Treeful Tuesday

 

 

Today's treeful happens to be an eyeful.

 

Mocha Monday

 

 

Strong coffee with a pastry Saint Honoré to share takes the cake.

 

La Grande Épicerie

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

Savory Saturday

 

 

Confit de canard, preserved duck leg, that humble yet sublime staple on many a bistro lunchtime blackboard.

 

 

 

*** 

 

Duck Duck Go:

 

Known to disappear off plates the moment its crispy skin crackles under a knife, confit de canard originated in the sun-dappled Gascony region of France. A simple culinary masterpiece, it showcases the rich, succulent flavors of duck preserved through a time-honored technique that involves slow-cooking duck legs in their own fat at a low temperature which creates a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture and flavor.

Traditionally paired with crispy potatoes (pommes de terre sarladaises) preferably cooked in duck fat or, as above, served atop a purée of fresh potatoes to allow its rustic flavors to shine, it can also appear with nothing but a mixed-greens salad to balance its richness, and has become one of the highlights of classical French cuisine. - BPJ

 

Floral Friday

 

Square René-Viviani through roses.

Throwback Thursday

 

 A "living statue" street performer at La Rochelle's Vieux Port (Old Port) defies gravity.

Brittany / Normandy / Poitou-Charentes

 3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

Waiting Wednesday

 

Almost time for Mass to start inside Nôtre-Dame de Paris.

 

Treeful Tuesday

Autumn approaches in silence.

 

***

 

As we head into peak foliage season, Paris in the fall is a photographer’s dream.

Here are some leafy ideas for where to capture nature's palette:

 

- Montmartre: tree-lined cobblestone streets; hidden gardens and squares; climbing vines

 
 - Seine riverbanks: trees near Pont Neuf and Île de la Cité

- Jardin des Tuileries: early morning mist; golden hues prominent along paths and around the Grand Bassin

 

- Jardin du Luxembourg: chestnut trees; leaves floating in the Medici Fountain

 
- Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: a lake w/swans; waterfall; clifftop classical "temple"

 
- Bois du Boulogne: dense woods, paths; a lake w/small boats

 

- Parc Monceau: Corinthian columns surround a tranquil pond; scattered leaves of mixed colors

  
- Jardin du Palais-Royal: tunnels of trees; leaves of golds, violets, yellows, reds - BPJ