Rue Bonaparte

Rue Bonaparte1, 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!

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...

Macarons 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, 9" x 11"

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

I never walked down rue Mouffetard. 

Shame on moi.

Situated in the 5th (cinquième) arrondissement of Paris, Rue Mouffetard is one of Paris's oldest & liveliest neighborhoods. The area has many restaurants, shops, cafés, and a regular open market. I walked a ton down Rue Montorgueil on the other hand, but then it's loaded with pastry and gelato shops. Look! A Paris line.
Rue Cler is another street I 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 in the Marais and promises to guide me down Avenue Montaigne - the poshest 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 cream...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 rue des Martyrs 75009

Patisserie Demontel, 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-dooFeeling 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 20h30Today 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!