Summer of Love Dispatch

She Brought Surrealism to America—and Painted Her Own Myth. How Was She Forgotten by History?

In Physiopolis, life was better in the buff. Or at least in a bikini, which was as close as one could legally get to public nudity in 1930s Paris. It was here, on an isolated sun-baked island on the Seine, that a titillating new naturiste-nudiste (naturalist and nude) movement sprang forth. Gone were the days of staying indoors to achieve a porcelain complexion like an Edwardian era prude. “The colour of health,” declared the founders of Physiopolis, was henceforth “found in shades of bronze,” and perfected through diet and exercise regimens to stimulate mind, body and soul…

Castaway depot at Carnley Harbour, Auckland Islands, in 1907. Photo credit: Samuel Page Get your sea legs ready, we're setting sail for the bygone days of wild seafaring in search of a little-known piece of nautical history: the castaway depot. Also known as castaway huts, castaway depots were sm

Picture that moment when you finally get to the beach after a long winter, excitedly peel off your clothes, run madly towards the water and crash into the salty waves without a care in the world ... this is not that. If you were a beachgoer in Georgian or Victorian times, more specifically, a female

If you didn't grow up with French films, there are some real gems to be discovered from the 'Nouvelle Vague' golden age of French cinema. One of my most recent 'how-have-I-never-seen-this' moments came while watching Plein Soleil (a.k.a. Purple Noon), the original film adaption of Talented Mr. Riple

Peaches grown right here in Paris? Believe it or not, centuries ago, Paris became home to a thriving peach farming industry that produced up to 17 million fruits a year– and even today, a little-known community of cultivators are still growing them in the very same orchards. These were the original greenhouses.

While the annual holiday of Midsummer typically brings to mind flower crowns and smorgasbords, of perfectly-arranged picnic food, we've dug up some archive photographs from the Midsummers of yore, where the grainy black & white filters and old fashioned 19th century dress suddenly bring a distinctly more ‘culty’ vibe to the whole affair….

There was once a place that drew crowds of Parisians away from their grand boulevards and sidewalk cafés to rediscover their inner child, wine & dine in chestnut tree houses and celebrate summer like Robinson Crusoe.

Let us rewind to the sizzling summers of 1936 and ‘37 to holiday on the French Riviera with Pablo Picasso and his international ensemble of friends at the Hotel Vaste Horizon, a modest boarding house nestled in the old town of Mougins. The warren of intimate rooms and courtyards would be the summer home to the ensemble of likeminded libertine creatives and radical surrealist artists, including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Dora Marr, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, Paul Éluard, his wife Nusch and Lee Miller. Many a love triangle would ensue as these multi-talented, über-elegant individuals squeezed each morsel of pleasure from every sun-soaked day on the eve of the war.

Today, in totally random photo stories fished out of the internet, we have this rather inexplicable contraption that seems to have been invented for the sole purpose of bobbing buxom babes in bikinis around to the amusement of the passing crowd.

Whether you're in need of rescuing from a forgettable vacation or looking someone you trust to help fine tune your stay in Paris, book an appointment with Nessy at her Cabinet in Paris. Sit down for a private session with the author of the Don't be a Tourist books and make plans tailored to your mood, figure out how the city can really inspire you as an individual, and ask all your questions over coffee and croissants. Whether you're in Paris for the weekend or planning on staying forever, get the personalised guidance and help you need in person. Consultations are not limited to Paris, Nessy can help plan trip throughout France, Europe and far beyond!