Sacre Bleu: An American in Paris

Just A Little Reminder ...

2012-09-24T15:42:00.001+01:00

Make sure to check out my new blog post Arrived & Connected @ http://monpetitnewyork.wordpress.com

A New Beginning

2012-09-14T02:05:00.001+01:00

Hello Everyone!

Check out my new blog :)

http://monpetitnewyork.wordpress.com

xo,
me

Paris' Oldest Living Resident

2012-05-02T12:31:00.000+01:00

A stumble away from Saint Michel with a view of Notre Dame Cathedral there is a small inconspicuous park named Square René-Viviani adjacent to Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

Upon entering the gates, I walked into the middle of a wedding celebration, so I discretely headed to my destination. After further research, I've discovered that the Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre is famous for being one of the oldest religious buildings in Paris. The Gothic style church was built in 1170 over the ruins of a church from the 6th century and today it functions as a Greek Melkite Church. Sacre Bleu! I may just have to make my way back to check out the inside.

I was on the hunt for Paris' oldest living resident! He's been here for 411 years and he's believed to be an American … an observer of the revolution, many wars, and torrid love affairs! A special robinia pseudoacacia (that's a mouth full!) otherwise known as a locust tree measured to be 15 meters high with a circumference of 3.50 meters. It's believed that the tree originally came from America and was planted in 1601 by the botanist Jean Robin (hence the fancy name). The tree continues to survive and flourish each year but do to his old age is supported by two concrete crutches.

The next time you want to read a good book, have a picnic, or a romantic rendez-vous head over to Paris' most faithful lover and resident!

Across the way ... Notre Dame!

Running Dreams

2012-04-30T23:35:00.001+01:00

The commencement of Spring, has not only brought some serious April showers (I don't even remember the last time we had a day sans rain) but I've been inundated with a serious amount of visitors which shall continue thru May. Springtime in Paris brings cherry blossoms and a copious amount of tourist not to mention that April in Paris (just like Boston) means marathon season! About 40,000 people gathered in Paris to run the marathon on Sunday, April 14th, 2012 (I was not one of the motivated!).

That cold gray Sunday morning, I woke up, grabbed my fleece, and hopped downstairs to watch the marathoners run by, while my houseguest snoozed away. Lucky me with front row seats near the 31km/19m marker. I was on the search for my friend Kay and my cousins, Orit and Shai (who flew in from Israel for the event), to cheer them on! It was a raw morning with bone chilling winds which might be perfect for the marathoners… yet, not so ideal for the brilliant me who ran downstairs wearing just a fleece and yoga pants. However, I was motivated to be an excellent cheerleader, so I could not leave my post to add more layers. Almost four hours later, with frozen hands and a creative little dance going on in attempt to keep myself warm, I realized that I missed my loved ones in the mass of runners.

Marathons always resurge that secret desire to be a marathoner (see blog post Slowly But Surely). So the next day when I met up with Orit and Shai and listened to all the reasons on why I should start training for a marathon … I was somewhat motivated! Orit even encouraged (or bribed) me by saying that if I ran the Tel Aviv marathon in March 2013 she'll be my running buddy. Now, that sounds like a good deal! For the past couple of weeks, I've been seriously contemplating the idea, and slowly planting hints to friends that traveling to Israel next March would be a fabulous vacation … I'm selfishly looking for cheerleaders! ;)

If only I could start running on a consistent basis! Any takers for the marathon challenge?

Check out the British flag costume!

New York Here I Come

2012-03-27T22:57:00.000+01:00

With layovers and connections, about 36hrs after leaving Krabi I finally arrived in Paris. Without any sleep, it's remarkable that I made it home and was functional for most of the day. Maybe my neighbors would disagree, as I'm not sure if my French was slurring when I went to pick up Ralegh from his vacation (see what a good mom I am!). After a few extremely jammed pack days of unpacking, laundry, repacking, and quality time with out of town guest, I was back on a plane but this time I was heading west. You'd think I would have waited a couple of weeks before jumping on a transatlantic flight. New York here I come!

First I had to spend 24hrs in Albany, so I could become one of the 625 newest members to the New York State Bar. Then I was off to NYC to celebrate! The NYC celebration was old school FAU style. Cara arrived in town on Friday night and it was circa 1999 again. The old school days, hanging with Geraldine, Cara and Maria, the only thing missing from the weekend were Keren, Dana and a few Sammy's.

