A Lucky Winner
I never win anything. Really, I don’t. I am not usually one of those lucky people. But maybe just maybe, this blog has brought about a change in my luck. First, I won Bleeding Espresso’s Bella Bags contest. Then I recently ran the *My French Life* contest. Now, imagine my surprise when I was crowned the winner of the French Garden House contest! Perhaps it is the universe telling me good things happen when you Pay It Forward.
My petit paquet arrived in the mail yesterday, would you like to know what was inside? Come on, take a peak with me…
Some lovely flowers, velvet ribbon and adornments….
A vintage rose postcard, which looks just lovely in my kitchen with my German rose china…
Four very large sachets perfumed with the most delicious cinnamon scent, perfect for the Hoildays. Don’t you just love the colors and the angel on the front?
But the pièce de résistance, was this lovely vintage charm. The front is the most darling little angel girl and the back wishes me a Merry Christmas, en Francais, mais oui!
Merci Beaucoup Lidy, for picking me as the winner, and for your wonderful taste in prizes!
This weekend we are headed to Atlantic City, so cross your fingers folks…hopefully my lucky streak continues. And I’ll give you three guesses where I will be headed with my winnings…and the first two don’t count!
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Pumpkin Soup
I know, I might have missed the boat on this Pumpkin Soup recipe, being that Fall is coming to a close. But with Winter settling in, it’s never too late for a quick and delicious soup recipe! As the weather gets colder, I crave warm, hearty soup. It warms my soul, from the inside out.
Last year for Christmas, Chris gave me a cookbook that I had been drooling over. The author, none other than Jacques Pepin. We know him in this country from television. He has his own show on PBS and has appeared with the famous Julia Child
This particular cookbook, called Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way
Pumpkin Soup
1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 cups chicken stock (I use vegetable)
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
20 walnut halves, sprinkled with salt and cayenne pepper, toasted on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven
1 tablespoon freshly minced chives
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion, celery and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Boil for 6-8 minutes then stir in pumpkin. Mix well. Bring back to boil and boil for 5 minutes. Emulsify with a hand blender or food processor until smooth. At serving time, reheat soup and stir in butter. Mix well to incorporate.
Serve in soup bowls with a large dollop of sour cream in the center and 5 toasted walnuts and a sprinkling of chives on top.
Of course, I like to add my own little twist on things. I also toast pumpkin seeds along with the walnuts to use as a garnish, and sometimes I use creme fraiche for the sour cream, for that extra french-ness!
Bon Appetit!
Paris Holiday Lights
If you thought that Paris was the City of Lights before, just take a look at it today. This years display on the Champs-Elysees was *plugged-in* yesterday and it didn’t disappoint! Every year since 1981, the lighting of the topped trees along the famous promenade have marked the start of the Holiday season, similar to the Christmas tree lighting in NYC.
Even though the trees are now bathed in blue light, the lights are really green. No, I am not colorblind folks! Green, meaning environmentally friendly. They are brighter, but more energy efficient at the same time. It seems like some of the French Government may have actually heard Al Gore. Now if we could only get our own Government to listen..and act!!
If you are lucky enough to be visiting between now and the middle of January you should make a point to stroll along the Champs-Elysees, check out the lights and do some shopping, while you are at it! And I wouldn’t recommend running into the middle of the street, in rush hour traffic to snag a picture, like this photographer did. Oh, I do hope he is alright….
Photo: courtesy of the Associated Press
How to Deal With the Falling Dollar
It’s official, the US Dollar is, and has been, in the toilet! Now, more than ever, Europeans are flocking to the U.S. because it is cheap for them to travel here and their money goes a long way. And while that is great for our economy and I welcome them all with open arms, I still wish financially, it was the other way around.
But there is hope for those of use who still want to make that dream vacation to Europe a reality. It can be done, but you just might have to work a little harder at rationing out your pennies once you get there. Here are some ways to experience the good life in Italy and France, and not just sit staring at the four walls of your hotel room.
