Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Puttin' on the Ritz


Crisis, what crisis?! I know you're going to say I'm spoiled... But, hey, doesn't Champagne taste better in a luxury hotel lounge than "Chez André"? ;-) Anyway, a friend of mine had a little birthday gathering at the Ritz and she was kind enough to invite me, how could I refuse such a photo opportunity ?! Here is some music to celebrate... FYI, and on a less funny note, this is the hotel that Diana and Dody Al Fayed left, right before they had their deadly accident.

59 comments:

  1. Last time I was in Paris, I had tea at the Ritz—and it was fabulous. Showed the ladies room there on my blog a couple of days ago. Love this in b&w. Eric!

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  2. I've seen those security tape pictures of Diana leaving the Ritz. Heart-wrenching still.

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  3. Splendid, Eric, simply splendid. Paris at its finest!

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  4. you know every time we visit, we say we will go the George V for drinks or the Ritz and we always change to some cafe/bistro.

    You talked me into it!
    This trip we will make a special trip to the right bank for some champagne! Thanks Eric! Maybe you can meet us there and we will treat you to drinks!

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  5. Birthday at the Ritz! Even during a crisis one must splurge on a birthday! Glad you got to be part of it (and we got an up close and personal photo.)

    Sad thing about Diana and Dody. Our tour in '05 took us over the route of that fatal night.

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  6. yAHOO, i AM only THE eight PERSON to COMMENT this MORNING

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  7. Oh Eric, you have my day off to a heart pitty-pat. {Or is it the caffeine - nope, definitely Eric and Fred.} It's so nice to press my face up to the window of your glamorous life.

    Alexa, oh my gosh, how spectacular is their ladies room? Thank you for the luxurious peek. {That fat cat is pretty cute, too!} And congrats on GF.

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  9. Well, yes, as a matter of fact, Eric, I am a bit envious, considering that this is the closest I'll ever be to putting on the Ritz (although the West Coast Pod is going to go for it Sunday).

    Great video. Thanks.

    (If anyone doesn't know about these...)

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  10. Tall Gary, I could eat that whole box by myself! Well, the contents anyway...you know what I mean.

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  11. A classy joint photographed by a classy guy! You rock Eric! Cheers and bubbles. ;-)

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  12. I love that song!! This hotel was in one of my favorite movies--"How to Steal a Million" with Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn. I love it!! If you haven't seen the movie, you'll have to check it out--funny, romantic, blue-eyed Peter O'Toole, and Audrey Hepburn. Need any more inducement? I will have to put this on my list of places to visit, even for a cup of coffee! :)

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  13. It is indeed lovely. I'm desperately hoping you saved the interior photos for tomorrow.

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  14. Eric you made me sigh and Tall Gary made me laugh! Who needs eHarmony.com when you have the men of PDP ;-)

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  15. Christie, you had me at 'Audrey Hepburn'. {err, cough ... should I have said 'Peter O'Toole'?}

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  16. Wow, just love that black-and-white, the angle, and the back story. You deserved that invitation!

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  17. My thought is the same as Alexa's above. We have seen the security tape, including the driver going through the revolving door of the Ritz, so many times that it is hard not to think of that tragedy when seeing the Paris Ritz.

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  18. Great photo; b&w does it so well. And wonderful to see the amazing Fred Astair.
    I have to confess, tho, that I now also think of the scene in Young Frankenstein featuring Dr. Frankenstein and The Monster "putting on the ritz"...

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  19. Splendid photo. The black and white makes the building seem that much more sophisticated! And how lucky are you to celebrate a friends birthday with champagne at such an establishment.

    Alexa - thank you for sharing a photo of Paris that Eric would not be able to get - inside a ladies room. Plus the info that it is a free location when one needs such a place is always useful information.

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  20. oh Alexa - by the way congratulations on GF

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  21. Great photo Eric. It's so perfect in BW.
    V

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  22. I am beside myself , having again missed commenting on another graffiti photo . I happened to have been taking my own in the rain on Monday at Butte aux Caille of Jef Aerosol, Speedy Graffito and Miss Tic. PLEEEEZE show Miss Tic one day, Eric! You have shown almost everyone else's work!!!

    Monica: Pont des Arts will be, and I quote, a "no booze bridge" between 4pm and 7am starting May 1st.

