Thursday night continued:
After DoMac, I picked up a quicky slice of farcita at Arte della Pizza and returned back to our favorite little wine brewer where we snagged up a bottle of cold proseco (sparkling wine). Jay's back was hurting after the long day walking on the islands, so we just walked to the next-door bar for a pair of pints. I sampled Gunisses' "Harp" lager and was very pleasantly surprised.
We decided to make it an early night and hit up the rialto fish markets the next day.
Damages:
pizza: 2 EUR
1/2 liter of prosecco: 1,25
1 pint of harp: 4,50
After a great breakfast, we headed down to see some fishy action. Wow. Venice does not dissapoint on the seafood. They had everything -- some were even still alive. From squid ink to eel to tuna larger than our bed, we were visually treated to some of the most beautiful catches of the day.
We walked along home in search of some souvenirs to take back. At first I thought I wanted a mask, but when faced with a starting price of 15 EUR, I quickly reconsidered and thought a picture would do just fine. I'll spend my money on a great last dinner tonight, a sachet of italian spices to bring back to my famiglia, and a couple post cards to send back home.
Jay's been really captivated by the murano glass and he picked up a wine stopper for about 15 EUR at a glass place.
My "souvenir" tasted great tonight. At 16,50 I couldn't have done better -- a piece of lasagne I'll never forget, a couple of glasses of real italian wine, and a baked slice of breaded pork chop that couldn't have been more of a "comfort food" unless it was baked by paula dean herself.
Our night took us to an italian kareoke bar where a pair of mojitos wet my whistle as we listened to the italians' tribute to america's finest: christina agulera, britney spears, no doubt, and madonna. We also got to hear some italian tunes.
Damages:
1 hamburger and coke at DoMac: 1,40
three course meal and glasses of wine: 16,50
2 mojitos at the italian kareoke bar: 8,00
We woke up early and walked down to check out of our hotel when the unthinkable happened -- we were locked in the building and no one was to be found at the so-called 24 hour lobby. We looked like inmates, banging on the door for help from the outside. The woman who runs the neighbooring restaurant walked by and laughed at us, mumbling something in Italian. 15 minutes later, the lobby guys wandered back in and looked surprised that we were so anxious to leave (it's not like we had a flight to catch or anything...).
After that, all was well -- we got on our 2,50 EUR bus, went to our airport, waited in lines, flew to Zurich, and flew back to Paris where we caught our RER back to my poor lonely apt. We also got a lot done today: we went to the apt agency handling Jay's apt and got forms signed and squared away. He'll be living in the 11th district (right next to my district) if all continues as well as it has been with this landlord.
We finished the night with a walk around the gardens of luxembourg, down St. Michel to Notre Dame, and some supermarket pick-ups. I've been craving the chili so I picked up a good stock. Jay grabbed a baguette, some sodas, and some champagne.
Now there was something else I was supposed to do... oh right, homework.... about that...
I'll get back to you all when I un-glue my face from my book.
Total damages today:
1 bus ticket: 2,50 EUR
1 RER ticket: 8,50 EUR
4 potatoes and 2 mega cans of chili: 4,71 EUR
2 cans of corn and 1 jar of bolegnese sauce: 1,79
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Murano, Burano, and Torcello
Wednesday Continued:
After MacDo, we went in search of the vaporettos that would be taking us to Murano, Burano, and Torcello Thursday. Jay took many pictures while I meandered in and out of local shops in search of some local flavors to bring back home.
Jay headed back to the room while I went in search of local wines to accompany our dinner for the evening. I came up shorthanded and settled on 2 pints of beer when suddenly, on my way back to the apt, I saw a place offering the impossible: wines by the liter?! at less than 3 EUR? some less than two?
I walked inside and asked the adorable man to explain how this worked. Basically, he brews a large variety of local wines (he had at least 12 spouts). He sells his wine by the liter and even provides you with a plastic bottle should you not have your own. Since cork screws are not carry-on standard on the airplanes these days, we have been unable to taste local wines outside of the bars until now. I excitedly grabbed a liter of cab sav at 1,80 and told the man that we would likely be back.
I came back to the room, woke jay up, and the two of us went out for pizza at -- you guessed it -- arte della pizza. We just haven't found a single better or cheaper place on the island, and this one is walking distance from us. We went for an automno pizza this time, something that the chefs suggested to us which I can only imagine means "autumn." It was fantastic. Fresh veggies all over and drenched in mozzarella cheese, topped with spicy salame. We could barely finish the pizza but left the room happy and looking for excitement. We noted a karaoke bar earlier in the day, so we headed down.
After getting lost, getting found, and finding the place, we ended up as happy campers with a pair of 4 EUR mojitos -- made strong with tons of fresh mint thanks to the friendly bar tender. This area was really lively for venice -- a couple bars in the area were really cooking with locals. We tried another where we got a pair of 1/2 pints of the italian beer, Nastros, for 2,20.
On our way back, we almost got lost yet again, but we ran into another lost and english speaking couple, so together we ended up finding our route. We talked for a while and had a few laughs before heading back home.
Cheers to a great night!
Total Damages wednesday (post MacDo):
2 cans of beer, 1 liter of wine: 90 centimes + 1,80 centimes
2 scoops gelato: 1,70
1 box fettuccine: 1,05
Thursday: To the Islands!
VENICE ON A BUDGET TIP:
A one way boat trip to any of the other islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello), costs 6,50 per person. One way. This means a round trip to one single island will cost you about 13 EUR. This is ridiculous. However, if you shell out only 3 EUR more, you can obtain an unlimited 12 hour pass which lets you ride the waves between all three islands and venice as much as you want. Jay and I devoted 12 hours of our thursday to doing just this.
We got off at Murono first, knowing that the glass blowing demos start early and end at about noon. After we stepped off the boat, we were immediately greeted by glass blowers who ushered us into their studio for a demonstration. It cost us 2 EUR, but it was absolutely worth it.
We watched the master hands of a man who's been blowing glass at murono for 45 years now as he turned chuncks of molten yellow goo into beautiful vases and elegant horses in mere seconds. Literally, seconds. It was like magic.
We spent the rest of our time in Murono touring the glass shops where gorgeous glass chandeliers and goblets cast colored shadows on the ground.
We took off from Murono to Burono, a lesser known island a little bit further from Venice. To characterize Burono for you: Murono has glass, Burono has lace. Lace is EVERYWHERE in Burono, and where it isn't being sold, it's being made, or covering tables, windows, etc... We got to tour a shop where we got to see a woman making lace in the tradition of Burono women. It's actually the most complicated thing ever. It takes them like 2 months to make a napkin.
Basically, there are 7 stitches in traditional lace, and each Burono woman specializes in one stitch. After receiving a design, each woman will contribute her piece and the hand it over to the next woman.
Burono is actually my favorite of the islands. It was just so beautiful -- the houses were painted such vibrant colors and the waters were so beautiful.
I picked up a little lace-embroidered napkin filled with lavender from a family of burono lace makers for a special someone back home.
Next we went on to Torcetto, where there were much less people and the atmosphere was much more "old world". It was a nice place to mellow out, walk around, and relax. We took our time with the boat rides home, too, taking the long way home on an open-air boat that let us take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. We wanted the most out of our 16 EUR after all!