- Pick one city. Try to pick the one city you would really like to go and stay for as long as you can. Fight the urge to go on a country wide tour. The extra cost of planes, trains and automobiles (yep, I said it), not to mention gas, going from place to place can add up quickly. Plus, you can really delve in and experience everything that one city has to offer and feel like a local.
- Save on airport transfers. Yes, taxis are convenient, but also can be costly. Look for alternate ways of getting to and from the airport. Paris and Rome have buses or trains that run into the city center that are efficient and inexpensive. Florence, has very nice budget hotels that are within walking distance of the train station, so you wouldn’t even need anything but your own two feet. If you pack everything in a wheelie carry-on, like I do, you don’t have to worry about lugging around all that baggage! Worst case scenario – get as close to your hotel as possible and then if you can’t. possibly. take. another. step, take a taxi for a few blocks. It’s much cheaper than from 35 miles away!
- Speaking of feet. Walk. Most cities in Europe are meant to be explored on foot. That is the best way to discover all the nooks and crannies anyway. Renting a bike is also another great option, especially when the weather is good. If you must use public transportation, try to get a multi-day pass if it is available. You will get more bang for your buck.
- Museums. Some museums are always free. Cities, like Paris and Rome have days when National Museums waive the entrance fees. For Rome it is the last Sunday of the month, for Paris it is the first Sunday. Why not try to plan your trip accordingly? You can save some hefty admission prices.
- Research. Do a little and it could pay off. Scour the Internet for deals on some attractions or concerts. For example, the Vedettes du Pont Neuf in Paris, offers coupons for boat rides on the Seine at 4 Euro off regular admission if you book in advance, on-line. It is a seamless, easy process.
- Shopping. Don’t always assume that buying your favorite French or Italian products, right from the source, will save you money. In the end, it could cost you. You need to factor in the Euro to Dollar conversion and only then if it is less expensive would it make sense to buy. Many of these products that you know and love are available right in the good ole US of A, so do the math first.
- Cafe anyone? Did you know that sitting at a table in a cafe is usually more expensive than standing at the bar? Bellying up to the bar for your morning espresso will save you about half and you’ll fit in like a local in the process.
- Prix-Fixe. Always eat from a prix-fixe menu. They offer the best value. Try to make lunch your big meal of the day. Some good restaurants have lunch menus that cost half of what dinner does. You will still get the same great food, service and try that *place* you have been just dying to try! Many bistros may serve 2 course prix-fixe menu’s. Those are a great option! A main dish and dessert or a starter and a main dish are more than enough to fill you up. And if you are in Italy, why not just order a dish of the chefs special pasta of the day? More than enough to satisfy and nothing but the best, freshest ingredients found at the market that day!
- Water and Wine. No splurging on bottles of wine or bottled water if you are on a budget! Tap water is always potable (and free) and the house wine is generally better than anything I drink at home, and a fraction of the price. Stay away from soda – it’ll cost ya!
- Wine Bars. Pop in for lunch or dinner. These are often family owned, tiny, communal places with tons of wines by the glass available along with meat and cheese plates and simple, homemade fare like omelettes, panini, soups and more..that won’t break the bank!
- Picnics. Stop by a local food market, pick up some bread, cheese, olives, fresh fruit…maybe a rotisserie chicken and potatoes, and a blanket and head out to a picnic. No matter where you go, this is a cheap and easy meal… and you can’t beat the scenery! In Paris, try the Luxembourg Gardens or the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. Florence has the Boboli Gardens. And in Venice, where there is not alot of green, plop down on the edge of the Piazza San Marco and dangle your legs above the Grand Canal and watch the vaperetto and gondolas glide by.
