Welcome to the Country

This past weekend I was lucky enough to travel a little bit south to the Loire Valley with two wonderful companions and see what life in the French Countryside is really like. Let me tell you what, it couldn't get anymore opposite of Paris and I loved every second of it (and not just becuase I ate like a champ all weekend with homemade quiche, pasta, roasted chicken, pizza, omlets and desserts like you would not believe). After taking the TGV only 1 hour south it was like we entered an entirely new world. It looked different, smelled different and the people were totally different (by different I mean super friendly, they offered directions, said hello with a smile and even the man making the crepes at a street side stand refused to let me go without having a crepe sucre "on the house"!!!!). Everything about it had my head turning to look here and there, I really did not want to miss a single thing. Although on a side note - I did try out the local Monoprix becuase some genius packer (c'est moi!)  forgot something really important - pajamas!! Upon our arrival we explored the town of Tours and then picked up the rental car to make our way to our final destination. Once we realised that GPS is not always the smartest thing ever, we made our way out of the city and ended up in Amboise, a sleepy little town where Da Vinici is buried...Where we were lucky enough to stay with two gracious hosts at their newly renovated country home. It was a three story, charming house that was built in the 1800's, a complete transition from the tiny cramped apartments of Paris. Being in this type of atmosphere just reinforced the fact that I am a country girl through and through at heart... I felt just a bit more at home being surrounded by trees and flowers and dirt roads. There were no cars honking and it just smelled fresh (and I don't mean fresh in that gross garbage been sitting in the sun all day fresh, I mean the fresh bread ad laundry drying in the sun fresh!)  You can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl...  Even though the weather wasn't incredibly gorgeous (I think that Spring has gone on vacation and Winter is earning some serious time and half overtime pay because it has been gray, cold and rainy for weeks now...) we had a few brief moments of blue skies and sunshine and managed to stay dry enough to enjoy 3 Chateaus, an awesome little market place, a donkey park, a vineyard, a traditional French lunch in the middle of nowhere in a long house built next to an asparagus farm  and some very breathtaking scenery. Walking through these castles and little towns brought an entirely new appreciation for France and made me realise what a young litte country the US is. The stories that have been made on these tiny country streets and within the castle walls are older than anyplace I have ever experienced. Of course the Asian Tourist part of me came out and I clicked away like these castles and towns were going to dissapear and I needed to have proof they once existed. So for your viewing pleasure, here is a SMALL sampling of the weekend...

DISCLAIMER: there are no wine tasting/vineyard photos because I think that deserves an entire post dedicated just to that!!!!

Cathédrale Saint-Gatien de Tours

The view from the house where we stayed. Simple, quiet and delightful!

 


Chateau Chenonceau



<3

 

Chateau Cheverny

The lunch crew at La Coudraie - a delightful m eal, wonderful conversation and even a little sunshine!

I wish I was back here right now...

Chateau Chambord

Sleepy street in Amboise.

I'll take two, toasted with fresh strawberry preserves, please & thanks!

Radishes, radishes everywhere!!

Every good French girl needs a weaved basket to take to the market...

DINNER!!! QUACK!!!

Mmmmm... chocolate (insert Homer Simpson voice here)

** Disclaimer, I have been a little lazy in uploading my camera so the following post may seem a bit out of order seeing as I have been back in Paris for almost two weeks now. But as far as I am concerned better late than never.