    Carrie: They DID close CDG and after I made my comment on PDP on the 9th,I found out about the high winds. My crew then told me that we would be delayed Tues. morning because of the late arrivals of all inbound planes. Air France cancelled mostly everything!

    Congratulations Petra for the other day!!!!! Doesn't it feel good to win??? Kinda shakes you up while you write something,hoping you beat everyone else out.

    Now to Madame Alexa......apparently when you lived in Paris, you left your calling card everywhere. Why, I can't believe the people you know so intimately, and Cafe Procope has turned you into a celebrity, or should I say cause celebre!!!!I can send you my photos, but I want the world to see them, too, so we have to wait for Mr. PHX to help me...stay tuned. I will explain what Cali had to do with it, too.

    The Ritz: They kicked my mother and sister out when they came inside looking for shelter from the rain because they looked like drowned rats!!!

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  23. Tres elegant, monsieur. I have not been to the George V. Keep saying I will. Need to get a bit tootsed up, I hear. Maybe this year...

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  24. Love this photo !
    someday I will invite you to my birthday party at the Ritz as well Eric-hopefully it will be in this lifetime!

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  25. That Diana bit, somehow still hits the sad note! :(

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  26. Love the photo, love the song, love the Ritz...mais...if I had the money I would rather stay at Hotel Le Bristol unless of course I could stay in the "Chanel" suite..Oh la la la!!!!

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  27. Ms. M, see my link "Alternative Ritz" above.

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  28. Eric
    You should give up your day job and concentrate on taking photos.
    Today's photo is a typical example of what a great photographer you are.
    I would buy all your books.

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  29. "Et oui, je sors, je m'intéresse, alors forcément je suis dans le coup !"
    ;o)

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  30. Oh yes, Eric. I've wanted you to show this for a long time. Do you have any more shots you would like to show? This is great, and in black & white. Which is this, the front entrance? As you know, I was a big fan of the lovely late Diana, Princess of Wales and so sad when she was killed. So, any shots relating to her, I appreciate. I have followed the case closely too.

    The Ritz is also close to my heart, since in the eighties - and a whole life away from my present one, sadly! - I used to go to the one in London regularly, for tea, for lunch and to the casino. They are lovely hotels. At that time, I was going to places Diana also went to and saw her a couple of times. Once, we shared a giggle! She was so beautiful and very down to earth. Anyway, I digress. Love the photo Eric, thank you; it's really poignant to me.

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  31. Rose I agree absolutely! There are several books just waiting here on the archives of PDP!...I have said this to Eric many times....sigh.... ;)

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  32. I think this is the back entrance where Diana came out with Dodi isn't it?....sigh...

    Eric I am redirected by Blogger when I click the link to you on my blog. No idea why, but it doesn't always work anyway. Had to come here via someone else's blog.

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  33. Excuse us for one moment! Lynn just been on fb and your profile is temporarily unavailable. Wossup? x

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  34. No idea. It says so when I tried to sign in too. Haven't a clue!

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  35. Mind you, I had that message on Michael's FB the other day too. Are you missing me then Sue? Ahhh s'nice. ;) Are you playing with balls? (snort)

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  36. Eric this is the message I get when I click the Paris link at my blog
    You're about to be redirected

    The blog that used to be here is now at http://www.parisdailyphoto.com/.
    Do you wish to be redirected? (then there's a Yes or No button)

    This blog is not hosted by Blogger and has not been checked for spam, viruses and other forms of malware.

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  37. Yes I'm missing you!!!!!!! hurry back. Yes I'm playing with balls right now......

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  38. Eric, B&W is just perfect for this photo, it makes it look even more high class and luxurious.
    And what an evening you had, and what friends you have - great...great...great...

    Lynn - you had a giggle with princess Diana !?!?
    I have to touch you one day. I LOVED princess Diana. I was twelve when she got married and I still remember every moment of the wedding, and I collected pictures from magazines and everything else with her (my family found it a little weird). Did you really meet her from time to time in London ?
    OMG !

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  39. I have added you to my blog roll of honour on my photoblog site. Roll on Photobloggers, great for dyslexics!

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  40. This si another classic, the light peeking through of another iconic builing. Champagne anytime in any setting is fine by me.

