Category Archives: Restaurants

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

Architecture, Restaurants, Spain

First Impressions of Barcelona – Gaudi and Pintxos

February 10, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 9 Comments

The trip with Easy Jet went perfectly and we even arrived early at our home exchange which gave us time to have a look around us. We’re just across the road from the former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in the El Guinardo neighbourhood, built between 1901 and 1930 and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It ceased to be a hospital in 2009 and is undergoing restoration for use as a museum and cultural centre.

When you turn your back to Sant Pau you are looking straight at Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia cathedral. Our flat is on the 5th and last floor and a small flight of stairs leads onto a terrace where we have a spectacular view of the hospital. Unfortunately it’s a little cold to take our deck chairs up or we could have breakfast there!

The Sagrada Familia at the end of our street taken early morning

In the evening, at Pep’s suggestion, we went into the Barri Gotic which is the historical quarter of Barcelona. We decided we’d walk and it took an hour and a half! We were justly rewarded though. Pep had recommended a tapas restaurant called Bilbao Berria on the corner of Plaça Nova with its beautiful Gothic cathedral. We weren’t able to visit the inside because it was just closing.

Bilbao Barri on Plaça Nova in Barcelona — Bilbao Berria on Plaça Nova in Barcelona

We found the restaurant and it was so good that I have a sneaky suspicion that we are going to be disappointed wherever else we go. Theoretically, they weren’t tapas, but « pintxos », which are hot or cold finger foods with a skewer through them which you choose yourself from the bar. They all cost 1.65 euros a piece and from time to time, the waiter comes around and puts the skewers in a glass. At the end, he counts them all up. So much easier than looking at a menu!

After all that walking, I stayed put and let Jean Michel choose the tapas. The variety was amazing. There were even mini hot dishes, one octopus and the other veal. My favourite had two sea scallops and 3 prawns! I have to confess we had second helpings, then I went and chose a couple of desserts! We decided to take a taxi home. They’re very reasonably priced here.

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Cathedral — Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia Cathedral

Next morning we went and had a closer look at Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral but when we saw the queues of people waiting to get in, we decided to get tickets on line and come back another day. I’m not sure yet what I think of the cathedral. It’s very impressive, like a series of enormous stelactites but I’m not sure I like the naive sculptures and gaudy colours. I did wonder whether the word comes from the artist, but apparently it doesn’t.

We then took the very modern metro to Guell Park, also decorated by Gaudi. A 10-ticket card that can also be used for the bus costs just under 10 euros, which is much cheaper than Paris. It took about 20 minutes to walk up the hill to the park from the metro station but despite the cold, the sun was out.

I really liked the park, which was never finished, like a lot of Gaudi’s work, because Count Guell eventually ran out money. When we got there, there weren’t many people but by the time we left, it was crowded. Initially though it was very still and peaceful, with musicians scattered about playing classical music and Spanish guitar. From the top there are sweeping, though a little hazy views of the city of Barcelona and the sea. So when we left the park, that is where we headed.

Bilbao Berria, Plaça Nova 3, Barcelona 93 317 01 24, Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 12 pm, Friday and Saturday, 9 am to 1 am, Sunday 9.30 am to 1 am. http://www.bilbaoberria.com/en/home

Architecture, Art, Restaurants, Sightseeing, Travelling

Barcelona: Gastronomic Dining – Things to do in Barcelona – Gaudi’s Barcelona

January 29, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

The posts on my Wednesday Bloggers’ Round-Up today are all by Australians (or people with Australian connections) and all on the subject of Barcelona. Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles has suggestions for both fine dining and casual dining in Barcelona, Craig Makepeace from Y Travel Blog offers lots of insider tips on things to do while Laurence from Finding the Universe offers us spectacular photos of Gaudi’s monuments that I can’t wait to visit! So let’s go to Barcelona!

Barcelona: Gastronomic Dining

by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles, an Australian who an ongoing passion for France and the French language just back in Australia after a holiday in Europe

I visited Spain for the first time in 2001 as part of a whirlwind tour around Europe. I couldn’t understand people who raved about Spanish food. The food served to tourists on bus trips is generally lacking flavour and unexciting. All this changed last year when I stayed with Isa and Julio in Andalusia. What a revelation.

