Random Photo: The Pastries of Sadaharu Aoki
Thursday March 01st 2012, 1:47 pm
Filed under: food and drinks,paris,pastries

sadaharu aoki pastsries paris
Some of the prettiest and tastiest fusion pastries you’ll find in Paris by Sadaharu Aoki. His chocolates are good, too! (website)

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Random Photo: Inside the Beaubourg
Wednesday December 21st 2011, 3:05 pm
Filed under: art/culture/design,paris,photos

field trip class at pompidou centre paris
How fun would it be to have a field trip at the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris analyzing Matisse et al? Very.

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A Lightbulb Moment: Drinking Glasses in Cafes
Friday December 16th 2011, 8:39 am
Filed under: daily life,food and drinks

drinking glasses in cafes in france perrier
After living in France for nine years, I just had a realization about the drinking glass sizes in a cafe. Better late than never, I suppose. Okay, what am I talking about? When I go to a cafe, I oftentimes order a Perrier with a syrup, for example, a “Perrier Cassis” (Perrier and black currant syrup). For the longest time, it annoyed me that they’d bring a glass with the syrup at the bottom along with a full bottle of Perrier. The entire contents of the Perrier would never fit in the glass so I’d have to drink it then when there was more space in the glass, I’d add more Perrier thus diluting the taste of cassis each time. I’d wonder why on earth they couldn’t give me a glass to fit everything at once. I now know why. They brought me the wrong glass. For nine years! So if it’s a bottle of Perrier, the glass has to be a Perrier glass. If it’s an Orangina, the glass has to be an Orangina glass. Same with other drinks. And so, if they match, everything fits perfectly. Thank you awesome cafe in Dijon. You’re the only cafe that does it right.

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Small Brother Sarkozy
Thursday November 17th 2011, 5:59 pm
Filed under: art/culture/design,funny,paris,photos,politics

small brother sarkozyThe French version of Big Brother is actually Small Brother…..seen in Paris today. LOL

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Camel Balls
Wednesday September 28th 2011, 10:59 am
Filed under: cultural differences,food and drinks,funny,products,weird

camel balls liquid filled and extra sour
Spotted this in a tabac and love the fun unabashed ad. What else can you say about Camel Balls, except that they’re liquid filled…and EXTRA sour!

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Random Photo: Dessert in Dijon
Friday August 05th 2011, 6:27 pm
Filed under: daily life,food and drinks,photos,travel and places

dessert in dijon france
Portions are undoubtedly getting bigger in France. This dessert is so huge you have to eat it with an ice cream scoop.

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Hidden Gems: Nolay France (Burgundy) and Le Thé dans la Vigne

We’ve passed by a little village called Nolay dozens of times without stopping on our way from our house to Beaune. The place seemed unremarkable on the surface but we finally decided to visit it one day to check out the antiques stores on the main road.
nolay france antiques store bourgogne burgundy
As usual and luckily, we wandered around while we were there.
nolay france cats bourgogne burgundy
It turns out that Nolay is awesome.
nolay france bourgogne burgundy
Most people who’ve been here would cite the beautiful, arcaded central market place, which dates back to the 14th century.
nolay france arcaded central marketplace bourgogne burgundy
The roof is made of limestone (weighing 800 kg/1800 lbs per square meter) and the frame holds everything together with chestnut wood beams.
nolay france arcaded central marketplace bourgogne burgundy
But to me, the salon de thé right next to the central market place, La Thé dans la Vigne, is Nolay’s real gem.
nolay france le the dans la vigne salon de the bourgogne burgundy
With delicious home made desserts, light fare meals, fine wines,
nolay france le the dans la vigne salon de the bourgogne burgundy
an adorable, sweet and hospitable owner (Sylvie Blanchard),
nolay france sylvie blanchard le the dans la vigne salon de the bourgogne burgundy
eclectic quirky French decor,
nolay france le the dans la vigne salon de the bourgogne burgundy
antique books and newspapers in French and English. antique dishware and silverware and housed in a a building that dates back to 1810, you will only feel comfortable and happy in such a warm, cozy place.
nolay france le the dans la vigne salon de the desserts bourgogne burgundy
Everything we ordered was tasty and since we couldn’t decide which dessert to have, our kind hostess prepared a plate with everything on it, including a bowl of her whisky infused fruit – the latter being delicious but crazy potent!

Le Thé dans la Vigne
8, place des Halles 21340 Nolay France
Télephone :+33 (0)3 80 26 87 31
Open 10:30am to 9:30pm during warm months Tuesday to Sunday. Closed November 30 to April 1. Reservations recommended.

