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Secret Paris on a Bad Hair Day


 9-10-13CaraApresMidi9-10-13 secretparis-2Taping at Le Café Procope9-10-13Karina-Beuthe-Forsberg-743-225x225Secret’s Aimée Leduc, Karina Bluthe9-10-13secretparis-1Another scene from Secret Paris

After author Cara Black spoke at Parler Paris Après Midi, she and I hopped in a taxi to head to Le Café Procope, where she was to be filming a pilot for a TV series titled “Secret Paris.”

“Secret Paris is a unique television travel program about the mysteries, secrets and delights of Paris, France. Revealing amazing, hidden-away places off the usual tourist track, it’s seen through the eyes of mystery writer and Paris expert Cara Black and her creation, private detective Aimée Leduc. Appearing in thirteen mystery novels so far, Aimée Leduc is a resourceful young investigator; pure Parisienne, intelligent, a little bit cheeky and full of charm.”

Le Café Procope is Paris’ oldest restaurant in operation, having opened in 1686 by the Sicilian Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli. The name was adopted from the historian Procopius, whose ‘Secret History,’ the “Anekdota,” had been discovered in the Vatican Library and published for the first time ever in 1623 (it told the scandals of Emperor Justinian, his ex-dancer Empress, and his court).

Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie was then known as rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain-des-Prés, was a gentleman’s retreat for the fashionable drink of coffee and for sorbet served in porcelain cups by waiters in exotic “Armenian” garb. When in 1689 the Comédie Française was established across the street, it became a theatrical hangout. Women at Le Procope were scarce, however throughout the 18th-century, it was a meeting place of the intelligentsia.

There are numerous stories to be told…such as tales of Voltaire who mixed his coffee with chocolate. Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were patrons, as were Robespierre, Danton, George Sand and a host of other political and literary giants. Today it is refurbished in 18th-century style with Pompeian red walls, crystal chandeliers, 18th century oval portraits of famous people that have been patrons, and a tinkly piano.

Today Le Procope is a restaurant for all of us to enjoy, open every day and serving a three-course menu for 35,90€. In the back room which can be accessed from the Cour de Rohan, Cara was filmed being interviewed about her novels. In one scene, detective Aimée Leduc, played by actress Karina Bluthe, walks past her seated at a table, and is noticed by Cara who remarks, “There goes my detective, Aimée Leduc. Let’s see what she’s up to!”

The directors filmed an interview with both of us talking about our relationship with each other and our relationships with Paris. “Does Paris have secrets,” the director asked. “Yes! More than a lifetime of discovery.”

You can contribute to the production of the pilot and learn all about it by visiting indiegogo.com/…

And be sure to read all about our afternoon at Parler Paris Après Midi with Cara Black.

SPECIAL NOTE: GOOD HAIR DAY – BAD HAIR DAY

Thanks to all of you who commented on my new hair style. Hope you took a good look, because it will never be like that again — unless of course I let a stylist come every day to blow it dry to such perfection.

You ladies will appreciate that I spent most of Monday afternoon trying to find a solution to doing it myself. First I hightailed it over to Darty to purchase a Hot Air Hair Brush that not only turned it into the biggest mess of frizz, but got so stuck in my hair that I almost succumbed to cutting it out!

Back in the box it went (once fully released from total entanglement) and back to Darty I went to return it. (I repackaged it so well they never had a clue I had tested it out!)

Then I purchased a curling iron. Wielding one of those things is no easy task! How on earth do you do this? It made a zillion little curls, frizzed the ends and I burned myself, plus the hair also got tangled in the comb part — so, there I was in tears again thinking I will soon be wearing a wig!

Meanwhile at the “parapharmacie” I purchased all new hair care products that cost a fortune and yesterday, Patricia Laplante Collins gifted me with something called a “hair polisher.” It’s great to make my hair shine…but help! I want my natural curls back! (Stolen from me by a seriously bad hair cut a few months ago.)

I guess the next solution is rollers?? Oy vay!

A la prochaine…

adrian hairAdrian Leeds

Editor, Parler Paris & Director of The Adrian Leeds Group, LLC

(bad hair day)

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P.S.We invite you to attend the Parler Parlor La Rentrée Party on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at Lutèce Langue. After the Saturday session at 11 a.m., a light lunch with drinks will be served. Plus, take advantage of a special offer on Parler Parlor sessions, available on this day only! Lutèce Langue, 23, boulevard de Sébastopol, Métro: Chatelet. http://www.adrianleeds.com/events/parler-parlor

9-10-13VENICEpsP.P.S. I will be writing you next week from Venice, Italy where I will be celebrating my birthday in the flood waters!

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