Friday, April 25, 2008

Les Framboises

Why do raspberries so make me think of France? Simply and independently because I adore both? No, there is something more to it than that.

I've long adored raspberries. Biting into that faintly fuzzy skin, the fuzz gently tickling your lips, giving way to a soft and momentary gel-like sensation against your front teeth and then to your tongue, where its perfectly slight tartness overcomes your senses and taste and texture hover harmoniously.

My love of raspberries is inextricably linked to France somehow. I've always enjoyed raspberries but have only just visited France for the first time in 2006, where I spent but a week in Paris (not that it takes any longer to be fully enamored) and my only recollection of tasting raspberries was of a raspberry tartlette purchased from the bakery, Paul. I selected the raspberry tartlette because it called out to me (along with the café flavored macaron), a perfectly glazed little beauty with every conceivable inch of the top of the tartlette covered with glazed raspberries. I took it back to my hotel room at the end of what was the most beautifully sunny day during my week in Paris.

As I sat on the bed of my small hotel room, the veranda's French doors wide open before me, I bit into the tartlette and melted. It was so ridiculously delicious... perfectly and simultaneously sweet and tart. The texture was softly dense, the glazed raspberries delightfully slimy, and the crust buttery and delicately crumbly. I feebly attempted to capture the essence of that very tartlette I purchased from Paul in Paris. I suppose I was salivating so profusely, I gave up further attempts to capture its true essence. Thus, this photo falls quite short of the tartlette's true beauty but does remind me of that delightful moment of anticipation before first biting into it:
A couple of days ago, I saw a photograph of a raspberry dessert. It was not a tartlette and for the life of me, I cannot recall exactly what it was. But those raspberries in the photograph immediately stirred something within me. You know how you can bite into something and be taken back to a fond childhood memory (like that precious scene in Ratatouille where the bitterly harsh food critic bites into the ratatouille before him and is instantly taken back to that moment of childhood, in which his mother was preparing the simple stew for him) and all the sensations of that moment flash within you briefly but powerfully? Yes, seeing this image of the raspberries was something like that. But rather than being a past memory, it felt like a flash of sensations and memories I have yet to live. Do you know this feeling?

The same day I came across that photograph I read Function of Time's post, which included mention of the raspberry tartlette she purchased from Paul! This further stirred that sensation within me and hasn't left me since. How can this sweet little berry produce such a profound longing for France within me? Was it really just that one tartlette? I don't think so. The sensation seems yet to be fully realized. Isn't that exciting? To think that we can experience such profound sensations for memories yet to come?

*First photo from here. Second photo is mine.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Charmed, I'm Sure...

I am by no means a charm jewelry kind of girl. In fact, I'm really what you might consider a jewelry minimalist. I appreciate beautiful jewelry and I often find myself thinking I would like to wear more jewelry but this desire has yet to really materialize into anything substantial. However, when I was conceiving of this blog and thinking about my upcoming trip to Paris, this sudden urge to find the perfect Paris charm necklace overcame me. Something about the idea of such a necklace wooed me. If I'm not much of a jewelery collector, I'm absolutely not a trinket collector. But there is always something alluring about little Parisian reminders and I so wanted one for my neck.

Finding the right Paris charm necklace was no easy task. I came across a lot of cheap looking charms of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe. I also came across some very studded and ornate pieces that just downright frightened me, almost to the point of relinquishing my search altogether. But then I found one that intrigued me. I was hesitant about two Eiffel charms on one necklace but the style was pretty much what I was looking for and the fact that the necklace is made in France (by Catherine Popesco for her line, La Vie Parisienne) ultimately convinced me to give it a chance and so I ordered it. I ordered it from Kristen Grace and it does come in antique gold as well for those of you who prefer gold:


The very day after ordering the above necklace, I came across the most charming online shop, French Garden House, where I found "it," the absolute ideal Parisian charm necklace I was looking for:

This lovely photo captured the essence of why I wanted a Parisian charm necklace to begin with. I really love the old silver, too. This necklace, unsurprisingly, is made by the same jeweler as the first necklace I ordered above. I love, love, love the little heart and the "Oui" tag. The necklace so embodies my feelings towards Paris: an endearing love of and continual impulse to say "yes" to Paris.

