Rue Bonaparte

Rue Bonaparte1, original art, 9" x 11"
One street I know really well is rue Bonaparte in "The Latin Quarter" 6th Arr.

Shall we go for a stroll..?

Oooops! What is New York's Kiehls doing here?

and right next to patisserie Pierre Herme at #72 rue Bonaparte!
HUMPH

Ages ago before it went upscale I used to stay, in a garrett at Hotel Bonaparte conveniently right across the street from Pierre Herme. Course there were no passion fruit macarons back then...

Just to the right of the hotel is now a YSL Rive Gauche boutique. That wasn't there either...

If you walk down rue Bonaparte towards the Seine you can't miss Cafe Les Deux Magots with some of the best chocolat chaud in my experience (next runner up to Angelina).

Keep on walking and another hot chocolate awaits you...

Served in an entirely different manner at Cafe Le Bonaparte...

Across the street is book publisher Assouline and a favorite jewelry boutique, Fabrice. Their windows are always a witty surprise.

For a 3rd hot chocolate...

And macarons try Laduree at the corner of rue Jacob.

After all these goodies you better just keep on walking all the way to La Defense.

Allons-y!

~
BONJOUR WEEK-END!

Rue Mouffetard...

Diwali Mouffetard, original art, 9" x 11"

Are there certain well known streets in Paris you have never walked down?

I have never walked down rue Mouffetard.

Shame on moi...

Situated in the fifth (cinquième) arrondissement of Paris, Rue Mouffetard is one of Paris's oldest and liveliest neighbourhoods. These days the area has many restaurants, shops, and cafés, and a regular open market.
So says Wikipedia...

I have walked a ton down Rue Montorgueil on the other hand, but then it's loaded with pastry and gelato shops...Hmmm

Look! A Paris line.
Rue Cler is another street I've somehow missed up on.
But I'll be 2 minutes away from it in a couple of weeks so I'll comb every inch of it for you...

Anne took me here in the Marais and promises to guide me down Avenue Montaigne - the poshes of Parisian streets.
Are there any pastry shops on it though?

Do you have a favorite street I should explore?

Tell all!

It's odd how you go back to the same old places over and over again in Paris...but then you feel comfortable there, so it makes perfect sense doesn't it?

Will this corner cafe become my new home away from home?

Especially since I have to climb 6-7 flights to reach it...
I'm whipping myself into shape for those stairs..

Mostly whipping...Hmmm

~

BONJOUR JEUDI!

Paris Lines

Angelina Paris1,original art, 9" x 11"

Have you waited on line to get into Angelina's?

Angelina Paris2, original art, 9" x 11"

It's pretty much a given in Paris that you will wait on a lot of lines, though you don't read about this in the guide books...ahem

Parisiens think it's the most normal thing in the world to stand on line for hours for a cookie!

Actually you will be standing on line for just about everything except the METRO in Paris, so be prepared. Reading material on Carla is a good idea...

Love letters are fine, but not bills in my humble opinion...

Even once you've gained entre a little reading material comes in handy to distract you from the horrid anticipation of having to make a choice, say at patisserie Pierre Herme for example...

Here are some insane Parisiens waiting in line out in the bitter cold at La Maison du Chocolat to purchase their Easter chocolates.
Maybe they are not so insane after all....

Standing on line in Paris is a great way to get an overview on fashion trends...

You can get close up and personal and maybe even catch a shot with no one noticing...

Parisiens are that intent on their objective.

Particularly if it's FREE macarons on Mac Day at Pierre Herme!

Ah Ha! The much awaited prize!!! And well worth the wait too.

Even Paris hounds line up without much complaining.
They are quite well behaved in fact, but then they are used to it.

After all they're Parisien...

~
BONJOUR MERCREDI!

DELMONTEL

Patisserie Demontel, original art, 9" x 11"

Have you been to Patisserie DELMONTEL?

Well if you haven't you haven't lived!!!

39, Rue Martyrs, 75009 Paris

So fasten your seat belts...

You're in for some serious torture this morning...tee-hee

Doodly-doo...

Feeling relieueuse today?

Eclairesque?

Want a touch of green in your life?

OK a LARGE hunk of green in your life?

This is what I got... SUSPENCE!

