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Journées du Commerce Equitable in Alfortville

May 25th, 2013

Last Sunday we took the RER D train to Alfortville to explore the arts, crafts, and food stands that had been set up to celebrate “Equitable Commerce Day.”

Stefan Buljat
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stefan Buljat of Baština, an organization that promotes equitable and multipolar tourism, had told us about the festival.

The Ladies That Were Serving Brunch
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

One of the attractions of the event was a free brunch. This turned out to be jams and honey spread on different kinds of delicious breads, and squares of chocolate…all you could eat! Plus coffee and tea to drink. The ladies who served us were in high spirits and one of them cut loose and began waving her arms when one of the singers in the the band, Paradise, began a gospel number.

Paradise Performs in Alfortville
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Paradise performed Caribbean music on the steps of the town hall.

Kids Dancing to the Music
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Kids danced to the music, too. (Note the little girl with the pacifier stepping to the beat!)

Sandrine Ferracci
www.DiscoverParis.net

Sandrine Ferracci restores old chairs. Take a look at her portfolio to see what she can do!

Artisans du Monde
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Artisans du Monde were there with a display of equitable commerce products. The lady on the right was warning me not to take more than my share of free cookies. That’s the true spirit of equitable commerce!

We visited more stands and met more people. You can read about them on Monique’s Entrée to Black Paris blog. I also posted a picture of cabinetmaker Anne Perez on yesterday’s Paris Insights Facebook page.

Town Hall of Alfortville
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A big thanks goes out to the town of Alfortville for hosting this fun event!

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Tags: Alfortville, Journées du Commerce Equitable
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Venezuela Puertofino 75% by Jacques Bellanger

May 22nd, 2013

Venezuela Puertofino 75% by Jacques Bellanger
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We stopped by Mococha Chocolates the other day and learned that we were just in time to purchase a special product that Marie had received: Jacques Bellanger Venezuela Puertofino 75%. Marie could hardly contain her enthusiasm for the chocolate, which she described as being rare—it is harvested from cocoa trees that grow on the high plateaus of Venezuela.

There are only three chocolate producers that commercialize Venezuela Puertofino, one of which is Jacques Bellanger. She has a small supply of the product in her shop, which she offers for sale.

We purchased a tablet and took it home to taste.

Monique’s tasting notes:
It has a brilliant, shiny finish and a light, slightly sweet aroma. Slow to melt in the mouth, its first flavor is of ash or burnt charcoal. It has notes of fruit and wood smoke with caramel at the finish.

My tasting notes:
For a product that contains 75% cocoa, the Venezuela Puertofino 75% is amazingly sweet, with no bitter aftertaste. The lasting impression that I have of the chocolate is that it tastes like a Fudgsicle, my favorite treat as a kid. I think that I’ll have another!

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Tags: Jacques Bellanger, Venezuela Puertofino 75%
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The Eternal Quest for Beautiful Fesses – Our Fesses of the Month

May 16th, 2013

Tom on Assignment
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

May 2013 – Fesses of the Month

To photograph this month’s fesses, our intrepid blogger traveled to the far reaches of Paris’ 12th arrondissement. He had to take three trains to get there!

Follow the link to learn the name of this sculpture, the name of its creator, the name of the park near its location, and a close-up shot of her admirable fesses!

pinterest.com/pin/411586853415634333/

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Tags: Guess the Fesses, photography
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Pastel de Nata

May 15th, 2013

Pastel de Nata
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Where do you go in Paris when you find yourself yearning for a pastel de nata, the delicious custard pastry from Portugal? Why, to a butcher shop, of course!

Madame Gosnet of Boucherie Pascal Gosnet sells these pastries at her counter at 119, rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement. We purchased two and took them home to taste.

The pastry has a golden-brown, flaky crust and an unevenly browned egg-yolk-yellow top covering a pale-yellow custard filling. The crust is chewy. (It is difficult to cut with a knife—better to eat it by hand.) The custard is mildly sweet, moderately dense, and slightly grainy. In a word, they taste just like the pastéis de nata that we had in a coffee shop in Lisbon many years ago. Served warm, they are delectable!

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My Day at the Art Exposition – Part II

May 10th, 2013

Six Artists
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Although we have been living in Paris for twenty-one years, this was our first visit to the Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain. It was fascinating to walk from booth to booth to see what people with creative minds were up to.

