Exclusive News: Urban Jungle Bloggers In Paris

My blog post is pretty late today but this had a good excuse - I was waiting for the official publication of our fun video interview Judith and I did as Urban Jungle Bloggers for 'The Joy of Plants'. We had the honor to kick start a new interview series about plant loving people and the team of 'The Joy of Plants' followed us along on a weekend in Paris.

I have given a little glimpse in this blog post already, but today I want to share a few shots from the film crew and - yes of course - the video itself. Judith and I had a great time filming with the crew in Paris and showing them our favorite green spots in the City of Lights like the vertical green garden in the Rue des Petits Carreaux, the atelier 'Green Factory' in the Rue Lucien Sampaix or 'Le Comptoir Général' along the Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement.

We've been very curious to see the final results as the filming took place beginning of November (yes can you believe that weather back then!!) and today we can conclude: it was a success and looks pretty cool, don't you agree?

For both of us this was a wonderful momentum to mark the one year anniversary of our mutual blogger project, the Urban Jungle Bloggers. Over that course of time we have seen so many of you join the green digital family and share your ideas about living, styling and decorating with plants. We also hope to see even more of you join in the fun - you can easily subscribe to our monthly topics HERE. After all we truly believe that plants can make people happy!

Images & video by The Joy of Plants

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From Place To Space: Summer In Paris

With summer reaching slowly its end, I think it's time to take a full scoop of it again. Let me take you to my second home town Paris for this summery scoop. I spent a very sunny and warm weekend a few weeks ago and discovered a few new favorite spots in the 'City of Light' - let's have a little summer walk through Paris, shall we?

This time I was set to discover a little bit of Paris' 9th arrondissement which stretches from the borders of the Montmartre district in the north to the more posh 2nd and 8th arrondissement in the south and southwest. That stretch can be seen within the 9th arrondissement too - it starts off a bit unspectacular and rather residential in the north and becomes more and more classy and posh towards the south - it also includes some landmark sights like the Galeries Lafayette, Printemps or the Opera. 

One very beautiful spot in the 9th arrondissement of Paris is the picturesque and very Parisian Place Saint Georges. Beautiful Haussmannian buildings linde the square, little cafés and restaurants and the Theatre Saint Georges make this a picture perfect spot for a Paris experience. Just around the corner you will also find the fabulous restaurant Le Bon Georges. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with excellent and well chilled rosé wine on a very hot Paris summer night there. The staff is very friendly, the restaurant's interior design is an epitome of a Parisian bistro and the menu is exquisite boasting with seasonal produce from small French farms. If you want a magic dinner for two in Paris, go there, you will not regret it!

The Place Saint Georges is a good starting point for a little walk around the center of Paris, too. Walking from the restaurant Le Bon Georges you will find a cool concept store featuring fashion, jewelry and design just around the corner - Sept Cinq is dedicated to 100 % design made in Paris and offers a little café corner too for a shopping break. 

After the 9th arrondissement I took a stroll down towards the southeast past the Palais Garnier to the 3rd arrondissement with its little organic restaurants and cool cafés. I stopped at the Café Loustic to enjoy a great iced coffee with maple syrup and I tried a homemade ice tea, too. I loved the cool and urban interior design mixing styles, colours and patterns. Great spot for a little break in Paris!

After that I walked down to the Seine to peek at the busy Paris Plage, a summer beach along the Seine river during July and August bringing some seaside vibes to the heart of Paris. Lovely but pretty busy and lots of kids - still a nice sighting during summer. However, Paris Plage has finished two weeks ago so you will need to wait for coming summer to experience the sandy Seine riverside again. Oh and once you're at the Seine, stay there for a fantastic sundowner - a wonderful Paris experience!

If you feel the need for a sweet break I recommend a stop over at the Pâtisserie des Rêves - you can find one branch in the BHV department store. I tried a financier and a canelé à l'orange - beyond delicious! Especially the canelé made me swoon - I will have to return there the next time again.

To round things up I drove back to my home base in Paris, the 20th arrondissement. Off the beaten track and devoid of tourists, you can enjoy beautiful sights of Paris and the Tour Eiffel from the lush green Parc de Belleville. Just atop the park you will find a very vivid spot for young Parisians, the O'Paris. Have a seat, take a sip and look down at the eternal 'City of Light'. 

Happy summer week, my friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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From Place To Space: Morning In The 20th Arrondissement In Paris

Hello my dear readers! I am back after a wonderful time in Paris and brought back loads of pictures of the ever inspiring City of Lights. Many of you know that I am a frequent traveler to Paris and no matter how often I travel to Paris I am always enchanted by the fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower, the magic of Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre and the timeless beauty of the Louvre. But I dearly love the areas of Paris that are off the beaten path. The parts of Paris that are actually devoid of tourists and the regular habitat of locals. Like the 20th arrondissement in the east of Paris.

In fact, I have my second home in the 20th arrondissement in Paris which is why I love this quarter in particular. It is comprised of an area called Belleville and Ménilmontant, both of which used to be villages at the eastern outskirts of Paris thus not even belonging to the city itself. Over time as the city grew, this areas have been included in the city borders and made the 20th arrondissement.

The charms of this part of Paris is that you can actually still see that formerly this used to be villages. There are many hidden corners in the 20th arrondissement: Secret passages, cobbled streets, small houses, hidden courtyards, many of the houses there have even got a garden - a real rarity in Paris! I have even discovered a garden with ripe kiwis - probably the only ones in Paris. But this arrondissement has become as urban and cosmopolitan as the rest of the city, too. Big boulevards, great shopping opportunities, a very mixed population and an authenticity that I sometimes miss in those central, touristic areas of Paris. Oh, and one of the greatest French stars was from this very corner of Paris: The one and only Edith Piaf was born in Belleville.

I walked around Belleville and Ménilmontant on a overcast Tuesday morning and took pictures on the way. I walked through many quiet, almost empty alleys and wondered who lived in those small houses facing cobbled streets, having little gardens and courtyards. And yes, I was dreaming how it would be to own such a small house in the big city. Maybe this would be the best combination: A big city life in your own little village atmosphere. Moreover, the 20th arrondissement is trending right now - various corners in Belleville and Ménilmontant have become the new hip neighborhoods with great bars, restaurants, galleries and ateliers. I hope this will inspire you too and if you ever want to visit those corners of Paris, feel free to drop me an email!

Photography by Igor Josifovic, map via Wikipedia, skyline silhouette via In Transition

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