Now we're putting in a quicky at MacDo to tell you all we made it back alive. Tonight it's back in Venice for some great fun before our last day tomorrow! Ciao!
Total damages so far Thursday:
Vaporetto tickets: 16 EUR
Glass demo: 2 EUR
1 burger at MacDo: 1 EUR
After MacDo, we went in search of the vaporettos that would be taking us to Murano, Burano, and Torcello Thursday. Jay took many pictures while I meandered in and out of local shops in search of some local flavors to bring back home.
Jay headed back to the room while I went in search of local wines to accompany our dinner for the evening. I came up shorthanded and settled on 2 pints of beer when suddenly, on my way back to the apt, I saw a place offering the impossible: wines by the liter?! at less than 3 EUR? some less than two?
I walked inside and asked the adorable man to explain how this worked. Basically, he brews a large variety of local wines (he had at least 12 spouts). He sells his wine by the liter and even provides you with a plastic bottle should you not have your own. Since cork screws are not carry-on standard on the airplanes these days, we have been unable to taste local wines outside of the bars until now. I excitedly grabbed a liter of cab sav at 1,80 and told the man that we would likely be back.
I came back to the room, woke jay up, and the two of us went out for pizza at -- you guessed it -- arte della pizza. We just haven't found a single better or cheaper place on the island, and this one is walking distance from us. We went for an automno pizza this time, something that the chefs suggested to us which I can only imagine means "autumn." It was fantastic. Fresh veggies all over and drenched in mozzarella cheese, topped with spicy salame. We could barely finish the pizza but left the room happy and looking for excitement. We noted a karaoke bar earlier in the day, so we headed down.
After getting lost, getting found, and finding the place, we ended up as happy campers with a pair of 4 EUR mojitos -- made strong with tons of fresh mint thanks to the friendly bar tender. This area was really lively for venice -- a couple bars in the area were really cooking with locals. We tried another where we got a pair of 1/2 pints of the italian beer, Nastros, for 2,20.
On our way back, we almost got lost yet again, but we ran into another lost and english speaking couple, so together we ended up finding our route. We talked for a while and had a few laughs before heading back home.
Cheers to a great night!
Total Damages wednesday (post MacDo):
2 cans of beer, 1 liter of wine: 90 centimes + 1,80 centimes
2 scoops gelato: 1,70
1 box fettuccine: 1,05
Thursday: To the Islands!
VENICE ON A BUDGET TIP:
A one way boat trip to any of the other islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello), costs 6,50 per person. One way. This means a round trip to one single island will cost you about 13 EUR. This is ridiculous. However, if you shell out only 3 EUR more, you can obtain an unlimited 12 hour pass which lets you ride the waves between all three islands and venice as much as you want. Jay and I devoted 12 hours of our thursday to doing just this.
We got off at Murono first, knowing that the glass blowing demos start early and end at about noon. After we stepped off the boat, we were immediately greeted by glass blowers who ushered us into their studio for a demonstration. It cost us 2 EUR, but it was absolutely worth it.
We watched the master hands of a man who's been blowing glass at murono for 45 years now as he turned chuncks of molten yellow goo into beautiful vases and elegant horses in mere seconds. Literally, seconds. It was like magic.
We spent the rest of our time in Murono touring the glass shops where gorgeous glass chandeliers and goblets cast colored shadows on the ground.
We took off from Murono to Burono, a lesser known island a little bit further from Venice. To characterize Burono for you: Murono has glass, Burono has lace. Lace is EVERYWHERE in Burono, and where it isn't being sold, it's being made, or covering tables, windows, etc... We got to tour a shop where we got to see a woman making lace in the tradition of Burono women. It's actually the most complicated thing ever. It takes them like 2 months to make a napkin.
Basically, there are 7 stitches in traditional lace, and each Burono woman specializes in one stitch. After receiving a design, each woman will contribute her piece and the hand it over to the next woman.
Burono is actually my favorite of the islands. It was just so beautiful -- the houses were painted such vibrant colors and the waters were so beautiful.
I picked up a little lace-embroidered napkin filled with lavender from a family of burono lace makers for a special someone back home.
Next we went on to Torcetto, where there were much less people and the atmosphere was much more "old world". It was a nice place to mellow out, walk around, and relax. We took our time with the boat rides home, too, taking the long way home on an open-air boat that let us take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. We wanted the most out of our 16 EUR after all!
Now we're putting in a quicky at MacDo to tell you all we made it back alive. Tonight it's back in Venice for some great fun before our last day tomorrow! Ciao!
Total damages so far Thursday:
Vaporetto tickets: 16 EUR
Glass demo: 2 EUR
1 burger at MacDo: 1 EUR
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
More Venice updates!
After yesterday's lunch at micky D's, Jay went back to the apt. to crash while I took the camera back out for some touring of the windy streets. I returned home with a massive canoli in hand to wake up my sleepy boyfriend just in time for dinner at Arte della Pizza.
This was another local spot suggested to us by the same guide that lead us to Da Lucca e Fred, and we were once again not disapointed. As we entered this little hole in the wall of a pizzaria, we were once again in a 'locals only' type atmosphere, where only one of the 3 staff members could speak to us in English. She helped us choose a pizza (a huge one for only 4,50 EUR!) and we took in all the gorgeous smells as we waited for them to cook it for us.
We took our pizza back to the hotel where we ate it with some wine we bought at the supermarket earlier and then finished the meal off with the enormous canoli. We then took to the streets. First a pub where I sampled the local italian beer, then a wine bar for 1 EUR house wine.
Total damages tuesday continued:
1 canoli: ,89 EUR
1/2 pizza, 1 beer, 1 cup of house wine: 7, 50
Today (after filling up on an epic breakfast of course) we took to the streets yet again, and walked around the canals aimlessly, doing some shopping and taking tons of pictures. We stopped at a local bakery for more canolis (only 90 centimes each! Take that, Bravo Pizzaria in Santa Monica!).
Now we're pausing breifly at DoMac for some internet and resting. More updates later!
Total damages Wed:
1 chocolate canoli of the gods: 90 centimes
You can check out some of the point-and-shoot photos we've been taking here:
http://s818.photobucket.com/albums/zz101/E_Grossman/
You'll have to wait until our return to Paris in order to view the DSLR photos since I'll want to develop them at the photo studio first :)
This was another local spot suggested to us by the same guide that lead us to Da Lucca e Fred, and we were once again not disapointed. As we entered this little hole in the wall of a pizzaria, we were once again in a 'locals only' type atmosphere, where only one of the 3 staff members could speak to us in English. She helped us choose a pizza (a huge one for only 4,50 EUR!) and we took in all the gorgeous smells as we waited for them to cook it for us.
We took our pizza back to the hotel where we ate it with some wine we bought at the supermarket earlier and then finished the meal off with the enormous canoli. We then took to the streets. First a pub where I sampled the local italian beer, then a wine bar for 1 EUR house wine.
