Fifty Shades of Grey :Much ado about nothing?

I'll do a Will-i-am and start my sentence with:

"So...Like..." I have just finished reading this book and can safely say:

What is all the fuss about? Seriously!
 I live in liberal France where mistresses are a norm, swingers swing ....sex is rampant and topless women lie prostrate across every inch of the beaches.Did this immunise me to the sordid details of this soft porn trilogy? Maybe...or maybe I just found the hype to be sensationalist.

 I didn't bat an eyelid,nor did I blush,flush or break a sweat while reading the sex scenes between Christian Grey the Dominant and his Submissive  Anastasia Steele.How apt that the characters are called Grey & Steele ...him the gazzillionaire,devastatingly handsome but with a dark painful past who needs to dominate women because he "doesn't do relationships. Her: a virgin graduating from college who sees herself as plain while everyone else his stunned by her beauty...No,she does not see it nor her effect on men.... My inner Goddess is screaming CLICHE!!
 Anastasia keeps referring to her "inner Goddess" ad nauseum,I shall take a leaf out of her book and say:"MY inner Goddess was yawning...."throughout most of this book. 

Am I blase about this book? Maybe...and maybe I am simply past the age where this will make me hot or bothered. Entertaining read, E L James is no Jackie Collins....

Disappointed at the hype,but then again hype sells...so have the movie rights.

9/20 for 20/20 (Vin sur Vin) in Nice

I love a good play on words and this seemed like the perfect place to stop and have a nice Saturday lunch outdoors "en terrace" in Nice...and the food looked good.

"Vin sur Vin" or "20/20" is on a little restaurant filled side street behind Nice Etoile mall. We liked the brasserie/wine bar feel to it and sat down.

So let's get down to business: the food by way of the service.... Let's just say that the expressionless waiter was there as a means to get our food to us ,that is all...he was the intermediary..nothing else. The bottle of water was plonked down unceremoniously,the glasses of wine (that were luckily or unluckily) not filled to the brim followed suite. Okayyyyyy.....

I ordered the Artichoke salad after seeing 2 people being served it, my BF foolishly ordered the plat du jour "Mixed Grill: veal (which he hates!) lamb (which he can just about eat) and something resembling chicken...but was too small to make a dent on the plate. Then there was a poor rendition of ratatouille and potatoes ...barely cooked. Did I mention the sauce? My poor BF (a hearty eater)was given a small plate of food that resembled nothing you'd want to eat ...no photo necessary.

My artichoke and parma ham salad with sun dried tomatoes...was a sight for sore eyes! Divine presentation and absolutely delicious!

This one dish was in "Pay it forward" mode...no sooner was it placed before me when the woman next to me reacted the way I did : " What is that?...I'll have it!"
Delicious,flavoursome and a hit. My BF, glum faced, starred at me:
"What's the matter?" I ask sweetly.
"I am watching you devouring your food..."he replies poker faced.
"I am eating my food not devouring it...you're only jealous cos yours was crap!"

When the expressionless waiter came to present us with his poker face and dessert menus we declined...his eyebrows twitched..."What about coffee then?"
"Nope"....
Frown,eyebrow wiggle..."Just the bill please."
Needless to say we never saw him again,we had to ask 1 more time for the bill from a smiling and more cordial waitress.

No tip except : 20/20 is more a 9/20...the service let it down and their idea of a Mixed grill that was far from grilled! and far from appetising.

A Cameo Role

I confess to a love of pearls at the moment, I may be subconsciously pinning for the magnificent pearl necklace that was once my mother's: gorgeous real, baroque style pearls.
Since then and only recently have I made it my quest to find pearls that I love and so far so good! Real,cultured,baroque or Chanel....I am in pearl heaven.
I also went on a quest to purchase the perfect cameo. I was outbid the first time I spied a gorgeous 9ct gold and turquoise Edwardian cameo on Ebay. Not wanting to be had a 2nd time I hung tight and bought my delight.
The cameo pendant/brooch was taken to my jeweller and transformed into the ring of my current dreams...here it is next to my gorgeous Xmas present from my sister and her husband: a pearl sautoir from Tateossian

The background image is courtesy of Grazia magazine who did a spread on Victorian cameo rings:14ct-gold owl cameo ring:£2,110 byAmadeo at Matches, just seen:18ct-gold Floralia cameo ring plated with white diamonds:£5,808 by N.oor.Reversible antique Victorian gold cameo ring, seen at top:£6,950 Bentley and Skinner.

