Printemps in Paris

 

Printemps 🌸

Arrived in Paris yesterday

Fete de Muguet and more single letters

 

Happy Premier de Mai PBers! 

The past two days I’ve been hanging out at florist Christian Collin on 43, rue de Rivoli. They were busy as bees. 

The French buy their muguet ahead of the big day. When I went back yesterday to buy, all the smaller plants were gone. Whoosh 

If you buy a plant, you get that cute clip-on ladybug/coccinelle. It doesn’t come with a bunch/boite of flowers :((

I got a little vase. No cute bug 🐞I hope to paint this bunch 🤞☺️

Kilo flats of strawberries 🍓 and asperges are out in force. Lovely how the French save their berries for Spring’s arrival. You rarely see them the rest of the year.

Chocolate pots of lily of the valley. The pot on the left looks like real dirt. Did you know the hottest plant pots are covered in birch bark...or maybe I’m late to the soiree.

I was looking through old PB May Day posts I came across my 1st May Paris letter from 2014. A lot of water under the pont/bridge since then. 

I was influenced by Botticelli’s apparition of Spring/Printemps. 

Lately when the Vogue report arrives there’s this ad for a Botticelli diaphanous, flowy skirt. 

Thank you again for your wonderful response to the new single letters. Its been such a surprise for me💋 So I decided to put this letter up ☺️🤞🍓 

It has a watercolor-decorated envelope 💌 though now full size. Muguet/lilies of the valley are my birth flower and hold a special place in my heart ❤️🐻 Are you a May baby?

Esprit Jardins, Potager du roi in Versailles

More Spring garden stories from the Potager du Roi, Versailles.

I didn’t inherit my mother's green thumb but who doesn't love PEONIES?

These are from a fleurist in Versailles, Arbre à Pivoines on 19, rue Hoche.

The past weekend was the annual 'Esprit Jardins' at the Potager du Roi in Versailles 

70-80 venders selling plants, tools, landscaping design, garden antiques and jam

Simply lush and the perfect day with temperatures in the high 70s. Sunhats and sunglasses required.

Exquisite prints

From the musee de la Toile de Jouy in Jouy-en-Josas. The time I visited the shop was closed. Such temptation!

A shop on the square was selling proper 17th century outfits though everyone was mostly wearing jeans.

Endless jars of jams in unusual flavors like pears with chocolate and lemon Cointreau. I am a jam fan since moving to France, though I mostly browse…

The official boutique at the king's kitchen gardens offers rhubarbe nectar. 

*Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturday morning you can buy fresh organic produce fom their gardens.

Rose 🌹 soaps along with rose syrups, scents & jam.

After walking around the huge square visiting tents 

You must go into the kitchen gardens.

Designed and constructed by Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie from 1678-1683 at the request of Louis XIV. The 22 acres was originally a swamp completely unsuitable to be a kitchen garden. Drained and with fresh soil brought in, La Quintinie produced:

50 varieties of pears

20 varieties of apples

16 types of lettuce.

Parsley, rocket, mint, tarragon & violets were grown for the king's salad. He developed ingenious methods for producing fruits out-of-season with sunken gardens.

A parapet walk was created, so the king and his entourage could survey the team of 30 gardeners at work.

RER C Train takes you back from Versailles -> Notre Dame-St Michel in a mere 25 minutes. Yesterday was glorious. Everyone was out enjoying the good weather & eating ice creams🍦 

Yours truly included (pistachio). 

Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. 

If you enjoyed this post and want to support it, subscribe to Paris letters, maps and watercolors or forward to a friend. Cheers 🌸🌸🌸 Carolg 

Springie

Did we ever have a proper Winter in Paris this year?

It passed us by and we plunged from Fall straight into Spring, not that I'm complaining.

The bouquets are out at Aquarelle.

The aromas as you pass by florist shops are gorgeous.

Trick picture - these evergreen ever-waving leaves are year-round in the Louvre Carrousel of shops.

Real indeed blossoming trees in musée Cluny's gardens.

All the Impressionists, especially Monet had Spring nailed.

You get on the bus and sit down next to a woman with daffs in her purse. Happens everyday in Paris in Paris.

Springie cafe chairs are out in their bright colors.

Beautiful soaps come as a set or separately in pretty little shop, Oriza Legrand in the 2nd on 18 rue Saint-Augustin.

At, Frederic Cassel of Fontainbleau's bright macarons are a reminder MACARON DAY is coming up March 20. Y'all COME!

The windows are full of white summery whites. Why are they always jumping the gun?

This hat would work if you don't have the essential sunglasses. I don't.

Galeries Lafayette wants you to go white and puffy. Not me. I'm already puffy.

Hid your whites underneath and don a rabbit head.

Parisians are transitioning into Spring wearing their blacks with a touch of color.

Little Parisians can jump full-blown into Spring with PINK pants.

Ahh...those much coveted Dolce Gabanas. Wish they were mine. Bring yours. You'll need them along the quai.