Trésor
Whenever I come back from a trip, I feel as if I have a traveling trunk packed to bursting. I fall asleep dreaming about opening the latches, throwing the hood back, and pulling things out.

Of course, my physical trunk is a suitcase now, not like the wonderful trunks in books when I was little. The kind that always got sent back to a nephew or niece from an uncle traveling in colonial India or Africa or Asia and were full of magic masks and the scent of sandalwood.
But there’s the trunk of my mind, too. It’s like magic to come back with all these stories and experiences, so vivid they come out in my dreams at night and mix, sometimes to strange effect.

(The other night, for example, I dreamed I was traipsing through an endless American mall, trying and trying to find a good glacier. And all I could find was Haagen-Daz and Baskin-Robbins. More on glaciers in another post.)

So I have lots of stories to tell and pictures to share, and I promise I’ll tell them! I just don’t know who to pick first? The story of the chocolate or shall I tease Laume some more :)? Gypsy Purple‘s story of gypsy miracles? Roof tiles for Michelle? Or all the other ones I haven’t even mentioned yet?
Here’s the full photo of the items above, a little bit of my treasure chest. Other than my own books–which were up there to remind me to send the film agent extra copies for this POSSIBLE (these things are always slim, slim possibilities even when talked about) TV series thing and which proved a better backdrop than previously used baby blankets–can you identify the other nine items? Some of them are easy, of course!

Michelle
Ok, those rocks look heavy. Heavier than the chocolate you HAD to get rid of? I’m just hoping the French use words like “syrup” and “cocktail” when referring to bath oils, because eating rose flavored anything i making my stomach churn right now. And I would guess they go with the rose bath salts. But I’m so curious about what is in that tube . . .
Robin in NC
I want to hear more about this possible “TV series thing”. That sounds exciting.
Mimi
TV series thing? I missed that. Ah, the things you miss by going to Paris for two weeks and eating dessert every day, much of it chocolate…
My suitcase was a bit more downmarket, I’m afraid, except for the bottle of Calvados. I have a confession to make: I love the spaghetti sauces at LeaderPrice and FranPrix. I will post photos after I get back the from conference I have to go to tomorrow…
Melanie
That is a very beautiful photo of La Tour d’Eiffel
Jayne
Oh Laura, I think I’d enjoy having you send me a suitcase of goodies such as these. Now don’t get me wrong, I *adore* the scent of sandalwood but chocolate? Ah, divine.
melinda
Oh, I see you love rose flavour! I too came back from Paris with rose ,voilet, mimosa and spearmint sugered flowers for my cakes and I see some rose syrup . I brought back voilet syrup and I do not know what to do with it but the bottle was lovely. Thats the thing with the French – packaging. They do it so well!
laura
Poor Michelle! I hope you’ll start getting over the nausea soon.
Melinda, I was at a fair of flowers where they had a tasting of syrups. I remember the mimosa in particular, because it was the first time I had tasted it. I’ve never seen it crystallized. But I love crystallized roses, violets, and mint for how pretty it looks against chocolate! 🙂
Hi, Robin! How nice of you to drop in. From what I understand, whenever one’s agent calls and says, “Do you have any extra copies, we’re looking at this TV series possibility?” an author should never even think about getting excited. These things usually come to nothing from what I’ve heard. I don’t really know–it’s my first time at this.
Mimi, sometimes we bring home vinaigrettes and mayonnaise and things like that, too. With the baby and all the birthday presents her relatives gave her, though, we didn’t have very much room. Not after the slate tiles and the chocolate. 🙂
Isn’t sandalwood wonderful, Jayne? But you’re right, chocolate is in a class by itself!
And thank you, Melanie! I’m not sure if my sister-in-law took that one or Sébastien did.
melinda
Laura, the mimosa looks fabulous ontop of homemade rum balls – the yellow ball ontop of a bigger Chocolate ball is to die for!
What are you doing with the sryup??? I have voilet and I cannot think what to do with it! LOL
laura
I don’t know yet, either. Perhaps it will be a prize for some contest; the food-blogging world sometimes has flower-themed “days”. This coming book is set among roses, so I was very much on a rose theme as a shopped. Another classic (at least around Grasse) is to drop a crystallized rose petal in the bottom of a glass of champagne, too. That is such a pretty touch!
laura
P.S. Melinda, for your violet syrup, I just spotted this idea on Clarice’s blog:
http://storybookwoods.typepad.com/storybook_woods/2007/05/violet_spritzer.html#comment-72981982
Paris Sorbet
When will you tell about the glaciers..?