A couple of weekends ago Glenn and I headed over to Paris for a few days. Here are the highlights of our trip:
EIFFEL TOWER
Honestly, the structure is a lot more impressive in photographs than it is in real life (except at night. it’s stunning at night). This might have something to do with the flocks of clueless tourists and relentless panhandlers. But, we did have a picnic lunch under the shadow of the tower, and that was pretty cool if I say so myself (which I apparently just did).
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, the Arc de Triumphe is massive! It doesn’t hurt that it’s in the middle of one of the craziest traffic circles I’ve ever seen, with 12 different streets that emanate from it.
It is also where the French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is.
THE FOOD
Seriously, we saw the most beautiful produce imaginable in Paris. The strawberries were almost florescent. The peaches were probably the best I’ve ever had. In a nutshell- the French know how to eat, and for that I applaud them.
NOTRE DAME, ST GERMAIN, ILE SAINT-LOUIS
There are four great things about the area around the Notre Dame Cathedral. They are:
1. The Cathedral itself. It’s really pretty.
I especially love going behind the cathedral. There are hardly any tourists and I love the tranquil rose garden that’s there.
2. If you’re looking for some poppin’ nightlife, St Germain has you covered. We spent a couple evenings meandering through this area.
3. Ile St Louis- this is the little island behind the island that Notre Dame is on. I loved the little streets and there are some really fun, random shops here.
4. On Ile St Louis you find the original Berthillon ice cream shop. Considered by many to have the best ice cream in Paris, it’s the perfect stop on a hot day. MMMM it’s ever so yummy!
MEANDERING THE STREETS
Paris is a really beautiful city and we really enjoyed just walking about and seeing what “normal" looked like away from all the hustle and bustle areas. It was great- I’ve never seen a city with so many balconies!
It also has a ton of old, beautiful buildings.
As well as nutty little details.
LE CORDON BLEU
Started in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu is considered to be one of the most elite culinary arts schools in the world. I’ve been fascinated by the school for several years and always thought about how fun it would be to go to school here (not that I want to be a chef, I’d just love to learn). Well, for three blessed hours I got to live out that fantasy, and it was awesome. These photos are of the classroom where they teach the day’s lessons.
As you can see, they have mirrors over the stove and counter, so you can see what the chef is doing. He speaks in French, but there is an english translator.
He was a bit cantankerous ("The meat is finished when it decides to be finished. You can’t follow a recipe exactly because the food will do what it chooses to do!") but I loved him for it.
The Chef also has an assistant that chops veggies and cleans up all his messes without uttering a single word. I’d like to know where I can order one of those.
This is what we learned to make. It was pretty fabulous, I’m not gonna lie.
1st course: white asparagus, mousseline sauce with salmon roe
2nd course: flemish style braised beef and onions with beer, accompanied by seven sided turned potatoes
3rd course: vanilla bavarian cream, chocolate sauce
Meet Chef Franck Bruwier
This is for all you Julia lovers out there.
So- if you are in Paris and at all interested in cooking I would definitely recommend taking a class here. I loved it and had a ton of fun while there. You can find the classes on the website: lcbparis.com
Side note: If any of you ever wanted to give me a copy of the Le Cordon Bleu at Home cookbook, I’d love you forever. Just sayin.
A few months ago I read a book called The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry. It was written by Kathleen Flinn and tells about her experiences attending the school. It’s a good short read if anyone’s interested in learning more about what goes on at the school. It also has a few really yummy recipes.
CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES
**brace yourself, this one’s gonna be a bit heavy on the history**
As most of you know, it was King Louis XIV (otherwise known as the Sun King) who converted his father’s hunting lodge into what is now considered to be one of “the most beautiful achievements of 18th century French art"- in other words, he totally pimped the place out. And he did a pretty impressive job of it.
From what I gathered after reading the history books, Louis XIV hated living in Paris and, because of its close proximity to the city- only 20km SW- Versailles was a good compromise, so he began work on the palace in 1664. In order to unify the French nobility and secure his own power, Louis XIV built a palace that not only served as his own personal home, but was also the headquarters for the national court and government. The result? A political, cultural, and social epicenter. One had to be constantly present at Versailles to keep abreast of the ever changing fashions and political goings ons. And because the nobles were more than willing to be a part of the opulence they no longer had the time or ability to cause trouble for the monarchy. (a true example of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer)
After the Sun King’s death, his son (Louis VX) and grandson (Louis XVI) continued to add to Versailles until work abruptly stopped because of the French Revolution.
Yes- the front gates are actually that bright. Wowza.
That’s just a part of what she looks like from the front.
This is the famous hall of mirrors:
Built as a “monument of his own glory," Louis IV’s hall of mirrors was the location that the nobles would flock to every day in order to see the King and his family walk from their private apartments to the chapel. At the time, mirrors were not only extremely rare but also very expensive- so by lining his walls with mirrors Louis IV made the room one of the most opulent of its kind.
Another fun fact: the Hall of Mirrors is also where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, thus officially signaling the end of WWI on June 28, 1919. Ready for another really crazy fact? Germany didn’t finish paying off it’s WWI reparations debt until September of 2010. If you wanna read about it, click HERE.
Marie Antoinette’s bedroom:
Marie Antoinette actually tried to evade the looters that stormed Versailles in 1789 by escaping through a small, hidden door in this room that was used as a passage way to the servants quarters. She was, however, captured and her and the rest of her family were imprisoned in Paris until their eventual beheading.
This is the Museum of French History. In 1830, after the French Revolution, King Louis-Phillipe converted a section of Versailles into a museum dedicated to “all the glories" of France.
The Gardens of Versailles are truly amazing. Here’s just an inkling of what they look like:
