07.11.08
Posted in Paris Life, Travel at 9:15 pm by rachel
In the window of our first Paris apartment. Taken by Lily on our last day in Paris, June 14, 2008.
We left Paris in mid-June and I haven’t had the chance to update my blog until now. My apologies! Despite the heat, New York has been treating us well. The internet is hooked up, we have a bed as of this morning, and the a/c is installed and working. Whew! What more does one need?
Saying goodbye to Paris was bittersweet. We are excited about starting a new chapter in New York and with a baby, but it was hard to leave our old life – and especially our dear friends – behind. Getting a sofa bed is a top priority so that we can have plenty of visitors in the coming months!
The following is my farewell ode to Paris, in pictures.
Eiffel Tower, View from Montmartre
Typical Candy Stand
Art Deco Fountain in the Latin Quarter
Our Apartment (the windows facing the viewer)
Successful Flowerbox Geranium Revival
The Ile de la Cité, view from the Right Bank
Luxembourg Gardens
The Métro
Flower Shop on Rue Monge, just around the corner from our apartment
Place de la Contrescarpe
Luxembourg Gardens Statue
Honorary French Supporter duirng the Rugby World Cup
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06.05.08
Posted in Travel at 11:08 am by rachel
We were so happy with our decision to stay on the beach and explore the Estroil Coast on our quick trip to Portugal. Our hotel was in a sleepy town called Carcavelos, but our favorite little spot was the little city of Cascais.
Carcavelos attracts dozens and dozens of kite surfers. The fort in the background was pretty cool-looking.
Graffiti is a fact of life in Portugal. It is everywhere! Sometimes it had a friendly message, though, like the graffiti on the wall outside the airport that said “Welcome.” I thought this one was appropriate for our beach experience.
The hotel was just a couple blocks from the ocean. Traditional blue and white tiles covered the balconies. We stayed on the 7th floor, which was just below the top-floor restaurant.
The pool looked refreshing, but we never did get the chance to try it out when it was warm enough. See the diving board? It was a serious high-dive: quite unexpected for a hotel pool!
The restaurant, where a huge breakfast was served each morning, overlooks the ocean.
Cascais is just a 20-minute ride down the coast from Carcavelos. We ventured over for the late afternoon and had dinner there. The photo above shows the old fortified citadella.
For dinner, we had lobster soup and then Seth and I shared a huge platter of fresh seafood. It was too much to finish!
The next morning we headed to Estroil to catch a bus to the hill-top city of Sintra. We had a little time in Estroil, so we walked a bit along the water.
This tile work adorned the wall of an otherwise unimpressive train station in Sintra.
This old villa was for sale. Just a little fixer-upper.
Street view in Sintra.
Note the castle on top of the hill.
Cheesecake is a specialty, so we couldn’t pass up the chance to taste it after lunch.
The modern art museum is supposed to be one of the best in Europe. After walking for 30 minutes looking for it, we found out it was closed until mid-June! At least we got to see this gigantic torso…
We took the (long) scenic busride back from Sintra to Cascais, because it stops at the westernmost point in continental Europe (above).
Back in our favorite little town, we hung out on the beach and near the docks for a while.
The most bizarre boat decor we’ve seen yet.
On the beach, Seth found a canine friend…
…who had the funniest way of drying off after a swim!
On the walk back to Estroil to catch a train to Carcavelos, we saw the coolest paddleboats ever: check out that slide!
Back at the hotel, we took advantage of the last hours of sunlight by the pool.
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06.03.08
Posted in Travel at 12:26 pm by rachel
We took a “farewell Europe” trip to Portugal during the last weekend in May. The country had many pleasant surprises in store! Since we wanted to see some sights but also have a chance to relax and breathe amidst all of the traveling and moving, we booked a hotel on the beach about 20 minutes from Lisbon, on the Cascais Coast.
