May Fraise Balloon 🎈 Letter

  

I started thinking about dancing ballerina 🩰 strawberries at the Opera Garnier…which quickly turned into flying Balloon 🎈strawberries 🍓 over the Eiffel Tower bien sur. Where would I be without the Eiffel tower🤔

How many obsessions can a girl have? Shiny teapots, blue cups, pastry…one loses count. But flying balloons 🎈 has been a returning theme from way back

Big Merci, Missing In Action & B’day

 A Big, huge, gigantic THANK YOU dear PBers for your lovely ❤️ response on Sunday ☕️☕️☕️

I cannot tell you how touched I was by your generosity & kind comments ❤️ 

Le Perigord à Montmartre

Last weekend in France was one of those 'bridge' weekends so the holiday ran over into Monday. It was also four gorgeous days of the annual May tasting the divine products of Perigord à Montmartre.

4 days of eating as many

Strawberries as possible

Even fresh strawberry juice made on the spot.

And the spot is right under Sacre Coeur in the 18th

Please take the funicular when you go up.

You will need every ounce of energy to taste everything on offer.

For the 10th edition there must have been over 40 stands of producteurs. Many have won prizes for their specialties. I bought a can of goose rillettes from this prize winner...note the red metal plaque. One taste and I couldn't say no. Course there isn't much I can say no to...ahem. My downfall.

I somehow resisted the honey

But I tasted plenty

I haven't used up my brew made in the Luxembourg gardens yet.

I did buy a cake of honey soap though.

Temptation again at the chestnut counter. The same Perigord fair takes place in winter. The chestnuts roasted on the spot are heaven.

I did buy a bag of shelled walnuts. Plus cepes, strawberries in the cup and in the box, the rillettes.

There's a very homey feel to the fete. This isn't la Grande Epicerie at all.

Much more fun.

ICE CREAM!

Tasting, tasting. There is so much tasting at this fete. A rarity at Grande Epicerie.

I tasted but just admired the red caps.

No truffle tastes me thinks. Please mark your calendars for next May PBers. This is a don't-miss annual fair, usually 3-4 days long so you can return for more strawberries.

I did fall hook, line and sinker for this poster of Sarlat. Have you been? Do tell. I'm very tempted to go and paint there now that I got my feet wet in the Luberon. Should I go?
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July 4th at Chateau du Petit Thouars, Waterlogue

Independence Day at the Chateau du Petit Thouars is a 2-day affair in the Loire valley.

I get down on the ground to capture all the turrets.

The castle in Waterlogue app. Have you tried  painting photos with it?

We make an early morning run for the fabulous Mara des Bois berries.

You will have to search far and wide in Paris to find these upper crust strawbs. Maybe at a super fine Primeur at super prices if you're lucky.

They never seem to go off like supermarket berries. No sugar required btw.

My berries are a long way from looking like Waterlogue's.

Strawberries are so hard to capture unlike cherries, July's Paris Sketch Letter subject.

Raspberries are easier - all nice bumps. These were hand-picked by the goat cheese lady in her garden.

You can taste her 3 kinds of chevre - frais, semi-sec, sec.

Finding the  chevre frais in the city is hard. The Summer is when its best.

Cupcake hunting during the day from British Teresa's Tearoom.

Grasshopper hunting in the evening instead of fireworks.

Dimitri keeps watch in the cool tasting room, guarding berries, goat cheese and watercolors. And chateau wines of course. Temperatures reach 35-36!

Marche runs to the village of Montsoreau.

I get blueberries and raspberries. Gather ye berries whilst ye can.

Breakfast is outside under the lime trees. I stay on an extra day. Hard to leave the country. Life is one big picnic in the Loire Vallee. You Must Go!

Taking the Intercity train from Gare l'Austerlitz to Tours takes an hour longer but you get a taste of the Loire while waiting.

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. 

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☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  ❤️ Thank you so much!  Bon Mardi PBers🤸🏾‍♀️🎉🥂

Back to my own river Seine. Back to reality...not so easy to make the switch.

Maison de la Chantilly, Ines de la Fressange,

Tuesday was whipped cream tasting day at MAISON DE LA CHANTILLY

Gorgeous little mouthfuls of just the right amount of Chantilly whipped cream gathered from special French cows (FYI they do not reside at Chateau Chantilly but rather mid-France. Each one was personally interviewed and selected).

Their soft caramels made with Chantilly cream are 2-die-for I kid you not.

The Chef was on hand to fill your little cookie cone.

Not just any whipped cream can call it self 'crème Chantilly' by the way. There are rules just like Champagne. It is strictly regulated and requires a minimum of 30% fat. Who knew?

They have real Fontainebleaux and Pavlovas (I had to taste one). My first.

On Maison de la Chantilly's website they offer strawberry soup. I'm going back!

Strawberries make you think of shortcake. Red, white and blue July 4th coming up this Saturday.

The best, newest place to get your 4th outfit is Ines de la Fressange's shop on 24, rue de Grenelle 75007

Once an old bronze fixtures factory, the black- painted display cases are original and stunning

As is all the merchandise.

This is her concept store with something for everyone and their maison.

It's hard not to love her casual taste and superb eye.

Fressange's ebullient spirit is ever present.

I loved ❤️ everything in her store.

Especially the bits and pieces on her inspo board. Ines as a petite fille?

Fun, fun, fun! A don't miss shop with prices in all ranges.

Who knew there would be a Fourth of July Street Food festival in Paris?

I fell for cerises/fraises 🍓earrings in a shop window on rue Saint Louis en L'Ile. Cerises 🍒 are cute too.

This weekend I'll be painting strawberries at Chateau du Petit Thouars Independence day celebration.
Any PBers who show up will get the latest July Cherry 🍒 Sketch Letter  free. Y'all come.

🍒

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 whimsical treasures in your 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! 🤸🏾‍♀️🎉🥂