le Baron Rouge: A wine bar to make Snoopy proud

Yikes! I have 2 months left to tell you about some fabulous eateries in Paris before I move! That's right, you 30 fabulous followers, I am moving from Paris to the sexy, seething south...of France, to Marseille! I couldn't be more excited, Paris has been such an excellent place to learn and grow (and to discover culinary greatness), but it's time for me to move on and try new things (and get my Master's). I will be taking this blog on the road as I discover flavorful provençal cooking along with the many other flavors that make up Marseille's diverse culinary landscape. 

Now, on to the real point of this particular blog, the Baron Rouge...

Hidden in the gently curved streets of Paris, tucked between the 4e and 12e arrondissements stands inviting, 'Le Baron Rouge,' a wine bar by trade that serves up no frills french culture by the glass. 

Upon stepping inside, you are instantly transported from the bustling metropole to the french wine-country. From wine casks full of 2 euro per litre wine to the hundreds of bottles decorating the walls, ceilings and floor, you better be ready for some serious "degustation".

Courtney and I were unsure what to drink, so many options at such a good price! We asked the bearded barman for his advice, knowing that we wanted something fruity and a bit light on the palette (we weren't quite in the mood for a heavy Bordeaux). He led in us in the right direction with a 2010 Sancerre  Red (3.50 euro the glass, 16 euro for a large carafe); it was light, with a fresh berry taste. The friendly barman (along with his 2 other barfellows) are truly artisans. You can attribute half of the excellent ambiance to their jolly demeanor and wine knowledge.

Court and I were so pleased with our wine and our tasting experience that we decided to order again, for me a true Kir (crème de Cassis from Bourgogne and a white wine, Aligot, also from Bourgogne) and Court a glass of Sancerre white. To accompany these new wines, we ordered a half round of creamy, salty chèvre cheese that paired perfectly with the cool, crisp drinks.

Tips for coming to the Baron:

• There are limited tables, so be prepared to bump elbows with your wine-loving neighbor if you arrive around lunch time or before dinner (around 7/7:30pm in France)
• By 7:30, locals and foreigners alike arrive by the group, try to get there around 6/6:30 at the latest
• They are also open during the famous (and worth a visit as well) Marché d'Aligre, which passes right in front of the Baron. Market visitors often stop in for a glass before continuing their shopping

Price:

• 2-4 euros for a glass of wine (maximum 4 euros!)
• 8-16 euros for a pitcher of wine to share between friends
• 6 euros for a large portion of tasty cheese or 12 euros for a massive assorted meat plate

Le Baron Rouge, 1, r. Theophile Roussel, 75012 Paris, France

pho 14

In my last post (Bang for your buck: 13th), I promised to elaborate on the delicious and cheap Pho 14 in Paris' 13th arrondissement.

Positive internet reviews and first-hand friend testimonials didn't lie. We ate like champions for 7.50 euros a bowl !

When served each steaming bowl of pho, whether with chicken, beef or tradition (beef and tripe), it comes with vietnamese basil (which has a slightly minty flavor), bean sprouts, lemon, onions, hoisin sauce and a few spicy peppers (warning: if you're a spicy wimp, do not eat the peppers, soups are not served with bread to cool the heat!).

The ingredients are fresh, the seasoning is just right, and at 6.50 the small bowl, 7.50 the large bowl, it's all at a price you can't beat.

We got to Pho 14 at about 7:15 pm, and we thankfully didn't have to wait...however, when we left around 8:30, the place was packed inside and out (with a line outside the door).  Don't let the line scare you, this place has a quick table turnover.

Enough ramblings, food is always best described with photos !

 

The best bang for your buck: the 13th of Paris

The 13th of Paris is known for being both the site of Paris' Chinatown as well as housing one of my favorite restaurants (Chez Gladines) and favorite bars (Sputnik) in Paris. Here are 5 stops that are sure to please both you and your bank account.


1. Tang Frères

48 Avenue d'Ivry 75013 (metro Porte d'Italie), closed Mondays
168 Avenue de Choisy 75013, Tram Porte de Choisy

My friend Rebecca turned me on to the 13th upon my return to France this January, and no proper trip to the 13th is complete without a visit to one of many Tang Frères supermarkets. Why ? It's...

• CHEAP
• I've never left Tang Frères paying more than 30 euros for an enormously full re-usable carrefour bag of groceries. This includes getting meat, cheese, fruits, veggies, sauces, beer, and tea. 30 EUROS. 
• QUALITY
• Unlike some places where cheap can mean crap, cheap at Tang Frères means deal for quality food. They have fresh chicken breasts that they cut for you, the veggies and fruits are bountiful and diverse, and they have spices and sauces this gal could only dream of in other supermarkets (and for the price, too).
• SPEED ("I feel the need...the need...for SPEED")
• I always spend forever getting in and out of french grocery stores, from the time it takes me to remember where the brioche is to the time it takes to go through the line (because only 2 in 15 are open) I have spent way more time than I want in a grocery store. 
• At Tang Frères, you feel the buzz of people closing in on you, pushing you around the store like you're on a moving walkway. Every aisle has its purpose and flows seamlessly from product to product. The cash lines are powered by speedy employees, and though there are many people, efficiency is paramount in Tang frères. No trip lasts more than 30 minutes. 

