Hello 2017

What a week it's been.

I immersed myself in painting. I've been wanting to do this since I moved here. You can see the results on Etsy.

When you walk by Notre Dame every morning,

Noon,

And night you wany to capture it on paper. Someone said this week,"We have a positive endorfin response to nature". Notre Dame is a force of nature.

I took a friend Christmas eve to Notre Dame.

That may have started this torrent of painting. What glorious place.

Yes there are lit trees this year at Notre Dame.

To begin is the hardest thing.

Then you just keep at it, hoping and praying.

.

The view out my window challenges me daily.

I look towards Saint Paul in the Marais.

I need another set of hands to show the painting and the view.

This may be Venice or the Bospherus...or invented.

Are you getting dolled up tonight? Will you ride a carrousel?

Thank you for supporting my work in 2016. As always, I'm so grateful.

Have a Very Happy 2017!

Paris Lights

L'heure blue on my bridge this evening...all the lights you'll ever want.

On my corner...so many trees in the windows.

Christmas marché at Place Saint Germain.

Place Vendome

Rue Royale

Would you believe these elegant trees belong to MacDonald's?

French trees are stuck in logs so they don't fall over, but you can't water them either.

A marzipan tree in Storher's window.

Elegant chandeliers light up rue Saint Honoré.

On the l'Ile Saint-Louis

Rue Guisarde in the 6th

All the cafes have the prettiest lights in my opinion.

You Must eat oysters during the holidays! Big merci Lane for taking me to l'Ecailler du bistrot, 20 rue Paul Bert.

These sheep are life-size and animated in a fruit shop window on rue de Grenelle.

2 sheep a waiting to be walked.

I've lost count of the bears a sleeping.

6 geese a laying.

2 Parisiennes a shopping at Colette.

And a free hot chocolate at Pierre Marcolini.

JOYOUX NOËL PBers!

Paris loves bears, Hot Chocolate Map

Really I'm not just making this up. Paris loves❤️ bears. And I can prove it.

Deyrolle has a bear in the window and a whole winter scene upstairs.

We went Tuesday to taste the butterfly buche de noel of chef patissier Eddie Benghanem of the Versailles Trianon Palace, while various reindeer looked on.

You can eat an actual bear buche at Dalloyau this year!

Also on Tuesday a superb exhibit opened in Jardins des Plants, Especes d'Ours. Everything and more you've ever wanted to know about bears.

And their place in history, art and culture.

I didn't know bear's 'hands' are very agile. They can manipulate just about anything including refrigerator doors. I didn't know their paws were called hands. I'm not the only one crazy for bears.

Bear feels the same way and was drawn to Printemps' Xmas window with the attractive red bear.

I was drawn to the other Jimmy Choos windows. 

Could this be a bear nativity scene?

This tiny restaurant on Cité always does it up for the holidays. I haven't been but I bet a PBer has.

It seemed a natural to populate the December hot chocolate map with Bear. He's been a good sport about it too. After all how much hot chocolate can a girl taste in a day. Bear to the rescue. Maps went Monday btw.

Cyril Lignac's Chocolaterie, 25 rue Chancy, not only has divine chocolat chaud but marshmallow bears and molds to DIY.

Bear has been to Angelina perhaps too many times...

Have you tried Italian cioccolati in Paris?

Pozzetto's is the real thing. So thick your spoon will stay vertical at 16 rue Vielle du Temple.

Il Gelato del Marchese too has wonderfully thick Italian hot chockie served with ultimate elegance.

If you're lucky you'll catch the Marchese Renato in his Santa costume at 3 rue des quatres vents 75006

Isn't it time to dream of bears and Christmas stockings? Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you like this post and want to support it, buy Paris letters and watercolors or forward to a friend.