It's cold, gray, a little rainy... It's the perfect moment to have a little tea. Like this nicely dressed lady that I photographed at a terrace near Beaubourg (she probably had a macaron or two, wrapped in this ugly white paper on the table!) The French tradition of tea is not as strong as in England or China, but the market is apparently increasing (2 ou 3 French people drink tea against 1 out of 3 ten years ago). It is still considered as an "elite" beverage, and more feminine than masculine. There are several nice Salon de Thé in Paris ; the most famous ones are probably Mariage Frère (a tea specialist) and Angelina (an upper class hang out). If you're interested, here is a little selection of other cosy addresses (in French).
Wow this is a timeless photo! I just love the way you've captured this woman, with her fabulous hat, having tea (and wine??) along with the treats in the paper.
ReplyDeleteI hope that's me when I reach her age. Getting dressed up and making life a tea party, despite the occasional cold, rainy day.
ReplyDeleteMarti
Fabulous photo, Eric. Cette dame est tellement chic -- I only hope to be so elegant when I am her age (better start working on that already)!
ReplyDeleteWay to go, GF Katie -- will you wear this chapeau in lieu of the crown today?
Yes, so elegant and so timeless. Like Alexa, I also hope that would be me some day, but I'd better start changing my ways now if I want tht to happen! Lovely, lovely photo, Eric.
ReplyDeleteAlexa I do believe I will forego the crown in order to wear this hat! I'm actually curious what color the hat is. Is it black and orange like a tiger? Or a more subtle black and tan? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteShe looks so interested in what's happening next to her. Was she enjoying her tea with a friend? Or was something else happening at the shop catching her attention?
ReplyDeleteAnd I, too, am curious as to the colour of the hat.
Lovely, lovely. Life is good.
ReplyDeleteOh I love this lady. It could be me any day!! Yikes. It is a timeless photograph. I hope to capture some half as good on my visit!
ReplyDeleteOoooo Eric, A cup of tea sounds so nice just now. She looks like she's engaged in conversation with someone, a charming and vital woman. I rarely wear hats in winter as my mop is so curly a scarf or jacket hood works better. But looking at photos of my grandmothers and seeing their thin hair, I am sure when I reach this lady's age I will have to have a hat collection to match my shoes and get out to tea regularly for good conversation!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of lovely tea, I can highly recommend Peet's selections for those of us who have no Salon de The near us, and they ship anywhere.
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo
I wasn't sure what I was gonna say about this one, there's so much beauty and simplicity to it, but I think katie's description is perfect: timeless.
ReplyDeleteEric, the weather in Paris sound like the weather today in Seattle. But we do not get dressed up like this women to go out for a cup of tea, or a glass of wine.
ReplyDeleteShe looks as if she is having a good time enjoying her tea (and maybe a glass of wine) and the company she is with.
What a beautifully composed photo Eric.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fabulous picture, Eric. She looks so relaxed with her hand over her other wrist, listening to what her companion is saying. Also I imagine her little dog is relaxing at her feet. Timeless.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do love that hat; on anyone else it would look pretentious, but on her...perfect.
Eric -- May I add to your link to the list of tea places: Mariage Freres (my fave, & I like the shop on the rue du Bourg-Tibourg in the Marais)?
ReplyDeleteAnd tea at the Ritz is such a great, girly . . . ritzy (!) thing to do.
Great shot!
ReplyDeleteFunny, now that you mention it, I realized that I used to drink a lot of tea in France, not as much here in the US because the coffee in the US is much weaker so I can drink that instead. I still drink a fair amount of green tea, though. Love green tea. I sure miss the sweet North African mint tea that they pour in a glass very, very much!!! Not easy to find that (or a good couscous) out here.
A nice compositionm, but I don't know whether that lady really represents French culture...
ReplyDeleteI love this because she's dressed up. Los Angeles culture is so casual. People rarely dress up in LA. Pasadena is more dressy, but only slightly. But guess what! I co-hosted a tea party today! And one woman came wearing a hat. Next tea party, I think we'll require hats. I think this one would look fabulous on me.
ReplyDelete"Timeless" seems to be the appropriate key word today. This photo instantly reminded me of this: The glass of absinthe.
ReplyDeleteAnother great shot Eric.
She looks wonderful. One should dress for tea out, I think! If at all possible, how lovely. Her hat is just marvellous. Hang on a sec though...isn't the wine hers, and the tea belonging to her companion? ;)
ReplyDeleteBonjour toutes mes amis!!! Je suis en Paris!!! J'ai un apart tres, tres confortable et je suis completement heureuse. Alors, les billettes pour Versailles me'spere.
ReplyDeleteJ'adore la foto, Eric - elle donne une sentiment tres forte de calme - et aujourd'hui j'ai la meme sentiment.
Sorry for whatever butchery I just committed, and hope I haven't engaged too many faux amis here -- I was going to say how excited I am, but I was afraid of what it might translate to!! You get the message in English though! : )
She's beautiful and elegant. I love her hat, my daughter would want it! Zebra stripes are all the rage here :)
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely! She's classy, I like her zebra hat!
ReplyDeleteThe B&W makes it, once again.