2. Pho 14 :

129 Avenue de Choisy, 75013, Metro Tolbiac

• I've put Pho 14 on here and will be adding more after my first trip this Saturday. For cheap quality eats (see others that I've talked about in my previous post : My top 3 of 14th in Paris) in Paris, Pho restaurants as well as other vietnamese, thai, and chinese restaurants in general are the places to eat for a good quality-price-amount ratio.  But, they aren't all good, so as the french would say, méfiez-vous. 
• Pho is a vietnamese soup traditionally served with rice noodles, basil (vietnamese basil), beef or chicken, sprouts, and lime/hot sauce on the side. A big bowl at Pho 14 is under 8 euros, and you will not be needing seconds. 
• More to come (plus photos) after my trip this weekend !

3. UGC Gobelins: 
66 Avenue de Gobelins, 75013, Metro Place d'Italie

• Aside from UGC Ciné Cité Bercy, this is the most affordable big movie theater for the under 26 crowd (and over 26 as well). Forget Châtelet, this places offers a 3.90 euro under 26 ticket and screens the many films in their original language.

4. Sputnik
14/16 Rue de la Butte aux Cailles, 75013, Metro Corvisart

• I love the Sputnik for many reasons
• First, I met my wonderful boyfriend here during a conversation club when I first studied abroad in Paris (thanks, Courtney! :D)
• Second, though happy hour is only 2 hours from 19h-21h, their cocktails are delicious and they have Delirium (a fab belgian beer) on tap, amongst others. Cocktails and pints of beer are half off during happy hour.
• Third, the staff are awesome, friendly and take care of their regular customers. They have a great space to host a fun bar night with friends and are always bustling with people...it's a great ambiance.

in the Sputnik for my PACS party !

5. Chez Gladines
30 Rue des Cinq Diamants, 75013, Metro Corvisart


No proper gourmand trip to Paris is complete without a stop at Chez Gladines.  I bring my friends, family, even strangers to bask in its culinary glory.  The portions are enormous and the prices are cheap.

• What to get:
• If you're ravenous either the Magret de Canard with Roquefort cheese sauce (12 euros) or the Escalope de Veau (12 euros), which is a pile of veal, ham, and cheese melted together and covered in sizzling, mouthwatering sauce...OM NOM
• Salade de Cinq Diamants (10 euros): there is an egg, and some good ham, cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, other delicious meats and of course a bit of salad
• When to go:
• At lunch time
• In the evening, before or around 7:30pm

Try to go in even-numbered groups, it is much easier to get a seat ! If you arrive and a ton of people are already waiting, don't be afraid, go inside, put your name down and then go across the street and get a drink like the other folks waiting. You won't be disappointed when you get a seat and take on your feast. 

Other suggestions from Rebecca, my friend/resident 13th expert:

• Monte Cassino, 76 Avenue de Gobelins, 75013, Metro Place d'Italie: Excellent (large!) pizzas at a great price, try the pizza with Parma ham, roquefort and an egg...
• Café La Place, between 180-192 Avenue de Choisy, Metro Place d'Italie, good ambiance, 5 euro cocktails and 5 euro café and crèpe

Do you have any suggestions for the 13th of Paris? 

Food Blog : My top 3 of the 14th in Paris

Bistros, Restos, Bakeries...there is no shortage of these pinnacles of cuisine in Paris, but finding the right one that matches price with quality and quantity can be hard...here are my three current favorites based on these criteria :

1. DOMINIQUE SAIBRON
77 Ave. Général Leclerc 75014 Paris
http://www.dominique-saibron.com/
I was first introduced to this superb bakery by my friend Rebecca. Located in the 14th, one of my favorite arrondissements, it serves up a variety of delicious macarons (See photo of their macarons in the previous post) at a more reasonable price than La Durée or Pierre Hermé (1,35 instead of 1,70-80).  I personally love the coco-mangue, Rebecca the Passion fruit-chocolate.  However, their pastry selection is not limited to macarons, try the Roulé of Pistachios, the Croissant praliné, the Opéra and/or the Tiramisu Millefeuille and you won't be disappointed.

Closed on Monday, stop by in the afternoon, sit on the terrace and have a café crème (or chocolat) and your pastry of choice.


2. CREPERIE LA BRETONNE
56 Rue Montparnasse, 75014 Paris
Up and down the Rue Montparnasse are a host of breton crêperies (it is the old breton quarter in fact), and I've tried almost every one of them.  From the Crêperie Josselin to Crêperie Bretonne to la Bretonne, this Crêperie is my favorite for the ambiance, galettes, crêpes, and price.  Depending on what you choose, you can easily eat a tasty galette complète (ham, cheese, egg) and a dessert crèpe with melted, salted caramel or nutella AND a glass of cider for under 15 euros. Deal ! And delicious. If you decide to get something more fancy, it will still be less than 20 euros. When full, go to the Crêperie Josselin just up the street, it is also tasty !


3.  LA CROCCANTE
138 Rue Vaugirard, 75015 Paris
Ok, this isn't french cuisine, and it's just outside of the 14th. But it is damn good, and so reasonable.  This restaurant may just be my new favorite place to eat in all of Paris. It gets top marks for all categories of price, quality, quantity and ambiance.