So if you go searching through the old posts on this blog you will find one in particular that has to do with a day of chocolate tasting at a little place known as, The Chocolate Bar. As far as I am concerned this delightful, little location at the Langham Hotel in Boston is one of the best creations, EVER, in the history of the world. Seriously - what is wrong with a resto that serves nothing but the most amazingly delectable chocolate treats of every size, shape and type possible?? NOTHING , ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! And what makes it even better?? Going with someone who loves you and your fatness from the bottom of their heart, and I love her and her chocolate loving appetite right back!!! Ok back to the chocolaty goodness... this was my second trip to the Chocolate Bar with my bestie, Miss. Ashlee, we made the trek right before I moved to Paris two years ago (on that note, I seriously cannot believe I have lived in Paris for almost 2 full years! Yikes!) and promised to try and go back once a year. Although we didn't make it last year - an ocean separating us makes it a bit difficult, I made it a point to reserve my last Saturday back home (after spending an awesome week with my friends and family a few weeks ago) before I returned to Paris so we could carry on this tradition. I am so happy we did. This year's theme (each year there is a different one) is Degrees of Chocolate and they did a great job covering every single type of chocolate out there. When we walked in to the restaurant the sweet, sweet smell was overwhelming - it is exactly how I would imagine a piece of Willy Wonka's world, the only thing missing was the Oompa Loompas!! The stations went from lightest types of chocolate to the darkest most intense. It was unreal. Simply amazing and being in a chocolate coma right before a flight back to Paris was just what I needed to have a sweet end to my trip home...

*Warning licking the computer when viewing the below images may cause electric shock or serious damage to your screen...

I wanted to inject that cream cheese frosting from that cupcake directly into my veins

I am still not exactly sure what we were supposed to do with the chocolate powder on the spoon but we tried it anyway!

Bacon in a dessert = genius
Chocolate and Gruyere in a dessert = even more genius
Chase both with a chocolate shot and life is goooooood

These were absolutely one of my favorites, oops, just drooled on my computer a little

Super Bowl and then some...

Are you ready for some fooooootball? some Patriot packed football?!?!?!?!

Superbowl – well for other reasons as well, but if the Patriots hadn't made it I am not sure I would have had the same vigor to try and make it back to the homestead to watch this big game with my family. Although to be honest, I think as happy as my parents were to see me, I think they would have enjoyed watching the game with a bit more silence then they had. But seriously – I hadn't seen everyone in so long and my attention span isn't what it used to be! It was a night though – everyone in their Patriots gear, eating, drinking and laughing. An evening that will be cherished in my memory bank forever – minus the fact that the Pats lost but next year baby, next year (especially because the Vegas odds are already favouring them – thanks for the tid bit of info Pa, now I sound like I know what I am talking about!! Hehe) Aside from this game I was able to catch up with most of my family, all my besties, play with the two most adorable babies EVER, see a few people from the office and just all around enjoy my time at home. It was a bit jam packed and it went much too quickly, but I think it was just enough home to get me through the next few months, which will be full of who knows what, especially now that I am waiting (and waiting and waiting) to hear about the job I interviewed for a week or so ago (I hope you all have your fingers and eyes and legs and everything else crossed for me). I also stuffed my suitcase full of American delicacies including Velveeta and blue cheese salad dressing. One of the best things about this trip aside from seeing my loves, eating lots of (disgusting and not good for you) delightful American food was that I missed an incredibly cold streak here in Paris. Don't get me wrong I grew up in New England and can handle some pretty bitter temps but the cold here is a whole new ballgame. It is so humid and bitter it freezes you to your bones, actually it was so cold when I left last week the equipment that moves the planes on the tarmac was actually frozen in place and my flight left almost two hours late!! I am hoping that I brought some of the mild temperatures back with me...

Those tired eyes are from the jetlag not the beer I am drinking... I swear ... sort of...

And... just for fun... my favorite Super Bowl commercial this year:

McNuggets ....

So I have an addiction to Chicken Nuggets. I always have for as long as I can remember. It is not something crazy and out of control that will cause me to seize up and have cold sweats and night terrors if I don't eat them on a regular basis -  but that is because I know I am an addict and I know how to manage it. Everything in moderation... well except the occasional drink, shopping spree or the pairs of shoes that I own - but those are all topics for another day and another time... Anyhoooooo ... my bestie has shared a few pretty funny and slighlty disturbing US headlines about nuggets in the last couple of weeks. I mean who knew that nuggets were such headline makers but apparently they are. These posts and the sharing of stories have been the jumping off point for many debates and conversations about fast food, and especially, fast food in the US vs. Fast food here in France.  Deciding I needed to stick up for my addiction and the occasional trip to MacDo (as it is called here) I did some research. Funny enough this article was just published on NPR: Why McDonald's in France Doesn't Feel Like Fast Food .