Total damages tuesday continued:
1 canoli: ,89 EUR
1/2 pizza, 1 beer, 1 cup of house wine: 7, 50
Today (after filling up on an epic breakfast of course) we took to the streets yet again, and walked around the canals aimlessly, doing some shopping and taking tons of pictures. We stopped at a local bakery for more canolis (only 90 centimes each! Take that, Bravo Pizzaria in Santa Monica!).
Now we're pausing breifly at DoMac for some internet and resting. More updates later!
Total damages Wed:
1 chocolate canoli of the gods: 90 centimes
You can check out some of the point-and-shoot photos we've been taking here:
http://s818.photobucket.com/albums/zz101/E_Grossman/
You'll have to wait until our return to Paris in order to view the DSLR photos since I'll want to develop them at the photo studio first :)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Greetings from Venice!
I've been away from the blog for a few days for 1 very important reason: we're in VENICE!!!
We don't have internet at the Hotel, but we decided to bite the bullet and spend an hour at Mc Donalds for the sake of informing everyone that we're alive and well!
We got into venice at around 7:30 on Sunday, and after consulting with the travel authorities, decided our best option would be to take the bus into Venice and then walk about 200 yards to our hotel. The bus, unlike the water transport, is very cheap (only 3 EUR) but only gets you so far onto the island. Lucky for us, our hotel was really close to the bus terminal and was located on a main road, so would have no trouble finding the place.
Driving into venice at night feels like flying into neverneverland. There's such a disneyland quality about the place: everything seems too beautiful to be real, too perfectly crafted to look like the magical place that it is. In a strange way, Venice seems to be it's own simulacre, an imitation of itself. Perhaps I feel this way because I've only seen places like this in movies or in theme parks where the beauty is, and can only be, a set. The art directors and themepark designers must have done a good job because (even now) I often find myself thinking that XYZ building looks like a repilica of the building that was actually replicating the one I just saw. Confusing, right?
I'll get back to telling you about our first night...
Upon arrival, we noticed that the city was pretty alive for a Sunday night. In Paris, most things are closed on Sundy, so we were pleased to find a pizzaria open right near by. We each grabbed a HUGE slice (I got mushrooms and proccuto for 2 EUR) and began to walk around. Venice is just gorgeous.
We finished the night with a cone of gelato each. Only 1 EUR/ scoop!? Wow. The gelato here is really cheap. Actually, all the food seemed really cheap, and yet -- it's not. It just shows you how espensive Paris is when food at 2/3 to 1/2 the price of Paris food is still pricey. I find myself lusting after every 1,50 - 2 EUR slice of pizza and gelato stands offering 3 scoops at 2,50 (the price of 1 scoop at the cheap places in Paris).
After a good walk, we took our exhausted and full-bellied selves back to our little hotel. It's actually quite perfect. It's perfectly located with many great shops and eateries around. They speak english at the front desk, serve breakfast starting at 8am, and even gave us a map (in english!) of things to do in venice. The room is also gorgeous -- easily bigger than my room in Paris with a gorgeous view. Sharing the bathroom and shower with the other 4 rooms on our floor seemed like it might become a bit bothersome, but it has been perfectly fine. I haven't even seen any of the other guests on our floor.
Total Damages Sunday:
RER to airport: 8,50 EUR
Bus to venice: 3 EUR
1 slice of pizza: 2 EUR
1 scoop of gelato: 1 EUR
We woke up early to the sounds of church bells and hurried down to the continental breakfast. Wow. What a spread! We wern't expecting much seeing as we had booked this place as a "budget" hotel (actually cheaper than the hostel!), but we were surprised to find our continental breakfast included: 2 slices of bread, full spread of meat and cheese, huge pot of whatever hot beverage you select, fresh juices, nutella, cereal, yogurt, jam, crackers, butter, and honey.
Our day began with a trip down to ponte rialto and the rialto fish markets where we got lost on purpose in the little windy streets.We made our way down tot he piazzale s. marco for a tour of the tourists, some live music, and a great view of the ocean. We then went down to the arsenal and the "military zone" before we found our way back to the hotel through a maze of winding streets.
We found our pizzara of choice closed on mondays and thus went back to the little place by our hotel to grab a slice and some gelato before taking a necessary afternoon nap. I grabbed a margarhita and 2 scoops of gelato (1,50 the slice, 1,90 the two scoops). YUM.
We woke up just in time to go to our "big spender" dinner. We wanted to go to a place where the locals go, and after consulting our guidebook, decided we would grab the set menu at Da Lucca e Fred where the local atmosphere was coupled with excellent seafood. It was important to us to try the local seafood, since the fish markets have taught us that everything is pretty damn fresh around here. We grabbed a set menu of salad, clam spaghetti, and fried calamari and shrimp (13,50 each). There were also some fried anchovies thrown in there; I still can't bring myself to eat a fish's head, so my plate ended up looking rather morbid, covered in little heads. We added on a liter of house wine for 6 EUR to split. I was more than full afterwards.
We went for a night walk, stopped back at da lucca for a glass of wine at the bar, and then wentto another local bar for a glass of white wine (1 EUR a glass!) and some guns and roses on the télé. A great night.
Total damages monday:
pizza margarita: 1,50
2 scoops of gelato: 1,90
dinner and wine: 16,50
1 glass of red 1,50
1 glass of white 1,50
Today we filled up on breakfast and went back town to the pl. s. marco, determined to actually wait in line and go inside the basillica today. Our plan worked -- we arrived just before it opened at 9:45 and made it inside. We did the free tour, enjoying the view, the architecture, the paintings, everything!
We walked along the water and through some streets before coming across another giant church. We went inside and cooled off underneath the giant dome (it's actually been quite hot here -- only down to 16 degrees C even at night!)
Now we're hanging out at mc donalds for an hour or so, resting our feet and checking up on the outside world. Our plans for tonight include pizza, wine, and venitian masks! See you all at our next mc donald's visit!
Total damages so far tuesday:
2 hamburgers at MacDo with a side of internet: 2 EUR
Starting to upload the point-and-shoot photos to the photobucket. The DSLR photos will have to wait until we get back to Paris where I can develop them in the photo lab with Floriane :)
http://s818.photobucket.com/albums/zz101/E_Grossman/
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Le Timbre
You know, just hangin' out with Christopher Wright,head (and only) chef at Le Timbre.
Just your average Saturday night. Oh wait...
Seriously though, how do I describe in words the fantastic experience of my sensations while eating Christopher Wright's delicious take on French cuisine? Quite the impossible task, and sadly, I do not have photos to illustrate the beauty of the food before I inhaled it. However, I will give a brief rundown of the experience and highly recommend that you dine at Le Timbre during your next trip to Paris. Student or not, this is one not to miss -- and at 30 EUR for 3 courses at dinner, you can't get a cheaper, and dare I say better, michelin rated restaurant.
Le Timbre is exactly what it's name suggests: a small postage stamp- sized dinning room with a kitchen big enough only for 2 people. Luckily, there are only 2 people in this kitchen that opens up into the dining hall: one of them is Christopher Wright himself, the head and only chef at le timbre, the other is the dishwasher. The third member of the Le Timbre crew is the hard working hostess/ waitress who manages 24 customers all at once.
