Just A Quickie

Apparently, I seemed to have caused some confusion with my last blog.  From the comments received, I appear to have suggested that it was my last blog and that I must, as Hemingway, continue to write.....Okay, maybe Hemingway is a bit of a stretch.  So to set things straight, here is a quick update on our latest Paris adventure.

As is customary for this time of year, Roland-Garros [the French Tennis Open] started this week.  I've blogged on this last year so I won't rant on about the French and how they think this is the most important tennis tournament in the world.  Every match, every stroke, every serve, is televised.  And Wimbledon, what's that?  You're lucky if you even get a box score.  But I digress.

On Friday, Pierre [you all remember him from an earlier blog....he taught me how to butcher and prepare my own rabbit],  came over for a drink.  With Roland-Garros on the telly, I was reminded of Pierre's friend, Olivier, whom we met at a dinner party chez Pierre last year.  Olivier is "un orfèvre," a gold and silversmith,  who owns "Lapparra" an ancient and highly renowned  Atelier in the Haut-Marais.   Lapparra has been in business since 1893, so it is one of Paris' venerable institutions.    And, to the point, Lapparra designs and fabricates the Roland-Garros trophies; the big one that you see the champions raise and the individual ones that they each get to keep.  They also design and manufacture by hand, important trophies for various events, including Longchamps - for those of you who are horse-racing fans.  So I asked Pierre if it was possible to visit Olivier's studio.

Turns out that this weekend was the "Nomades 2010," an annual event where over 100 art studios and artisans in the 3rd "arronde" open their galleries, factories and studios to the public.  So on Saturday, we took a walk to the Marais and Olivier's studio.  Et voilá, there was Pierre to greet us  - turns out Pierre was helping out in the Lapparra showroom while Olivier gave tours.  We joined up with several  people as they embarked on Olivier's tour of the "Atelier."

For security reasons, we didn't take any pictures, but Katherine was absorbed looking at all the gold and silver bits and pieces that were hanging around waiting to be joined up to form a trophy or punch bowl or some such item.  Just listening to Olivier describe and demonstrate how the artisans shape the gorgeous knives, forks and spoons that they make was fascinating.  I was blown away by the antiquity of the tools and machines used to fabricate the tableware and artifacts.  It was amazing to hear how much manual labor went into preparing a trophy, cup, or spoon.  I was even more fascinated by the "piles" of gold and silver "trash"-scrapings, dust, ribbons of gold and silver filling up trash cans.  I even touched some dust and discovered that I now had a 24 carat fingerprint! 

After the tour, we spent the next hour in the studio talking with Olivier and Pierre about some of the more exotic creations like a huge centerpiece made for the King of Morocco.  You have to see it to believe it.  One table was set with an entire line of Art Deco silverware which is destined for an upcoming showing in New York. 

So if you ever make it to Paris, visit Lapparra.  You will be warmly welcomed and amazed at what you see. Here is the URL:

http://www.lapparra.fr/en/goldsmith-silversmith-lapparra.htm