Every Friday evening (as long as the weather permits), leaving from the Tour Montparnasse at 22h, huge crowds of people gather to spend 3 hours...rollerskating around Paris.
The streets are closed off, the police follow at a safe distance, and there are numerous volunteer helpers for those who get tired, lost, or who just want a chat. All this security is absolutely necessary, because numbers can sometimes rise to 15000 participants, of all backgrounds and ages. The event itself is free, set up initially by a small group of "patineurs" (skaters), which gradually gathered momentum and is now a veritable association. Skates- or blades- can be rented, or old pairs dug out from the backs of cupboards. There is also a Sunday version, run by a different association, called Rollers & Coquillages.
NB: Since I am not into exercise of any kind, don't ask me any more questions about this :)
Next time you are in France, visit one of my favorite areas – Brittany and Yes! I think Americans would love Brittany!
Think of all of the Celtic charm of rural western Ireland but with a gentler climate. Think of the quaint otherness of Cape Cod without the strip malls. Think of the magnificent craggy coastlines of the Pacific Northwest, but with smugglers' coves and ancient stone lighthouses. Think of what Newport RI must have been like in its heyday with its mansions and its ocean-going yachts and find it all intact still at Groix, la Trinité and the estuary of the Odet. Think of the best seafood you ever tasted at home but in Brittany, neither shrimp, nor oyster, nor mussel served raw on the half shell has ever, ever been rinsed under chlorinated tap water. Think of the most peaceful tranquil view you ever saw, then sit on the dock at the far end of Île Tudy at sunset and watch the tide go out. Think of the number of times you swore you would never eat fast food again, then discover the humble galette au blé noir (crispy buckwheat pancake) stuffed with ham and egg and a little Gruyère rapé. Think of the most enchanting, picture-book town that seems only to exist in Hollywood or in theme parks, then visit Auray or Vannes or Quimper. If all the houses look like they are made of stone, they are. It's local granite, not stucco or sheetrock. If a bolée de cidre brut (dry Breton cider) looks harmless and deliciously thirst-quenching, beware. Think seriously about a designated driver. And the Breton people in all this? Are they tourist-wise sophisticates servicing the annual stampede of 80 million foreign visitors to the world's number one tourist destination? Not really. To be honest, that stampede is mainly headed south. To the Midi, to the beaches of the Cote d'Azur, to the surfer's paradise of Biarritz, to Spain via the Pyrenees, to Italy via Menton. So come to Brittany and discover a whole new world within France!
In France, Wednesday afternoons (or all day Wednesday) are often free, and this is when children usually pursue sporting and musical activities. Also at one time, they would attend school on Saturday for a ½ a day, that has been dropped, but teachers are asking for it to be brought back.
Packed lunches do not exist in France - the children eat school lunches or go home to eat, they have from 1 ½ to 2 hours. The school meals are usually of good quality.
The school hours, are the longest in the Western world, typically 9-4.30 at primary school and 9-5 at upper school (age 11-15).
Let’s imagine you have decided to try oysters –. You open the menu.... and realize that just asking for oysters will not be enough. You have to be more specific. Frenchmen are not difficult about food – yeah sure - but they are very precise.
Let me guide you through the three basic parts of determining what oysters to order. First of all you need to know that oysters are classified by size from 0-5, where 0 is the biggest and 5 the smallest. The most demanded size is 3 - not too big, not too small – and also my personal preference. If you hesitate, take the smaller size.
Next step is to understand the other classification, which basically takes into account the part of meat compared to the weight of the whole oyster. On the menu you will see:
• huîtres fines : flat oysters with a quota between 6,5 and 10,5;
• huîtres spéciales : quota above 10,5 ;
• huîtres fines de claire: the oysters have been in clear water for at least one month with 40 oysters per m2;
• huîtres spéciales de claire : the oysters have been in clear water for 4-5 months with 5-10 oysters per m2
Third step is to choose the origin of your oysters. Different breeding places give different taste. Do you want an oyster from Bretagne, from Arcachon, from Marenne-Oléron….? I would say you have to try different origins to see what pleases you the most, but basically the flat oyster comes from Bretagne ( Brittany)and the southeast of France and they have a saltier taste with more iodine, while the Japanese oyster is the most common elsewhere. From the Arcachon bay in Aquitaine the most reputed ones come from the Arguin sandbank, the breeding place that is the closest to the open sea.
The best time for eating oysters is late autumn until early spring. In summer the oysters get milky due to their reproduction and the taste is not so good. If they suggest oysters called Quatre Saisons, because you can eat them all year, you should know that they are genetically modified and cannot reproduce. Personally I prefer to follow the seasons and eat normal oysters!
I am off in November and into December for a trip to France to ‘chill out” long walks on undeserted beaches and eat as many oysters ( The best time of the year) as I can and since I’ll be in Arcachon Bay and the Bordeaux area, just can’t wait!
Ladurée is a luxury cakes and pastries brand based in Paris, France. It is known as the inventor of the double-decker macaron, fifteen thousand of which are sold every day. They are still one of the best known makers of macarons in the world and have marvelous tea rooms on both the Left and Right Bank. For me, forget the macarons ( I know, a heresy in Paris) and have one of the prettiest appetizers I've ever come across - smoked salmon eclair with avocado and lavender cream filling
With over 100 movie theaters and roughly 300 films running in any given week throughout the city, from blockbusters to arty revivals, Paris is definitely the world's best place for cinephiles.
