Easter In Paris, Part I

As readers of this blog and Reggie's friends on FaceBook will know, I have just returned from a delightful holiday in Paris.  While I was there I was enchanted by the decorations of the city's store windows, dressed in anticipation of Easter.  I took a number of photographs of my favorites while I was there, Dear Reader, along with snaps of other things that caught my fancy.  Today's post, the first in a two-part series, features a selection of those images.  I hope you like it.

I was rather taken by this charming display of chocolate eggs, bunnies, chicks, and bonbons in the window of a confiseur.  (Please note adorable, evil little child in green jacket . . .)

Paris is justifiably famous for its flower stores.  I was thrilled by these beautiful lavender roses.

As I was amused by this carton of white, milk, and dark chocolate eggs.  So clever!

The windows of Meert, in the Marais, featured a lovely selection of foil-covered chocolate eggs.  So pretty!

I loved this "mod" Easter display in one window.  The white metal stand is at least two feet tall!

What little girl wouldn't love a present of this pretty dress-up frock?

The windows of Les Marquise de Ladurée on the Place Vendôme featured enormous chocolate eggs, topped with chocolate ribbons.  The insides of each include a tower of macarons.  I was wild about them.

Of course seeing all those chocolate eggs made one long for the real thing, too.  Fortunately, one was able to do have them at breakfast at Les Ambassadeurs at the Hôtel de Crillon one morning.

Another window at Les Marquise de Ladurée.  I think the French really do the most marvelous store displays imaginable.

Although the weather was relatively balmy when we were in Paris, there were one or two evenings when any lady visiting the city would have appreciated slipping into this elegant cream mink coat that we saw in a window on the Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré.  Perfect for spring, non?

These topiary trees laden with oranges seen on the sidewalk one day made me long to have an orangery at Darlington House!

There were many temptations at La Grand Epicerie de Paris at le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, including this table of cellophane-wrapped chocolates.

This little lamb is actually a powder sugar-dusted cake.  What will they think of next?

Perhaps "they" will think of coating these chocolate eggs with butter cream candy decorations, as this chocolatier did?

Or why not blow out the yolks of real eggs and fill the shells with chocolate ganache?  I almost fainted when I saw these!

The Easter flower display in the lobby of the Hotel George V was suitably restrained.  So chic.

Can you believe the crazy whimsy of these stuffed bunnies and lamb at Deyrolle?  I loved them!

After all that visual excitement, I thought I might need a piece of this Tarte Cocktail to calm my nerves.

Better yet, I think I shall sit down in this elegant fauteuil, collect myself, and plot out where I shall go next.  Champagne is definitely in order . . .

Next: Easter in Paris, Part II

All photographs by Reggie Darling