Culinary Retreat with Shannon & Wlady Grochowski

Meet Shannon Grochowski, our hostess at the culinary retreat. I will post mostly photos..the wi-fi at Abbaye de Reigny was a tad slow…

The aroma of molten Valrhona chocolat is in the air. We inhale 👃 only the best chocolate 🍫 

Fete de la Rose, Watercolor Leçon

Yesterday I went to the annual Fete de la Rose 

At Parc de Bagatelle not far from Louis Vuitton Fondation

Jardins, Jardin 2023

Yesterday I ate a hot air balloon 🎈 cookie 🍪 

I sniffed beaucoup beautiful roses 🌹 

Peonies in Paris

When I saw the first peonies in the marché I was not enthralled. Then I read somewhere that the fragrance 👃 was wonderful.

SOLLI asked me which marché was best for buds. I took another look and bought 8 at Bastille marché.

Musée de la vie Romantique, Pierre-Joseph Redoute

You can take Bus 67 all the way from Central Paris to Pigalle, 18eme. Then walk 5 minutes to the musée de la vie Romantique. Or Metro ligne 12. For some unknown reason the bus dumped us out at Hotel de Ville. I could not resist buying a few peonies/pivoines 🌸 on sale as I waited for the next 67...

Musée de la Vie Romantique is one of Paris' prettiest small museums. 16, rue Chaptal 75018

Take a tea ☕️ outside and relax

And smell the roses.

Inside more roses at the first Joseph-Pierre Redouté exhibiton in Paris just opened on till October 1.

A major botanical artist (1759-1840) and Belgian, Redouté recorded the floral varieties in Empress Josephine Bonaparte's garden at Malmaison.

His technique of fine stipple engraving, using tiny dots rather than fine lines allowed for more subtle color gradations.

A number of his oils are on view.

Redouté, the 'Raphael of flowers' is still revered for his exquisite floral renderings, especially his roses. 'He lead the way in an era of natural sciences, classifying and identifying plants collected over five continents - then reproducing them in watercolor on precious vellums of unequaled scientific accuracy and artistic talent'.

More than 250 paintings, watercolors, objets d'art are presented in 3 rotating 'saisons' so you can return several times to see different artworks.

Floral Sevres porcelain inspired by Redouté’s botanical engravings.

I was smitten with these fragile gold bouquet holders. 19th century fans, jewelry, embroidaries, wall hangings in the exhibit reflect the craze for botany.

Be painted with a rose wreath in your hair! You'll find wreaths like this at 14, rue des St-Peres at Flower.com

Examples of wallpaper designs based on Redouté's engravings

Close-up of endpapers from the museum's Redouté catalog, 'Le Pouvoir des Fleurs'

Contemporary works by 26 artists are included in the exhibit.

They gave us brown paper wrapped bouquets as we left the preview. I had my 3 peonie buds tucked in my bag waiting to be painted. Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast.  

If you'd like to receive Paris letters and maps in your mailbox, do visit my Etsy shop. 

Don't miss muée de la vie Romantique if you're a flower-lover!

Giverny

Along with painting color blobs onsite you can't go wrong doing little 2" thumbnails at Giverny.

Try to arrive at the correct train station in Paris when heading off to Giverny. Somehow I got the bright idea to go to Gare Montparnasse. Luckily there was a direct Metro line to Saint Lazare.

Monet was kind enough to draw and paint Gare Saint Lazare as a friendly reminder..

Even the little bus trip from Vernon is bucolic...

Once off the bus just follow the crowds. Don't go exploring yet. That comes later.

Do look down as you're following the gang. The road is lined with loads if iris hither and thither...

A very nice poster that explains better than anything I've seen elsewhere what were Monet's intentions.

I found myself attracted to the less formal parts of the garden...

Where planting was in process..

Looking out the windows makes you feel you're stepping into Monet's shoes...

The walls are covered with Monet's enormous and influential Japanese woodblock collection. Hokosai's cat gazes out the window...

Can you find the cat in Monet's egg yolk yellow kitchen?

Looking much like the cat in the print but now taking a nap on a peony pink poof.
 

It's peony season at Monet's Maison by the way. Check the flowering calendar.

I took the less traveled path by chance over the lily ponds.

There are plenty of quiet empty places no matter how many visiters...such a spacious garden.

The gift shop is spacious too but not a Monet dish towel in sight...

This book on Giverny is gorgeous by Fabrice Moireau.
And you can take home your own mini version of Monet's chat.
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