Paris in August?

 Freezing in March

That's always a big question. Half the people I ask, including my cousin who lives there, says "No" (That's also because she won't be there!) Then there's the other half that say, "Yes! It's still Paris!"

Most Parisians leave the city in August to take their annual vacation.  A few years ago, our July trip in Paris went into the first week of August and I didn't notice anything different. But a few recent emails back and forth to a respected dealer at the Clignancourt flea market revealed that she and other dealer friends will be out of town from the "second week of August til the 29th", and that the flea market will of course be open, but will be "quieter" in August. 

Climbing Diamond Head

 

 

Nothing is as iconic of Honolulu as Diamond Head.  Looming over the southeastern part of the island of Oahu, Diamond Head is also popularly used by the locals as a reference point for giving or receiving directions. North, south, east, west are hardly mentioned, but "you go Diamond Head", or "you go Ewa (e-vah)",  meaning you go 'away from Diamond Head' are common. There are also the terms "mauka" for "towards the mountains" and "makai" for "towards the water".  Interesting ya? Read more about local directions here.

A New Chandelier Medallion

Let me take a break from all the travel posts to show you my new chandelier medallion. (Don't mind the wires, it's not 100% installed). I always felt my chandelier lacked something and never thought I'd find a medallion I liked "off-the-rack". Then I happened upon this...

 

I liked this medallion as soon as I saw it.  I thought that it would be a problem to install on a gypsum ceiling, but I guess not! I had carpenters building shelves at home, it was easy to add on their "to-do" list.

They removed the chandelier from the ceiling and suspended it from the trellis outside the house while they attached the medallion. The contrast of a chandelier on the deck was very interesting.

Maybe I can hang a small chandelier above the deck loungers. I'm now excited to look for a small antique chandelier!

 Maybe a three-bulb version of something like this?

Impression West Lake

 

photo from here

We hadn't seen much of Hangzhou since we were ensconced in the beautiful Fuchun Resort for a number of meetings. But on our last night, the whole group was going to watch  Impression West Lake. A few of the guys had seen it and said it was worth watching even twice.  I couldn't begin to imagine what a "lake show" was so I had no expectations.

Design Details at Fuchun Resort, Hangzhou

 

I was pleasantly surprised with the understated elegance of the Fuchun Resort in Hangzhou, China. The place is relaxed and tasteful. It is obvious that a lot of attention went into the details which are designed to create a serene atmosphere. It's very different from the Chinese design I know. And no, I haven't been around China extensively, but the little that I've been exposed to? Even the high end types are usually shiny, extravagant, colorful.