Over tea with M. at Le Saut du Loup, the conversation turned to the penny candy M. ate as a kid. "CARUMBAR" were a favorite of hers, or so it seemed to me.
While waiting to visit Barbara Bleu, I spotted this cobalt blue bonbon shop, BLEU DANS L'ILE. The vitrine said,
'DELICES ET SUCRERIES DES REGIONS DE FRANCE... ET D'AILLEURS'. Translated, delights and sugary sweets of regional France and elsewhere.
I asked the owner if she had CARUMBA caramels?
She corrected me, You mean CARAMBAR caramels?
Oui, bien sur! a sort of caramel Tootsie Roll.
This shop was packed with all kinds of other caramels.
Vanille, Fleur de Sel, Beurre Sel, Chocolat, Cafe, even in pop form. Oh my.
Blurry picture? Your knees would be shaking too with all this caramel.
MAJOR Miam! Years ago I used to attend Lotte Berke Excercise class on 67th street. The entire hour class I fantasized about buying Dalloyau caramels at Bloomingdales and I did too.
Regarde/look! Caramel mice. I buy a pack of CARAMBAR and entrust them to Barbara to give to M. She immediately starts munching. Hmph. I have a feeling M. never saw a single Carambar. Please visit the CARAMBAR site for giggles. Or buy CARAMBAR on Amazon! No kidding! 
Beautiful, beautiful water color.
ReplyDeleteAnother great painting. How DO you get that printing to look so real with watercolor??
ReplyDeleteAnd as usual another yummy blog. ;-)
Cris in OR
Carol, how can you! I mean, I am by now steeled against your chocolate temptations and breakfast lures of the most luscious kinds, but not against caramel!!!! Now I am sitting here, eyes affixed to the screen and melting of sheer desire, in need of a caramel bonbon and, quelle tragédie, not only do I not have anything sweet in sight, I need to fit into a tight-fitting dress un Thursday!
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, the painting is another show stealer. :-)
Believe me Merisi, I am salivating along with the rest of you.
ReplyDeleteAND kicking myself black and bleu that I didn't bring more of these delicious caramels home!!!
Cris I did not paint the business card! I'm not Rembrant for heavon's sake!
Oui -- carambar's are the favorites of the kids.
ReplyDeleteMy son went to the
French American school and that was the reward for doing well on your French homework!
P.
Love the photos.
Charming story of fantasizing about carmels during exercise class and then, better yet, rushing over to Bloomingdale's afterwards and actually getting them. When you open a window like that, you let us see a little more of you. It's like a small sweet gift to your readers.
ReplyDeleteMerci.
You've really gone and done it today!
ReplyDeleteThere's no resisting tempatation after this caramel post! I'm sunk...
Oh I wasn't talking about the card or the real candy.. But the things IN the cup. especially the writing on the candy and the bird on the packet..I KNOW you did those, and on small sized watercolor paper. nope I stand by what I said. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI too got a kick out of the exercise class and carmel story. ;-)
Cris in OR
Those Carambars are my husband's favourites.
ReplyDeleteOur children bought him some for his birthday... he hid the packet in one of his drawers !?! in his study and he keeps chewing when dealing with our papers...
Any French toothpaste? ANY colour will do!
I LOVE your blog. I don't mean to gush, but it really satisfies my "Paris need" esp. since I can't hop on a plane and go! Thanks so much for taking all the wonderful pictures on your trip and then sharing them with us...and of course...your watercolors are AWESOME!!
ReplyDeleteYou always have the most delicious, tempting phots and amazing watercolours...lovely to drop by again.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteIt's got an interesting point of view. I like all the colors.
And your watercolors are awesome.
Keep it up and show us more!
I prefere chocolate to caramels, always too afraid to loose a tooth,lol, but your description and images makes me want to lick the screen, or rush out to a nearby sweetshop to she what kind of caramels they have, or search through the food storeroom in our basement to she what I can find there (that's where we "hide" taxfree treasures from airports)
ReplyDeleteYour blog is my daily suger feast!
Lovely, Carol!
ReplyDeleteThose candies have a marvelous "old-fashioned" look about them, n'est ce pas?
Very nostalgic.
I like how you conveyed the twisted ends of the paper on the candies in the watercolor. Charming!
OH goodness!!!! carambar and penny candy off the street! i was in paris two summers ago with my art class, and my friend and i did nothing but consume french sweets for two weeks..... so wonderful. i had (gasp) almost forgotten about that experience, thank you for reminding me. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite little neighborhood restaurant, Au Pied de Fouet, in the 7th arrondissement, serves a carambar with your coffee if you don't order dessert.
ReplyDeleteSo delicious!
(Puts new meaning to the phrase
"less filling" = "fewer fillings"
There's a grammar lesson!)
Where is this shop?? I love caramel, fudge and toffee things so much, even if they rot the teeth. i used to live off carambars when i would spend the summers down in Limousin. delicioussss.
ReplyDeleteYou can get Caramel & Cotton Candy Carambars on www.saveurdujour.com.
ReplyDelete$8 Flat Shipping Fee on Continental US.
Miam!
Hellloooo,
ReplyDeleteu guys are all talking about that while I've lived in paris all my life!!!!!!!! I'm french, I moved here 3 years ago, had to learn english bla bla bla...
Paris is awsome and I am right now eating a "caramel carambar"!
u should all go to france, it rocks!