2 logs of Limey, very tarty, deliciousness...no I could not eat it all

Triste non?

This is a shot of DELMONTEL today over at Google Maps
Tous les jours sauf le mardi de 7h00 à 20h30
Today being Mardi, they are closed

&^%$#

BONJOUR MARDI!

Paris/New York

The Paris Boulangerie, original art, 9" x 11"

Yesterday I went to the absolute last day of the exhibit, Paris/New York: Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940 at the Museum of the City of New York...

Why is it you always wait till the very last day to go to these exhibits?

The landing of the grand liner, the Normandie in 1936 was cause for much celebration in New York.
"The exhibit explores not only architecture and design, but also film, fashion, and the performing arts. Styles from Art Deco to neo-romanticism are examined along with the work of such legendary figures as Helena Rubinstein, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dali­­, and Josephine Baker...The exhibition brings together never-before-exhibited drawings, furnishings, decorative objects, costumes, photographs, posters, and films"...bla bla bla etc.

Here's a fab gown Coco Chanel designed for an American on board...

Salvator Dali was on board as well!

This rakish hat was specially designed as a homage to the Normandie by Stetson...

Meanwhile back in Paris, American dancer Josephine Baker was all the rage.

Parisiens were hot for her...

And she's still an icon for the "Jazz Age".

Plus American architecture also made a hit across the pond..

All our sky scrapers (gratte ciel) made a big dent.

Look at early days at Rockefeller Center! No ice skating back then.

What do you think of these '40s shoes?

Should Manola and Jimmy take note?

We still don't have a decent boulangerie either :(

Are you a fan of French Deco?

Bonne Journee!

Les Facades

Le Petit Plateau Salon de The, original art, 9" x 11

I've been wanting to paint Paris facades for a while now, for a personal project.

And what better way to stop dragging my heels, then to put them on PB.

I never expected such a warm response from you all, PB readers!

BIG MERCI!

Paris is very much a grey city...
Paris grey skies are reknown, along with the classic, formal buildings...

There's a general greyness overall.

Here's a cat for those of you requesting one - black, not grey...sorry.

But the slashes of brilliant color you see in these typical facades are unique to Paris....

Like the brilliant scarves Parisiens often wear with their generally neutral clothing...

Ask any photographer and they will tell you grey makes a great background for colorful photographs. Check out their portfolios = almost always grey!

The greys enliven the brilliant colors...

And vice versa.

It's nothing new for Paris to have these intense strong colors splashed about.

Well really quite economically in fact.

Just enough to stop you in your tracks and give a second look.

Class over.

Have a ROSEY WEEK-END!

Paris Guard Dogs

Foret Noire Salon de The,original art,sold 9" x 11"

Something you see all over Paris are these working dogs...

They are guarding bistros...

And cafes - have you seen this little hard worker on the corner of rue de Buci?
He's (she?) always there...

Double guards on duty watching the girls go by...
Is that allowed?

This guard dog was caught taking a break. Ha!

A chic Marais shop dog guards from the inside...

The night watchman on patrol!
He's eyeballed me. Uh oh...

This hound is guarding her mistress' baguettes.

Don't touch!

An antique watch dog...

Goyard has this fausse metal hound on offer...

The new Galerie Lafayette-Home has these cardboard life-size hounds, if you prefer not to buy dog food.
A tad realistic if you ask me, but then I'm a prudish Americain...ahem

A larger than life-size homage to the French guard dog at Ch. Chantilly...

Ooooops - NO DOGS allowed in this fromagerie...

Here I am guarding a dog, while it's master buys goodies inside patisserie Gerard Mulot. He saw me gazing in the window and simply asked me to hold his hound. No problem.

WOOF!
How do you say woof in French?

PB reader, Anne Mathieu sent in this fab photo of Paris Bull Dogs on Bvd. St-Germaine des Prés

Ouah-Ouah

POISSONNERIE DU DOME

LA POISSONNERIE DU DOME,original art

More FACADES!

as you requested...besides these are fun.

La Boulangerie du Reve, original art

This one is made up a bit...ahem - n'existe pas I think...

