PARIS is definitely the city of romance. You can be
with your love or traveling alone, or with strangers on a tour bus.
It doesn't matter. Once you inhale its beauty you're in a world of your
own.
The music filters from a nearby bistro or you catch some lyrics from
a song as you stroll the wide boulevards or explore along the crooked,
narrow streets. You feel the warmth of the sun as you see your face
reflected in the Seine. Or, if it's raining, you smile as the
leaves turn to shimmery silver, and the headlights from traffic turn the
wet street to neon.
Let
the City of Lights invade your heart, let your heart dance to its rhythms.
It's a memory your heart will always cherish.
Enough daydreaming. So you're seeing Paris for the first time,
or you've come so often you can bargain like a native. Or, perhaps,
you've never been yet. Please join me as we discover the old, the
new, the young, the wise, the mystery, the enchantment that puts a poem
in your heart and dancing slippers on your feet.
First Stop: The George V Hotel. Located at what is described
as The Golden Triangle, steps from the Champs Elysee and within view of
the Eiffel Tower, the George V is truly an oasis of beauty and calm in
the heart of Paris.
Originally designed in the 20's, the hotel is entrenched in the
history of the City of Lights. After a two year renovation and now
under the management of the Four Seasons, today it has the infrastructure
of the 21st Century. |
Lobby of George V Hotel
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Thankfully the new renovations have not hidden its glorious past,
but have recaptured the original splendor, plus adding a full spa and business
center.
According to General Manager Didier Le Calvez, instead of adding
they have decreased the number of rooms. "There are fewer rooms,
but they are larger more luxurious," he explained. "Also, we offer
the best in service. Each employee has gone through four separate
interviews, with attitude as important as a resume."
General Manager Didier Le Calvez oversaw every step
of the renovation
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I soon realized that service
was an indelible part of its present and past tradition. Le Calvez,
who I first met when he was General Manager of the Four Seasons Pierre
in New York, explained they have 600 employees and 245 rooms!
He also observed, We have the best wine cellars in most of Europe,
and there's a reason why. As the German Army was marching through
Paris in World War II, employees of the George V, sealed up the wine cellars
with brick. While the Nazi generals were occupying the hotel, they
didn't know underground were the finest wines in the world. |
When General Eisenhower made the hotel his headquarters in Paris,
Ike said one day the George V would again be restored as a great hotel.
Its legacy began in 1928 when its American owner, Joel Hillman, signed
the final check for its construction. It was $31 million! The
grand ballroom where kings and queens danced was christened the Prince
of Wales Salon.
Delve into its treasury of memories and you can almost hear the champagne
toasts as Parisian society gathered to celebrate the launch of the transatlantic
ocean line, the Ile de France. In '38, the forward thinking management
of the George V introduced air taxi service to and from London, Berlin
and Madrid.
Books and movies have spotlighted it, with everyone from Winston
Churchill to Yves Saint Laurent, from Mary Pickford to Mel Gibson
enjoying its hospitality.
From the moment I stepped into the George V Hotel, I was swept away.
There were flowers everywhere but not the usual arrangements. Blossoms
were not just deposited in a crystal
| vase, but were inserted at an angle-- instead
of seeing the stems and leaves you look right into the heads of the blossoms.
In another part of the grand foyer, there was a beautiful painting,
and nearby it was duplicated in flowers. The blossoms were the same
pastel shades, and the scene was continued from the wall across the marble
table, and petals cascaded down to the floor. Intermingled on the
floor were petals and candles. What a fantastic scene.
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Flowers transform the hotel into a garden of beauty.
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Each week there is a new floral
theme at the hotel.
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Flowers cascade down the wall,
onto table top and to floor.
Painting at right continues
the colorful arrangement.
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I had to know more about this. Soon I met a handsome 28-year-old
recently from California, but a native of Ogden, Utah. It was Jeff
Leatham, floral designer extraordinaire for the George V.
Jeff Leatham, floral designer, whose spectacular arrangements are
in keeping with the beauty of the new George V.
"Last year, I came from the Four Seasons, Los Angeles, to do floral
decorations for their grand opening. The guests were so amazed by
the floral displays that the management asked me to stay on. Now
I'm living my dream. Several years ago when I was a visiting student
in Paris, I was attracted to the vibrant flowers in a small shop.
I must have stayed there 45 minutes talking, looking and listening to the
owner."
Latham flashed me a 14- karat smile, "Life is so bizarrely blessed.
I came home and said I've found what I want to do with my life--work with
flowers."
His grandmother had the most beautiful flowers in Ogden, and his
father was an award winning landscape artist. "My father is so much
fun, even today, he doesn't just cut his lawn, but does it in half circles
so it looks like a art piece."
"Each week I have a different floral theme for the George V.
Last week every flower in the hotel was white rather like purifying it
for the season. I like to work with things that inspire me--paintings,
clothes, poetry--and work with other artists and inspire them, resulting
in something that makes me say, Wow that is truly beautiful."
Leatham says, The best ideas come by accident. "I had placed
some flowers in a bowl, and when I returned they had fallen at an oblique
angle. I thought why not leave them that way so the most beautiful
part of the flower the head shows in its full loveliness. You have
to be careful to achieve a careful balance between the weight of the water,
the bowl and the flowers."
Many Parisians stop by for tea at least once a week at the George
V just to see what floral spectacular greets their eyes.
After dinner, we had to stroll to the Eiffel Tower where it was glowing
like a giant candle ablaze with lights. In the warm weather, Paris
stays light for a long time. In the summer, it doesn't get dark until
9 or 10 p.m. It's delightful time to window wish as you stroll along
the tree-lined avenues.
Director of Restaurant & #1 Sommelier
in Europe, Eric Beaumard greets guests
at the award winning Le Cinq
Not to be missed is dinning at the Restaurant Le Cinq. Director
and Sommelier, (Named #1 in Europe) Eric Beaumard is proud of their wine
cellar, 36,000 bottles!
Gates open wide as you enter the Le Cinq Dining Room
Here is a copy of their tasting menu.
Sitting pretty with real flowers on the walls
and tables--any reason not to smile?