Christine Marques
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Christine Marques uses discarded tea bags to create images on canvas. She graciously spent several minutes discussing her technique and various works with us. In this photograph, she stands next to an image that she created of Michael Jackson as a child. Can you see his face in profile? Her Web site has a gallery of her tea-bag creations including one of Barack Obama: art.the.free.fr

Jean-Marc Boudine
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Sculptor Jean-Marc Boudine exhibited a couple of works that looked decidedly bizarre. He has created a series of sculptures for an exhibition in commemoration of the abolition of slavery. The sculptures are on display through May 31 at the MJC-Centre Culturel in the nearby town of Limeil-Brévannes. (The abolition of slavery is commemorated on May 10 in France). His Web site can be found here: www.jean-marcboudine.odexpo.com

Jean-Marc Wettstein
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Jean-Marc Wettstein told me that he gets inspiration from photographs that he sees in magazines. Many of his portraits portray brooding or angry subjects, but if you look at his Web site you will see some happy faces there.

Joost Heetman
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

After Joost Heetman’s partner died, he burned 6,000 votive candles. He shaped the aluminum candle holders to form eyes and then mounted them on canvas as a lasting representation of this emotional period in his life. One of these works is shown in the picture above. Heetman is an industrial designer and his booth contained a number of chairs, benches, and tables displaying fanciful, colorful patterns under smooth, transparent resin. His Web site can be found at the following link: www.joosth.nl.

Mercedes Madriz
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Mercedes Madriz exhibited numerous collages at the show. She collects texts from books, magazines, and newspapers that interest her, mounts them on panels, and records her thoughts on the content of these texts on the support medium (often in a language different than that of the original text). Hailing from Caracas, she came to Paris to learn from and contribute to its rich artistic culture. She does not have a Web site, but can be contacted at mercedesmadriz[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Steve Wells
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Some people really can re-invent themselves—Steve Wells has done it three times! First, he was an electrical engineer, then a rock star, and now a freelance photographer. His artistic vision is bold and subversive. Visit his Web site to have a look at his photographic series, including one of Paris shot on film: www.stevewells-photo.com.

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Tags: Grand Marché d'Art Contemporain, Place de la Bastille
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My Day at the Art Exposition – Part I

May 9th, 2013

Five Artists
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Saturday, Monique and I attended the Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain that was held at Place de la Bastille in Paris.

The event was enormous, with over six hundred artists displaying their creations in tent-sheltered booths that had been set up on the south side of the square. It would have taken days to visit all the booths and speak with each of the artists—we had to be content with talking to only ten of them. Each had a fascinating story to tell!

Sandrine Bourlon
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Sandrine Bourlon was there to represent her husband Jean-Charles Decoudon, who paints watercolor scenes of Paris. Many of his clients are tourists who want him to paint a scene to take home as a souvenir. I wrote an article about him in the March edition of our Paris Insights newsletter. Samples of his work can be viewed on his Web site.

Franck Mercky
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Sculptor Franck Mercky has created some remarkable mobiles. A video of some of them that he created in collaboration with artist André Lemax can be viewed at the following link: http://vimeo.com/6717671. His Web site can be found here: www.francmercky.net.

Anaïs Verspan

Vivid lines and splotches of color seemed to vibrate on the black backgrounds of the acrylic/mixed media paintings exhibited by Anaïs Verspan. Not content with using just canvas as a support for her work, this artist also marries art and fashion by using shoes to give life to her art. See images of her work here: http://www.anaisverspanart.com/.

Carole Duval
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Award-winning artist Carole Duval displayed paper maché “statuettes” and wood carvings representing the theme of “the extraterrestrial.” Her paintings were made from mixed media on wood. View her extensive online portfolio here: http://www.carole-duval.odexpo.com/.

Astrig Alyanakian
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Astrig Alyanakian comes from a family of artists. Her work is inspired by images that she collects and transforms via collage, painting, and drawing. “Colorful,” “whimsical,” and “mystical” aptly describe her paintings. See examples of her mixed media works here: www.astrig.fr/.

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Tarte aux Fraises – Unboxing!

May 8th, 2013

Today I was happy to see that our local baker, Le Fournil de Mouffetard, was open on a holiday. (May 8 is Victory in Europe Day, celebrating the end of World War II.)

Box Containing Tarte aux Fraises
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I purchased a tarte aux fraises, took it home, and photographed the box.

Tarte aux Fraises in Box
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Inside the box, the strawberry tart looked luscious!

Tarte aux Fraises out of Box
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

It looked even better after I removed it and put it on the table.

Close-up of Tarte aux Fraises
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And better still in a close-up photograph!

Cross Section of a Strawberry Tart
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I cut it, put it on a plate, and it was ready to eat. Scrumptious!

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Tags: Le Fournil de Mouffetard, strawberry tart, tarte aux fraises
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Paris Insights - The Blog

Journées du Commerce Equitable in Alfortville

Venezuela Puertofino 75% by Jacques Bellanger

The Eternal Quest for Beautiful Fesses – Our Fesses of the Month

Pastel de Nata

My Day at the Art Exposition – Part II

My Day at the Art Exposition – Part I

Tarte aux Fraises – Unboxing!

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