Esprit Jardin, Versailles, l’Artecono da Vinci

 

Every year in April, ESPRIT JARDIN 🪴 takes place in Versailles 

I went again yesterday. Hurry up. You can still go today 🪴

Esprit Jardins, Potager du roi in Versailles

More Spring garden stories from the Potager du Roi, Versailles.

I didn’t inherit my mother's green thumb but who doesn't love PEONIES?

These are from a fleurist in Versailles, Arbre à Pivoines on 19, rue Hoche.

The past weekend was the annual 'Esprit Jardins' at the Potager du Roi in Versailles 

70-80 venders selling plants, tools, landscaping design, garden antiques and jam

Simply lush and the perfect day with temperatures in the high 70s. Sunhats and sunglasses required.

Exquisite prints

From the musee de la Toile de Jouy in Jouy-en-Josas. The time I visited the shop was closed. Such temptation!

A shop on the square was selling proper 17th century outfits though everyone was mostly wearing jeans.

Endless jars of jams in unusual flavors like pears with chocolate and lemon Cointreau. I am a jam fan since moving to France, though I mostly browse…

The official boutique at the king's kitchen gardens offers rhubarbe nectar. 

*Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturday morning you can buy fresh organic produce fom their gardens.

Rose 🌹 soaps along with rose syrups, scents & jam.

After walking around the huge square visiting tents 

You must go into the kitchen gardens.

Designed and constructed by Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie from 1678-1683 at the request of Louis XIV. The 22 acres was originally a swamp completely unsuitable to be a kitchen garden. Drained and with fresh soil brought in, La Quintinie produced:

50 varieties of pears

20 varieties of apples

16 types of lettuce.

Parsley, rocket, mint, tarragon & violets were grown for the king's salad. He developed ingenious methods for producing fruits out-of-season with sunken gardens.

A parapet walk was created, so the king and his entourage could survey the team of 30 gardeners at work.

RER C Train takes you back from Versailles -> Notre Dame-St Michel in a mere 25 minutes. Yesterday was glorious. Everyone was out enjoying the good weather & eating ice creams🍦 

Yours truly included (pistachio). 

Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. 

If you enjoyed this post and want to support it, subscribe to Paris letters, maps and watercolors or forward to a friend. Cheers 🌸🌸🌸 Carolg 

Andre Le Notre in Perspective Exhibition, Versailles

If you're going to  move to a part of town.

Where every building has a plaque declaring it was build in the 17th century.

You better dive into the deep end of French histoire. Particularly architectural history of Louis XIV. Last Saturday I went to see the soon-ending exhibit of Andre Le Notre in Perspective at Versailles. It’s just a 20 minute TER train ride from Gare Montparnasse.

Andre Le Notre was the son of the former king's gardener.

He was a great deal more than a gardener.

He plotted each jardin à la Francaise on a grand scale.

Saturday was a lovely, sunny day with few crowds at Versailles.

Andre Le Notre was born right in the Tuileries gardens.

Does it get more perfect than that?

The exhibit is large and detailed.

Louis XIV on a charging horse.

I wondered if I should be painting PBers astride galloping horses?

Quite an impressive man, Andre Le Notre. He amassed a huge collection of art as well as studying 5 years with painter Simon Vouet.

Have they saved ever line he drew ✏️ 

Witty topiary sketches. The man worked 7-days a week as artists tend to do.

Enfin the gift shop! One needs a few 17th century items doesn't one?

Lovely garden mats for a mere 5 euros.

An irresistible plate only 11 euros.

We resisted the Marie-Antoinette T-shirt but very mignon we thought.

To-die-for cups but they were 29 euros... triste

The town of Versailles offers plenty of temptations

Gateaux M-A could have munched on.

A bombe aux marrons !

Gorgeous macaron boxes that double as décor non? Back in Paris scented candle-maker Diptych had topiary in their vitrines...to swoon for. I think I'm entering my 17th century obsession period.

Maison Guinon Versailles

I've thrown down the gauntlet to the almighty peony and shall not give up till I've won the joust with watercolor as my weapon.
 

Back to Versailles. The purpose of my afternoon trip was to explore the patisseries and the Notre-Dame marché. Maison Guinon was first on the list simply because it was closest - 60, rue de Paroisse, the main shopping street in Versailles that leads right up to the gardens.

There's a grandiosity to the shops and products in Versailles, as if at any moment they might get a rush take-out order to send up to the palais. Look! Another pretty ciel bleu. These heavenly painted ceilings seem to be reserved for patisseries and salon de the. So far I haven't seen them elsewhere..? Have you?
 

Very grande gateaux wouldn't you say?

One of the house specialties - le Courchevel. Vanilla cream-filled with crushed rasbperries and a crepe drapped on top.
 

Next up the rue at #44, rue de la Paroisse, Maison JC Gaulipeau is almost too grand to enter.

I suppose if one were riding horseback it would be easier to see.
 

Again tartes and gateaux fit for a queen

Have you noticed the profusion of raspberries? I did.
 

In the marche Notre-Dame, a big square of surrounding buildings is the answer. These are REAL raspberries like the kind you picked as a kid and they taste real. Sweet and not at all uniform in size.
 

A typical fruitier in the marche - somehow more fabulous that ones I've seen in Paris but it could be me getting into the spirit of things, thinking suppose I were queen.
 

The marche has 4 main entrances and square itself is filled with venders as well. Clothing on Saturday.

Displays from a nearby epicerie makes me think of banquets, mountains of rare delicacies.
 

A piece montee in a window.
 

Do look up. You may see a harp in a window.

And hear Baroque music wafting by as you browse the gateaux...

More information on visiting the town of Versailles at Marjorie Williams.