The plane landed around 9am and so we spent the first day exploring Lisbon. First stop: the elevator built in the early 20th century by a student of Gustave Eiffel’s.
It’s bizarre-looking, to say the least, but it took us up high enough to see some beautiful panoramic views of the city:
…as well as the 14th-century Carmo Convent, severely damaged in the 1755 earthquake which practically razed Lisbon.
We took the hilly streets back down to the 18th-century squares that now make up the center of Lisbon.
Seth carried our bag for the whole day, since we hadn’t checked into our hotel yet.
In addition to the unusual elevator, there are many other modes of transportation in Lisbon. The most picturesque are the old trams that are still in service.
We heard great things about the barbecue chicken at one restaurant, so we had lunch just in time to take cover before a downpour.
We leisurely walked to the train station in the afternoon, crossing many plazas on the way. There are tiles all over in Lisbon: they cover entire buildings and street signs are made out of them as well.
The train ride to Carcavelos, where our hotel was, is not too long, but was a chance for Seth to catch up on some sleep (we did get up at 3:30am, after all).
Best of all was the view from the train window. The tracks follow the coast, and at times we were right next to the crashing waves.
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04.29.08
Posted in Travel at 11:27 am by rachel
Seth will be working from London until late June, coming “home” to Paris on weekends when I’m not with him here in London. This meant he needed a place to stay during the week. Fortunately (and with the help of his employer), he was able to find a serviced apartment that is only a 15 minute walk from work and just steps from Hyde Park.
Our street, Iverness Terrace, has houses of a similar style lining both sides, which makes it architecturally uniform and very pretty in white and ivory paint. It’s not the most quiet of streets in terms of traffic, but is fairly calm otherwise.
The apartment is a split-level studio, with the kitchen, couch, and dining table downstairs and the bed and bathroom upstairs. We’re used to living in small quarters, and this one, though probably the smallest we’ve lived in, is very well laid-out. The enormous window and balcony make it sunny and cheerful.
Don’t you love the molding?
Who needs a lot of space when you have acres of park just down the street? I’ve enjoyed my daily walk through Hyde Park, despite the occasional drizzle.
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04.28.08
Posted in Travel at 2:39 pm by rachel
On Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with a group of fellow expat women for lunch. We originally “met” on an online forum and while that probably sounds weird, we actually have a lot in common, and none of us have turned out to be ax murderers! It’s been a wonderful outlet to share with other American women the frustrations and victories of our experiences here, and having a forum to chat about administrative, social, and family woes has made our expat adventures less isolating. Now I got to put faces to names and even meet two babies in the group! Husbands weren’t shunned from the gathering, however, and Seth joined us just in time to take a few pictures of the group.
Jackie, Caitlin, Andrea (holding son, Finn), Lori, Lauren, and me
The babies: two boys (2.5 months and 6 months). The consensus us that Seth and I must be having a girl with all the boys that seem to come out of our group.
Andrea let Seth take the stroller for a spin. How does this one look on him?
Saying good-bye for now. I hope we can see each other again while I’m traveling between Paris and London. I had a great time!
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04.23.08
Posted in Travel at 11:31 am by rachel
Since last June, there is a high-speed train route from Paris to Strasbourg. The journey that used to take almost five hours is now reduced to only a little above two. It just so happens that my host sister, Elodie, lives in Strasbourg with her boyfriend, Maxime. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen Elodie since something like 2003, so a trip to Strasbourg was long overdue! I went the first weekend in April and had a wonderful time in the two days I was there. Elodie is perfectly bilingual in French and English and works as an administrator for university study abroad programs in Strasbourg. What better guide could I find?
Elodie and me, reunited!
We began our Saturday tour by going straight to Strasbourg’s famous cathedral. It only has one steeple.
Statues greeted us at the entrance.
This lone gargoyle was mounted to a corner at the entrance.
