Thursday, September 19, 2013

MARTI'S BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER 18, 2013
THE DINNER PARTY

Last night Marti and I hosted several of our favorite people to help celebrate my bride’s birthday.


I had given Marti her card and gifts from me earlier in the day. She’s wearing the Swarovski necklace I found for her. Not shown: a special Clinique cosmetics ensemble, which came with a cool beach bag that she’ll be pressing into action in just a couple of weeks. The Birthday Festival will be going on the road to Greece. Below is a pic of the house we’ll be renting for two weeks on the island of Spetses. Nice view from the balcony, eh?






I took Marti to B-Day lunch at a tiny café right here on rue Blomet. They serve both French and Vietnamese food. Marti had pho; I ordered bo bun.


This tiny, well-worn sepia photo of Marti and her father was included with the birthday card he sent her. Marti’s 91-year-old dad has been carrying this memento in his wallet for decades. (I think the image was made just a few years after the invention of photography.)


Table for eight. My mom’s china, Marti’s grandmother’s table linens and our friend Sheri’s beautiful handmade trivet tiles.


Props to our neighborhood florist and friend Farell Legendre of La Vie Fleurie on rue Lecourbe. Farell and his team created an autumnal-themed centerpiece that worked perfectly with the dinnerware and tablecloth.


My menu for the evening.


Marti fetches one of the several bottles of wine we enjoyed with dinner, among them a 1989 Bourgueil, 2001 Côtes de Bourg, 2011 Petit Chablis and a 2012 Ardèche Chardonnay. We sipped Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut with the hors d'œuvres.


Our pal Alyce. She and I were running buddies in Woodstock back in the Seventies.


Alyce’s husband John. Residents of San Diego and Baja, they are on the second leg – two weeks in Paris – of a ten-week Europe tour. Here John is seen consulting a book he acquired last week in England entitled “How To Keep On The Low Whilst Traveling Abroad.” John does not appear in any of the party pics because he took them all.


Our neighbors Michela, Stéphane and daughter June journeyed all the way across the fifth floor landing to fête Ms. Marti.


Longtime Paris homies Ileana and Jorge. They completed the multicultural gathering for Marti’s party. Natives of France, Madagascar, the U.S., Cuba and Argentina in da house! I just stayed in the kitchen rattlin’ them pots and pans while they all translated each other.


Le gateau d'anniversaire. From our favorite bakery in the ‘hood: Pichard. On Sunday I had collaborated with the cutest blonde behind the counter to come up with a chocolate mousse cake emblazoned “Joyeux Anniversaire – Hey Marty (sic) Let’s Party!”


Marti shares a laugh with Ily and Jorge. They had a special surprise for her.


Ileana and Jorge’s sixteen-year-old son Antonio – whom we’ve known since he was a little boy – spent several weeks in Cuba this past summer visiting his maternal grandmother and uncle. As 21st-Century kids do, he hooked up with new friends in Havana and kicked down the following video. It’s killer! And it had its Left Bank Premiere last night at Studio 85, rue Blomet.


June hit the dance floor as soon as we started the video. Antox clearly has a new fan.

And Marti had a rockin’ birthday!

No comments :

Post a Comment