• Price: On a recent date with Jonathan, we paid 46 euros for a large bowl of pasta, a pizza, 2 glasses of wine, 2 desserts (tiramisu and panna cotta with strawberry sauce) and a coffee. 
• Quality: Almost everything is homemade. During the day this restaurant is also a deli, selling tasty olive oils, fresh meats and cheeses, and wine. The pasta  for meals is homemade, the mozzerella, too...everything is fresh and flavorful.
• Quantity: immense. With 2 plats you will barely have enough room for dessert (even though you'll get it, or at least you should). 
• Ambiance: The restaurant and its staff are sicilian, they are welcoming, kind, enthusiastic and knowledgeable...everything you want for a night eating out. 
• What to get ? Pasta with pistachio sauce, cherry tomatoes, and pancetta or pasta puttanesca..mmm.  Really any of the pizzas or pastas (it's all good).  For an entrée, the cheese/meat plates are wonderful, so is the bruschetta. Dessert...Sigh...Best panna cotta I've had...PERIOD, Grandma's famous Tiramisu, and Cannolis are on the top of the list.

More "tops" from the arrondissements of Paris to come !

Finally, I have to give credit to my pals Rebecca and Julien for introducing me to Dominique Saibron and La Croccante.  

Kels

Article and Blog Background Frenzy

So, some of you may have noticed I've been on a blog background change frenzy.  The thing is, I just couldn't seem to find one that suited me...am I a cool, funky pattern kind of a girl, or maybe a vintage style picture girl, or maybe I like photos of books to show off my literary prowess...but none of these quite struck the chord.  I had a good long think about what really defines me and realized that nothing says "me" more than my love for food, cooking, and eating in new restaurants.  My boss at work calls me a "gourmande," I talk about food, the new foods I want to try, the tasty foods I recently had non stop...it's time for me to embrace my obsession.  It's true that when looking back on my older posts, almost every one of them has some sort of food-related image...I believe that this is not by hazard.  My brain is telling me something.  And thus, the new style ! I promise I won't change anymore, because then I'll probably have to put one of those "Caution: could cause Seizures" warnings, and no one wants that.

SECOND, fun news ! My awesome friend Court has a fabulous website (www.filleamericaine.com) and she let me post an article on it about reverse culture shock and the re-entry process.  Having lived through it (had to go back to Ann Arbor after 8 months in France), and now having the pleasure to work with a study abroad school that also provides tips on how to deal with re-entry, I decided to write this piece for those who may be leaving an abroad experience soon.  Please check it out and send me some sweet html lovin' :)

http://www.filleamericaine.com/home/2011/5/13/re-entry-the-reverse-culture-shock.html?lastPage=true#comment12882058

Finally, I am not sure if I mentioned this yet, but my boyfriend, Jonathan, and I were PACsed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacte_civil_de_solidarit%C3%A9) on April 5th ! Here's a photo from the celebration :

Photo © Rebecca Tuttle

Basically, this means we have almost the same legal rights as a married couple -a few. It also means that if we decide to stay in France for a longer period than we're planning now, it will be possible for me to stay and work.

Anyway, more to come soon...when Court arrives we are planning on going out to new restaurants and writing about them, which goes perfectly with my new blog image and my life motto.

Food photos for thought (1. in Spain, delicious homemade bocadillos with chorizo, avocado, cheese, and lettuce, 2. macarons from Dominique Saibron) :

Photos © Kelsy Wilson

Petit Jardin Parisien

When living in a metropolitan city, one makes several sacrifices, most notably space, and Paris is no exception.

Paris is a third of the size (in surface area) of Detroit, but has between 3-4 times the amount of people. What exactly does that mean ? We're all packed in like sardines in apartment buildings, one right next to the other.  Space is a commodity and almost every inch of is taken up by buildings, boulevards, metro stops, tramways, and monumental cathedrals (oh, and the Seine kind of takes some space).  There is a considerable lack of green public space (small parks and wooded areas), and an even larger lack of green private space for gardens, etc. And so in Paris, what is one to do for a bit of fresh greenery to wake up to?

Window boxes. 

And so, Jon and I made our way to Truffaut, a gardening store, to get our own window-box.  Apparently, as does every other parisian on Sunday. Museum,
church ? NO, they are at the gardening store. Buying window boxes, various plants, flowers, small trees, all the while still maintaining their true, parisian identity; e.g. today, a man seeing an "abandoned," full cart decided to take off the various plants and pots to use the cart as his own (and in Paris, it's every man for himself...the other guy left his full cart to go grab something else to add to it, he should have known better !). So naturally, and in true french fashion, they exploded into a great argument when the other guy came back to recuperate his cart and saw all of his items had been removed and his cart stolen.  The argument began and ended with a lot of hand gestures, heavy sighing, from which the first and rightful cart-user swaggered off triumphant.


Maybe it's the nicer weather or maybe it's just a french thing, but I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people, young and old, families and couples, deciding which herbs and flowers to grow, actually investing time in gardening. This is a parisian habit I am happy to participate in !

And so, Jon and I bought our box, soil, seeds, and set off to get our project in motion !

Voici the photo documentation :

Get the Terre in the pot

Herbs: Basil, Thyme, Chives, Cilantro

Seeds !

Covering the seeds with extra terre

Situated in its proper place: the window rail

Happy Spring all !

Kelsy

Being a Bousculeur and other things from "The Sweet Life in Paris"

I'd like to take this post to talk about a book I recently finished, "The Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz as mentioned in my previous post.

