Hugo

Do you LOVE train stations too?

Especially train stations in Paris
  All that hub-bub. And the anticipation, the expectations!
  So much more managable than airports too.
And the big clocks!
Tick-tock...tick-tock.  Is it time yet?

I saw Hugo yesterday based on the graphic novel, The Invention of Hugo Capret

It takes place in a train station

A Paris train station

What could be better?

There are mystery sketchbooks in Hugo

And a mysterious automaton

AND Paris dogs.

TWO of them - a perfect movie no?

The perfect movie to see on New Years Day 2012 perhaps?

Are you ready for 2012?

Do you know where you'll go?

ALL ABOARD for 2012! Tick-tock..tick-tock

See you next year PBers
xxx Carolg & BEAR

Sempé

I have an assignment to draw Sempe-like figures running. I wish they were all running dogs instead...
Last October I visited the new Sempe exposition the day it opened at Hotel de Ville...
The drawings are displayed in a casual, accessible manner...

Making it easy to get up close and personal with each drawing...
Jean-Jacques Sempé could be considered the iconic artist of Paris...

His prolific, witty drawings capture that Parisien j'ai ne sait quoi...

It's nice to see Sempe's daily sketchbooks...

Plus his final drawings readied for the printer...

If you need to draw a bicycle there's no better artist to reference...

With Sempe's mastery of the quotidien urban life, be it Paris or New York, no wonder The New Yorker has made him a frequent cover artist...

Crowd scenes are right up Sempe's allee...

As are cats...

Perhaps rather than dogs?

When you step outside into Paris' streets, they come alive with Sempe images...

L'exposition Sempe is on at Hotel de Ville until 11 February 2012, if you can't make it

then watch this video and Enjoy!

Antonin Careme

We have Antonin Careme to thank for exquisite French pastry...
In my recent studies comparing American pastries with...
...French pastry,
I discovered there is a serious lack of gloss, glitz and l'abricotage on the home turf.
L'abricotage is that generous application of apricot jam syrup...
Parisien patisseries fling it about with abandon. This New York tart lacks shine and sparkle.
A dusting of powdered sugar can do in a pinch...
Gerard Mulot's beauty combines powdered sugar AND l'abricotage...
Elaborate Parisien desserts are no accident...
When there is such a long tradition. Check out Cooking For Kings,The Life of the First Celebrity Chef, Antonin Careme (it could say pastry chef par excellance).
Merci M. Careme.

Why you'll find divine fantasies in every Paris pastry vitrine.
Bonne Mercredi!

Ines de la Fressange on rue du Bac

For her December shopping diary Ines de la Fressange of Parisian Chic walks down rue du Bac 75007... I too walked down rue du Bac my last evening in Paris...
It's full of wonderful Frenchie facades...

Loaded with potential leche-vitrine/window gazing...

This tiny print shop, Olivier de Sercey has extremement fine stamps at 220 euros(!)..

Ines adores the handmade Italian home goodies at La Paresse en Douce at 97 rue du Bac...

Moi aussi, especialment these made-to-order cashmere slippers...

You'll never go hungry browsing on rue du Bac. Why not grab an 'animal cracker' style box of macarons at Dalloyau - 63, rue du Grenelle round the corner?

Chocolat Chapon is well worth immersing yourself in chocolate at 69, rue du Bac...

Plus their adorable crockery can serve up your tea or chocolat chaud...

Mais la creme de la creme on 93, rue du Bac is Patisserie des Reves bien sur!

It's a child's playland of pastry for grownups...

I bought this irresitable tarte douce a l'orange...

Plus the 'Limonada', a creamy, lemony ball. The pastries are perfectly packed to withstand the Metro crush. Not that they made it further than 10 steps away...miam miam

Exactly nextdoor this little dog kept watch on the comings and goings on rue du Bac...

Ines can't resist saying bonjour.

Don't miss Ines' video here!