In January this year, in addition to tapas, I was fortunate to dine in the Michelin starred Cinc Sentits restaurant in Barcelona. Read more

Things to do in Barcelona

By Australian blogger Craig Makepeace from Y Travel Blog, who, with Caz, believes that life is about creating great memories and making it a story to tell, and they do that through travel.

Looking for tips on things to do in Barcelona? As part of our city guides series, we interviewed Mariana Calleja from Travel Thirst who has been in Barcelona since January 2010, fell in love with the place, and decided to stay longer. Mariana shares with us her insider tips on the best things to do inBarcelona plus where to eat, sleep, drink, shop and explore. Why Visit Barcelona? Barcelona is a very rich city in many aspects. The easiest way… Read more

Gaudi’s Barcelona

by Laurence from Finding the Universe, of British origin who, with German-born Vera, are both travellers, into writing and photography, slowly exploring the world.

Gaudí. It’s kind of hard to visit Barcelona without spending your time gaping in awe at the architectural and artistic genius that he left behind all over the city.

A great deal of my week in Barcelona was therefore spent, gaping in awe, at his many truly incredible constructions. As well as gaping, I was also taking the odd photograph, which I’m sharing with you today. I wasn’t able to visit every bit of work he did, but I’d like to think that I took in the serious highlights.

In a future post I’ll be going more into the details of what to see and do in Barcelona. For now though, less detail: more eye candy.

Lets start with… Read more

Dieting, Restaurants, Spain, Travelling, Wine

Off to Barcelona and one kilo down!

January 16, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 13 Comments

We’re going to Barcelona for six days on a home exchange in February. I can’t wait. Apart from our trip to Australia in September, we haven’t been out of the country for a whole year. We haven’t even gone anywhere except Paris and Blois during that time which means that I’m travel-starved.

Blois from the cycle path on the banks of the Loire

During the same twelve month period in 2011, we went to Seville, to the south-west of France, to Normandy, to Angers and Loche in the Loire Valley, then on a four-week trip to Croatia in the summer that included 9 countries. After that, we went to “Wet” Champagne, then back to the Loire where we found Closerie Falaiseau. And we spent Christmas in Normandy.

So you can see why I’m so excited. One of the reasons I love living in Paris is its proximity to so many other countries. Over the years, we’ve been to Italy several times and have now started visting Spain. Ah yes, I forgot to mention Madrid in my list. We went there last March on our first home exchange. But it feels so long ago.

Harrap's Spanish method by Michel Thomas — Harrap’s Spanish method by Michel Thomas

Now that we’ve booked the airfares (we’re travelling with Easy Jet for the first time), Relationnel has started reading the guide book. He decides on how we fill our days, acts the tour guide and writes up the travel dairy while I organise accommodation, do the talking, find places to eat, take the photos, write blog posts and occasionally contribute to the diary. So I’d better start listening to my Spanish tapes again. I use Harraps’ Michel Thomas method. It’s a very effective, entirely audio method which exists for other languages as well. You can download ten free lessons to test it.

Our Spanish travel diary waiting for Barcelona!

I’ve checked the temperatures which should be 10 or 12°C during the day and it should be sunny which is fine by me. It’s 3°C and overcast in Paris at the moment. I’m not sure our home exchanger is getting the best deal, though she will have an unhindered view of the Palais Royal gardens. So any advice on places to see (particularly off the beaten track), things to do, tips for avoiding queues and things, and, especially, places to eat, are very welcome.

Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie Paris 1er arrondissement

And while we’re on the subject of eating, how’s the diet going? I’ve managed to lose a kilo this week, despite the galette des rois, an apéritif at Le Meurice (where I stuck to the olives and nuts and ignored the cheesy things), dinner at Le Mesturet (without dessert or café gourmand) and lunch at Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie (duck and café gourmand, I have to confess).