Take a glance and let me know what you think... for all you Frenchies - is it really better here? I will through my vote out there and say ABSO-EFFING-LUTELY!!! But that won't stop me from the occasional indulgence when I am back in the states....

Why McDonald's In France Doesn't Feel Like Fast Food

January 24, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

 
Greetings from McDonald's, or "MacDo," as they call it here in Paris, where I am comfortably ensconced in a McCafé enjoying a croissant and a grand crème coffee. I'm surrounded by people of all ages who are talking with friends, reading, or typing away on their laptops like me.The beauty of McDonald's in France is that it doesn't feel like a fast food joint, where hordes of people shuffle in and out and tables turn at a fast clip. McDonalds is the world's largest food chain. It operates in 123 countries around the world, and just this week the company said it plans to open another 1,300 restaurants in 2012.

Naturally, the U.S. is its no. 1 market, but guess who is no. 2? You got it: France. A paper out this month by three graduates of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business says McDonald's is such a success in the land of Michelin three-star restaurants because it has adapted to French eating habits and tastes. There are now 1,200 franchises in France; the company opened 30 restaurants per year in the past five years alone.

Even in these harried times, the French spend more than two hours a day at the table. Sitting down to a meal is a cornerstone of French culture, and McDonald's seems to get that. French McDonald's are spacious, tastefully decorated restaurants that encourage people to take their time while eating. And the cozy McCafe's with their plush chairs and sofas have become an extension to many restaurants.

I remember there used to be a few Burger Kings in Paris, but McDonald's closest competitor went belly up years ago. The Wharton study says it's because they tried to transplant the total American dining experience to France, without taking into consideration French preferences.

McDonald's, meanwhile, offers all kinds of Frenchified dishes, from the Alpine burger with three different kinds of cheese to tasty little gallette des rois, or King's Cakes, popular after Christmas and sold by all the bakeries. Last year, it introduced the McBaguette.

Another reason McDonald's works so well here is that the food is locally sourced and very high quality. As we all know, France is the land of haute cuisine. But it's also the land of good cuisine. The French appreciate quality in any category, even fast food. Restaurateurs in France know they'll go bust if they offer substandard products. I've had friends from India tell me that the Indian restaurants in Paris are among the world's best.

And if you like good meat (who doesn't?!), then McDonald's France is clearly superior. In the U.S., McDonald's says its cattle are mostly corn-fed. While the company doesn't address on its site whether growth hormones and growth-promoting antibiotics are added to the animal feed consumed by the animals it buys, it's a reasonable assumption that they are.

French cattle are all grass fed, which many argue makes them tastier. Growth hormones are illegal here and each animal has a passport showing where it was born, raised, and slaughtered, according to McDonald's France. That's called traceability, and we don't yet have such a national system in place.

As for chicken nugget lovers, French chickens, unlike some of their American counterparts, are not rinsed in chlorine to disinfect them. The regular use of chlorine in the U.S. chicken industry is why poulet americain has long been interdit in the European Union.

Of course you can still find French people who dislike McDonald's because it represents American hegemony in a globalized world and the homogenization of food and culture. French anti-globalization activist Jose Bove actually served prison time a couple years back for sacking a McDonald's restaurant in southern France. For a friend of mine who lives in Burgundy — pretty much the French heartland — MacDo is the symbol of malbouffe, or bad food and bad eating — a major slur here. He says he'd never take his two young sons to eat chez Ronald.

But this McDonald's in Paris' 15th arrondissement is brimming with parents who've brought their kids in for lunch. There's a good dose of teenagers too. Like teenyboppers back home, French adolescents, or ados, love to hang out at MacDo — they just gather in the café instead of the parking lot.

