Category Archives: Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up

Cycling, France, French customs, Travelling, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Wednesday’s Blogger Round-Up: Day trip to Reims – Dealing with train stations on a bike – Christmas in France in 2013

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Three entirely different subjects this week. Ever pratical Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel takes us on a day trip to Reims which is not only famous for its champagne; Maggie La Coste from Experience France by Bike gives tips on how to take the train with a bike and panniers; while Janine from The Good Life France has compiled a very interesting and useful guide to Christmas in France in 2013 that you can download. Enjoy! 

How to make a day trip to Reims

by Jo Karnaghan from 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!

reims_FFReims (pronouned “rance” as in France) is an easy and convenient day trip from Paris, being only 45 minutes away by TGV.  What most visitors will find surprising is that Reims is about more than champagne.  Here’s my take on a great way to do a day trip to this pretty and friendly city, that includes more than just champagne!

Arriving in Reims

Reims is only 45minutes by TGV from Gare de l’Est in Paris.  Make sure you book a TGV rather than a stopping all stations train that will take you 2hours. Read more

Navigating train stations in France with bicycle panniers

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

trains_bikesNothing can ruin a day for a bicyclist more than having to maneuver stairs at a rail station! Sometimes, no matter how well you plan a trip, you need to take a train to connect to another cycling itinerary, to avoid a bad part of a route or oftentimes to return a rental bike. Regardless of the reason, managing stairs when your bike is loaded down with all your gear is tough.  I’ll never forget the first time we arrived at a train station, bought our tickets and then patiently waited for our track announcement.  Of course the track was announced literally as the train was coming into the station and getting to it required going down and then up two very long sets of stairs! Read more

Christmas in France in 2013

by Janine from The Good Life France, an independent on-line magazine about France and all things French, covering all aspects of daily life including healthcare, finance, utilities, education, property and a whole lot more

christma-in-france-2013Christmas in France 2013  – a free guide to the best Christmas markets in Paris, Alsace, for day trips, near Calais… things to do and where to see the best window displays and beautiful illuminations in Paris, the City of Light. Lots of French festive facts… and top recipes from celebrity chefs Michel Roux Jr, Raymond Blanc and Rachel Khoo.

From us to you at Christmas… Christmas in France 2013 the book…

To download your free Christmas in France 2013 guide click on this link  or right click “save link as” Christmas in France 2013. Read more

Germany, Travelling, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up: Scammers – Winter in Northern Germany

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This Wednesday, we have two Australians on the list – Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, warning us of various scammers you may encounter when travelling and Andrea from Rear View Mirror, who takes us across the north of Germany in winter. Enjoy!

Don’t be caught out by scammers when travelling

by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of

???????????As happens everywhere in the world, tourists are prime targets for scammers and pickpockets and it pays to keep your wits about you whenever you are out and about. Security should be of the highest priority when travelling, not only in Europe but wherever you choose to travel.

When I’m travelling, my husband always carries our valuables (passports, credit cards, bank cards and cash) in a moneybelt around his waist and hidden under his shirt. We prefer a flat moneybelt, not the old ‘bum bag’ style. Touch wood, we’ve never had anything stolen but I’ve heard plenty of horror stories including people having the straps of their backpacks cut whilst they are wearing them. On my first trip to Europe 25 years ago, I did a Contiki tour and I can still remember the tour guide telling us to wear our backpacks on our front so that we could see them at all times. “You might look stupid,” she said, “but it just might mean you keep your valuables.” It’s advice I still heed to this day. Read more

A Winter Drive Across Northern Germany

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.

dusseldorf-snow-3The Germans often complain of their cold, snowy winters but I love a bit of chill in the air and I love Germany in winter. Indulging at the Christmas markets with a semi-sweet hot cider (I can’t stand mulled wine) is a daily event when there as is enjoying the country’s most famous sights surrounded by few tourists. Most of all I simply love the snowy landscapes.