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  41. Bettina I've met a couple of Royals and seen a lot particularly in the eighties when my life was different, but I'm afraid not Diana. I have seen her quite a few times, and curtsied, but the giggle: I had to attend a performance at the Barbican which she also attended. I was close by, as we often were and as she took her seat in the audience, we exchanged smiles. Nothing really unusual. However, as the national anthem started playing and it was so serious, you know the giggles you get sometimes in serious situations? We were very young ladies at the time and caught each other's eye and got TERRIBLE giggles! It was actually quite awful, a struggle to stop and for no particular reason. Prince Charles noticed and mumbled something to her and she stopped smiling then pulled a little face at me as if to say oh I've been told off! Of course, this is a very little occasion but to me was great and so funny! So, Bettina, I cannot claim to have touched - only to have seen LOL. I was introduced to Princess Anne around that time and, as a lot of Royals live close to where I now live, I see her and the others now and again.
    I totally understand your collection! Not weird at all. I too have some collections; napkins of dinners of the time, a letter from Prince Charles' office, china, etc. and of course newspapers. Oh yes, I admit it I am a Royalist through and through. lol!

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  42. I have a letter from Ted Kennedy from about 1964, explaining kindly why he couldn't be my pen pal.

    Eric, of course you didn't take pictures inside. What was I thinking? It was an elegant occasion. But if you did...

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  43. This is a great post! Thank you again & again. BTW where is "chez André" in Paris? LOL!
    I also heard from the Lutetia lounge, which is another very nice spot to have a drink.
    This is Yvonne and Charles de Gaulle's story that prevailed at this hotel (they spent there their wedding night).
    Ahhh much less glamourous than Diana and Dodi's but more lasting ...;)

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  44. I do. He was gracious to a little girl who idolized him and his family.

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  45. Phx: Eric has posted Miss Tic, see: 17 juin 2007. I also fear I would be tossed out on my backside if I dared to enter the ritzy Ritz. :D

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  46. I am not Diana nor Ted . . . but it was my birthday. Thank you Eric for taking a photo to commemorate it . . . even though the inside with our eclectic group would have been très cool too!

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  47. thx Cali,there it was June 17th!

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  48. Happy Birthday, Huey!

    Cali -- sometimes an excess of attitude makes up for a lack of wardrobe! (Don't ask me how I know this.)

    PHX -- can hardly wait. Knowing you, this will be a hoot.

    And does anyone else think of Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper in "Love in the Afternoon" when they see the Ritz?

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  49. I think of Young Frakenstein, but what do I know

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  50. LOL Tall Gary. I really wondered what was at the end of your link ;)

    Petrea, I loved your alternative Ritz ;) I love Mel Brooks and I loved this movie (but my favorite scene is this one)

    "Miss Tic one day, Eric! You have shown almost everyone else's work!!!" PHX, I have!

    Rose "You should give up your day job and concentrate on taking photos. " I don't think so... Don't wanna end up sleeping under a bridge!

    Lynn "Do you have any more shots you would like to show? " No, sorry! Eric this is the message I get when I click the Paris link at my blog
    You're about to be redirected." Still? That is weird. BTW, I'm impressed with your royals history record! I too shared the same room with Princess Diana once, I'll tell you one day...

    Petrea "I have a letter from Ted Kennedy from about 1964, explaining kindly why he couldn't be my pen pal." ??? What?!

    Cali "Phx: Eric has posted Miss Tic, see: 17 juin 2007." Thank you!!

    Happy birthday Huey. You may not be Diana nor Ted, but you're a visitor to PDP, that makes you a real VIP!

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  51. Eric, I wrote to the senator and asked him to be my "pen pal." When I was a kid our teachers encouraged us to find a pen pal from far away, so we could learn about how other people lived. (I should have written to you and learned about Paris!)

    Senator Kennedy was kind enough to write back. (I don't remember if he was a senator then.) Maybe a secretary wrote it, but it was very nice. Not a form letter. And he signed it.

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  52. "Chez André"? Did I read "Chez André"?
    :))
    This is my favorite restaurant every time we come - me or my partners - in Paris.
    I adore the restaurant and its personnel. And the food... so magnifique (especially les escargots)!

    Wish me to have free time next time that I will come to Paris (hope to be very very soon) and I will invite you for dinner there (or at Hotel Costes, my second favorite place for dinner).
    :D

    Anyway, today it will be a french day for me in Athens , because I will attend Daniel Auteil in Moliere's comedy "L' ecole des femmes" and then I will have dinner in one of the best french restaurants here.

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  53. For English Royal fans, the Queen has her new website relaunched today - Queen Elizabeth II website

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