Thank you, Paris, for hosting such an amazing celebration of sport, passion, and determination for the entire world.
The 2024 Games marked the 100th anniversary of the Olympics in Paris. The capital city of France hosted the Olympics first in 1900 and then again in 1924. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Before leaving Paris, I had the opportunity to visit the magnificent palace and gardens of Versailles. I was given a special tour by the chair of the Château de Versailles, Christophe Leribault. I've been to Versailles several times and every visit is more breathtaking than the last. Our dinner that night was at the classic Parisian bistro, Le Bon Georges. My final Olympics appearance with Snoop Dogg was on Primetime Paris with veteran NBC Olympics announcer Mike Tirico. And then I enjoyed drinks with some of the other notable celebrities - what a fun trip!
Here are more photos, enjoy.
Gilded gates with the Sun King and spider webs guard the entrance to Versailles.
I was fortunate to get an early morning tour of the Palace and Gardens before the doors opened to the public. Here I am with chair of the Château de Versailles, Christophe Leribault.
Here I am joined by my group – Roy Tin, Ben Levine, and Judy Morris. This is the grand courtyard and front of the Royal Palace.
The Royal courtyard is all paved in marble with its contrasting colors of black and white stone.
Versailles sprawls across more than 2000 acres. The Palace itself is a massive 721,206 square feet of space.
Inside, amazing allegorical paintings abound throughout the Palace.
Some of the painted ceilings depict the glorious history of Louis XIV during the first decades of his reign.
This was my seventh or eighth visit to Versailles – I see new things each visit. As you know, the equestrian events were held at Versailles. We walked through this “Horse in Majesty: At the Heart of a Civilization” exhibit showing role of the horse in the history of Western art.
This bedroom was created by King Louis XIV in 1701 and was where he lived until his death on 1715. It was in this room where special rising and going to sleep ceremonies were performed daily.
The chamber’s opulent décor of gold and silver brocade on a crimson ground was also a backdrop for many paintings.
This is the Bernini bust of Louis XIV, a marble portrait by the Italian artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was created in 1665 during Bernini’s visit to Paris and has been called the “grandest piece of portraiture of the baroque age”. The bust is in the Salon de Diane in the King’s Grand Apartment.
Here’s Louis XIV – this time in a painting showing his high heeled shoes, garters, and ermine robes.
Here I am in the Hall of Mirrors, or Galerie des Glaces. It is the most celebrated room in the Château de Versailles. The room’s construction began in 1678. Germany pronounced itself an empire in the Hall of Mirrors in 1871, but later, in the same room, the 1919 treaty that ended the first world war was signed.
The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France is a central gallery and has 357 mirrors, set in 17 arches of marble columns.
Looking out this window was a first glimpse of the Gardens, which occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover about two-thousand acres of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by André Le Nôtre.
Creating the gardens of Versailles was a monumental task. Large amounts of soil had to be moved to level the ground and make room for various fountains, pools and statues and to create the parterres.
To maintain its incredible design, the garden needed to be replanted approximately once every 100 years. King Louis XVI oversaw one of these replanting projects and so did Napoleon III during his reign.
The Palace of Versailles has 48 permanent gardeners who maintain its manicured spaces. The gardens include 350,000 trees and 30 miles of walkways. In addition to general upkeep the gardeners also plant 800,000 flowers each year.
The Garden of Versailles is considered the essence of French formal garden design and incorporates a magnificent use of symmetry. This is the grand Orangerie.
Originally completed in 1663, the Orangerie was intended to supply the much smaller hunting lodge of Versailles and the small retinue, or group of assistants and advisors, which Louis XIV would bring with him in the summer. In 1678, an enlargement of the Orangerie was created by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, which doubled the size of the original.
The topiaries and hedges are meticulously maintained.
This is one of the many “walks” – a hedge allée from one area to another.
Here I am with a view of the gardens and Orangerie behind me.
This is where the Orangerie boxes are stored in winter. The ceilings are made of limestone.
This is a portrait of Maris -Antoinette. In 1774, King Louis XVI offered his wife a palace of her own called Petit Trianon on the grounds of Versailles.
This is one of the rooms in Petit Trianon. The Warming Room was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel during the reign of Louis XV.
The Warming Room also houses this original fireplace. The palace became Marie-Antoinette’s private retreat.
Later that day, dinner at Le Bon Georges. I was very lucky to work with Maisie Wilhelm of Palatine Culinary Concierge, who guided me in selecting the best restaurants during my stay in Paris. Before our steak dinner – for three – was cooked, it was brought out to show us the cut.
