Bonbon Paris letter

Pauvre Bear. I tried to include Bear in the new Paris Bonbon Letter but he didn't make the cut

A lot of intense back-to-school research went on the past 2 weeks in ParisBreakfast studio.

And a lot of candy was eaten. Some of it before I got to paint it, so replacements were bought🙄

When you travel round France you MUST try local specialties. Even if you hate/déteste boiled sweets (les sucres cuits) it's a great way to get flavors & culture of each region. Classic French candies (70 varieties) are bound up with French childhood. It's not enough to tie your scarf 🧣 correctly.

Paris has small candy shops specializing in regional candies if you can't travel into France profond. 

Les Bonbons at 6, rue Brea 75014 is closet-sized, packed with treasures.

Adorable tins in their window. 

La Mere de Famille - 35, rue du Faubourg Montmartre 75009 is Paris’ oldest candy shop.

A child’s wagon of les roudoudous in their window.

Along with researching candy shops all over Paris

I Iooked in French children's handwriting books.

Graphics in old schoolbooks are entrancing.

Ask any French person for their "madeleine de Proust". They will dream of favorite sweets of their childhood. 

Enfin, back to fav Parisian candy shop, Le Bonbon au Palais - 19, rue Monge 75005.

Et voila! Right under big jars of regional candy, the answer to my Paris  letter prayers🙏

A cahier (school notebook) of owner Georges Marques, when he was 10. The perfect design format for my letter. Georges lent me this precious notebook.  the Bergamot bonbon on the left side. yes I misspelled Bergamot...

Voila. visit Etsy. 

There is an NEW SHIPPING DEPARTMENT at ParisBreakfast Studio, faster, more orderly, better spelling (hahahaha)🤞🙏 Bon Dimanche!

Subscribe to ParisBreakfast Newsletter

There is an NEW SHIPPING DEPARTMENT at ParisBreakfast Studio, faster, more orderly, better spelling (hahahaha)🤞🙏 

Bon Dimanche!

Les Petites Douceurs de mon Enfance

 Les Petites Douceurs de mon Enfance/Little Treats

 While the French are very clear about having 'Adult Time', they certainly don't put away childish things ever.

 I bought this book on traditional French bonbons in the musee des arts decoratifs bookstore. Would you find candy books at the Met book store? I doubt it.

 I ordered Marie Le Goaziou's charming book from Fr amazon - it has all kinds of pull-out, die-cut tricks plus real recipes for old time French sweets.

 Like old-fashioned Berlingots/hard candies. Does anyone still eat hard candies wrapped in cello twists? The French do.They never stop. Displays of lollipops are in most tabacs and they're not just for kiddies.

 You can order a T-shirt with old-fashioned hard candies from Anne Maisonneuve. I did.

 Silly toys for adults? Pylones' specialty is totally goofy chatchkas.

 Pylones paperclip birdie

 So many French sweets are from one particular region or another, perhaps that's why the French are so attached to les petites douceurs de son enfance.

 'Mangez des gateaux plus souvent!' Eat cake often! Certainment deprivation is not on the menu.

 And of course ice cream

BON WEEKEND!

Dimanche in the park

If I'm staying with M. in the 6th arrondissement, she usually walks me to the RER St.-Michel station other side of Luxembourg gardens. If it's a Sunday/dimanche... There's no nicer way to depart Paris... Everyone is out in the park on Sunday...

Taking in the last of the Fall leaves...

But mostly relaxing...

 Very few are working.

Decontracte is the word for the day.

Very few are reading the Sunday papers. This is not Central Park.

All Paris babies are out showing off.

The small fry get to take.

 Luxembourg's poney rides.

Jam-packed on a Sunday.

To get to the RER station you walk by the pond.

Perfect for small boats and small fry.

You don't see many eating in the park. These girls are excused.

I can tell from their red striped paper bag.
They came from the penny candy stall at Odeon Metro.

Les bonbons are always allowed in Paris.

BONJOUR PARIS FALL!
 

Les Bonbons

Les Bonbons, 9" x 12"

I'm curious about the French attachment to penny candy & other souvenirs of childhood.

A French friend, Misha (a philosophy Ph.D) first pointed out Les Bonbons to me on rue Brea in the 6th. A delightful penny confiserie.I doubt you'll find anything for 1 centime.

 It's her favorite shop.

The penny candy kisoque at the Odeon Metro is constantly busy, though you don't see many children buying the lollies and gummie bears. $5 for just 100 grams (3.3 ounces)

The old fashioned ice cream cone is a Parisian favorite.Why does Paris have more ice cream shops than New York?
  A giant blue lapin sitting out in the street.

High or low, Parisians do not put away childish things. Pierre Herme's vitrine focuses on an enfant's dreams. And who is not reduced to a greedy 5-year old inside Pierre Herme?

Renault covers a car with a favorite candy - the fraise tagada. Penny candy is serious business in France.

 Paris chocolatier Jean-Charles Rochoux, has cuddling chocolate bears/doudous in his vitrine. 

At Cafe Loup in Musee des Arts Decorativ they serve fraise tagada candies as an amusing afternoon snack/gouter with tea. *Note guimauve/marshmallows on the left.

The museum bookstore had this book on French penny candy. I bought it.

In the Marais Au Petit Bonheur La Chance specializes in vintage grade school paraphrenalia and toys. 13 rue St-Paul 

Painting by an unknown artist in the 9th arr.

Play and playfulness - is there ever enough of it.

BON WEEK-END PBers!