First, one of the best reasons to buy this book is for the recipes and addresses alone. Some examples of his delicious recipes :

-Plum and Raspberry Clafoutis
-Chocolate Spice Bread
-Simple Chèvre chaud salad
-Chicken and Apple Paté spread...mmmm


Then the addresses ! Because of Lebovitz's cooking and pastry-making background, he was constantly on the search for the right ingredients to fulfill his recipes.  And thanks to that search, we're given a fantastic list of stores in Paris where you can find real chocolate chips, proper ingredients for good couscous and tajines dishes, and of course, a list of restaurants from very reasonable to a bit pricey, that will treat you to a good meal.

But the real reason I bought this book was for Lebovitz's account of his life in Paris.  Following the recommendation of my friend Courtney, I have been reading books about life in Paris, and in France, be it guidebooks, memoirs of americans' time in Paris or in France, and books written by french people about what it is to be "french." As she (Courtney) said, in moving to a new place (or even just visiting!), reading about that place, its people, etc., is important so you have an idea of the cultural differences you might confront.  And though I have lived now in France for almost a year of time total (WHOA), there are DEFINITELY still things that I have a hard time understanding culturally and in reading "Sweet life", I felt relieved and assured that someone else feels the same way about Paris as me, both with the good and the frustrating,...here are some examples :

• In talking about line-cutting (but something that could easily be applied to rush hour packed trains of the RER B) : "In fairness to Parisians, five centimeters of space is equivalent to five feet of space in America. Leaving the slightest area open of space is seen as justification to slide right in there..." 
• true or false?...TRUE
• the verb "Bousculer", or literally "to push abruptly in all directions".  As Lebovitz says,  "A short walk to the boulangerie turns in to an annoying game of people-pinball, where I'm dodging folks left and right as they come at me." 
• I cannot tell you how many times I have felt the same way ! Like I am always on a moving walkway, hurdling and contorting myself to avoid the barrage of people with their large carrefour bags of groceries, little dogs in bags, or enormous purses coming my way.
• On the French Language : "When people ask : 'How long did it take you to become fluent in french?' I respond, 'Become fluent ? Even the french aren't fluent in French.'"
• Haha ! Finally, in my moments of frustration when I can't quite say what I want to say in French, I can remind myself that maybe the french can't either...yippee !
• "Sweet life in Paris"a.k.a. finding the right ingredients to make sweets in Paris and eating sweets like chocolates, macarons, and caramels in Paris...this is the life I like to live !

Of course, his book talks about much, much more with spectacular wit and thoughtfulness, and if you've ever been to Paris, or France in general, it is an excellent read with some to-die-for recipes.

es-Salāmu `Alaykum -- Peace be with you

Peace be with you, friends and family.  This is the first phrase I learned in Arabic class a few weeks ago (both in maghrebin dialect and literal arabic).  Upon thinking more deeply about its significance, I realized I much prefer this greeting to Bonjour or Hello/Good day...why ? Because in those 4 words, you recognize that life at times can be stressful and difficult with its constant lessons, and wish upon your fellow person that amidst this stress, you are thinking of them, and hoping they have some peace.  It also means take the time to breathe a little.   I have begun to realize this is an important lesson.

A month has passed, soon to be another, and I have sometimes felt very lonely, angry, frustrated...particularly with things like :

• The lacking sense of personal bubbles in the RER and Metro...dear sir or madame, do you really need to be completely pressed against me breathing in my face with your smelly camembert breath at 7:30am ? 
• Metro, Boulot, Dodo (metro, work, sleep)...I go from one place in the morning, to another place at 1:30, another arrondissement after at 16h30ish and finally get home at about 21h00 (9pm) 4 out of 5 work days and then promptly sleep...time for reading ? internets ? relaxing in general ? I wish !
• PAPER, PAPERWORK AND PAPER PUSHING BUREAUCRATS : David Lebovitz in his book "The sweet life in Paris" describes this incredibly frustrating aspect of living the french life perfectly : "...you need an electric bill to get a visa. But you can't get a visa without an electric bill. And you can't get electricity unless you have a RIB. But you can't get a bank account, and get a RIB, without a visa. And you can't get a visa without an electric bill."  Does your head hurt ? Because mine does, always.

HOWEVER, it's in those times I have to remember my little moments of peace (and to assure you that I am, indeed, content to be in France) such as :

Gourmet Sandwiches at the Salon de l'Agriculture

Visiting new places : Bruges, Belgium

Petits plaisirs : Café crème and Macarons at Dominique Saibron

In an effort to be a bit more positive about my new life, here are a few more of my favorite things to do in Paris, including places to eat :)

• Walking around Montmartre from metro Abbesses in the tiny, precarious, winding streets 
• Buying a bar of Kalouga Bernachon chocolate (to read more about this delectable, melt-in-your-mouth-and-hands delicacy see the David Lebovitz blog post : Bernachon Chocolate) and eating half of it before getting home later
• Eating big and cheap at Chez Gladines : you can never go wrong with the magret de canard à la sauce Roquefort, escalope de veau, or the salade cinq diamants
• Going to the saturday neighborhood market :
• to buy fresh cheese, veggies, olives and dried fruits, (this week I found cranberries !!!) 5 euro brick oven pizzas
• to take in the smells of fresh meat, fish, flowers, and...
• to listen to the vendors compete for the best deal (2 euros le kilo de clémentines ! 3,50 la barquette de fraises !)

On that note, with the rest of my weekend free time, I am going to play some wii and later venture up to Montmartre for dinner at a resto that has a 10 euro menu on the first sunday of every month :)

Bisous mes amis,

Kels

Finding a Routine

Having gone back and forth from the US to France, France to the US, and then back to France again; I feel that the best way to get re-situated each time is to establish your routine.  It doesn't have to be the same every time, but it is always good to find some sort of continuous rhythm and do a few things that you love each week, every week.  