The main things that have changed this week are my greater intake of fresh fish from the market and no afternoon tea. I’ve also had fresh citrus fruit for breakfast as opposed to orange juice. I’ve been having a small portion of carbs at lunchtime and just protein and vegetables at night. Maybe a bit less wine as well. We also finished off our Christmas chocolates in Blois. We weren’t eating a lot, but two with coffee at lunch and dinner every day is definitely too much! The foie gras is finished too. There’s still the Christmas cake, but it’ll last a while yet.

Le Comptoir de la Gourmandise, restaurant and gourmet food store, 34 rue Montmartre, 75001 Paris, 01 42 33 31 32 http://www.comptoirdelagastronomie.com contact@comptoirdelagastronomie.com

Architecture, Loire Valley, Restaurants, Sightseeing

A Visit to Chambord the Magnificent, including lunch

December 26, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 13 Comments

The day we went to Chambord, we really needed the break from our fireplace renovation. What I didn’t realise is that Chambord has over 300 fireplaces, a few of which look remarkably like ours.

We had decided to have lunch at the Saint Michel, just opposite the château and as we entered the restaurant, the waitress apologised for the smoke from the fireplace. Well, we know what the problem is, don’t we! Tightly closed windows and insufficient air intake. But it was pleasant to have a fire and our Australian friends appreciated the hunting decor and actually liked the smoke.

We all ordered the 22 euro “bistrot” menu as opposed to the 37 euro gourmet menu. I was amused to see that all the starters on the bistrot menu were Italian (smoked salmon and prawn cannelloni, prosciutto and mozarella bruschetta, beef carpaccio and mini red peppers stuffed with ricotta) while the main courses were traditional dishes (dear stew – no kidding – steamed haddock, three fishes stew and lamb knuckel-end & smashed carrots – also in the original.

Dessert was pear financier, French pain d’épices toast with salted-butter caramel ice-cream and crème brûlée with green lemon – they meant lime of course. The food was tasty and fresh, except for the French toast which had seen better days, and the service was friendly. I learnt afterwards that it’s also a very reasonably priced hotel. I don’t know what the rooms are like but having breakfast with that fabulous view of Chambord might be worth a bad bed!

The first thing we saw when we went into the château was the famous double-revolution staircase where two people can go up or down without ever meeting. Note the lack of people in the photo, perfectly possible in winter and totally unheard-of in summer. We were fascinated with the fireplaces and firebacks of course and loved the beautiful ceilings and other architectural details. One of the fireplaces is exactly the same shape as ours.

We headed for the roof (see my previous post on Chambord) while the light and weather were still good, which were were perfectly right to do because it started raining as we left.

Caisson ceiling with François Ier’s salamander and “F”

After our visit to the rooftops, I then discovered that there is a series of furnished rooms which I have never seen before. It seems that in the mid-nineteenth century, the Count of Chambord decided to open the château to the public and furnish some of the apartments with his own private collection, mainly consisting of royal portraits.

When it became State property in 1930, there were 440 pieces, but only seven pieces of furniture. Today, there are 4,500 objects, including tapestries from the 16th to 18th centuries, and a large collection of furniture, particularly four-poster beds and objets d’art.

I even saw a bust of Molière, which I found surprising, but Louis XIV was also the master of Chambord and came to stay a total of nine times (far more than François Ier!), inviting Molière’s theatre troupe for entertainment.

I felt as though I hardly touched on the wealth that Chambord has to offer, so next time we cycle there, I’ll make sure we visit as well. I may have to get a season ticket!

Le Saint Michel, Place Saint Louis – 41250 CHAMBORD, Tél. / Phone : +33 2 54 20 31 31 – Fax : +33 2 54 20 36 40, hotelsaintmichel@wanadoo.fr, www.saintmichel-chambord.com

Paris, Restaurants, Sightseeing

From Pont des Arts to Ladurée on the Champs Elysées

December 25, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 9 Comments

It’s Sunday afternoon. We’ve recovered from our early Christmas celebrations on Saturday night and I want to take some photos of Paris in its end-of-year finery. Our first stop is the Pont des Arts, shiny with lovelocks. It’s nearly 6 pm so we wait, with a number of other people, for the Eiffel Tower to shimmer and shine. I regret not having taken the camera, just the iPhone because the result isn’t quite what I hoped.

