Bon lundi!
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 moreI have a personal rule that each holiday should be enjoyed and savored in its moment. It's why I was upset that the Starbucks in France decided to do away with pumpkin spice lattes on Halloween instead of allowing them to stick around through Thanksgiving. It also explains why my husband waits for me to start listening to Christmas music each year. (I may or may not have accused him for "ruining Christmas" on a car ride one November years ago.)
This year Thanksgiving seemed to fall so late that it's been especially hard to hold back my excitement for Christmas. But at last I can tell you all about one of the most festive places you can go this holiday season: Strasbourg, France.
Read moreBon lundi!
If you can't make it to the North Pole this year, consider a visit to the other Capitale de Noël in Strasbourg, France. This city is in the eastern part of France, in Alsace, which borders Germany. Stay tuned this week for an in-depth look at this wonderfully festive town! Oh la la...or should I say fa la la la la?!
Last 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.
Read moreBon lundi!
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:
Read moreFoie gras. Walnuts. Prehistoric caves. Canoes. Cepe mushrooms. Cobblestones. Castles. Medieval villages.
This is Dordogne. About a five hour drive south from Paris, this lovely region of France is one where the eating is good and some of the best activities just require bringing your heart rate down and enjoying the moment. This region seems to be often overlooked to more popular areas of France like Normandy and the Riviera so here's a peek at what Dordogne has to offer:
Read moreBon lundi!
Here's a glimpse of what I found on a trip to Dordogne, a region in the southwest of France. This photograph comes from the medieval town of Beynac-et-Cazenac where I made my home base to visit the area for a week. More to come about this lovely area soon!
If you are like me, an initial visit to France can leave you quite confused what the meaning of the word hôtel denotes in French. I felt encouraged my first short vacation to Paris when I seemed to be picking up on a few French words. I got off the line 1 metro stop at Hôtel de Ville, looked in amazement at the building in front of me, and turned to my husband asking, "Wow, how much do you think it costs to stay there?" Then I looked across rue de Rivoli and saw a department store called BHV (Bazaar de l'Hotel de Ville). And a little later I found that many museums in the Marais neighborhood are housed in hôtels. It appeared that the French just called anything a "hotel" in the city.
Read moreI love that Paris encompasses a mix of historical sights alongside new concepts. There is a timeless beauty to this city yet it isn't stagnate, but breeds inspiration to create and innovate.
Take the Jardin des Tuileries for example. These gardens between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde were originally created by Queen Catherine de Medicis in the 1500's. Fast forward to the present where the gardens still exist (albeit different in style) and hosted part of a contemporary art fair on its historical grounds.
Read moreBon lundi!
Paris is widely known as the "City of Light," or La Ville-Lumière in French. During the Age of Enlightenment, Paris played a central position as an intellectual hub. Later in the 1800's Paris was one of the first cities to adopt street lighting.
However this nickname came about, I am most inspired by the beauty of Paris in natural light. Like when I got to unexpectedly catch a sunset over Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris and the Seine river.