So here are some of the things in my new routine in Paris:

- Going to Parc de Sceaux at least once a week (15 minute run from the apartment) for exercise and to escape from all things cosmopolitan.

- Going to the Bourg-la-Reine market on Saturdays

-Cliché française: Eating my morceau de baguette le matin (piece of baguette in the morning) with nutella or sometimes PEANUT BUTTER, dipping it in my french-pressed coffee, and eating, as any good american should, a yogurt (I like them for dessert, too, but especially breakfast). 

and Voilà ! You have a bit of my routine in France.  Of course, I work everyday which is part of said routine, and soon I will be starting beginner's arabic, both traditional and the Maghrebin dialect. But for me, the most important things are the little daily habits that are enjoyable and make moving from place to place a little bit easier.

I am also in the process of trying to find some babysitting work, and planning my vacations for this year (hopefully: London to see Tante Marcia give a lecture at the British Museum, Spain to see Barcelona, Madrid, and my friend Bill in Lugo).

I'll be sure to add more pictures of my new life in Paris as soon as I figure out how to upload them off this new camera.  Ha!

Bisous, my friends!

Kels

Back in the saddle, or selle, again

Well. I'm back in France! Wow.  About 11 months ago, 1 month into my IES program, I was frantically searching for a way to bring me back to this super country, and well, I made it back! Not of course that actually making the decision to come here was without its hardships, but I know I'm in for a terrific ride nonetheless. Who knows where I'll go this time around, or what new challenges it will bring, but I'll be sure to keep you updated as much as I can.

Tomorrow, after a relatively sad, yet productive day today in Bourg-la-Reine setting up shop in my room, Jon and I are going to try to get in to this awesome looking exhibition:

Monet at Grand Palais 

Here is the Grand Palais, built for the Universal Exposition in 1900:

Oh, and we're probably going to eat at least one crèpe, nutella et banane, or maybe some macarons. Mmm....

Dernière semaine à Paris, New beginning in the Sud !

Ok. So the first week of May was a week of profité-ing (enjoying) my last week in Paris, without classes !  The last friday of school, April 30th, some of my great girlfriends and I (not all, hannah and candice, I miss youuu !) went for a a boat ride on the seine. We had champagne, we got mooned, we shed some tears and shared hugs and kisses, it really was a wonderful way to say, not goodbye, but of course, you are wonderful and we will be friends for life ! haha.  After words I met up with Jonathan and his friends to drink next to the river with some new-found English friends. It was a night of spontaneous fun and frivolity, one I won't soon forget.

Let's see, what else did I do? I went to Buttes-Chaumont for a picnic, a beautiful and absolutely immense (in Paris size) park. The flowers were blooming, and although the weather this week has been a bit chillier, the signs of spring are showing, the tourists are in full form...there are picnics to be had and long walks to be taken ! I did my very best to take advantage of everything fun and interesting. During the week that happened to include a few things on my "to do list" : Eating at le Réfuge  (fondue and wine in baby bottles), going to the Petit Palais to see the collections and architecture, and going to the Musée Marmottan. --this is a must see.  Not only is there a wonderful collection of many centuries worth of paintings, but there is currently an awesome exhibit manuscripts (yes...it's a nerd speaking).

 Let's see...what else did I do ? I spent some time with my friends before they left, I spent some time with my host family before I left them. I got to see a most wonderfl friend and man, Carl Grapentine ! For those who don't know him, Carl is the voice of the Michigan Marching Band (for over 40 years, mind you !) and he is the voice of Michigan Stadium, not to mention his classical music station in Chicago ! We had a lovely café together near the hotel du Louvre, and I went to a most wonderful ballet with him at the Opéra Garnier the night before I made the big depart for Paris.  That night I also happened to crash down the metro stairs, bruises still on my knees to this day (what a way to say good bye to the city !).  ah well...here, look at pictures !

Now, I'm in the south of France, my parents are here, hooray !  This past weekend was a roadtrip in the South of France, and tomorrow my parents are coming to stay with me for a few days before they take off on Saturday :(  It's been so nice having them here, and having parent with such an adventurous spirit. They've rented a car, made Montpellier their hub and have been zooming around place to place, taking beautiful pictures and seeing beautiful things (like Cassis, today, for example).  Me ? well, I went to Carcassone, Arles, Sète, Agde, Montpellier, and Toulon, stopping here and there to take in the scenery, :) Life is good, but I do miss my life in paris. Recently, I've been a bit sad, emotional, and feeling some stress, and now I know that cause.  I am experiencing a bit of a new culture shock; my wonderful study abroad friends have mostly gone, most of my good friends are working and living in Paris or in the States, and I am in a totally different, smaller, though beautiful place in France. It is a new experience, and with all new experiences there is a little storm before things calm down and life gets on a steady path again.

Things I enjoy ? Relaxing time in the evenings, walking to the old city centre and having a café at Cardamone, meeting new and friendly people at work, cooking for myself with tasty freshness from the bakeries and markets. Things I have planned ? Work at the Vineyard of course, where I do some sales, occupy myself with tasks of the office nature, and help in the marketing sector ! It's in a beautiful spot in Montagnac, France, and it is quite a successful and interesting business.  Most wines are under 10 euros and their quality is exceptional.  I'll keep this updated more regularly now that my life isn't wrapped up in schoolwork ! Be prepared for a full Pézenas Saturday Market Review coming this weekend and more travel reports...and now some pictures !

