Fine Arts Paris Biennale, Carrousel de Louvre 2022

 

A pet monkey and dog are arguing amidst delicious chaos. Still lives are trending this Fall since the Louvre’s major exhibit, Les Choses opened. Painted by Flemish painter Jan van Kessel, a painter active in Antwerp in the mid 17th century, born 1629. It did not indicate whether it was the younger or the elder? He did paint a lot of bugs also.

Yesterday I went to a preview of the preview for Fine Arts Paris held in the Carrousel de Louvre and on view through Sunday, the 13th.

Friday nights at the Louvre

 

Earful Tower just did a terrific post on How To Visit The Louvrewith 6 excellent tips from a guide. 

Most helpful tips like where to enter etc. Here’s my hot tip PBers. Ta Da Go to the Louvre on Friday night. Ooops Earful Tower does indeed mention going at night!

Les Thermalies 2013

Jeudi 24 janvier Les Salon des Thermalies

This arresting poster was in all the Metro papers. Cut it out and attend free a spa convention in the Carrousel du Louvre. Why not?

I've reached the conclusion that bathtubs are a sign of luxury in Paris...

Certainement in Parisian tiny apartments a shower is the most practical form of ablutions available (usually in a closet-like space).

I'm lucky to have quite a nice sized sale de baine in my little studio but it's still got a shower not a tub.

Back to the spa convention, Les Thermalies. There were 6 theme-based exhibition areas. This thing was huge and ran for FOUR days! Who knew?

Mud is big in France. Another surprise. Well any kind of treatment but especially salt/sea water in the North on the Atlantic coast and mud treatments. Spas from all over the world showed up and the place was jumping full of interested clientel signing on the dotted line.

I took a special liking to this elegant Venetian dipping his hand in a big pot of mud from Venice...in and out as an enticement to his spa.

Another area was dedicated to Le Salon de l'eau et du bien-etre/well being offering innumerable on-the-spot treatments - massages, facials, posture insoles, brushes for dead skin - endless choices plus mineral waters. Being thin and looking perfect does not come easily. Hard work is involved.

Framboise/raspberry creams looked appealing. There were big plates of fresh seafood available as well. Very a pro po.

Back to tubs. I have been on one of these tables getting a massage while shower heads soak you once long ago at Eugenie les Bains for a weeks stay in my salad days (whatever that means). They fed us lots of salades bien sur - cuisine minceur de Michel Guerard. The kilos fell off me. 

These bathtubs were like boats - enormous!

And elaborate. I must reveal that French Girl has a 'shaped' bathtub I found difficult to get out of - French hips are non-existent.

Here's a not so luxe bathtub from the darling musee du Jouets in Poissy..ahem
Probably the closest I'll get to a bathtub in Paris is this fishbowl. Still attending Les Thermalies was eye-opening. Don't miss it next year if you get the chance.