My recent travels around the Balkans have given me a new found appreciation for German roads. When driving in Germany I don’t have to concern myself with potholed roads, cars driving the wrong way down the highway and wild dogs getting in my way. I miss the relaxing days cruising down the autobahn at 180km per hour. Thankfully this 1000km road trip from Cologne to Berlin is an easy, stress free drive and it takes in a mix of big and small cities along the way. Read more 

Art, Paris, Photography, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up: Beaugrenelle, the new shopping centre – Dance Macabre – Rue d’Aligre

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This Wednesday, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us to the newest shopping centre in Paris, Beaugrenelle, which even has a Marks & Sparks; Daisy de Plume from THATlou Treasure Hunt at the Louvre whom I will be joining on the evening of October 30 for her Death Hunt, introduces us to the Dance Macabre; while Genie from Paris and Beyond, who has a photo blog about Paris, takes us to the famous Rue d’Aligre. Enjoy!

Beaugrenelle Paris, the newest shopping center in Paris with FREE shuttle boat service from the Eiffel Tower!

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

beaugrenelleMy neighborhood isn’t trendy like the Marais, exclusive like Saint-Germain-des-Prés or charming like Montmartre. It’s a residential area that attracts families who need an extra bedroom rather than hipsters who want to be close to the newest, latest, hottest spot in town. But thanks to the opening of Beaugrenelle Paris, my part of town is on the “must-see” list of Parisians this week.

For the first time since I’ve lived here, I walked out the front door of our apartment, strolled along the Seine, crossed the Pont de Grenelle and had easy access to stores like Guerlain, Baccarat, Michael Kors, Sandro, H&M, Zara and Desigual. I didn’t have to hop on a bus or fight the crowds in the metro. When it started to rain, I didn’t have to worry that I had forgotten my umbrella (again!) because I was safely inside the newest shopping center in Paris. Read more

Trilogy of Death – Part II

by native New Yorker Daisy de Plume, who has lived in Paris for nearly a decade and created THATLou to share her passion for art and her unique approach toward making the museum experience fun and accessible to all.

Fontaine-des-innocents_JohnJamesChalon-Invisible-Paris-blogSo yesterday we spent a sunny Sunday pondering the dead at the Cimitière des Innocents (CDI), once Paris’s largest and oldest graveyard smack dab in the middle of town (where the Renaissance Fontaine des Nymphs, aka Fontaine des Innocents** currently is, near the RER Les Halles station). We had just touched on how when space ran out, mass graves of 1500 cadavers per pit were filled, before they were closed off and a new one of equal size was dug. But we haven’t yet considered the business of death. Read more 

Rue d’Aligre – un Café

by Genie from Paris and Beyond, who lives in Mobile and has loved Paris, its people, its architecture and all of France since she was eight years old. She has a photo blog about Paris and occasionally other places in the world.

Taken on a busy market day (Marché d’Aligre), there is scant room for café table and chairs.

Still, the pastries and a coffee (or thé) can be enjoyed as the market vendors shout out the quality of their wares.

One thinks that the price of the coffee and pastry is small for this front row theatre seat.

Click here to see the photo which I haven’t reproduced as a small photo would never do justice to the original.

Food, Paris, Restaurants, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up: New places to shop in Paris – Reserving a restaurant in Paris – Chocolate Tasting

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This Wednesday, we’re staying in Paris. Australian blogger Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, whom I had the great pleasure of meeting up with during a recent trip to Paris, shares her latest find – three new shopping streets in Paris; well-known foodie Wendy Lyn from The Paris Kitchen, which I have just discovered, gives us ten excellent tips for reserving a restaurant in Paris, while published author Tom Reeves from Paris Insights takes us on a chocolate tasting. Enjoy!

