Category Archives: France

Architecture, Art, Food, France, French customs, Restaurants

The hottest new pop-up bar in Paris with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower – Top 12 Patisseries in Paris – Scallops & St Peter

March 5, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

This week, in Wednesday’s blogger round-up, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us to a pop-up bar (a new concept for me) in Paris where she was tempted by the sin of gluttony. I can’t wait to try it out! Andrea from Rearview Mirror shares her top 12 patisseries in Paris from a host of wonderful neighbourhoods while Niall and Antoinette from Chez Charmizay explore an intriguing “monument historique” in the Loire Valley. Enjoy!

The hottest new pop-up bar in Paris with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower: 180 Restaurant and Bar at the Pullman Hotel

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Better hurry! The clock is ticking and there are only 126 days, 13 hours and 26 minutes left to enjoy one of the most spectacular views of city from the hottest new pop-up bar in Paris.

Situated on the 10th floor of the Pullman Hotel, the bar offers an intimate encounter with the Eiffel Tower in all its sparkling glory. Watching the day fade into night as we sipped glasses of Veuve Clicquot champagne with friends visiting from the States yesterday evening, Stephane and I regretted that we hadn’t reserved a table for dinner. In keeping with the theme, the pop-up bar has specially concocted drinks and menu items honoring the seven deadly sins. With offerings like le Charnel (the carnal), a savory cheesecake, and le Sensual (the sensual) a sweet cheesecake, I was sorely tempted by the sin of gluttony. Read more

Top 12 Patisseries in Paris

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local

I naively thought I could list my top 10 favourite patisseries in Paris but there are too many great places to choose from so I decided to share my top 12. All are located in fantastic neighbourhoods ideal for a city break in Paris. If you’re planning a visit to Paris and want to live like a local, Go with Oh have a number of apartments perfect for a short stay. Read more

Scallops & St Peter

by Niaill, a Scotsman, and Antoinette, a Dutch American, from Chez Charnizay, who live in the village of the same name in southern Touraine and blog about their adventures in the Loire Valley.

The town of L’Île-Bouchard straddles the river Vienne and we’ve written about the capitals of the ruined Prieuré de Saint-Léonard there before. On the south side of the Vienne river, just before you reach it, is a small village called Parçay-sur-Vienne.

We decided to have a quick look to see if the village church was of interest before heading on towards L’Île-Bouchard and Chinon: it was a another case of one of those slightly battered and faded ‘monument historique’ signs which intrigued us. Read more

France, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

Hotel Dieu: The unexpected inside of Paris’ oldest hospital – Itinerary Planning 101 – Map of Literary French History

February 26, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 12 Comments

Three very different posts in this Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-Up: Yetunde from Like Home in Paris takes us on a guided tour through an unexpected venue: Paris’ oldest hospital, Jo Karnaghan, in her usual practical way, gives excellent tips on how to plan an itinerary (part 3, so don’t miss the others) while Stephanie, the Llamalady from Blog in France, has found a wonderful French site connecting up geographical locations and famous French writers. Enjoy!

Hôtel Dieu: The unexpected inside Paris’ oldest hospital

by Yetunde from Feels Like a Home in Paris, local Paris holiday rental specialists, who blog on tips, happenings & lots of food & drink from the city they love.

Visiting Notre Dame on Ile Saint Louis in Paris, you can’t help but notice the rather large Hôtel Dieu hospital close by. It has maybe even shown up on a few of your photos but have you ever been inside?

It would never strike me as a normal part of my day to enter into a hospital unless I really have to. I have only ever visited two emergency rooms in Paris and needless to say that I hope to never have to do it again. But when you consider a hospital that was built between the 7th and 17th century you have to take pause and notice it. Read on

Itinerary planning 101: Part 3 – the finishing touches to your travel plan

by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

How are you going with your plans for your latest itinerary? Have you got a good outline of where you are going, your budget and how you are planning on getting about? In the final installment of this short series we fill in the blanks with all the special moments that will make your trip one to really remember……

1. List all the things you want to do in each of your destinations

Taking into account the length of time you have in each destination, make a list of all the things you want to do for each of your destinations and prioritise them. Read on

Map of Literary French History

by Stephanie, the Llamalady, from Blog in France, an Irish llama and alpaca breeder living in the centre of France, who also runs a carp fishery and a holiday gite

Here’s something rather interesting – it’s a crowdsourced interactive map of France that allows you to discover quotations or descriptions about various destinations in the country by famous French writers.