You have to make reservations to even get seen at Le Timbre due to its size, and we made ours for Saturday night at 9:30 pm. Upon arrival, we scooted snuggly into the table selected for us. We were offered an appératif of champagne which we couldn't refuse. Sipping on our champagne, we got to sneak a peak at what the diners around us were having. I heard the woman next to me raving over something that looked and smelled delicious, and I was sold before I even saw the menu.
The menu came out and as we looked over the wide and tempting selections, the waitress translated it into English and announced the specials.
The menu at Le Timbre tonight.Jay's selections:
Effeuille de haddock aux endives
Magret de canard, choucroute de navets
Queielles de chocolat, crème au jasmin
My selections:
Croustillant de hure de chochon aux capres
Plat du jour: confit du canard aux lentiles
Millefeuille du timbre
Jay said his favorite dish was the haddock, and I have to say, it tasted (in the words of barbara streisand) "like buttah." I have a really hard time pinpointing my favorite dish, but I remember that the confit du canard slid right off the bones, tasted like heaven, and made me feel like I could eat nothing else for the rest of my life that tasted so good. Ok, so perhaps I did have a favorite. But the millefeuille and croustillant were also delicious.
We each took a glass of wine that the hostess/ waitress recomended to us to accompany our dinner. 2 hours later, we were a pair of full and satisfied customers. I even told Jay that we should come back for lunch sometime, when the price goes down to an even more managable 20 EUR/ meal. We congratulated Mr. Wright for a meal well done and thanked him profusely for making our night. I'm sure he was exhausted, but he even let us take photos with him.
Jay with an exhausted Christopher Wright --the endurance on this guy is amazing!
Total damages today:
greek pita sandwich and french fries: 5 EUR
dinner at le timbre, 1 glass of champagne, 1 glass of wine: 45 EUR
Friday, October 23, 2009
JAY'S HERE!
Jay arrived today!
I surprised him with a huge spread of French delights: brie, chevre, cold cuts, 2 baguettes from biatrix, 4 croissants, nutella, bananas, jam, beer and champagne.
After chowing down and taking an epic nap, we went out for a night walk and returned to the apt to finish off the rest of my chili and potatoes. I introduced Jay, the biggest fan of sour cream, to the beauty that is crème fraiche, and I think he enjoyed it.
We're off to bed now, expecting an early morning tomorrow full of exploration and a wonderful dinner at le timbre. I'm about the happiest girl in the world right now. Updates of big smiles to follow!
Total Damages today:
4 croissants: 2,00 EUR
2 bananas: 40 centimes
2 baguettes from biatrix: 1,70
I surprised him with a huge spread of French delights: brie, chevre, cold cuts, 2 baguettes from biatrix, 4 croissants, nutella, bananas, jam, beer and champagne.
After chowing down and taking an epic nap, we went out for a night walk and returned to the apt to finish off the rest of my chili and potatoes. I introduced Jay, the biggest fan of sour cream, to the beauty that is crème fraiche, and I think he enjoyed it.
We're off to bed now, expecting an early morning tomorrow full of exploration and a wonderful dinner at le timbre. I'm about the happiest girl in the world right now. Updates of big smiles to follow!
Total Damages today:
4 croissants: 2,00 EUR
2 bananas: 40 centimes
2 baguettes from biatrix: 1,70
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Jay arrives tomorrow!
Morning at photo class. I read over the midterm and chompon a cookie while Philippe uses my camera to explain something.
Looking exhausted as Philippe explains depth of field.
Philippe took photos of me at the Hotel Sully in the Marais.Notice my giant fuzzy "statement scarf."
I'm getting so excited for Jay's visit -- he arrives tomorrow and I can't wait to do all the fun parisian things I've come to love with my very own love. Paris is such a romanic city -- couples even make the metro look like the bridal suite at a hotel. It's impossible not to miss your special someone when you're in this city alone, and I'm so happy he'll be here soon to share it with me. After two days of settling in and stuffing ourselves full of those last few baguettes, we'll be headed off to the 2nd most romantic city I can think of: Venice! I'm SO excited!
On a budget note, I've realized that my last grocery run was probably unnecessary (or at least too close to my departure for Venice) because I have so much left to eat! I'm going to get on this right away and chow down on some chili and potatoes with crème fresh -- my new favorite automne dish.
Total Damages today:
1 coissant: ,95 centimes
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"Loosing my religion," Multiculutral Marais, and dinner aux Penguins
I've been a bad, bad blogger. Clearly I have been swallowed up by "mes études" lately and have neglected sharing the wonderful banalities of life in Paris. Here are some joyous tidbits of my life for those of you still crazy enough to follow along:
Tuesday:
After meeting with my professor for my class, la france multiculturelle, I created a series of questions to ask locals in le marais when I set out on my quest for interviewees. I decided to start my interviews with the chinese community.
Clearly, I did not realize how difficult my assignment was going to be. I thought the biggest problem would be my french, not theirs, but almost every local I spoke to didn't want to answer my questions because they did not feel they could speak to me in French. True or just a brilliant strategy to avoid talking to a silly american student, I was about ready to cry until a young woman offered to answer my questions by email. I haven't gotten a reply yet, but I have hope.
After such a lack of sucess with the chinese community, I decided to head to a place where I at least culturally identified with the group of people I was going to interview: the jewish community on rue des rosiers! This turned out much more successful, though it posed problems of it's own.
I stopped first oustide the famous l'as du falafel, where I saw 3 young men talking among themselves (it was only 10 am at this point, so the long lines had not yet formed). I introduced myself to the men, and asked if they could help. Much more warm and welcoming than the chinese community, they at least looked at my paper before giving me an excuse: they didn't want to talk about their lives, their childhoods in particular. Desperate for an interviewee at this point, I told them that they didn't need to answer every question, and I wouldn't even take notes, let alone record their voices. This satisfied the youngest of them, Chai, who agreed to have a conversation with me about his experiences in France.
A young Israeli from Tel Aviv, he learned to speak French working at the falafel stand: "avant d'arriver ici, je ne savais dire que 2 mots en français. Ils étaient falafel et shwarma." (Before ariving here, I only knew 2 words in french. They were falafel and shwarma.) Chai gave me a lot of good information about the young israeli community in the Marais and shocked me by saying that he preferred the falafels here at l'as du falafel over the falafels in Israel.
Feeling grateful for the excellent material (I even got a portrait of him with my camera), I bought myself a falafel and hung out with the staff.
Wednesday:
On the way to school today I listened to a French man butcher some American songs on the Metro. I was treated to "loosing my religion" and some other sounds that sounded less like English and more like moaning. I mean, the French have such great music, why did he feel the need to sing American songs? I wondered why this man was getting so much money from old women for singing words I know he himself did not understand. But then, I thought, perhaps he was wiser than me, knowing that French might prefer English songs in the comforting sounds of their own familiar accent. Still, I wanted to let him know that I really didn't believe anyone would call him "da spahs koh-boy" (the space cowboy) or "da gangs her off lahf" (the gangster of love).