Carcassone

Pézenas, Old City Centre, Place Gambetta

Les Arceaux, Montpellier

Arles, Théâtre Ancien

Sète, at the top of Mont Saint Clair...Phew

Nothing like a beer in a chaise longue on the Canal in Sète

Until next time friends !

Bisous !

Kels

Exam Week=Crunch Time

Friends, Family,

It is exam week, I'm sorry I haven't blogged sooner, life is crazy at the moment. But I will have all the time in the world starting this Saturday, I promise to fill you in on everything exciting (or not, it's totally subjective). Look forward to a big food blog as well !

Bisous,

Kelsy

PS. If anyone ever tells you how hard it is to work in a city like Paris ? Believe them. It's so distracting !

Whoa, where did the time go?

I realize I've been a bad blogger, shame on me. Time to fill you in !

These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions, travels, studies, you name it, I've probably had some sort of experience with it (including the homeless! just in case you were worried I wasn't keeping to my regular activities :D).  In the past two weeks I have gone to Toulon, in the south of France, an absolutely BEAUTIFUL port-city with lots of beaches, beautiful mountains.  In all honesty, it reminded me of the time I lived in Arizona (minus the beaches, as we all well know, the beautiful beach in Arizona is called the Sonoran Desert).  There are many reasons why this weekend was superbly perfect, I will mention a few: 1. I was fortunate to be with a native toulonnais so I got the tour and then some :) and 2. I spoke french 98% of the weekend, which was difficult, but good experience, 3. I know some of what lies ahead for me in the next years, and it makes me excited and anxious. As much as I love Paris, the weather in the sud is unbelievably wonderful. Toulon skies aren't just blue, they are an explosion of cobalt and aqua and turquoise, no clouds, all sun, gosh...life is rough... You wonder sometimes why Parisians are a little cranky ? They don't go to the south of France NEARLY enough to relieve themselves of the daily routine. To all Parisians (true Parisians), I say this. Put down the fancy, italian-made leather shoes, pick on a bright color or two, and do not step into the abyss that is the metro... go to the beach ! Done !

See what I mean??

After a lovely long weekend, getting back to work was most difficult, especially knowing I'd be going on another trip the following weekend ! This trip happened to be to Normandie with an IES group.  Can you say amazing ? This was by far the best trip of IES but also one of my favorites so far in France. The weather was absolutely perfect, granted a little bit cooler than Paris and the sud.  But the trip itself had a lot of nice variation and was really well-rounded.  We started in Caen (a village practically destroyed during D-Day, Jour J in France, by the bombs) where they have a fantastic Memorial museum to both WWII and the conflicts after (Cold War, etc). It is a museum whose mission is to promote peace, which I found totally interesting. After our visit, we went to our youth hostel in a tiny city called Bernières-sur-Mer, sur mer meaning on the sea, which it in fact, is. We could walk 5 minutes from the hostel and be on Juno Beach (where the Canadians landed during D-Day). After dinner, we spent the night talking and relaxing at a hip bar right on the beach and then off to the next day !

The next day was much more intense in terms of experience, but important nonetheless. We started in Arromanches (Gold Beach) where there is a museum for D Day, and we learned something I had not known before which was incredibly interesting.  Before D-day, Winston Churchill proposed the construction of an incredibly large artificial port in Arromanches to prepare for the débarquement of which there are still remnants in the water.  More nerd info: The Brits sank the pieces they built in the Thames so the German spies wouldn't know what was happening, the port was a complete surprise. They also had blow up tanks to give the impression that they still had a huge army when in fact they were quite weak in
numbers. And that, my friends, is the difference between a Cambridge/Oxford education and any other education. After the museum, we went to the American cemetery at Omaha Beach which was both calm and so sobering. It was a strange sight to see the
buds of spring on the trees, the flowers blooming, in contrast to the 10.000 crosses and stars-of-David perfectly aligned in the cemetery.  In addition, it is a location so quiet and peaceful that it's hard to imagine the kind of noise and fear that must have existed during the war and the many long days following it.  Seeing it before your eyes is, I believe, a necessary experience.  My generation has the chance to live among the generation of heroic veterans like my grandpa, and it is important for us to understand their experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  No other generation, in my opinion, will ever see as much world change as his generation. I say all of this because today is my grandpa's 90th BIRTHDAY.

90 years ! In 90 years, he's seen the invention of : cars, high speed jets, black and white tv, color tv, cell phones, computers, portable computer devices, wifi, every modern technology. Not to mention the plethora of different presidents, the culture changes.  These are the kind of things that give you knowledge beyond that of the greatest geniuses. I say this not only about my grandpa, but for any person in his generation.  Happy Birthday, G-Pa.

In addition to this revelation, I've recently had some very reflective, somewhat difficult days. I try to keep my mind focused on the day at hand, but it always seems to go to the day I have to leave France. As much as I miss my family, my friends, words can't describe the feeling I get when I think about leaving this country that feels as much my own as the closest frenchie (I can feel the tears, fight !). My goal is to absolutely celebrate and enjoy my next 2,5 months and at whatever cost, whatever way, get my american fanny back here as soon as I have my diploma in hand (for a rough time reference please see Fall 2010 Academic Calendar).  Look out French Bureaucratic Machine, I am taking you on full force !

