Some Of My Favorite Things In Paris

1. Imagining I lived here full time

2. The magnificent stained glass at the Sainte Chapelle.

3. Walking through the many beautiful public parks and admiring the plantings.

4. Taking a rest on a green park bench under an allée of trees.

5. Taking time to appreciate pink roses against a cobalt blue shutter 

and stopping long enough to take a photo.

6. The flower market on the Île de la Cité

7. And just because...the variety and beauty of the flowers being offered.

8. Lunch (or dinner) at Café du Commerce in the XVème

9. A Kir Royale with Cassis to start every meal

10. The selection at all the small fruit stands in every neighborhood.

11. Le temps des cerises: a song written in 1866 par Jean Baptiste Clément, 

but obviously also the season

12. Dessert at Berthillon on the Île Saint Louis.  This time, I chose Cerise and Cassis sorbet 

with a scoop of Grand Marnier ice cream.  Heaven!

13. Finally, a stop at the Petit Bateau boutique at Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville (BHV) in the Marais to buy some striped tees and sweaters for my grandson.

In the past few days, I have criss crossed Paris on foot, métro and bus to stop at all my favorite places and to discover some new ones.  No matter how much time I spend here, it is never quite enough and leaving is always hard.
I will be heading to the countryside today and will be at my family's farmhouse later today. Can't wait!



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Postcard From France: Au Revoir, Paris

As promised, dear Reader, some of the photos I took in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, as my husband and I walked all around the city, from the Panthéon, to the Ile St. Louis, all the way to Montmartre and its hundreds of steps up to the Basilique du Sacré Coeur. The weather was cool and rainy, but Paris was as beautiful as ever.

We flew back to New York yesterday, so I am more than a bit jet-lagged. I am spending today looking through the mail, answering phone calls and unpacking. I quickly looked at my garden, noticed that all the plants survived the heat wave, looked at all the weeds that happily grew there as well, and decided to leave the weeding for another day.

I will take the next few days to slip back into my Brooklyn life, so I will most certainly blog about Carroll Gardens again by Monday. Will meet you back here.

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Postcard From France: "La Mère de Famille" Founded In 1761

La Mère de Famille.,

fine chocolates jam and desserts

since 1761

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Postcard From France: Paris Is For Lovers

"Les Amoureux"

Les Jardins du Palais Royal, Paris

Août 2010

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View From My Paris Window

St. Séverin Church In the 5th Arrondissement

Typical Parisian Mansard Roofs

A peek at Nôtre Dame

A charming balcony garden

The weather is glorious here in Paris, dear Reader, and I am having a very nice time. I took the photos above from our window this morning. We are staying at the very charming Hotel Henri IV in the 5th Arrondissement on the Rive Gauche. (If you are ever here, I hope you will consider this place.)
Instead of walking around town as we usually do, this time, we rented bicycles.
( Yes, this Brooklyn Blogger pedaled around Paris today. More on that later!) We made it as far as the Bois de Vincennes, the park surrounding the Chateau de Vincennes. Then went all the way back to Saint Germain.
No visit to Paris would be complete without our yearly stop to have a Berthillon Sorbet on the Île St. Louis. ( Make mine Cassis and Framboise, please.)
We stopped at one of our favorite stores, BHV, so that we could drool over the home décor department. I frankly don't know why I go there every year. The prices are pretty insane, when you consider the exchange rate now that the dollar is rather worthless, but there is nothing more inspiring than to walk through BHV.
Yesterday, we had moules frîtes at Léon De Bruxelles, another yearly stop so that we can get our fill of mussels. I do believe it is time for me to think of a diet plan for September...
One more day and I will be flying back to New York and getting back to Carroll Gardens.
Do you have any news or events about the neighborhood that you want me to post?
Don't hesitate to send it to me as I will be back to my Brooklyn life by Monday!

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