Zoom in to the area of France that you’re interested in on the Google map in and you’ll see little blue flags. The quotations are linked to these. I was of course interested to see what’s been written about my local area. As I suspected, George Sand had a lot to say about the place. Here’s her (George Sand was the pen name of Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin) view of Boussac. Read more

France, French customs

The most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris! – Getting a French Driver’s License – Part 1 – European Capital of Culture 2013

February 19, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

A break from Barcelona for this week’s bloggers’ round-up, starting with Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, who ferreted out the most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris. Abby from Paris Weekender tells us how to go about getting a driver’s licence in France. Don’t forget to read Part 2 as well! Andrea from Rearview Mirror takes us to Marseilles, one of the European capitals of culture for 2013. Enjoy!

The most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been pounding the pavement and scouring the city for the most original Valentine’s Day chocolate. Peering through store window after store window, all the while trying to keep my cravings at bay, I’ve seen chocolate hearts, shoes, dresses, cigars, wafers with “I Love You” written in multiple languages, hearts appearing to be on fire, Eiffel Towers, birds with heart-shaped nests, and, did I mention, hearts?

Just when I was about to throw in the towel and give up on finding anything truly innovative, I paused in front of A la Mère de Famille on rue de la Pompe to look at what I thought would be more chocolate hearts. Studying the window, I noticed some chicken wire festooned with red roses, white hearts, and …. what’s that? Read more

Getting a French Driver’s License – Part 1

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in New York and Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

If you have been residing in France for more than 1 year, you are required to get a French driver’s license. There are two ways of doing this. The first and easiest option is to trade your current driver’s license in for a French one – but this route is only available for EU license-holders, license-holders of select other countries and holders of licenses from a handful of the 50 United States. (When I last checked, the list included: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.) The second way is to re-do driver’s ed. Read more

European Capital of Culture 2013

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

It used to be that there was one European Capital of Culture per year until 2000 when they went a little crazy and made 9 different cities the ‘capital’. In recent years there have been two or three per year and last year was the first time I got to visit one of the capitals when I went to Guimarães in northern Portugal. The title of European Capital of Culture 2013 is held by both Marseille, France and Kosice, Slovakia.

European Capital of Culture 2013: Marseille-Provence

It’s not just the city of Marseille which is the Capital of Culture but also the surrounding area including Aix-en-Provence, Arles, La Ciotat, Martigues and Aubagne. Read more

Food, France

Jean Michel’s Thin-Crust Apple Tart

February 4, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 12 Comments

I’m a great believer in having a couple of culinary specialities up your sleeve that you can make standing on your head and everyone oohs and ahs about. It doesn’t even matter if you always serve up the same thing to the same people because they usually look forward to it. Jean Michel’s great specialty is his thin-crust apple tart.

Jean Michel's apple tart — Jean Michel’s apple tart

The first time I ate it was when he invited me to dinner at his place for the first time. He’s convinced it’s low calorie. I’m not so sure about that, but it’s definitely delicious. I have never learnt to make it – I would hate to rob him of his fame (and it would also mean I’d find myself making it more often than him!). Also, I don’t think I have the patience to cut the apple thinly enough.

I once helped him in the early days of our acquaintance and I could see I was not doing it the right way. So I bowed out gracefully and left him to get on with it.

Here’s the recipe :

Ingredients:

250 g of plain flour (we only have unbleached)

1 to 2 g of ground Guérande sea salt (that is the only type he likes!)

30 g of fine brown sugar

100 to 150 g of butter

1 egg

3 to 4 large Golden Delicious apples (or any other non-floury apple)

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl

Putting curls of butter into the flour

2. Scrape the butter into the bowl with a serrated edge knife

3. Incorporate with the finger tips

4. Create a well in the middle and break in the egg

5. Blend well with the fingertips

6. Add a little water depending on the moistness of the flour

7. Form a uniform ball and put in a cool place for at least 30 minutes but preferably several hours

8. Place the dough on a marble plaque and press it into a circle by working around it

9. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin first from the outside in, then from the inside out until it forms a circle with a diameter of 38 to 40 cm

Transferring the dough onto the rolling pin

10. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and place gently onto a 35 cm shallow anodised aluminium tart plate.