And on that note,

Bisous

KelsY

April is upon us!

Seriously! Where did the semester go? It is almost april in Paris, I feel like it's blown by me so quickly! Life in the city of love and light has never been better, but excuse me if my blog posts start to lack grammatical structure and spelling, I am losing my english.

So! Today I got some exciting news pertaining to my internship. I will have a car in the small city where I'm living (Pézenas) and I will have a housemate Daria (a girl from Russia).  There is a fabulous Saturday market, in addition I'm close to adorable small villages, the beach and a pool. Life will be rough in wine country, let me tell you!

This past week I spent a lot (a lot!) of time walking around and taking advantage of being in this big, beautiful city of Paris. Starting on...Wednesday? I think. yes. Ellie, on of several of my beautiful friends here, and I went to musée Rodin for our break between classes.  The highlights of this include : it's free for me, it's small and welcoming as a museum, you're in a small chateau with these incredible sculptures by both Rodin and his girlfriend, Camille, and there are immense jardins behind it! After making the tour of the famous sculptures (both inside and outside,  and including the 'Thinker', the Gates of Hell, and the Kiss) we spent a lot of time walking and talking in the garden. I think that is the possibly the best way to spend your day: in the company of intelligent friends walking around for hours, talking about whatever comes to mind.  That very night, i had a lovely dinner with three wonderful french friends (none of them parisian, hmmmm...? :P). and walked around a bit near the lovely abbaye of St. Germain des Pres before relaxing for the evening. Thursday night, girlfriends went out to see Alice au pays des merveilles! I thought it was a trip, not nearly as creepy or whimsical as some of Tim Burton's other films, but nonetheless a great realization of this story !

Friday, ah yes, girl time with Sarah! We started by promenading in the St.Germain des Pres quartier, discovering some cool easter markets, chocolate stores, a famous bakery (they make an awesome sourdough, Zingerman's, I miss you!), and by the time we were hungry, it was necessary to satisfy our appetites with the famous, french croque monsieur! Think of this: Ham, Swiss, Bechamel Sauce, Butter, and a slice of bread, gooey and bubbly upon arrival, it's enough to make you wish you had three stomachs so you could eat more than one at a time (that and the whole not having a heart attack thing).  After a tasty lunch, we walked to the musée d'orsay to see my favorite kind of art, impressionisme! They had all of monet's paintings of the Rouen cathédrale, some of my favorites of his.  Upon leaving, I walked with a friend of Sarah's to show her back to the metro and we walked along the Seine just as the clouds started to part, revealing a beautiful cobalt blue sky. Sigh. Paris.


Saturday was an IES trip to Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte. Fontainebleau was by far my favorite for a few reasons. First it was a bit bigger and completed, so the rooms were lavishly decorated to the fullest extent and everything oozed french aristocracy. Second, it has a chateau used by many kings and napoleon, too, and represents 8 centuries of french history, way cool! Vaux le Vicomte is quite spectacular as well, especially the gardens and the façade, it belonged to Nicolas Fouquet, who was banished into exile by Louis XIV (part of the reason being he was jealous of this chateau and used it as a kind of model for Versailles). But we have arrived at my third reason for liking Fontainebleau better. Let me preface this with a little revelation of myself.  I. hate. mannequins. I hate mannequins, clown dolls, and those creepy dolls with blinky eyes that follow you everywhere. At Vaux le Vicomte, they recently added mannequins to add some aspect of reality to the rooms in the chateau, in my opinion TOO MUCH. Also, I hate them, so it distracted me completely and I felt the sudden need to run from the castle. That being said we got into the gardens, and I was much better. But after 2 castles and an informative, but loquacious guide, it was relax, repose, and sleep time.  After a long day, nothing is better than a long sleep.

Sunday was no exception to my walking-about-Paris of this past week. First it was sunday lunch with the fam, always fun, always plein de gens and discussion, and chicken! Then it was walking around near St.Michel, going to Musée de Cluny (Museum of the middle ages) which has fantastic tapestries and remnants of many ancient cathedrales in Paris, then it was off to the adorable shopping area of Cour St. Emilion to promenade a bit more. 

Could there be a better life than I have right now for me?

Pure bliss in Paris.

Tales of the Homeless

ok, so I told a few of my friends I'd write a blog about some of my more humorous and/or strange homeless person stories. For whatever reason, wherever I go in big cities, especially in Paris, the homeless people flock to me as if I were a chocolate cupcake or something. So here we go:

1.  I think this one happened in the first few weeks/month? If not it doesn't matter, it happened nonetheless. Ok. So, as some of you may know, others may not, the metro closes obscenely early on the weekend for people who like to party until 4 or 5 (it closes at 2am). Anyway, I'm waiting for my metro at station Oberkampf, which is not a terribly sketchy station but like all other stations has its resident squatters who are trying to sleep somewhere a little warmer during the winter. So, there was this girl about 10 feet away from me and one of the homeless men started to bug her, he was probably in his 40s, short, and either drunk/slightly not with the program. At first it was pretty normal, random homeless man talk, but then he took his hat off and tried to put his head on her chest, he tried to touch her hair, it got weird.  And of course, there were 4 people next to her, who couldn't give a darn what was going on even though they could see it. So, I could see she was kind of freaked out, he wouldn't leave her alone, so I yelled over to her in french "Salut Liesse (name of my host sister, had to think of something), je t'ai trouve (I found you), nous avons besoin de rencontrer nos amis!" (we need to go find our friends) So i linked arms with her to steer her away, when all of a sudden, homeless man grabs us and starts shouting in french that she's his and we can't leave! blah blah blah So I put my hand on his chest, pushed him back and told him in french to back off, more or less. Then he proceeded to go annoy some other girls, no surprise there. Then I had a nice chat with the girl and told her if I were in the same situation I would hope someone would do it for me, I would have been a little creeped out. But, now that I have seen the bystander syndrome in reality, I vow never to be one of those people to watch and do nothing!

