Un petit goût de Paris

A little taste of Paris...that is what I got today on a walking tour that took place mostly on rue Montorgueil, in the area of the old Les Halles market.  There are tons of cute little specialty shops there with beautifully arranged food in the windows.  I'm not very adventurous when it comes to going into these shops on my own (my horrible French is holding me back), so I was pretty excited to go on this tour.  We tried lots of things.  Some wonderful...others not so wonderful. 

First, we had a short lesson on what was in season at the markets right now.  The French are very particular about only serving what is in season.  For example, it doesn't matter if they can find strawberries right now, it would be embarrassing to actually serve them because they are not in season.  In November and December, you will find clementines, apples, pears, pumpkins, and a lot of seafood in the markets.  So, we started off eating a clementine while listening to the guide talk about other things that you can find in the market at this time of year.

Next, we tried pain d'épices, literally spiced bread.  It was a bit like a pumpkin bread, but you could taste a lot of honey and orange flavors in it.  It is very popular at this time of year. 

On our next stop, our guide passed out marrons glaces - candied chestnuts.  They were a little weird in texture (soft and gooey) and VERY sweet.  I'm not sure I would have one again.

After wandering along this cute street a bit more, we stopped at a fromagerie.  We got to try goat cheese (yum!), comte with candied quince (the combo was actually quite nice), and a bleu cheese (gross). 

A chocolate shop was next on our tour.  There we tried candied angelica (tasted like I was eating a dandelion), chocolate covered angelica (tasted like a chocolate covered dandelion), and a crème brûlée chocolate (I would DEFINITELY have that again).



Next on the agenda was one of the oldest patisseries in Paris.  They are known for their calissons - a small cookie made of ground almonds.  They were delicious!

We ended the tour with spiced hot chocolate, which was mixed with tiny pieces of peppers.  I was a little nervous about how spicy it would be, but it was actually quite nice!  Overall, the tour was great, but I was a little bummed that we didn't get to try foie gras.  I haven't had the courage to order it yet on my own.  Maybe I will devote a blog post to that in the future!

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought I would end this post with a Thanksgiving Turkey that I saw today in Paris!  If you look closely, you can see it hanging next to the sign.  Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Adventures in Amsterdam

Last week, Dustin and I decided to take a trip to Amsterdam.  Just knowing that I would be able to speak English everywhere THRILLED me.  We also have a couple of friends living in Amsterdam right now, so we knew it would be fun to see them!

So, we hopped on a train early Thursday morning and arrived a few hours later in the Netherlands.  We dropped off our luggage with friends (thank you Hilary and Patrick!!) and set out to explore the city.  Over the next few days, we managed to see and do a lot.  I even got to see Eva, a sorority sister of mine!  The city is beautiful - full of canals and bicycles.  It almost makes you feel like you have gone back in time.

Canal Cruise

 I loved the different shapes and colors of the canal houses!

Anne Frank's House.  This museum was my favorite thing we did in Amsterdam.

We got to try several types of Dutch candy here! 

Flower Market

Pancakes with cheese and bacon for lunch!

Marken - A fishing village outside of Amsterdam 

The Heineken Experience  

It was truly an experience! 

Market in Amsterdam - mini pancakes!  YUM!

And I will leave you with this.  Why can't Paris post these signs?

Just another reason to love Amsterdam... 

Beaucoup de Chocolat

Last week, I had the delicious opportunity to go on a chocolate walk in Paris with a friend.  We learned all about the history of chocolate, how it arrived in Europe, and how it became popular in Paris.  Although all that was quite interesting, let's be honest - I was most interested in tasting the chocolate.  Our guide (from Indiana!) took us to four different shops where she had already pre-ordered a few things to taste. 

The first place we went was a boulangerie and patisserie called Gosselin.  It supplies pastries and bread to the Elysée Palace.  That is like being named the official baker of the White House.  Needless to say, it was DELISH.

Can you spot the pastry that is modeled after a Big Mac? 

First, we tasted an opera pastry.  It had a bit of baker's gold on it!

Next, we tried a chocolate and mint eclaire.

After that, it was time to move on to the second shop. 

 All of the chocolates were perfectly lined up.

This was an almond and pistachio chocolate. 

Dark chocolate with mixed nuts. 

Next, we went to a place called Michel Cluizel.  It had the biggest selection out of all the shops we visited.

 These are chocolates made to look like mushrooms!

A huge chocolate fountain. 

Chocolate covered candied orange = gross 



Finally, we visited the Salon de Thé et Chocolat.  It was pretty amazing (and also pretty expensive).

A chocolate shoe!  Unfortunately, I did not get to try it. 

Overall, it was a scrumptious morning of tasting and learning in Paris.  You can't really go wrong with anything that involves beaucoup de chocolat!



Mind the Gap, But Don't Watch Your Step

While out for a run along the Seine today, I was thinking about what I was going to title this entry.  Dustin and I just returned from an amazing trip to London, so I knew this would be a post dedicated to our trip.  As I dodged pile after pile of dog poop, it occurred to me that London and Paris have something in common - you need to watch where you're going.  In London, you need to "mind the gap" in the underground in order to make it safely from the train to the platform, or vice versa.  In Paris, you need to be quite diligent in watching the sidewalk WHEREVER you are....or you will become yet another person to skid in dog poop.  This line of thinking gave birth to the title of my post.  In the land of tea and crumpets, I did not have to watch my step!  For this reason, and many others (see list below), I felt a sense of freedom in London.  

1.  As you already know, NO POOP!

2.  The girls are of a normal size.

3.  ENGLISH.  ENGLISH.  ENGLISH.

4.  No Anxiety - because I could express my needs and wants to others if necessary.

5.  It's possible to have random conversations with strangers, just because you feel like it.

6.  Fish and Chips (and I could ask for it all by myself!)

7.  I was served ICE WATER!!!  Do you know how long it had been since I had seen an ice cube?!

8.  Cheddar Cheese....enough said.

9.  People say things like, "You're a star!", "What a darling!", and other phrases that sound wonderful in the British accent. 

10.  Did I mention, NO POOP!!!


Some picture highlights from the trip...




 A yummy English breakfast to start the day!

 The bookstore from the movie Nottinghill.





Madonna owns this house. 

 Portobello Market!






The market was nice, but a bit too busy for me!

Dustin and I on a boat on the Thames. 





View from the boat.

Tower Bridge!

Dustin listening to his audio guide (in the rain) at the Tower of London.

More Tower of London...

Wembley Stadium

49ers and Broncos in London!

The singing of the National Anthem made me tear up a bit...

A British cheerleading squad (please note that these boys are wearing tights).

Beautiful Covent Garden decorated for Christmas.