What makes this necklace even more special is the lovely proprietor of French Garden House, Liddy, and her lovely correspondence over email before my necklace arrived. And when it did arrive... she had packaged it so beautifully! Red and white toile tissue paper enveloped a precious handmade little ribbon-tied box that read "J'adore Paris." Inside was this beautiful necklace and a handmade Paris-themed tag also accompanied the package, along with a French Garden House postcard. It was likely the most lovely package I've ever received. Please visit her online shop for a myriad of lovely French treasures.

I thought that I would return the first necklace after finding this second one, but when it arrived (also packaged quite thoughtfully by Kristen Grace), I couldn't part with it. So, now I have two lovely necklaces. While the second one initially "spoke" to me more strongly, the first necklace has taken on new meaning. The two Eiffel Towers remind me of myself and my dear friend La Belette Rouge and our shared love of Paris and our upcoming trip to Paris in July.

So as not to be entirely partial to these charm necklaces made by Catherine Popesco's La Vie Parisienne line (although she does make several other lovely variations of this charm necklace and I am partial to her style), here are some other charm necklaces I came across.

For those of you looking for something VERY sassy and bold (warning! not for the faint of heart; in this particular necklace below, "sans culotte" translates to "without underwear"), particularly if you love a paradox, you'll appreciate (even if you can't bring yourself to actually wear one yourself) Locher's. And truly, her jewelry appears to be very well made and with such a whimsical touch:

"Paris On My Mind" Eiffel Tower charm necklace at DaWanda:


Eiffel Tower with Pink Flower and Black Bead by Rebecca Weiss at her Etsy shop:


Oh, and there are so many more charms to be found out there, believe me. Despite any aversion to charm necklaces that you may possess, there truly is something "charming" out there for everyone!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Towards Paris - An Introduction

Paris has long been inspiration for many creative souls and I am one such soul. Those of you finding yourselves eagerly nodding in accord with this statement understand that this pull towards Paris is not initiated by conscious or rationalized choice. We are drawn effortlessly towards Paris, its magnetic force captivating us wholly.

Paris is not merely a travel destination and it is not some kind of final destination. Rather, it seems to be a magnificent gateway to the pursuit of dreams and the creative spirit. We don't aspire to see Paris so we can die (i.e., "I have to see Paris one day before I die") but we aspire to see Paris so we can live fully, pushing beyond a mere existence. Paris awakens and opens us to living out our creative and perceptive selves so completely and with such vitality.

Before our own eyes behold Paris for the first time, we have already experienced Paris so vividly and richly through literature, poetry, history, art, fashion, food, and its many other far-reaching influences. It pervades our imagination and our souls. And even after we arrive in Paris the first, second, umpteenth time... we are forever drawn towards Paris, for the beauty and inspiration is never exhausted. Paris gives so freely and abundantly, asking only that we never cease to be filled with wonder for all that we find in the beautiful City of Light.

This blog is a tribute to the city I love so much, the city that will always captivate and inspire me. As I prepare for just my second trip to Paris (I'll be spending a month there in July; see the countdown timer below), I'll share my anticipation and thoughts about the upcoming trip here on this blog, along with my experiences while in Paris. This blog will also include a myriad of Paris-themed posts, including features on food and treasures, and then more philosophical posts on what Paris means symbolically to me.

Although the title of this blog seems to point specifically to my upcoming trip, it extends beyond such. Even after this upcoming trip in July, I will forever feel this sensation of being drawn towards Paris. A week, month or year in Paris will never satiate the desire to return, even to return in spirit. As alluded to above, it is not a final destination, Paris is a touchstone for living out my creative self and doing so fully.

I look forward to sharing experiences with you fellow lovers of Paris, Francophiles, creative souls, and all who might find inspiration here.