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Random Photo: Wasabi Cheese
Sunday July 17th 2011, 11:25 am
Filed under: cheese / fromage,photos

wasabi cheese in france
I guess you would call that a melding of cultures.

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Random Photo: Mignardises
Monday July 04th 2011, 6:07 pm
Filed under: food and drinks,pastries,restaurants

macarons and financiers french mignardiese
This was waiting for us after an amazing meal at Loiseau des Vignes in Beaune, France (region: Bourgogne / Burgundy). We were stuffed already but don’t we always have room for macarons and financiers…and coffee?

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Cheeseburger Flavor Potato Chips
Wednesday June 29th 2011, 11:47 am
Filed under: food and drinks,products,reviews,shopping,travel tip,weird

Remember the Roast Chicken Flavored Potato Chips? That was five years ago, already! Anyway, we’ve been traveling recently and road trips mean coke bottle gummies, ice cream bars and even more unhealthy food alternatives like crazy-flavored potato chips. We couldn’t help but notice the usual suspects like BBQ, plain, Roasted Chicken Chips (Lays are good!) but there seemed to be a new kid in town: Cheeseburger Potato Chips! We couldn’t resist.
cheeseburger potato chips france french
These are…perplexingly excellent. They taste EXACTLY like a McDonald’s cheeseburger, and while I haven’t eaten one of those in so many years I don’t even know how many, I liked these (I almost hate to admit it) and was happy they didn’t give me a stomach ache like the real cheeseburgers did. So, there you have it. It does make me wonder, though, why there aren’t typical French meal flavored chips. Wouldn’t it be fun to have Croque-Monsieur chips, Cassoulet chips, Steak-Frites (in pepper sauce) chips and Tete de Veau chips? Confit de canard chips, boudin noir chips, moule frites chips, rabbit terrine chips…

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Random Photo: Sunflowers
Tuesday June 28th 2011, 10:21 am
Filed under: art/culture/design,photos,Provence

sunflowers in provence france
No wonder Van Gogh hung around Provence.

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A Day in the Life in Saint Remy de Provence (video)
Thursday June 23rd 2011, 10:16 am
Filed under: music,Provence,tips,travel and places,travel tip

Be sure to visit Saint Remy de Provence on Wednesdays. That’s when they have a huge outdoor market until about 1pm. The streets are lined with vendors selling food, arts and crafts, linens, jewelry, leather goods, candy, junk, etc., and there are lots of street musicians. I loved this excellent duo, although I couldn’t understand what the guy was singing.

Please support street musicians!

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Planking the Pope Palace
Saturday June 18th 2011, 10:53 pm
Filed under: photos,Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur,weird

planking pope palace palais des papes avignon france
My family and I decided to bring planking (à plat ventre) back to France…at least for a short while.

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How Do you Say “Google it” in French?
Monday May 30th 2011, 7:22 pm
Filed under: daily life,language,tips

google it in french
Voila. This is how you say “Google it” in French. I thought you’d like this tiny bit of trivia.

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Don’t Run Over Randolph Westphal
Thursday May 26th 2011, 10:59 am
Filed under: cars/bikes/etc,news,people,stories

randolf westphal in france
We were on our way to Lyon when we almost ran over this guy and his two Siberian huskies pulling him on his bike. Instead of running into him, we rode next to him to hand him a donation.
randolf westphal in france
He’s Randolph Westphal and he’s been biking all over the world with his dogs for more than 14 years (around the world 4 times!) on a mission to share his experience as a cancer survivor visiting hospitals, hospices and clinics. More than two decades ago, his doctor’s told him he had about a year left to live because of his cancer but he’s still here 20 years later!

He’s been hit by an 18-wheeler, which put him in a coma, broke his leg, got attacked by a bear and more…and YET he continues.

Here’s more info on him to read about his trials, tribulations and successes. Riding for Cancer, Randolph Westphal (in German)

If you see him, give him some love!

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Random Photo: We Know Where the Elephant Hunter Lives
Friday May 20th 2011, 1:15 pm
Filed under: Nievre,photos

elephant head in france
Looking for elephants in France? There’s at least part of one at the Chateau de Prye.

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English Without Pain: Lesson 8
Thursday April 28th 2011, 2:53 pm
Filed under: books/magazines,funny,language,weird

Are you ready for Lesson 8 in L’anglais sans peine (English Without Pain)? If you missed my Lesson 1 blog post, see it here as well as read about what English Without Pain is.