Eiffel Tower shimmering and shaking from the Pont des Arts

We then decide to walk to the Champs Elysées along the Left Bank of the river. We walk down to the water’s edge and past the Calife and look back at the bridge with Pont Neuf in the distance. We go up the next lot of steps and past the closing bouquinistes who are all selling lovelocks of every shape and kind. It’s become a real business!

Padlocks for sale at the bouquinistes near the Pont des Arts

As we go past rue de Seine, Relationnel remarks that it’s very rare to see Christmas decorations in the streets of Paris, unlike the provinces. We can now see the Louvre on the right and Big Wheel on its left, having moving from its summer spot near the Louvre. As we get closer, we see a lit-up pencil shape and wonder what it is. We cross over via the Solferino pedestrian bridge and realise that it is a Christmas tree, apparently the largest in Europe.

Big wheel from the Tuileries Garden with the biggest Christmas tree in Europe

We walk down the Tuileries towards the Big Wheel avoiding the enormous puddles and are amazed by how commercial and popular the wheel has become in recent years. I think one of the reasons is that the cabins are closed in now. I’m annoyed about my fear of heights because the view from up there must be amazing.

Christmas decorations at Rond Point des Champs-Elysées

As we cross Place de la Concorde towards the Champs Elysées, we’re suddenly in a huge throng of people all attracted by the so-called Christmas market. We’ve been there before though and haven’t found anything interesting – no handicrafts, just a lot of cheap food and factory-made items so we walk along behind the stalls until we reach Rond Point des Champs Elysées. The decorations are stunning and there are fewer people.

We keep going until we reach Virgin and decide to go and buy a card for the camera. Despite the number of people, we also buy a couple of DVDs and a CD and don’t even have to wait in line to pay. CDs don’t seem as popular any more! By then, we’ve been walking for an hour and a half and my feet are killing me. We look around for a suitable café but all we can see is Starbucks and other similar places.

We cross the road and I take the typical tourist photo of the Arc of Triumph halfway across and I see Ladurée in front of me. Now, strange as this may seem, I have still never been into Ladurée’s, famous for its macarons. We’re informed that the tearoom is closed (well, it’s nearly 7.30!). We have to choose between the restaurant and the bar.

Art deco wall in the bar at Ladurée Champs Elysées

Well, I’m perfectly happy with the bar. Despite appearances, Ladurée Champs Elysées only opened in 1997 although the original bakery near the Madeleine dates back to 1862. The bar is decorated in what looks like authentic Art Deco and you sit on high stools that keep swinging around. We order a class of Saint Véran and a plate of tapas each.

They aren’t really tapas, more like bouchées, but they’re delicious. I use my Evernote Food app for the first time and record what we’re eating: crab & mayonnaise puff, foie gras, candied aubergine, Provençales tomatoes and salmon prestige. When we come out, there aren’t nearly so many people, so we take the metro home to spare my feet. It’s good to be back in Paris!

Loire Valley, Restaurants

Our Anniversary Dinner in the Loire

December 20, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

This is not our wedding anniversary, which is in June, but the anniversary of the day we met which we consider far more significant. We used to go back to our first restaurant called Les Deux Chevrons in the 15th in Paris – it had really wonderful pan-fried foie gras – but one day it had the temerity to close so we decided we go to a different place each year. Now that the years have gone by (15!), we have clocked up quite a few different restaurants. I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t remember where we went last year.

Dining room at Le Lion d'Or Val de Loire in Candé sur Beuvron — Dining room at Le Lion d’Or Val de Loire in Candé sur Beuvron

Relationnel was supposed to be arriving in Blois on 7th December but when I realised the 6th was our anniversary, he rescheduled a couple of meetings and came on the 6th (minus his suit, shirt and cuff links for the Loire Connexion Christmas party, but with two hats). I had tracked down and booked a restaurant recommended by a friend: Le Lion d’Or Val de Loire.

It was a country inn, in the little town of Candé sur Beuvron which we knew from cycling this summer, with lots of oak beams and panelling. Only three tables were occupied but it was a weekday in winter, out in the sticks, so it wasn’t surprising. I wonder sometimes how these places manage to keep afloat but it has a terrace and is obviously very popular in the warmer months.

