take a stroll along Roi du Sicile for edgy street duds or head to rue des Franc Bourgeois to discover a mix of well-known and boutique-name brands. Recognized as the heart of the city’s gay district, men’s fashion features highly. Once night descends grab a drink at The Lizard Lounge, just off rue du Roi de Sicile. The quarter’s maze of winding, cobbled streets is in stark contrast to the ultra-mod outfits of the area’s stalwarts. It’s a great, vibrant scene and one of the only areas of Paris open on Sundays.
Vintage Bar.
They will buy your coolest items too, and have a fantastically cool collection of vintage jewelery. There is a downstairs full of items too, don't miss that.
16 rue de la Verrerie
Frip'irium.
The owner of this place is a lively fun guy who went into a long description with me about why his shop was the best on the street. They apparently clean all items before selling them, only sell the nicest vintage items and apparel, and indeed had gone to great lengths to make a clean, organized, nice shop, with oils burning so that even your nose was happy to enter.
2 rue de la Verrerie
Mamz'Elle Swing.
The women working in this place is all decked out in 30s swing attire. It puts you in the mood as soon as you walk in, as does the swing music being played. A nice collection of 30s and 40s vintage items and clothing. Very cool.
35bis rue du roi de Sicile.
The King of Frip.
This place is a bit more disorganized than the other establishments mentioned, and seems to care a bit less about being choosy in what they sell. That said, there are some pretty good finds here, for great prices, if you dig. Don't miss the downstairs too.
33 rue du roi de Sicile.

Vintage Desir.
A cool place to get selected, collected, vintage shoes, clothes and accessories.
32 Rue des Rosiers
Chapellerie Simon.

This is one of my absolute favorite hat shops in all of Paris. They are filled to the roof with hats from all decades. Whether you want that sweet little 30s hat, or a stylish one for your man, or a summer wide-brimmed straw hat...this place has it all.

11 rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie

Noir Kennedy:
is a blacked-out dream destination in Le Marais for vintage hunters and rockabillies alike. Aged Converse shoes, choice selections of reconditioned baseball and Levi’s jackets and collections from new brands such as Cheap Monday line the walls and racks of this store. Far from being one of those junk-filled thrift stores overflowing with stretched XXL t-shirts and Mickey Mouse sweaters, the emphasis here is on wearable, quality vintage and the selection simply smacks of cool.The prices are cheap (for a Parisian clothes shop) and the oodles of favorable gems have been tastefully hoarded from vintage outlets far and wide with stock updated and added to regularly. Expect to bump into some of the skinny minnies of Paris’ indie scene as you hop in and out of the lovely old English telephone booths that function as the changing rooms whilst you fashion your new Pete Doherty look against the moody twang of the old school soundtrack.

12 and 22 rue Roi de Sicile 4th arr