Marché Bastille

Sunday/dimanche morning was one of those BLUE SKIES days I associate with New York. Wearing my swim 🏊‍♂️ suit, enroute to the piscine/pool for the 1st time since March I realized I was too late. Better go to Marché Bastille instead (another 1st time since March). There are many 1st times post-Lockdown. 

Most shoppers were masked, behaving correctly, respecting distance. 

I always forget what an upper Paris markets are. The COLORS!

What does the smart OLDER FRENCH GIRLwear to market? Pretty international. I've yet to get a trollier/granny cart though everyone all ages has one. You can buy more stuff.

The crepe maker is smiling at me smiling at her BUBBLE BLOWER. We could all use dancing bubbles in our lives right vnow non?

The cafes are buzzing with p'tit dej' customers at Bastille

A nice morning to linger over coffee and croissant.

I run home and head for the pool. This time I get in. No lines and the pool is not full. The water feels wonderful. So easy to forget.

I always go to Eataly post-pool for a walnut salad.

And to look at the pretty bottles and packages. I miss Italy !

My Eataly haul. On 75 bus 🚎coming home crossing Pont Au Change I want to bust out singing, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER. 

Have a good, safe week dear PBers 

🐻Bear thanks you for your very kind thoughts & support ❤️xxx

Resident-of-Paris-for-another-year

I've been UPSIDE DOWN this past week looking for lost and found bank statements, birth certificates, passport, proof of residence, etc GETTING MY DUCKS IN A ROW., Tuesday, 14 Juillet was Bastille day. My annual rendezvous(appointment) at the Prefecture de Police to renew my carte de sejour  was Wednesday SO I CAN STAY IN PARIS. Naturally banks are closed Monday, Tuesday. Naturally I'm missing my January statement (You need justificatifs proving you're solvent to stay in France. Wednesday morning is VISA DAY. I ran to the copyshop (everything must be in duplicate) and bank (their wifi was super slow) before my 10:45 appointment. Hell's bells. 

Fortification required - a chocolate pavé  la Maison d'Isabelle . 

Crossing bridges as usual to get to the Prefecture on Cité.

Pandemonium reignes at  Place Louis Lepine. Much more crowded than usual. 

Once inside you go to Salle 3 and wait. Others waiting were wearing crosses. I was wearing my lucky dice bracelet and horseshoe necklace. Covered. To boot when my No# came up it was 17...my birth date, but they don't let you keep it. Its part of the paperwork. 

The dice, horseshoe and No#17 paid off. I got a really nice guy who spoke perfect English when necessary. We started exchanging papers. I handed him the letter of proof of habitation from my landlord. 

He said, "Oh you don't need that. That's only for people not paying any rent." 

I said, "Oh can you please arrange that? 

He laughed. Ice 🧊 broken. 

We were off and running, joking about robbing a bank (ref. to Netflix's, Money Heist  - they rob the Royal Mint of Spain). 

Talking about possible vacance in italy or Greece with the dough. 

People who work at the Prefecture don't have much fun, so I let him cut up my passport photos with his little red kiddie scissors ✂️ 

Everything went swimmingly.

HALLELUJAH!

Notre Dame is fittingly located a block away from the Prefecture. The French set up a viewing area with posters explaining the 3 portals and kid's drawings of Notre Dame.

I will prepare ahead for next year. Famous last words.

TMI (too much boring information dear PBers!)

Thank you dear Prefecture de Police & THANK YOU dear PBers for letting Bear be a Resident-in-Paris-for-another-year 

PLEASE STAY WELL!! 

XXX 🐻 

Paris Cheese Map

The Paris Cheese Map is getting enveloped right now. 

Inspired by a cheesy French napkin I've been saving for just such an occasion.

I made all the fromagiers holding giant hunks of cheese. 

I've yet to find the names all for the geometrical cheese shapes. Do you know them? I can tell you the striations on top and bottom are from the straw they rest on. They are turned constantly while aging, somewhat like Champagne bottles . 

Today I went into LAURENT DUBOIS at Mutualité. They're known for their unusually flavored and shaped cheeses. 