We started with pétillant de Touraine (Susan, are you listening?) because we’ve discovered that the champagne here is horrifically expensive. It was served with a verrine of fromage blanc and spices with granny smith apple on top, little savoury cummin croissants and nut & olive cakes, followed by a beetroot emulsion with spices and prawns.

We chose the fixed menu at 42 euro. For starters, Relationnel had lobster ravioli with three types of cabbage and a crustacean and coriander emulsion while I had foie gras, served with mixed leafy greens and candied figs (delicious).

As a main course, Relationnel chose the braised ris de veau, “forgotten” (as in dug up from the past) vegetables and cream sauce. I had baked monkfish on a saffron mussel nage with mashed Vitelot potatoes with herbs and lemon zests. Unfortunately the fish was either overcooked or deep frozen, which made it very tough and rubbery.

We then had an excellent cheese platter (even though we certainly didn’t need it!) followed by a “mango-chocolate-praliné” dessert with passionfruit coulis for Relationnel and “French toast” made with pain d’épices, poached pear in spices, caramel and brown sugar biscuit (spéculos) ice-cream for me. The pain d’épices wasn’t brilliant either.

Coffee was served with a chestnut cream and fromage blanc verrine with fruit jelly squares and little biscuits. We had a lovely evening even though the food (and service) were uneven. Perhaps it would be better to go during the weekend or in peak season when there is a greater turnover. It was much better than “Le Rendez Vous du Pêcheur” in any case!

LE LION D’OR 1 Route de Blois – 41120 Candé sur Beuvron Tél. : 02.54.44.04.66 http://www.leliondor-41.com

France, Lifestyle, Loire Valley, Restaurants, Wine

Christmas Blog Hop – Celebrating Christmas with the Loire Connexion

December 11, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 12 Comments

I’ve often featured posts from Steph’s Blog in France in my Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-Up. You know, she’s the Irish llama and alpaca breeder who also runs a carp fishery and a holiday gîte. Anyway, today, she is hosting a Christmas Blog Hop and I signed up to participate. So after reading my post, just click on the links below to discover a whole host of other blogs! There are even lots of giveaways if you make a comment. My free gift (to be drawn on 15th December at midnight) is an e-book edition of Kati Marton’s Paris: A Love Story, definitely my best read this year.

Celebrating Christmas with the Loire Connexion

We’re driving around the village of Céré la Ronde in the Loire Valley looking for the Auberge de Montpoupon, where the Loire Connexion* is holding its Holiday Celebration & Dinner but we can only find the Auberge du Château. Then I spy a pair of Sparkly Antennae and a Santa Claus hat and I know we’re in the right place.

antennae_santa_clausa — Sparkly Antennae and Santa Clause

We park the car and follow the antennae to the entrance and are soon drawn into a room full of festively-dressed anglophones and anglophiles (except Relationnel, who’s left his suit behind in Paris). Summer, who is the drive and energy behind the Loire Connexion, is greeting each person as they walk in. I see some folks I’ve already met at the Shaker and am soon introduced to new faces.

It’s not long before there are forty or fifty of us all talking ten to the dozen in French or English. Summer comes up to me discreetly and says, “I want to show you something.” It turns out that Louisa, from Closerie de Chanteloup, who has already decorated the room, has a surprise for us. We’re soon taking turns to be iphonographed with various Christmas accessories of her making.

another_three_revellers — Another Three Revellers (well, almost!)

After that, we all go down the stairs inside the inn, then outside and through a courtyard to a second building where tables are set for fifty people. We find our places, which are more of less according to where we live in the Loire, and the meal begins. First, some beautifully cooked sea scallops, followed by guinea fowl stuffed with foie gras and Darphin potatoes, accompanied by white and red wine from the region.

