Rendez-vous Carnet de Voyage, Clermont-Ferrand

This year's the 5-day annual international travel sketchbook event,  RENDEZ-VOUS CARNET DE VOYAGE is all on one floor (including the fabulous chocolate chip cookies to be shown in next post).

Its much easier to navigate.

The Leporello accordion sketchbook is all over the expo.

Individual artist's stands are more explosive.

With color and pattern compared to previous year's exhibits.

There are areas where you sit and listen to audio travel adventures, browse books and possibly catch a few Zzzs before looking at more sketchbooks.

Irresistible art supplies and the publishers with even more books to browse and buy are enticing.

This is another place to bring a granny cart for take-aways.

Master sketcher, GABI CAMPANARIO from Seattle was invited to represent URBANSKETCHERS. If you're lucky to live in Seattle def take one of his workshops. Otherwise buy his terrific DRAWING BOOKS. 

Sonia Privat won a prize in show for her book AMANI.

Her drawings are strewn appropriately among old travel suitcases. Remember what those looked like? More to come soon. PS I had oysters for breakfast in the Sunday marché. Yum Carol in Clermont-Ferrand🎨

Rungis au Grand Palais

Last night was the inauguration of RUNGIS AU GRANDP ALAIS! Its on all weekend. Who hasn't wanted to go to the big wholesale market (at 3-4 am in the morning)?

This is the first time RUNGIS has come to Paris. Hooray🎉If you're here definitely GO!

You'll get a free shopping bag at Pink Lady Apples but a granny cart would be useful. Loads of tastes and loads of fun. Demos, ateliers etc. yesterday I put the November PARISMAP in the mail📮 Hooray🎉

The line 1 decided to close down last night so I walked in the rain from the Louvre to Grand Palais. My feet were soaked but it was worth it. Line 1 was up and working by the time I left near 11 pm. Hooray🎉

Its now after 6 am and I'm waiting for the train to Clermont-Ferrand and my 4th RENDEZ-VOUSDUCARNETSDEVOYAGE! Hooray🎉

Bonne Week-End PBers👍🏻 Enjoy reading this with your morning coffee☕️ and keep Bear in Paris with a letter subscription from my Etsy shop. Bear 🐻 is staying home house sitting ❤️☕️🥐

Fine Arts Paris at Carrousel du Louvre

The 3rd annual FINE ARTS PARIS is on through Sunday in the Carrousel de Louvre. These exhibits of individual art galleries are always a chance to see rare pieces before they're scooped up into private collections.

Probably never to be seen again like this SOROLLA.

More from RAFAEL VALLS LTD. of 11, Duke street, London.Posh galleries from London, Brussels and Paris you might hesitate entering here are easily accessible.

I went on preview day and was consistently amazed.

There are walls of smaller, more affordable pieces to discover.

Experience the different flavors of each gallery.

In some you feel like you stepped into a chateau.

Others are starkly modern.

The range of art objects is extensive.

I spent 2 1/2 hours browsing. Then I needed to recoup.

Fortunately a month ago a new Laduree tea salon opened in the Louvre's shopping carrousel. Stop in for a cuppa and some lovely macs. Enjoy PB with your morning coffee☕️ and keep Bear in Paris with a letter subscription from my Etsy shop. Bear 🐻 waves Bonjour ❤️from Paris☕️🥐

Salon Imperial Chocolat, Chateau Fontainebleau

Hurry up! Get out of bed. Its the last day for the annual SALON IMPERIAL CHOCOLAT in Fontainebleau just 20+ minutes by train outside Paris. Bear did it. So can you.

The chocolate salon, like last year, is held inside the chateau and is included in the entre fee(12€).

Bonaparte slept here, among others. The historic rooms are divine.

I never noticed before this portrait of a dog fancier. Intriguing. Normally you cross an empty courtyard to get to the chocolate salon.

This year they added tents offering foie gras from the sud-ouest, drinks including warming coffee and rum and other goodies like flaky apple tarts just out of the oven.

Inside a chocolate feast awaits. Many of the chocolatiers are from the Ile-de-France area.

Lots and lots of tasting going on.

We tried the Champagne with a hint of dark chocolate.

Chocolate cake competitions and ateliers for kids.

Bear said bonjour to the head honcho and salon director, top pastry chef FREDERIC CASSEL.

We stopped in his patisserie in town on 71 rue Grande for lunch (quiche Lorraine and citron tarte eaten in the street on the way to the chateau). Instant love❤️ for the chocolate bear celebrating Frederic Cassel's 25 years in business. Enjoy reading PB with your morning coffee☕️ 🥐 and keep Bear in Paris with a letter subscription from my Etsy shop. Bear 🐻 waves Bonjour ❤️from Paris☕️🥐

November Calendrier de l'Advent

I'm keeping up with the new PB tradition creating an annual ADVENT letter for November.

A true love story lies behind this wonderful house museum. Artist Nelie Jacquemart painted wealthy banker, Edouard Andre's portrait in 1872. They married in 1881.

Both passionate about travel and Italy, they visited every year. Together they amassed one of the great collections of Italian Renaissance art in their home on 152, bd Haussmann.

The Jacquemart-Andre is less crowded than most Paris museums and offers an intimacy and calm few others can claim.

When you enter the music room, immediately Vivaldi starts playing.

In its heyday for grand soirées, the walls lowered and it became one huge ballroom.

Right now 75 works of Italian painting of exceptional beauty from the ALANA COLLECTION is on till 20 January. They perfectly complement the rest of the collection on the 2nd floor.

Do not miss having an 19th century tea in the museum's period salon.

Why I decided to visit the museum after finishing the letter art is one of the great unsolved mysteries.

I was searching madly online for pictures while at the museum they give-away big Galeries Lafayette Paris maps with perfect reference photos. Just what I was searching for. Fontainebleau seemed a good choice but their brochure offered few artwork pictures. MUSEE JACQUEMART-ANDRE offered loads. The brochure comes along with the letter by the way.  More fun cutting up bits of paper and pasting bits of paper. You will have to cut open the windows yourselves. Does it matter? You tell me.

Can you find the museum's Paulo Uchello St. George and the dragon in the Advent letter? More Paris Advent posts coming. Christmas has begun fullspeed in Paris. Tomorrow is the 1st day of the SALON DU IMPERIAL CHOCOLAT AU CHATEAU FONTAINEBLEAU. The MADE-IN-FRANCE show is on as is the stamp show and...I feel like RUN LOLA RUN. What can I say? Enjoy reading PB with your morning coffee☕️? Keep Bear in Paris with a letter subscription from my Etsy shop. Bear 🐻 waves HELLO ❤️from Paris☕️🥐.