Prague to Paris to London

Karen and I are sleeping great! In fact, I have to set my alarm for 7:00 and still hit snooze until almost 8:00. At home, I’m a 5–6 AM guy. Our hotel is perfectly quiet, and when I finally get downstairs, The New York Times is waiting (we can’t get the daily NYT in Lincoln).

It’s a beautiful day—sunshine and temps in the 50s and 60s—much better than Prague. Our 15-minute walk back to Paris Photo is easy. By the way, we walk right in front of President Macron’s home. The street is closed, with pairs of police everywhere. I always say “hello” or “good morning.”

Karen and I head immediately to the second floor to see the books. There are dozens of small stands with special limited-edition books—many featuring photographs of artists shown in the exhibition. Some are handmade works of art in their own right. My practice is to photograph the book cover, get the name of the bookseller, and then order when we get home. We can’t carry loads of books on the airlines. I did order three books at one stand that will be shipped to us.

We are close to the end of the show and near the time to meet up again with the LeBarons when we run into India and Sean. I get a great photo of the two of them with the Grand Palais as the backdrop. We’ll probably go shopping with them tomorrow.

Lunch is at a favorite of ours from previous years—La Fontaine de Mars—a tiny place with a tiny kitchen, packed with people. Conversation and fantastic food (which arrives just minutes after you order) are the staples. I had the best meal of the trip: foie gras with plums—unbelievable. Paris is a long way from my youth in Clarinda, Iowa, when I would hardly eat anything and never try anything new!

Kathryn called and rescheduled our visit with Hastings, Nebraska–born artist Sheila Hicks. We had a terrible time finding her studio despite the fact that Karen and I had visited several years ago. Sheila is a world-class fiber artist. As she talked about her shows, awards, and publications, it was clear she is among the best anywhere. We met her relatively new assistant, Kara—an intelligent, wonderful woman—and saw several other assistants working in her small studio.

Sheila, 91, was full of stories—from her time at Yale to her first visit to France and why she chose to spend most of her life here. She talked about her home in this beautiful courtyard shared with six other residents. Then she talked about her work—finished pieces, works-in-progress, and enormous spindles of raw fiber surrounded us. And yes, she does sell her work directly. We each picked a favorite. The LeBarons’ choice was still in progress. Ours was a tangle of rope she encouraged us to touch and assured us could be installed any way we wished. It seemed never-ending. We had so much fun. She is a delightful, happy, extraordinary artist.

When I asked about prices she said, “Oh, I don’t know—it’s more important that they find a good home in an important collection.” The LeBarons spotted a price tag on one piece—$125,000. Her assistant promised to send us pricing. We mentioned Puerto Vallarta and our artist residency. It turns out Sheila spent five years in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. She is amazing. Without a doubt, this was our best experience in Paris.

We wrapped up our day with drinks at the hotel and another fabulous dinner at a new restaurant within walking distance. Karen proclaimed her foie gras was “over-the-top grand!” It was gorgeously presented. On the walk back, we spotted the restaurant Lucas Carton. Karen and I were there years ago with teenage Paige and our friends the Markels, hosted by the European Apple representative. The LeBarons had been there when their girls were pre-teens. Both memories highlight our long history of travel and fine dining together.

Robert