Back to La Poissonnerie du Dome - Beauty is everywhere in Paris...
We were marching around before dinner, M, Sarah and I on rue Delambre in the 14th...
And I flipped for this fishmonger shop!
La Poissonnerie Du Dome

I couldn't believe my eyes - all the lovely fishy murals!

And the shop is open to the street, so you can put your nose right in the fish and get eyeball to eyeball.


The ultimate in freshness!


Jean-Pierre Lopez has owned La Poissonnerie Du Dome for 20 years. He's at the Marche Rungis starting at 3 AM (I could do this with the Jetlag I currently have...) where he searches and searches for the absolute best fish.

"When it's a question of finding the best, I am not faithful."
'' Quand il s'agit de trouver le meilleur, je ne suis pas fidèle ! '
The fish or in this case the King Crab jumps from the sea into the lorry and onto your plate.
This fishmonger saw me admiring his crab...
I so wish I'd had that crab for dinner!

Beauty is everywhere in Paris.

LA POISSONNERIE DU DOME

4 rue Delambre, 75014 PARIS
Métro: Vavin or Edgar-Quinet
Tuesday to Saturday 8 am-1 pm and 4-7 pm

(This is a repost from November, 2007)
~

BONNE JOURNEE!

Canelés Baillardran - Paris

Caneles Baillardran - Paris, original art

I spotted this charming Canelés Baillardran cart in Gare Paris Montparnasse...

Can a food cart count as a "facade"?

Canelés Baillardran originate in Bordeaux but you can find them everywhere in France.

Please tell Amtrack that we need some French caneles!!!

They are crusty on the outside and inside a tad custardy...oh it's impossible to describe the taste sensation of these little cakes/cookies...

They are baked in these gorgeous traditional copper molds called moule, which they also sell at the train station cart!

They are not very big, but evidently just one of these will do for lunch!
Ah so that's how those Frenchies keep so trim...

Something the French do really well is food carts...

Or should I say another thing the french do well...hmmm

Laduree takes the cake (sorry) for fancy food carts - this one was at the exit of the Marie-Antoinette exhibit last March. Who could resist?

This little gem sits just outside Galerie Lafayette Gourmet - that must take some nerve. Yet they offer delicious little inexpensive treats.
Here's a delicious treat I heard on the BBC this morning...
VIVE LA FRANCE
If you have 15 minutes to spare you may end up with a smile plastered on your face like mine was...
BONNE JOURNEE!

SENNELIER - PARIS

Sennelier-Paris,original art

It's de rigeur for me to go into any art shop in Paris...

Les Enfants Rouges-Paris,original art

Plus M. Baker wrote me, I just love the painting I bought of Ch. Vaux le Vicomte,

which brings me to ask,

Why you don’t do more paintings of architecture such as Shakespeare & Co., or my favorite “first stop” in Paris, the Nicolas wine shop on rue de Choiseul..?
So today I'm giving it a whirl!

But back to old favorite Parisien art shop, Magasin Sennelier on 3, Quai Voltaire 75007. By the way they've been around since 1887, which means the Impressionists probably got their gear there. But why is it when I show up, the place is always closed!!!

And the windows are full of goodies one can yearn for just as much as any box of macarons.

How many watercolor boxes do you have?
I've lost count but it's more than 10!

You can usually find interesting paint brushes abroad. So many art companies have globalized, it can be hard to find something different, but in the brush arena you can.

This "artists" smock is a decidedly European necessity...

Rest assured that there are many more erasures on the other side of the pond.

I know you really care about that :)

How many art shops you frequent are featured in a fabulous guide to Paris.
It's worth a look inside even if you don't paint on Sundays or any other time. Plus there's a ton of galleries nearby and gorgeous views of the Seine.


Here's the jewel in the window - this mini (but British) Rowney travel paintbox.
The prix..ahem, is not mini.

Quite a few of you have asked me,

Where can I find an art class in Paris?

The best place is to check out the signs posted on any art shop's door or inside.

You won't be disappointed.
PS

Please let me know what you think of these new Parisien facade paintings..?

Other related posts:

Art Temptations...

My Candy Store

Paint something pink, blue or...

BHV

Paris Roses...

French Rose Petal Tea, original art, 5" x 7"

We've covered New York Valentine chocolates and...

