Mélodies Graphiques

 I’ve been trying to get to melodies graphiques all week. I finally made it yesterday. 

It’s on 10, rue du Pont Louis-Phillippe, 75004

I went to buy stamps on Saturday

 

JOYEUX NOËL EVERYONE !! I went uptown to buy more stamps late Saturday 

Completely forgetting it was a big day for last-minute shoppers & window gazers. This is Printemps!

Bear 🐻 Story

 

Joyeuses Fêtes from Paris 🥐

Whether you celebrate or not, I'm sending good wishes to all.

Café Varenne en Mer, Ooh La La Confectionery

 

On Saturday I went to meet Solli & Francesco at noon for lunch at Cafe Varenne’s new seafood restaurant.

Café Varenne en Mer is at 46, rue de Varenne, 7 eme

Printemps - Christmas in Paper, your wishes are granted

 

On Tuesday night I finally got to see Department store Printemps bird-filled windows

Night time is definitely the best time to view holiday windows in Paris

Samaritaine | Willy Wonka

 

On Sunday Bear 🐻 wanted to get out of the house. So did I 👍

Even if the weather was a bit inclement, Samaritaine at Pont Neuf was only 19 minutes away on ligne 7.

Meat Fruit, Ruth Reichl, Vide Grenier

 

Is there a better way to spend days inside

Drinking buckets 🪣 of soup 🍜 

Yesterday I went to BHV Marais

 

Yesterday afternoon at 4:30 I figured I could hop on bus 67 to Hotel de Ville, drop letters at the post, catch BHV’s Xmas windows. Then come home and ‘hop’ back into bed. Ha

It turned out Hotel de Ville la Poste 📮is now infinitivement FERMÉ 👎 But the Hotel de Ville Xmas Marché was in full swing. 

Chocolate Letter Research continued

 I have been ‘down for the count’ this week with a hacking cough, sniffles & classic cold symptoms. No Covid fortunately 🙏

I forgot to eat my daily full-proof winter elixir - pomegranate seeds. 

Chocolate Letter Reseach

 

Doing chocolate research 🔬 is one of the easiest things you can do in Paris, especially for the November Paris Letter.

Still I could not discover from Google how many chocolate shops are in Paris! Many ‘10 Bests’ list - oui. How many shops ? - non

Put a bow on it, Mouna Ayoub Chanel Auction, Black Friday Sale

 I hope you all had a jolly Thanksgiving  yesterday, if you’re in the US. Ours is on Saturday. 

On Monday, late in the afternoon in the rain, I viewed 252 pieces from the Chanel auction of Mouna Ayoub,the world’s biggest couture buyer.

Fine Arts Biennale, Grand Palais Éphémère

 

The Fine Arts  Biennale Paris is at Grand Palais Éphémère next to the Eiffel Tower

I went yesterday in the rain to the Presse Preview

Mon Noël de Rêve - Charles de Vilmorin - Galeries Lafayette Windows

 Yesterday I went to see Galeries Lafayette Noël windows

And researched them today. 

Île-de-France : la meilleure tarte aux pommes 2023

 

The announcement of LE MEILLEURE TARTE AUX POMME 2023 got me running out the door 🚪 yesterday & down the rabbit 🐇 hole again. 

The WINNER IS: CHEZ MEUNIER 🏆 They happen to have a big branch inside Galeries Lafayette le Gourmet, including a cafe at 35, Bd Haussmann.

Imperial Chocolat Fontainebleau

 

Another CHOCOLATE SALON! Can you handle it?

The IMPERIAL CHOCOLAT always takes place in November headed by top patissiere & chocolatier Frederic Cassel.

Le Pavillon Baltard, Salon du Chat

10 years ago I went to the Baltard Feline show in Nougent-sur-Marne, a few stops outside Paris on ligne RER A. 

Last Sunday I went again to the Salon du Chat because…I’m a recent cat lover (since Covid)

Salon International du Patrimoine Cultural

 

Is your chandelier in sad disrepair?

Does your salle de bain need freshening up? Mine does. If you visited  Salon  International du Patrimoine Cultural this past weekend 

Salon du Chocolat #2

 

On Monday Bear 🐻 went to the Salon du Chocolat.

He was bear 🐻 hunting

Salon du Chocolat, Oct 28 - Nov 1, 2023

 

At Friday night’s opening of the 2023 Salon du Chocolat I made a bee-line for Maison Pralus.

There are always ready snacks of their famous cake, Le Praluline. An incredible brioche made with pink praliné chips (sugared almonds). It is a classic Lyonnaise dessert  first made by August Pralus in 1955. 

Les Deux Abeilles 🐝 with Jill Colonna

 

Yesterday I met up with Jill of Mad About Macarons fame at Les Deux Abeilles 🐝 Have you been?

For afternoon tea 🫖 again.

Creating the Paris Letter & How to Paint A Cup ☕️

I used to own all these miniature coffee/tea cups ☕️ They ended up at Salvation Army when I moved to Paris 😭 I wonder who has them now?

This week has been a coffee cup immersion.

Are You Thinking Noel/Xmas?

 

Usually after I do a PARIS LETTER run 🏃‍♂️ to la poste 📬 I’m allowed to wonder aimlessly🤸🏾‍♀️ Yesterday I wondered into the Dutch concept store HEMA looking for Halloween stuff. They’re already thinking Xmas🎄/Christmas/Noel & ginger cookies! Somehow I resisted 🫣

Are you already thinking ahead for Xmas holidays? Should I put up Christmas 🎄 letters for ‘Future thinkers’? Do tell PBers 🙏

Weekend this & that, BiblioMania

 

On Saturday I went to Bibliomania near Odeon again. It’s on today till 6 pm.

Always a good place for visual inspiration

October Paris Letter Inspo, Antoinette Poisson

 I went looking for Fall Paris letter ideas this week, inspired by Monique’s beautiful wet leaves 🍁 

1st place to look was Galeries Lafayette Gourmandes. Figs are IN.

Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise, musée d’Orsay

 

This week I visited the “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise, the last months” exhibition at Musée d’Orsay 2 days in a row.

The exhibit is on until February 4, 2024. Reserve now.