BEAR Street...

Do you believe in synchronicity?

Or "meaningful coincidences," as Jung calls it...
Just before I left for Paris I was rushing to finish a menu illustration full of bears...

The apartment I rented in the Marais was on rue aux Ours (BEAR street), pronounced, ru Oh-Zores... I still can't pronounce it! My first day in Paris I met Jette from Denmark in the street...
And don't you know she's writing and illustrating a book about Polar bears! So naturally I kept seeing more BEARS EVERYWHERE!
This poster in the Metro was unavoidable.

And a 5-minute walk from my apartment was this wonderful specialty boutique, L'Ours du Marais on 18, rue Pavee, 75004. They sell ONLY BEARS of course.

They have tons of these Russian carved wooden bears from the town of Bogorodskoye.

Plus all manner of silly out-fitted teddy bears or nounours....

Bear stamps, bear tins, bear T-shirts...it goes on and on.

Plenty of bear china too. I was looking for a GREEN bear for my cousin Louise, but that was the ONE bear they didn't have...

Today I found among my photos these marshmallow bears or les nounours a la guimauve from La Mere du Famille.

Isn't that synchronicity?

Hi Jette!

How are your bears doing? :)

Guimauve

This last trip to Paris I learned to love Guimauve.

Chocolate-covered guimauve or marshmallows. They are called "Nounours" at patisserie PAIN DE SUCRE. Nounours after chocolate-covered bears 🐻 made by HARIBO - les nounours à la guimauve is for kiddies.

A great fuss is made over marshmallows in France.

In Pain de Sucre's windows exotic flavors safron and cassis. I nearly got arrested for taking this picture 📸 

 Gerard Mulot has them.

Boissier in multi-colors and multi-flavors.

I bought a packet of guimauve tied up in knots at La Mere de Famille, planning to paint them - I ate them instead.

These are very distant relatives to our American marshmallows. They march to a different tune🎵 They're less sugary and come in subtle flavors. Plus they cost a lot more than US Campfire cousins.

Imagine you are biting into a pastel cookie box...

There were piles of guimauve at Salon du Chocolat.

 They come covered in dark and white chocolate too. I love how the French take a kid's treat and make it sophisticated. They give it a witty twist that engages your mind as well as your taste buds.

HELLO KITTY guimauve.

Anyone know where you can find guimauve in the US? Dean & Deluca has them. Marcolini does have them at $13 a pop. Just to clarify -

French Guimauve is the Audrey Hepburn of marshmallows.

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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