5 am this morning...gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair and banging of head. My Paris May map idea was not gelling. And it was going to be strawberry jams in Paris 🍓 An hour or two later on instagram looking at strawberry this and that, finally the bell rings.
I head out to Marché Bastille for strawberry research. What’s with the white strawberries? Anyone know?
I forget what an ‘upper’ the marché is.
I buy some Pomme-fraise juice from the Picardie stand to get in the right 🍓frame of mind.
Then over to Bd. Beaumarchais to Maison Plisson. After weeks of fruitless testing, I’ve concluded they have the Best 🍓strawberry confiture/jam in the city.
Outside all of the newly refreshed cafes are filling up. There’s a buzz, even though its another long, holiday weekend. I decide to take a break for a so-so pizza. Isnt this fun..a Coke bottle for olive oil.
A Sunday flash mob of bikers whiz by..gone before you know it.
Than a lone biker leisurely passes under a perfect backdrop of clouds.
Across street Haussmann buildings are reflected in Agnes b. window. She has shirts with map drawings in the window ☺️
Almost done in my 🍓treasure hunt. The Body Shop has strawberry 🍓shampoo, cologne and soap, etc. Call me nuts but I want to spritz all the May letters 😃 Will it last? Probably not.
Final last stop, Finnish store,Finnova. Marimekko is celebrating 70 years in business with mountainous strawberries on everything🍓🍓🍓
Someone has ordered a mountain of whipped cream and strawbs on top of a waffle base. Bon Dimanche dear PBers ❤️ 🐻 🍓
Wow, you get up early! Appears that you have a great assortment of ideas for your new map.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see Paris coming back to life. Take any left over pizza home for Bear?🍕🐻
What a bon dimanche indeed, Carol...the Marché Bastille, window shopping! So lovely that you were able to eat at a café after all these months. Thank you for doing strawberry jam research...will def be going to Maison Plisson to stock up next trip. And, bon lundi to you!
ReplyDeleteYes it feels like one big adventure out there...everything feels brand new again.
ReplyDeleteSo busy! How do you do it?
ReplyDeleteAre you eating The Breakfast of Champions? Tell all obsessed strawberry girl
Thanks Bonnie for the gentle hint..
ReplyDeleteWell, At least I got the DIMANCHE part right. One must be grateful for small mercies.
The pigeons want their breakfast.
“Life comes first” as Jackie Kennedy said.
White strawberries doesn't seem very delicious... But those red does!! Body Shop was my favourite years ago and I still go those shops sometimes. And Marimekko is the best!! When I was kid, everyone had Marimekko's t-shirts with white balls. :D
ReplyDeleteBon Lundi..must have missed Bon Dimanche..long weekend here..its always a long weekend.Yrs ago I bought a Body Shop Strawberry oil w/ a wand I have the bottom of the bottle left..yum!
ReplyDeleteTHILDA, Marimekko does an annual collab with Uniglo, usually early Spring. I bought a T-shirt in navy with white balls like yoursl
ReplyDeleteMONIQUE that’s so funny...you could check if they’re still making it. Its possible!
GA from Dekalb, Bear does not eat pizza much and certainly mot leftovers. Me too 🐻
I have had some fraises de bois in a strawberry planter on my deck for over 25 years now. They come back year after year providing delicious mini berries. Some have seeded themselves in nearby pots and planters. About 10 years ago some white berries appeared along with red berries in the original pot. I thought they were unripe berries at first, but then saw that they were fully ripe fruit. I tasted and they were delicious!
ReplyDeleteI asked a gardening expert at Jane Austen's Chawton House HOW could this be?! No one in the Philadelphia area where I live seemed to know. She replied that there were white cultivars of fraises de bois and that my red berry plants probably had been combined with some white berry plants some time back. They were now asserting their recessive genes, kind of like blue eyes appearing in a member of a family of brown eyed people after several generations!
Really loved this column, Carol. So colorful and mouthwatering! I especially loved the photo you took of the lone biker against the backdrop of the beautiful buildings and gorgeous cloud formations. Prize worthy!
ReplyDeleteThank you ARTMUSE !
ReplyDeleteHow interesting...fraise de bois are very highly prized here. I guess because they are smaller, they are tastier. Berthillon charges extra for that flavor. I believe they get them from a specialist grower in Spain.
Thanks KIMK...that photo is one of my favorites too. I think since I started noticing clouds (that I keep meaning to paint) I am seeing more and better. They create a beautiful stage setting.
hope you are well....you are super feel very happy when i open your emails ' knew' about bertillion before i 'knew' you....also had crepe in your area
ReplyDeleteLove all the strawberries! Will be excited to hear when Paris will allow tourist from the U S to visit.
ReplyDeleteThe white strawberries are supposed to taste a little like pineapple. I have not tried them personally, but I will if I see them.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Me too
ReplyDeleteMonday, Monday. Someday I will read blogs on the day they are written! My strawberry garden is beginning to show signs of berries -- give it another three or four weeks -- or maybe sooner if it would EVER heat up to stay! The white berries look a tad odd to me.
ReplyDeleteI love the Bastille Marche and we always go once during our visits - a rotisserie chicken from the "chicken Lady" and other goodies. The first time we went it was raining and it turned into a total downpour. We discovered how difficult it was to manage packages, an umbrella and a camera.
ReplyDeleteJEANNIE - I posted on Sunday but Blogger takes its time to deliver de letter so to speak 💌
ReplyDeleteSUKI -yes Bastille is going best in good weather
I LOVE your posts – can’t wait to return to Paris – in the meantime you keep me connected.
ReplyDeleteThank you !!!!
Thanks for the strawberry jam recommendation! Loved seeing the colours and produce of the Bastille market, hope you’re enjoying Paris with more people around with cafes etc open.
ReplyDeleteThis post has some really great photos, I liked noticing that the children bike riders in the last photo have helmets and fluro vests to keep them safe, the Sunday flash mob does not! Cute dogs too.
KIRRA, I cannot tell you how much jam I have eaten the past weeks. Its shocking for someone who usually abstains, since I know iI have no control around it :((
ReplyDeleteThe French are surprisingly sportif. Who knew? They start their kids off as early as possible doing sporty things and usually you see a whole family together. No one is left out no matter how small. Its lovely to see. The same thing at the pool. Plus the govt provides the facilities at very low prices or free.
Thank you, Carol, for your PB blog which brings so much pleasure to your followers.
ReplyDeleteThe birds don’t eat as many of the white strawberries because they are looking for them to be red! It’s true! I tried both colors in the garden years ago and harvest very few red berries, birds having beat me to them. But I got all the white ones to myself! Hah! If only the rabbits were so easy to fool.
ReplyDelete