Lest you get the idea that my life here in Paris is as sweet and cushy as an éclair, let me tell you that thank heavens Paris is grand, or I would not survive these petits enfants!

That said, they are very sweet sometimes, but they both seem to switch temperaments in an instant, and I am always on guard. So, if they warrant a further post, I will post it. For now, I’d rather share my fun and exciting day yesterday! (Did I mention that Wednesday is the day that there is no school in Paris? Today is Wednesday).

Tuesday morning I looked up my Metro itinerary for my two errands, and wrote down the names of the stations I needed to connect to, as well as the names of the lines’ final destinations for directional purposes. The system is quite simple to navigate, actually. Most places in Paris will mention the nearest Metro station when they list their address, and since the stations are placed in high density, there is never too much walking in case the weather is bad.

Well, my first stop was at Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt, which is kind of a hoot when its name is announced over the loud speaker in a French accent. This stop was right near the Champs-Elysées and I found my way to rue de Ponthieu without issue. The Gagosian Gallery, where I was headed for a press preview of its newly opened space – the first in Paris – is situated just next door to Christie’s auction house and certainly in an area where mighty art collectors will easily venture.

I entered the building, checked in with the gallery’s PR staff and met the woman I’d been emailing with from Los Angeles. She told me Cy Twombly‘s work was on the first floor, and on the second, Jean Prouvé‘s. She said the press packets where at the desk and after I’d finished, I was welcome to the reception.

There were not many other people there – maybe four PR people downstairs, maybe five photographers (the five or so journalists seemed to have moved on to the food) and three or four gallery girls seated upstairs at the second desk, in addition to 3 security guards. I almost had the art to myself!

After I entered and found my way to the back room with the press releases, I removed my jacket and took out my camera. Almost immediately as I did so, this French woman came out of nowhere and asked me a question. I didn’t understand and for a second I thought I was in trouble. But then she said – “Do you speak English? Will you put on your jacket? I’d like to take your photo.” I agreed, and posed a couple times in front of one of Twombly’s pieces from Camino Real. The colors where quite striking with my jacket, so I was hoping that the image would make it way onto the gallery’s press page on its website. She left before I remembered to ask for her card. Before I knew it, another photographer snapped some shots of me and his was the one that made it on the internet with AFP’s news release.

Anyway, the Twomblys were certainly colorful, but the Jean Prouvé show in the project room upstairs interested me more. He was a mass-architect for France in the mid-20th century and his designs for housing were meant to be erected in a day, requiring only two laborers. There were videos to demonstrate the ease of construction, and huge wood and metal and glass elements to walk among. Once I had seen my fill, I sampled some jus de pamplemousse (so good!) and had a little almond-y bite.

From there I was off to the corporate office of Cointreau to pick up my member admission key to the temporary cocktail bar that has been established in Paris for this month. (Initially this key was meant to be sent to me in Los Angeles, but I never received it, so I tracked down the contact person and asked if I could just come by and pick it up. Not a bad way to get a little inside peak in the process!)

Back to Franklin Roosevelt, over to Mº Chaussée d’Antin-LaFayette in the 9th arrondissment. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this is right smack dab where the Galeries LaFayette is, which is a large shopping mall. Anyway, the address I’d be given was 21, boulevard de Chaussée d’Antin. I soon discovered that this did not exist. First of all, there was no boulevard, it was a rue. Secondly, the numbers skipped from the 40s to the teens, spanning a very large intersection. After walking nearly each path of the 6+ roads that all came together in this area, including stopping for a small cup of thé in a café while it rained, I finally decided that the address I’ve received was bogus and that I should just break down and lift the internet block on my iPhone so I could pull up the email the Cointreau woman had sent me so I get could her phone number and her actual address. Beneath the very same email in which she gave me the non-existant address was 21, boulevard Haussmann. I figured that had to be it, and once I made it there (mere steps from the Metro station) I had probably spent more than an hour in the area already!

Anyway, I checked in at the front desk of the office building, surrendered my driver’s license in return for a visitor’s badge, and made my way up to the 3rd floor. I had finally made it! I gave my name to the woman at the Cointreau reception and she handed me my long-awaited package!! I finally had both my name on the list and the coveted entry key to the last remaining week of the Cointreau Privé! To be honest, all of this was just an elaborate PR stunt, but I’m sure the drinks are nice enough and I’m really going because I want to see the décor fashioned by Dita von Teese and I’m curious to see the crowd.

Back on the Metro, I took the train to Mº Franklin Roosevelt so I could connect back to the #1 line. Well, I made it back to the #1, but I was going in the wrong direction! I got off, switched back to the westward-bound, and then dazed out and passed my connection by a station! I then got off, went in the opposite direction, got to the intended Mº Charles de Galle-Étoile and finally made it back to Mº Monceau. My little adventure was worth it, though. After all this, I will probably have a fantastic time just for my trouble!

p.s. The children’s rabbit is called Cerise (“ser-REEZ”), which means Cherry.

Addendum: New photos from my visit to Remy-Cointreau and pictures of a pop-collage Fiat near the Gagosian!

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