After the weekend, it was time to get serious and start networking. All work and no play! Well, maybe a little bit of play. As many of you know, my time in Paris is coming to an end … but this is not necessarily a sad event as I'll be relocating to NYC. Woo hoo!!! Though, the name of this blog may have to change or come to an end - still contemplating. In the meantime, if anyone out there has any NYC contacts or legal contacts please let me know, any and all information is greatly appreciated. :)

I spent my days meeting up with old college/law school friends and colleagues that I hadn't seen in ages. Actually, I didn't even get to see most of my close NY friends, which just means I may have to make another visit soon. My most interesting lunch was with a phenomenal woman who helped write the South African Constitution after Nelson Mandela was released from prison. That's how I roll! A quick lunch with an amazing human rights attorney before I head back to Paris. [Otuko, you're indirectly credited for this meeting.]

NYC wasn't short of some good meals and old fashioneds (my drink of choice for the trip as I haven't found a place in Paris that makes them yet). However, before I departed Thailand, I was informed of a little NYC secret that I had to try. The best burger in town! Now, I'm no burger expert but I do have to say this was a mighty tasty burger. Thank you Paul! For everyone else who is dying to know [Dana, I know you're on the edge of your seat!] the place is called … Burger Joint! If you're wondering why this Burger Joint is such a secret, especially with such an obvious name, it's because its location is hidden behind a velvet curtain in the atrium of Le Parker Meridien Hotel. If you have fancier taste, Le Parker Meridien Hotel is also known for their Zillion Dollar Frittata costing only about $1000 US dollars. Though, I'll be sticking to the yummy greasy cheeseburger that's under $10 US dollars.

Sahwahdee Kha from Thailand

2012-03-13T00:59:00.001+00:00

Many of you may be wondering what happened to me, as I seem to have stopped writing some time in January. I've spent the past approximate 6 weeks from one end of the globe to the next with a short pit stop in Paris. I like to pretend that this makes me a world traveler, but I guess that depends on who you're comparing me too. My cat, Ralegh, may argue that it makes me a bad neglectful mother. My retort would be that I had to go to Thailand and New York, I had no other choice … Thailand may be questionable on whether it was an absolute must, but I'm sticking to my story.

During my travels, my travel buddies reminded me that I should be updating my blog. However, I was too entranced with my own happenings to actually take the time and write. Now, I wish I did, weeks have passed, I'm struggling with jet lag, and completely avoiding blogging. Plus, I don't think I will give my Thailand trip any justice.

So with the last couple of days of January, I left Paris and headed to the exotic world of Thailand. (I ended up having brilliant timing as a cold front and snow storm arrived with my departure.) I knew the minute I stepped off the airport rail link that I was in a completely different world. Engrossed by the humming of cars, tuk-tuks, and motorbikes zooming pass me. Enveloped by the smell of street food, sex, and smog that surrounded me. Bangkok was alive and full of energy. I was in utter awe! I stared at the street signs in a language I couldn't understand. Now, only if I knew whether I needed to take a right or a left … he he he.

Tashi and I spent our first two nights in a hostel called Link Corner. As hostels go, it wasn't that bad. A lot better than some of the ones I use to stay in when I was 17 years old… But that was 17 years ago and I'm not that into the community shower and toilets anymore. I believe Tashi thought I was being a little bit of a princess but I was fine waiting a day and half to shower at the hip Aloft Hotel (A Vision of the W Hotels) in the Sukhumvit neighborhood. No judgments please! Lol. With Paul's arrival we headed over to the lap of luxury. I highly recommend the Aloft Hotel.

I'm not going to give a daily rehash of my trip, so here are super brief highlights. Tashi gave me the best walking tour of Bangkok! (It's always key to have your travel buddies be in the know of where to go.) We visited all the malls. Ate some awesome street food. Drank at disco van bars (basically, every business in Bangkok can be run out of a van or cart, as long as it has wheels). Saw a boxing match. Experienced Soi Cowboy. Went to the Night Market. Took a couple boat/ferry rides. Visited Khaosan Road. Visited the Palace. And most importantly, had a couple of massages, a facial, and a mani/pedi, it's all about the self-indulgence. :) As I was traveling with the male species, I of course did not miss the Super Bowl. The bar we ended up at (at 6:30AM - yes, hardcore!) was so packed we literally ended up sitting on stools in the middle of the street to watch the game.

