Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Out and About in Paris

Sometimes life IS a bowl of cerises/cherries.
I'm painting cherries up the wazoo for a special secret project!!!
Sunday I got out to my much-missed marché Bastille and stocked up on bags and bags of Burlat, Summit, Biggereau, Napoleon cerises.
There's nothing quite like cherries in Paris...
Unless maybe you live in Washington State...
Or Oregon? So yummy to paint and to eat.
Monday I went first thing to the Kine/PT. In France you go to your local pharmacie with your prescription and they provide names and numbers in your quartier. C'est comme ca.
Mme. H. says tout va bien with ze foot. It's healing nicely. She suggested I wear a heel of equal height to match the therapeutic boot but I don't think she had this in mind. After the boot comes off, in two weeks, I must wear 'footing baskets'/running shoes. Ballerinas are the worst. Taboo.
Later an afternoon jaunt to the art store, Lavrut in 52 Passage Choiseul 75002. Not one of your most romantic passages but still great fun to be out and about after being cooped up for 3 weeks.
This angled brush was my objective...a must-have for July's Paris sketch letter. Bet you can't guess why?
Instant coup de foudre/mad love over this giant pencil sharpener in Lavrut's window. Why do I constantly lose pencil sharpeners on my tabletop? This wouldn't help much but still amusing.
Quite a large and complete art shop as art shops go in Paris.
Then a look in Boulangerie Julien's delish window
Scrumptious berry madness but it's impossible to use crutches and hold a pastry thank goodness. 
Across the street on rue du Champs it is possible to eat my all-time fav sandwich from London's Prete à Manger - roquette and crevette! Who needs to take the Eurostar when you can get it in Paris?
The bus ride home reminded me of times I've moaned to myself, "Oh why is the bus stop so far from  Hotel de Ville or whatever my destination"n. Now it seems such a gift to be able to walk anywhere sans fatique and heavy boot.
It's lovely to be out and about a little in Paris. I can again watch the boats on Pont Sully. And make 'runs' to La Poste and mail out your Paris Sketch Letters dear PBers! Yahoo

30 comments:

  1. She's baaaack:)

    Yahoo..out and about..
    Bought some cherries too..just one kind..tis the season.
    Thanks for the inspiration to paint one..las year i think you taught us also..must go look in my book and see what I painted:)
    Good wishes for continued healing:)

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    1. Thanks Monique!!!
      it's a bit of a challenge booting up to go out but sooo worth it.
      the link to the cherry lesson is in the post..

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  2. From Washington state - we just picked another huge bowl of cherries from the tree in our back yard last night - have to get them before the crows descent on the tree. But we only have one kind so I'm jealous of you - in particular because you can go to the Bastille market - our favorite when we are in Paris. When I was a child we lived on a small farm and I would climb into the cherry tree and sing songs and eat cherries during the season - so cherries are my favorite. Enjoy!

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    1. Wonderful story Sill :)
      We had a Queen Anne (?) cherry tree in front and had the same fight with the birds.
      Yes we're lucky in Paris to have so many varieties available from all over France.

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  3. Boot off - very happy news! I haven't a clue about the brush but please more art store supplies...I want that sharpener, too!
    She is right about les ballerines. ...sadly, very time you post about them, I feel I must have a pair, but I cannot wear the ones I already have...quelle dommage.

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    1. Boot off in TWO LONG weeks and at home all the time! I can not wait to throw it in la Seine.

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  4. Anonymous9:59 AM

    The splash of Art and Script across your desk is like a Banquet of color, it must be wonderful to be so talented and it probably comes so easily to you. So glad you are on the mend, don't get too rambunctious while you are still healing.

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  5. Love the cherries, too! My favorites are the tart Montmorency ones---maybe because we had one in our yard in Ohio. Glad to have you out and about again.

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  6. Great watercolors and street scenes. Glad that you are feeling better and getting out and about! Love your river and barge scenes.

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  7. Anonymous10:48 AM

    It is so nice that you can get out and about now . especially since the cherry season is so brief. I'm in Oregon wishing for more varieties of those beautiful orbs.now I feel like heading to the farmer's market in Eugene to search for cherries to eat and paint . Thanks for the fun post.DELISH! Cheers to your health!
    Fan from Rural Oregon

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  8. crazy4paris11:23 AM

    Can't wait for the July letter full of cherries!
    Glad you're happy and thank you for the happy and bright post!

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  9. So happy you are getting better and now able to hobble about outdoors once more. That is exciting, I am sure. Love the cherries and your paintings of them is lovely.

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  10. Chef Anne1:14 PM

    Exquisite cerises Carol!

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  11. I was a wee sad this morning, but now...
    I'm smiling....Thank You for this uplifting post..
    Life IS Beautiful.

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  12. Very lush watercolors
    Nice warm colors...so Summery!

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  13. Anonymous7:21 PM

    Wow, glad to hear you are out and about. I'm going back and rereading your injury posts 'cos I broke a bone in my foot yesterday when a car clipped me whilst I was crossing a road. Now in a cast. Your posts give me comfort, hope and beautiful pictures. Thank you. Comfort and stability feature high on my list for everyday shoes. If my feet are not happy I'm one crabby bag!

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  14. I am very happy for you, and your new found freedom.
    And any little tidbit on art stores is fascinating;
    You should see the look on my clay supplier face when I ask about French glazes for pottery.
    Ze Grand Blanc. or blank.
    Clear skies for you and soon you will be swimming too!
    xx
    julie

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    Replies
    1. Paris has many hidden treasures in the art store arena...little gems.

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  15. Watercolor pictures they look deliciously.

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  16. For my money the best art store in Paris is Boesner on rue du Chemin Vert. (69 bus to Géant (another pretty good art store) then 69 back down rue du Chemin Vert)

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    1. Been there, done that but I needed this particular brush and Janice got it at Lavrut. Plus the area is fun and I'd go anywhere for a crevette and roquette sandwich.

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  17. so happy you are up and about now. Nothing like appreciating walking when you haven't been able to. Love this post too. Been catching up. Fun bus ride below too. What I wouldn't give for a good art store close by. sigh. :)

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  18. Enjoyed your bus tour, and les belles cerises. You gave them lovely colors . Bon soir,

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  19. We're sooooo happy that Pret-à-Manger is in Paris too! We had to do some lunches on the go before leaving and the Madeleine location was a lifesaver! Plus everything is so much fresher than French sandwich chains!

    Love the cherries! xo

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  20. Is there anything sexier than a new paintbrush? I love that your new freedom to roam has the metaphor of a bowl of cherries. Indeed.

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  21. Carol .. Do you still have your Etsy store and are you selling any of these? I love cherries and these sketches are so lovely. Thx, Karen in VA .. I'll check back later.

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    1. I will be GIVING THEM AWAY FREE as a BONUS!! to re-subscribers on the 6-month Paris Letter series on Etsy.
      Thanks Karen in VA.

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  22. Footing basket...what an amusing name. Carol, you do keep teaching me so much.

    I do know about that Pret sandwich. Yummy. Here's what I made as an open faced sandwich today after coming back from the Union Sq. farmer's market:

    Toasted a slice of Le Pain Quotidien's French pulman loaf. topped it with some generous slabs of ripe brie. topped that with some pretty and ruffly-leafed Lollo Russo lettuce, and then...topped that with thinly sliced red-and-white French breakfast (yes!) radish that I'd lightly sauteed in sesame oil. A little freshly grated black pepper, and it was delish.

    Only a few cherries on offer at the farmers market. It's still strawberry season over here.

    xo

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