Before you sink back into your seat, take note: in Paris, popcorn and other crunchy snacks are often considered a noisy annoyance, interfering with the movie experience. Consider choosing quieter snacks and you'll be set!
La Pagode
La Pagode is one of the city's most sumptuously designed theaters. Located in the heart of the chic 7th arrondissement, close to the Bon Marché department store, La Pagode is housed in a 19th-century building whose style mimics a Chinese pagoda. Inside, a cool green terrace for tea and a black cat named Licorice sprawled over the programs adds to the charm.
Paris-bound clients will be thrilled to know that in just two weeks (October 20) the Musee d’Orsay will reopen its Impressionist wing after a two-year and nearly $11 million renovation. The new wall color and lighting showcase the hundreds of works in a stunning new way. The collection includes 34 Manets, 86 Monets, 43 Degas, 56 Cezannes, 81 Renoirs, 24 Van Goghs, and 24 Gaugins.
Nestled in a quiet, cobbled-stone alley off of busy Boulevard St. Germain des Pres, Un Dimanche à Paris is the latest discovery of yet another fine salon de thé in Paris. Barely a month old, this ultra chic chocolate boutique not only offers specialty chocolates but it's also a pâtisserie time.
This latest concept store by Pierre Cluizel, son of the famous chocolatier Michel Cluizel . The modern store façade really stands out against its old, medieval-like surroundings, with its sleek interiors and brightly-lit display cases of gourmet chocolates and exquisite pastries beckoning passer-bys to enter, take a peek or linger on to sample their delectable offerings at their salon de thé.
( Duck Confit)
La Fontaine de Mars
129, rue St.-Dominique, in the 7th Arrondissement.
01 47 05 46 44. Lunch and dinner every day.
La Fontaine de Mars has the charm of a neighborhood Paris bistro and the polish of a destination restaurant, which is what it has become for legions of visitors (including, famously, the Obamas, back in 2009) who are looking for some kind of quintessential French dining experience
The place has the bright rosy glow of brass and checked linens. The main floor is bustling, with its banquettes, bar and terrace. The rooms on the upper floor, with pink and green toile-covered walls, are a bit quieter but not at all a no-man’s land, the way that upstairs salles feel in some Paris bistros.
The southwestern-accented menu is wonderfully classic, with not an ounce of ginger or lemongrass or foam in sight. You can start with pâté de campagne, salade de tête de veau (only in France do “salad” and “calf’s head” go together), charcuterie or maybe their famous oeufs en meurette—eggs cooked in red wine with shallots and bacon.
For mains, go straight for the duck confit, one of those litmus test dishes. the leg itself is great, with rich, falling-apart meat encased by crackling skin. A whole line-caught bass is a lovely thing to behold and perfectly cooked. The favorite of my friends, though, is the slow-braised beef in a rich Madeira sauce studded with tiny mushrooms and onions. The cooking here is not contemporary, but it feels very much alive.
The wine list emphasizes Bordeaux.
Desserts are straight from the canon: floating island, chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, prunes in Armagnac. Have a warm fig tart on buttery puff pastry with vanilla ice cream, along with a verbena-scented macaron with chantilly, fresh berries and berry sorbet. A fine ending to a fine meal.
In a nutshell: La Fontaine de Mars offers thoughtful, classic cooking in a picture-perfect Paris setting.
Price check: There’s no prix fixe menu, so count on spending 40–50 euros before wine.
Ever since 1934, the greatest silver screen stars have been immortalized in the legendary Harcourt Photography Studio in Paris, from Audrey Hepburn to Melanie Laurent. If you want one of these iconic black and white portraits of yourself, you’ll need €900-€2000 depending on whether you want a formal shoot or a more spontaneous pose in their hidden studio just off the Champs Elysées. But now anyone with €10 pocket change can get a real Harcourt portrait done in their newly opened photo booth at the MK2 Bibliothèque cinema in the 13th (metro Bibliothèque or Quai de la Gare). It might be the most luxurious photo booth in the world, tested with much success at the Cannes Film Festival. You can choose between one large portrait or four smaller ones
Imagine a ribbon of jade or sapphire, meandering through ever-changing landscapes – woods, meadows, gorges, cliffs, vineyards, farmlands, orchards…..but in fact there’s no need to imagine, its there to behold – the Lot, the longest river in Southwest France, winding almost 300 miles. Located east of the Dordogne it has a ravishing array of stone villages dotting riversides, hilltops and cliffs. Within this area are historic villages of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Cahots, Estaing, and Conques. In fact many areas here are a UNESCO world heritage Site. It’s not easy to get to and it’s something you do only and not as an added to other areas in Southwest France. It’s for self starters and people with a laid back attitude. A car is a must to see the area. It is defiantly undiscovered by most tourists and yet within this area are some of the most beautiful villages in all of France. Peaceful and rural, this is the place for driving on deserted mountain roads or wandering around medieval villages that don't seem to have changed much over the last few hundred years. the Lot is one of the last forgotten corners of France. Thank goodness!