The rest of my day was pretty academically spent until 6pm when I got the chance to go to dinner with some French students at a restaurant called "les penguins". The dinner was great -- quiche, steak, and apple pie -- all I ever wanted after an exhausting school day. I also really connected with about 4 of the girls, so we exchanged numbers and email addresses. One of the girls goes to high school in my neighborhood, so it would be very easy to meet up.
I'm now exhausted and contemplating crashing but have so much left to do before photoclass tomorrow!
Total Damages Tuesday and Wednesday:
falafel: 5 EUR
cookies: 1,01 EUR
2 chocolate bars with noisettes to share with my class for my "exposé" on chocolat: 1,50 EUR
Tuesday:
After meeting with my professor for my class, la france multiculturelle, I created a series of questions to ask locals in le marais when I set out on my quest for interviewees. I decided to start my interviews with the chinese community.
Clearly, I did not realize how difficult my assignment was going to be. I thought the biggest problem would be my french, not theirs, but almost every local I spoke to didn't want to answer my questions because they did not feel they could speak to me in French. True or just a brilliant strategy to avoid talking to a silly american student, I was about ready to cry until a young woman offered to answer my questions by email. I haven't gotten a reply yet, but I have hope.
After such a lack of sucess with the chinese community, I decided to head to a place where I at least culturally identified with the group of people I was going to interview: the jewish community on rue des rosiers! This turned out much more successful, though it posed problems of it's own.
I stopped first oustide the famous l'as du falafel, where I saw 3 young men talking among themselves (it was only 10 am at this point, so the long lines had not yet formed). I introduced myself to the men, and asked if they could help. Much more warm and welcoming than the chinese community, they at least looked at my paper before giving me an excuse: they didn't want to talk about their lives, their childhoods in particular. Desperate for an interviewee at this point, I told them that they didn't need to answer every question, and I wouldn't even take notes, let alone record their voices. This satisfied the youngest of them, Chai, who agreed to have a conversation with me about his experiences in France.
A young Israeli from Tel Aviv, he learned to speak French working at the falafel stand: "avant d'arriver ici, je ne savais dire que 2 mots en français. Ils étaient falafel et shwarma." (Before ariving here, I only knew 2 words in french. They were falafel and shwarma.) Chai gave me a lot of good information about the young israeli community in the Marais and shocked me by saying that he preferred the falafels here at l'as du falafel over the falafels in Israel.
Feeling grateful for the excellent material (I even got a portrait of him with my camera), I bought myself a falafel and hung out with the staff.
Wednesday:
On the way to school today I listened to a French man butcher some American songs on the Metro. I was treated to "loosing my religion" and some other sounds that sounded less like English and more like moaning. I mean, the French have such great music, why did he feel the need to sing American songs? I wondered why this man was getting so much money from old women for singing words I know he himself did not understand. But then, I thought, perhaps he was wiser than me, knowing that French might prefer English songs in the comforting sounds of their own familiar accent. Still, I wanted to let him know that I really didn't believe anyone would call him "da spahs koh-boy" (the space cowboy) or "da gangs her off lahf" (the gangster of love).
The rest of my day was pretty academically spent until 6pm when I got the chance to go to dinner with some French students at a restaurant called "les penguins". The dinner was great -- quiche, steak, and apple pie -- all I ever wanted after an exhausting school day. I also really connected with about 4 of the girls, so we exchanged numbers and email addresses. One of the girls goes to high school in my neighborhood, so it would be very easy to meet up.
I'm now exhausted and contemplating crashing but have so much left to do before photoclass tomorrow!
Total Damages Tuesday and Wednesday:
falafel: 5 EUR
cookies: 1,01 EUR
2 chocolate bars with noisettes to share with my class for my "exposé" on chocolat: 1,50 EUR
Monday, October 19, 2009
Nothing exciting has been happening... yet
These past two days have been full of boring school stuff that no one wants to read about. I have even been slacking on the cooking (I've cheated and made sandwiches and gone to the RESTO U).
On the bright side, I've been rather productive and even printed out some maps of Venice for the upcoming trip!
Jay arrives soon!!!
Total damages for the past two days:
1 baguette at Biatrix: 85 centimes
1 baguette at Biatrix: 85 centimes
1 dinner at Resto U: 2,90
On the bright side, I've been rather productive and even printed out some maps of Venice for the upcoming trip!
Jay arrives soon!!!
Total damages for the past two days:
1 baguette at Biatrix: 85 centimes
1 baguette at Biatrix: 85 centimes
1 dinner at Resto U: 2,90
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Paris gets cold/ I warm up
Fall has finally arrived in Paris which gives the Parisians an excuse to do 2 things:
1. Begin selling Christmas products in stores (really guys?! Is Christmas that big a deal in Paris that you need 2 months to prepare? Well, I guess you don't have the intermittent holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving, so I'll cut you some slack...)
2. Go shopping for cold weather clothes.
Today I participated in the later. I went for an afternoon walk after finishing my homework, got caught in the rain, and ended up in the foule (crowd) walking in between Zara and H&M on the rue de rivoli.
I've been in the market for some winter items ever since I thought my fingers were going to freeze off last Thursday, when I went to Montmartre with my photo class and was unprepared for the sudden change into fall weather. I have a decent supply of gloves, 2 real scarves, and 1 hat, but the Parisians do the fall/winter style so well, I thought I could really update my look with some parisians must haves.
I am not that great with fashion, but for those of you that desperately want to know what a stylish Parisian is wearing this fall, I will give you a brief list of the "must haves."
1. the boyfriend blazer
2. the faux leather jacket (preferably zip-up) in brown or black
3. a good pair of boots
4. the skinny jean (they call it "slim" here)
5. the statement scarf (these range from plaid to woven, small to chunky, but no parisian leaves the apt without a scarf. if she's not wearing it, check her purse)
Rocking the boots, leather jacket, and the statement scarf.
The boyfriend blazer, skinny jeans, and boots
(and probably a scarf in the bag).
I got myself "the statement scarf." It's huge, comfy, and warmmm. It's so big that when I wear it, it not only covers my neck, but my ears and some of my chin, too. At three times the length of my couch, this thing means business. I didn't mind shelling out the 14,95 EUR (which is actually a bargin for this type of scarf) for something I knew I would use all semester. By the time I left the store, all the other scarves of the same style were grabbed off of the shelves by other deal-seaking parisians.
sticking to caps in blacks and browns.
Feeling that the scarf was enough for one day, I decided to warm myself up using other tactics. I went to ED and Franprix and bought some comfort food. You can get a huge can of chili con carne for around 2 EUR at pretty much any supermarket, but my favorite kind comes from Franprix, where they attach a little pouch of chili seasoning. It makes me feel more like I'm cooking. I like to add in some corn and canned beans, too, as the chili is a little to thick for me as it comes. I add a little crème fraiche and serve it next to a boiled potato -- perfection!
Total damages today:
ED groceries (1 bucket of crème fraiche, 1 bottle of cab sav, 1 kg of pasta): 3,99 EUR
Franprix groceries (1 packet of salami, 6 potatoes, 2 tomatoes, 1 can of red beans, 1 can of chili con carne): 5,32 EUR
1 scarf at Zara: 15 EUR
1. Begin selling Christmas products in stores (really guys?! Is Christmas that big a deal in Paris that you need 2 months to prepare? Well, I guess you don't have the intermittent holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving, so I'll cut you some slack...)