THREE GREAT NEW SHOPPING STREETS IN PARIS

by Jo Karnaghan from 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!

shopping_streetsWhen visiting Paris recently, I was keen to get out and discover some new places and experiences – all about making familiar Paris seem brand new.  Part of that was exploring some new and different shopping experiences.  I found three great shopping streets I’d never visited before that I’d love to share with you.  Whether you are a serious shopper or just love a bit oflecher la vitrine (window shopping), I hope you find my finds as interesting as I did. Read more

Top 10 Restaurant Reservation Tips for Paris

by American “insider” Wendy Lyn from The Paris Kitchen™ , one of the ten top food guides in the world, who gives savvy, globe-trotting foodies local introductions and an off-the-beaten-path experience of Paris’ food scene.

Calling for restaurant reservations can feel intimidating with the language barrier and time difference, but it doesn’t have to be.

While it is do-able to walk into a cute little corner bistro without reservations, if you are headed this way on a mission to eat through your list of Paris’ top spots, reservations are essential – even for a casual dining.

Thank you to all the Facebook fans, restaurant staff & clients who helped me create this top 10 list for making reservations in France.

#1 Supply & Demans

One of the questions I’m most often asked is, “Why is it so hard to get a reservation? I don’t want anything fussy or expensive.” Read more

An Evening of Chocolate Tasting with Les Amants du Chocolat de la Couronne Parisienne

by Tom Reeves from Paris Insights, whose love of French language and culture inspired him to create Discover Paris!, a travel planning service that caters to Americans interested in cultural travel to Paris and to write Paris Insights – An Anthology

La-Petite-Fabrique-450wOne of the advantages of blogging about chocolate tastings is that one meets people who invite you to…more chocolate tastings!

It was at the hot chocolate demonstration at Mococha where I met Sabine Malet, secretary of the chocolate appreciation club Les Amants du Chocolat de la Couronne Parisienne. Sabine told me about her club’s tasting that would feature the chocolate of Laurence Dali, who operates O Mille et une Fèves in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Naturally, I wanted to be part of that. Read more

Food, France, Travel photos, Travelling, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up: La Maison du Chou – Autumn in France – Driving in Europe

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So what’s on the agenda this Wednesday? Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us to the Maison du Chou where she has discovered the lightest choux à la crème, while French Moments delights us with ten stunning photos of autumn in France. Meanwhile Carolyn from Holidays to Europe brings us some very useful tips for driving in Europe. Enjoy!

Something Sweet for Monday – La Maison du Chou

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

chouWhether it’s an unexpected glimpse of the Eiffel Tower as you round a corner or a chance encounter with a beloved friend in a bistro on the Île Saint-Louis, the best things in life are often unplanned and completely spontaneous. In Paris, I know exactly where to go for the most delicate macarons and the richest hot chocolate. What I didn’t know, at least not until yesterday afternoon, was where to find the lightest choux à la crème.

If you would like to serendipitously discover these delightful cream puffs freshly filled with a mousse-like mixture of sugar and fromage blanc, stroll down Rue Bonaparte past the famous Deux Magots Café in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood of Paris. In your best flâneur style, casually turn right on Rue de l’Abbaye and left when you see the quaint Place de Fürstenberg. Read more

Top 10 Most Beautiful Photos of Autumn

by French Moments, a Sydney-based organisation with an international focus which promotes the French language and culture to English-speakers worldwide. Their French team is all about the language, culture and experience.

In this post we have compiled a selection of French Moments’ photos of autumn all taken in France’s North-East and Lyon.

autumn

Summer has now been replaced by autumn and the trees have put on a fabulous colour display with yellows fading to reds. Under the beautiful blue sky of an Indian summer or on a misty morning, the colours of autumn sometimes do not look as good in a photograph as they really do to the eye. Read more

Tips for Driving in Europe

by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of

When planning their travels in Europe, many Aussies are keen to hire a car for at least some of their trip but are, understandably, apprehensive about driving in large cities. Driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road can be hard enough, but navigating your way through busy streets that are often very narrow and one-way, can quickly raise the blood pressure. So, what do I recommend?

