Answers and a Four Meme

Thanks for your questions. Though some of them were answered through email, I will share the posted questions with you.

Sognatrice wants to know "If you were teleported to Italy right this second, what’s the first thing you would do?"

Well, I would seek out the closest outdoor table at a cafe and order a cappuccino. Next stop would have to be for gelato and then I would be meeting up with you!

Laume asked me when I suggest visiting Paris and why?

Well Laume, there is really never a bad time to visit! I suppose there can be. I would never recommend summer. Generally it is way too hot and the city practically shuts down due to French vacations..so you don’t get that same French feeling. Each season has its own perks. Personally,I think Spring is my favorite time to go and it makes for a good first visit. Everything is so green. Fall is also comfortable, the leaves are turning and there is a vibrant feel to the city as Parisians coming back from holiday, energized and ready to begin life again, otherwise known as Rentre. Though I have not been there yet to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, I would not rule it out for a second. The lack of daylight would not bother me. There are lots of things to do in the dark . Save your museums visits for after sundown and make the most of the daylight. There are some decent deals to be had, Paris is all decked out in Holiday decor and there is something very romantic about a few flakes of falling snow melting on my nose while strolling along the Seine. As I have learned, don’t attempt to plan the perfect trip to Paris based on the weather! You’ll never win!

And my fellow Italian lover, well, no, not THAT kind of Italian lover…I mean lover of all things Italian. Whew, that was close! Anyway, fellow blogger MaryAnn tagged me for a *Four Meme* asking me to tell you some things about myself…so it fits rights in! Now that is what I call a lead in…

1. What four jobs have I had?
Good thing this is only a 4 Meme…we could go on and on here otherwise. I have been:

Sales/Membership Consultant for a gym
Store Manager for Kids ‘R’ Us
Police Dispatcher for the NYS Park Police
Receptionist/Office Manager in a Doctors Office

2. Four places I have lived?
Long Island, New York
Hudson Valley, New York
Seymour and Manchester, Connecticut
Walnut Creek, California…(familiar Laume?)

3. Four places I have been on Holiday?
Hmm, other than the obvious Italy and France….
Key West, Florida
Martinique
Booth Bay Harbour, Maine
Virginia Beach, Virginia

4. Four favorite foods?
Cheese
Wine(is that a food? Made from grapes, so yes!)
Potatoes
Chocolate & Coffee..it’s a tie!

5. Four places I’d rather be?
Tuscany, learning Italian and making a life for myself
Paris, visiting my friend Anne
Provence/Cote d’Azur, antiquing and flea marketing with Corey and Melanie
Traveling Europe on assignment as a journalist for a Travel Magazine!

Yes, I am sure the answers about places I’d rather be come in a shocking turn of events. Enjoying myself in France or Italy. Sometimes I can be so predictable.

I am tagging some new friends that came to my party on this one. Melanie, Constance, Stephanie, Lidy and Melissa. I look forward to getting to know you better though your answers!

That’s enough fun for a while. We will be back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow…I think a visit to the Eiffel Tower may be in order.

Photos: Piazza San Marco, Venice and Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

A little Q&A

Well, lately a few readers have been asking me some questions. I thought it may be fun (yeah, here we go with the *fun* again) to do a post where you ask me questions. I have seen these meme’s where you get tagged and have to tell a certain number of things abut yourself that nobody knows…but I thought I’d like to do something very different. I’d rather tell you something that you want to know. Plus, we have some new readers here from the recent *party* we had…so this might give them an opportunity to get to know me a little better! (Careful what you wish for)

So, that being said….this is what I am proposing. Ask me anything. Really, anything. No holds barred. Travel related, product related, food related, France or Italy related, even personal questions are fine (within reason…remember that what happens in Paris, stays in Paris). I’m not giving Dr. Ruth advice here, so please…none of those questions, keep it clean!

And to get us started….

1. Pam asked me about the Caudalie products that I had talked about in my last post. She wanted to know if it was affordable and if she can find it in the US? She also asked what are my favorite things to buy from Europe and take back with me.

