Spent most of one day last week at the D&D building, looking for some special toiles for a new client. Holiday spirit was everywhere, reminding me to make time later this month for a stroll down Fifth Ave. I left with heavy bags, dozens of samples and a few great ideas.

Since childhood I’ve never eaten the skin of fruits and vegetables. It amuses friends to see me skin everything from tomatoes to peppers to asparagus to grapes. So I was gratified when the waiter at Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne in Manhattan brought me my perfect vegetable salad. Even the tiny cherry tomatoes were peeled. The mixture of peas, fava beans, string beans, yellow beets, endive and mini blue potatoes was lightly steamed, with goat cheese and drops of raspberry vinaigrette accenting the natural flavors. It’s hard not to be a French snob when you enjoy such a delicate, refreshing dish. The entrees and dessert were not too shabby either.

I was paging through Veranda magazine when I discovered that a unique Parisian institution has finally arrived in New York.  No longer must I either make my own French macarons (see recipe book) or wait for a trip to Paris to savor them at Laduree. This most charming of patisseries is opening a New York shop. Taking in the sights and smells upon entering the shop approaches sensory overload. If, like me, you are a lover of fine sweets, the intoxication of actually sampling one of these treats is one of life’s great pleasures.

The view from the front porch of my friends’ perfect log cabin home a few hours north of Manhattan in Pine Plains is simply stunning. One morning during our recent stay we were up early and Ken captured the mist rolling over the hills with these moody photos.

Ever wondered what it would have been like to be a member of the French aristocracy before the revolution? Paris: Life and Luxury, a show at the Getty Museum in LA, takes you there. Integrating painting with the decorative arts, the show guides you through a day in the life of an eighteenth century aristocrat in Paris. “Before the Ball”, by Jean Francois de Troy places you in the room with a comptesse or duchesse, her attendants and friends, as she prepares for an evening’s entertainment. If her evening included playing chemin de fer, she might have used this exquisite gaming box in porcelain, gilt and diamonds by Du Paquier. The exhibition features everything from furniture to fashion to lighting to musical instruments. With a little imagination you can find yourself reveling in the life of the lucky few in the fashion and cultural epicenter of Europe before the guillotine fell.

As a frustrated landscape architect I love exploring large public gardens. During our recent trip to Portland, Oregon we visited the most authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan. Upon entering the 5.5 acre garden I was taken by its tranquil beauty, the sense of peace and harmony that pervade the artful assemblage of stone, water and plants. There are gardens in five different styles, but for me the Natural Garden is most appealing. There is no symmetry, no geometric pattern. The Tuileries it is not. Instead I was seduced by an idealized rendering of nature itself.

After four days of concentrated effort I’ve determined that Portland, Oregon has the most intriguingly delicious restaurants in the US. Guided efficiently by my stepson and his inamorata, we made our own breakfast pancakes at Slappy Cakes, drank Rhubarb Blushes at The Whisky Soda Lounge, ate the house charcuterie at Olympic Provisions, tasted rabbit at Lincoln, had a coq au vin the French would envy at Le Petite Oiseau, and ended with homemade Smores at Ned Ludd. They say Portland is where young people go to retire. If so, they’re eating well in their golden years.

This small, intimate flower shop in Paris demonstrates so many typical French touches: great variety, but all the bouquet’s feature the same flower in the same color, in tight bundles. The upholstered red walls, antique mirror and antique wood floor provide a sumptuous environment for these delicate creations. I was intoxicated by the sensory overload and would have bought the entire shop if I could have.

This magnificent Russian Orthodox church is not in St. Petersburg or Moscow or Kiev. It’s a few blocks from my parent’s apartment in Nice. Prior to the Revolution Nice was a favorite playground for Russian aristocrats, and shortly before his reign ended rather abruptly, the last Tsar, Nicolas II, funded this cathedral, which was finished in 1912. Nice became even more popular with the Russian nobility when they had no home to go back to, and the area around the cathedral is full of Russian named buildings and streets. Lately the émigré community has been joined by super rich Russian oligarchs who’ve bought pricey mansions nearby. The Russian government just won a court case asserting it’s ownership, which has now gone full circle, from old Tsar Nicholas to new Tsar Vladimir Putin.

It was a dreary, cold, damp day in Paris. We were walking near Notre Dame when I saw this couple keeping each other warm the old fashioned way. You see more public displays of affection in France, and the promenade along the Seine, even in winter, is a popular spot. Good food, wine, and romance are really all you need to keep warm.