The rail network in most countries in Western Europe is excellent and it’s often the first choice of transport for travellers but for those wanting to visit more rural locations or countries where the rail system is a little less sophisticated (or barely exists, such as Croatia), driving is the next best thing. Read more

 

Cooking, Food, French language, Paris, Sightseeing, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up: Butte aux Cailles – Texting in French – Céléri Rémoulade

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This week, Filly di Somma, writing for Guide2Paris, takes us off the beaten track to the Butte aux Cailles in Paris, while Katerina Forrester, in a post for My French Life gives us tips on text messaging in French. Meanwhile, Susan from Days on the Claise tells us about a little-known vegetable – celeriac – and how to prepare it. Enjoy!

Butte aux Cailles – A True Paris Ambiance

by Filly di Somma, a fanatical Paris fan, in one of her regular posts for Guide2Paris, which aims to be the complete source of information in English about the Ile-de-France region of France which includes the city of Paris.  Designed specifically for English speakers visiting Paris or the region of Ile-de-France, contemplating buying property in Paris or those already living in Paris.

020913171859--Butte aux Cailles - PTO - David LefrancDuring my last trip to Paris I had the opportunity to visit a lovely ‘quartier’ which I hadn’t previously discovered on my trips to the city. “The Butte aux Cailles” district is almost like a separate village in the centre of Paris in the 13th arrondissement. Whilst being driven there by a lovely Parisian, I discovered and adored the narrow cobblestone streets featuring original restaurants, cafes and boutiques full of people eating and drinking outside. I loved its art deco architecture and its traditional Paris atmosphere.
Read more

Unlocking French language: text a’grieve’iations

by Katerina Forrester, born in Australia but always longing to be French at heart, currently living the Arts student life in Melbourne, where she is studying to become a Linguist. writing for My French Life, a global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French

Texting_in_trafficLOL is the furthest I will go when writing with text abbreviations. Nothing more, nothing less. When writing texts in English, I write in full, and I write with proper syntactic features. I don’t want to be seen as an over-texting teenager! I want my friends to receive properly articulated sentences with substance. Nevertheless, this is not the case when I text to friends in French. Read more

Céleri Rémoulade

by Susan from Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history and running Loire Valley Time Travel.

celeri_remouladeThe general appearance of celeriac doesn’t inspire much confidence in it being tasty, and even less so if you consider eating it raw. Nevertheless, the most popular dish using celeriac (céleri-rave in French) does indeed use raw, grated celeriac.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is diet food though. This is a dish to which cream is added in order to make it lighter (!!) and easier to digest (!!!) It is tremendously popular in France, but I don’t think many people bother to make it themselves. Most people buy it from their trusted local charcutière traiteur (delicatessen). If you do make it at home, it’s not just a matter of grating some celeriac and coating it with mayonnaise. There’s a trick to getting the deli style céleri rémoulade. Read more

Paris, Travelling, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Romania’s Outrageous Palace of the Parliament – Paris Fashion Week SS 14 – Charles de Gaulle airport to city centre

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Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-up time again. After visiting Budapest and Sofia and reading Andrea’s post on Bucharest in Rear View Mirror, I’m ready to add Romania to my travel destinations. As you know, I’m not a fashionista, but fortunately, other bloggers are covering Paris Fashion Week. I’m referring you to Sylvia’s first post on the subject in Finding Noon but don’t stop there – check out her other more recent posts. And so that you won’t stop using the train to go from Charles de Gaulle airport to the city centre just because we nearly had a backpack stolen, here’s a comparison of travelling methods by Jill from Gigi’s French Window. Enjoy!

