Pasticceria Cova, Pont Neuf

 

Yesterday I set out to find a good, warm duvet maybe at Ikea(nada) or BHV. You might think just one day after the chocolate salon I’d be off sweets for a while..hmm

I didn’t find a duvet (do you know where to find a good one?). Instead I ended up with a slice of Panetonne in my hand from new tea salon, Pasticceria Cova at 1, rue du Pont Neuf.

All those pretty pink boxes 🎁in the windows. Who could resist? Move over Ladurée. Born in 1817, Pasticceria Cova is one of Milan's oldest pasticceria and caffès

I made a big study of all the windows/leché vitrine. Luxe patisseries are simply mad for Halloween. Its a more high-end holiday in Europe me thinks. 

No candy corn or Good n’ Plenty’s over here.

I decided to venture inside. Why not?

The gelato counter looked exquisite. Another time. 

Such glossy teapots.

Lovely pastries and parfaits

The apricot jam looked so tempting. Just the name…marmelatta di alibicocche.

They didn’t seem to mind me wandering around 

Shooting everything insight😊 I finally settled for a slice of cake.

The chandeliers are stunning. 

I’m definitely coming back for breakies. I hope you do too. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast! If you like this post please support it by buying my Paris letters and watercolors. Or pass this on to someone who might enjoy it. Happy Halloween and Happy Weekend dear PBers!

2021 Salon du Chocolat

 More food for thought. Last night was inauguration of the 2021 Salon du Chocolat🍫🤸🏾‍♀️ Yes, that’s 🐻 Bear’s head checking out the Coté d’Ivoire solid chocolate elephant.

Is this an otter, woodchuck or…? Mystifying 

Other chocolate 🍫 animaux

Naturalemente a bas-relief homage of Napoléon Bonaparte by Jean-Luc Decluzeau showed up toute en chocolat 🍫 

Always an abundance of colorful cocoa beans on display. I always want to take one home. You can’t and they quickly lose their lush colors.

Speaking of lush colors and flavors the domes 

Makes me think of this song by Stella Jeng, What’s your colors?

More pretty little boxes full of goodies. I was soo tempted by the colorful packaging.

Beautiful chocolate bar designs created by Jamaican art students. There were many new chocolate companies at this year’s salon. Some didn’t realize they should have free samples the 1st night…hmm

Still we tasted plenty of chocolate like these pretty Belgian samples from Millesime. No one went home hungry.

A new company for the Salon, Grain de Sail, from Morlaix, Brittany. They bring their chocolate by boat from the Caribbean. i.e. the boaty motifs. Very mellow, intense chocolate and priced at 2,35€ (vs. 8€ for most 100 g bars at the show). I can highly recommend👏

Beautiful chocolate 🍫 pastries from Sucre Coeur, in Montmartre of course.

There’s always a colorful spice company onboard at the Salon with lovely Fragrant smells. 

New this year glossy pomme d’amour/candy apples in exotic flavors.

I always end up getting a baguette sandwich of foie gras + fig jam from Groliere as a savory change of flavors.

We were there from opening time at 7, till they threw us out after 11. I didn’t feel a thing. I was in a state of chocolate ecstasy. If you’re in Paris, the annual Salon du Chocolat 🍫 is a don’t-miss!on now through November 1 at convention center Porte de Versailles Hall 4 in Paris, 10am-7pm. Take the 12 train🍫🍫🍫🍫❤️

Annecy Farmers marché

 I loved ❤️ The Sunday Annecy Farmers market.

I thought it was even better than the Arles market, renown for being the best in Europe.

Maybe its the surrounding. All those lovely buildings.

When you look up over the throngs of people.

All the streets of the old town/veille ville are pedestrian 🚶‍♂️ Full of families and big Alpine type dogs.

Some stands offered combo deals (see blackboard)of sausage, cheeses and wine. Bring your own bread (BYOB).

I did much more walking than I usually do in Paris. And no killer bikers 🚴‍♂️ either. 

