Bear's outing and The Making of the Paris April Letter

A PBer emailed me suggesting Bear should get out to see Easter and Spring in Paris.

Friday was overcast, rainy and gloomy but some green buds are showing up on the trees. Hooray!

We followed the kids walking to school in the morning.

On our way to La Poste.

Then into the Metro to read important news.

We are both dying to see Shaun The Sheep even if it is in French :(

Are there gigantic strawberry posters in your subway/underground? This is strictly a French phenomenon. It's taken me 2 years to realize the berries are not in the snow but WHIPPED CREME!
Getting acclimated is not so easy.

Bear thinks we should grab the first strawberries coming into the market. Too soon mon amis.

Bear is having a pink moment. Or else he's excited because he's going to AMSTERDAM next week! All suggestions are welcome PBers.

More pink. I say no way Jose.

I have already sampled too much Easter candy.

The Making of the Paris April letter - inspiration comes from every window.

Papillon from perfumer Annick Goutal.

Gerard Mulot's sign out front got me thinking...

And sketching...

Planning out the colors.

Bear suggests Andy Warhol's big Springy flowers.

I 'borrow' just the grass.

The April Paris Sketch letter is personalized with your name on it and comes with very nice chocolate brochures.
Meanwhile Bear is dreaming of Dutch bears...
Happy Holidays Everyone!

La Grande Chasse aux Oeufs

Are you a chicken or egg person?
Another sneak preview of April's Paris Sketch letter, this time the almighty French hen (poule).

It's not easy to say whether the fish, the chicken, the bell, the egg or the Anglo newcomer, the bunny, holds supreme reign over Paris during Paques (Easter).

La Mere de Famille Paris' oldest confectionary has every possibility covered.

A very nice chocolate Teddy has been added to their 2015 collection.

Sadaharu Aoki marches to a different drummer, so the classic French hen has a Matcha green chocolate tail and is tied up with a black and white polka-dot ribbon. Tres chic and unique.

Back at La Mere de Famille a huge rooster crows for Easter.

Mad decorations are not just for Parisian haute couture chocolatiers. This scruffy chicken adorns a humble boulangerie vitrine surrounded by abundant spring flowers and faux grass in the elite 7th arron.

Monoprix has a collection of chicken/bunny egg cups for the occasion under 5 euros.

Neither fish nor fowl, from a past Easter collection of Jean-Paul Hevin - a witty unforgettable image.

Gerard Mulot has big eggs of Valrhona Dulcy chocolate - a blond caramel-tasting version.

Nestled lattice milk chocolate eggs at Jean-Paul Hevin.
Did you know milk chocolate is much harder to create? To get the balance right takes a deft hand. I've come to prefer it over dark.

These eggs are waiting in the window to be taken home

They are not chocolate at all, but made of cheese (petits oeufs de Mimolette extra vieille et Tomme de Brebis) from the excellent affineur fromager Griffon. They are tied up with bows of raffia straw not colorful silk. 

Fromager Griffon, 23 bis avenue de la Motte Picquet.

The egg hunts have begun. Each Paris arrondissement has their own authorized egg hunt (chasse aux oeufs), usually held in a public park but you must reserve. 'Les enfants doivent etre accompagnes pendant toute la duree de l'evenment' What about adults who'd like to hunt some eggs? Must they bring a kiddie?

FYI* An important egg fact. Did you know almost all French 'filled' eggs have Praliné inside - A mix of finely ground almonds, and or hazelnuts plus sugar, cocoa butter. Do not expect strawberry or maple fillings!

Another eggy fact I discovered yesterday - Belgian chocolatier Leonidas fill their eggs with smaller eggs.
No seafood-shaped fritures. Perhaps France is the only country to put chocolate fish inside? If you know more do tell.

I passed this drawing in a gallery window today by artist Jean-Jacques Loup of traditional French bells delivering Easter eggs.
If you  haven't heard David Sedaris' version of
“The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate.”
Do give a listen.
Thank you dear anonymous PBer of Hobart, WA who kindly sent me a Spork! She must have seen my comment of never leaving home without a spoon. Now I'm set for all occasions.
BIG MERCI et Joyeues Paques PBers!!

School for Fish

While prepping a sneak preview of April's Paris Sketch letter, I discovered a little noted fact. Les fritures - the mini chocolate fish shapes specially eaten today, the 1st of April (poisons d'avril) are all facing left.
Is this a political statement?
"I couldn't possibly comment".

Many Parisian chocolate fish for Paques(Easter) have leftist leanings.

Jean-Paul Hevin's fish are left-facing and quite realistic, though I couldn't possible identify the species. Can you?

Even with the added brightly-colored bows.

His ganache-filled fish are classic Sardines.

Hevin's elegant chocolate scallop bivalves are not letting on their political preferences.

This glorious Hevin huge chocolate egg is embossed/engraved with gold scallops. Eggs and seafood go together at Easter in Paris, as long as they're chocolate.

More fish facts. You should know almost all larger French chocolate eggs, rabbits, bells are hollow molds, are held together with ribbon and filled with mini flat chocolate fish (garnis de fritures). Except here, the little fish are double-sided and filled with praline.

It should also be noted that Angelina, so far, is about the only place you'll find a mixture of milk, white and dark fritures(mini fish) in case you lean in that direction.

Gerard Mulot is offering a wider variety of fish I'm happy to report. Though they may appear to be facing to the right, don't forget they are two-faced so can swim both ways.

Chocolatier Sadaharu Aoki is Japanese so may not be aware of the importance of French fish orientation.

Chocolatier Patrick Roger is mainly focused on gigantic cow-eggs.

For total fishy immersion head over to Fauchon Madeleine.

Mini-sand buckets, sardine cans, you name it at Fauchon - Paris' fish central.

Here fish swim both ways. Non-political fish?

A special fish éclair for poisson d'avril.

In Fauchon's savory department you'll find eclairs of real fish flavors.

Artiga has a special Easter offer - little fish purses that come with a packet of chocolate fritures through April 6. Hurry over to 22, rue des quatre vents 75006

Last night Solli and I made like fish in aquagym class at piscine Saint-Germain. I need to do this daily!
Health food chain Naturalia would like you to eat rabbits for Easter as long as they're chocolate.
Happy Poisson d'avril to you PBers!