I'm one of the tea drinker in France. At least 3 or 4 teas per day. I'm a huge fan of Mariage Frères Salon de thé and shop (especially: rue des Grands Augustins, 6ème). Angelina is nice too, a little too posh and too expensive maybe...
Have a nice sunday!
She's beautiful
ReplyDeleteCarrie -- you're in Paris! Wonderful -- amuse-toi bien (je t'envie big-time).
ReplyDeleteYay Carrie you're in Paris!!! Glad to hear you're all settled in your apartment. I hope you adjust to Paris time quickly! Don't hesitate to let us know what you're doing and seeing and eating!!
ReplyDeleteI want to see Angelina's. :) I think I'd like it. lol.
ReplyDeleteHey Carrie, how exciting! Keep us informed as to what you do there. You're doing it for all of us!
Cool hat! Cool photo! She's definitely got style. I'm more into coffee than tea but maybe it's because I've not really studied the tealeaf as much. My Asian students did convince me of the health benefits of green tea and I've had a fair share of that. Ironically, I've coordinated for several Japanese tea ceremonies at my school, but probably know more about the ceremony than the tea being prepared. I've enjoyed reading comments (Alexa, Guille, Tomate)on Paris tea shops and thoughts on the leaf. Good day to all!
ReplyDeleteCarrie...you have arrived!!! Congrats. Have the bestest of best times. Look forward to hearing about your experiences.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone - I got myself onto Paris time before I got here -- waking at midnight and staying up til 5pm, so, hopefully I won't miss a minute here.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is crisp and clear. I walked down to the Louvre this afternoon through the 2nd and then back to my apt, within view of the imposing statue gracing the Place de la Republique, through the 4th. Then I met the concierge, who was terribly helpful. This is the Parisian tradition Eric introduced me to thru his photo several months ago and which was then filled out by the memories and observations of other people's posts. Its a first for me.
Those stone streets can be hard on the feet. I can hardly wait to try out the nearest Velib stand and see if my credit card works. Cross your fingers for me. I still can't really believe I'm here!!! Now I'm off to plan the day tomorrow. :)
You're a genius of the black and white photography Eric. What a great shot, I love the plastic of it.
ReplyDeleteAnd the subject is so interesting. I thought having tea was big in Paris since there are such beautiful Salon de thé there. Besides the ones you've mentioned, isn't the café at Musée Jacquemart-Andre a salon de thé too? It's one of the most beautiful I've seen.
I always have to stop by at Angelina when I'm in Paris, but I never had tea there, I confess. I always go for the African Hot Chocolate. Delicious.
And when I tried to go to Mariage Frère - near Place Saint Andre des Arts if I'm not mistaken - it was already closed, so I just took a look at it by the windowshop. It is so beautiful there it's almost unbelievable, there are teas from all over the world.
I definetely wanna go there next time, I saw a special report about Mariage Frère once on tv and the story behind it is very interesting. I will certainly have my tea time there next year!!
ohh I just clicked on the link you provided, Jacquemart-Andre Café is listed there!
ReplyDeleteCarrie, I'm thrilled for you! You won't mind, will you Eric, if Carrie relates her adventures to us here? I can feel her excitement.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the difference between French coffee and what we drink in American cities? I never did quite find the cup of coffee I wanted while in Paris. I think it's just stronger there, but I'm not sure that's it. I'd hate to see Paris seriously infiltrated by Starbucks (I don't like their coffee). But I would like to find a good latte there on my next visit. Any clues?
wonderful candid shot. such a stylish senior woman.
ReplyDeleteSimply perfect portarit. As a coffee drinker I hve never tried tea in France, and delightful as thi lady is I'm still not tempted. French coffee though is pure nector.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, "I only hope to be so elegant when I am her age (better start working on that already)..." LOL Time does go by fast though.
ReplyDeleteI love the way Eric photographs the older women -- you don't see that much in photography. Most of the time it is younger women that get photographed.
Lovely photo, Eric! It was during my time in France that I first enjoyed hot tea. For me, it began as an alternative to coffee (which never has suited my taste) when visiting a cafe with friends. Ah, how I would love to be sitting in a Parisian cafe and sipping a tizaine right now!
ReplyDeleteFelicitations, Carrie! You made it! You will let us enjoy Paris a bit vicariously through you, right? And by the way, what a smart idea to adjust your schedule in advance of your trip!
What a beautiful shot!! I'm such a fan of black and white photos and I'm also such a "tea snob" here in the States because I like tea from Britain. (They have the best!!) And tea bags are not my favorite either. But one does what one can. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a great moment with us, Eric!
Christie, at our tea party we had PG Tips. Have you tried it? Its bagged tea from England. Strong. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteThere are still ladies of a certain age in San Francisco who wear hats (and I'm not talking about those horrid baseball caps). I think they will die off as I don't anticipate any of us baby booners dressing like that. Some years ago a friend who had been living in Paris brought me back some wonderful tea from a teashop in the Marais.
ReplyDeleteAngelina? On Rue de Rivoli? The tea is fantastic, but the hot chocolate is incomparable, unlike any hot chocolate I have ever had anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Really. Oh, man...
ReplyDelete