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jenn
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Seattle Washington USA
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 8:42 pm Post subject: paris and santons: seeking help from someone IN paris...... |
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I'm not French but I collect santons. It has something to do with early childhood memories. For those who don't know, these are the little traditional nativety figures made of clay and handpainted. Unlike the American nativety which just has the family, santons include all the sorts of people one might find in a french village---from priest to baker to goat herder to cheese maker to truffle hunter, etc etc etc. I think they originated in the South of France but are now all over.
Prior to having a family, I would take my holiday in November and would manage a bit of santon shopping at Samartaine in the pre-Christmas season. One of the makers always came up and had a special Christmas booth with Santons for sale and I would, uhhh, go a bit crazy. Santons are not for sale in the US, at least not where I am.
Our trip this year will be post December 25 but pre-epiphany. In the US, thats considered to be post-Christmas as no one pays attention here to epiphany [heck, lots of people rip down their Christmas tree on Christmas day]. But I have heard that the first week of January is still part of the Christmas season in France.
So does anyone in Paris know if they will still have the holiday stuff up at Samartaine and other department stores after Christmas day? We arrive on New Years day.
I guess I am curious as to whether there will be decorations up as well as if I will be able to expand my collection. I confess, i found a picture of a santon of an escargot hunter and I am lusting to add him to my collection. If you have any ideas of shops that sell Santons in Paris that would be great to know too.
Thank you! |
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georgia

Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 456 Location: california
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:46 am Post subject: |
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Jenn, you do not say where you are in California, but if you are in the northern part, there is a lovely little shop in Walnut Creek call "La Lavande" that carries all things French. They always have santons on hand as well. The selection is rather limited and is pricey (U.S. prices), but they ARE there, which is better than nothing!
Good luck...from a fellow santon collector. |
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suzy
Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 80
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:05 am Post subject: |
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La Samaritaine is closed! |
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jenn
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Seattle Washington USA
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:42 am Post subject: santons and samaritaine.... |
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okay, well the closed is a bummer but it seems to be a temporary sort of thing ---
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4082272.stm
so is there somewhere else in Paris that I can buy santons on january 1-2-3??????
alas, i'm not in northern cal but the southern end..... |
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Debbie

Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 861 Location: Paris
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:30 am Post subject: |
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I would say that Galleries Lafayette and perhaps Printemps would have them. Cannot be exact as I have not paid attention.
There are a number of christmas deco type sections in the marche des fleurs on Ile de la Cite. They did have wooden handpainted decorations, but not sure if the ones you are after.
Otherwise the touristy areas might have them. Try the top of Butte Montmartre near the Sacre Ceour, and the base near metro Anvers. There are heaps of shops there that sell trinkets and decorations.
Le Bon Marche might be another option.
Sad, but true, Samaritaine will be closed for at least 5 years..... if it does ever reopen as a department store.... there is talk that the owner wants to turn it into a luxury hotel, which caused a huge scandal when the news became public. I never bought anything there, but liked to wander and admire the inside of the building. Very beautiful.
Last year they had a Christmas Market around the outside of the building and they had all sorts of things there. Maybe that might be a good place to head to? _________________ If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen. |
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David
Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 1855 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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Samaritaine closed Such a marvelous beautiful interior! _________________ Vivant Linguae Mortuae!! |
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minty

Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 140
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I've just read in the newspaper that Christmas lights in paris will stay on till the first day of the sales, that is the 18th of january !
actually, it's good that you come after Christmas, because that means most of the decorations (santons included) will be on sale !
Debbie has good suggestions, I would say Galeries lafayette and printemps too.... and almost everywhere, in fact, even in the stores such as Monoprix for instance...neighbourhood small shops will be cheaper and have a more original choice than big department stores
it all depends on which part of paris you're staying !!
for the santons, you should contact one of the best makers, which is situated in Aix en Provence, called Santons Fouque they sell on line
http://www.santons-fouque.com/ |
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jenn
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Seattle Washington USA
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: |
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minty wrote: | for the santons, you should contact one of the best makers, which is situated in Aix en Provence, called Santons Fouque they sell on line http://www.santons-fouque.com/ |
ah, those are the people who used to sell at Samaritaine. Fantastic!
Thanks for the news about the Christmas lights. This will be lots of fun for my kids---the USA no longer really has great Christmas displays, at least not where we live [LA]. |
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pistache

Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Cannes, France
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Just in case you find it useful, here is the site of another Maître Santonnier http://www.claude-carbonel.com/indexen.php?Main=en/santon.html
There are some beautiful santons down here in Provence made by local craftsmen, but you would really need to take a special break to see them all. There is a small village behind Nice, where every villager fills their window with santons, and there are cribs to be found in the most surprising places... Definitely worth a trip....  |
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pistache

Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Cannes, France
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madameshawshank

Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 1654 Location: Penrith (where jacarandas remind me of change), New South Wales, Australia
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:10 am Post subject: |
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jenn, I know Marseilles isn't Paris....a few weeks back I was mooching in that city.....as the fish boats came in ..fabulous...
walked and walked..and lo 'n behold I came across a sort of santon museum...Marcel Carbonel's collection...I was able to walk through the rooms and watch santons being made!
had a my-little-French-plus-charades-plus-a-little-English conversation with a lovely woman...she was making farmers...had an old French broom..and was ever so carefully selecting tiny pieces of straw to be used as a walking stick for each santon...I loved that she was wearing heels!!!!
another woman looked tired...she, working with clay...all by hand.
if you google Marcel Carbonel you'll be able to get into the website... _________________ "I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson |
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jenn
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Seattle Washington USA
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Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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madameshawshank wrote: |
walked and walked..and lo 'n behold I came across a sort of santon museum...Marcel Carbonel's collection...I was able to walk through the rooms and watch santons being made!
had a my-little-French-plus-charades-plus-a-little-English conversation with a lovely woman...she was making farmers...had an old French broom..and was ever so carefully selecting tiny pieces of straw to be used as a walking stick for each santon...I loved that she was wearing heels!!!!
another woman looked tired...she, working with clay...all by hand.
if you google Marcel Carbonel you'll be able to get into the website... |
OOOh, I am jealous. I've always wanted to go to Provence and around to visit the santon makers. Though its going to be a while--the next set of tickets we buy to france will be in a 5-pack!
I have some santons from Marcel Carbonel--I think I got them in Chartres in the little shop across from the cathedral. Actually, we had a pair of santons on our wedding cake and I think thats where I bought them. <FOOD ANGLE TO DISCUSSION: There were two wedding cakes, one was a hazelnut torte affair with white chocolate icing, the other a croquemboche which I have heard is the traditional french wedding cake. It was very very very tasty, I must say.....>
Suppose worst case scenario, I can't find any santons in Paris, I can haul the family on a wee bit of a train ride....hmmm, isn't that the same line that runs to Versailles, only for Chartres, you go further?
HEY! there's an idea-- -can I take the train to Chartres and flip back, get off at Versailles, tour around a bit and then return to paris or will I need many separate tickets for each leg of the trip? |
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madameshawshank

Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 1654 Location: Penrith (where jacarandas remind me of change), New South Wales, Australia
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:21 am Post subject: |
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jenn...stop this travel talk this minute...a shade of green I'm turning...see, 10 weeks and I want moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!..
give my love to France please...and hugs...and mercis in bucketloads _________________ "I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson |
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minty

Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 140
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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well, you will need a train ticket Paris- Chartres, about One hour of travel , about 10 euros.
then another one Chartres -Versailles about 10 euros and one hour too
then you can go by RER from Versailles to Paris, which is another kind of ticket altogether....  |
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stwaddell
Joined: 05 Jul 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Evanston, IL USA
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Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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There are two religious stores adjacent to St. Sulpice, both of which carry santons Carbonnel and others (some Fouque, Escoffier). One is Art et Religion at 12 rue Vieux Columbier and the other is Georges Thuillier at 10 place St. Sulpice. There is a shop near Notre Dame called Notre-Dame Cadeaux (19 rue dArcole) which also has Santons Escoffier. |
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