What I did in Paris yesterday

 

These days when I leave the house, I feel like I got a free ‘get-out-of-jail card. With the best of intentions I took the bus to the pool. I was wearing my suit, had my goggles, cap etc. but last minute I decided it’s too chilly to go in (temp 51 but feels like 47). Wimp! I was planning post-pool to go look for Paris souvenirs for your envelopes 💌 Hmm..

Instead nearby at M&S I bought my fav BLT/ba-CON avec laitue et tomate sandwiche. And a can of their whipped dairy cream for testing later. I did not buy the REAL jam-filled donuts for comparative analysis . Another time.

Nearby, Monoprix has Summer ‘marinier’-style bedding? And enamel buckets with red trim perfect for storing paintbrushes.

Was it Karmic destiny? In the Metro the first thing I saw was creme de Bresse. 

Watch the French video. Those Bresse cows live a life of ‘Luxe, calm, volupté’. I live a life full of strawberries 🍓 and cream these days.

Coming out at Place Vendôme, another knockout poster...

Cafes may be shut but they can sell their wares on the street like this iced grapefruit and rose tea from Café Cassette.

I got on line at the world’s best pastry chef, CEDRIC GROLET Opera, but they’d already sold their last strawberry 🍓 tarte. The pink  things that looks like hot dogs on a grill, are rhubarb cake.

New Spring macaron boxes are in the window at Ladurée. I just browsed. With the Louvre closed you’ve got to go to pastry shops for art work.

British bookseller WH Smith has totally refurbished their rue de Rivoli shop during the Lockdown. They also have lovely new bookmarks. YUM 

Then to Mado of Paris. News alert! They now have marshmallow madeleines and gold ‘plated’ chocolate bars!

My haul of goodies, bits n bobs for your envelopes 💌 PBers. 

I tested the new M&S whipped cream. Fluffier, no Madagascan vanilla, less sugar. The verdict is still out. 

With the best of intentions I’d planned to shoot the Eiffel Tower letter at Champs de Mar. Instead, in the middle of rue de Rivoli, Concorde, I asked a French girl to please hold it up. Did I wanted to be in the picture? Hmm.. THANKS to the new single Paris letter I’m meeting so many lovely new PBers from around the world 🌎😊🤸🏾‍♀️❤️👏💋🐻🌸 Have a beautiful Friday/Vendredi 🌸

Swimming and Strawberry Research

I’m back in the pool. So happy ☺️ You need a doc’s note, so its empty 🏊‍♀️ I’m going daily doing just water exercises. No laps to work off Lockdown pounds. The problem is you get a ferocious appetite post-swimming. 

Piscine St. Germain is 5-minutes walk 🚶‍♂️ from 5 of Paris’ top patisseries (Mulot, Pierre Hermé, Christolphe Michalek, Arnaud Larher, Pierre Marcolini). A tad further: The Smith’s, Popolino, Maison Thevenin, Eric Kayser. Uh oh, we’re in landmine turf.

I popped into Arnaud Larher for strawberry 🍓 letter research whilst also grabbing biz cards for your envelopes. Look Cheesecake Louise (my middle name but I resisted): streusel aux amandes, biscuit à la passion, creme cheesecake à la passion, gelée de fraises, mousse cheesecake recouvert d’une nappage à la fraise. Pure poetry.

Massive jars of 🍓 jam called my name, but the price did not 😳 I bought something tiny in exchange for browsing and biz card theft 😊

A new patisserie addition to St. Germain🤸🏾‍♀️ Fou de Patisserie of the stunning pastry journal, now at 64, rue de Seine, 75006

They have new savory things with the usual melange/mixup of top pastry chefs. Hooray. Their jams are made by MOF(meilleur champion du monde du confiture), Stephan Perrotte. Price tag also €8,50 but I thought I have to try this.

Fou de Patisserie changed their brand logo to black with abstract floating pastry shapes.

Strawberry outfit from Isabel Marant  She knows what women want❤️

Have you been to Maison Thevenin? A lovely family bakery since 1963. Their specialty - lush, fruity tartes. 