Busy Bee

Wow wow wow… another couple of week stretch with no update from me. Sometimes I am a serious let down. But I have to please crazy business for this lapse in writing. I just finished the biggest event I have coordinated thus far in my career and to top it off I helped to MC/Animate it. And let me tell you what – being up on stage is definitely a good time. Not that I like the attention or spotlight or power of having a room of 120+ people paying attention to me, it was because I know I was helping support the next generation at Alstom learn and grow…. Hahaha ok so it was mostly the first part but I tried to convince myself it wasn’t just that. Anyhoo… in the final weeks of planning some things have passed by here as well including Thanksgiving – which I celebrated with a traditional (and expensive) turkey dinner at a small café and again the Friday after with a French style feast at a friend’s home – complete with foie gras (one of my personal favorites). It wasn’t a typical Thanksgiving holiday by any means, mostly because we work both Thursday and Friday here but because it was the first time in 28 years, I have not spent it with a single family member. Unless you count my newest family – the French one I have made since being here for almost two years… Other than that work has sort of gobbled up my life and I do not have too many interesting stories to tell, but I think that will all change now that the big events are over and I will have the opportunity to take in Paris once again without wondering how many people coming to my next event are vegetarians or if I booked enough hotel space or debating the price of a champagne cocktail for the welcome drink… With special attention to come to the window displays that are decorating the shopping centers of Galleries Lafayette and Printemps as well as decorating my apartment and my mini tree, welcoming my first guest in a while, a trip to Barcelona for (hopefully) some sunshine and photography opportunities and enjoying the holidays here in Paris, yup that is right, not only did I just spend my first Thanksgiving here without any family but I am about to venture into the Christmas season here as well… I will keep you posted on how I am faring with this one!!

Thankful

It is that time of year again. a time that should come much more often than once a year, but going back and changing history would be pretty close to impossible (with that said if any one has any leads on where to get a good time machine, make sure you let me know...). It is one of the only days where most of us take some time and reflect on what we are really thankful for in our busy, complicated and sometimes overwhelming lives... and then hopefully we all take the time to share that thanks with those that deserve it and most likely need to hear it. This will be my second Thanksgiving away from home and my first with no family here visiting to help take the edge off of being alone, it seemed like it would be so easy and well honestly until this moment, right here as I sit and realise that everyone is finishing their work day and are heading off to the bar where the inevitable high school reunion will take place or are in the kitchen prepping the tasty trimmings, it was. Family and friends means something different to everyone and well to me they mean the world and not being able to be a part of the smiles, drinks, dinners and fun times (yes, this includes waiting in line at some ungodly hour, still tipsy on margaritas or whatever the drink of the evening was...) that will take place in the next 24 hours is always hard to take in BUT it only makes me more thankful for everything I do have, everything I have experienced in my 26 ... ok that is a lie, my 28 years ;)  and what I am surrounded by now... so after couting one blessing for each of my years, here is what I came up with (in no particular order).