Romania’s Outrageous Palace of the Parliament

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.

bucharest-parliament-3Upon setting eyes on Bucharest’s Palace of the Parliament, I was slightly underwhelmed. Yes, it’s a massive building but it didn’t strike me as being particularly remarkable or memorable. It didn’t have that grandiose feeling I had experience when seeing photos in the past. But when entering the first of countless marble filled halls I realised just how extravagant this 370,000 sq.m. building really is. Read more

Paris Fashion Week SS 14

by Sylvia from Finding Noon, an American living in Paris who appreciates fine art, good music, succulent food, and breath taking scenery

fashion_weekSS 14 is fashion speak for Spring/Summer 2014, and this being fall 2013, its that time of year again… Fashion Week. I’ve got Le Gastro, which is a charming local way of saying a tummy bug, so it wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to drag myself out into the glorious Paris sunshine and start shooting, but I had worked so hard getting the fashion show invites and I really do love seeing all those creative types out there doing their thing, I simply could not stay put. So while all the other girls were out there sporting their ‘it’ bags, I was sporting the bags under my eyes and taking as many clichés as I could get away with. Here is what I saw yesterday: Read more

Charles de Gaulle airport to city centre

by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life

rer signThe first couple of days on arrival in Paris are always a mixed bag….EXHAUSTION  being the first thing that  comes to mind!

But then there is also that feeling on stepping from the flight into  Charles de Gaulle airport… for me, it’s a wonderful sensory  overload……

I close my eyes and breathe in deeply…..there is nowhere else I could be….this is Paris! There is a certain something in the air and I love it!  Below is a Charles de Gaulle airport promo video you may enjoy…must admit they paint a very ‘friendly’ picture…….;) Read more

If you have enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts using the subscription form on the top right – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!

Food, France, French language, Sightseeing, Wednesday's Blogger Round-up

Plant your Language Garden with Memrise – Wonderous mountain train – a day trip from Nice –

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Since I have been writing quite a bit about Sofia in Bulgaria recently, I thought you might like a more French focus for this Wednesday’s Bloggers’ Round-up. Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles reviews the phone app Memrise for learning and improving your French vocabulary; Phoebe from Lou Messugo takes us on a day trip by train from Nice to the Valley of Marvels; while Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris explains all about Dijon mustard. Enjoy!

Plant your Language Garden with Memrise

by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles, an Australian who has an ongoing passion for France and the French language currently on holiday in Europe

memriseDuring the more than 10 years that I have been learning French I have tried many online applications in my quest to improve my French vocabulary. I have found Memrise particularly effective with its scientific basis and combination of learning with fun. The competitive aspects as you climb leader boards can become addictive. I have even lost track of time sometimes when learning vocabulary (playing). If you love using mnemonics and find them helpful you will love Memrise.

Memrise has been designed to help you connect with the new words that you choose to add to your sets. It does this with mems. Read more

Wonderous mountain train – a day trip from Nice

by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.

train_des_merveillesTrain journeys are my kind of thing; trains and I, we go way back. Apparently, or so the family folklore says, I was on a miniature train in Delhi when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi turned up for a bit of political campaigning and I was chosen to sit next to her for the film shoot. I must have been about 7 years old. Now whether this was the beginning of my love of train travel I can’t say but since then I have taken some pretty interesting and scenic train journeys in Asia, Europe and Australia. So it was with great excitement that we recently took the grandly name “Train des Merveilles” from Nice to Tende and back. Read more

Searching for mustard in Dijon, France

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

dijon_mustardMustard, Crème de cassis and wine – that’s what popped into my mind when we finally decided that Dijon would be a good place to spend the night on our way home from Switzerland last weekend. Given my mother’s penchant for all kinds of mustard and the fact that an entire shelf of her refrigerator was formerly reserved for the exclusive storage of this yellow condiment, visiting a mustard factory was at the top of my “to do” list. The only problem, as a search of the internet quickly revealed, is that Dijon’s oldest mustard factory was forced to close its doors in 2009 after demand for mustard declined in France. Read more 

If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts using the subscription form on the top right – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!

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