- The best things in life are free. You have heard this before, right? Well, it is true! Often, just being in the place you have dreamed of visiting is enough. For many, just standing in front of the Colosseum, or the Arc du Triomphe is enough of a thrill, without having to pay admission to go in or go to the top. In all honesty, I could stand all day and night in the courtyard of the Louvre, drooling over its facade, without ever venturing inside, and be fully satisfied. There is enough free *eye candy* in France and Italy to keep me busy for centuries. (And no, I am not talking about the waiters). Visiting street markets or window shopping in Florence, standing on the Spanish Steps or throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain in Rome, strolling along the banks of the Seine in Paris admiring all its bridges, or standing amongst a thousand fluttering pigeons in the beautiful Piazza San Marco in Venice, while music fills the air, all cost nothing. It is all free. Free for the taking.
There is something else that’s free. Memories. All the wonderful subconscious memories that you are making on your trip, to carry around with you, day after day, year after year, and relive in the stories told to friends and family. Memories are souvenirs of the mind. Only you don’t set out with a list to make them or pack them carefully in your suitcase for the trip home. They just happen, magically. You don’t plan them, or say “Today, I am going to remember my experience at breakfast”. It just happens. They just appear out of nowhere. The longer you wait, the more you share them, the stronger they become. Your trip would never be the same without them. Nor will any trip ever have the same set, etched in your mind. Not only are these precious memories free for the making, they are priceless. No one would dare put a price tag on them.
Go create some wonderful, new memories. Come home and tell your stories, share them with anyone who’ll listen. You will relive your trip over and over again…until it is time for you to create some new memories. And hopefully, when that time comes, the Dollar will have risen again!
What are some of your favorite tips to keep the cost down when you travel?
Traveling to Italy or France? Click here to find out how I can help!
Under a Tuscan Sun
Photos: Sunsets over the hills of Tuscany, taken from a tower in San Gimignano, Italy
Giving Thanks
There are so many things to give thanks for today. There are always the basics, that are in the forefront, like family, a roof over your head, food for the table, my health etc. And while I am thankful for all of that, this year am also grateful for so much more!
When I first starting this blog, I had but one friend in the blog world. I never imagined that I would meet so many wonderful people, many of which have turned into really good friends. So many creative, thoughtful, talented, intelligent women (maybe a few men too!). I can’t believe how much my life has changed, for the better, since I have met all of you. You all keep me here, doing what I love to do. And what a simply marvelous feeling that is. The feeling of fitting in. Whether you are a reader, a friend or a like-minded creative blogger yourself, you have all changed my life. You have made me feel part of a very special community that spans the world. A world that at first glace to a newcomer, seems like an overwhelming jumble of technology and terminology (what the heck is a widget or an RSS feed????), which many people on the outside don’t understand.
So, this Thanksgiving, know that I am thankful to all of you, yes you, for being here, continuing to read, letting me in, allowing me to be me, and nobody else. Just me. I can feel your love and support everyday. And for that I am thankful!
So, may your turkey not be overcooked, your cranberry sauce not from a can, may your family gather all around, and your husbands wash the pots and pans!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Introducing…..Melange Flea Market
In my minds eye, I had a vision when I first started this blog, which included selling flea market finds. It was one of the reasons for the name, Melange, in the first place. It means a *mix* of things, and by George, that is what we have created here, isn’t it?
I used to have a small spot in a local antique market, but it got to be too much work with a full-time job, driving back and forth 25 minutes each way, doing inventory, tagging everything etc, etc. I knew I still loved the concept, just not the mode of operation. So, it was my intent to somehow, do it on-line.
Well, it has been almost a year in the making, and I had to not only overcome my fears of technology, but come up with the time. Sometimes, I don’t like to work in a little-by-little fashion. And some projects don’t warrant that kind of approach. No, this was a put-your-nose-to-the-grindstone- sort of project. You know, full boar! I realized that I would never have the time….I needed to make the time.
So after knuckling down this past weekend..I ate, slept and drank- and photographed, uploaded and cataloged…my flea market treasures. I am finished, for now. *Sigh* It will always be a work in progress. Now that the bulk of the work is done..adding things here and there will be a piece of cake. If I did not enjoy it so much, I don’t think I would do it. It is alot of work. But again…you do what you love! Ah, now I am understanding that Labor of Love saying.
