Food shopping in the Marais.

Tamara @ Thyme For Tea launched the annual Paris in July event this week. 

For a very long time I was quite ambivalent towards Paris, 

as a Brit I couldn't really see what all the fuss was about, 

after all London is the capital of the world, n'est pas?

Hold on just a minute, I hear you cry! 

Arrêtez!

Since we came to live in the Calvados region of Normandy 

I have had the pleasure of visiting the City Of Light several times

 and have succumbed to her charms at last.

In 2010 the Senior Partner and I rented a charming apartment on Rue des Francs Bourgeois

 in the 4th. Arrondissement -  le Marais.

just steps away from the beautiful Place des Vosges.

First things first - breakfast and the SP is sent downstairs to bring back crusty baguettes,
crispy croissants and melt in the mouth pains au chocolat.

Can you imagine living above such an emporium of Epicurean delights?

After breakfast, time to "faire des courses" 

a mouthwatering selection of fruit and vegetables

found on the corner of Rue des Rosiers.

Schwartz's Delicatessen, 16 Rue des Ecouffes.

Shopping complete what better way to spend the morning is there

 than sitting at a pavement cafe watching the world go by?

Camille was a favourite of ours, 
 a wonderful bistro on the corner of Rue des Francs Bourgeois 
offering traditional dishes such as pot au feu.

Linking this post to 
Paris in July @ Thyme for Tea
 click on the sidebar button for more adventures in Paree.

à bientôt

Fleurs de Paris

Last weekend the SP & I spent 24 wonderful hours in Paris.
We drove up to visit the Version Scrap Expo, which was being held at the Parc Floral, Vincennes.

Later we checked into the Hotel Daumesnil located close to the Chateau de Vincennes.

This beautiful florists shop was on the opposite corner to the Chateau, just across the road from the Hotel.

Sharing all these beautiful flowers with

 Liz @ Rose Vignettes for Fresh Cut Friday

and

Beverly @ How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday.

I'm sure they'd both be happy to see you if you called in too!

Angelina's Rue de Rivoli, Paris.

Angelina's, Paris.

Famous for hot chocolate and mouthwatering patisserie.

Linking to Monday Doorways a weekly meme found

@ San Francisco Bay Daily Photo

and to

Wordless Wednesday.

Paris Love Locks Mosaic

The Passerelle de Solférino a footbridge over the River Seine close to the Musee D'Orsay, is festooned with Love Locks, symbols of eternal love.

It isn't the only Parisien bridge to be covered in padlocks which couples wishing to celebrate their relationship inscribe with their names and sometimes the date, before locking them onto the bridge and throwing the key into the river below.

In June 2011 The Independent newspaper reported the return of Love Locks to the bridges in the city of love.

 Click here to read more.

Sharing the love with Mary @ the little red house
and all the bloggers participating in Mosaic Monday
this week.

Pink Saturday in Paris

Joining Beverly for Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound with this poster for an exhibition

which, sadly, finished in May.

Click here to visit the La Pinacothèque de Paris to see what's currently showing.

Reality Shot Thursday - Parisien Tablescape

I couldn't resist sharing these photographs of the table

after our lunch on Tuesday at La Boheme in Monmartre.

John and I both chose an omelette with a side dish of French fries

 and Susan had her favourite salad

buffalo mozzarella, tomato and basil.

Not the most elegant of tablescapes I know but the people watching was fantastic!

Linking to Claudia's Reality Shot Thursday #3

 @ Mockingbird Hill Cottage

and to Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps On The Porch.

24 hours in Paris

Wow! What a great time I had with our friends Susan & John in Paris.

We packed so much into twenty fours hours,

sightseeing, shopping, eating.

Hotel d'Alba this way.

Ready for some retail therapy?  Want to see some shops?

Across the road from our hotel is this great shop which specialises in vintage posters.

Further along the street -  "Nonna Bakes"

Cakes like these!

Whilst we're talking cakes.........

fancy a coffee?

How about some fresh flowers to take home?

Not a great shot......perhaps you can see our reflections in the window?

This fabulous shop is angelic

a close up of a miniature shop in the window

 

We found this beautiful place just off the Place du Tertre, Montmartre

 

 

look at the window display!

 

 

just couldn't resist those macarons

 

 

Next time..........sightseeing

 

 

Leaving on a fast train...............

On Monday afternoon I'll leave the Senior Partner, Mr Ben and M'selle Fleur home alone, and hop on a fast train, away from the sleepy Normandy countryside.

My destination?

Paris!

That's right, the City of Lights -  Paris, France,

to spend the day with friends

 before they fly home to Dallas, TX.

 at the end of the week.

I'm thinking galleries, museums, shopping!

à tout à l'heure mes amis.

Chez Denise, a Parisian brasserie - with Anthony Bourdain.

Last year the Senior Partner and I spent a long weekend in the City of Lights and I blogged afterwards about a wonderful tea room that we discovered in the Marais, click here if you missed it.

One place I didn't tell you about then but am going to share with you now is Chez Denise (La Tour de Montlhéry), 5  rue prouvaires.
Close to the site of the old Les Halles, in the 1st Arrondissement, Chez Denise is one of the last surviving brasseries from the days before Les Halles was relocated.

We had seen an episode of Anthony Bourdains "No Reservations" on TV and thought it looked very interesting.
Well, it turns out that ordinary mortals who aren't TV chefs do have to have a reservation for dinner at Chez Denise, so I made a reservation for our last evening in Paris.
Click here to see a clip of AB @ Chez Denise on YouTube and you'll see why we had to dine here too.
For starters we shared the terrine du chef and frisee aux croutons, followed by gigot d'agneau des flageolets for the SP, I ordered the saumon braise sauce moutarde.

The waiters in traditional black and white uniforms were friendly and the service excellent, the food was wonderful.
The tables are set very closely together which means that even if you arrive as a couple for a  "diner a deux" by the end of the evening you will certainly have met your fellow diners sitting either side of you.

You may perhaps have tasted the food they ordered, may probably know them well enough to have exchanged recommendations of other places to dine, things to see in Paris and even swap business cards!
It's a very unique place, indeed.
Anthony Bourdains home base restaurant, in New York City, is the Brasserie Les Halles and is featured in the opening credits of "No Reservations".
Click here to visit their website.
I wonder if any of you already know either Chez Denise or the Brasseries Les Halles and have dined there?
Do let me know if you have, it would be great to compare notes.

Anita is hosting a "Paris - Simply Irresistible" party

 @ Castles, Crowns and Cottages

on Saturday 28th May.
She designed this cute button for the occasion, isn't it gorgeous?

Click on the link or on the sidebar button

 to discover many more reasons

 why we all think that

Paris is Simply Irresistible!