Shopping in Cannes....

I found this pretty little childrens boutique
whilst shopping in Cannes
with the lovely name of
"i pinco pallino"

~pretty as a picture in pink~

~la creme de la creme~

and just around the corner
on Boulevard de la Croisette
Salvatore Ferragamo & Dolce & Gabbana
lovely to look at!!

Place du Tertre ~ portraits & paintings

I gather from watching the portrait artists
in Place de Tertre, that there is a lot of competition
between the artists to secure a model.
I would have liked to have heard the conversation
between these Monsieurs!

Do you think friendly or
Stay off my patch!!!

Isn't he so... clever!
I would dearly love to be able to paint



I fell in love with this beautiful painting
especially the rich cerise colour of the dress
but I procrastinated & settled for a photo of it.
Of course a decision that I now deeply regret!

Dreaming of Paris.....

When I can't be in beautiful Paris
I head over to my favourite coffee & cake shop
to console myself with something really spekky!
like the delectable
~ vanilla bean gateau~
I would love to be able to make those
beautiful big white chocolate swirls

my daughter chooses the
~viennese apricot cheesecake~



all served by our handsome waiter~bien sur~

and then for my petite-filles
a little treat.

umm!... if I close my eyes
I could almost be in Paris.

Jazz,glace & a little french style relaxation on the Ile St Louis

On the Pont Saint-Louis
I found this amazing jazz group
with the name of "Les Oignons"
they were great entertainers especially the girl
who not only sang but
performed amazing acrobats !!
she had that ~joie de vivre~

what a wonderful backdrop

anyone for an anti-stress massage ~French style~
I guy by the name of Andre "Tchouk"
trains up his anti-stress brigade
& sends them out onto the streets of Paris
with little folding stools.
They start with back, neck, arms
then legs and finish off with a
beautiful relaxing face massage
I certainly felt invigorated and alive

& to finish off , just a few paces away
is the fabulous "Berhillon Ice-cream Parlour"

And for you Madame / Monsieur ??
Rhubarbe - Chocolat - Pistache-
amande- noix de coco-
or the to die for
caramel au beurre sale.

Rambling around Provence.....

I found a lot of these pretty door canopies
in Provence~ they add such a touch of elegance to the
lovely golden stone buildings

Now I don't know if this is yoga or something similar, but
on rounding a little path in sleepy "Le Barroux"
I came across a bevvy of legs
no one spoke, all was ever so quiet.
How very peaceful!

more steps!!

at the side in the hedge a lovely lady
poked her head out and said Bonjour.
She was happily working in her kitchen garden
surrounded by beaucoup d'herbes et legumes .

I felt as if I had stepped into a story book

with the lovely soft provencal sun warming my face

and listening to the melodious spoken french

as this sweet lady described to me

her treasured plants.

les carrottes sauvages~ les tomates~ L'oignon

and every-where the sweet and aromatic

French tarragon!

Apricot or fig tart??

encroyable!!!!

at "La Maison D'Eugene"
in Le Barroux

An old auberge in Montmartre....

The facade of this lovely old auberge in Montmartre is so pretty.
the motto over the entrance says simply
"aimer, manger, boire et chanter"
Love, eat, drink and sing .

Well the eating and drinking I accomplished

but the other 2 may have to wait until

a more opportune time



the restaurant/cabaret served as one of many meeting
venues for artists such as Sisley, Degas, Cezanne, Renoir
and Vincent Van-Gogh
who is said to have used the garden room
for his model in the famous painting
~La Guinguette~
currently housed in the Musee D"Orsay

At the side is the cobble~stoned Rue Des Saules
which leads down to the quaint "La Maison Rose"
& "Au Lapin Agile"
both much frequented by the same artists.

There's so much history in this area

every building has a story, I'm afraid I almost forgot

about Le Sacre Coeur

too busy rambling around the backstreet

with my head in the clouds!!

Je ne regrette rien......

~Edith Piaf~
It is 47 years ago, that the "little sparrow"
sadly lost her battle.
"Non, rien de rien, Non, Je ne regrette rien
ni le bien qu'on m'a fait ni le mal
tout ca m'est nien egal....