And here it is cooked to perfection and served.
We also enjoyed the freshest of salads.
That night, an appearance on Primetime Paris with veteran NBC Olympics announcer Mike Tirico. He did an excellent job – it’s a lot of hard work for 19 days. this photo was taken after my segment with Snoop.
Finally, a few cocktails at the end of the day. You probably saw this on my Instagram @MarthaStewart48 – a photo with Serena Williams.
And here I am with professional snowboarder, skateboarder, and multiple Olympic medal winner Shaun White, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, and foil fencing champion Miles Watson. It was a whirlwind trip to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and intense, fast paced work, but I had so much fun. Can’t wait until The Games come to the United States in 2028!
For the past two weeks, we've all enjoyed seeing more than 10-thousand athletes from 206 nations compete in The Olympics. I had the honor of attending The Games this year and celebrating my birthday with Snoop Dogg watching the equestrian dressage competition. In between television appearances and interviews, I also had the opportunity to tour the hosting city of Paris. I, along with my team, visited various shops, ate at delicious French restaurants, viewed exhibits at The Louis Vuitton Foundation, and enjoyed a private early morning walk through the iconic Château de Versailles. It was a most exciting and productive trip - and one I'll remember for years to come.
Here are some photos, enjoy. And be sure to look out for my TikTok video on my trip to the Olympics!
Here I am at the airport ready for my trip to France for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
My suitcases and gear include Rimowa pieces in the colors of the American flag. Because I was scheduled to do several television shoots and appearances, I had a long list of clothes and items to bring with me.
Driving to the hotel, we passed the famous L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, or the Arc de Triomphe – located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. The Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It took 30-years to build this monument.
I stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, the art deco landmark built in 1928 located near the historic Champs-Élysées.
The lobby is decorated with dark purple and fuchsia flowers in a beautiful display by master floral designer Jeff Leatham.
Jeffrey has been the hotel’s artistic director since 1999. Displays change monthly inside and out, making the Four Seasons Hotel George V renowned as “the flower hotel.”
We made a quick stop at Vins Fins Desserts at 35 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre.
It is one of oldest sweets shops in Paris. Inside – beautiful displays of fine chocolates, candies, and other desserts.
In this section, shelves are filled with pommes candies, tartelette de pommes candies, and cerises en pâte d’amandes.
Here I am in front of E. Dehillerin, a restaurant supply store. I remember visiting this same store during another trip to Paris many years ago.
Can you tell what these are? Cubbies and cubbies of whisks…
… and nearby, dozens of different rolling pins.
I, along with my production team stopped in The Ritz Paris, also in the heart of the city.
At the Bar Vendome, I enjoyed this cocktail called La Perisienne with cucumber juice, elderflower liqueur, vodka, and Krug Brut Rose champagne. It was so delicious.
And then it was time to head to the Olympic Village. Paris 2024 includes 19 days of competition in 329 events covering 32 different sports and four non-traditional sports – breaking, or break dancing, climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.
My first LIVE appearance was a CNBC Squawk Box interview with co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin. We talked about my participation in the Olympics and some of my other business initiatives including my new 100th book coming out in the fall.
Afterward, I had a little time to sit and watch the GOAT – Simone Biles. Here she is doing a bars routine.
It’s a sweet reunion with my friend, Snoop Dogg, back at the Four Seasons. We did our first segment together at Le Cinq, an exquisite dining room that boasts a three Michelin-star rating.
Before the restaurant opened, Snoop and I posed with the Le Cinq team.
Whenever I travel, I try my best to fit in visits to museums, gardens, and other interesting venues. On this day, our group went to the Louis Vuitton Foundation to view Ellsworth Kelly: Shapes and Colors and Matisse: The Red Studio. We also admired the amazing glass architecture of Frank Gehry.
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was a French visual artist, printmaker, sculptor, and painter known for his use of colors.
Ellsworth Kelly’s exhibit includes more than 100 works, paintings, and sculptures as well as drawings, photographs, and collages.
Ellsworth’s work focused on hard-edge painting, color field painting, and minimalism.
Back to work… and off to the TODAY Show set where I bumped into US Gold Medal winner for the men’s four rowing event, Michael Grady. He let me hold his gold for a few photos.
During my segment with Snoop and the TODAY Show team, we talked about our lifestyle segments for the Olympic Games and how we were spending our time in Paris. Then there was a little surprise for me…
… A birthday cake!
Snoop and I did another appearance with the cookie master himself, the Cookie Monster, on Access Hollywood.