2. Go shopping for cold weather clothes.
Today I participated in the later. I went for an afternoon walk after finishing my homework, got caught in the rain, and ended up in the foule (crowd) walking in between Zara and H&M on the rue de rivoli.
I've been in the market for some winter items ever since I thought my fingers were going to freeze off last Thursday, when I went to Montmartre with my photo class and was unprepared for the sudden change into fall weather. I have a decent supply of gloves, 2 real scarves, and 1 hat, but the Parisians do the fall/winter style so well, I thought I could really update my look with some parisians must haves.
I am not that great with fashion, but for those of you that desperately want to know what a stylish Parisian is wearing this fall, I will give you a brief list of the "must haves."
1. the boyfriend blazer
2. the faux leather jacket (preferably zip-up) in brown or black
3. a good pair of boots
4. the skinny jean (they call it "slim" here)
5. the statement scarf (these range from plaid to woven, small to chunky, but no parisian leaves the apt without a scarf. if she's not wearing it, check her purse)
Rocking the boots, leather jacket, and the statement scarf.The boyfriend blazer, skinny jeans, and boots(and probably a scarf in the bag).
I got myself "the statement scarf." It's huge, comfy, and warmmm. It's so big that when I wear it, it not only covers my neck, but my ears and some of my chin, too. At three times the length of my couch, this thing means business. I didn't mind shelling out the 14,95 EUR (which is actually a bargin for this type of scarf) for something I knew I would use all semester. By the time I left the store, all the other scarves of the same style were grabbed off of the shelves by other deal-seaking parisians.
Having already gotten the pair of slim jeans at a boutique in montmartre, I am now only in the market for the boyfriend blazer and a beret-style hat. No one wears the beret in Paris (except very classy old women and tourists), but there are more casual looking knit versions of the beret that look very chic. Many girls will wear them low on the head, with their hair tucked into the cap.
Here are some celebrities wearing the hat.
The Parisians tend to keep it a little more subtle than this,Here are some celebrities wearing the hat. sticking to caps in blacks and browns.
Feeling that the scarf was enough for one day, I decided to warm myself up using other tactics. I went to ED and Franprix and bought some comfort food. You can get a huge can of chili con carne for around 2 EUR at pretty much any supermarket, but my favorite kind comes from Franprix, where they attach a little pouch of chili seasoning. It makes me feel more like I'm cooking. I like to add in some corn and canned beans, too, as the chili is a little to thick for me as it comes. I add a little crème fraiche and serve it next to a boiled potato -- perfection!
Total damages today:
ED groceries (1 bucket of crème fraiche, 1 bottle of cab sav, 1 kg of pasta): 3,99 EUR
Franprix groceries (1 packet of salami, 6 potatoes, 2 tomatoes, 1 can of red beans, 1 can of chili con carne): 5,32 EUR
1 scarf at Zara: 15 EUR
Friday, October 16, 2009
Salon du chocolat: Best 12 EUR I've ever spent
I am exhausted and the happiest I have been on this trip yet!
I just spent one of the best days ever at the Salon du chocolat, where I had some life changing experiences that I will share with you all when I am better rested and have some photos uploaded to illustrate my thoughts.
Here's a little preview for you guys. Note: None of these photos have been photoshop-ed. Their beauty is entirely credited to the amazing artists who created these masterpieces that I was lucky enough to capture on film.
Gorgeous creation by pastry chef at le bristol, Laurent Jeannin.
More pictures on my Flickr Page.
Total Damages on this most wonderful of days:
1 baguette from Biatrix: 85 centimes
1 ticket to the Salon du Chocolat: 12 EUR
I just spent one of the best days ever at the Salon du chocolat, where I had some life changing experiences that I will share with you all when I am better rested and have some photos uploaded to illustrate my thoughts.
Here's a little preview for you guys. Note: None of these photos have been photoshop-ed. Their beauty is entirely credited to the amazing artists who created these masterpieces that I was lucky enough to capture on film.
The theme of this year's salon: l'opéra et la musique
Gorgeous creation by pastry chef at le bristol, Laurent Jeannin.
Meet Michel Roth, head chef at Le Ritz:
Meet the fois gras prepared by Michel for yours truly:
Meet angle two of fois gras:
Meet a piece of china from the Ritz:
More pictures on my Flickr Page.
Total Damages on this most wonderful of days:
1 baguette from Biatrix: 85 centimes
1 ticket to the Salon du Chocolat: 12 EUR
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Photo class goes to Montmartre
As usual, photos and updates to trickle in slowly.
Total damages today:
baguette: 80 centimes
apple: 44 centimes
Total damages today:
baguette: 80 centimes
apple: 44 centimes
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Don't buy your chapstick in Paris
It took me way too long today to find a chapstick that cost less than 2 EUR a tube. Moral of the story: pick up a pair for a buck in LA before attempting to find something with which to brave the dry cold air in Paris.
In other news, I made a reservation at Le Timbre today. Jay and I will be dining there the 24th of October -- look for updates!
Coming soon:
tomorrow my photo class heads to Montmartre
Friday morning I head out to the salon du chocolat
Jay arrives the 23rd!
Total Damages today:
chapstick: 1,39
baguette: 80 centimes
In other news, I made a reservation at Le Timbre today. Jay and I will be dining there the 24th of October -- look for updates!
Coming soon:
tomorrow my photo class heads to Montmartre
Friday morning I head out to the salon du chocolat
Jay arrives the 23rd!
Total Damages today:
chapstick: 1,39
baguette: 80 centimes
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Hunger strikes!
I don't know why but I woke up today incredibly hungry for something. Maybe it was a french pastry. Maybe it was knowledge. I didn't know what I was craving, so I fed myself a little of both (ok, a lot of both).
We needed some new salt in the apartment, so I walked down to G20 to grab a huge thing of it for 42 centimes. I took the walk back on rue des archives and enjoyed the many chocolate shops getting ready for the Salon du chocolat this weeknd -- I'm getting so excited!
Getting my chocolate appetite up, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do my homework without a little something sweet in my belly, so I picked up a "drop" at Béatrix for 1,25. Yum.
I came home and finished up some homework, cooked up a little real food for lunch (spaghetti with spinach), and headed out the door towards the Musée d'art et d'histoire de judaisme just around the corner.
This cute museum is free for those of us under 26 years old and includes an amazing library. For my class, 'la france multiculturelle,' my teacher suggested that I read up on the formation of the jewish community in my neighborhood (le marais). The libarian handed me a stack of books and I went to work.
On the way out, the receptionist informed me that I could participate in a walking tour of the Marais on just the subject I was researching. It's the 20th of Oct (a Tuesday that I have no classes) and seemed just about perfect except for the 7 EUR pricetag. I'm going to talk to Sarah Lawrence and see if they can reimburse me for the tour as it does play a part in my studies. :: fingers crossed ::
I then went to a very productive meeting with Mme. R-G which I followed up with a nice walk home. My sweet tooth was acting up again, so I decided to try a French candy bar: Lion. I bought 5 since it cost the same as buying 2. My verdict: veeeeery sweet. Almost like a really thick twix with extra crackle. Perfect for a 'petit faim' but definitely not something I could handle all the time.