Non, rien de rien, Non, Je ne regrette rien
C'est paye, balaye, oublie,
Je me fous du passe!"

(it warmed my heart to see that after 47 years

people haven't forgotten this sweet lady.)

Nothing is more Parisian, than to hear
the beautiful low husky voice
of Edith Piaf !

She lived a tragic life but in the end

had this to say

~Je ne regrette rien~

Pretty Chauvire Dome.....

After browsing the beautiful fashion floors of galleries Lafayette
& dining in the cafe at the top
we were amazed to find this wonderful roof top terrace
with 360 degree views over the
surrounding Paris sky-line.
........
How close we were to the Opera~Garnier
home to the infamous "Phantom of the Opera"
with it's pretty chauvire dome

named in recognition of France's prima ballerina

Yvette Chauvire.

Montmartre ~ so pretty

looking down on the wide tree lined
~ Boulevard Haussmann~

From a dusty flat in Paris...

getty image (marc ottavi handout)

I have not been able to stop thinking about this amazing story!

courtesy yahoo news- by Marie-Noelle Blessing Paris Thursday 7 oct 2010
"When an auctioneer entered a dust covered old Parisian flat in June to take
inventory of the deceased owner's possessions, he had the impression of
creeping into Sleeping Beauty's castle

In the gloom of the flat that had been shut up for decades
he came across a portrait unknown to art experts of a beautiful woman
by one of 19-century Paris' most prized artists,
Italian Giovanni Boldini

getty image (Marc Otavvi handout)
"There was a smell of old dust" said auctioneer Olivier Choppin-Janvry.
The painting recently fetched 2.1million euros in frenzied bidding.

The flats last occupant, who was the grand-daughter of Boldini's muse, had shut
it up before World War 11 to go live in the south of france and never returned.
The woman recently died at the age of 91 years, having paid upkeep fees
for the large flat in central Paris for 70years without using it....."

getty image

the woman in the portrait is persumably
the grand-mother of the current owner

What an amazing story!

What makes your heart sing?....

I simply love to shop! & I'm never happier than when
I'm in "Lotions & Potions" ~ a little dab of this, a little dab of that.
smoothing on lovely scented hand-creams and silky lotions
whafts of deep warm oriental Pablo~ Picasso
or a spitz of pretty soft spring Miss Dior Cherie
This is where my heart sings ~ I love it all !
..................
Which begs the question
If I lost you in Paris--where would I find you?
would I find you with your nose buried deep into the musty covers
of some antiquated novel ~over at "Shakespear & Co" on the left bank?

or maybe searching throught shelves in ~Louis Vuitton~
sniffing the soft scents of leather and searching for
that illusive bag to rival all bags??

or trying on shoes at~Christian Louboutin~
Oh! I love the red talons -no no! the white with Louis heel
are these too big ?? plus petit s'il vous plait!
Merci Madame

possibly you're happy as a lark in kitchen gadgets
mixers, grinders, stirrers, scrapers
platters, big deep bowls in bold patterns?

Or did I catch you quietly slipping into ~La Paperie~
checking out those pretty little note-books with magnet clasps
soft chintz papers with butterflies pinks & lavenders
delicate little pewter photo frames
sheer bliss!!

Or would you have travelled further afield across to that
little foodie heaven "Stohrer's" and have your eyes
peeled to the window ~ checking out the detail
of every petit gateau mmmm!
................
maybe you're sitting quietly at a cafe on the ~Avenue Montaigne~
a lovely frothy cafe creme with a heart on top
people watching! soaking up the ambiance
wondering is that Johnny & Vanessa at the next table
I'm sure it is ~ must text the kids !!

Tell me ~What makes your heart sing ?

If I lost you in Paris ~ Where would I find you ??

Looking out my window.... en Provence

What wonderful little vignettes ~ looking out my bedroom window
these messieurs hard at work

beautiful morning~light on the terrace below

rustic teracotta tiles were everywhere
giving that lovely warm glow.
Is it any wonder that the quality of the light
in this beautiful area ~ has inspired
artists like Cezanne & Van Gogh