Here’s lesson 8: I have a surprise for you in my pocket…
english without pain lecon lesson 8
Am I the only one who thinks this is absolutely hilarious?!

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Medieval Interior Decorating
Monday April 11th 2011, 3:45 pm
Filed under: funny,history,weird

Many of my experiences in France teeter on the insane if not singularly absurd, which is reason enough why I wouldn’t live anywhere else. I’m not sure if these events would happen in any other place than France – perhaps, but I like to imagine that it doesn’t.

The meeting I had last week was one of those strange but entertaining days where what would appear to be a boring hour or two, was instead, filled with some appeal. The actual content of the meeting was not interesting at all, but if not for the office’s medieval armor and weapon collection, which took up a good half of the office, I would’ve zoned out like I’d do in my high school history class. (Not history’s fault, the teacher’s!)
medieval armour in french notaire office
The medieval collection of armour, weapons and war paraphenalia was authentic, the real deal that a medieval soldier supposedly sported as he battled it out with medieval enemies. There’s a mace resting on the shelf of the radiator but I was hoping there’d be a different kind of mace; you know, the club with a spiked ball on a chain! (I know, I’m complaining!) In any case, the display was unexpected, weird and cool, just like my France.

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Random Photo: Soap
Tuesday March 29th 2011, 7:24 pm
Filed under: daily life,photos,products

savon de marseille soap french
Savon de Marseille

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Random Photo: Palais des papes
Monday March 14th 2011, 4:10 pm
Filed under: photos,Provence

palais des papes
Palais des papes/Pope Palace – Avignon, France

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Château de Castelnaud
Sunday March 06th 2011, 3:57 pm
Filed under: Dordogne,photos,tips,travel and places,travel tip

It’s places like Château de Castelnaud (and the village Castelnaud-la-Chapelle) that make the Perigord one of my favorite regions to travel to in France. Alhough privately owned, it’s open to the public, and I highly recommend visiting the château and nearby countryside especially for the spectacular views from the castle/fortress of the surrounding area and the Dordogne River. From atop the fortress, you can see the châteaux of Beynac and Marqueyssac and the medieval village of La Roque-Gageac. NOTE: Like most smaller French villages I feature on this blog, you’ll need a car to get here and explore the vast Black Perigord.

Château de Castelnaud is a treasure trove filled with fascinating history and trivia as well as beautiful medieval architecture.
chateau de castelnaud black perigord dordogne southwest france
Château de Castelnaud (website)
Musée de la guerre au Moyen Âge
24250 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle France
Telephone: +33 (0)5 53 31 30 00
GPS :44°48’57.59’’ N
1°08’33.02’’E

Here’s a slideshow of photos I took of Château de Castelnaud:

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Random Photo: Street Art
Thursday March 03rd 2011, 1:38 pm
Filed under: art/culture/design,Normandy,photos

chalk graffiti in honfleur france
Erasable Graffiti seen in Honfleur, France.

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Dialogue Entre Jacques Chirac et Bruno Le Maire
Wednesday February 23rd 2011, 11:39 am
Filed under: conversations,dialogue,events,funny,people,politics

jacque chirac and bruno le maire at the salon d'agriculture 2011 france
Jacques Chirac: Yo Bruno, what kind of animal is that over there?
Bruno Le Maire: Since when do you say, “yo,” Jacques?
Chirac: It’s always been a part of my vernacular. BTW, you can call me Monsieur Chirac, and don’t change the subject.
Le Maire: Just because I’m the Minister of Agriculture doesn’t mean I know anything about agriculture. I actually hate animals and nature. Didn’t you see me on Canal Plus yesterday? I don’t even know what a turkey sounds like. I just wanted to be Minister and agriculture was the only one available. I took it because I knew les grands surfaces (large supermarket chains) would give me huge bribes to not denounce them because they’re fleecing farmers and French consumers.
Chirac: You sort of suck, Bruno. Of course, bribes are kind of nice.

Click here to see more Dialogues.

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Art Exhibit in Arles
Sunday February 13th 2011, 2:12 pm
Filed under: art/culture/design,photos,Provence,video

the forest art exhibit in arles
This photo’s from an art exhibit (sculptures and paintings) we went to called, “Terre, Arbres & Forêts” (Earth, Trees & Forests) – artwork by artist/filmmaker Vincent Lajarige. This is one of the coolest venues for an exhibition held inside the Chapelle Sainte-Anne in Arles.

 

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Random Photo: Roanne
Thursday February 03rd 2011, 2:57 pm
Filed under: photos,travel and places

roanne france

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