Lake life
French mineral waters, Castalie, David Toutaine, Île Saint-Louis properties, Les Trois Buis, Lac d’Annecy, MORE
ABOUT FOUND • Help Wanted
New FOUND locales are coming. We’re seeking contributors based in Barcelona, Rome, Sydney, and Melbourne, and in the States, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, and Hawaii. A professional writing background isn’t required — mostly, we’re looking for passion about one or more FOUND categories (real estate, restaurants, shopping, culture & leisure, getaway travel & the modern workplace) along with impeccable taste. Is that you, or a friend? Interested candidates, drop us a line at found@itsfound.com and tell us a little about yourself.
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REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Three properties on offer on Île Saint-Louis in the 4th arr.
→ Île Saint-Louis (metro Pont Marie) • 3BR/3BA, 95 m2 duplex • Ask: 2.5M € • recently refurbished floor-through flat w/ interior staircase • Annual maintenance/condo fees: 3000 € • Agent: Paris Ouest Sotheby’s.
→ Quai de Béthune (metro Pont Marie) • 2BR/2BA, 134 m2 apartment • Ask: 2.65M € • in former Hesselin private mansion, rebuilt in 1934 in art deco style • Annual maintenance/condo fees: 7580 € • Agent: Romain Moles, Engel & Völkers.
→ Quai d’Orléans (metro Pont Marie, above) • 4BR/5BA, 195 m2 apartment • Ask: 12.5M € • south-facing 5th-floor waterfront apartment w/ Seine and Notre Dame views • Annual maintenance/condo fees: 9600 € • Agent: Guillaume Puech, Daniel Feau.
GETAWAYS • Haute-Savoie
Great lake
France has a short but pretty shoreline on Lake Geneva, but the true great lake of Gaul is the nine-mile-long, two-mile-wide Lac d’Annecy. The cleanest lake in Europe — it’s so pure you can officially drink its waters — has an area of 97 acres running north-south from the delightful town of Annecy in the country’s Haute-Savoie département, part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
WORK • Friday Routine
On tap
THIBAULT LAMARQUE • founder, CEO • Castalie
Neighborhood you work & live in: Boulogne-Billancourt
It’s Friday afternoon. How are you approaching the weekend?
I founded Castalie 15 years ago, so life is very different from what it was in the early days. Fridays are usually a little more relaxed for me now. I’ll often have lunch out, then keep the afternoon free of meetings. It’s a chance to make a few phone calls, take a step back, and ease into the weekend.
Castalie was born from a simple idea: offering a sustainable alternative to bottled water. We design and manufacture premium water systems that filter, chill, and carbonate tap water, allowing hotels, restaurants, and businesses to serve exceptional water while eliminating the waste and transport associated with plastic and glass bottles. Sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do, but so has design and the quality of the experience.
What’s on the agenda these days?
We’re at a particularly exciting stage in Castalie’s journey. In France, we’ve reached a significant scale and built a strong presence across hospitality, corporate spaces, and some of the country’s most respected establishments. The focus now is on international expansion.
I’ve recently spent time in Morocco, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Morocco has been especially exciting because it reminds me of what France felt like 15 years ago when I was first building Castalie. In some ways, I feel like I’m rediscovering my job.
What I truly enjoy is the emergence of their bistronomy scene. There have always been excellent restaurants in Morocco, but a new generation of chefs is now creating something different. We recently worked with Le Petit Cornichon in Marrakech — which is part of the country’s exciting new culinary movement — and I’m also a great admirer of Farmers, a restaurant built around its own farm and a deeply local approach to food. Many of these restaurants are becoming Castalie clients, which is incredibly rewarding.
My role has changed enormously over the years. In France, we now have 120 employees, a managing director, and well-established teams. Today, my job is much more about meeting entrepreneurs, chefs, and distributors abroad who share our values. I recently met a Moroccan distributor who was drawn to Castalie for both our environmental commitment and our product design. We chose to work with him because he shares our obsession with quality and attention to detail.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight or this weekend?
