Les Fetes du Miel Luxembourg, September Map

I've been longing to visit the Fete du Miel - jardins du Luxumbourg

Twice a year in Fall and Spring they sell the honey from the garden hives and you can sign on for classes at Pavillon Davioud.

I bought a 500g (9€) jar of their honey. No pesticides are used in the city gardens unlike country honey so Paris honey is very pure. Read lots more on French honey at David Lebovitz.
I could have used these teaching boards when I was trying to draw bees in the September street map...more later.

Coming out of the musee du Luxembourg and walking towards boulevard St. Michel I discovered a fabulous photography exhibit lining the outside railings of the gardens. Les Routes du Miel (the honey roads) just opened September 19 on through January 19, 2016.

At least 80 big boards with explanations in 3 languages of how honey is produced the world over. I did not miss a single caption. Absolutely fascinating and the photographs are magnificent.
Photographer Eric Tourneret spent 10 years traveling around the world gathering information. There are bee hives on Notre Dame! This is a smashing don't-miss exhibition if you're coming to Paris. Plus no lines and it's free. Maybe the most exciting I've seen this year.

If you thought I didn't get to church this week (I've been averaging 3 a week) you'd be wrong. I took an hour off from mapping to tour Notre Dame with NYU Medieval art historian, Deborah (in the rain but how many times so you get a chance like that?). One important fact I want to share with you. Walk around the outside of the church before you rush inside, even if it is raining. You'll get a much better sense of it's structure. Inside and outside are connected after all.

Paris was buzzing Sunday. It was no-car zone day almost everywhere. Streets were jammed with walkers, scooters, bikers and brides. Perfect weather too.

Not one person on Ile Saint-Louis was without an ice cream cone in hand, myself included (fraise-pistache).

On to the dreaded map of rue des Martyrs. I could have used this detailed bee reference.

My main source of reference besides Elaine Sciolino's terrific book, THE ONLY STREET IN PARIS, was a vertical Japanese map of rue des Martyrs. Should I draw the the map vertically? The copy shop kid said, "No way!"

My other inspiration source - a page of engravings of French professions (glass bottle seller, sweets, tailor etc.) I spotted it in Maille mustard shop in the Louvre. I stole a shot when no one was looking. Rue des Martyrs is a grand mixup of artisans old and new, patissieres, waffle-makers, gold-leaf experts.

Voila. Naturally my first effort didn't satisfy me. Too much squiggly printing. A re-do drawing finished just before the copy shop closed on Saturday. Your Paris Street maps are shipping out Monday PBers c/o la Poste. Or subscribe here.  My favorite Fragonard painting was in the Luxembourg show from the New York Met. It's called "The Letter".

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