I wouldn’t really say it is *affordable*. For me, it is the results aspect that makes me buy it! I can certainly go to CVS and by Neutrogeana or Olay, which is affordable, but I don’t see any results. So, I am wasting my money. I would rather spend more money, but see the results. I can whole heartedly say that I see results…even after only just 1 month with Caudalie. And it is not loaded with chemicals..and it smells good. What I will say, is that even with the Euro vs Dollar ratio right now, it is still going to be most affordable for your daughter to pick it up in France for you when she visits.

2. Is it available in the US?

Sure! You can find Caudalie at Sephora, and at flagship Bath and Body Works stores. That is a great place to *test* the products. I like to feel before I buy. That said, I would not buy it there. When not in Europe to buy, I go to the on-line retailers. Le Guide Sante offers the best on-line price, but shipping is a set price and it is steep. It only makes sense if you are going to buy alot, that way the per item shipping price doesn’t seem as bad.

The other place I like is SkinStore. Prices are the same as say Sephora, but they offer free shipping, no minimum purchase, to anywhere in the US. Right now they have a deal through the end of the year, where you can sign up for auto-ship and get 20% anything you buy..and that 20% gets locked in for all future purchases for that item, which makes this my favorite option! So, that means that the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum (which smells intoxicating and I swear by it!), which is normally $78, would be $62.40 now and each time it ships to you, if you buy it on auto-ship…and it gets delivered to your door each time, for free! You can bet your bippie that I am signed up for this program!!!

You can also search on Ebay. I find an occasional good deal. I get quite a few small sample sizes on Ebay, which I use for traveling.

3. What are your favorite things to bring back?

Uh, hmmm, you mean other than beauty products? I am also a fan of buying scarves. French women wear scarves, so they can be found everywhere. I actually have a favorite store where I love to buy them. I’ll do a post on that later.

Food is another favorite. Fleur de Sel is so much cheaper in France, so I stock up on that. I like to bring back wine, olive oil and ceramics from Italy. I am also an avid flea market shopper, so I think my favorite things to bring back are little antique treasures!! I also love to bring back pictures and stories….to share with all of you!!

Thanks for asking Pam and sparking the idea! I hope I answered your questions. And now it is your turn. Let the questions fly! I’ll do my best to answer all of ‘em. If there is something you are just dying to ask….please do!

C’mon gals….don’t be shy…

And the winner is…..

After 2 weeks, 48 comments, over 67 entries and a new total of 65 subscribers, the day has finally arrived. First, a big thank you to all of those who participated! It was a raving success! I got the opportunity to meet many new friends and bloggers, so really, I feel like the winner. And to my old friends, who helped to get the word out…thanks for sending over some of your friends…to you, I am eternally grateful. I hope you all continue to read, share, comment, question and contribute….as well as share in my passion for France and Italy, because what keeps me here, doing what I do….is you!

Ok, ok I’m getting to it! And with out further ado…..the winner of the *My French Life* book is……

Sognatrice!

I must tell you that we both were afraid of this. In case you don’t remember, Sognatrice ran a contest a while back for a Bella Bag on her blog, which I won! So, when I ran my contest and she entered, we joked that if she ever won, we would be banned from blog contests forever. There would most likely be a lynching or a boycott to our blogs.

But what is one to do? I can’t secretly pray that I don’t pick her name. I can’t pick her name and than throw it back it because it would seal our destiny…to be banished from blog contests. Surely everyone knows that we are honest, good and true… and people should be happy for the winner…no matter who (Sorry for that Dr. Seuss-ism there)! I think maybe, just maybe, it must be Serendipity. Or the universe *paying it forward* if you will.

In any event. Chris picked the name. He actually stated at the beginning, that he was "Yolanda Vega", who picks the NYS lottery tickets on TV. His disclaimer to me was…." This drawing has been audited by a third-party". He even insisted on a drum roll, which he performed himself being a drummer and all. Actually it was quite a big production. I think that whole modeling thing went to his head.

Then I saw the ticket…*Sognatrice*..and I almost dropped the bowl!

I have to be happy for her….she won a great book! So, congratulations Sognatrice! I know you will enjoy the book, being the book lover that you are!! And I hope this book will give you an introduction to French life and Provence, which will inspire you to go one day!

Just email me your name and address and it will be along soon.

And one last thing. Sognatrice. I will see you in blog purgatory, soon enough. *Sigh*

C’est la vie!

