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!!

Glass Teapot...

Gallerie Lafayette Glass Teapot, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

When I visited Paris in October I had no intention of buying a clear glass teapot...

I drink only hot chocolate so I remembered my folly yesterday. I saw this glass teapot at The Tea Box in Takishimaya, my favorite New York browsing store...

I spotted these enticing teapots in the Gallerie Lafayette Gourmet tea department.

Who could resist? Only 15 Eruos. And perfect for painting still lifes I told myself. And I'm always interested in painting glass...

These round glass teapots were on display at the October 3-day Le Festival de The.

I ended up buying loose tea with whole rose buds for my glass teapot at Lafayette. The idea is you watch "the "agony of the leaves" as they unfurl while brewing in hot water. I left my glass teapot in the hotel room for housekeeping to enjoy.

And I'm back to drinking my hot chcolate :)

Le Festival De The

French Rose Bud tea, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

I bought this glass teapot and the rose bud tea in the Lafayette Gourmet tea department.

While the 5-day Paris Salon du Chocolat was taking place, you could also visit the 3-day Le Festival de The and satiate both your obsessions.

Kusmi Tea was founded in 1867 in St-Petersburg, by P.M Kousmichoff, supplier to the tsars. In 1917, at the time of the Revolution, they moved to London and Paris. They're boutique at 56, rue de Seine will soon have a tea room serving Anastasia, Troika, Prince Vladimir, Petrushka, Samovar, Zoubrovka, and Russian morning tea...

All kinds of tasting and sniffing was going on - a green tea tasting...

Endless samples to sniff...the in vrac - lose tea leaves sold by the gramme. And tea sold in boite en metal from Les Contes de The. They also have a salon de the at 60, rue de Cherche-Midi ("tea Street") 75006, offering not less than 200 tea varieties. Sachets mousseline de thés are how the French do up tea bags in silk fabric..

China pots on a charcole brazier from Hindu Emami, brewing up Ayurvedtic herbal teas.

And finally a Japanese tea ceremony demonstration was ongoing...

You can visit Le Festival de The end of next October 2007