Did I happen to witness an astronauts convention by coincidence? Did France suffer a Nuclear accident that only I was aware of?! All wrong, these weird little white men are simply harvesting honey from the Luxembourg gardens beehives... For yes, as some of you already know, we still have beehives in the middle of Paris (there and in the Georges Brassens park) that are used by the members of a society that was founded in 1856. By the way, if you're around the area on September 20 and 21, you'll have the opportunity of buying this honey ;)
Some areas of the country here in USA are experiencing a shortage of honeybees. It is good to see they are alive and happy in Paris.
ReplyDeleteAmazing ! Honey made in the Luxembourg, wine made in Montmartre...
ReplyDeleteWay to go gramma ann! I tried but you are fleet of finger, as they say! : )
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to find out if they sell the honey later? I'd love to buy some in Nov.
Isn't the growing shortage of honey bees due to the fact that we were wrong about them and they actually are tiny little aliens who have decided to leave us to our fate?
Yay! The Luxembourg Gardens is my second favorite place in Paris! Who can be the first person to name my #1 favorite?
ReplyDeleteI could go for some fresh Parisian honey, too, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. :)
Carrie: Funny, are they tiny little aliens...
ReplyDeleteSuzy" EIFFEL TOWER!!EIFFEL TOWER!!!
ReplyDeleteGramma wins again!
ReplyDeletelol Carrie! Someone's been watching a bit too much Doctor Who lately! Wait, no such thing as too much Doctor Who.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, just the other day I was looking at a photo from 2005 where Eric showed us Paris jam and now he's talking about Paris honey. I really want some of both. Oh the goodies I could make!!!
I've read about this! This is really cool, Eric! How are you able to be in the right place at the right time almost every single day? Or is Paris just an amazing enough city that wherever you point your camera, something wonderful pops up and says, "Pick me, pick me!" It's amazing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, and enjoy some of the honey for us! I love honey!
Funny caption, Eric!
ReplyDeleteCarrie:I read about a Parisian, in AmEx Departures magazine,who gives this honey away as Christmas presents. He said these are the only 2 days to buy it. Period.
Having walked by the beehives one day, I then stumbled upon the Statue of Liberty,located in the garden not far away from here.(then there are 2 more in the city plus a hand with the flame).
Aha, génial! Très sexy comme costume.
ReplyDeleteEt sais-tu bien que nous avons du miel New Yorkais? Il est "cultivé" sur les toits des buildings. Mais c'est du miel de contrebande car l'apiculture est illégale à Manhattan. Il semble néanmoins que l'on ferme les yeux là-dessus car on peut acheter du miel de New York aux farmers market. Ah, c'est bien la ville. :)
That's so interesting! And healthy for the flowers too.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about France in general and Paris in particular is the fact that the little things are not overlooked or phased out, as they would be in the States. I can't imagine there being beehives in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, or even in one of the parks in Sacramento.
ReplyDeletePHX - Merci pour l'informacion, mais c'est triste. Je suis malheureuse -- fut mon idee exactement pour les cadeaux de Noel. Q'est que vous pense de "cones" de glace Berthillon - mauvais idee?! Bouteilles de l'eau de la Seine??! Les abeilles francais-parlant???! (Oooh-wee, I just went for it - hope it's not too, too bad on the grammar front!) (And somebody probably already sells bottled Seine-wasser).
ReplyDeleteSoosha -- I don't know what you're talking about -- haven't you seen them - haven't you noticed that they all have tiny little antenna?!
Honey from flowers of Paris--I imagine it has quite a distinct flavor. (Love the way the bee follows the mouse cursor on their website.)
ReplyDeleteAlien guys managing alien bees. Cool pic, Eric.
ReplyDeleteThe problem gramma ann mentions is called Colony Collapse Disorder. I believe it's worldwide (the problem exists in the US, France and other parts of Europe at least) and it's a big problem because bees pollenate so much of our food. As they disappear, crops suffer. Et cetera.
A bunch of weird little white men are holding a convention in the States and I don't think they are harvesting honey for anyone! :-(
ReplyDeleteAnon..."High hives...er, 'fives' for that one!"
ReplyDeleteAs I was visiting some friends in Chartres in 2004, I was bee-stowed upon my person a jar of honey extracted from a good friend's beehive. The pint sized jar of honey got me bee-autifully through the winter months.
"What does a queen bee do upon burping? She issues a royal pardon."
Then there's the bee's favorite composer..."Bee-thoven," of course.
Not to leave out Hamlet bee..."To be or not to be a bee that is the"...okay, okay I'll stop!
;-)
Carrie...rock on with your French!
Suffice to say, Suzy "I could go for some more of that fresh honey, too!" Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean. I'm buzzing off now. LOL ;-)
Coltrane: very funny and where is buzzgirl? She might appreciate these jokes even more than I do.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to be able to purchase honey in Paris. I'll say no more. :-)
coltrane_lives:
ReplyDeleteWho is the bees favorite singer?
Sting!
I've always wanted to learn how to keep bees. this is a great picture Eric. Merci.