Last chance for My French Life contest

Well, 24 hours and counting. This is your last chance to enter the contest. You can enter thru tomorrow, November 9th at midnight sharp! Leave your *entry* on the original post here, and I will be picking and announcing the winner on Saturday, November 10th! Remember the prize…

Thanks for playing……

A Visit to the Pharmacie

In the US, when we think Pharmacy, we think Rite Aid or CVS, with aisles and aisles of everything from drugs, to cards, to soda, to garbage bags to Sponge Bob key chains. In Europe, the Pharmacie is much smaller and consists of prescriptions and different selections of top of the line skin care, shampoos, health and beauty treatments and remedies. It is also the first line of defense when Europeans are sick. Most go to their Pharmacist, before their Doctor, unless you need a liver transplant or are having a heart attack, and so relationships are developed. These are privately owned shops, as opposed to big monster chains and each one will have its own product line and personality. Pharmacies are like McDonald’s in the US…ubiquitous. In some instances you can stand on the street corner and in a 360 degree radius, as far as the eye can see…you can spot up to 4 or 5 flashing green crosses, which signal a Pharmacie. Most new pharmacists have a difficult time setting up shop, because there are so many…you have to apply and be approved to open one. So, if there are already several in a small area…you will most likely be denied. In my opinion, the health and beauty products in Europe are far superior to anything affordable in the US. A lot of our brands have (pardon my French) crap in them…preservatives, chemicals and the like, while in Europe most reputable brands use more natural ingredients, plant and herb extracts, and are therefore better for you…and produce better results.

After our lunch yesterday, we head to Pharmacie 217. We walk in and are immediately greeted with double kisses and warm Bonjours. Ladies, on a side note here, if you are following along, in our post yesterday we discussed the code that Anne and I have for handsome waiters(read, ugly). Keeping this in mind, I can only say that Alain is truly an Ugly man. Tall, lean, wavy dark brown hair, hazelnut eyes, nice smile…and a wonderful personality to boot. Oh yeah, really ugly. He has the best sense of humor, he is quiet the storyteller… and we have dubbed him a *hoot*, which really took some creative translating on all parts, but I think he is proud of his American nickname!

We are quickly ushered to the back…where only the employees are allowed. Oh, and of course the Pharmacist’s wife. There he finds us chairs, we all sit down and he asks, "Would you like an espresso?" At this point, Chris and I look at each other and just about bounce up and down in delight as we both nod our heads yes and blurt out, "Gotta love France!" Still trying to fathom the fact that we are tucked away at a local Paris Pharmacie having espresso, we look over to see him brewing it into these little china cups that are displayed proudly for just such an occasion. Not cardboard or styrofoam…real china! While entertaining drug reps, I am sure they get much use. Meanwhile, Anne is busy rummaging through boxes and boxes of samples for herself and for us. "One of these, 2 of those, oh this is good for lines around the eyes" and voila..she hands us some goodie bags, filled to the brim! Oh, how I love France!! At this point I take anything she gives me without question, because though we are roughly the same age, she looks ~~five~~, ~~seven~~, ok fine, ten years younger..so I figure it can only help!

We chit-chat a bit longer, and Anne bids a fond farewell to attend to some errands and prep work for tonight’s dinner that she has invited us to, back at their house. At this point, we get down to business. Skin care business! Other than the good company…today we have come for one thing. Caudalie. I know and love these products, but back here in NY, I pay double of what I pay in France, so I am here to load up! Knowing this, Alain whips out his goodie box and proceeds to give us a lesson in Caudalie, which lasted about an hour. I was hooked on every word…waiting to hear about the next thing he pulled out of his *magic box*. He told us about the company, the grape technology, the use of ingredients, how they stumbled upon it and researched it before it was available to the public. The company recently reformulated their product line by taking Parabens out. When I asked why…apparently studies in France show that Parabens have been linked to cancer. What? Did I miss something? Never heard a word about this in the States..and yet all my skin care back home has Parabens in it. I must have missed that on the news. Between all the stabbings, school shootings, rising gas prices and war coverage…I guess they left this little tidbit out.

