Paris, Bordeaux, Berlin, and again Paris....two enchanted weeks that went by much too quickly, as all good times do.  The room at our hotel on avenue de Tourville had a lovely little balcony - what a better way to greet the day than to look over the roofs and domes and spires spread out before us? 
 
We celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary by the fireplace of a XIIIth century house now a romantic restaurant with delicious food.  The exhibits at Malmaison and the Institut du Monde Arabe were worth the trip, and there were unexpected pleasures, like striking up a conversation with the charming 

couple sitting next to us with their dog at a lively brasserie in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.  Chatting the evening away over a delectable plateau de fruits de mer is my idea of a perfect time!  
 
Our friends Gloria and Yves Saillard hosted a delightful gathering in Bordeaux and overwhelmed us with their warm reception - in spite of arriving unpardonably late due to traffic and getting lost on the way.  Eighty-three bottles of wine were deemed worthy of crossing the ocean, and the three bottles we sampled complemented perfectly the lavish lunch cooked by our hostess, Atarah Ben Tovim, a distinguished flutist and dear friend, who is our portrait of the month.    
 
Berlin was a whirlwind...so much to see, so little time!  Thanks to our friends and hosts Janet and Mike Jahncke, we covered a lot of ground, ate copiously, and enjoyed every minute...especially the last evening's glittering performance of Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier at the Staatsoper - three and a half hours of glorious music and singing were pure joy, even without surtitles!    
 
Style and fashion got their due my second time in Paris with Janet.  The fashion museum, the Musee Galliera, had a major exhibit on "The Empire of Crinolines 1852-1870," under the Second Empire:  dresses, jewelry, accessories, paintings...and best of all, an exquisite cashmere shawl manufactured by Emile Hebert (alas, no pictures allowed!)in the 1860's. The boutiques at the Ave. Montaigne overflowed with luxury goods:  hand-made shoes, exquisitely-embroidered linens, haute couture clothes, edible masterpieces!  In the galleries at the Champs Elysees we found a few affordable gifts and enjoyed people-watching at a busy café.  Did you know that you can sit outdoors any time of the year thanks to heaters hanging from the canopies?   And that it's hard to find a chic Parisian not wearing an artfully draped scarf or stole?   Our best find, a consignment boutique chock-full of gently used designer clothes and accessories came unfortunately too late for serious shopping, but will be a first stop next time I am in Paris.       
 
Another unexpected treat just before leaving was a visit to the Musée de la Toile de Jouy just outside Versailles, offering a dazzling array of fine printed cottons from the 18th century onwards.  And a walk in the park outside Malmaison where Josephine caught her fatal cold was a fitting way to say au revoir to France before heading for the airport.    
 
I came back brimming with ideas for Swan Ways' new collection and will unveil them at an open house hosted by Sherry Rock on May 2 - please mark your calendars!  And, if you could use a new accessory for a special event or gift, please give me a call and come over - I'd be delighted to see you any time. 
 
As always, thank you for subscribing to our newsletter, and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.  It is always a pleasure to hear from you. 
 
With warmest regards, 
 

                    Alix Sundquist