11. Prick the bottom with a fork

12. Turn the edge over

13. Create a decorative edge with a fork

14. Harden the tart shell in a 220°C oven for 2 minutes

15. Spread a thin layer of apple compote on the bottom of the shell

16. Carefully eel and slice the apple thinly and evenly

17. Overlap the apple slices to form a pattern

18. Make the rosette in the middle and sprinkle lightly with sugar

19. Cook in a 220°C oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

France, French customs, French language

Fraussie Grouet Makes Her Final Bow

January 30, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 12 Comments

When I first started writing this blog in October 2011, I was worried about my university students and possibly my translation clients being able to track down my private life so I came up with the pseudonym of Fraussie. When I created the Facebook fan page for Aussie in France, I discovered that I needed a “real” person behind it. What I didn’t understand was that fan pages and Facebook accounts are kept separate anyway and that someone who joined the fan page did not see the person who was behind it.

Front staircase at Closerie Falaiseau in winter

Anyway, when I set up the account, Fraussie was not enough. I needed a family name as well. We’d just found Closerie Falaiseau which is in the Grouet neighbourhood of Blois, whence the name. It was not until later that we learnt the name of the house or I would have called myself Fraussie Falaiseau and not Fraussie Grouet.

But I have been having more and more trouble keeping my own Facebook account, Rosemary Kneipp, separate from Fraussie Grouet’s. I never remember who I am and I need to keep logging out of one and into the other. It’s good practice for warding off incipient Alzheimer’s of course, but not always convincing. The fan page problem was really quite simple to solve as it turned out: I just had to change administrators!

I’m now no longer teaching at uni and my clients only care about whether my translation is any good or not so I’ve decided to get rid of Fraussie Grouet although I must confess I’ve become somewhat attached to her. Relationnel has also decided he’d like to come out. He’ll now appear as Jean Michel. Without a hyphen.

I’ve often been asked where the name Relationnel comes from. When we first met and I introduced him to my children, then 12 and 15, Leonardo, the oldest (he wanted to be a genius when he grew up and used to read a French comic book series called Léonard hence the pseudonym) was impressed by Jean Michel’s ability to always say the right thing to people, so he started calling him Relationnel and it stuck.

My daughter, Black Cat (explained in another post), would like to keep her pseudonym. It’s bad enough having a mother that writes a blog without it spilling over into your private life as well! I haven’t asked Leonardo because he’s asleep in Sydney at the moment, but I think he rather likes being considered a genius. My kids have a different family name altogether, I might add, which keeps them safe.

Having said all this, I should point out that Kneipp is my father’s name. My married name is Avril, but in France, you always officially keep your maiden name. Using your husband’s name is only a convention, though few people know this. I use Avril when people only know me as Jean Michel’s wife (the concierge, for example) or for friends we meet together. Sometimes Jean Michel gets called Kneipp as well, which further confuses matters.

When asked for your name here, you write KNEIPP Rosemary épouse (spouse of) AVRIL. Family names are always capitalised in this country and in formal circumstances you give them first. My French students would always say DUPONT Marie, for example, whereas the Anglosaxons would say Mary Brown. It can get a bit confusing, but the capitals help if you are not familiar with the person’s given name.

Notice I’m using “family name” and “given name” here as opposed to first name (or Christian name) and surname, since they are no longer politically correct and, above all, can lead to confusion. The terms in French are nom de famille (family name), prénom (given name, which literally means pre-name, which is a bit contradictory considering what I’ve just said) and nom de jeune fille (maiden name).

But, revenons à nos moutons, as my father used to say in his schoolboy French. I shall henceforth be known as Rosemary. However, do keep using your own pseudonyms, such as Maple Leaf, Kiwi, Jane’s cousin and Jane’s cousin’s friend, if you’re happy to keep them!

Food, France, French customs, Paris

Braving the Weather to go to the Market in Paris

January 28, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

Every Sunday, when we are in Paris, we go to the local market at Sainte Eustache, regardless of the weather. We have an addiction to fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and, of course, oysters on Sunday. When it snowed last week, we wondered how many vendors we would find. As we walked out the front door, I nearly slipped on the ice on the threshold despite my new shoes. After that, I was extra careful!

We walked past motorcycles, vélib’s and a Christmas tree covered in snow until we got to the ATM at the bank. I felt very sorry for the bag lady inside the makeshift tent even though it was positioned over a warm air vent. It’s very sad to see the number of homeless people constantly increasing in the streets of Paris and even more noticeable in winter.

