Visiting our eldest daughter Marinell in Paris this past week….
Paris was sunny and stunningly beautiful! Our weather is still very mild and everybody is out and in good spirits. The waiters are witty, the cars are their usual impatient selves, the women typically autumnal chic and elegant and the children street wise. It is always an experience for me to go into Paris. Once I get used to the traffic, the street hustle and bustle and and Paris noise, I fall into the rhythm of the city, revel in taking on my new pretend-role of la Parisienne.
…place de la sorbonne…
I have my few secret corners that I drop by every time (you’ll have to visit me to know what they are!) and for the rest, I walk and walk and walk, discover new quaint little shops and petits chemins, drop in to buy my regular edible gold leaf and to see what other delicacies are new. Discover bars and bistros and boulangeries and chocolateries, roam the markets, linger in the bookstores and art stores, enjoy lunch with Marinell at my one of my favourite bars outside the centre of Paris, L’usine Charonne. Tea at l’heure du gouter at Le Fumoir, meet Hartman at night on our romantic spot on Pont neuf, read for hours in my favourite jardin de luxembourg where something happens every minute and each stroller is living his/her story. And always, always held captive by the incredibly beautiful architecture of Paris.
How I love Paris. How I love France!
See photos here: Travel at Myfrenchkitchen
…st amandé – place de la mairie…
My sketches are all a bit tight, but maybe I am a bit uptight lately! I have done some more sketches which will follow in the next post and they are a bit looser and messier…the way I like it.
…le marais…
…place de la nation – statue…
All sketches done in sketchbook with graphite and watercolour.
Africantapestry 
How absolutely wonderful to be able to even pretend to be la Parisienne – with these sketches (never uptight!) I think you should qualify, the photographs too, make me long to go there just one more time!
Your sketches cheer me up too! What a lovely time you’ve had and they are beautiful. Glad to hear the FPP news too. Thanks.
What an adventure, walking those Paris streets, and the sketches put us right there with you. I always love your buildings, and le marais has that lovely greenery despite it’s being November–and evocative greens, I have to say. Nothing uptight that I can see and I am looking forward to the rest, Ronell.
annie
Oh, reminds me of the day I spent with you and Casey in Paris and of the first time I went to Paris one November a few years back. Lovely sketches.
Oh, they’re great, Ronell! It sounds like you had a wonderful visit–lucky you! Those photos of yours were really fabulous, and these sketches are so charming!
Paris! So long ago…one of my favourite haunts was Pere Lachaise.
I’m longing for Paris seeing your sketches. Breat!
Lovely! Especially like the first one – you’ve captured the feel of the building beautifully.
Ronell, I’m totally charmed by all these sketches. You should be working for the Paris Tourist office. I’m ready to pack my bags. But I expect Hartman wouldn’t be waiting on Pont Neuf for me.
Love these-can’t wait for more!
I’m in love!! One of my favorite cities and between your paintings and description of your days, I want to fly over tomorrow! Lovely!
Shirley
thank you everybody!!
ronelle
You’ve brought me right there with your sketches and words. Beautiful on both counts.
Its been too long since I visited Paris. Its time for another trip.
These are beautiful sketches Ronell — I’m not sure how I missed this post? –I’m totally charmed by those gnarly trees!
The paintings are beautiful….that is just not enough to describe the art.. but a good thing would be to come over to India, Bangalore, where you can find artists painting on our Venue, on the streets and sometimes also at the entrance of Hotels.
But here they think its Cheap, big deal. If you have the time to Travel to all the cities of India, you can find artists of all kinds, some starting from poorest to the High standard living
Diana