B's 80-something mother called and said, "You better start eating in the Blue Zone if you want to live to 100. I think we watched the same program - DAN BUETNER chatting on Amanapore and Co. The gist is you eat mainly grains, seeds, nuts, beans and greens. No wonder my 6:30 AM Breakfast Club is in such good shape dining on flax seed/oatmeal. I wish someone would tell them there is NO dinner service. 

Yesterday I made a 'Blue Zone' lentil salad c/o THE LITTLE PARIS KITCHEN cookbook by Rachel Khoo, who used to live in a tiny walkup studio in the 19th arrondissement. 1cup washed French lentils in 2 cups cold water + a bay leaf, some thyme, salt and cook for 12-15 minute. No overnight soaking. Add greens etc. plus a dill dressing.

Watch the fun VIDEO. When I wrote the book review in Feb 2013 I had no idea I would move into Rachel's tiny walk-up 6 months later. 

Here's a tiny patch of those fab Portuguese tiles in her kitchen we shared. I could have stayed but I found my current castle in the clouds and moved on. Rachel moved on to Sweden and is still turning out ingenious cookbooks  by the dozens. 

By the way Blue Zone regime says no dairy allowed. I shall ignor that rule. I'll bet these Jura cheese chips are not on the menu either but girls just wanna have fun.

 Have a good, safe weekend dear PBers.

Paris Summer Collections

Some say Parisians have flown the coop for their SUMMER retreats, but I saw plenty on my weekly jaunt uptown for overseas stamps.

Many were eating fraise/strawberry sorbet. Berries are in season. Its been a while since I waltzed through Printemps.

Inside Ladurée has added a new carry-all to their witty bag collection in their own unique pale green linen (a mere 19€). I was tempted except I already own about 50 carry-alls/sac cabas. 

Downstairs at Printemps is a Think Pink collection - le pop-up Burberry.

Observation - the French are mad for pink flamingos. 

What I thought were imaginative men's neckties from CHRISTIAN DIOR are indeed ladies bandanas for head, neck or wrist - whichever you prefer (190€). 

Louboutin, the shoe man, has a new collection of amusingly designed lipsticks and what have you. 

GALERIES LAFAYETTE has an exceptional collection of joyous summer windows.

All photographs taken on the beach in Nice at Hotel Negresco (where long ago I had a lunch reservation and then chickened out last minute. Little did I know I would end up sitting next to Chef Jacques Maximin but that's another story).

The photographer is DAVID LURESCHI, a French-American based in Paris, who draws inspiration from folklore, pop culture and film history. I don't doubt it. Here's a hot tip for you.

Every summer I'm visited by the same mosquito, starting in early spring. He likes to get a jump on things. This winter I collected clementine peels and let them dry out. I'd read during confinement, mosquitos don't like citrus scents. Et voila. It works! And there is a new Summer 6-pack collection of Paris letters/maps waiting for you in my Etsy shop.  Stay in the pink dear PBers. 

Quatrehomme, June Paris Fromage letter

Why is there always a truck or scaffolding in front of Quatrehomme Fromager?

One of Paris' best CHEESE shops, open since 1953.

The metro is full of giant French cheese posters including this cheesy wedding cake inspiring June's Paris letter. (Mailed last week by the way so go stand by your mailbox svp).The family establishment is sitting over a huge cellar where their cheeses are aged. Not open for viewing. I asked.

But they will answer all your cheese questions about their vast selection. Mme. Marie Quatrehomme was made the 1st cheese MOF in 2000. Coming from the post, I turned down rue Saint Paul by chance. 
Its been a long time since I stepped inside AU PETIT BONHEUR LE CHANCE. Have you been?

The name means some thing like; aimlessly, happy-go-lucky, haphazardly... I asked if they had any cheesy things.

By chance they did.

I came home with a nice old school cow rubber stamp (see above) and an ice cream dixie cup covered in cows, all for the Paris CHEESY map going out this week! 

Outside AU PETIT I saw this scooter rider. Her French terrier is going to sue me.

An update on my cloud studies. Please click on empty box to see Notre Dame svp.

I'm painting atmospheric Notre Dames with the steeple still attached. A  bit of artistic plastic surgery is OK  sometimes. There is a new ribbony gift/renewal/subscription 💌 ENVELOPE in my Etsy shop. Please stay well dear PBers💋❤️🐻xxx