Arcachon Bay - le carrousel

Arcachon Bay

The gray skies did not deter the boaters, swimmers,

and carrousel riders

Arcachon Bay

Gironde

33009

Joyeux Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras

Love life and family

Mardi Gras

Mobile, Alabama, USA

Mairie d'Arcachon

Mairie d'Arcachon

Just a block from the beach in the charming

town of Arcachon, the bleu-blanc-rouge flies

in the bay breeze.

Did I mention the fabulous oysters?

Mairie d'Archachon

Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region

33120, France

La Vieille Ville de Bordeaux

Through a passageway in

Old Town Bordeaux

bon week end

Bordeaux, France

Art d' Arcachon

A bigger than life painting

in an Arcachon gallery,

caught in afternoon reflections

Arcachon 

Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region

33120, France

 

 

Les Comptoirs des Colporteurs

Les Comptoirs des Colporteurs

A mystical doorway draped in the green fringe

of old wisteria vines.

Les Comptoirs des Colporteurs

4, rue Jean Desmarets

77160, Provins (short distance from Paris)

Une croix de Provins

Just a short trip out of Paris 

the Medieval city of Provins is filled

with history and architecture.

Here in the courtyard of Eglise Saint-Quiriace

a delicate cross is surrounded by lush palettes of green

bon dimanche

Eglise Saint-Quiriace courtyard

Provins, France

Five Year Anniversary - Paris and Beyond!

Quatorze juillet

This was my first post five years ago when I started my Paris and Beyond photo blog under the guidance of Virginia Jones. In the five years of posting daily, I have met many wonderful people from around the world.  Many of those I have met in person and have traveled to faraway places to see them.  In the beginning I was not sure that I could keep up a daily post with a very full-time job and business travel.

Thank you to all who have followed me and have reached out to me.

Tomorrow I start year six....

(Merci beaucoup, Virginie!)

Avenue des Champs Elysees

75008, Paris

Tour de France 2015

Tour de France

It all begins today

 and promises many view of the French countryside 

along with exciting competition.  

Check it out here.

(Have a great July 4th Celebration)

 

Tour de France

Grand Start: Utrecht, the Netherlands

vert et turquoise

The bright green of new spring growth

and closed aqua shutters

Do you wonder what lies beyond

the window?

28000, Chartres

un Jardin -- Château de Chenonceau

Chenonceau


At the edge of the Cher river,
this Chenonceau formal garden
offers a carpet of flowers punctuated with
urns and shrubs.


The castle grounds are a maze of
beautifully orchestrated plans

Château de Chenonceau

37150, Chenonceau

 

 

Église Saint Pierre - Chartres

Église Saint Pierre

Saint-Pierre Church in Chartres is not as well known 

as the Cathedral of our Lady of Chartres,

 but this 13th Century church is a Gothic masterpiece 

with some windows surviving from the 14th Century.

bon dimanche

Église Saint Pierre

rue Pétion

28000, Chartres

Le Jour du Macaron, ici et là

"here"

(chez Holly)

Today is the 10th anniversary of Le Jour du Macaron, started by Pierre Hermé.

In the early years it was a bit like a scavenger hunt all over Paris, and at each stop (famous Paris pâtisseries) you could collect three macarons and they would stamp your "macaron map."  At the end of the day if you had a map with all of the stamps, you then received a treasure chest of 36 macarons from Pierre Hermé!  In exchange you were asked for a small charitable donation.

It was so successful that after a few years, the bonus at the end of the day was halted.  Can you imagine how many Parisiens and tourists chased all over the city collecting macarons!  Now, Jour du Macaron is celebrated in many cities and countries around the world.

My daughter Holly and I have been making them (amid much scientific study and experimentation) for years now.  Our favorites to make: pistache with chocolate ganache filling, pecan with caramel au beurre salé, rosemary with lemon curd.  A good Swiss buttercream cut with Nutella will be great in any of these. 

"there"

(in Paris)

bon weekend

(miam-miam)

"ici" et "là"

là - Spécialités Artisanales

Biscuiterie de Montmartre

16, rue Norvins

75018, Paris

 

Oskar m'a dit... allons-y!

Oskar

Oskar, the international traveling cat, 

is taking me away to Paris and then beyond to Budapest.

We will meet up with friend, Alexa (Paris Encore) for a week in Paris, 

and then we three fly to Budapest to visit dear blog friends.

I will be looking for hidden Paris places 

and thousands of photographs.

Oskar is ready...

Destination:  Paris and Beyond

 

(Merci, brattcat, for mon cher Oskar)