I just finished my Lion bar when I came across Gibert Joseph and had a 'doh' moment -- I remembered I needed to buy YET ANOTHER book for one of my classes. I detest these expenses even though I know they are still cheaper than in the US. I just think, 'how many laudrée macorons could I have bought with all that money that is going towards much less delicious stacks of paper!?' I was pleasantly surprised this time that my book cost less than even 1 macoron: a mere 80 centimes bought me an "occasion" version of Balsac's Le Chef d'oeuvre inconnu.
I came home and cooked up a spinach and goat cheese fritatta. The french butter just made it SO good. I saved the other half for tomorrow and finished up my dinner with some banana and chocolate chocolate chip ice cream (do you see a chocolate pattern here?).
Total Damages today:
salt: 42 centimes
drop: 1,25
lion chocolate bars: 1,70
book for class: 80 centimes
We needed some new salt in the apartment, so I walked down to G20 to grab a huge thing of it for 42 centimes. I took the walk back on rue des archives and enjoyed the many chocolate shops getting ready for the Salon du chocolat this weeknd -- I'm getting so excited!
Getting my chocolate appetite up, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do my homework without a little something sweet in my belly, so I picked up a "drop" at Béatrix for 1,25. Yum.
I came home and finished up some homework, cooked up a little real food for lunch (spaghetti with spinach), and headed out the door towards the Musée d'art et d'histoire de judaisme just around the corner.
This cute museum is free for those of us under 26 years old and includes an amazing library. For my class, 'la france multiculturelle,' my teacher suggested that I read up on the formation of the jewish community in my neighborhood (le marais). The libarian handed me a stack of books and I went to work.
On the way out, the receptionist informed me that I could participate in a walking tour of the Marais on just the subject I was researching. It's the 20th of Oct (a Tuesday that I have no classes) and seemed just about perfect except for the 7 EUR pricetag. I'm going to talk to Sarah Lawrence and see if they can reimburse me for the tour as it does play a part in my studies. :: fingers crossed ::
I then went to a very productive meeting with Mme. R-G which I followed up with a nice walk home. My sweet tooth was acting up again, so I decided to try a French candy bar: Lion. I bought 5 since it cost the same as buying 2. My verdict: veeeeery sweet. Almost like a really thick twix with extra crackle. Perfect for a 'petit faim' but definitely not something I could handle all the time.
I just finished my Lion bar when I came across Gibert Joseph and had a 'doh' moment -- I remembered I needed to buy YET ANOTHER book for one of my classes. I detest these expenses even though I know they are still cheaper than in the US. I just think, 'how many laudrée macorons could I have bought with all that money that is going towards much less delicious stacks of paper!?' I was pleasantly surprised this time that my book cost less than even 1 macoron: a mere 80 centimes bought me an "occasion" version of Balsac's Le Chef d'oeuvre inconnu.
I came home and cooked up a spinach and goat cheese fritatta. The french butter just made it SO good. I saved the other half for tomorrow and finished up my dinner with some banana and chocolate chocolate chip ice cream (do you see a chocolate pattern here?).
Total Damages today:
salt: 42 centimes
drop: 1,25
lion chocolate bars: 1,70
book for class: 80 centimes
Monday, October 12, 2009
G20 by St. Paul
After lots of classes, I returned home to 2 fried eggs (in gorgeous french butter, of course) and a sausage. I also picked up some stuff at that G20 by St. Paul. Got 12 rolls of toilet paper for 1,55 and that HUGE bucket of faux-nutella for 1,34.
Total Damages today:
1 baguette from biatrix: 85 centimes
toilet paper: 75 centimes
bucket of nutella: 1,34
course reader for "la france multiculturelle": 7 EUR
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Karate at the hôtel de ville and swans on the Seine
Just when you think you've figured her out, Paris throws you a curve ball.
After waking up early this morning to a mad homework and cookie snacking session, I decided it was time to get out of the apt. I am in Paris after all. Good thing I live in the heart of the city -- dragging my little lazy butt downstairs and the 2 blocks it takes to get to hôtel de ville was about all I thought I could handle. However, as the story usually goes with my walks into the city, I was seduced by everything that was happening around me, and decided to spend the afternoon as a flâneur.
I brought along my camera, and boy was I glad I did. There's clearly always something happening in Paris. Today a festival to stop some disease I had never heard of brought out a full group of brazilian musicians and dancers as well as a karate demonstration. The brazilian drums were beating so wildly as the karate demonstration went on, it almost felt like taiko.
Karate demo.
Brazilian band on stage.
I stayed and listened to the music long enough to decide that I was going to see what else was happening near by. I crossed the bridge to île st. louis where I saw a great crowd of street performers. I almost squeezed my way past the spectators to see what the fuss was about until I saw an even more amazing sight -- swans! On the Seine! I had to go over and take pictures. It was pure magic.
I enjoyed many other sights along the way, too. The smells, colors, and sounds here are amazing. The art of spectating is well rewarded with interesting people, shops, and skylines everywhere.
Some chocolates I found in a window on île st. louis.
They reminded me of Sarah's chocolates.
City of wine.
The light purple + green combo is one of my favorites here.
There's something so Marie Antoinette about it.
My mom sometimes asks me if I go see films. To this I reply, "Why would I ever need to see a movie when I have the whole city to watch for free? Paris is my cinema!"
Interesting people watching by the Seine.
Large scale poster art on the river.
The only bad thing about city watching is that, between the long walks and windows full of chocolates and pastries, you tend to work up an appetite. I satisfied mine with a baguette from biatrix accompanied by the last of my first wheel of brie and some blackberry jam. Yum.
Some budget tips for the day: some of the more expensive supermarkets can surprise you with randomly inexpensive items!
Today I found out that there is an even cheaper brand of fake nutella than the one I've been buying at Franprix! Surprisingly, they only sell it at a store that is usually more expensive (G20). However, they don't sell it at all of the G20s, so I didn't know this was available until I went into the G20 at St. Paul. G20 also has this brand of products called 'ep' that is as cheap as, if not cheaper than dia (ED's brand) but they don't always have 'ep' products at every store. From now on, I'm going to check out this G20 in the St. Paul area for nutella and some other cheap-er items.
Total Damages today:
baguette from biatrix: 85 centimes
After waking up early this morning to a mad homework and cookie snacking session, I decided it was time to get out of the apt. I am in Paris after all. Good thing I live in the heart of the city -- dragging my little lazy butt downstairs and the 2 blocks it takes to get to hôtel de ville was about all I thought I could handle. However, as the story usually goes with my walks into the city, I was seduced by everything that was happening around me, and decided to spend the afternoon as a flâneur.
I brought along my camera, and boy was I glad I did. There's clearly always something happening in Paris. Today a festival to stop some disease I had never heard of brought out a full group of brazilian musicians and dancers as well as a karate demonstration. The brazilian drums were beating so wildly as the karate demonstration went on, it almost felt like taiko.
