Hélène Grimaud's laid-back, no-nonsense chic is perfect for weekends at her home in Weggis, Switzerland, a small town near Lucerne that's surrounded by the mountains.
The French pianist shares her ideal weekend, spent with her photographer partner, Mat Hennek, and her German shepard, Chico, in the May 7th issue of the FT's lux guide, How To Spend It. An ideal weekend is utopian for Grimaud's busy schedule, and she rarely spends more than two nights a month at home while knocking out about 90 concerts a year.
In the photo, she's posing on the jetty of the 5-star Park Hotel Weggis' restaurant, The Grape, where she goes when she wants to avoid cooking (which is often).
She finds simple pleasures in tasks like doing the laundry, which becomes symbolic, since she basically lives in hotels.
Grimaud on laundry's simple pleasures: "defined, satisfying tasks where you can see the beginning and the end, and measure the result -- something that is almost impossible with music. And living in hotels, privileged as it is, is an abdication from all responsibility. this keeps things in perspective."