The words of Christmas carols appear next to our plates and a fiddler is suddenly standing on a stool. We break into a hearty rendition of Jingle Bells, led by Summer, and followed by other carols including the Twelve Days of Christmas which some of the people seem to be having trouble keeping track of. Not being a very good singer myself, even though I love Christmas carols, I am delighted to have a good male voice at the same table. If he makes a mistake, however, so do I!

iphonographers — Summer and Louisa, the iPhonographers

After the cheese, Summer announces that all the women have to take their spoons and move to another table for dessert, which is a wonderful way of getting people to mix. The « crémeux du chocolat » goes perfectly with Louisa and Fred’s wonderful pétillant. We have our coffee and the tables are cleared away so we can dance.

Relationnel and I, who haven’t seen much of each other all night, then start jiving, one of our great loves that we don’t get to indulge very often these days. The aches and pains from covering the back wall of the fireplace with refractary mortar all day seem to have disappeared, as least for the moment. The sparkly antennae and Santa Claus hat change heads a few times and we suddenly realize it is 1.30 am and we still have to drive home!

end — End of the evening with Château de Montpoupon in the background

By then, everyone is reluctantly saying goodbye. But we know that Summer has other great ideas up her sleeve and we’ll be seeing each other again very soon!

*a friendly anglophone and anglophile community in the Loire Valley with an “x” factor. We are:
– eXpatriates of all different nationalities.
– eXplorers – French nationals who may have lived abroad, work internationally or just enjoy time spent with an international crowd.
– eXceptionally English – We live in France. We speak French. But, when we get together, we enjoy speaking English. We welcome anyone who wants to join the conversation!
– eXchange eXperience & eXpertise – At our relaXed and informal events, we have a great laugh, but also provide a safe haven of support and friendship. We naturally share contacts, information and support to make Loire Valley living even more pleasurable.
Join us!

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to write a little review for the Expat Blog Awards: http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/526/aussie-in-france. Closing date: 15th December 2012.

Blog in France Bloghop

	A Flamingo in Utrecht
	Expat Christmas
	Box53b
	Word By Word
	Vive Trianon
	Fifty Shades of Greg
	Books Are Cool
	Perpignan Post
	Jive Turkish
	Very Bored in Catalunya
	Life on La Lune
	Scribbler in Seville
	Blog in France Christmas
	Les Fragnes Christmas
	ReadEng. Didi’s Press
	Steve Bichard .com
	Edit My Book
	Zombie Christmas
	Christmas in Cordoba
	Aussie in France Christmas with the Loire Connexion
	The Christmas Surprise.
	Sci-fi Writer Jeno Marz
	The best Christmas quilting blog ever
	Painting in Tuscany
	The Business of Life…
	Funny tweets
	we’ve got a new house but no stuff and it’s Christmas
	Paris Cheapskate
	What about your saucepans?
	When I Wasn’t Home for Christmas or Celebrating
	ShockWaves Launch Party
	The French Village Diaries
	Melanged Magic
	Heads Above Water: Staying Afloat in France
	Piccavey.com – An English Girl in Granada
	Bordeaux Bumpkin
	French immersion
	Callaloo Soup
	Grigory Ryzhakov
	Piglet in Portugal
	Beyond MÃnana
	Chronicles of M Blog

France, French customs, Home exchange, Restaurants, Wine

Red Tape in France part 2

December 3, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

Part 1 of the story of how I closed Leonardo’s one-man company ended with the drab tax office in Saint Maur so that leaves only two more places to go. First, the legal publications office, back in Paris, then the commercial court in Créteil, also in the eastern suburbs. It would have been more logical to start with the LPO, but I didn’t know that when I began. Of course.

Opéra de Paris

I drive to the LPO, but it’s just near the Paris Opera and there is absolutely no chance of parking. I can’t even find the street, let alone park. I take the car back to our garage and decide I’ll leave the LPO until tomorrow . When I get up to the 3rd floor and open the door, I can already hear the workers chiselling and talking loudly.

scaffolding — Scaffolding on my balcony in the Palais Royal

I change my mind about the LPO. Halfway there, on foot this time, I realise that I don’t have the right papers. I’m fading fast. I go back home but I don’t have the keys and can’t remember the downstairs door code . I try Relationnel but he’s not answering. I phone Black Cat who comes to my rescue. I have the code to the home exchange key box upstairs, so that’s fine. I can get in. And stay in.