After Bangkok, we headed south to meet up with PT. In Phuket, we met up with some of Tashi's Thai friends, had this amazing dinner on top of a mountain and celebrated Tashi's birthday. The next morning, we took the ferry to Krabi. Krabi was a typical beach town with absolutely beautiful landscapes. We went on an island and snorkeling tour. I learned how to cook some amazing Thai food at Ya's Thai Cookery School (hopefully, I'll be able to recreate the yumminess from home). Again, multiple massages and of course some pretty awesome meals - I did mention it was all about the indulgence. I left Krabi with probably the worst sunburn I've ever had on my legs … I had trouble walking and my ankles were swollen, but it was all worth it.

I absolutely loved Thailand. I will definitely go back! Once you get past the illicit activities of Bangkok you fall in love with the charm of the Thai and all the street activities. If I didn't have to head to NYC for my swearing-in ceremony, I would have extended my stay, as Paul and Tashi are still traveling thru Asia sans moi. :( Now, I'm vicariously living thru email updates.

Love and a Pagoda

2012-01-27T10:18:00.002+00:00

What better way to prepare for my Asia trip, than a visit to a Pagoda, right here in the middle of Paris! (I'm going to Asia! Yippee!!!) La Pagode is an independent theater located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

Originally, built in 1896 by architect Alexandre Marcel, for François-Émile Morin, the then director of Le Bon Marché, as a gift for his wife (now, that's a serious declaration of love!). Don't forget, it's France, which means that it would only be natural that there was some scandalous infidelity going on… right? :) Yep, that same year, Madame Morin leaves her husband for his business partner (OUCH! Guess, a Pagoda wasn't going to save the marriage). Over a century later, and this could totally be a modern day sex, love, and betrayal story. In any event, Madame Morin would throw lavish parties at La Pagode until the closing of the hall in 1927.

Four years later, in 1931, La Pagode was open to the public, and was the first and only movie theater in the 7th arrondissement.

La Pagode is well-known for it's Japanese room and garden, and it's probably the most unique and beautiful cinema's I've ever seen. I definitely recommend a visit; plus it's a quaint and cozy cinema.

Skating in the Skies

2012-01-14T14:51:00.000+00:00

Back in December 2004, just in time for the holidays, and in an attempt to promote interest in Paris' candidacy in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, an ice-skating rink was opened on the first floor observation deck of La Tour Eiffel. It was such a hit with the French and foreigners that seven years later it has become a holiday staple. [Though, France was unsuccessful on the candidacy bid as London will be holding the Summer Olympics.] Last year, I completely missed the fun, learning of the ice-skating rink only the day after it closed. This year I was determined!

Helena and I convinced Rafael that ice-skating on a small rink between two of the tower's massive legs was a must-do before he headed back to Brazil. Rafael was a little hesitant at first, but we cajoled him into believing he was a natural born ice-skater (NOT) and what a great first time experience! [Helena ended up taking numerous videos of Rafael ice-skating and maybe falling … but I will spare him the public humiliation.]

As a kid, I spent many Saturday mornings at UTC learning to figure skate, but it dawned on me while about to board the elevator to the first floor observation deck that it had been over 24 years (yeah, I'm old) since I had been on skates. Twenty-four plus years translates to: 4 dislocated knees; many torn ligaments; a few twisted ankles; and I'm sure I'm forgetting something (btw, have I mentioned that I'm a little bit of a klutz). Maybe not one of my best laid plans, as I do have future travel plans that would be completely ruined if I ended up on crutches, but by the time we arrived to the first floor my fears had subsided.

I'm proud to report that my ability to skate came back to me even after all these years, and I never fell :), but I still need lots of practice. No double axels for me in the near future. The most entertaining part of the evening (besides watching Rafael a 1.95m/6'4" grown man learn to skate) was watching Rafael skate right into the middle of a couple having a romantic moment. Right before the big romantic Eiffel Tower skating kiss … big bang boom … like the make-out police, Rafael skated smack damn in the middle of the couple. LOL!!! The couple didn't know what hit them. I immediately busted out laughing in one of my notorious uncontrollable laughs, and Helena was cursing at herself for missing the photo-op.