So I hope you enjoy my latest venture. Please have a visit to Melange Flea Market, which will remain as a link on my sidebar, if only just to enjoy the photo album of my collection of European influenced treasures. A virtual Open House if you will. And if you see something that speaks to you, you can contact me at mymelange(at)yahoo(dot)com, to make a purchase.
Merci!
Celebrating Chianti
With the US dollar falling, it is getting increasingly difficult to find good wine from Italy that is affordable. It is almost unheard of to get a quality Chianti Classico Riserva, for under $25. But, when I do, I do the *happy dance*, and celebrate. Almost like I was stomping the grapes myself or somehow had something to do with its quality, texture, color or taste.
What is the difference between a Chianti and a Chianti Classico Riserva you ask? Lets backtrack a little.
Chianti is a geographic wine-growing area of Italy. All Chianti wine from this region is regulated by a government organization called the DOCG, which stands for Denominazione di Origine Controlla e Garantita. This just means there is a Italian governing body overseeing the wine you are drinking. It is guaranteed to be from that area, meeting specific criteria, including the location and yields of the vineyards. Or in Italian…"You dont-a wanna follow da rules – you no sell-a you wine!" How can you tell if a wine has come from this area? Well, you know that colorful pink paper label that is wrapped around the neck of the bottle? That has a DOCG seal on it.
Within this area are sub-regions, one of the most popular and well known is the Chianti Classico. Chianti Classico wine is not only under the DOCG, but is also identified by the Gallo Nero, black rooster, on the bottle. These wines are looked at as the best of the best Chianti, and have a higher alcohol content.
Stick with me here. Within this Chianti Classico designation comes the Riserva. The difference here is that on top of the DOCG classification and the gallo nero, to be a Riserva, the wine must be aged for at least 27 months, the last 3 months of which happens in the bottle. This is why you will never see an authentic Chianti Classico Riserva 2006, offered for sale in 2007. Quello e impossibile!
So, although it may be a bit confusing, I think you can see how Chianti table wine in the fat, round, straw bottle is very inexpensive, and how a high end Chianti Classico Riserva, with its quality distinction and aging process, commands a much higher price.
Two of my favorite affordable Chianti Classico Riserva's under $25 are a 2003 Riserva, from Castello Monsanto and 2001 La Selvanella from Melini. Of course 2001 and 2003 were good years for Chianti…but how to judge a good year, is another lesson entirely.
I love to try new wines, so tell me…what are some of your favorites?
Photos: Shots around Chianti, Italy. Chianti Classico logo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Bamyan
Whenever I travel, I try to fit in as much as possible. I don’t like to stand out like a sore thumb as a tourist. By definition I am a tourist, though I prefer to think of myself as a traveler. The easiest way to stand out as an American in Europe is to wear shorts and white Reebok’s in the summer. Oh, and getting drunk and rowdy in the streets isn’t going to help your cause either!
My first time in Paris, I noticed that most of the women wore scarves. Of all shapes, sizes and colors. The older, put together ladies, tend to wear smaller silk scarves, with classic patterns, tied in a knot around their necks or larger ones spread out loosely under the collars of their coat. Think Hermes. The younger crowd usually opt for longer styles with fringe. And the colder the weather gets, the thicker the scarf.
I was immediately taken by all the scarves. Paris is a fashion capital, so these scarves serve a stylish purpose, but also a practical one, since Paris can get windy and chilly…any time of year, especially with all that rain. Keeping in mind my desire to *blend in* in Paris, wearing scarves seemed like a great way to resemble a local. It is no wonder I found myself…quickly addicted to scarves.
It’s hard not to be really. You can find them anywhere and everywhere. Small ones, long ones, silk, cashmere, wool, viscose, pattern, no pattern, bold or muted colors. The list is endless. There are even kiosks set up in some of the metro stations, which is where I bought one of mine. I seek them out, no matter where I go. It is a goal of mine to buy a few new ones every visit. They are a perfect accessory…like shoes and handbags…you can never have too many!