I do enjoy great restaurants, of course. I recently dined at David Toutain, for example. But despite appearances, I don’t spend all my time in fine dining establishments. My real local canteen is Bonnotte in Boulogne. The chef, Manon Negretti, is fantastic. She’s deeply committed to sustainability, and her menu changes constantly depending on what arrives that day. I’m a vegetarian, and even when there isn’t a vegetarian dish on the menu, she’ll always create something for me based on the ingredients she has available. And everyone should try her chocolate soufflé. I also have a weekly ritual with my daughter. Every Wednesday at lunchtime, before taking her to basketball practice, we have lunch together at a small Japanese restaurant called Shiki. It’s become our special tradition.
Closer to home, I also love Morieux bakery in Boulogne. It’s wonderfully simple but exceptional in quality. The breads are outstanding, and the pastries feel honest and uncomplicated. I must admit I’ve grown a little tired of overly elaborate desserts.
Another place that means a lot to me is one of my Parisian canteens, which also happens to have been Castalie’s very first client, La Robe et le Palais. It’s the kind of place I’ve remained loyal to over the years.
What about culture and leisure?
Like many parents of young children, we often try to combine activities that the whole family can enjoy. A typical weekend might include something for the kids, while also making sure we stop at a great restaurant along the way. We’re heading away as a family this weekend and will be stopping for dinner at Christophe Hay‘s restaurant in the Loire Valley before spending the weekend at Beauval Zoo with the children.
Any favourite escapes or weekend getaways?
I absolutely love Brittany. We spend many of our holidays in Port-Manec’h, and it’s where I truly disconnect. I go boating, spend time by the sea, and return to some favourite addresses year after year. One of them is Les Trois Buis in Pont-Aven. During Covid, they kept going when many others couldn’t, and I’ve remained very attached to the place. It’s also where I discovered a langoustine ravioli recipe that I now love making at home. I don’t eat fish, but langoustines are my one exception. Pont-Aven itself is a beautiful town with a rich artistic history and a very special atmosphere. And then there’s a seafood restaurant called Les Viviers on the Glénan Islands that brings back wonderful memories of boat trips and summers in Brittany. Those are often the places that stay with you the longest.
More recently, after a business trip to Morocco, my wife and children joined me in Marrakech, and we spent three days together there. One unforgettable experience was the A Thousand Lights dinner at Les Deux Tours hotel. Every evening, only one table is reserved in a secluded garden illuminated by hundreds of candles. Whether you’re dining with friends or as a couple, as we did, it’s a magical experience.
What were your most recent great holidays?
Sri Lanka, an extraordinary country. The food is fantastic, the people are incredibly welcoming, and it’s a very family-friendly destination. Because of the disruption to air travel caused by events in the Middle East, we unexpectedly stayed an additional 15 days. In the end, it became my longest holiday in nearly 20 years. I particularly loved the cuisine, which is naturally very plant-based and full of fruits, vegetables, and spices. One of my highlights was Gini in Colombo, a wonderful example of Sri Lankan bistronomy. The food is creative, generous, and deeply rooted in local traditions. They also have a few rooms, making it a lovely place to stay.
What’s the last significant purchase you’re really happy with?
Without hesitation, my electric bike. Actually, I own two: a Moustache and a Riese & Müller. The Riese & Müller is a longtail model that allows me to carry both of my children on the back. It’s incredibly practical and genuinely improves my day every time I use it to take them to school.
Which shop or service do you always recommend?
I’m not much of a shopper, and I tend to dress exactly the same way all the time. That said, I do have a tailor I really like: Gambler, near La Madeleine in Paris. I no longer wear suits, but I have relaxed, made-to-measure jackets made there.
One thing I am extremely particular about is olive oil, and I often buy oils from Alexis Muñoz.
But the service I probably recommend most often these days is Le Fourgon. It’s a brilliant circular-economy concept: they deliver products to your home in reusable glass containers — everything from olive oil to drinks and household staples — and collect the empty containers during the next delivery so they can be washed and reused. It’s exactly the kind of system I believe in and is very much aligned with the philosophy behind Castalie.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Mineral water, French
L’Eau Vertueuse Velleminfroy, virtuous calcium-rich water, one of the purest bottled waters in France, often found in Burgundy and Franche-Comté