Marche Aux Fleurs, Heatwave

Its really not that bad. Please don't believe everything US papers are saying PBers.

Parisians, comme d'habitude, are taking the heatwave in stride.

Some are even wearing flip flops. People are dressed for a picnic. No scarves. No coats. There is loads of shade on Paris streets.

And breezes coming off the Seine.

Our little pocket garden is cool. Everyone is shocked. "What? No AC in Paris? You gotta be kidding!" Well all that AC in NYC emits a lot of hot air. Whereas Paris nights have been positively breezy, in the 70s. Easy sleeping. And though the daytime temps may be in the 90s, humidity is a manageable 39%. Dear PBers, I muchly appreciated all your good wishes for my annual visa appointment. Toute va bien🥂Thanks to your moral support❤️.

Post-visa rendezvous I wondered into the MARCHE AUX FLEURS-REINE-ELIZABETH-II to cool off. It was the perfect antidote to weeks of stress. Lush hydrangeas, floral scents, photosynthesis. Heaven.

I discovered the stand, AU BORD DE L'EAU, a crazy mixup of vintage antiques, perfumes, jams, lovely bouquets. I got chatting with Lionel, the owner. I said half in jest,"Of course you got to meet the Queen when she was here." "Oui, bien sur", Lionel responded. 

Et voila! A news photo of Lionel presenting flowers to Queen Elizabeth at the re-naming ceremony. Do visit him when you come to the Marché aux Fleurs, Allée Célestin Hennion, 75004.

A peek inside my frigo full of melons, yogurts. Keeping it light.

The life-saver wet T-shirt.

Ta da. My elevator/ascenseur. Many asked if I climb up 6 flights. I wish...
Next week I'll be 4 days on the Riviera, one of my favorite places, painting watercolors in exchange for board. I'll finally visit Grasse, the perfume center. Any other suggestions are most welcome. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. Share with a friend. Indulge yourself and Get Paris letters and watercolors in your mailbox📮 xxx💋Carolg and Bear🐻 in Paris🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️

Surviving the Paris Heatwave

M.I.A. I'm trying to keep cool with shutters shut, frequent tepid showers, (I even tried the damp T-shirt last night and it works. Hooray). Plenty of watermelon/pastaque. Did you know French ice cubes/glaçon are actually sparkling water? Champagne would be nice too. Sooo classy. I have a new blue water bottle. Goodby plastique. And hello Vide Grenier.

I would really love to sleep in our entryway. Stone cold. Living in a 6th floor chambre de bonne has great views but freezing in winter and torrid in summer. C'est la vie.

Can you believe the sky Monday morning? Never saw anything like it.

Yesterday I dipped in a new pool, Piscine Keller and its outside in summer. Who knew. My 3-month city pool card (22€ for seniors) gets me into most of Paris' 38(!) community pools. Why did I move to Paris? 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️

Sunday I bought this hat (1€) at the Vide Grenier on boulevard Henri IV.

The community 'yard sale' costs 15€ To rent a space with tables provided. Most stuff is 50 centimes to 2 'bucks'. Not all of course but fancy antique dealers are MIA. There was also a Croix Rouge stand with lots of designer Max Mara at ridiculous prices. Keep an eye out for posters. These go on all over town on Sundays.

My latest doodles..for Elaine Sciolino's new Seine book map.

On Saturday I bought this boite/ bunch of tight peony/pivoine buds (10€) to paint for you. Almost immediately they bust wide open.wow

This afternoon at 14:00 precisely I have my annual visa rendezvous at the Prefecture. Please pray they let me stay on. And that I don't melt in the heat waiting.Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. Share with a friend. Indulge yourself and Get Paris letters and watercolors in your mailbox📮 xxx💋Carolg and Bear🐻 still in Paris 🤞🏼🤞🏼🙏🏻🙏🏻🏊🏻‍♀️

Jardins Jardin

Last Thursday I went again to a favorite June Fete, the annual 4-day JARDINS JARDIN in the Tuilleries. Arriving just a week or so at the start of summer in Paris.

The second year in a row a CHANEL tour. This time through a camellia garden and into a mini lab to learn how they make their newest Hydra Beauty skincare line.

The camellia was Gabrielle Chanel's emblem, decorated her apartment on rue Cambon and adorned her first fashion collections from the 1920s.