It was a very full media day with this stunning Eiffel Tower as our backdrop. This famous Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars is made of wrought-iron lattice. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
The next day we went to the Palace of Versailles where the Grand Prix equestrian competition was held. Here we are riding behind Snoop and two “outriders” who made sure we did not get caught up in bad traffic.
Snoop and I rode to the equestrian arena “in style” – on the back of a golf cart. This photo went viral on social media.
Here I am with Steffen Peters, a German-born equestrian who competes for the United States in dressage. He is here in Paris with his horse Suppenkasper.
Snoop arrived at the Olympics afraid of horses, but I think I may have cured him…
We had front row seats for the dressage competition. I described to Snoop each movement the horses made while performing in the ring. Dressage involves a lot of non verbal communication between horse and rider. The goal is to maintain the horse’s calm demeanor while executing precise movements in response to subtle signals.
It was so impressive to watch the horses. The word “dressage” is French for “training” and involves performing a series of walks, trots, canters, and other specialized maneuvers learned from muscle memory.
For lunch we went to Girafe, a fine dining seafood establishment. Look at this display – everything was so fresh.
Among the dishes we enjoyed – cod with cockles, lima beans, and tomatoes.
We also had squid ink risotto… made by Chef Ignacio Mattos of Estela, who was doing a special pop-up at the restaurant.
And spaghetti linguini with tomatoes and basil.
That same evening, I enjoyed a birthday dinner at the restaurant Lapérouse, a landmark established in 1766 and known for its private dining lounges.
Hors d’oeuvres included blinis with caviar – one of my favorites.
Here I am with my birthday cake made by French pastry chef, Cedric Grolet.
The moon as seen from Paris. There’s more to come. My next blog will feature my tour of Versailles. Stay tuned.
My two-and-a-half year old garden maze is looking so lush and green this summer.
The three-acre pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my maze. Since work began, I've planted a variety of different hedges, espaliers, trees, and shrubs - hundreds of specimens that add texture and interest, and all according to a detailed map I created specifically for the space. A lot of care goes in to maintaining this area. Recently, my resident tree expert, Pasang Sherpa, pruned some of the largest plantings, the handsome London planetrees, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' a relative of the mighty sycamore.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
At one end of my living maze is a selection of Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees, also known as London planes. I also have London planes growing in an allée through my middle hay field.
These large trees are sought after for the large three-lobed, toothed, dark green leaves that turn yellow, orange, and red with the fall season.
Its bark makes it even more interesting because it sheds in a patchwork pattern with growth and age.
I planted these trees in early November 2022. They are planted in a rectangle with two long rows and two short rows and an open space in the center.
Here they are after they were mulched that first year. Once planted, trees usually spend that first year focusing on developing their root systems.
Here is a view from one end. Remember the saying, “”sleep, creep, leap,” which describes the typical growth stages of trees.
This photo shows the trees in October of 2023, one year later. In the second year, attention goes to growing – slowly and steadily. Every tree is happy here, and in part because of the nutrient-filled soil I provide all my trees and plants.
And here they are this year – so lush and green. These trees are large shade trees with broad open crowns.
Not long ago, Pasang gave the trees their first pruning here at the farm. Pruning helps them grow into more strong, full and healthy trees with good, uniform shapes.
Pruning also helps improve air circulation around the tree and allows light to reach through to every branch.
Here they are all finished. Pasang did a great job pruning them all to a desirable height, removing any dead or dying material. These London planes are now established and doing so well.
In fact, the entire maze is thriving. The tall tree is one of several Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ trees, American sweetgums. As these trees mature, they will maintain their erect, columnar form, growing up to 50 feet tall and only about four-feet wide.
The footpaths are also designed appropriately, so my horses can walk through the maze as well, and get an apple along the way – on the left is an espalier of apple trees.
The long, upright-growing branches of Hick’s yew have dense, glossy, green foliage that naturally forms a narrow habit. And right now, they are showing off lots of berries, or red drupes, which usually come out in late summer and persist through fall.
Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, has year-round golden green foliage.
Another espalier of apple trees – each one with a different variety. All the apple trees are doing so well here. I already have so many fruits growing on the branches.
My overall plan is to plant as many interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs as possible in this space and to create a fun and challenging living maze.
The plants are spaced closely, so they become a closed hedges in time.
I plant as many different specimens as I can, but always with the same fundamentals in mind – the plant’s mature size and its light and soil needs.
There is still a bit more to do before this maze is complete. Please follow along and see it develop with me!
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