1. My parents - because well I wouldn't be here without them (duh) but because the four of them have made me a person that I think they are proud to call their daughter and that is one of my highest priorities in life.
2. My health - even if gracefulness doesn't fit into that category.
3. My love of trying new things - because well without that, I think I would have had a pretty boring 28 years and I would be missing out on some pretty awesome things like Thai food, the view from the top of the Arc de Triumph, meeting new friends, writing this silly little blog or my Franglish skills.
4. Burlington, VT - because this town and the years I spent there changed my life, it forced me to start trying new things (see point above), grow up, make my own choices and it brought me to some of the most amazing and best friends (and one really big punk) that I will EVER have in my entire life - this I know for a fact.
5. My sisters and brothers - because even though we may not see each other all the time, they motivate me to be the best that I can be without even trying. They make me proud to say I am the oldest of 7 and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.
6. Shoes - you all knew this one was happening and was happening early on, come on now. It doesn't even need an explination but I'll give you one - THEY ARE AWESOME.
7. My iPhone or more specifically Google Maps on my iPhone - maybe that sounds materialistic but I dare you to get around Paris on your own (especially after a drink or two) without instant access to the Metro schedule and map and without Google Maps guiding you and let me know where you end up... I dare you...
8. My iPhone (again) because it keeps the best tunes constantly pumping in my ears and music is something that has ALWAYS been able to fill me up on even my worst days. I can't live without it.
9. A certain gentleman who offered me the experience of a lifetime by believing in me enough to move me to Paris and then support me (constantly) as an honest friend and mentor.
10. The rest of my family, because well they are amazing, all of them - I have the coolest grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and everything else in between a person could ask for, we laugh, we cry, we talk, we do it all and most of the time with a smile and someone telling some cheesy joke ;)
11. My bed - because some days well I just need it and there are some folks out there who don't know how comforting it is to have a place that really is all your own.
12. My job - even though sometimes it is beyond demanding and recently I have been spending 12 - 14 hours a day in the office, it has given me an invaluable amount of experience and I know that the amount of time I spend laughing and being happy at work is a million times more than a lot of people experience.
13. Being blond - because I always have an excuse when the occasional stupid thing slips out from my mouth, which as a surprise to most of you does happen.. .but only evey once in a while..
14. Skype - an instant connection that can dull the pain of homesickness in just a quick mimunte.
15. Peanut Butter and Bacon - another random one, ok I guess two, but seriously, they both really deserve to be on here.
16. My camera/pictures ,  because for me there is nothing better than sitting down and flipping through memories on a good day, a bad day or any day in-between.
17. My PIC (partner in crime) and her kiddos - they make me feel like even though I am thousands of miles from home that I have a home here too, they make me smile on my worst days and have completely accepted me as a part of them. I can't be thankful enough for this. (DAMN IT - I started crying again, I had been doing great since I started the list!!)
18. Tissues - for a few reasons, one being the above reference to tears and because the paper business has been keeping my family busy for as long as I can remember and we are super lucky for that.
19. Kisses good night - they are perfect and always a delightful finishing touch to the day, I may not be getting any of those currently but it doesn't even matter, I look forward to the day that I am and then I will be thankful for that.
20. Mail - not the bills and junk crap that is always coming but the handwritten cards I still get in the mail from a few people and the letters and pictures that show up under my door when I get home from work. A little letter always brings a smile to my face.
21. The last ten years I have known my bestie - No matter what she has NEVER wavered, even when she had every right to. Hell some marriages don't even last this long. She is truly a solid rock in my life and I wouldn't ever change that. 
22. Sundays - because Sundays are fundays. To me they are the one day in a week when you can go all out and crazy or just lay in bed all day and not feel bad for it. Sundays are even better when spent with some of your favorites. There really isn't anything wrong with a Sunday - you can not hold the fact that it's the day before Monday against it. It isn't Sunday's fault!!
23. Lilies - just because they are beautiful, smell amazing and can brighten up any room, any time, any where. 
24. Being able to read - yeah this is probably a given, but reading is something that truly relaxes me and can whisk me away to another place when I need an escape, so maybe I am not thankful that I can read but that I love to read. 
25. The people that I can truly call my friends - there are a lot of people I know out there and many that I care about but only a handful that I would put myself on the line for and think about every day.
26. Red Velvet Cake - I can't help it the stuff makes me crazy. Seriously I am drooling just thinking about it and I am super thankful that I can now whip up a tasty batch of my own. 
27. The time I got to spend with an amazing woman I will forever hold dear in my heart and cherish like my mother, and especially getting to tell her how much I loved her one last time. 
28. That I am only 28 and have years and years and years left to travel, laugh, read, eat, cry, visit, adventure .... you get the point!!

Sending giant Turkey hugs and stuffing kisses to my family, friends and every one in between.

 Happy Thanksgiving <3

My Lucy Moment ...

