Valentine ❤️ Amélie Paris map

 

OK, confession time. I went up to Montmartre on Saturday to research sites from the movie, Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain for the February ❤️ Valentine map.

Too boot, the film just celebrated its 20th anniversary🥂 For many people the world over its their absolute favorite movie. And the highest grossing French film ever!

A delightful love ❤️ story of a lonely, shy, introverted girl who decides (while crossing the Pont des Arts) to make other people’s lives happier by little acts of kindness. Have you seen Amélie? Its always streaming nonstop on Netflix.

I saw it when it opened in 2001 because I’d loved director Jean-Phillip Jeunet’s previous, surreal film, Delicatessen. Jeunet is meticulous in the design and coloration of his films. 

Every scene was storyboarded pre-production with the help of a comic book/BD artist.

Amélie is specially colored red(love) and green(hope) with occasional accents of bright blue.

Post-production Jeunet color-corrected digitally every single frame to his taste, also removing trash and graffiti. 

All those steps at Metro Abbesses.

Amélie put French actress Audrey Tautou on the map. Watch her charming audition. Jeunet said he knew within 3 seconds she was the one. He was crying behind the camera.

There are a gazillion youtube videos analyzing everything about Amélie. How it was made, the angle of shots, personal reviews. The soundtrack is lovely.

Geraldine of Comme Un Française will help you learn the film’s French expressions. 

In Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, you name it…tourists come to Paris and walk in her footsteps. 

You can follow along with the February map 🗺 

Did you love ❤️ this movie too? 

Do tell. 

I spotted her shoes on the Metro today. Shes never gone out of fashion. 

Why not walk round Paris with Amélie next trip? The new map 🗺 is on Etsy 😊 + a new letter subscription bonus watercolor. Bon Week-End dear PBers ❤️💋❤️

Climbing Mont Martre

Yesterday was sunny, 50 degrees. Gorgeous. I headed up to Montmartre. I don’t go enough. OMG the elevator at Metro Abbesses, ligne 12, wasn't working. Abbesses is the deepest station in the Paris Métro, at 36 metres (118 feet) below ground, and is located on the western side of the butte (hill) of Montmartre opened in 1913. I thought I wasn’t going to make it up those 144 steps 

Outside at last, I thought I must get to a patisserie toute suite for resuscitation. 

Taking the Passage de Abbesses was not a good idea.

Instead I ‘climbed’ up sloping rue Ravignan to patisserie Gilles Marchal. Why do I always forget how hilly Montmartre is. 

Immediately I wolfed down THREE madeleines (orange, citron, nature 2€ each. Instant relief 😅 

Did I say everyone was out enjoying the weekend weather?

Its the thing lately in Paris to load up cafes with tons of fleurs. I guess its the thing to shoot your friends in front of these ridiculous flowers 🌸 

Like a shot of lemon, a girl passed toute en jeune carrying a big bunch of matching mimosa! I gave chase but got mostly blur. 

Evidently its the season for mimosa. 

Have you been to the adorable mini patisserie, Les Petits Mitrons on 26 rue Lepic? 

One lovely slice of fruit tarte (sucre)is a mere 3.50€ Get a slice of quiche (savory/salé) + a boisson/drink. Et voila! Lunch. I think they have a formule.

I had to paint that facade!  Oh why did I gobble down those 3 madeleines!

Further down rue Lepic is the Moulin Rouge boutique. 

 

They are ready for Valentines day❤️

I

I felt brave and ventured in. Just what we all need now - a red feathered headdress 

I walked down to Metro Pigalle and made it home as the sun was setting.

🐻💋❤️Bon Dimanche PBers ❤️💋🐻

Le Nouvel An Chinois lunaire 2022

 

Looking for tigers 🐅(it’s the year of the tiger) in all the wrong places 😬

Yesterday I planned to see the annual Chinese New Year parade at Faubourg Saint Honoré.

I walked up and down rue Saint Honoré and saw quite some chic shop. Bottega Veneta is thinking Green. Aren’t we all dreaming of green…as many East coasters shovel snow ❄️ 

Bear 🐻 is fine by the way, thank you for asking…just hibernating, as bears tend to do in Winter. Not window browsing.

I saw Givenchy for kids, fantasie butterflies and Etro. 

But no Chinese dragon 🐉  or banging drums :((

I passed the impressive Élysées Palace at #55.

Something was going on, but not the Chinese New Year’s parade. And none of les flics had a clue 🕵️‍♂️ 

I did find a charming, well-hidden perfume shop, Rose Desgranges, in a passage at #70.

Have you been? They are definitely ready for Valentine’s ❤️ Day 👏👏

The kind gentleman invited me inside. Extract of Vanille from Madagascar. 

They’ve been making perfumes since 1962. 

Do pay them a visit for a fun look. 

Arriving back on rue Royal, Laduree has new Valentine macaron boxes.

And I put up another past Valentines❤️ on Etsy. Do take a look.

After la poste 📮 today, I’ll try my luck again🤞The real New Year’s dragon 🐉  is performing again at 97, rue Saint-Honoré in the 13th arrondissement (not the 8th where I went yesterday)🙏🤞🤸‍♂️ Bon Courage as the French say ❤️💋🐅