When I saw the Cheese-cake New-Yorkais with fromage Philadelphie (my home town) I had to get it. I don’t even like cheesecake but the French make it très léger/very light. Not like a slice of Brooklyn’s Jr.’s you have to split 6 ways. 

You can say, “I am not coming to Paris to eat New York cheesecake. No way”. Big mistake. Light as a feather🪶 

My haul.

Research break 🍓 over. Back to mailing out your letters dear PBers 🌸

Ribbon is so hard to find in locked-down Paris, but the stamp store has them for your letters 💌

Oh la la la la la la la

Thank so much dearest, darlings from Hungary, UK, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Greece and the US ! You bought the new singles in my Etsy shop. You’ve made every day so lovely for us☺️🐻🌸Please have a lovely day yourselves. xxx ❤️🐻🍓

Paris Cherry blossom Map + single letter!

At last! 🤸🏾‍♀️A matching Cherry blossom map to go with the Eiffel tower letter. 

Remember I showed you Georgianna Lane’s beautiful Paris in Bloom? It was 4 years ago.

Turns out its the perfect source when looking for les cerises en fleurs/cherry blossoms in Paris. 

Maps take longer to do. So many sketches and doodles. Its useful to have a strawberry bookmark/marc paige in case you get hungry🍓 

Even more useful are Paris pastries + whipped cream. They are required to get to the map art finish line for some reason. Hmmm..

I was thinking I could drop pressed (peony) petals into your envelopes. This did not work out.

Lenotre again has pretty flowery window decor. 

Spring is definitely in the air.

More cherry blossom pink across the street. The boulangerie has fait maison/home-made pink marshmallows. I resisted. Should I go back? They are open on Sundays...

I’ve become seriously addicted to whip cream for someone who never ate it before.  Now it goes on Everything. Move to Paris. This is what happens. No one said. 

A robins egg blue vintage mini car matching the Paris sky, around the corner from my house. Does the vintage garage only display it in Spring? A definite upper ☺️🌸💋🍓 And a tour group with matching turquoise berets in the park nearby. So Springy. Thanks for reading ParisBreakfast 😊 You’ll find the new single blossom map in my Etsy shop. 

Have a Happy Spring Sunday 🌸🐻😊

A Lovely day

 

Yesterday was a lovely day. I walked out my door and this giant yellow brontosaurus was sitting there, removing pianos etc. from a window above. I crossed the street not to get crushed should it back up suddenly. 

The street cleaner and I stood there looking up, our jaws on the ground.

Yesterday I managed to walk on by this big lemon tarte without going inside. They know me too well in there 😳

Yesterday I finally did go inside adorable Besties, a new, HOT donut shop on rue to see what all the fuss was about. 

The owner is French, not British or American. They have flavors-of-the-month. 

April is peach-lavender. I went for old favs, framboise and pistachio (@4€). Bonnie and I were reminiscing. Do you remember those mini donut machines that produced the best little cinnamon sugared donuts? There was one in the 42nd street subway. Bonnie says I should get one and sell them on a Paris street. 🍩 YES 👏  

Yesterday I wanted to get peonies to paint at Marché Mutualité. THEY ARE HERE at last! 🤸🏾‍♀️The woman ahead of me pointed at the pink roses to the vender. 

He said, “Belle o moche?” (Beautiful or ugly?) 

She said,”Moche s’il vous plait.”(ugly please). 😊

Yesterday I got another flat of strawbs (kilo 2.2 lbs 7€). Better this time though still from Espana. The vender beside me, arranging new peaches, pointed to the smaller box of FRENCH Gariggette berries at the same price and whispered, “Much better!” 

On the way home, I rested my new treasures on a park bench. And myself as well.

My jaw dropped when a filming flatbed truck come by with an attached biker madly peddling. We all rushed to get a shot. 

He gave us the Victory sign! 😊 

On the way home more surprises 🦆 Evidently its true. Ducks in a row. They do line up!  Nothing like the simple gifts 💋

I hope you have a lovely day dear PBers 🍓

Back to drawing the Paris map✏️ 

Where’s the whipped cream?