He took each product one by one and had us feel it, touch it, smell it, try it! Then he diagnosed our skin, recommended certain things, told us not to bother with others. I was mesmerized. Not only by his charm or the adorable way he pronounces *skin* in English (skeeen) but by the obvious passion he has for the work he does. You can tell he was born to be a Pharmacist. By the time we were done, I had the overwhelming desire to send my resume to Caudalie and move to France to do facials and product sales! Yes, A Caudalie girl! I could do that.

After our skin care lesson, we went back out to the sales floor and we shopped like crazy lottery winners. One of his lovely employees who knows a thing or two about the products assisted us as well. We loaded up the counter and as he was ringing us in, he winked and with his little impish grin, told us on top of the already inexpensive prices that he was giving us a little discount as well. Just for good measure he gave samples of all the other products to try as well.

Capable of exfoliating my skin back to toddlerhood and loaded up with enough cream to un-wrinkle an elephant, we bid our goodbyes until later at dinner. He motioned for us to come in the back again. He says he has a gift for each of us. A gift? What more could I possibly even dare to ask for? My eyes open wide as he pulls out two full size bottles of Caudalie Fleur de vigne shower gel, which smells like freshly stomped green grapes. One for each of us. I have died and gone to girle girl heaven. It is at this very moment that the whole experience just overwhelms me. The time he has taken, the generosity, I couldn’t help myself. I become choked up as my nose starts to tingle and my eyes get teary. Every ignorant person’s voice that has ever made such comments like, ‘the French are rude’, ‘the French are mean’, ‘the French hate Americans’, ‘French people don’t smile’…all raced through my brain at once. And it made me sick. These ill informed people have either never been to France or are just not meeting the right French people! I have never met more happy go lucky, sweet, down to earth, warm, funny and friendly people…and they are French! Born and raised! So quit your crying about the French and open your mind and your heart, rather than opening your mouth with your stereotypes! Open a book, study a few French words and use them! Ahem. I digress.

So next time you find yourself in Paris with a cough or a cold, a blister or a craving for some top of the line beauty products or heaven forbid…something much worse, head over to the 10th arrondissement and see the most handsome Pharmacist in all of Paris. He’ll take good care of you. Have no fear about a language barrier. He is fluent in English as well as Spanish! Tell him I sent you….but remember ladies, he is very happily married!

Pharmacie au 217
217 rue Lafayette
75010 Paris
01 46 07 86 44
Metro : Louis Blanc

Our tour continues

Again, with my research in hand and my list tucked nicely away in my bag, we head off to try a wine bar in the 10th called Le Verre Volé, which translates to the stolen glass. It is a tiny cave, as most wine bars are, with hundreds of bottles of wine lining the walls.

It is early yet, well before lunch, so there are empty tables. During lunch, you’d be lucky to squeeze in. The women who greets us, speaks with Anne in French at what seems like lightening speed. I get excited when I can recognize one word out of every twenty spoken. Cause for a celebration….how ’bout some wine! Anne translates and informs us that since they are not a *wine shop*, if you order wine, you must order some food as well. We are planning to have lunch right down the street, but our arms can be twisted….so we decide on a cheese plate to go with our wine. Anne orders for us and we all enjoy some inexpensive wine by the glass. The cheese was stinky and creamy…just the way I like it. Just then, the owner comes down to greet us. Again speaking at lightening speed, very politely tells Anne that we should make it snappy. He has a lunch rush that will be rolling in soon and many tables are reserved. We enjoy at a leisurely pace, story telling, catching up on old times and new, fully aware that we may be trampled at any moment and cognizant of the fact that we will leave if it gets too busy.

When we were through, we continued our stroll to lunch. Just a block away, we found our destination. Et dans mon coeur il y a, which means ‘ And in my heart there is…’, which is an intriguing name for a restaurant. I am amazed that we found a place that Anne has not dined before….being a foodie and all. She excitedly suggested it, as it had gotten rave reviews, but I must admit..the name alone was enough to sell me.

We walked in and immediately I was in love. The decor is funky, romantic, elegant….Parisian. Belle Epoch.

Black chandeliers dripping with deep onyx beads, cozy deep purple velvet banquettes, rich dark wood walls, lots of mirrors and classic table settings. They have a non-smoking room, which is where we asked to be seated.

