Yesterday I had a brief encounter with actress Leslie Caron in the Metro Etoile station.
I saw an elegant French woman checking the metro map. Then I saw her little dog - out came the camera immediatement. 
Remember Leslie Caron of Gi-Gi, Lily, American in Paris, Damages, Le Divorce, more recently Law and Order.
I saw the woman go off in one direction, turnaround and come back. Metro Etoile is a confusing station. I sensed she was lost. 
I went up and said,
'Peux je vous aidez?'/ Can I help you?
Mm. C. said, 'bla bla bla' in French
Mm. C. said, 'bla bla bla' in French
Me, 'but I'm American'
Mme. Caron responded in her inimitable lilting voice,
'Isn't it funny an American helping a French person in the Metro?' & smiled graciously.
I helped her find ligne 8 and then asked if I could take a picture of her Shitzu.
'His name is Tea-Tea' (sp)
Leslie Caron's book, Thank Heaven A Memoir came out two years ago. It's a classy tell-all of her life and loves in Hollywood and everywhere else. I'll be reading it as soon as I get home. Lovely interview here. 
Everyone in London and Paris is talking about the new Spielberg Tintin movie coming out exactly the day I head home. AirFrance could you please show it in economy? 
Yesterday I picked up Le Point to browse while enroute to my private macaron lesson with.Jill Colonna of Mad About Macaron fame. Jill is quite determined I will conquer the elusive macaron secrets. 
Bear inspects egg whites put out that morning. It was a misty, rainy day so everything should have gone wrong. 
Jill is a maitress de macaron. She whipped up these madly lemony macs for me.
After class, Jill took me on a grand tour of Saint Germain-en-Laye's finest patisseries. M.O.F. Patisserie Osmont was irresistable. 
The tarte citron meringuee beckoned.
Perfect for breakfast today! Little crunchy orbs of meringue sit atop a light lemon curd. Inside a touch of framboise/raspberry surprise lurked. Today I ate my crust. Chef Osmont won me over and I was very hungry. Leslie Caron said in this Guardian interview,'I seldom eat pastry–maybe once a year. I never eat desserts and I don't drink'.
I'd recognize her anywhere :)
ReplyDeleteI remember her particularly from the movie she was in with Cary Grant - the South Sea "war story"/comedy. Can't think of the name.
I love your sketches of the dogs - perfect!!
I love the pic of Bear keeping an eye on things...
This was one of the most exciting posts that I've read in a long time. I kept telling my husband that I wanted to go stay in her b&b but I heard she sold it. From the sounds o things, you were calm. I would have been a bit out of control... I just love her!!
ReplyDeleteDo you encounter a lot of Shih Tzus in Paris? I love Leslie Caron's Shih Tzu, Tea Tea! I have a brown and white Shih Tzu, Chloe, and (if you can believe the coincidence) my nickname is Gigi!! Great post, made me smile.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I really enjoyed our day yesterday and even more so that it started off with the movie star in the metro. Still can't get over it! Also can't get over that you ate Osmont's crust - although not too surprising. His pastries are a dream. In any case, try finding pigeons here to feed them ;-)
ReplyDeleteAdore your incredible doggie sketches.
You've no idea how you've made my day: imagine being in the same title of your blog as Leslie Caron? Is that not cool?!
I love your Paris stories - I can't wait to (eventually) return! Until then, please keep telling us all about your adventures - even then, really!
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How exciting.I thought I remembered her owning a B and B? I am probably getting my beautiful French actresses mixed up..
ReplyDeleteHow sweet of you to go and offer to help her..
You must have a great sense of direction..I can get lost in a phone booth..
I love your stories ..I wish you could have given her a sketch:) She would have loved it.
We grew up w/ Tintin,the movie was news to us this morning..again I think i heard rumblings.. but yay!.
Oh Carol! How exciting!! It was utterly classic of you to offer help and just take pictures of the dog. Don't forget , she was in Chocolate with Monsieur Depp. Je suis tres jaloux!
ReplyDeleteHow glorious!!! What a treat for all of us!! oh to be in Paris........my favorite place on earth!!!! blow it a kiss pour moi!! merci!!
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or is Paris always magique??
ReplyDeleteMon Dieu ... how FABULOUS for you .. an experience you will never forget .. great post which always makes me hungry ... hummm, I think Leslie may have a lesson for me ...
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ReplyDeleteHummmm....
Ana
www.ananumdiadaqueles.blogspot.com
I can't resist singing: "Thank heaven for little dogs!" What a great day for you and a very nice post for all of us.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post! How much fun was that to talk to L. C? And how funny that you would help her on the Metro.
ReplyDeleteThe lemon macs look delish as well as the tarts. YUM.
Beautiful post...but Dancin in the Rain?? Perhaps you were thinking of an American in Paris and not Singing in the Rain (which starred a young Debbie Reynolds)? Still, a lovely metro adventure!
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like your encounter with Ms. Caron should definitely be in your coffee-table book. Serendipity madly at work in the Paris Metro.
ReplyDeleteYou do make the most of Paris! I love that Everyone takes the Metro! (Her doggie looks just like my friend's dog who wouldn't cooperate with us in a attempt at pretending we were French by having a little dog with us.)
ReplyDeleteOooooh, always loved Leslie Caron! Fabulous! Didn't she open a restaurant, or Inn, or something, at her beautiful home? She was hilarious in that goofy little movie with Cary Grant...Father Goose? Love your sketches, Carol.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to see and help Leslie Caron. I have read her book and would have wished I had it with me for her to sign it. I love her. Then macaron lesson in the same day, how exciting.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, those pastries are a work of art. Truly!
ReplyDeleteAnd those lemon macarons look delicious.
Ms.Caron's pooch is adorable.
Enjoying your blog, its a welcome break to my work day, thank you!
Leslie Caron is probably texting all her friends: "You'll never guess who I met in the Metro...Carol of Paris Breakfasts!"
ReplyDeleteGood job in the crust. I knew you had it in you (ahem).
Even if I could follow Leslie Caron's example, where would Parisbreakfast be?
ReplyDeleteI'd be out of biz toute a suite!
i SOOOO love the movie "American in Paris".......and saw "Gigi" when i was 6 years old.....magical.....i was in love with France at a very early age!....and i believe you will one day bake macarons like a pro....with a friend like jill
ReplyDeleteAt first I kept thinking 'Lily..something' - it was a part she played.
ReplyDeleteThen it came to me...
What a lovely woman.
xCarolg
What a treat! Mm. Caron, Jill and Lemon Macarons!
ReplyDeletePart II ... BTW, I was first drawn to your blog before I knew what a blog was ... when I searched google images for Paris at night ... and came up with a picture you posted, and then checked out the blog and started following .. so a wider net than pastries can sometimes draw in the fringes .... maybe?
ReplyDeleteOMGosh. I love LC. I have the movie..Father Goose.. Loved her in that. What fun running into her and helping her out... Her Dog is adorable, and those macarons look to die for. Do you think you will try them again? What a fabulous day you had and a fun blog posting for today.
ReplyDeleteCarol, you are such a kind and wise lady, I know that you would help anyone lost in the Metro, but how truly marvelous to have assisted this particular lady in distress.
ReplyDeleteBravo!
The photo of Bear observing egg whites is classic.
Glad you did succumb to pastry crust. Don't stop at just one.
These Paris posts are delightful. xo
Well at least you didn't get all tongue-tied and syrupy like many fans would when encountering a "personality."
ReplyDeleteBit I did get that way at a Salon du Chocolat book signing for Pierre Herme -
ReplyDeleteI burst into tears and never met him :(
Course I had no chance to anticipate with Mm. C. which certainly helped.
Besides I'm good at giving directions. It's my self-assigned job in NYC whenever I see anyone struggling with a map :)
Carolg
What a wonderful day- on so many levels. I can't hope to run into movie stars in the Metro, but I can certainly saunter into Patisserie Osmont!
ReplyDeleteSuch delight, Tea Tea and the rest of it!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the crust-eateers. ;-)
Funny thing, I have given up asking people with maps if they need help. They never do, at least here in Wien! (I am sure these are all undercover journalists, out there to find unfriendly Wieners.)
LC did win Academy Award for LIli. I loved GiGi & American in Paris, of course. I also remember Is Paris Burning? Because it had James-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon ,Charles Boyer, Yeves Montant,Anthony Perkins just to mention a few.I hope when I am 80 I look as good as Ms Caron! It was so nice of you to help her & for her to allow you to photograph TeaTea who is such a cutie!
ReplyDeleteOh, now you have all the macron secrets! those lemon macs have me drooling! the goats & chickens snubbed my last rejects!
Je vous aidez? doesn't mean Can I help you? It really doesn't mean anything. Je peux vous aider? is what you need to say. [Vous aidez means You are helping/ you help]. Je peux? means 'Can I?' vous means 'you', aider means 'help/ to help'. The whole thing needs to be Je peux vous aider? or Peux-je vous aider? No big deal in the exciting situation of meeting Leslie Caron to have made a little error, but perhaps not a good thing to have the error sent world-wide for others to make. Prob no-one cares; they're too busy wishing they could buy those fabulous cakes. Regards Gwendoline Australia
ReplyDeleteFunny Gwendoline that every shop I go into says to me,
ReplyDeleteJe vous aidez?
Certainly Ms. Caron had no problem understanding me when I speak nor do most people here.
It's the French teachers who give me a hard time at PB...
I love Gigi! I first saw it in high school French class, and went out and bought the DVD. Lovely pictures, makes me miss France so much! I've been making macarons recently as well (found out about your blog through Jill), with flavors like foie gras, hibiscus, pistachio, mango & lychee.
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