Strasbourg is the largest city in Alsace, a French départment with a turbulent history. The provinces of Alsace and Lorraine have gone back and fourth between France and Germany in only the last century and a half, and this border location is reflected in the mix of cultures and architecture that characterize the city of Strasbourg. The Germanic façades are probably the most obvious – and beautiful – cue that we are in Alsace.
These buildings are in the area called Petite France. Legend has it that this neighborhood was called “Little France” because of the abundance of French prostitutes that used to call it home. Most of these buildings date to the 16th century.
This part is a bit down the river from the traditionally richer part of the city. Elodie explained to me that this is where the poorer women used to do their laundry, in the dirtier water downstream from where the clothes of the rich were washed.
The three of us went out for a wonderful dinner at one of Elodie and Maxime’s favorite restaurants. The food was divine: I had a deliciously rich chestnut cream soup followed by a duck in a sweet marinade accompanied by roasted root vegetables and gratin dauphinois. It was classic with a twist.
Elodie was more adventurous by trying the “Alsacian sushi” as her first course. I don’t remember all that was in it, but I do remember that the usual rice was replaced with sauerkraut!
After a busy day and one of the best meals I’d had in a while, I was happy but very stuffed!
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03.31.08
Posted in Cuisine, Family, Travel at 12:17 pm by rachel
What a month March has been! Seth’s family was in town, and then my parents came, and between the two groups, Seth and I drove all around France, from Normandy to the Mediterranean Sea. Since Easter weekend is still fresh in my mind (probably because I’ve never eaten so much), I thought I should post about that first.
Seth, my parents, and I spent the weekend in Roanne, which is a relatively little-known city near Lyon. Most outsiders know Roanne because of the famous restaurant Troisgros (150€ lunch, anyone?), but to us, it’s the place I was warmly welcomed as an exchange student for the 1996-1997 school year. I stayed with three lovely families, and am thrilled we’ve kept in touch. Because we only had about 24 hours in Roanne, we visited two of my three host families.
We started out Saturday chez Gérard and Josiane, my first host parents (their daughter, Julie is a good friend of mine and lives in Paris - lucky me!!) , along with their son, Francis (it was his 27th birthday! Joyeux Anniversaire!), and his girlfriend, Laura. We ran into a little traffic on the Paris side of the trip, so we didn’t arrive for lunch until about 2pm. Everyone held out and when we arrived, the feasting began!
The apératif (pre-meal drink course) was served with the most amazing spread of appetizers: endive with herbed cheese, crab in home-made mayonnaise, toasted spiced bread with goat cheese, dried sausage, and the original version of pigs in a blanket: delicious sausages in a puff-pastry.
On to the main course: two different kinds of pork (the mustard sauce was particularly memorable), potatoes, and green beans. Seth looks overwhelmed!
I don’t know how I missed taking a picture of the cheese course. It was a beautiful spread on a rustic wooden cheese plate. I also missed photographing the wine, which was made my a family friend. My parents loved it (I think they’re wine drinkers now!) and Gerard & Josiane sent them home with a bottle. We were so stuffed after the cheese that we decided to take a walking tour of Roanne before the dessert course. Julie and I showed my parents the center of Roanne, with its pedestrian walkways, and most importantly, our high school (Lycée Jean Puy). The bar near the high school is called “Bar du Lycée” which always made me laugh, since in the states you can’t drink until college.
Roanne’s most famous bakery is called Pralus, inventor of the original Praluline, which is a brioche with candied nuts (almonds? pecans?). We picked up a small one to try later on, since we knew we would not need to eat anything for days.
Back at the house, we moved on to the dessert course. It was an especially vast spread since it was Francis’s birthday and his girlfriend made a special crumble for him. I thought the Easter-themed papillotes were cute. This is the first year the Révillon chocolate producer has made them for Easter (they are usually a Christmas & New Year’s tradition).
Josiane made my and Julie’s favorite dessert: the île flottante (”floating island”). The island is made of sweet whipped egg whites, floating in a sea of custard.