When we got to the market, we discovered that most of our regulars stall, including the oyster vendor, were there. But hardly any customers! We buy our fruit & veggies from a serve-yourself stall so I made sure I took the produce that HADN’T been covered in snow and cooked the more perishable vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, capsicum) that evening.

The people I felt really sorry for were the fishmongers. They have to pick up the fish and weigh it, then clean it. Their hands must be completely numb. Mine were freezing and I was wearing my rabbit-fur-lined leather gloves from Italy. There wasn’t a lot of choice, but that was understandable. The fish monger thanked us for our “fidelity” when we left.

By the next Sunday, all the snow had disappeared, but it was very cold and rainy and windy so we took our big rainbrella as Leonardo used to call it. This time, the fruit and vegetables were soaking wet. My hands were completely frozen by the time I had stuffed a kilo of spinach leaves into a plastic bag. Next time, I might just take a pair of rubber gloves along!

Queuing for organic vegetables in front of Jet Lag

What amazed me most was the long queue at the organically grown produce stall, right down as far as the Jet Lag café! The wind was whipping around us and there they all were, stoic as ever. It’s strange they preferred the rain and wind to the snow though.

Early (or late) after work at L'Imprimerie — Early (or late) after work at L’Imprimerie

We went past L’Imprimerie on the way home with its “After Work” sign in English. You wouldn’t really think it was the right time of the day or day of the week, would you?

You can see the gypsies, who have been accosting tourists, dispersing as the machine guns arrive ... — You can see the gypsies, who have been accosting tourists, dispersing as the machine guns arrive …

Now, the weather has got much warmer – 10°C today – so I was able to go powerwalking in the Tuileries Gardens. Reminder to self: you still need gloves at 10°C.

Cycling, France, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Saint-Valery-sur-Somme

January 27, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

Baie de la Somme, which is at the mouth of the Somme River in Picardy, is a delightful little town that goes back to Roman times. It still has an abbey church, a sea lock, a stone tower, ramparts and small winding streets. It has a colourful market on Sunday mornings that often extends along the waterfront. It has lovely light and attracted artists such as Sisley and Degas who both had villas there. Baie de Somme is one of our favourite cycling areas and is a good stop on the way down from Boulogne to Dieppe, for example. It’s also an easy weekend trip from Paris.

Abbey church taken in the other direction

Abbey church with its checkerboard pattern

Estuary view showing early 20th century seaside houses

You can see the other side of the estuary

Architecture, France

Monday’s Travel Photos – “Wet” Champagne Half-Timbered Churches: interiors

January 13, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

Last week, I posted photos of the outside of eleven half-timbered churches in the area known as “Wet” Champagne. I thought you might like to see what they are like inside. Unfortunately, the last three churches were closed by the time we got there. The recurring feature of course is the timber frame, sometimes unfortunately covered up with a false ceiling. One of the sad things I find about churches in France is that the original decoration and period are rarely respected when additions are made such as altars and stations of the cross. It should be remembered that, for the most part, these are country churches.

Mathaux (taken from a photo outside the church)

Architecture, France, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – “Wet” Champagne – Half-Timbered Churches

January 6, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

Like most people, our only view of Champagne was Reims, Troyes, Epinay and vineyards but late one September, we were looking for somewhere to spend a long weekend and do some cycling before the cold weather set in. We found a gîte near Lac du Der and discovered, to our amazement, the existence of no fewer than eleven half-timber churches in the area, four of which we visited by bike and the rest by car. It was like a treasure hunt as we went from to the other and as you can see from the photos, it was an absolutely perfect day. Many of these churches used to exist in Normandy, but were bombed during the war. The ones in Champagne,mainly built in the 16th century, have been miraculously preserved.

Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement 1479, which was dismantled when Lac du Der was built and reassembled in a regional museum

For interior views, see Monday’s Travel Photos – “Wet” Champagne – Half-Timbered Churches – Interiors

This post is part of Lou Messugo’s All About France Link-Up #6. For other contributions, click here.

France, Lifestyle, Loire Valley

Happy New Year 2013

December 31, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

Even though we are not sitting in front of a roaring fire in the renovated upstairs fireplace as planned (we’re in front of the closed-up fireplace downstairs) and the oysters are unfortunately back on our balcony in Paris, we are nevertheless in Closerie Falaiseau in Blois. People have been seeing in the New Year in this very house for 438 years. We are about to break that tradition.