Laduree Macaron Hearts, original art, 5" x 7"

And Valentine hearts...

But Paris roses...

Are incroyable, as I was reminded by this email message from Aquarelle.com today...
Demain il sera trop tard!
Tomorrow will be too late!

Why are these so lush..?

Words elude me...

For once...


Even these faux roses (to wear on your wrist or your hair) from Galerie Lafayette are super lush!
We do have this Valentines message from Times Square though...
Can you top this Paris?




Course NO WAY can New York top Pierre Herme's rosey desserts...ahem
~
BON Valentine Day!

New York Hearts

Erin's Laduree Hearts, original art, sold 5" x 7"

A little bit of Paris hearts...

Photo sent in by PB reader last year

Because who can resist a little bit of virtual dreaming...

Meanwhile at New York's Chelsea Market cupcake maker Elenis has a tree of hearts...

In Soho Armani has heart message windows...

"Give Love
Get Love"

Across the street at Dean & Deluca - real edible heart cookies...

And heart soaps...

Plus real candied rose petals (not heart-shaped)

For a bit of Paris in New York head for La Maison du Chocolat's gorgeous windows on 1018 Madison Ave...

And a bit of Belgium, go to Pierre Marcolini on Park Avenue...

This is my favorite Marcolini heart

pitter...patter...

Anne Corrons of Mes Vitrines had this fab photo of Fauchon's window in Paris up today...
Don't you HEART the internet?!
~

BON JEUDI!

Love Birds

Love Bird, original art, sold 5" x 7"

Along with all the red valentine hearts floating around town...

Love Birds 2, original art, 5" x 7"

And lush bouquets of red roses...

The call is out for love birds.

My love at first sight for a bird occured at La Musee des Arts Decoratifs a few years ago...

Local birds are called upon for many odd jobs in Paris...

And lovely painted birds decorate many walls, like at Chantilly...

Downstairs my neighbor is completely round the bend with his new baby Love Birds...

They require a lot of TLC too...

This is my favorite bird painting in Paris is at the Musee Carnavalet.

Stuffed birds at very high-end florist boutique, Oderantes on 9, rue Madame, 6eme

More Parisien oiseaux at Pylones - I've got one of these babies.

What I would love to know is,

WHERE ARE THE REAL PARIS BIRDS?

Have YOU seen any?

I'm bringing along my birdseed next trip...ahem
BONNE JOURNEE!

Paris Pinks

Paris pinks, original art, sold 5" x 7"

Can you think of another town where pink is so prevalent as Paris?

Here an entire shop in pink. Why were they closed?

ouvert tous les jours, sauf le mardi, jusqu’à 19H30

Pink writing on the wall!
Only in Paris...

Of course there has to be pink perfumes in the town where they say "La vie en rose (pink)" after saying "C'est la vie.."

Jeff Koon's pink hound could not be more at home here...

Shocking pink walls at Musee Nissim Camondo are not so shocking...

Very pale pink macarons at Patisserie Stohrer...

And some very nice pink jambon too....

And just across the rue on Montorgueil, more pink pig at Maison Collet.

For Xmas, Galerie Lafayette's windows were full of P I N K!

An utterly wacky tea party was going on...

Do take your chaises please...

Note how the guests are looking out the window at the viewers. Ha!

And the viewers were captivated by all that pink.

Upside down pink flamingos resting on a strawberry tarte!?
Paris pinks.
~

Bonne Journee!

Saint Valentin RED

Pierre Herme Ispahan, original art, 5" x 7"

It's that time of year again...

Pierre Herme Emotion Ispahan, original art, 5" x 7"

To bring out the R E D...

You know Pierre Herme is bringing out the R E D...

Loads of gorgeous hearts - here red + green...

Remembrances of lovely red/pink things past...

Laduree always has red hearts on offer...

Fauchon goes for HOT PINK big time!

If you're not in Paris or Tokyo you can still own a Pierre Herme Saint Valentin heart from Rement Queen in LA...

If you're into immediate gratification like some people...ahem
Jelly hearts are waiting for you just outside the door more or less...

~

BON WEEK!

Musee Fauchon

Fauchon Macarons, original art, 5" x 7"

Where is the first place you go when you land in Paris religiously?