The workers have not stopped. I dissolve into tears of frustration. I unplug my laptop from the large screen, keyboard, mouse and internet and go into the kitchen to try and get some work done. There is no internet connection. I eventually return to my office and plug everything in again. Nothing happens. The laptop won’t recognise the screen. I jab the plug in and out and it finally works. But the keyboard and mouse aren’t functioning.

printemps — Decorations on Printemps in anticipation of the next paragraph

I try all sorts of methods, to no avail. I can’t even turn the laptop off. I google solutions on my iPhone and finally manage to turn it off. I go and have a shower. When I get back, I turn the laptop on and everything works but by then it’s 6.30 pm and I’ve wasted most of the afternoon. The workers have gone home.

galeries_lafayette — Decorations in the window of Galéries Lafayette

It’s next morning so after waking up to the drilling and chiselling, I set out for the LPO. I have to go the long way because they’re making another film in the Palais Royal. Now I’m having problems finding the street again, this time with my iPhone. I ask a lady in a pharmacy who tells me it’s behind Galeries Lafayette. Well, she’s wrong, but at least I get to see the Christmas decorations at Printemps (not bad) and GL (not much better than last year). I go past a tearoom called Pouchkine that looks interesting and make a mental note to go there sometime.

cafe_pouchkine — Café Pouchkine 64 boulevard Haussmann

I finally find the street, around the corner from the Apple Store. Now why didn’t anyone tell me it was there? I hand over the announcement with Leonardo’s power of attorney printed out and signed by me. They don’t even ask for his identity card. I find that shocking. That means that anyone can make a legal announcement! I am asked for an advance payment of 250 euro. Why advance ? “Because it could be a little more or a little less”. What is this? Surely they can work out exactly how much it’s going to cost!

One step left: the commercial court in Créteil but we’re going to the wine fair during Relationnel’s lunch break and he’s already late. The court will be closed by the time I get there. Also I won’t feel like it after all that wine tasting! Right then, first thing Monday morning. Next and last episode coming soon.

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France, French customs, Paris, Restaurants

Two thumbs up for sign language cafe in Paris, Café Signes – The Bouchons of Lyon – Chandelle versus Bougie: A Brief History of Candles

November 20, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

It’s amazing how quickly Wednesday comes round again! This week’s bloggers’ round-up starts with two interesting restaurants. Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us to Café Signes where sign language is the main means of communication, while fellow Australian Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney introduces us to the “bouchon” in Lyon, the food capital of France. Stephanie, the Llamalady from Blog in France takes us on a different adventure with a history of candles.

Two thumbs up for sign language cafe in Paris, Café Signes

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.

Ordering lunch or a cup of coffee in a country where you don’t speak the language can occasionally feel like a daunting task. One restaurant in Paris offers an easy solution because each of their menus has pictures of all the signs needed to communicate an order. If you’re thirsty and would like something to drink, simply make a fist with the fingers of your right hand, extend your thumb and raise your hand towards your mouth. But don’t be surprised if your waiter responds with rapid hand gestures because Café Signes is operated by a mixture of non-hearing and hearing staff. Read more.

The Bouchons of Lyon

by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider ...

Lyon is the food capital of France, and part of the reason for that is bouchon restaurants. A bouchon is a traditional Lyonnaise restaurant, usually family-run, serving traditional dishes such as tripe, brains and tête de veau (head of a calf). Pictured is the interior of one such restaurant in Lyon, Le Bouchon des Carnivores. Some might find it amusing that a vegetarian ends up eating at a French restaurant for carnivores, and indeed, my party of four thought it hilarious, but I had the last laugh. But let me rewind. Read more.

Chandelle versus Bougie: A Brief History of Candles

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.

What is it about winter nights and candles? I’ve been having candlelit baths (known as spooky baths in the Dagg household) for about a month now. They’re wonderful! Candles feel cosy and relaxing but I’d never think of lighting one in summer, even late when it is dark.

Candles have been around in various forms since the Chinese Qin Dynasty in 300 BC. Yup, the Chinese got there first as usual and used whale fat. Beeswax came in about rather later. Read more.