Doudou Parisian

If you want to pass as a Parisien you will need a small dog... This is not so practical for a short-term traveler, so why not a small doudou?
The French doudou is usually carried under the arm leaving the hands free for shopping and snacking...

Hermes Rive Gauche has a quite a nice doudou sitting in it's window...

There's an oversize doudou inside Hermes observing the shopping area - this one is not practical for under-arm carrying around...

BEAR (a Sonia Rykiel doudou himself) loves to browse other doudous...

Though a doudou does NOT have to be a bear. It can easily be a lapin/rabbit.

A homard/lobster is a rather unusual doudou one might conclude...

A rat/rat even moreso - this one is ready for August vacance...

It now makes sense to me the all the giant chocolate doudous at Easter - this one is at posh Hediard.  

Today Elle Magazine announced Les 'IT' bags de la rentrée If you have a sac a doudou you can get away with spending less $$...

In future I'll be carrying BEAR under my arm instead of in my bag. Qui sait? I may get mistaken for a Parisian. Then other Parisians will stop to ask directions and other questions I can't answer...

BONJOUR DOUDOU Parisian!

BEAR'S Last Day in Paris

BEAR is safely home in New York YAY!

Our last day in Paris was drizzly, overcast. Sunday, so no one was out which is always nice :) BEAR decided we must do a last quick run to Champs-Elysees. L'Arc de Triomphe. Crazy Parisian runners in the rain.
Last Parisien dog and a big one!

 Easter bears in a window.

Inside a not so dreamy 30-minute wait

For gooey pastries.

We waited 30 min only so BEAR could take a last Metro ride in a pastry bag.

BEAR suggested we take AirFrance Bus to Charles de Gaulle Airport since it's faster then the RoisseyBus especially if you go on Sunday morning.

We got there in 20 minutes with loads of time to browse duty-free.

BEAR badly wants a 'I was in Moulin Rouge' T-shirt.

I wanted a 'I was in Hermes' something or other.

We both wanted Hediards macarons.

In red boxes.

And Dalloyau's macarons.

Oh well you can't always get what you want  

BONJOUR HOME!

Mon Doudou

The first thing a French bebe gets to hold after his/her maman's tata is a Doudou. In the USA we call it a 'blankie' or 'Teddy'
This pensive post was inspired by a Metro poster of a French kid clutching her Doudou.
I kept seeing clutched doudous like on rue de Rivoli and the wheels started turning. *Note French adult on the right clutching his iPod (a doudou in disguise)
A chic or tres classe doudou in mariniere stripes matching the kid's shirt, seen in a high-end shop on rue Tronchet - being well co-ordinated in Paris starts early.
A giant doudou at ART-PARIS
Ecole Ritz Escoffier has plenty of adorable doudous (presumably for adults) if you want to shell out 39-69 euros...
Can you take your doudou to Angelina?
Oui, as long as he puts his purse on a chair and NOT the floor.
Reading a table is allowed.
The doudou as fashion accessory - I first spotted Bear at Sonia Rykiel Saint-Germain it was a coup de foudre/instant love.
Once I owned another Sonia doudou. In the '80's SR made fab faux furs. Matching jaguar doudous were slung round the neck. I bought a black one and used to perch it on my suitcase at customs - I would sail through with ease. French doudous are part of my history.

Can a doudou have his own doudou?

This question keeps me up at night...

I now fully comprehend the French obsession with adorable chocolate animals at Paques/Easter. They are doudous in disguise!

A giant Easter bear/doudou being created in the Paris Ritz chocolate lab - remembrances of things past?

What do you think?

BONJOUR MON DOUDOU!

L'Epi d'Or Paris

Bear spies old charmant bistro, L'Epi D'or on 25 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau 7 Christian Louboutin frequents this joint! Bear would love to drop in for cote d'ageau etc.But Carolg, who isfearless in a pastry shop, is a total wimp when it comes to bistros and cafes :(

Louboutin's FAB shoe shop is practically nextdoor-no wonder! Whilst Carolg browses the deluxe pricey LB shoes... Bear chats up Louboutin's bear in the passage.
"Bonjour M. ours" Together they happily browse patisserie Au Delice de Manon on rue St. Honore. Browsing the terribly chic Frenchies,
Bear thinks he sees MARC JACOBS!
Gold earring - check
Burburry scarf - check
5 O'clock shadow - check
Looking a tad rough about the edges - check
Baggy jeans? A non, non
What do YOU think?
Is that you Marc?
Carolg wants to take a bite out of the Boucheron macaron rings which go for many thousands of $$$. A girl can dream can't she?

Meanwhile everyone and their mother is sunning themselves on any spare chair at any cafe available. SPRING has finally arrived in Paris!

At 4 pm Carolg & Bear go to Toraya tea salon at 10, Rue St-Florentin, 75001

To meetup with fellow bloggeurs, Rebecca of Fleur de Paris and D'arcy of Chicsetera. Both live in Paris FULL TIME! They talk blogger talk a mile a minute...

The wheels are turning crazily inside Bear's head.

He's furiously taking mental notes.

Just maybe he will start HIS OWN BLOG. Hello?

Later as night falls they meet French Girl and shoot the Paris vitrines/windows...

Paris at night! Does it get any better than this?

Especially Hediard's vitrine full of Easter chocolates.

It's a coup de foudre/instant love for bear...sigh

More Paris night at Opera Garnier...more sighs

At home the very sharp Sabatier knife does the job and cuts cleanly through the Pierre Herme macaron. BRAVO! The perfect end to a perfect day.

BONJOUR DEHILLERAN!!