FAB Paris, Fine Arts La Biennale

Wednesday afternoon I went to the presse preview of the annual Fine Arts La Biennaleat Grand Palais 🤸‍♂️

So lovely to be back after being closed several years for refurbishment - definitely one of Paris’ grandest monuments. 

Hergé, Tintin. Grand Palais

Yesterday the huge Hergé retrospective opened

At no less than the Grand Palais

Red Tueday, Au Pied de Cochon

Yesterday became red Tuesday. On Saturday I fell in love instantly (again) with a huge Tintin shopping bag (like I really need another shopping bag(cabas) but it was a mere 3,75 euros and such a cheery red) seen in the window of Album Librairie (a comic book shop) 67, bd St Germain. Heading out the door a poster announced a Tintin exhibit. Ah ha! I must investigate.

On Tuesday I went to Musee en Herbe, a small children's museum (rue Herold 75001) you've probably never heard of. I hadn't.

It's Tintin's 40th anniversary. Bet you didn't know that either...ahem.

The museum is celebrating with a special gallery of foreign art objects (borrowed from the Louvre and the Branly) that duplicate items from Tintin's adventures around the world. Put on your caps and grab a magnifying glass folks.

I was about to shoot artist Herge's Tintin sketches when a kid got there before me and shoved her magnifying glass on the drawings...hmmm.

It's French school winter vacation time in case you didn't know. Who knew?

The place was packed with Tintin detectives puzzling out this and that. 

You can buy this Tintin jigsaw puzzle if you want to drive yourself crazy. Or you can figure out the joke without reading the French.

How's your French SVP? Translation anyone?

Post-exhibit I needed some refreshment. Au Pied de Cochon is nearby at Les Halles 6, rue Coquilliere

If you want cheery red on a grey Paris day this is the place.

The staff don't mind a bit of you only order a bowl of their famous soup a l'oignon (8,50) and then run. They couldn't be nicer is my experience.

Maybe next time I'll order it sans(without) cheese and bread and just slurp up the lovely beefy, onion broth. Who needs to fly to NYC to Brodo?

By the way if you read David Lebovitz on Monday, he's got the scoop on French sardines. I ate them regularly in New York, but stopped here. There are so many to choose from and they look fishier. Yesterday I went into Franprix and picked up this pretty red tin of Connetable Sardines a l'Ancienne (what ever that is? Who knew there were vintage sardines available?). I'll report my investigations later.

Not far from the kids museum you can doll yourself up to look like a tres chic Tintin at Yohji Yamamoto 25, rue de Louvre. Note the Tintin style cap.

I spied a redhead with Heidi pigtails carrying her Yamamoto booty exiting the doorway...
Can you find the French little red riding hood lurking in this picture PBers? Get out your magnifying glasses!

Leslie Caron at Metro Etoile & Mad About Macarons

Yesterday I had a brief encounter with actress Leslie Caron in the Metro Etoile station.

I saw an elegant French woman checking the metro map. Then I saw her little dog - out came the camera immediatement. 

Remember Leslie Caron of Gi-Gi, Lily, American in Paris, Damages, Le Divorce, more recently Law and Order.
 

I saw the woman go off in one direction, turnaround and come back. Metro Etoile is a confusing station. I sensed she was lost.

I went up and said,

'Peux je vous aidez?'/ Can I help you?
Mm. C. said, 'bla bla bla' in French

Me, 'but I'm American'

Mme. Caron responded in her inimitable lilting voice,

'Isn't it funny an American helping a French person in the Metro?' & smiled graciously.

I helped her find ligne 8 and then asked if I could take a picture of her Shitzu.

'His name is Tea-Tea' (sp)

All I could think was her movie 'Gi-Gi'

Leslie Caron's book, Thank Heaven A Memoir came out two years ago. It's a classy tell-all of her life and loves in Hollywood and everywhere else. I'll be reading it as soon as I get home. Lovely interview here. 

A new Arte doc on Caron here. She is 90.

Everyone in London and Paris is talking about the new Spielberg Tintin movie coming out exactly the day I head home. AirFrance could you please show it in economy? 

Yesterday I picked up Le Point to browse while enroute to my private macaron lesson with.Jill Colonna of Mad About Macaron fame. Jill is quite determined I will conquer the elusive macaron secrets. 

 Bear inspects egg whites put out that morning. It was a misty, rainy day so everything should have gone wrong. 

Jill is a maitress de macaron. She whipped up these madly lemony macs for me.

After class, Jill took me on a grand tour of Saint Germain-en-Laye's finest patisseries. M.O.F. Patisserie Osmont was irresistable. 

The tarte citron meringuee beckoned.

Perfect for breakfast today! Little crunchy orbs of meringue sit atop a light lemon curd. Inside a touch of framboise/raspberry surprise lurked. Today I ate my crust. Chef Osmont won me over and I was very hungry. 

Leslie Caron said in this Guardian interview,'I seldom eat pastry–maybe once a year. I never eat desserts and I don't drink'.

👏👏👏

Bonjour Leslie Caron, Jill Colonna, Tintin!