Karate demo.Brazilian band on stage.I enjoyed many other sights along the way, too. The smells, colors, and sounds here are amazing. The art of spectating is well rewarded with interesting people, shops, and skylines everywhere.Some chocolates I found in a window on île st. louis.They reminded me of Sarah's chocolates.
City of wine.The light purple + green combo is one of my favorites here.There's something so Marie Antoinette about it.
Interesting people watching by the Seine.Large scale poster art on the river.Some budget tips for the day: some of the more expensive supermarkets can surprise you with randomly inexpensive items!
Today I found out that there is an even cheaper brand of fake nutella than the one I've been buying at Franprix! Surprisingly, they only sell it at a store that is usually more expensive (G20). However, they don't sell it at all of the G20s, so I didn't know this was available until I went into the G20 at St. Paul. G20 also has this brand of products called 'ep' that is as cheap as, if not cheaper than dia (ED's brand) but they don't always have 'ep' products at every store. From now on, I'm going to check out this G20 in the St. Paul area for nutella and some other cheap-er items.
Total Damages today:
baguette from biatrix: 85 centimes
Dinner last night
So, perhaps I was inspired by the giant pots of n'importe quoi at the fête des vendanges yesterday, but I decided to make myself a huge pot of yum for dinner.
The rice beginning to soak up the ratatouille juices in the pan.
Ingredients for "pseudo-jambalaya à l'étudiant":
2 sausages
1 pack of 2 minute rice (I used mediterranian flavored)
leftovers from can of ratatouille (about 1.5 - 2 cups)
couple spoonfuls of canned corn
makes: 2 large servings or 3 medium sized servings.
Instructions:
1. brown sausage in large pan until amost cooked through
2. remove sausage from pan and place on a cutting board. While you cut up the sausage into smaller pieces, put the ratatouille, and corn on the pan to warm up. Follow instructions for 2 minute rice in the microwave, but leave slightly undercooked.
3. Once ratatouille and corn look warmed, throw the sausage in the pot. Throw the rice in on top and let the rice and sausage finish to cook in the ratatouille juices.
4. Once the sauce has reduced/ thickened to desired consistancy, serve yourself and enjoy.
The finished product, steaming hot next to a Stella.
Total price fo the whole pan was 2.02 EUR. And I only ate 1/2 of it. What a delicious way to end a foodie day. This has been my favorite use of the ratatouille yet.
The rice beginning to soak up the ratatouille juices in the pan.Ingredients for "pseudo-jambalaya à l'étudiant":
2 sausages
1 pack of 2 minute rice (I used mediterranian flavored)
leftovers from can of ratatouille (about 1.5 - 2 cups)
couple spoonfuls of canned corn
makes: 2 large servings or 3 medium sized servings.
Instructions:
1. brown sausage in large pan until amost cooked through
2. remove sausage from pan and place on a cutting board. While you cut up the sausage into smaller pieces, put the ratatouille, and corn on the pan to warm up. Follow instructions for 2 minute rice in the microwave, but leave slightly undercooked.
3. Once ratatouille and corn look warmed, throw the sausage in the pot. Throw the rice in on top and let the rice and sausage finish to cook in the ratatouille juices.
4. Once the sauce has reduced/ thickened to desired consistancy, serve yourself and enjoy.
The finished product, steaming hot next to a Stella.Saturday, October 10, 2009
"Ça coûte seulement un sourire"
The sign for the festival (la fête des vendanges),hanging out under Sacre Coeur.
As I found out today at the fête de vendanges in Montmartre, having no money to spend on expensive cheeses does not stop one from being able to sample them.
Example conversation:
"Madamoiselle, est-ce que vous voulez goûter quelque chose de magnifique?"
(Miss, would you like to taste something wonderful?)
"Oui, bien sur, mais je n'ai pas de l'argent."
(Yes, of course, but I don't have money.)
"Ne vous inquietez pas, ca coûte seulement un sourire. Pour moi, ça suffit."
(Don't worry, it only costs you a smile. That is enough for me.)
Then this man handed me 8 or 9 samples of crazy expensive cheeses from pays basque. He told me he wanted to send me on a "voyage" to where he grew up. I must say, based on his cheese, he must have had a fabulous childhood.
But it wasn't just this man, many other people were happy to serve me samples of their expensive cheeses, even after (and sometimes especially after) I told them I couldn't afford it. It's almost like they got more out of watching me enjoy something that they've worked so hard on, than they would have gotten out of my euros. There's something still so magical about Montmartre, and I think this is definitely part of it.
The beginning of the line of vendors (see the pointy, white tents).The festival today also included a section that was intentionally free to visitors. Metro, a company under the same ownership as Carrefour and Walmart, put on a series of free dégustations. You better believe I took advantage of every single tasting I could.
I started with the olive oils, which were very interesting. I didn't know that they varried so much in taste. Some of them had more of a kick than others, while some tasted quite sweet. After learning how to taste-test olive oil (which is much different than taste-testing wine), I moved on to the epices (spices) and sirops.
Some premium olive oils waiting to be tasted.
The sirops bar, unsurprisingly crowded.
In case you haven't heard, the French LOVE their sirop. It goes in almost anything, or often by itself, and comes in almost every flavor imaginable. I tired some unusal ones (like ginger, and green bananas), and some classic ones (like hazelnut, and crême de cassis).For wines, they were offering 2 reds (a bordeaux and a cotes du rhones) and 1 white, which I sampled along side some fresh baked breads. I felt like a princess, sipping my wine on a beautiful day in Montmartre, listening to a couple sing "La Bohème" in the background.
The final dégustation was THE BEST. Metro had a professional chef come and cook up some meals, giving out tips on how to turn up the "wow" factor. I tried her risotto and nearly died. It was so delicious. Watching her tend to the risotto was like watching a mother care after her child -- she never slipped up, her spatula work was like art. I really do believe French cuisine is an artform. This was my museum.I continued my stroll about Montmartre, checking out all the local wineries and their offerings for the day as well as the amazing cheese and sausage stands that were kind enough to offer me free samples all the time. The fruit places were very kind, too. I tried some great apples and even found some bananas at only 89 centimes the kilo (of course I had to buy 1/2 a kilo).
Local wineries pour glasses of champagne.
Tourteaux fromages that the vendors were calling, "cheesecake."
A vendor heating up some raclette.
Escargots for sale.
Gorgeously colored rope candies.
The pistachio nougat looked amazing.
A child's dream.
An adult's dream: the macaron bar
I journeyed around the butte for a while, looking at local artists as well. I really wish Jay could have been here -- it was just such a great day with such amazing food.
I returned home and decided I would stock up on some cheese (clearly I was inspired) and butter. I also got myself 12 eggs, hoping that this would supplement the other day's grocery trip sufficiently.
I adore France -- this place seems to be a permanent celebration of everything I love in life, and I can already tell it will be a hard transition back to the United States in January. Until then, I am going to soak in all the cheese this body will let me!
more photos at: http://s818.photobucket.com/albums/zz101/E_Grossman/
Total Damages this morning:
3 bananas: 53 centimes
1 huge wheel of brie: 2,92 EUR
1 stick of chevre: 1,24 EUR
1 block of butter: 1,19 EUR
12 eggs: 1,75 EUR
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)