1.12.11

Le Moulin de la Vierge





Genie, who lives in Mobile, Alabama, but blogs about "Paris and beyond", recently returned to Paris and we made some walks and visits together, including to the Russian Cemetery (see previous post). She had got a "job" from another blogger friend, "Louis La Vache", who used to live in Paris, but now lives in the San Francisco area (his present blog is "San Francisco Bay Daily Photo") to visit a very special "boulangerie" he knew of and had posted about some five years ago, "Le Moulin de la Vierge". Here is a link to the very complete post he made, which means that I hardly have to write anything, except maybe a very short version of what "Louis" then wrote:
This used to be a bakery "since ever", until when in the 70's there was a threat that the whole area would be "remodeled" and the baker decided to leave. The place was taken over by someone, who was not at all a baker, but started to do music buisness. The beautiful bakery decorations were still there, passers-by and neighbours entered looking for bread and finally the occupant, Basil Kamir, thought "why not". After tough fights with authorities he managed to save not only the bakery, but also the building, which now stands quite alone surrounded by modern ones; both the bakery and the building are now officially "classified". ... and, furthermore, with the help by the nephew of the person who in 1893 had modernized the 1850 wooden oven in the cellar, they managed to get it to work again and it now makes the bread they sell.
The bakery looks really as what you would like a bakery to look like and the young lady who sold us some nice traditionally made bread was charming.















Despite the fact that the bakery is situated in a rather isolated area, the buisness seems to work well and there are now two or three other "Le Moulin de la Vierge" shops in Paris.


31 comments:

Simony said...

Peter, the place is so wonderful I almost can smell the bread!
One of these days will be me coming to meet you at one these bakeries!
Until then, I will follow you on this blog.
Have a wonderful day!

[G@ttoGiallo] said...

A wonderful story for a nice Paris spot!

Nelson said...

Hello my dear friend! Really appreciate your time writing this post to share with us...Congrats! ! I wish a fantastic day for you, with very smiles and peace! Greetings from Rio de Janeiro/Brasil! Visit me back, please.

Virginia said...

Peter, this reminds me of our friend in the Marais with the musical instruments. We all commented that the walls and floor were tiles. Wonder if his little shop was perhaps a bakery before he moved in?

You and Genie could cut your work load in half if you just merged your mutual posts! :) I loved them both and you each brought something different for us to read and enjoy. Bravo! Now I want to go there and just buy some goodies. Miam miam!
V
V

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Peter, it was another great adventure, and your post has captured a sense of this historic boulangerie. I am linking my post to yours as well.

What a challenge to take you to a place you have not ever seen! I must get to work for my next visit!

Bises,
Genie

French Girl in Seattle said...

Great post Peter. I smiled when you mentioned "Louis la Vache." Does he still post under that name from SF or has he become "Louis the Cow?" ;-)
At any rate, funny you mentioned this bakery, as I did too, a few weeks ago, in my story about "la baguette." So "Le Moulin de la Vierge" is located in le 14th then? I will have to swing by next time I am in Paris. A bientot-- -Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

Paris Paul said...

What an excellent post! Good photos, good food and a good story! Great job, Peter.

Olivier said...

certaine de ces boulangeries pourraient faire parti du patrimoine de la ville de Paris,elles sont magnifiques

Bettina said...

Wow, what a beautiful place. A new "must go" address to my Paris Moleskin book.

Alain said...

1893 ou 1993 ? Il devait y avoir une rivière, s'il y avait un moulin.

Ruby said...

Great story. Its wonderful that the new owner managed to retain the shop and the building! Love the crane picture.

claude said...

Magnifique boulangerie, Peter !
Cela donne envie de manger beaucoup de pain pour y retourner souvent.
L'autre jour dans le nord à Berck
nous avons une boutique de bonbons , chocolats et autres friandises.
Elle avait un charme d'antan.

Cergie said...

Le soubassement de la façade en rouge et blanc aurait mieux convenu à une boucherie cependant.
De quelle année elle est "meilleure baguette de Paris" dis moi ?

Thérèse said...

Basil Kamir a ete bien inspire le jour ou il a pris la decision de sauver cet endroit! Pas facile de tenir une boulangerie dans cette univers de grandes surfaces...
Une petite merveille cette boulangerie qui merite certainement le detour.

Ola said...

a very nice place with character, good that it did not disappear!

Shammickite said...

What a great story. That marvellous bakery building deserves to be saved, and I'm so glad that the oven is still working. I bet the bread smells so good. How much bread did you buy? a couple of pain du chocolat perhaps?

Tanya Breese said...

ohhhh wishing i was there!

Parisbreakfasts said...

I LOVE this boulangerie!!
I only know the one on 64, rue Saint-Dominque 75007 but clearly they are all tres charmante

Maria O. Russell said...

Do they have Langues de Chat at this beautiful bakery?

If so, then I´ll visit it on my next trip.

In my humble opinion, in France there´s only one true baguette...

And every bakery has it!

joanna said...

Wonderful photo's Peter, and a great story -- I am always intrigued by anything in this area of Paris.

Joanny

Louis la Vache said...

Superb, Peter!
«Louis» thanks you and Genie for trekking out to the 14 ème to take these photos for this post. Their bread is fabulous. «Louis» is quite happy to know they are still in operation.

Studio at the Farm said...

Mmmmmm ... I LOVE breads! And the building and decorative work there are delightful. I would love to visit that bakery !

this is Belgium said...

love the story and the pictures !

Cezar and Léia said...

So elegant and charming place!Love all pictures!
Thanks you for sharing this interesting post, Genie and Louis for the hint about this place!
bises
Léia

Magda Machnicka said...

La Foule...

Jeanie said...

One of the things I loved most about my visit to Paris was the traditional architecture, the nod to the past; that at least in the parts of the city I saw, treasured older buildings hadn't been demolished for new, sleeker models. I'm so very glad that this boulangerie not only maintained its beauty -- but its bill of fare!

Unknown said...

Glad lovely old places like this still survive. The details are wonderful.

arabesque said...

now i know what a typical boulangerie looks like. ^-^
very quaint place this is.

lasiate said...

heureusement qu'il reste des St vincent laïques pour nourrir le smisérables

JoeinVegas said...

It's nice that some old things are kept. Here in Las Vegas it's the new that is celebrated. We do have one French style bakery I've found in a small corner shopping center, but all else is massive supermarkets.

Trotter said...

Great croissants... ;)