2. About a week ago, I'm minding my own business on the metro, it was pretty empty so I was sitting with my feet up on the seat next to me reading. I must not have noticed someone sit down across from me, but all of a sudden I felt someone poking my foot where I have my tattoo. I'm thinking, what the heck is going on? I look across and there is a homeless man with a red, curly beard and large can of beer sitting across from me poking and pointing at my tattoo. I was sort of weirded out, but not totally because I have already made the deduction that the homeless in Paris are just kinda strange, sometimes in an endearing way, sometimes not. Anyway, he points at my tattoo, pulls up the sleeve of his shirt and shows me his tattoo from the marines (french marines). After this he tells me in french that he was a marine that's why he has the tattoo, but my tattoo is not for the military. We proceeded to discuss military politics for about 5 minutes before I had to leave. In his case, contrary to my other story, I actually felt sad for him because I feel like he is in a similar situation to many homeless vets in the US. They are one of the most neglected groups in both the US and in France.

3. This story makes me laugh. My favorite one so far. So, last week for my history class we had a visit to st.eustache. My friend Candice and I decided to go together, and upon arriving/leaving the station at les Halles, there was a homeless man hanging out with a large can of some very strange alcoholic beverage, a few teeth missing, calling out to the people walking by. He heard us speaking in English, and proceeded to yell "F"$* Off!" to which I replied matter of factly, "thank you." As my friend Candice puts it, all of a sudden his face lit up with a huge grin and he yelled with a slightly british accent "I LIKE YOU!" ahhh. Paris.

I have a few more shorter ones, but these are the really good ones that I think illustrate my strange happenings with the homeless the best. I tell them also, not to give a poor image of these people, but to describe events of daily life, events from living abroad that crack me up and make me feel like I'm right at home here.

Soon to come:

Blog about promenading in Musee Rodin jardins, upcoming travels, and things so typically french you just have to laugh a little.

Returning to the life I love

Alright, so after break, I felt slightly rejuvenated, also completely lazy about getting back to work, but that's fairly normal, especially when you live in a city where there is a multitude of things to do! I can't believe it is March 15. I've been here for almost 2 months now, time seems to be flying by ! I am always trying to live in the present here, but it is hard not to think about that sad day in July when I'll leave my new home to return to the old.  Ok, thoughts on that are done, back to the interesting stuff happening now! Last week we had a bit of work coming back from break, maybe some I should have done while relaxing during the week, but that is neither here nor there.  Exam last thursday in History of Paris. The thing about parisian exams is that they are more about regurgitation and synthesis of a lot of material all at once (in essence, the questions are much less specific and a little difficult to answer).  My reward was getting a free trip to Reims with my program!

Reims is located in the Champagne region of France (yes, they also make it there, too! Whoa!).  It is famous for two things, one you already know now, and the other being a cathedral. But not just any cathedral, the cathedral where quasiment (mostly, almost all of) the french kings were "crowned," it is also representative of the very high point of gothic architecture.  Because France was heavily bombed during World War 2, there is some damage still both inside and outside, but, like all other buildings in France, it is always being restored (funded by Rockefeller in this case!). Inside these is a fantastic, modern stained glass window designed by Marc Chagall, which is interesting in contrast to the medieval cathedral.  After the cathedral, we had a lunch (free lunch!) and then went for a tour of some Champagne Caves (Pommery).  There was some sort of modern art business going on amongst these old caves with crazy music, it was an experience, that's for sure, BUT we got to taste champagne, and now you know my reasoning for taking this free trip :)

After that, back to Paris again, my home! This weekend, I went out with some friends here, had a lovely time and discovered a new band, General Elektriks, which is totally awesome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgY0CKaJaG8 .

Saturday and Sunday were lovely days of sleeping and "flâne"ing (walking without purpose), followed by a little studying. Sarah and I found SUSHI! So many rolls, with our wasabi and soy sauce combo, SO GOOD! After, we met up with our friend Julia to enjoy some Berthillon ice cream. Famous in Paris, especially for the fruity flavors and the Chantilly. You cannot forget the huge mound of delicious chantilly for 0,60. I also took a picture of a cool sunset happening against the façade of Notre-Dame.  After these 2 months, it still amazes me that I can walk around and be amongst such historical treasure.  I come out of the metro, there is Notre Dame, out of the metro again, Panthéon, again, so on. I'm in fricking PARIS.

Ok, off cloud 9 for a sec, Sunday, amidst the walking was also the France-Italie rugby match. France won (of course :P), and the stadium was packed! The sports fans here rival those of the Packers or of any strong college football team, they cheer all the time, everyone is wearing the french colors, there are flags everywhere, they sing songs, it's totally great (plus you have a beer or two, not bad!). All in all, not a bad week, lots of fun with french friends and IES friends, living the life here in frog-land!

Bisous


KelsY

PS here's a pic of where I go to school at the Sorbonne, right at the end of the Jardins du Luxembourg: