Fraises des Bois Week!

This has been FRAISE DES BOIS WEEK for me in more ways than I can count.

It's the first time this year Berthillon put fraise des bois up on the flavor board. Fraise des bois was the first and only flavor Berthillon offered when they opened in 1954. My landlord says he believes he was their 1st customer at age 4. He put a 1 franc coin on the counter for 1 boul (a single scoop) and is still eating fraise des bois today.

I went into the shop to get as many carte de visit cards as possible to put in your envelopes. Muriel (in the fraise des bois red sweater), the owner of the shop (her father and grandfather opened Berthillon) told me on Wednesday they were expecting a shipment from their special purveyor in Spain but the ice cream would take time to prepare. Come back Friday.

I remember seeing fraise des bois tartes at Frederic Cassel Fountainbleau.

Admiring them like elegant Dior handbags, but outside my pocketbook.

A little searching on the net and I found Frederic Cassel, Pierre Hermé and Berthillon's supplier Arzagot in Malaga - strawberry supplier to pastry stars of France.The line was pretty short on Friday. Even though I was on my way to lunch I figured I could have an ice cream 'apero' pre-lunch non?

Ahhhhhh...miam

There are whole berries in Berthillon's fraise des bois. I've never tasted it before. Just ,30 centimes more than the other flavors.

Living in Paris this past year has been one of the best years of my life but there are challenges. Counting out centimes has become a daily experience.

Thanks to your lovely response and generous show of support to the new Monthly Paris sketch letters my life has changed so much for the better overnight. I'm kicking up my heels all week with joy like Pharrell Williams' Happiness song.

BIG MERCI PBers !