paris in the rain - drinking hot chocolate

 It is tipping down with rain as I write and I find myself longing for a romantic rainy day in Paris.

 Paris in the rain makes me feel comforted and lazy and warm ...

above all, paris in the rain makes me long to drink hot chocolate .....

I adore hot chocolate -  this is not a state secret -  it is my drink when out at early morning fairs, or in front of a fire in the afternoon, a drink that unites, that comforts, that smooths out rough edges

To make a very special, very French hot chocolate, you have to forget about

 hot chocolate in powder form.  You need the REAL THING! 

 Here is how I make it for those special afternoons.  Warm a pint of milk slowly in a pan, then break about 100 grammes (half a large bar) of good quality dark chocolate into the warm milk and stir carefully until all the chocolate is melted.  Now add some thick cream and keep stirring, then sugar to taste.  Here you can take a whisk and give some froth and softness to your warm perfection.

Pour into individual cups or bowls, add a little chantilly, or whipped cream to the top if you wish , and sprinkle with cocoa powder and some finely grated chocolate.

Some people favour a little cinnamon in the warm chocolate mix, I personally prefer it simple.

To be sipped slowly, in front of a roaring fire, preferably accompanied by a little brioche bought as you rushed out in the rain to the bakers on the corner of your rainy paris street.

How we love the autumn!

Not my pictures I'm afraid, I was too busy drinking the stuff to shoot it properly!

All images with thanks to Google.

buying at french antique fairs

Here are some of the very very many pictures I took at the fair today.

Huge, colourful, interesting, amusing, tempting ...... just some of the adjectives that could

 be used to describe the bi-annual antique fair at Chatou.

I adore these large fairs.  They are a great place to find specialist vendors; to negotiate fair prices; to take as much time as is needed to hunt down that special piece, and to learn more ......

A thing you notice straight away at the french fairs, is how the vendors like to get organised for eating and drinking together .....  tablecloths, bottles of wine, ...... three course meals   ... normal, we are in france after all!

At Chatou you can find large dramatic statement pieces ....

phenomenal fabrics ....

vintage industrial .....

or a breathtaking 150 year old china service (if you want to see more of this then take a peek here ) ...

I can't even show one per cent of the goods to be seen and enjoyed,

Just one of the places I love to shop, be it in Paris or in Normandy.

Next year I'll be welcoming a limited number of  guests to shop for
antiques and brocante at my favourite addresses.

If you're tempted by the idea of shopping here and if you'd like some more information, 

just a drop me a line and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

food at a palace in paris and other places to eat

If you adore Paris and you love  fine food, and if you don't mind feeling hungry as you emerge from a cinema, then I think you need to see this film.

Les Saveurs du Palais,  'Flavours of the Palace' , tells the true story of a French woman, a cook and a farmer in the Perigord, who was unwittingly chosen to be the private cook to the former French president François Mitterand.

She gets lost in the presidential palace, she has to convince the all male kitchen staff that she can do the job and of course she gets to share the pleasure of good food with the president.

It is said that Mitterand asked the cook Hortense  Laborie to prepare the sort of meals his grandmother used to prepare - traditional French cuisine doesn't get any better than this!   You can find some of the recipes  here.

Not only is the film well acted, the décors are sumptuous and the food breathtaking.   Here is the trailer, in French I'm afraid! 

And if you are looking for recommendations for where to eat in Paris, then pop over to visit the delightful Stacey at Stacey's Snacks.  I had the pleasure of meeting Stacey and her husband when they came to visit last week.   She is a real connoisseur of food, and has tested some of the best restaurants for you.

While she was here we had loads to talk about, with shared interest in food and gardens, and I loved here fast talking way of doing things, a breath of fresh air here in sleepy Normandy.

She is a beautiful lady, (with a very handsome husband!) and they both completely charmed my whole family.  She takes photos of her meals all over the world, and shares them on her popular blog

I particularly loved her review of the confidential restaurant Verjus, and thanks to her I'll be dining there quite soon too!   She also took a private tour of the famous Cordon Bleu cooking school, that's her in the photo above with the owners of a Paris restaurant.

You can see what fun I've been having this summer with so many visitors - all that from one little blog, who would have guessed!   So if you are one of those who is hesitating about starting a blog, a little worried about publishing, then I can only say "go for it!", you never know where  the adventure may lead you!

my favourite part of paris

Le Marais.... I even love the name..... le Marais is an old part of Paris, rich in history and beautiful architecture.   Within a stone's throw of Notre Dame, and the Pompidou centre, the Marais includes the stunning Place des Vosges, the luxuriant Musee Carnavalet and a multitude of little restaurants and truly Parisian food stores and markets.

My favourite restaurant here is Le Dome du Marais, created from the an old auction house.  These walls would have many stories to tell!

The stunning Musée Carnavlet tells the history of Paris.  It's home today is in two beautiful 18th century 'hotels particuliers' that frame a traditional French parterre garden.

And if you would like to imagine what it looked like 70 years ago, then I highly recommend this beautiful book.     "I remember the Marais"

Le Marais, pop it on your list for your next trip to Paris!

the roofs of Paris and other things

I promised you pictures of Paris, and I honestly had every intention of coming home with fashionable pictures of café terraces, beautifully dressed Parisians, the Eiffel tower - but look what happened.  I walk around with my nose in the air, totally hypnotised by the balconies and roof lines.

 Sometimes it's worth slipping off the big boulevards, away from the super chic quartiers, and just taking in the ordinary Paris.  Even after all these years, I still love the slate and zinc roofs, the old wooden shutters, and the Haussmann stone façades.

You'll probably think I've lost the plot here, the picture below is turned on its side!  It is actually a picture of balconies, seen from below.  Sometimes I find that patterns and colours stand out better when a picture is turned on its side or even upside down!.

 This afternoon, I shall try my luck at a local auction house, you may cross your fingers for me if you wish.  There are some lovely paintings in the sale, and a large painters easel I seriously covet, but I guess I'm not the only one to have spotted them.  I'll let you know how it goes.

And for those of you who are kind enough to ask, Ghetto arrived safely yesterday, and Gibson was thrilled to see him again.  The tornado returns!!