Both the wine list and the menu were presented in giant maroon leather bound books, with antique script writing, similar in style to the first Bible, I imagine.

The waiters. Well, what can I say. Anne told me a story at the wine bar about how she and her girlfriend went to dinner with their husbands…and the waiters were very good looking, yet they joked with their husbands that in fact the waiters were…Ugly! So we had decided that would be our secret code as well. So, the waiters were ugly, yes that’s it. Very, very ugly! Enough said.

Our food was fantastic. I enjoyed cod brandade, which is potatoes layered with cod, topped with pesto- baked and served in its own little Staub roaster.

Chris had a penne pasta dish and we both chose the molton chocolate cake for dessert.

Anne chose the same dish as mine, but with duck instead of cod and for dessert, thinly sliced caramelized pineapple.

Complete with wine and water our prix-fixe lunch was only 16 Euro each. Very inexpensive for the level of food. Foodie Froggy was pleased, and if she is pleased…than you know it’s good!

The pièce de résistance was the rickety old black spiral staircase leading to les toilettes on the second floor. Though pretty to look at, I immediately started sweating as soon as my foot hit the first narrow step. I am truly afraid of heights, so twisting dizzily up and down, round and round, with a barely fishing line as a banister is not my favorite way to finish a meal. Scary on the way up, treacherous on the way down. Chris went down in front of me and I held on to him. In case I fell, he could break my fall and get himself killed in the process. At least he’d be the embarrassed one as he careened head first into a beautifully set table of French diners as he soaked them in red wine and chocolate cake. What a guy!

Tummys and wallets still full, we decide to walk off our meal. Anne calls her hubby, who is at the Pharmacie…and we decide to head over for a visit. Join me tomorrow at the Pharmacie. And bring lots of shopping bags!

Le Verre Volé
67 rue de Lancry
75010 Paris
01 48 03 17 34

Et dans mon coeur il y a {sadly, they closed}
56 rue de Lancry
75010 Paris
01 42 38 07 37

A stroll around Canal Saint-Martin

On my first visit to Paris, one of the *many* things on my to-do list was a stroll along the Canal Saint- Martin. This was not because I had heard about it, or read about it. No, it was really just because I saw the scene from Amelie, where she is squatting, balancing on one of the locks while the water is pouring in as she is skipping stones. That scene spoke to me. Maybe it was the quiet tranquil spot, maybe the leaves on the trees looked graceful, perhaps it was the amazing camera work…or it could have even been the music that was playing in the scene. For whatever reason…I had to be a part of it! Yep, I guess I am a romantic.

Sadly, I ran out of precious time on my first trip and vowed to the heavens above, that when I returned to Paris, I would make it there. As luck would have it, my dear friend Anne, knows the area well as her husband owns a Pharmacie in the 10th arrondissement. I will tell you much more about him and our visit there in a later post.

We were to meet Anne at the Louis-Blanc Metro station. As we exited up the steps and reached ground level, I looked right, I looked left, but no sign of her. At that point I heard the most lovely sound in all of Paris….Anne, calling my name. It is a very surreal experience to have someone call your name in a foreign city where you are anonymous and hardly speak the language. Talk about culture shock! It is special when your name is *sung* by a lovely stylish French women sitting at a cafe across from the Metro at a busy intersection. In English, with her charming French accent (which she is quick to make fun of, while I am enamored by it) her voice, carried by the breeze, called my name…"Robeeeen, Robeeeen". It was the sweetest sound to hit my ears since I had been traveling to Europe. At that point, I knew "I have arrived"! A Parisienne is calling my name and waving to me!

After a quick espresso, we head out toward the Quai de Valmy, Anne leading the way. It was a lovely Fall day. First, we stop to admire the canal.

We discuss the way the locks work and I wonder aloud if we will get to see a barge coming in.

As luck would have it, we see a barge coming, so we wait…

The canal is designed so barges traveling to and from the Seine, can make the transition into the canal. The water level is different in both bodies of water. When the barge enters the canal, the lock behind it shuts

The barge sits low, waiting for the water to start flowing in. The front passengers must have been forewarned…

Meanwhile, the floodgates in the front are getting ready to open…

The lock s-l-o-w-l-y begins to open, letting in small dribbles, streams and than finally gushes water. When the lock is fully open, the barge goes on its way…

You can take a barge cruise, but be forewarned. They are time consuming and rather boring as you must wait for about 15 minutes at each lock while the water rushes in. You have nothing to do but wait! This is why I opted to be on the quay, watching. More info on taking this cruise is available through Canauxrama.

