Bon lundi!
It's good to be back in Paris after a two month "exile" obtaining a new visa. I've missed my favorite haunts in my neighborhood and took the opportunity to run around getting supplies from many of them to bring together a meal cooked with lots of amour for Valentine's Day.
Paris–Brest from Carette
Join me this week as I dish on some of my favorite spots in town!
A classic chicken and egg quandary. What came first, the idea or the Canvas on Demand Groupon? Either way, the result is what matters. My husband had the idea a few years ago to select a picture from each destination we travel to and have it made into a canvas to hang in our home. We were still newlyweds, were starting to experience symptoms of being bitten by the European travel bug, and had lots of bare space on the walls of our apartment in New Jersey.
We breathed life into our decorating project and a full guidelines emerged after some thought. The photos are taken by either of us, cannot have us in the picture, and traditionally have been all been scenic outdoor shots.
We both love to take pictures and snap lots of them each year. But we know that a stroke of exceptional inspiration has occurred when one of us exclaims, "This may be canvas-worthy!" when behind the lens.
Paris is quite a photogenic model who is not camera-shy in the least. After going through countless pictures from this incredible year here, I have selected 10 pictures that I think have that "canvas-worthy" potential. So without further ado, I present to you the best of 2013:
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I love this photo. It was taken in June of this year, and even has a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and my favorite bridge in Paris, the Pont Alexandre III. As beautiful as it is though, it did not make the cut for my best-of Paris 2013 round-up. Come back on Friday to see the best photos of the year of Paris, next Wednesday of France, and the following Friday of our travels. 2013 has been quite a year!
Nestled in the Bercy neighborhood of Paris lies an unexpected surprise - the largest museum in Europe featuring fairground art. Le Musée des Arts Forain is Jean-Paul Favand's private collection and can normally only be viewed by appointment. However, there are a handful of days that the collection is open to the public (with an admission fee). This year it was open during the Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) and will also be open from December 26, 2013 - January 5, 2014.
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Intrigued by this photo? The arm coming out of a tree is not a Halloween gimmick, but part of a museum in Paris dedicated to fairground art: Le Musée des Arts Forains
Let's stay with that last thought...there is actually a museum in Paris full of carnival rides and carousels, and it is open to the general public for a very limited time each year. Mark your calendars for the next opening, from December 26, 2013 through January 5, 2014, and stay tuned for an insider's look later this week.
Paris is such a beautiful city, and it only gets more magical at Christmastime. Should you find yourself in the City of Light during the holiday season, here are my suggestions to build into an itinerary.
Read moreI've been getting into full holiday swing. My (tall) house plant is adorned with little gold ornaments, my balsam and cedar Yankee candle has been burning to mimic that authentic tree smell, and my 626-song Christmas playlist has been going non-stop.
After I got my apartment looking festive last week, I ventured out at night to Boulevard Haussmann to see how two of the major department stores had decorated.
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Christmas is a mere 16 days away! This week I'm focusing on what to do in Paris for Noël. Here's a peek at how the famous Galaries Lafayette department store is decking its halls for the season.
The 65-foot tall Christmas tree in the middle of Galaries Lafayette
Some people don't think they are "museum people." For some, that means they just haven't found the right museum yet. The thing is, the museum scene in Paris doesn't stop at the Mona Lisa and Monet. The existence of the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature proves this.
Granted, it has taken me over a year to make it to this museum despite the fact that it is at most a ten minute walk from my apartment. What finally did it was that I woke up and realized that it was the first Sunday of the month, meaning free admission to many museums throughout the city. (Take a look here at Parisinfo.com for a complete list of free admission to museums.) With no cost involved besides my time at stake, I surprised my husband and told him I really wanted to pay this attraction a visit.
Read moreLast year I had the joy of experiencing a Christmas tradition throughout Europe: the Christmas market. It started with one in Paris on the Champs-Elysées, certainly the most touristy one I visited. Then I embarked on a trip with my husband to Strasbourg, France; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; and four German cities: Berlin, Nürnberg, Dresden, and Leipzig. Here is my A-Z list to illustrate what I found and why I love Christmas markets!
Read moreSomehow I missed the memo for years that France is known for its delicious food, bread, and pastries. (I did have an vague sense that it might to be known for wine.) The first time I vacationed in Paris, I had no idea that baguettes and pain au chocolat were a big deal here. Thankfully within the first hour in Paris I happened upon some sort of bread and pastry competition taking place in front of Notre Dame. One bite of a baguette and a whole new world of baked goodness opened up to me.
The following year my husband (who had no interest in going to Paris the prior year) booked us a longer vacation to Paris. Legend has it that when we returned home after that vacation and bit into a mass-produced, store-bought croissant, we really started missing France. And proceeded to initiate a work transfer for Michael to work from Paris.
The good news is that if you too fall in love with the food and pastries that France is apparently famous for, you can learn how to replicate some of these treats. I have taken three cooking classes at La Cuisine in Paris with my mom and have loved each one.
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Imagine a huge venue filled with about 1,000 stands featuring independent wine makers from all over France. Not just featuring, but staffed by the wine makers themselves. Offering a chance taste their products, as well as talk about each wine in more detail.
Insert my favorite semi-annual event here. Coming to Paris from Thursday, November 28 - Monday, December 2 is Le Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants. For 6 euros, you get entrance and a wine glass for the free tastings. Not only do I love the fact that I don't have to blindly guess which wine I might like at a grocery store, but I can meet people who own or work at smaller vineyards and support them rather than big corporations.
Bring a cart or caddy (rolling suitcases are also popular) and get ready for a wonderful event. I will be visiting Domaine Poulet et Fils (stand T-37) for some crémant (a sparkling wine) and Domaine de Cerbier (stand H-71) for red wine from the Corbières appellation, along with seeking out some potential new favorites.
Barrels of wine at Château Desmirail (Margaux appellation of Bordeaux)
Le Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants
Porte de Versailles, Pavilion 7
Thursday-Sunday (11/28-12/1) from 10:00am-8:00pm; Monday (12/2) from 10:00am-6:00pm
Here are my thoughts on about navigating Thanksgiving in Paris...
Autumn in a foreign country has played with my emotions a bit. I didn't realize all that I appreciated about this season until I realized some of my fall staples had disappeared. Things I miss in descending order are pumpkin sweets (pie, coffee creamer, cheesecake...I can keep going for a while), candy corn, and American football. Some of you know me and the last one made you raise your eyebrow and say, "really?" To those, I would answer that it is still a part of autumn for me after sitting through almost every high school football game for marching band.
The culmination of the wonderfulness of autumn can be found in Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving to me has always been a long weekend full of family, friends, and massive amounts of delicious food. I found last year that it is quite different to wake up on Thanksgiving in France as just another day, business as usual. Yet I know all my friends and family are waking up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and then documenting grand tables heaping with homemade food on Facebook.
Now that I have grown more accustomed to life in France and have a great network of friends here, I don't get overly homesick often. Thanksgiving still proves to be difficult though. Thankfully I have discovered some bonnes adresses so here's my go-to places for Thanksgiving food needs:
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