Fauchon Tea, original art, 5" x 7"

Maybe it's because I used to go every Sunday to Fauchon (when there was still a branch in New York)

That I find myself heading there right off the plane practically...

My favorite museum never disappoints....

There are tons of macarons!

Boxes and boxes...

Long, square....


Plus individually packed...

And bien sur decorating gateaux like crazy...

It's the craziness of Fauchon that appeals to me...

The nutty over-the-topness of it all...

And they (like moi) LOVE the geometrie!!!

I had lunch in this geometric crazy box. I dragged the box home and of course it fell to pieces. Craziness is not meant to last...

Wish I had dragged this box home, though I do have the cup and drink out of it daily.

So where is the first place you head for in Paris?

Tell all!!

BON WEEK-END!

Les Ballotins

Debauve et Gallais chocolate boxes, original art, 5" x 7"

What with Vallentines Day just around the corner we're being bombarded with candy boxes right and left, have your noticed?

Debauve et Gallais ballotins, original art, 5" x 7"

Granted most of them are heart-shaped...

But I was reminded of how the French stack up their candy boxes/les ballotins all year round...

Pretty much based on quantity and price.

Usually the smallest size on offer is cent grams = 100 grams or 3.3 ounces if you don't happen to be metric...

I love the patterns and geometry of these stacks...

And almost every candy shop offers them...

Le Roux, which is quite high-end has them...

Even the most posh of all French chocolatiers, DEBAUVE et GALLAIS has a range of sizes and boxes, so us peasants can have a little taste...

Sadly, Laduree, with their vast array of divine boxes does not offer a size range to choose from.

Well not in the same manner...

Although there is this tiny stack at the toy store if you want to shell out TWENTY EUROS. Ouch!

La Maison du Chocolat, on the other hand, takes a more equalitarian attitude and offers a 2-chocolate box for 3.3 euros, so you can feel like a queen for 5 minutes...

Pierre Herme?

Non, pas possible.

Though his 10 euro box of chocolates is a fabulous value.

Well I hope it's still 10 euros....

Three years ago, a friend lent me her little Paris studio cost-free, so I felt I could buy chocolate boxes with abandon. Naturally it was just for research and still life models bien sur! I did end up giving most of the chocolate away to the concierge and my friend.

After all how much chocolate can you eat in three weeks?

OK, Here's a real chocolate stack for you to munch on vicariously and virtually.

Do YOU have a favorite Parisien chocolate shop I should know about?

Do tell!
BON JEUDI!

Olivier Pitou - PARIS 7e

Potted Paris, original art, 9" x 11"

Time to focus on flowers while we're inundated with snow...

Parisiens are mad for their small potted plants to line their balcons. How could I not cross the street (14 Rue des Saint-Pères) for a peek inside Olivier Pitou.
A treasure chest of fabulous fleurs inside this closet-sized boutique.

Can you smell the flowers?

And why not a giant dramatic polar bear to jazz things up?

They were very sweet and let me shoot, though I didn't buy a blossom...

Heavens!

YUM! as good as macarons framboises non?

Glorious bouquets and arrangements...

But their specialty must be these perfect potted plants...

For your terrasse bien sur.

Dear USA Customs please let me bring some of these home?

And Olivier Pitou is in the 7th arrondissement too.

Just...

Other Parisien Fleuristes:

Yoshika Yamamoto Fleuristes 6eme

Patrick Allain Fleuriste

Aquarelle

AQUARELLE.com

Au Nom de la Rose Again

SIA Again

ROSES!!!

HydrangeaFAIR

Fleurimont 75006

Paris Gratifications...

Do you have a favorite fleurist in Paris?

Tell me about them S.V.P.

BONNE JOURNEE!

75007 PARIS

Remember I told you about PB reader, Susanne, who lives in the 7th arrondissement..?
And the glorious views of the Eiffel Tower outside her window..?

Well yesterday I finally did it! I booked my March trip to Paris!!! Yay And I'll be staying in Susanne's pied-a-terre! Yay This gorgeous hunk of quiche we ate comes from the boulangerie right downstairs by the way.

