tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053563546908229556.post2241002873044228720..comments2024-03-28T08:34:32.401+01:00Comments on Out and About with Mary Kay: The super cool ice wall and other contemporary art at Le Meurice in ParisMary Kay Bossharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790841060667671034noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053563546908229556.post-14063934599049018732014-09-12T14:33:27.189+02:002014-09-12T14:33:27.189+02:00Hi Gwendoline, Thanks for sharing your story about...Hi Gwendoline, Thanks for sharing your story about Le Meurice. What a nice treat for your last night in Paris! Don't worry that Dali is turning in his grave because of your comments about the ceiling. It was painted by Ara Starck when the public areas of Le Meurice were revamped by French designer Philippe Starch in 2007. Regards, Mary Kay<br /><br />Here are some entertaining anecdotes about Dali from Le Meurice's website:<br /><br />One of the hotel’s most outrageous guests was the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, who spent at least one month per year at the Hotel Le Meurice. His behaviour could also be surrealistic: once he demanded that a herd of sheep be brought to his room, and upon their arrival, Dalí took out his pistol and shot at them. Luckily, the gun was filled with blank bullets. Another time, he requested a horse. Yet another time, he asked the staff to capture flies for him in the Tuileries Garden, paying them five francs (around one euro) per fly.<br /><br />Dalí was a regular at the Hotel Le Meurice. He became close to certain members of the staff, whom he would give autographed lithographs of his work as a Christmas tip. Mary Kay Bossharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08790841060667671034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053563546908229556.post-87122239823589157542014-09-11T04:16:11.871+02:002014-09-11T04:16:11.871+02:00I had dinner there on my last night in Paris with ...I had dinner there on my last night in Paris with a lovely young man who had been a French international student in my city the year before. We couldn't find anywhere else to eat in the vicinity! We remarked on the ceiling of the restaurant...all painted with drapes and bows/boas. I disliked it, esp after all the magnificent painted ceilings I had looked at for six weeks at Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte etc and many wonderful churches in Rome. I said it would have been better left unpainted and we laughed a bit. O la la. When we paid the bill! Quelle horreur! The receipt indicated that we had eaten in Restaurant Salvador Dali! I would not have had the courage to joke about the ceiling if I had known!! Anyway.... I didn't like it; the rest of the hotel was very impressive. I believe the artist actually lived there at least while he did the ceiling. Gwendoline in AustraliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com