I love a good glass of dry, red wine. When I lived in Europe, especially Paris, we would have wine at a meal every day. We also smoked cigarettes and ate wonderful rich french food for sometimes two hours. It was a magical time when working on fashion shootings started at eleven in the morning and went on until eight or nine at night. Then we would all go to dinner and have another two-hour celebration.
I loved those days when I felt brave and creative and excited about living in Paris. I mean it’s Paris for God sake so how bad could it be? I was a bleached blonde and loving the fashion scene.
I was booked to do a shooting with a magazine called Jardin des Mode with a fabulous photographer named Patrice Casanova. We toured the coast of France for five days with a family circus shooting the collections. While they were throwing up the tents to prepare for the night’s performance, Patrice was photographing stunning gowns of Karl Lagerfeld, Givenchy and Chantal Thomass in black and white polaroids. Every shot was a work of art.
But I have to say one of the highlights of the trip were the meals we had at the small bistros that lined the seaside towns we stayed. The table was filled with fresh mussels (the traditional french style with white wine, garlic, parsley and the juice from the mussels), an array of beautiful vegetables arranged perfectly, loaves of french bread, cutting boards of sublime cheeses and fruit and the perfect red wine. Bottles and bottles. The final spread in the film Babette’s Feast had nothing on these gatherings with such an array of wild and creative people. Heaven, pure heaven. Even the cigarette smoke didn’t bother me as it would today. The breeze from the ocean and the romantic dimmed lighting added to the ambiance. Aw, those were the days!
So now it is different in a way that I am older and all of the reports out say one should be careful about so many things that will be harmful to your health. Have to say that I can’t help having one glass of red wine two or three times a week. Really does me well. Viva la France!