Street meet

 

 

Saturday at the rue Caulaincourt vide-grenier, a sort of swap meet-flea market that means, "empty attic."

Picket fence

 A Montmartre café with a leafy picket fence evokes the feel of a French village.

Heart attack

 Turning a corner I was startled by this image of an enlarged human heart.

A breakfast reception

Into the weekend with photos from the press reception held earlier this month in the stunning Salon Pompadour at L'Hôtel Meurice on the occasion of Le Musée de Sèvres' upcoming exhibition,

"À TABLE! LE REPAS, TOUT UN ART" 

  With UNESCO and its official ambassador Pierre Hermé on board we were treated to the history of Sèvres, the luxury French porcelain that's been gracing the tables of monarchs since the 18th C.

 

  Above: portrait of Madame de Pompadour presides; viennoiseries set out on tables

Below: before the presentation

 

- More as date approaches - 

Exhibition: November 18, 2020 til May 16, 2021

Le Musée de Sèvres - Cité de la Céramique
2 Place de la Manufacture 92310
Sèvres (Paris)

 

***

 

À lundi... BPJ

 

 

Cheese whisperer

 

 

Lowering his voice in reverie he will suggest the perfect cheeses for a weeknight planche.

Café at a slant

 

 A café terrace from a stairway.

Sign of the times

 

 

Mural of a runny nose on the side of a building next to the Canal Saint-Martin.

Paris by the sea #5

The end of the île.

 

Above: a stone pier ends in the sea; marmites of ultra fresh moules and shrimp cocktails; view from our table

Below: interconnected courtyards of hotel; last breakfast before heading home

Paris by the sea #4

Since last week when I began posting photos of île de Ré there's been a surge in my visitor stats, mostly from the U.S., which tells me that perhaps travel is forefront in many minds right now. We're praying that restrictions will soon be lifted but here in France there's been another kind of surge: coronavirus cases - the dreaded deuxième vague? - meaning that for us too, travel to foreign soils or even within France may become unlikely again for who knows how long. However I thank you for your visits and will continue to post, all the while hoping to see you in Paris in the (near) future! - BPJ

Above: on a small street inside the village of Ars-en-Ré; local church dating to the Middle Ages w/its landmark black and white steeple and snow white entryway

Below: spices entice from a market stall; Pineau des Charentes, the region's signature apéritif mingles w/French wines, beers and cognacs; local fresh oysters for lunch

Paris by the sea #3

 

Every evening we'd join locals at this popular meeting spot where apéros are brought out on wooden planks specially made to grip the sea wall.

 

Above: pichet of icy rosé w/panoramic view

 

Below: seafood rillettes starter with more rosé at the wall; after, steamed shrimp w/frites maison on the terrace; rent-a-bikes at La Flotte

 

 ***

Next week: more Île de Ré

Paris by the sea #2

 

 Above: seagull en contre-jour; salt marshes just before sunset

Below: local fleur de sel for sale at a village market stall; butters sans sel, demi-sel and w/salt crystals from the island

 

Paris by the sea #1

La Flotte, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Saint-Clément-des-Baleines, Ars-en-Ré, Les Ports-en-Ré, Loix... Just some of the villages that dot this island.

 

 Above: a harbor just after daybreak; seaside coffees w/pastries on a brisk morning

 

Below: mix of photos; bicycles, best way to get around

 

Paris by the sea

 

Sunset from friends' balcony on Châtelaillon-Plage looking towards Île de Ré, and beyond.

 

(click to enlarge)

***

Just a few hours drive from Paris awaits another world, one I've posted about before, Île de Ré, an island south of Brittany off the French Atlantic coast in the Poitou-Charente region. Sometimes called Paris' 21st arrondissement (many Parisians keep résidences secondaires here), it's a mecca of unspoiled white fishing villages that embrace tiny ports, and where we recently spent five magical days to take advantage of perfect September weather.

 Starting tomorrow I will be posting more photos from our trip and hope, for those who cannot travel to France right now, that they will inspire travel plans for the future. - BPJ 

Fall in the air

 

With September, the light is noticeably changing as shadows grow longer.

À table!

Mark your calendars:

 

The meal as art.

This fall Le Musée de Sèvres will feature a one-of-a-kind exhibition, À TABLE! LE REPAS, TOUT UN ART, an ode to the very French arts de table - as well as to the artists and craftsmen who've been creating the porcelain of kings for centuries.

  

November 18, 2020 til May 16, 2021

As the date gets closer I will be posting more information

Le Musée de Sèvres  - Cité de la Céramique
2 Place de la Manufacture 92310
Sèvres (Paris)

 

***

 

Update: Sunday November 8, 2020

 - All exhibitions closed due to confinement, until further notice - 

Eiffel vista

The Eiffel Tower through columns at Le Palais de Tokyo.

***

Monday: Le repas, tout un art...

 

A must-see exhibition on L'Art de Table à la française coming to the Musée de Sèvres

 

 

 EIFFEL VISTA © 2020 All rights reserved

 

 

Pierre Hermé: Noël en Fête

 

Readers of this blog know by now that I am a great fan of star chef pâtissier-chocolatier Pierre Hermé from Alsace, sometimes called "The Picasso of Pastry." His eye-popping pastries, cakes, chocolates, ice creams, sorbets and macarons are works of art, and this year, once again, and for the holidays, he's managed to re-invent classics and create even more extraordinary surprises.

The first time I sampled his most-buzzed-about macaron, caramel au beurre salé (caramel with salted butter a.k.a. CBS), I became an instant devotee. Despite much competition it was wickedly delicious, and I walked away with a bulging coffret. Since then I've added many more flavors from his macaron repertoire, and this season's holiday collection won't disappoint. - BPJ

Above: magical tasting reception; pink champagne and macarons (exciting new flavors - see website); rich chocolate yule logs (bûches de Noël)

Pierre Hermé Paris

(press preview)

* Upcoming Collection Noël 2020 *

 

***

 

Merci M. Hermé

Unexpected garden

 

Light penetrates trees in this small enclosed garden in Montmartre, a perfect place to bring a book.

Self isolated

 

A woman at a café table in the Louvre courtyard.

Sans culottes

Montmartre's sans-culottes march to their own beat at a joyful celebration on the butte.

***

  Be in-the-know for upcoming don't-miss events in Paris' hilltop village this fall

September newsletter

View from a cup

 

Paris' cafés continue to be part of daily life, and everyone has their favorites.

Above: view from my café crème

Monumental

With Notre Dame Cathedral under repair, the Basilica of Sacré Coeur has become the most visited monument in Paris after the Eiffel Tower.