Carol Gillott ✍️ a Blog, ParisBreakfast-HuffPost Life

 

Bonjour PBers! This is a repost tell-all interview from 2015 in HuffPost written by watercolor artist Susan Fogwell.

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. Sign up to receive these whimsical treasures in the mail.

Thanks for reading PB ❤️

☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  ❤️ Thank you so much! 

There is only one blog I subscribe to and it's Paris Breakfasts by watercolor artist Carol Gillott. Gillott, a Francophile at heart, moved to Paris over a year 11 years ago, where she opens the door to her daily quintessential Parisian experience. 

Each photo-laden post instantly transports readers to the City of Love and is accompanied by musings, sketches, watercolors & insider tips. 

macaron letter On Etsy

SF: Tell us about your photo/art-driven blog on Paris and your predilection for macarons?

CG: Paris Breakfasts was started in 2006 when the shelves started sagging with petit déjeune watercolors. Corey in Provence dared me to start a blog. My predilection for macarons has expanded considerably since living in Paris. 

Getting to know 12+ local Paris pastry specialties like Opera cake, Mille-feuille, chouquette, Paris-Brest, to name just a few is a huge undertaking. It requires research 🔬 plus heaps of resistance.

SF: How long have you been a watercolor artist?

CG: Since day 1. Whenever I could hold a crayon 🖍️ in my paw & wreck walls with abandon.

SF: How many watercolors do you typically paint 🎨 per day?

CG: It’s nothing like that. I doodle ✍️ with pencil, paint & paper daily. It doesn't always happen. Like doing your daily scales 🎹 -- a must-do with no objective in mind works best. Free-flowing. 

Eiffel Tower Bastille Day With French Cats

SF: I read on your blog that you moved 3 times in one year in Paris. Which arrondissement are you in now? 

Ile Saint Louis PARIS Letter

CG: I'm in the 4th arrondissement, on heavenly Ile Saint Louis, a dream I never imagined. Basically luck, pluck & a gift baguette 🥖 saved the day. When you don't have all the essential papers here or a proper job you're always winging it 🤞

A lot of praying 🙏 is essential for finding a roof over your head in Paris. Plus good friends in the know. 

SF: Where is your favorite spot for people watching and sketching in Paris?

marchés Bastille, d’Aligre Paris Letter

CG:People-watching at marchés Bastille, d’Aligre or Grenelle always on Sundays. But it's impossible to sketch there or even to just watch so I shoot 📸 & draw ✍️ later.

Cafe Saint Regis Paris Letter

SF: Where is your favorite place in Paris for great inexpensive food?

CG: Going for breakfast at Cafe Saint Regis.is always a good idea. Dinner is fun & lively too. I like Kodawari Ramen and Sapporo on rue Saint  Anne for a steaming bowl 🥣 of miso noodle soup, usually enough to take home for dinner. 

Otherwise, I eat and browse the weekend fêtes monthly like Coquille fete in Montmartre in January or Perpignan fête in March at Sacre Coeur. I'd rather buy directly from farmers/ producteurs than sit in a restaurant. Too much faffing about.

le Grand Epicerie Paris Letter

SF: What are some of your favorite shops and markets?

CG: ❤️ people-watching at le Grand Epicerie. Or I wait for the Pari Fermier and Regional Producteur weekend marchés. The atmosphere and freshness of the produce is top 👍 You're buying from producteurs who grew the food and made it into chèvre, honey, walnut cake, eau de prune. 

SF: Where are some of your favorite Paris haunts?

CG: Best loved haunt is the man-made waterfall at la Butte Chaumont parc in the 19th, where I make all my Paris wishes. 

Angelina Paris Letter

I love haunting the pastry counter at Angelina rue de Rivoli. They let you browse their exquisite pastries. It's not crowded like the tea salon & stress-free. Or go for breakfast at 7:30 🕢 when it’s empty in the tea salon.

Then I pop in next door at Librairie Galignani to browse art and fashion books. My Peggy Porchon book cover is front & center. I love just looking out my window now that I have a view of Paris. It's addictive.

SF: Do you speak French? 

CG: I took the requisite classes like everyone else but mainly learned by listening non-stop to French radio both here and in the U.S. Good Morning Business gets your ear👂 used to speedy French better then news at Le Française Facile, an app. Movies, TV game shows on Youtube and cooking shows with French subtitles are helpful. French people respond to me in Fr if I only say a few words. I wish they wouldn't. My comprehension isn’t as good as my accent. 

SF: Is there a must-go-to spot where you take guests visiting you from the states?

CG: I suggest going out of town to chateau Vaux le Vicomte near Melun (a 20 minute train ride + bus from Gare de Lyon) for a unique experience -- much less crowded than Versailles and just as elegant. Otherwise there are the secret passages tucked away all over town like Panoramas, Vivienne, Jouffroy.

SF: Which museum is your favorite?

CG: Musee des Arts Decoratifs always has terrific shows covering fashion, crafts etc. I love browsing their fab gift shop. I'll go to the Grand Palais for anything. The space is spectacular. 

SF: What are a few money-saving tips you can suggest to travelers visiting Paris?

CG: Shop & eat at marchés. Eat a  big breakfast & lunch (when you can get the formule). Snacks for dinner. 

Eating at any regional fêtes on the weekends is fun & cheap. A plate of charcuterie or cheese is usually 5€. Plus an essential glass of wine 🍷 Get a weekly carte Navigot (before Wednesday) instead of buying individual. Get a 5€ bus guide at any news kiosk. Buses #72, 80, 96 will give you views of toute Paris.

SF: And lastly, how long do you plan to live in Paris?

CG: Forever if they'll have me. I'm (still) happy as a clam in Paris. 

I hope you enjoyed ❤️ Susan Fogwell’s interview. Would you like to read more?

Reading a gift Paris letter 💌

Looking for a birthday gift 🎁 or for traveler, a Francophile, a gift for Foodie. Send 📮 a PARIS LETTER 💌 from my shop. 

Do you ❤️ beurre, butter 🧈  Are you in Paris Saturday at 10:30? Food expert par excellance, Caroline Mignot will be giving an Atelier du Beurre! I will be there painting butter colors - I won  🥰 a place 

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. Sign up to receive these whimsical treasures in the mail.

Thanks for reading PB ❤️

☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  ❤️ Thank you so much!