The chocolate mousse was a hit, and my mom got away with the recipe for both that and the île flottante.
Dad played a couple of tunes after dessert.
By the time “lunch” was over it was about 9pm! Our hosts:
It was time to move on to Renaison, chez Michel and Martine, where we spent the night and Easter Sunday.
We had mini pastries for breakfast Easter morning and tried not to overdo it, since we knew we were in for another delicious meal. If the size of the bread loaf alone was any indication (about a yard long by maybe a food wide?), we were not going to go hungry.
Michel took this picture of the group enjoying the apéritif of champagne.
With the apéro we had crab in a cream dip with avocado and toasts with tapenade and a fish spread.
The first course was escargots. The sauce is amazing! Put anything in butter, parsley, garlic, and shallots, and I’m sold. This photo shows just one of the two trays of escargots we ate.
The traditional main dish for Easter in France is lamb. This lamb was tender and delicious, served with green beans wrapped in slabs of pork breast akin to bacon. Martine served it with whipped mashed potatoes.
After some salad, guess what was next?
A spread of regional cheeses and yogurts, as well as some camemberts (one of them aged in calvados, a liquor from Normandy).
To finish it off? Warm Tarte Tatin. The name comes from the Tatin sisters who first made a homemade apple tart in this method. Served with some crème fraîche, it was a delicious finale to an afternoon feast.
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03.17.08
Posted in Travel at 11:42 pm by rachel
Within walking distance from the slopes in Valfréjus sits a hidden chapel that’s been on this site for six centuries. The first construction of Notre-Dame du Charmaix was in 1401, built to house a Black Madonna, and although the chapel has been through many transformations, its essential character seems to remain timeless.
The view of the chapel from the path doesn’t look like much more than a covered bridge. The main chapel area is under the covered area and to the right.
The chapel is closed most of the time, especially now that the interior is being restored.
The view on the inside, with the black Virgin on the altar.
Many of the paintings inside were old. There were also embroidered works that were in recognition of an answered prayer. The one on the far right had a date on it from the 1880s.
Plaques on the outside are a slightly more contemporary recognition ritual. Many of these date from the first half of the twentieth century.
This old-fashioned iron “tronc” is where you can drop coins and it goes into a large, secure area deep inside. Don’t forget to leave a donation to the chapel on your way out!
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03.13.08
Posted in Travel at 12:36 pm by rachel
You eat a lot of heavy food when you’re in the mountains. I guess all those extra calories help you with the hiking and the altitude! Here are some food highlights of our ski trip in Valfréjus.
The market:
I bought a half-ton of cheese from this stand. It is still making our refrigerator smell like feet, but I just had to buy Reblochon for tartiflette, and try two other kinds I wasn’t familiar with. The free samples are what sold us on those.
This is where we stocked up on dried sausages for Seth. They may be contributing to the fridge odor as well…
A plate of cut meats, to accompany the raclette we ate the first night we were in Valfréjus.
Fondue night! Here’s the prep shot…
Ready for dipping, on the table.
Delicious!
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03.07.08
Posted in Travel at 11:18 am by rachel
We’re back from our trip to Valfréjus, and finally I have some pictures to share! I thought I’d start out with the view from the top of the slopes, accessible by a long gondola ride up about 1000 meters or so (I think?). It was a long trip up, but so pretty!
The view from the top, away from the main slopes.
The blazing sun was the best part.
The café at the top was a popular lunch spot. We ate outside on this terrace one day and enjoyed tartiflette. My favorite!
Cécilia, enjoying some vin chaud (mulled wine)
I loved the painted wood that decorated the café’s windows.
Who needs jackets? Sunbathing at the top.
Seth even found iPhone reception at the top of the mountain.
This gondola side of the mountain was the side with the slopes.
The ride back down in the gondola. That’s all for today!
Oh, and check out Seth’s snowblogging post and video about blogging from the ski lift.
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