All in all, skating 188 feet up above ground, within the structure of La Tour Eiffel is definitely something not to miss. It's a small rink, expect tons of ice shavings as they don't seem to clean the ice, and the views of Paris are beautiful. Access to the rink and skates are free with entrance to the Eiffel Tower. So if you are in Paris (or nearby ... like London ... he he he) you should definitely head to the Eiffel Tower before the end of the month! If you miss it, or are looking for a bigger rink, there is always ice-skating at l'hôtel de ville.

Manchester or Bust!

2012-01-07T17:21:00.002+00:00

Happy New Year!

Sending my love and warm wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2012!

I'm probably the only British citizen that had never set foot in the UK (Oh, wait … maybe my brother), until now that is! When Rich and Justin invited me to head over to Manchester for a couple of days, I didn't have to think twice.

This was my first ever Boxing Day celebration! My personal British history professor, Justin, explained, that back in the day the wealthy gave a box of gifts to their servants and the 26th of December off, so the servants could celebrate Christmas with their own families. Nowadays, it's just another excuse for a holiday, i.e., another reason to party! And as I learned, the British know how to party!

The Boxing Day Celebration started pretty much once I got off the plane … and went into the wee hours in the morning. I was definitely out of my league! Luckily, the next day was another bank holiday, as we all were moving a little slower than usual, so we took advantage and had a relaxing day and caught up. We eventually motivated, and I got a personal walking tour of Urmston, and the following day we conquered downtown Manchester.

While I was in Manchester, I was introduced to a host of British traditions, from Christmas cake to minced meat pie (a meatless pie - still confused at to why it's called minced meat though) to HP sauce a/k/a brown sauce. A trip to the UK wouldn't be official if there wasn't any curry … so of course my last night in Manchester we headed to Rich and Justin's favorite Indian restaurant, The Hilal in Altrincham.

Now, I just need to make it to London, Ireland, Scotland and Wales ...

Christmas in Paris, Troisième Partie

2011-12-25T23:25:00.001+00:00

Joyeux Noël de Paris!!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday.

Sacre Coeur

Place Vendome

Gallerie LaFayette

Printemps

Karl Lagerfeld Rules the World ...

or at last the Paris Fashion World ;o)

La Capitale de Noël

2011-12-19T22:42:00.001+00:00

A couple of weeks ago, Helena and I came up with another fabulous idea, we would go on one day trip every month, and we were going to start with Strasbourg, known as the Capitale de Noël (the Christmas Capital - sticking with our xmas theme as it is December). Though, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I came up with the brilliant idea to catch the 6:55 train to Strasbourg the day after Dana left. Seriously! I hardly sleep at night.

With maybe 4hrs of sleep, I was on my way to Strasbourg. I wasn't the only one moving at a snails pace, as the metro at 6AM is freaking slow! This caused a couple minutes of anxiety, as I have a mother that drops me off at the airport 2hrs in advance for domestic flights, so I was a little concerned that I may be sprinting to catch the train. I arrived at Gare de l'Est ten minutes before the train's departure :) phew!

Once on the train, cup of coffee in hand, Helena and I discussed our plan for attacking Strasbourg, and then I threw my fleece over my head and took a power nap. We arrived in Strasbourg a little before 10:00. When we first arrived it was quite chilly and windy which is probably not a major issue for any normal person, but I've been avoiding wearing my winter coat and been sporting only my fleece; it is just so much more convenient. [Winter finally arrived in Paris this weekend when the high was 0 degrees Celsius this Saturday and a -2 this morning. Sadly, I went straight to the puffy coat :( and bypassed the wool coat completely.] I'm pretty resourceful, I solved the problem of being cold by having some vin chaud (hot mulled wine) and believe it or not, I was not the only one drinking at 10:00 in the morning.

We visited the Marchés de Noël, the Cathédrale Notre Dame (I think there's a Notre Dame in every city in France), and then headed out to the European Parliament. We tried to sneak into a tour group of gray haired Nordics but it didn't work… I guess the Brazilian and American brunettes stood out. Probably not the smartest thing to do … tee hee … but I went on the tour in Brussels so figured I could translate for Helena :) We were just a couple hours in advance, individual tours started at 15:00, so we decided to venture back into town and skip the tour.