ReplyDeleteThe comments are especially funny today! I lived in front of the park for over 5 years and never saw the actual bee keepers, and here Eric shows up and the aliens appear. Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteI ditto Coltrane's "high hives" on Anon's observation. There are honey bees and then there are "killer" bees. I'm afraid the ones Anon is referring to may be the latter.
Yes! Where is Buzzgirl? Busy staying Bee-utiful no doubt. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnyone ever notice that its easy to tell Earth was colonized by the bees as they stood in their role as overseers of the progress of we mortals -- I mean, really, is there anybody out there who thinks its just sheer coincidence we're called human BE-ings? I don't know about the rest of you, but I think not.
ReplyDeleteMojito, anyone?
I had no idea there were bee hives in Luxembourg Gardens. And, I thought I had walked all over that place. This makes a great picture.
ReplyDeleteI thought there had been an outbreak of some sort when I saw this! LOL!
ReplyDeletehi everyone!
ReplyDeleteParis is not the only city in France to have bees and a recent survey stated that urban bees are much healthier than country ones : no agriculture, no chemicals!
there are hives on the roof of the Opera, maybe Eric can climb up there to take a photo?
Hives on the roof of the Opera? I had no idea! Yes Eric, let's see how dedicated you really are!
ReplyDeleteChristie is right, Eric ... You seem to get to the right place at the right time virtually all the time!
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who would be a bit more concerned about walking around Luxembourg Gardens in the vicinity of these beehives? The honey sounds good though!
At the first sight, I thought that Eric took an other picture of the Bercy statues! It took me few seconds to understand. It's great to have parisian bees. It's so posh!LOL
ReplyDeleteI would like to taste this honey...
Eric and all,
ReplyDeleteThe last time I was in Paris I purchased several bottles of honey made from the flowers from atop the Palais Garnier . . .for me, it is like no other! It is available at the tiny boutique in the Opera House and also Fauchon near the Madeleine and perhaps other shops as well.
I always visit the beehives in the corner of the gardens but have never seen anyone harvesting the honey. I am sure it is amazing and hope to experience it someday!
Thanks for the wonderful photo!
OOooh, Eric, we've become so used to you doing anything for us (ie-laying down int he street for a photo of doggy ...er...business) that now we're issuing challenges! PDP will always keep you on your toes!!!
ReplyDeleteUn petit pas.....
ReplyDeleteI want to buy Luxembourg Gardens honey!!
ReplyDeleteBee strong
Bee happy
Beelieve
Hee, hee - sorry couldn't help it!
Carrie, your French is doing so well! Looks like you're all set to go to Paris!
Ah, beekeepers was my first guess! We have a tree here with a huge hive in it. You can see the honeybees coming and going all day long. I'm not a bee charmer so I stay away from it ;)
ReplyDeleteI think this is the third photo Eric posted of these beehives. I could only find this one though when I did a search http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/hello/241/3707/1024/Beehives.0.jpg
ReplyDeleteI love these photos of the beehives and the people. WAY COOL!!
phx-cdg, Here's Eric's photo of Liberty http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/hello/241/3707/1024/StatueLibertyLuxembourg.jpg
OK, so you're challenging me hey? OK, je relève le défi! I will climb up to the top of opera just for you ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat else will you do for us? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm kidding, of course. You have done so much already.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pont Girl - that's kind of you! You must be getting sooooo excited!
ReplyDeleteHere's an open invitation to anyone to correct any of my French at any time. If I don't know where I'm going wrong, I won't be able to fix it!
And so: antennae.
The Bercy statue? From the arrangement of figures, I thought it was Rodin's "Beeghurs of Calais".
ReplyDeleteAs to bees as little aliens: anyone remember Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? We learn that the white labratory mice are in fact the superior race, and all these years they have been observing US!
And once again I am reminded of the Henry Miller quote inlaid in Shakespeare and Company's floor: "Sometimes I Think I Am Surrounded By Insects Masquerading As Men For Some Diabolical Reason."
Moi aussi, please correct my French when I have the nerve to use it.
ReplyDeleteBlogger Eric a dit...
ReplyDeleteOK, so you're challenging me hey? OK, je relève le défi! I will climb up to the top of opera just for you ;)
You made me smile, Eric. :) BTW, the Opera Garnier is my favorite building in the world. Perhaps one day I'll share a special story behind that ... I've worked a little on writing a children's book about it.
there are a few cities in US that have bees as well. Central Park in New York does. And i know of 2 people with them in San Fransisco.
ReplyDeleteI keep bees in my backyard in Atlanta, Ga. They really are pretty neat little guys. Well, girls.
Have you ever wondered why beekeepers always wear white? Apparently bees attack dark, rough textures (probably an instinct to do with bears and other animals who look for honey).
ReplyDeletebon jour!
ReplyDeleteWe just returned home to the US from a fantastic week in Paris.
We rented a beautiful apt on Ave de L'Observatoire, at the entrance to the Lux Gardens.
We saw the bee hives, and on the plane, I read the Sept issue of GOURMET magazine, and the editor recommended the honey from the gardens, but said the Senators buy it up and give it as Christmas presents!
Loved the Luxembourg Gardens and loved Paris! Can't wait to go back!
Regards,
Stacey Snacks