Salon de l'Agriculture 2022

 

I’ve been going to Le Salon de l'Agriculture every February since 2013.held at convention center Porte de Versailles (ligne 12). Here is my haul (minus a 1/2 dz. oysters). Open Feb 26 - March 6.

I only got into Hall 3. 

Just 2 hours in the pavilion for Produits et Saveurs de France and I was toast. Yesterday was opening day so I went late arriving at 4:00, thinking it would be quieter by then.

Ha! No way. All the Kids (university and grade school) are on vacance and enjoying every minute. The Biere and..

Champagne were flowing. 

When the French drink (upper right). They sing. They sing loud. And they put their hands in the air and clap 👏 a lot.

This overview plan gives you an idea of the regions possible to visit. No way did I make it to all of them. I never even found Bretagne 🦪

But I was very happy to find fresh oysters 🦪 from Normandie. 

Along with the regional restaurants lining the walls of the pavilion if you want to sit down and eat,

There are plenty of regional specialties (Alsacian here)

To munch on…

As you walk about. So much temptation but I held onto my €€ for goodies to take home.

This gent was at a regional information station (there are many for people planning their summer vacations) for seafood from le Nord. No tastes of Lemon Sole on offer. Just paper flyers. 

Pretty displays of Normandy produce and products. Cooked potato samples (free) were around the corner.

I did buy plenty at the Normandy fromage stand (see 1st picture). Such sweet boxes! 📦 

I was tempted by the Burgundy escargots. Most restaurants serve Polish-raised snails…

And big bottles of strawberry nectar and yummy black truffles from Perigord.

I did buy a box of authentique Champignon de Paris from Marianne as I’ve done in the past.but the first time they were completely unwashed. Every bit of fabulous French sand and dirt clinging to them!

A new-comer this year was a Monet-Giverny pop-ip stand. Mostly souvenirs…his straw hat etc. 

Like everyone I’ve been glued following the Ukraine invasion. PBS Frontline series on youtube has Russian pundits from The Putin Files worth listening to. These are not new and they are long but full of history.  

Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward to a friend. You can receive a Paris letter or map in your mailbox at ETSY. Xxx Carolg & Bear 🐻 

Sixième Sens par Cartier, Cartier et les Arts d’Islam, MAD

 

Poster by George Barbier

Almost every year jewelers Cartier comes out with a new lush book. This year’s luscious book; 📕 Sixième Sens par Cartier: High Jewelry and Precious Objects by François Chaille has kept me distracted drawing 🐆 panthères, Jeanne Toussant, and multi-colored gem stones.

Jeanne came to Paris at 15 from a family of Belgian lacemakers. Already stylish, chic and charismatic, she met the right people including soon-to-be close friend Coco Chanel and Louis Cartier, who was instantly enthralled. He affectionately called her "Ma petite panthère". Her apartment was filled with animal skins, collected and gifted to her from around the world. She was famously known for wearing a full-length coat made of panther fur 🐆. 

Toussaint was hired by Louis Cartier in 1913 at age 26, the same year he met her, to be in charge of designing accessories (though she could not draw a line). In 1933, Louis made her full artistic director of all Cartier design, a unique position for a woman at that time. She retired in 1970 at age 80.

Cartier’s iconic panther logo evolved from her unique animal obsession and designs. “At the beginning of twentieth century, big cats were en vogue for expressing femininity – in fact, the beast was seen as the ultimate expression of femininity,” Says Geo Cramer.

Her large cat-themed brooches, bracelets, rings were exquisitely made of the finest, most decadent materials. Cartier’s eminent clients (Duchess of Windsor, Marjorie Merriwether Post, Daisy Fellows, Grace Kelly to name a few) adored her panther 🐆 designs.

 

Another of Toussaint’s specialities was art deco geometric jewelry inspired by the Mughuls and the Maharajas designs of India.

Original pieces were brought back, taken apart and put back together with added layers, mixing up many colored stones; rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts.

Cut in the form of flowers and berries, the style was called “Tutti Frutti” and is still an integral part of the Cartier Collection.

Cartier as well was creating opulent pieces for Indian maharajas. Brother Jacques Cartier, who ran the London store, was traveling in the East finding trends and gem sources.

Recently MAD(musee des Arts Decoratifs had an exhibition of Cartier et les Arts d’Islam.

An opportunity to see original Islamic designs side by side 

With many Cartier bracelets, rings, necklaces, tiaras. 

The influence of Persian and Indian opulent geometric patterns 

Is immediately self-evident. 

Colors and patterns of Islamic ornamentation taken from rugs, pottery, decorative tiles, miniatures 

Show up in the design of cabochon emerald necklaces 

And an emerald and diamond belt buckle no less.

Truly an inspiring Aladdin’s treasure trove of splendors, both in the new book, Sixième Sens par Cartier: High Jewelry and Precious Objects and the past MAD exhibit. I could not stop sketching these beauties. Mille merci Cartier 👏 On my bridge looks like jewels 💎 on the Seine non?

Crème brûlée, les petits plaisirs d’Amélie

Yesterday afternoon I went to Cafe Saint Regis for a Creme brûlée.

Remember the scene from Amélie where she ponders life's little pleasures? One of them is cracking into a crème brûlée with a spoon. A rich, creamy vanilla-flavored custard covered with crispy caramelized topping. What’s not to love about this classic French dessert. 

Valentine ❤️ Amélie Paris map

 

OK, confession time. I went up to Montmartre on Saturday to research sites from the movie, Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain for the February ❤️ Valentine map.

Too boot, the film just celebrated its 20th anniversary🥂 For many people the world over its their absolute favorite movie. And the highest grossing French film ever!

A delightful love ❤️ story of a lonely, shy, introverted girl who decides (while crossing the Pont des Arts) to make other people’s lives happier by little acts of kindness. Have you seen Amélie? Its always streaming nonstop on Netflix.

I saw it when it opened in 2001 because I’d loved director Jean-Phillip Jeunet’s previous, surreal film, Delicatessen. Jeunet is meticulous in the design and coloration of his films. 

Every scene was storyboarded pre-production with the help of a comic book/BD artist.

Amélie is specially colored red(love) and green(hope) with occasional accents of bright blue.

Post-production Jeunet color-corrected digitally every single frame to his taste, also removing trash and graffiti. 

All those steps at Metro Abbesses.

Amélie put French actress Audrey Tautou on the map. Watch her charming audition. Jeunet said he knew within 3 seconds she was the one. He was crying behind the camera.

There are a gazillion youtube videos analyzing everything about Amélie. How it was made, the angle of shots, personal reviews. The soundtrack is lovely.

Geraldine of Comme Un Française will help you learn the film’s French expressions. 

In Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, you name it…tourists come to Paris and walk in her footsteps. 

You can follow along with the February map 🗺 

Did you love ❤️ this movie too? 

Do tell. 

I spotted her shoes on the Metro today. Shes never gone out of fashion. 

Why not walk round Paris with Amélie next trip? The new map 🗺 is on Etsy 😊 + a new letter subscription bonus watercolor. Bon Week-End dear PBers ❤️💋❤️