RIP Vidal Sassoon

The world of hairdressing will mourn the passing of the legend that was and will always be :
Vidal Sassoon.
This was a man who made hair cutting edge:bold and fresh he revolutionised hairdressing and made it glamorous.
He passed away at the age of 84 after a long battle with Leukaemia.

                                                                         RIP

Marc Jacobs: Gobble Gobble at the Met Gala

Marc Jacobs didn't want  to "be boring and wear a tuxedo" he thought he would be classy and channel his inner Louis XVI in full lace regalia instead. Marc apparently likes to wear the occasional skirt and if the mood befits the moment: a dress. The moment in question is none other than the Met Gala and what would befit such a glamorous occasion? A lacy see through shirt dress from Comme des Garcons,some tidy whitey boxers and pilgrim shoes:

"Marc...Cardinal Richelieu has risen from his grave and is asking for his shoes!"

But there remains one last item that must have escaped your attention...it nearly slipped mine: the demure pouch...that and the socks simply make the outfit and the man wearing it...the most laughable ensemble to be seen on the red carpet.

Give the man a medal, once the lights are off and he is back behind the drawing board,we all line up to buy his designs...

Isn't fashion fun.

Where to eat in San Remo...:Vino, Panino & Co

...Get there before lunchtime and amble around the shop lined streets...once lunchtime comes and those shops close...they aren't opening before 3.30pm!! So beware!!

We got there by 11.00am and were able to window shop. I haven't been in ages and the shopping has improved in leaps and bounds: check out the Max & Co for the ladies and Boggi for men. "Spinnaker" has opened a huge fashion emporium for all things designer,you need no longer search in Graziela. There are so many shoe shops that range from the cheap and cheerful to the ugly and expensive...one man's trash is another man's treasure!

Where to eat...that is always a dilemma when you haven't a clue and find yourself desperately walking around looking for something that doesn't look grotty,touristy or PIZZA!
We happened upon this great wine bar/bistro that is light and airy and super trendy....The food is fabulous and everything including dessert is made on the premises.

Vino, Panino & Co: is as lovely as it sounds and doesn't only serve panini and Pinot Grigio. The menu is quite varied and offers a large selection of pastas,salads as well as paninis...there is more but I just couldn't tell you in detail...it was all in Italian!

Now that you got a good feel of the interior...you must we wondering what we ate:pennette in a fresh tomato and fresh basil sauce with aubergines and freshly grated ricotta.
Good? It was bloody delicious!

 Now what did we drink with that? I highly recommend a glass of the Lacrima di Morro d'Alba(a red wine): amber bloomin' nectar...and you can taste peaches and pepper and it is velvety smooth. Need I go on?

We loved it so much...we bought a bottle!
And for dessert? I let myself get tempted....home made creme brulee (an old favourite).

Vino, Panino & Co:corso Mombello 56/58
18038 San Remo

 Buon Apetito.

Emeli Sande - My Kind of Love

Just heard Emeli Sande sing this live on The Voice UK..gorgeous voice,heartfelt words:

My Kind Of Love lyrics: ...

I can't buy your love, don't even wanna try.
Sometimes the truth won't make you happy, so I'm not gonna lie.
But don't ever question if my heart beats only for you, it beats only for you.

I know i'm far from perfect, nothin' like your entourage
I can't grant you any wishes, I won't promise you the stars.
But don't ever question if my heart beats only for you, it beats only for you.

Cause when you've given up.
When no matter what you do it's never good enough.
When you never thought that it could ever get this tough,
Thats when you feel my kind of love.

And when you're crying out.
When you fall and then can't pick, you're heavy on the ground
When the friends you thought you had haven't stuck around.
That's when you feel my kind of love.

You won't see me at the parties, I guess I'm just no fun.
I won't be turning up the radio singing "Baby You're The One".
But don't ever question if my heart beats only for you, it beats only for you.

I know sometimes I get angry, and I say what i don't mean.
I know I keep my heart protected, far away from my sleeve.
But don't ever question if my heart beats only for you, it beats only for you.

Cause when you've given up.
When no matter what you do it's never good enough.
When you never thought that it could ever get this tough,
Thats when you feel my kind of love.

And when you're crying out.
When you fall and then can't pick, you're heavy on the ground
When the friends you thought you had haven't stuck around.
That's when you feel my kind of love.

Cause when you've given up.
When no matter what you do it's never good enough.
When you never thought that it could ever get this tough,
Thats when you feel my kind of love.