Paris - Saturday Morning

Le Faubourg St. Antoine behind the Bastille....the Marche Aligre.  A Saturday morning in Paris may look very much like a Saturday morning where you are.

But then again, it might not look like your part of the world at all!  (Do you get fresh fuzzy almonds at your market?)

Oldish guys with crutches.  Maybe?

Nice arab ladies with cheerful green trollies?  You tell me.

Stylish females with the very latest in flashy footwear?

Ladies who bought too much, packing and unpacking?  Or who made the fatal mistake of putting their wallet at the BOTTOM of the grocery trolley?  (Something I have to admit, I would do!)

We don't seem to do this so much in the U.S., the sensible cutting up of squash so you need only buy enough for your own family, versus taking home a giant specimen for the WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD!

Does your market have cheery red baskets to weigh your fruit in?

Do your fellow shoppers look like (slightly severe) models......

 or goddesses?

This is reminding me I should really refine my street snapping style.  At this point I am only visualizing that iconic look of the photographer in the khaki jacket with all the pockets for his/her lenses and the big sunglasses pushed up onto the top of the head.

Should I be dressing with flair, or going very incognito and unremarkable so as to draw less attention to myself?  I feel I should do as I did in India - prepare ahead with pockets full of pens and stickers, to hand out to my subjects, and little cards, thanking them for letting me steal their souls and post them on the internet, with my address so that they can come murder me in retaliation.  Or at least get copies of the pics or my url so they can find themselves online to show to friends.  I should be charmingly grateful for their participation in my endeavors.

I don't like strangers taking a picture of me either.  It seems an invasion.  And importuning.  A presumption.  I guess, to improve my karma, I'll have to change my own attitude about that.  

But the artist in me is getting thicker skinned and bolder, may I say?

You can't ALWAYS be shooting people from behind!

Did I mention though, I would be inclined to hand out lumps of coal and rotten fruit (unlike this - does anybody KNOW what to do with raw fresh almonds by the way?) to people who insist on stepping ACROSS the picture I'm trying to take.  Which happens far too many times than I'd like to say.

This lady was lovely and generous and gave me a smile, even after I declined her tempting flowers.  She reminds me in her face and how the chin is lifted, and even in her stance, of Degas' "Petite Danseuse".  On a bad-posture-cigarette break.

These guys have found a certain freedom in the "Velibs".  They don't know I've snapped them.  Very liberating for all concerned.

SHE is rocking the classic french clashing color workingmans' look.  Clashing in all the best ways, I've always thought.

She is rocking the take-me-to-the-disco-you-will-not-regret-it-cheri! look (At 12 noon on a Saturday, I remind you!) THANKYOU MLLE!  for giving me a big smile.  You KNOW you look good.  And I.  Am doing the - "Oh I'm not snapping YOU!  It's that fascinating building in the background" happy dance.  Which is why the picture is blurry.

And these guys.  Are rocking the I-AM-A-HAPPY-CHILD-IN-PARIS look.

A seemingly effortless style .  YOU could feel so stylish if you were born to it, if most of the Saturdays of your life looked like this!  How WAS yours, anyway?

Paris - Glances

Something low impact for the weekend.

A little window shopping in the Marais?

I have ALWAYS wanted one of these.  They were made by young girls for confirmation or their sweet sixteens.  They are made of wax.  They would NEVER have survived all my house moves.

Of course Mr. Paradis LOVED the knife "block".  - - - GUYS!!!!

Something about the simplicity and the crispness.......Loving that satiny border.....more borders later.....

so summery and fresh.

.....what, more Fermobs!?!

So ladylike - the blurry pic adds to the dreamy charm no?  Say YES!

I just love the idea of photo fabrics (what a surprise!)  I would have to have one of every one of these little bags.  Genial!

You and Jackie "O"

This one reminds me of my little girl.  She would totally have her nose in the absinthe.  I could take her off the Prozac!

You'd never see an optician in America displaying glasses like this.

Les fripes.  (SIGH!)  A girl never tires of French fripes.  Never.

