Fete de la Rose, Watercolor Leçon

Yesterday I went to the annual Fete de la Rose 🌹 

At Parc de Bagatelle not far from Louis Vuitton Fondation

Jardins, Jardin 2023

Yesterday I ate a hot air balloon 🎈 cookie 🍪 

Sniffed beaucoup beautiful roses 🌹 

Breakfast in Paris

 

Yesterday Kirk asked me if I go out 

For breakfast everyday in Paris

Bonjour Paris, SNCF, Travel Experiences

 

I came back to Paris Sunday Afternoon. 

Bonjour Notre Dame 👋 Very warm with lots of pleasure boats on the Seine.

Marché Victor Hugo, Toulouse

 I wanted to try Toulousaine local specialties, so foie gras is a must 👍

And magret de canard (duck breast). I could have done without the brown gravy…the potatoes are usually sautéed in duck fat

Toulouse, Brick City

How many of you have been to Toulouse? Please raise your hands 🙌 I forgot to mention I was running 🏃‍♂️ off to Toulouse on Thursday.

Every year Urban Sketchers France picks a city to meetup in - Voila Toulouse!

May Fraise Balloon 🎈 Letter

  

I started thinking about dancing ballerina 🩰 strawberries at the Opera Garnier…which quickly turned into flying Balloon 🎈strawberries 🍓 over the Eiffel Tower bien sur. Where would I be without the Eiffel tower🤔

How many obsessions can a girl have? Shiny teapots, blue cups, pastry…one loses count. But flying balloons 🎈 has been a returning theme from way back

The French Art of Waiting

 

Bonnie said last week, “I won't wait in that long line. “

“Yes, Berthillon ice cream 🍦 is good. 

Is it so much better than Grom or Pozzetto? No. 

Amorino? Yes.”commented Bonnie.

Circus Baobab, Crepe à l’œuf, Fete du Pain

 

Yesterday, after the pool 🏊 I thought I’d pop into Centre Pompidou, 

 

Nearby I heard a tremendous roar. I ran🏃‍♂️ to see what the excitement was about & forgot the museum 😂 I did NOT get any good pictures 😵‍💫

Big Merci, Missing In Action & 🍓

 A Big, huge, gigantic THANK YOU dear PBers for your lovely ❤️ response on Sunday ☕️☕️☕️

I cannot tell you how touched I was by your generosity & kind comments ❤️ 

Ducks in a row, Fondation Custodia, Buy me a Coffee

 

Ducks 🦆 in a row

On Thursday, along the Seine

Giovanni Bellini, Jacquemart-André

 

So many exhibits to see in Paris, but one procrastinates. 

And then one never get around to it. Or waits till big warning posters go up in the Metro. Then the masses descend. 

Being an uber-ADHDer who rarely plans ahead, does not help.

J-3 avant le Pari Fermier de Rambouillet !

“De nos fermes à vos paniers“  From our farms to your baskets”

One of the great joys of living in France is going to farmers markets held in and  outside Paris. 

Shiny, bight Things (SOS), Carette

I was saying to Vicki (my NYC neighbor for 10 years)the other day, that I always seem to be chasing after some unobtainable carrot 🥕 

Vicki said, “But really, that’s already the basis of your blog, as you seek out and report on one “bright shiny object” after another (think macarons…)

April in Paris Letter

 

In February at the C'est Bon le Japon event,I picked up a cherry blossom 🌸 drinks coaster. I showed it to Bonnie, my chief letter idea consultant and said, “Wouldn’t this make a great April letter!” She agreed 👍

When April rolled around…I forgot about cherry blossoms 🌸 

I was caught up in painting mono-product pastry shops in Paris…

Mado À Paris Afternoon Tea

 I came to Paris a macaron person, but evolved into a madeleine person. They‘re my go-to snack when in need of a quick bite.

Yesterday I took Jill Colonna and Solli_food to a favorite tea salon, Mado À Paris for afternoon tea 🫖 

Bright, Shiny things, Vide Grenier

 

Yesterday Solli_food & I went to the Vide Grenier at Mutualité Maubert. We didn’t care it was drizzling…better chance for bargains 👍 

Me, I was looking for a shiny, silver pitcher to paint like the one at Ladurée a few weeks ago.

Lunch with A Taste of Paris & Lorie Fangio, Le Cordon Bleu, Derrière le Tablier

 

Back in February, out of the blue, I got a request for 10 chocolate 🍫 letters 💌  

From Lorie of A Taste of Paris

Chateau de Sceaux

 

Nothing like a day in the country is there?

I have been wanting to visit Chateau de Sceaux for years.

On Sunday, I convinced Rosemary to come with me.

Yesterday in Paris

 

Yesterday, with the best of intentions (ha ha) I headed to the pool and got there too late for the morning session (7 - 12:30)

Instead I went and got a much-needed haircut. Damien cuts it in 11 minutes (not kidding). Telling myself I’d hit the pool later for the afternoon session (13:30 - 18:00). 

Ah the little lies we tell ourselves…

Paris, Capitale de la Gastronomie/ La Conciergerie Part1

 

When I was visiting Sainte-Chapelle I saw this poster announcing the brand, new exhibition, Paris, Capital of Gastronomie at La Conciergerie.

The next day I wrote, called, begged them to let me attend the preview🙏. 

La Sainte-Chapelle, visit with Rosemary Flannery

It’s raining outside 🙏 (Hallelujah! we need it). The birds are singing like mad.

Yesterday Rosemary Flannery had a spare ticket for Sainte-Chapelle and invited me to join her.

Easter at Laduree, Paris

 

NYC Louise asked me, “Do the French have an Easter Parade?” No way José

Solli and others asked me “what was I doing for Easter?” 

Paris Loves Pistachios

 

Do you love pistachios? I’m nuts about anything pistachio-flavored.

After my encounter with Jean-Paul Hévin’s Princesse Pistache last week, I went looking for more pistachio desserts, really anything in this flavor. Luckily Paris loves 💚 Pistache too.

A cosy tea salon in Paris

 

Have you been looking for a cosy, friendly tea salon in Paris?

Not one of those wildly extravagant afternoon hotel affairs