What a mementous year! Knowing the hard work awaiting us in April to convert the bottom of the house into rental accommodation, we organised our first home exchange with Madrid and were not disappointed! Since then we have clocked up seven other house swaps in various parts of Australia.

John and Toshiko Modesitt in front of Closerie Falaiseau

The final signature for Closerie Falaiseau at the end of March was followed by two superhuman weeks during which we divided off, furnished and decorated the ground floor mainly with French provinicial furniture. The rental went well, with our first paying guests, American impressionist John Modesitt and his wife Toshiko in June. We are now the proud owners of one of their paintings! The comments in our guest book are very encouraging and it was wonderful to meet so many interesting people.

We came back several times during the spring and summer, doing a lot of cycling and gardening, even eating our first homegrown potatoes, planted in the rain. We repainted the front gate and fitted out a temporary kitchen in our “little house” next door so we wouldn’t inconvenience our guests. Relationnel will be turning it into a gîte after he retires in October 2014 and we take over the entire house.

The roof of the little house seen from the garden

I came to the momentous decision to give up teaching translation at university in June after 15 years. I felt I was ready to turn over a new page particularly since my vocation seemed to have given out. I also wanted to be free of any geographical constraints so we can come to Blois whenever we want.

In September, we went to Australia for 5 weeks via Hong Kong, holidaying first in Tasmania, then in Armidale where I organised a family reunion attended by 50 members of the Kneipp family. We spent many wonderful hours catching up with family I hadn’t seen for a very, very long time. But it was heartbreaking to leave so many people behind. We finished our holiday on the Gold Coast and Brisbane but unfortunately came home with only one suitcase out of two. Next day Black Cat was burgled.

After we arrived home, I came down to Blois with some Australian friends for 10 days and Relationnel joined us for a long weekend. I then stayed on, mainly going back to Paris for weekends due to ongoing renovation on the balcony of the Palais Royal which was supposed to take 10 weeks and is still not finished after 4 1/2 months. It has not only been noisy, but also blocked out our view and light, giving me winter depression.

Scaffolding in front of our balcony in Paris

Relationnel came down for two one-week periods to renovate the upstairs fireplace which has turned out to be a major undertaking. We’re still hoping to finish it before going back to Paris on 7th January, by which time the scaffolding should be gone from the Palais Royal as well. We’ve decided to only herald in the New Year when we can do so in front of a blazing fire. We’re hoping it will happen this week!

So what are my good resolutions,plans and expectations for 2013? The first is NO MORE RENOVATION until we move here permanently. The second is more travelling in Europe, starting with Barcelona in February for which I’m looking looking for a home exchange. After that, maybe Italy or Scandinavia, Ireland or one of the Eastern European countries.

The third is going back to fitter occupations than I’ve had in 2012 and losing the 3 or 4 kilos I’ve gained recently mainly due to going back and forth between two houses! The fourth is getting out and about in Paris more. The fifth is learning to make the most of my iPhone camera so I can take better photos particularly at night.

I haven’t mentioned Aussie in France, but that goes without saying. It’s a part of my life and I’ll keep writing posts until I run out of things to say.

And what about you, my faithful readers, what are your plans for 2013?

Bonne année à tous!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Top 12 Patisseries in Paris

Scallops & St Peter

by Niaill, a Scotsman, and Antoinette, a Dutch American, from Chez Charnizay, who live in the village of the same name in southern Touraine and blog about their adventures in the Loire Valley.

Hôtel Dieu: The unexpected inside Paris’ oldest hospital

by Yetunde from Feels Like a Home in Paris, local Paris holiday rental specialists, who blog on tips, happenings & lots of food & drink from the city they love.

Itinerary planning 101: Part 3 – the finishing touches to your travel plan

by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

1. List all the things you want to do in each of your destinations

Map of Literary French History

by Stephanie, the Llamalady, from Blog in France, an Irish llama and alpaca breeder living in the centre of France, who also runs a carp fishery and a holiday gite

The most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Getting a French Driver’s License – Part 1

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in New York and Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

European Capital of Culture 2013

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

European Capital of Culture 2013: Marseille-Provence

from the Tropics to the City of Light