I drank this locally-made blonde beer 🍺 (BS) with everything. I rarely drink but it went so well with the heavy, cheesy food. I only could managed about 2 Tbsps. Waiters looked at me like I was crazy. I had a feeling they helped themselves later

Such big plans to taste all the local cheeses, but in the end the choices were too numerous and confusion set in. 

If there was a food tour I would have gladly taken it.

I often saw people eating mixed planches of charcuterie + fromage.

I did get another tartiflette, this time with saumon included so less potatoes = no tummy ache. *Note the tall ‘blonde’.

I never ordered restaurant desserts (always the same everyplace). Instead I got a ‘digestif’ at Glacier des Alpes - a cornet of a single dip, embellished with a topper of your choice (vanille + a dollop of framboise). Everyone was wearing the same navy blue guilted jacket (I bought one at the local Monoprix merci dieu). Do not get it in black(if it even exists). In general navy is the preferred color in France. Why? I Dunno…maybe because of so many boaty events? The flag?🇫🇷 Do you know?

Of course since the red pottery from Le Tetras came up, its all I can think about😬 Why oh why didn't I get one little spotted red mug? The prices were reasonable.  But their hours were limited. I needed you along for a nudge. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast letters 💌 maps and watercolors in your mailbox 📮 look in my Etsy shop. ❤️❤️❤️💋💋💋🐻🐻🐻🍺🍺🍺

Where is Annecy?

 

B. asked me where is Annecy this morning?

Annecy is an alpine town in southeastern France 2 hours and 40 minutes from Paris, where Lake Annecy feeds into the Thiou River. It’s known for its Vieille Ville (old town), with cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses. Overlooking the city, the medieval Château d’Annecy, once home to the Counts of Geneva, contains a museum with regional artifacts such as Alpine furniture and religious art, plus a natural history exhibit.

I read that you only need 1-2 days at most in Annecy. 

I don’t agree. 

It’s a very beautiful, colorful town with multi-canals sitting on a stunning lake full of swans and ducks. 

Called “the Venice of…the North” with good reason…many canals and bridges. 

No gondolas its true. But no flooding of Saint Mark’s Place or annoying cruise 🚢 ship one-day-trippers. 

True Venice’s great artworks will not be found here. But nature has done a pretty good job providing feasts for the eyes. The air is divinely clean. So clean it makes you heady.

The food is very cheesy. 

I had tartiflette the 1st night and nothing like it since. Such a tummy ache and I could not eat much. Powerful stuff. Reclette and fondue will have to wait for the Agriculture Salon next March..unless I feel brave. 

All the restaurants are touristy. So what. They all serve more or less the same hearty, delicious, not very expensive food, so don’t waste time reading menus outside. Instead get there early. Get served the local specialties (already mentioned). And get out.

I’ve been in Annecy since Friday afternoon. We were supposed to arrive at 11:24. But 24 minutes away our lovely, speedy TGV broke down in Aix-les-Bains.

We arrived at 2:15. 

Lunch in Annecy is served between 12 and 2:00. Show up at 2:15 and they will not give you the time of day, much less lunch. Things are very orderly in this beautiful, very clean Alpine town. I had to settle for a very good pizza (we’re close to Italy. The cook was Italian. The oven wood burning). Plus a requested green salad (basically an entire bag of arrugala with 2 tiny cups of vinaigrette. Salt and pepper not included). Still one mustn’t grumble. Getting anything green when traveling is always a miracle.

These are a bunch of my personal random thoughts. If you love knives you will be very happy in Annecy. Bring a hat (I did). Gloves and warm scarf (I did not). Monoprix is down the street fortunately. 

I can say without question I love ❤️ Annecy 😊 And Bear 🐻 ❤️Loves it too. Bonne Sunday PBers. I will be back Monday afternoon. I messed up my return but not I’m sorry 😊 Now I will run out to the Sunday marché!! 🤸🏾‍♀️🦢💋🍎