Each flower has 65-80 petals. It takes 150 flowers to make a kilogram of flowers. 7 kilos are required to produce 1 kilo(2.2 pounds) of the Camellia Alba PFA active ingredient. Lordie.

And they gave everyone who took the tour tiny bottles of CHANEL Hydra Beauty Micro Serum, plus a camellia seed if we want to DYI.

The outfits of our Chanel guides were endearing, especially those red rubber rain boots. Not for sale sadly.

They would be perfect for strawberry picking at LA FERME DE GALLY just outside Paris.

Or do nicely whilst planting on your own terrasse if you had one rather that a tilted bit of metal roof.

For mingling with the French goats at JARDINS JARDIN? Perfection.

More rare elixir at Jardins Jardin, honey made from Paris rooftops called CITYBZZ.  

You don't have to have a garden, a bit of terrasse or a green thumb to get a kick out of Jardins Jardin.

Just plan on coming next year for the entire month of June to take full advantage all the fetes. Salon de la Patisserie starts today. I gave my free Jardins Jardin bag to PBer Pat and she kindly took this pic of my always messy desk. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. Share with a friend. Indulge yourself and Get a taste of Paris with letters and ROSE SALE watercolors in your mailbox📮. Why not?xxx💋Carolg and Bear🐻 in the jardin🌷

Fete de la Rose, Rose Sale, Fetes de Juin Map

June in Paris is one big festival!

Bear went to  FETE DE LA ROSE at PARC DE BAGATELLE on Sunday afternoon. I've been painting roses since. 

Most of the buses changed routes and schedules in April.

Catch bus #244 at Metro Porte Maillol (exit 6 at Bd. Andre Maurois ). The 244 will be waiting. It stops in front of Fondation Louis Vuitton. Then a few stops later at the gardens. Follow the dirt path to the Porte d'Honneur. Voila. 

La Bagatelle was built in 1777 and covers 62 acres.

Inside the Orangery you can buy bouquets, perfumes, rose ice cream, lollypops and get rose news.

Oh anything rose-enhanced like these sparkling waters. Just outside rose bushes to take home were for sale.

A number of guests were decked out in 18th century costume.

Or picnicking on the grass. Perfect for doodling.

The annual competition of New Roses was on. Everyone was up close and personal, inhaling deeply. Perfume can not begin to come close to the scent of these beauties.

We were given forms to vote on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd preferred roses. Plus the most perfumed. "Ah the smell of it"

We brought home this little bouquet in a bucket(3€!) Immediately we immersed ourselves painting roses 🌹 

The new June Paris map fills you in on all the goings on in Paris this month.Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. 

Please share with a friend. Indulge yourself. 

Get a taste of Paris with letters and watercolors delivered in your mailbox 📮. Why not?xxx💋Carolg & Bear 🐻 in Paris

Dijon Breakfast

Here is everything I ate in Dijon including breakfast (at Café Gourmand - nothing special but the view is grand). What a stunning historic town. Almost all the streets are pedestrian-friendly.

Head to la Place de la Liberation for a coffee or later an Apéro Spritz. 

The perimeter is lined with cafes and restaurants under giant umbrellas.

I went after a dip in a local pool (it was HOT!) to recoup and doodle.

The first Burgundian Bite was a gougere - a puffy thing with a hint of regional Comté cheese inside.

Lunch was a simple salad in Boulangerie Tartin'Art near the covered market. I went there last trip.

For dinner we were hunting for more classic Burgundy dishes.

The coq au vin was just OK from MOULIN À VENT in Place Rude.

Still a good spot for doodling. Next day I ran to the wine town, Beaune. The tourist office sent me to BRASSERIE CARNOT. In general BEAUNE is a more upscale town with the finest wines available so the cuisine and prices can get stellar.

I ate escargot 3 times but really I didn't need to order snails at Le  Carnot since they were included in my main, Salade bourguignonne, the best thing I ate all weekend.

Almost every Burgundy classic was represented. Even the vinaigrette was made with Pommard, a poached egg in wine, ham with parsley. The croutons were tiny cubes of local pain d'epice honey cake adding a nice touch of sweetness.

Dessert was Clery fraises I bought from the Beaune Saturday morning market. I can promise you in either town, Beaune or Dijon you will eat very well. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. Please share with a friend. Indulge yourself. Get a taste of Paris letters and watercolors in your mailbox 📮. Why not?xxx💋Carolg and Bear 🐻 will not be indulging this week!