Susanne has moved on to a small village in Vermont (what!?).
Yes it's true. I wonder if she's taken her wonderful blue and white treasures with her? Or will I get a chance to paint them...?
Susanne's place is a flea market shoppers dream, in case you didn't already notice....

Shhhhhh!

I took my camera into the loo, so I could show you all the amazing treasures lurking everywhere.

Did I mention that Susanne's place is on the 6th floor?
I'm working out as I write this, prepping for climbing those stairs

I expect to collapse regularly into this cafe nearby...

Or this classic bistro - La Fontaine de Mars
129, rue St-Dominique

If I get homesick (never happens) there's the cafe Tribecca on rue Cler...

The fleamarket was closing up by the time I got to it but it looked terrific!
I have to admit I have never been to rue Cler before.
Dommage :(

For some reason I can't explain, I always procrastiinate like crazy booking my Air France ticket. And of course I always lose Air France's telephone number so I'm putting it here for next time.

I did a little research and discovered there are like a gazillion chocolatiers in the immediate vicinity of the appartment!
WOWZA!
A. Michel Chaudun‎ -149, Rue Université, 75007
B. Le Fleuriste du Chocolat‎ -49, Avenue La Bourdonnais, 75007 C. SAS Chocolaterie De Puyricard‎ - 27, Avenue Rapp, 75007
D. Les Petites Chocolatières‎ - 20, Rue Cler, 75007

E. Hévin Jean-Paul‎ - 23 Bis, Avenue La Motte Picquet, 75007

G. Renard Grégory‎ - 120, Rue St Dominique, 75007

H. A la Mère de Famille‎ - 47, rue Cler, 75007

I. La Maison du Chocolat‎ - 52, Rue François 1er, 75008

J. De Neuville SA‎ - 24, Rue Marbeuf, 75008
I know it's unseemly to say this but I cannot resist,
HOLY CRAP!!!!

It's a very good thing I will have those millions of stairs to walk daily...
If YOU have any suggestions of stuff I should do in the 7th do tell S.V.P.!
~
BONNE REVE!

Hot Chocolate Festival.com

Marshmallow Heaven, original art, 5" x 7"

In the interest of serious, intensive research and for your benefit, kind PB readers, I felt I must avail myself of the opening night of the month-long HOT CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL held annually since 1990.

At CITY BAKERY NYC!

I first heard the festival was about to begin over at Paris inhabitant, master pastry chef and chocolate expert, David Lebovitz's. And the drooling began...
Did I mention that City Bakery is at 3 West 18th Street, just footsteps from 5th Avenue FYI?
Owner/creator Maury Rubin was on hand giving out free tastes of the various flavors of the night.
For the month of February you can taste:
Banana Peel, Earl Grey Hot, Beer, Vanila bean, Ginger, Lemon, Bourbon, Cinnamon, Caramel, Tropical, Love potion, Sunken Treasure, ChocoVivo, Malted Milk, Milk chocolate hot chocolate...Grand Finale to be decided Feb 28th

And did I mention there are hand-made marshmallows to accompany your hot chocolate rather than the usual whipped cream?
YAHOO!
( I don't happen to like whipped cream and as Merisi of Vienna, an expert in all things mitt shlag says, it dilutes the hot chocolate! Who knew?)

For starters, I had a FREE! "flight" of hot chocolate flavors-
Ginger, Chilli, Beer,...oh heck who can remember?

Traditionalist that I am, I went with the "original" hot chocolate...

Here Rusty does the honors...OH YUM!

By the way, before he does THE POUR, he airates the hot chocolate with a mini whip.

I can easily pass up the mitt shlag but never the marshmallow!

TA DA!
How did it taste you want to know?
It's just the best damn hot chocolate you can find in New York (baring La Maison du Chocolat, which is once a month experience)
This I could have everyday...sigh

There are fabulous accompanyments to your hot chocolate like these home made chocolate chip cookies.
But I showed some discipline...

And these heavenly looking lemony apple tarts.

But I showed some restraint...

Maury Rubin by the way has a gorgeous book out on tarts...

LOOK!

To-die-for French toast carmelized up the whazoo!

But I showed a sense of responsibilty...ahem

As far as the hot chocolate went, I threw caution to the wind and gobbled it ALL UP vite vite vite!

~

PS

If you go, tell em PB sent you!