Paris is never over
french indie sleaze, a bitcoin nightmare, and what is and isn't worth buying in france
WHAT I’M INTO
Press Play: “Dis-Moi” by BB Brunes
A light desire for violence. Who among us? This is a French song from the OG indie sleaze era by a group of Parisian childhood friends. You can hear the influence bands like The Strokes and The Ramones had on these boys. They repeatedly ask the target of their affection, “Dis moi si j'dois partir ou pas” AKA tell me if I should leave or not. Teenage love can be insecure with a violent desire to throw down when she’s kissing other boys.
Borrow from ur local public library: A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway
Two back-to-back Hemingway reads, but that man loved France. I chose this book for my last leg in Paris because I see it as his love letter to the city. His widow and fourth wife published the memoir posthumously. It’s a short book. I opted for the raw version, but you can read the 2009 version his grandson edited if you’d like. He writes a series of interrelated vignettes, describing his walking routes and venues. He tells us about his favorite cafe for writing and the bookstore from which he borrows books and admires yet shit-talks his canonical contemporaries. Ultimately, he bids farewell to his adopted home (this can’t possibly be a spoiler, you should know he didn’t die in Paris!), but decides that “there’s never any ending to Paris.” I agree. I left Paris this week. It was bittersweet but way easier than leaving Marseille.
Anti-algorithm news: ‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town by Andrew R Chow (Time)
If you’re looking for a long-form piece to read this weekend, might I suggest this investigation into what’s going on in Granbury, Texas? I don’t have to tell you about crypto’s environmental impact. But we don’t know the long-term health implications of living next to crypto mining facilities because it’s a new technology. Chow talks to 40 Granbury residents who believe that noise from the new mine in town is causing ailments like migraines, panic attacks, vertigo, and tinnitus.
Some of the online responses to this piece are vile. People, presumably from blue states, are blaming people for voting for Republicans who don’t believe in regulations. This doesn’t account for gerrymandering or the long history of voter suppression in the state. Do better.
WHAT I’M GRATEFUL FOR
Returning to New York: I loved my time away, but I will always think New York is the best city in the world.
Thunderstorms that curb the heat: New York summers mean cleavage and torrential downpours. This week’s heat wave downed the JMZ lines for some time. We caught a break on Wednesday night after it rained. The weather’s been lovely since.
NYC Martinis: to mark my return to the city, PKH and I went to L’Americana so I could have my first proper martini since April. God bless America.
WHAT I’M UP TO
Paris felt like the right place to wrap my French expat era. My only goal? Leave before the Olympics Opening Ceremony (Side note: Paris was NOT ready for the Olympics when I left this week. I wish them well!). I spent most of my time in museums or ballet classes. Because I had already done the major players in the museum circuit, HG invited me to join her at the Marmottan Monet. This museum is in the 16th, a neighborhood I can only describe as a mix of the UES and The Bronx. It’s the wealth and quiet of UES with the accessibility of The Bronx. I love how Monet found inspiration in his garden every day. There are enough water lily paintings to fill this room, with leftovers for other museums.
Because I wrapped French classes after Marseille, I had more time for spontaneity in Paris. Something I love about New York is how you can leave your apartment at 10AM with zero plans and return at 5AM. This is less likely in Paris, because most people have their weeks planned out in advance. But it’s still possible.
I trekked to Le Bal for a Yasuhiro Ishimoto exhibit on a Saturday with erratic weather and invited a local friend. That impromptu evening would wrap up with more friends, dining at a nearby Montmartre restaurant. Ishimoto’s work bridges East and West. His photographs of the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto influenced modern architecture and are reminiscent of Mondrian paintings. Actually, if I’m being honest, Mondrian paintings are reminiscent of Ishimoto’s photos).
If you didn’t know, Dover Street Market opened a Paris location. They have a great cafe, where you can take a beat and feel like you’re in a spaceship in Le Marais.
On my last night in town, I passed the French baton to CO’M. She’s starting her self-directed artist residency in Paris but had enough time to send me off with steak frites + an Irish blessing. I’ve had a pas mal summer. And there’s still so much summer left!
So what should you buy in France? I’ll start with the basics: French butter & wine/champagne!
Beyond that, spices, baking ingredients, items by European designers, perfume vintage goods, linen, SOME pharmacy products (but not the ones you think), and make-up by french designers (Chanel, Dior, Lancome).
Get your spices from Épices Roellinger and baking ingredients from G. Detou. For other items, Le Bon Marche is good (albeit not cheap).
Which pharmacy products are worth it? Cicaplast B5 with SPF (I don’t think they sell the SPF version in the US), Eucerin Urea face lotion, and oil SPF (my favorites are Caudalie + SVR, 50 SPF).
What can you skip?
Le Beurre Bordier is one of the best butters in town, but you can buy it in New York. If you insist on buying it in France, you can download this map (I did, so I could also find it in Le Sud). Before it was readily available in New York, I would travel with it (the trick is to freeze it first). Then, I relied on The French Cheeseboard to import it a few times a year, but they’ve since closed their shop. These days, I buy it from The Tin Building. Unfortunately, their manager told me this week that the last two Bordier shipments that arrived at the port melted and had to be returned. They hope to have a new shipment next week, fingers crossed.
Most French pharmacy products! You can find them in the US or online. I get them from my pharmacy, Tribeca Apothecary. For regular face SPF, nothing works better than Japanese or Korean sunscreen, so French face sunscreen isn’t worth it. Biologique Recherche sunscreen also sucks (IN MY OPINION).
xxsem
P.S., Jack Schlossberg (Kennedy nepo baby turned Vogue political correspondent) shared his thoughts on the Chevron deference ruling. We’re aligned.
love l’americana! also thanks the tin building butter tip 🙏🏽