The Best of Paris: Summer 2014 Edition

THE BEST OF FRANCE: WHO TO MEET, WHERE TO GO

There is something magical about Paris that draws me back to that city again and again. Of course, this is a feeling shared by millions, as it was evident during my recent trip in the mid-July season, when its hard to walk in the Parisian streets without facing a mob of tourists.

Upon my arrival, I headed to the super-de-luxe L’Institute Guerlain for a 2 hour treatment that felt even better that it sounds thanks to the intimate feeling of the place, that looks and has the air of a fabulous Hotel particulier. Then I was ready to visit Guerlain’s 68 Champs Elysee flagship store and the chic and cozy Le 68 restaurant downstairs, where I joined the charming and confident Thierry Wasser, the “nose” behind the creation of over 300 Guerlain fragrances and his husband, ebullient event planner Lucas Somoza. After a delicious lunch of white asparaguses perfumed with orange, and monkfish in Indian spices by star chef Guy Martin, I was ready to visit the city’s exquisite gardens, galleries and cafes, and photograph artists, designers and fashionables along the way.

Thierry Wasser surrounded by his signature Guerlain fragrances at 68 Champs Elysee, recently renovated by top American architect, Peter Marino.

I also visited Le Royal Monceau-Raffles to enjoy another superlative massage at Spa, the My Blend by Clarins treatment, and I swam in the luxurious, Philippe Starks”s-designed pool. It was a perfect escape! (leroyalmonceau.com)

 Delectables at Guy Martin’s Michelin-stared restaurant

Thierry Wasser surrounded by his signature Guerlain fragrances at 68 Champs Elysee, recently rennovated by top American architect, Peter Marino

Renaissance woman, Kdom, former performer at the Crazy Horse, 

novelist and painter in her studio

Then I traveled to Arles, the charming French town on the South of France made famous by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gaugain and other painters of the 19th century looking for extraordinary light, bucolic landscapes and a peaceful life. There, at at , annual the prestigious Photo Festival, celebrating its 25th anniversary, was David Bailey, guru of swinging London and a fashion photography legend, accompanied by his gorgeous wife and muse.

Along with the many striking fashionables that frequent Colette, Paris’s hippest store, I inadvertently ran into Karl Lagerfeld.

Text and Images by Rose Hartman – rosehartmanphotography.com