 This past Saturday I woke up, had my coffee and then got ready to go to, what I thought was going to be, a lunch of catching up with some friends. But when I arrived at the location (CaféMelac) I was very much surprised to hear lots of music, see groups of people dancing in the street and seated at tables all along the streets (which were closed off for pedestrians only) and to find I was attending not just a lunch but the "Les Vendanges du Château Charonne" (this means: Charonne Castle Wine Harvest) –  which perhaps if I had read my invitation more closely and clicked on the link it had included I would have known this… but honestly… the surprise was just what I needed!! It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine, perfect weather to sit, make new friends, eat, drink and be merry and let me tell you make friends, eat and drink and be merry is what we did!! The food was very traditional – and the wine went down quite easily, but then again I have never had much of a problem with food or wine…. I even serenaded the little wine stomping festival with my own rendition of Happy Birthday, on the microphone and everything, talk about being in the right place at the right time!! I have to be honest, as I am typing, I am having a very hard time deciding what the absolute highlight was of this incredible day was because honestly it was just an all-around perfect day. You tell me if you can think of a way to top a day with old friends smiling, new friends laughing and stomping on grapes that will eventually be someone’s glass of relaxation?? Seriously…I think not… 

The man in the blue glasses is Michou, the owner of a famous French drag cabaret show... Club Michou

Ps. If you are wondering why I called this post "My Lucy Moment" ... watch this...

I QUIT!!!

Take this as my official resignation from cleaning. I Heather Caisse refuse to ever scrub and mop and vacuum and dust and shine this apartment ever again because it is the sole reason that I missed the opportunity for some real deal American BBQ!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Seriously NOT OK. So here is how it happened. After being gone for two weeks, then trying to get back into the swing of things this past week, I realized my little maison needed some serious loving. So this morning I turned up my  iTunes (probably  a bit too loud if you ask my neighbors, but I need to drown out the singing!!) – which was ready and loaded with the best sing aloud music EVER!!!!  And I went for it, dust, mopped, shined the hardwood, vacuumed (my mortal enemy) scrubbed and washed this place up. All the while missing emails, texts and phone calls regarding one of my favorite things ever BBQ and to rub a bit of salt in the wounds, it could have been my tribute to the upcoming 4^th tomorrow (which will be the 2^nd one I have missed….. I would kill for some fire works, corn on the cob, fried dough and burgers baby)… so there you have it. My cleaning resignation.... I can never let a tragedy like this take place ever again.  

Here is where I could have been eating this afternoon:

Click HERE!!! For menu, pics and reviews... Warning - May result in drool on your computer...

Real Deal American Junk Food

First person to send any of the following will be my hero:


1. Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles (and maybe Wise Honey BBQ chips as well)

2. Sam Adams SUMMER Lager

3. Trident Gum- NOT CINNIMON ohhhh OR Grape Big League Chew

4. A Friendly’s Bacon Cheeseburger or Chicken finger Supermelt complete with a black raspberry chocolate chip milkshake and loaded waffle fries ( I know this one is a bit much but if ANYONE can figure it out I will consider being your lifelong slave)

5. Cabot Private Stock Sharp Cheddar

6. Rainbow Chip cake and FROSTING!!!!


I won't lie and please don't judge but this photo actually caused me to drool just for a second... 

 7. Snyder Honey mustard and Onion Pretzel Pieces

8. Barqs Rootbeer

9. Corn on the Cob with extra butter, salt and pepper

I suppose I could add the butter, salt and pepper here...

10. Stove Top Stuffing

I know all of the above are disgusting and extremely bad for you but I am having some serious "taste of home" cravings. I am not sure if it is because I missed all the wonders of Memorial day Weekend… BBQ’s and first trips to the beach so I think gorging on American snacks will make it better … OR … If I am really just lacking some real deal junk food in my life. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE (a bit too much) all of the treats here and the yummo food but some things can never be replaced. EVER!!!

** Anyone who knows me will be surprised that the Blue Box of Love (Kraft Mac and Cheese) is not on here but it is only becuase my loving mother has me stocked up for the next 5 years :)))))))