Lynn and I had some extra time in Le Havre to see some other sites and we found two other excellent and highly recommended things of interest.
Le Havre was heavily damaged in WW II and about two thirds of the buildings were destroyed. Architect Auguste Perret was selected to rebuild the city, which lasted from 1945 to 1964. The architecture of post war Le Havre was listed as a UNESCO Hertitage Site in 2005.
One of Auguste Perret’s projects was a model apartment for the modern post war family. The model was originally shown at the 1947 Worlds Fair and was later executed in the Porte Ocean housing block. Perret chose designers Rene Gabriel to furnish the living room and Marcel Gascoin to furnish the children’s bedroom. A fully reconstructed model apartment is now open for public viewing and there are guided one-hour tours that Lynn and I took.
The 100 square meter apartment is comprised of three bedrooms, living room, library/den, bathroom and kitchen and filled with the then very modern day conveniences such as a pressure cooker, yogurt maker, Frigidaire, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and floor polisher. All the furniture and accessories are from the period and it looks like a set from a 50s sitcom like Donna Reed or Leave it to Beaver. Perret purposely made the living room the focal point of the apartment and cleverly made it modular with sliding doors and partitions to either enlarge or reduce the space along with a collapsible dining table.
Right before we headed to the train station we visited another Perret designed structure, Saint Joseph Church. Built in the Neo-Classical style, it was constructed between 1951 and 1958, with a 350-foot cement steeple. The reflections of the stained glass windows were spectacular, creating a kaleidoscope on the floors and pillars.
Perret Show Flat
181 rue de Paris, 76600 Le Havre
Open end of June-early Sept.: 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm; rest of year: Wed and weekends 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm
http://www.lehavre.fr
My Paris Apartment for Rent
I am renting my fabulous Paris apartment in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul metro, from November 30 to December 16, a total of 17 nights. It's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator.
The price is 2800 euros/165 per night for 17 nights, 1500 euros for 7 nights, and anything in between 7 & 15 nights, 175 euros per night. Minimum rental 7 nights or 1500 euros. Photos upon request.
Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