From here we continue our walk and stop at the fun, funky and fabulous boutique, Antoine et Lili. We come to another bridge…

This looks like a good spot to cross…

Let’s stop for a photo op…

We cross the bridge and see the famous Hotel du Nord, which is no longer a hotel, but a cafe. Anne informs us that though many people think the movie was shot on location in Paris, but in fact it was shot in a studio in France, where sets were made to look exactly as the original. We burst out laughing as my funny French friend imitated the actress, Arletty, by sounding like a French canard when she uttered the famous words from the film, "Atmosphere, Atmosphere, do I look like an atmosphere?" We find a cafe named L’ Atmosphere, just steps away. Coincidence, I think not!

Looking below, we realize that this part of the road actually swings back and forth, letting barges pass through. Now that would be a sight!

Looking back, I get my Amelie moment. This looks like the spot where she was skipping stones. I hear the accordion music playing in my head…

Since I have now accomplished what I have set out to do, we agree that nourishment is in order. Join me tomorrow, when the adventure continues. See which wine bar we visited..and where we had lunch. You can’t very well spend an afternoon with the Foodie Froggy, without sampling any food!! C’est non possible!

Smart-y Pants

When we were in Italy, we had the privilege drive a Smart Car. We loved it, especially how it handled the twists and turns of the Amalfi coast, while still having the power to pass cars on the Autostrada. They are actually available in the US now, and they get great gas mileage and are quite reasonably priced for a Mercedes Benz. I may consider one someday.

They are ubiquitous in Europe and I must say *Smart* really fits them. But there is a new trend over there in advertising, at least in Paris. The first day we started walking around, we were spotting them left and right, but with advertising slogans covering them. I think *Smart* was beginning to have a new meaning for these cars.

I started snapping shots every time I saw one.

These are like traveling billboards, advertisements on wheels.

This one is a feminine version, advertising a spa. That butterfly is very graceful looking. Even the font is delicate.

This was double-duty at the Eiffel Tower. It looks like someone turned *2*!

It was fun trying to guess who and what they were advertising. Anyone want to take a stab at this one?

Others were pretty easy. Some companies are universal it seems. Century 21 Real Estate wants to sell you the good life in Montmartre!! Perhaps that was Amelie’s agent?

And perhaps no picture better exemplifies the very meaning of why this car was aptly named…the *Smart Car*.

Pasta Carbonara

Well, I realize that my love for Italy has not had a chance to shine through lately, what with taking a back seat to my recent trip to Paris and all. So it is time I give Italy its fair shake. I love Italian food, and I never met a pasta dish that I didn’t like, but a dish that has about 5 ingredients or less and is not complicated to make, is a treasure in my book. So, I give you….Pasta Carbonara!

This recipe is adapted partly from a Martha Stewart Living recipe, and partly from other Italian versions I have used. I use whole wheat pasta, for the extra bite, fiber and nutritional value, but you can certainly use the traditional semolina, which of course cooks faster.

The one constant in a true Roman version of Carbonara sauce is that there is no cream. Sometimes I will add torn pieces of rotisserie chicken that I may have left over from dinner one night, just to change it up a bit.

And whatever you do, please use fresh blocks of cheese, not that pre-packaged stuff. Real cheese has so much more flavor!

You will need:

Course salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 ounces pancetta, chopped or cubed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:

1. Boil a pot of salted water. Add pasta, cook to al dente. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a skillet over med-high heat. Stir to make sure it does not stick. Remove with a slotted spoon when brown. Keep on the side in a bowl.

3. Reduce heat to med-low, add the oil than the garlic and cook until golden, but do not burn it! Lightly beat the eggs in the bottom of your serving bowl. When the pasta is done, add it to the skillet with the garlic and toss. Then transfer the pasta to the serving bowl with the eggs and toss. The heat of the pasta will *cook* the eggs. Add the cheese and the pancetta and toss again. Season with lots of black pepper and serve with some additional grated cheese on top.