I shouldn't like this dress AT ALL.  The shape and color are so wrong for me.  But the little checks,  the subtle color transitions, the delicacy, the transparence, the gold borders!  It is something so special and so ordinary ALL at once.  The french do simple/extraordinary like noone else. (For more details of locations of these goodies, see my response to Carol's comment below).

have a great weekend everybody!

Paris - Couleurs de Fermob

My husband is one of those certain someone's (but aren't all guys?) who are inclined to recline.  Accordingly he has developed a fervent attachment to a certain style of Fermob chair.  When we first got to Luxembourg Gardens during this last visit, he immediately knew what he was after and went straight for one of them to have a nap in.  This post is the record of our accidental pilgrimage to Mr. Paradis' new-found spiritual home.  Fermob - 81 Avenue Ledru Rollin, 75012 Paris.

The colors were irresistible.

Here is the two-seater version of his holy grail.  Somehow I think it would be less comfortable if we both sat in it!

Making himself perfectly at home.........

It was a gray rainy day in Paris when these pictures were taken but look how sunny they make it look!

Remember this classic from all the impressionist paintings?

You could stick to the standard Luxembourg style bench or get very daring

with the space-aged designey mid-century version.

Hated to leave them behind!  So far we have not found any retailer near Los Angeles who carries the complete line.  Wholesale only.  (Sad face.)  Does this mean we have to open our own shop?  Hmmmmm!

   No, I'm not being paid by this company to get you to buy their products!  I'm just another one of those people who wants to live a Parisian-styled life!

Paris-Best. For Bastille Day

Well, these may not necessarily be the BEST PHOTOS I took of Paris technically.  I found out I have alot to learn about street photography - even with a digital point and shoot - but I think they capture alot about the BEST that Paris has to offer as far as I'm concerned.  Hmmmmm....are you noticing that  food features pretty prominently?

So what a paradise in Paris to me - Luxembourg Gardens.  There is so something about it that makes you breathe deep breaths.  And then of course, there are those palm trees!

Cafe life - a congenial way to show off your personal style.

Views.

And hues.

The details.  See the little piggy on the glass?

The distingue (pronounce it: diss-tang-gay!)

The DE-LEEEE-CIEUSE!!!!!!!   You are looking at the Ispahan macaron from Pierre Herme . (A moment of reverent silence.  Please.  Now.)   I'd heard about the raspberries and the rose flavors - but the filling, it is LYCHEE!   And.  SO.  TO DIE.  FOR!   May I mention that unlike what you get at supermarkets and corner grocers in the U.S., each and every raspberry in France it seems, is sweet and tender and yielding and tastes of the earth and sun.  Yes it does!  "Subtly delicious" - says Mr. Paradis.

The erudition.  The conviviality.  The cigarettes.  (Maybe not so much?)  The CHAIRS!

The PINK SHOES!!!

I'll say it again: VIVE LA FRANCE!  And Happy Bastille Day!

Paris, C'est La Fete!

YES.  WE DID!  The Paradise Family ran off to France for a week!   But now we're back!

I don't know about you, but after living in NYC for many years, I am not comfortable announcing to the universe that I am leaving town.  I may be paranoid, but does that mean I'm wrong?

So NOW I can tell you:  It was HOT, it was DAZZLING, it was DELIRIOUS-making, and I took a ton of pictures.  And now, it's exhausting and I am overloaded with emotions looking at them because, of course, I would like to still be there!  

So here's a little taste.  And I will try to be back tomorrow with more just in time for Bastille Day!  Hope you've all had a good week - I'm looking forward to catching up with you!!!!!

Vive La FRANCE!

Une Pause

OK all you lovely blogger peeps:  I'm going to take a week off from blogging and do some summertime things.  I'll try to post from time to time but mostly I hope the week will turn out to be something like this:

Jacques-Henri Lartigue

involving a lot of this....

 Pierre Bonnard - Au Petit Poucet

that I'll feel like this!

but mostly it will probably end up like THIS until the World Cup is over!  A bientot!  Et milles bises de PAraDiSe!!!!!!!  Oh and have a great weekend!

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