One of my readers, Jill, picked up on something I said in a previous post about liking to collect scarves and bring them home from Paris. She asked me if I would share my favorite places to buy scarves with you.
I have purchased quite a few lovelies at various points in the city. A few of my favorites are from the very touristy area of Montmartre. A funky pink printed accordion-pleat style, called my name from a window display in the very chic St. Germain des Pres, and came home with me. But my favorite spot so far is a little gem is on the Ile Saint-Louis, one of my favorite places in all of Paris. It is called Bamyan. Not only do I love the quality of these scarves, but the service is what keeps me coming back. Every time I go in, I gently rummage through the neatly fanned out stacks to find what I like. Madam always nods that I can try one on. Inevitably, she wanders over to style me pretty. Apparently, I never pick my correct *color*. She, finds my color, and like a magician performing a disappearing trick with a magic cape, she twirls, poofs, fluffs, ties, wraps, adjusts… and voila! Yes, she actually says voila! She is always spot on. It never fails. I always love what she chooses. And more importantly, the gorgeous way she drapes and ties it on me.
Though my ego is a bit bruised because I obviously don’t know myself like any real Parisienne should, I am elated and grateful for Madam and her beautiful scarves, but more importantly for her gift of just knowing what looks best on you. It is a talent I have yet to acquire.
This past visit, I came away with this beautiful plum, fringed, raw silk scarf. I wore it all over Paris for the rest of my trip. With Madams help, and my new scarf….how could I not blend in?
How about you? Do you like to wear scarves? Where are your favorite places to shop for scarves? How else to you fit in when you travel?
Bamyan
24 & 72, rue St Louis-en-l’Isle
Paris, 75004
01 46 33 69 66
Touring round the Tour Eiffel
I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t know where the Eiffel Tower is. Or to go a step further, anyone who says they don’t like the Eiffel Tower. Yet, when it was first built there was much resistance from Parisians. They considered it an eyesore! Though it is a tourist attraction, with a capital T, one must fully experience it at least once in a lifetime.
That being said, after the required trip to the top, which can be rather unpleasant if in fact you don’t enjoy standing in line like cattle for hours on end, in my opinion the Eiffel Tower is best enjoyed from ground level. This way you get to see it from every angle. Scenic photo ops present themselves at every twist and turn.
There are nooks and crannies to be discovered, even in the tiny pathways that mingle in front of the tower
Can you imagine that this grand piece of architecture was not to be a permanent structure? C’est vrai! Constructed for the Worlds Fair it was to be only standing for 20 years and then taken down after that!
Just look at the ironwork, the detail, the pretty scroll pattern in the arch. It is amazing how delicate the details are up close..when from football fields away it looks like a hunk of metal. It was an engineering marvel for it’s time. Who in there right mind could tear that down?
And it is so picturesque. She is very photogenic, non? She never takes a bad picture. She is quintessential Paris.
Paris wouldn’t be Paris without it. Like Rome wouldn’t be Rome without the Vatican, or New York City wouldn’t be New York City without the Empire State Building. They all go hand in hand. Could you imagine a Paris sans La Tour Eiffel? I for one am glad I don’t have to.
This particular time, I made a new discovery. You should treasure what you find when you just take a separate path, a zig..rather than a zag, a path that is just not on the map. I discovered a beautiful secluded oasis just steps from the busy maze of traffic at the Tower. A pond with koi, hungry ducks and graceful weeping willows. The curve of the arch met the ground and reminded me of a rainbow. Yes, Paris’s very own rainbow. And this oasis was the pot of gold at the end.
Do you think the hoards of tourists would still flock to Paris year after year if there was no giant steel landmark pulling them there as if by magnetic force? Would as many people know Paris if there were no connection to the famous Tour Eiffel? And better yet..what would have happened if they did take it down all those years ago, would life be different?
Care to speculate? How would you feel if the city suddenly announced that they were taking it down?