Strasbourg has been holding their Marchés de Noël since 1570 and has the reputation of being the best markets in France. Each year, they honor a country, and dedicate one of the markets to that countries local products and crafts. This year it was Switzerland. More fondue and raclette for me!

Personally, I was a little unimpressed with the markets. I was expecting more of a German Christmas market ambiance. Instead, they were a lot smaller, even the ones in Paris are bigger. Now maybe they sell better crap but I think it's all junk and the only thing I've ever purchased at a Christmas market besides food and alcohol was cute little lamb slippers in Cologne, Germany (Yes, I know I'm too old to walk around in slippers that look like stuffed animals but they're warm and really cute!). I don't think anyone goes to the Christmas markets for shopping anyways ... it's all about the vin chaud ;o) and I think the Germans have it mastered.

Don't get me wrong, we still had a fun time venturing around the town and visiting the markets. Plus we ate plenty, we tried the brädeles (xmas cookies), choucroute (sauerkraut), and a baguette version of the flammeküche (an Alsatian pizza), and of course drank the vin chaud.

Has Someone Been Brainwashed

2011-12-12T20:11:00.011+00:00

Recently, I watched the film "Exit Through the Gift Shop," an Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Bansky, an elusive British street artist. The film tells the story of a French man, living in Los Angeles, named Thierry Guetta, who develops a fetish of video taping every waking moment of his life. On a trip back to his homeland France, through his cousin, the internationally known artist, Invader, he develops an interest in street art.

[Side note: Invader's art (small tiled Space Invaders (remember Atari) characters, are throughout the streets of Paris. I had a small collection of photos last year - lost! But restarting to take photos with my new iPhone :) maybe a future blog… In the meantime, I have been posting some street art on Twitter.]

Without ruining the film, Guetta starts following around many street artists from Shepard Fairey to Banksy, and in the end becomes a street artist himself, known as MBW (Mr. Brainwash). If you haven't seen the film yet I definitely recommend checking it out. If you're questioning why I'm talking about some random documentary that premiered back in 2010 …

Well, with Dana in town, and us eating our way thru Paris, I took her to quite a few restaurants that I wanted to discover. I probably took her to one too many places, as she had to leave the pepto behind, so I can recover.

One of my new favorites is MBC (pour Menthe, Basilic, Coriandre), a creation of Chef Gilles Choukroun, located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The food was delicious and the decor was gorgeous! The walls were designed in graffiti and street art style.

With Invader being Parisian and all … I really couldn't help but think that there is some correlation between MBC and MBW, I just find it way to coincidental!

Christmas in Paris, Deuxième Partie

2011-12-05T22:19:00.013+00:00

Tonight, I met up with Helena for another adventure of discovering the Parisian Christmas vibe. We started out meeting at Odéon and decided we would head to the Saint Germain and Saint Sulpice marchés de noël.

The Saint Germain markets were all set up but not open :( and we never did find the market that's suppose to be at Saint Sulpice … I guess you can't really depend on the internet!

From there we walked around the 5th & 6th arrondissement, then decided to head to Le Marais via Notre Dame, then to Bastille. After that, we ended up walking towards Le Republique and eventually found our way back to Rue Rivoli and the Louvre.

BHV's (a local department store near Hotel de Ville) Christmas theme this year, pretty comical for me, considering all the Québécois comments I have heard while living here... and I will keep my thoughts to myself on this one ;) Hope my loved ones in Québec enjoy this as much as I did.

A new way to recycle, Christmas trees made out of old plastic sprite bottles!

All our walking made us a little hungry, so we decided to head over to La Mosaïque, a hot dog counter in the middle of the Marais! It's no Hebrew National hot dog, but if you're craving a hot dog in Paris, it's probably going to be the closest to authentic that you're going to get. The key being the hot dog bun. I probably eat a hot dog about once or twice a year, on the 4th of July or at a baseball game, so maybe I'm not the best judge, but it hit the spot for us. Yummy!

We walked about four hours before we decided to give up and head home … our last hour was pretty uneventful, I guess that's what you get when you just decide to wander the streets at night.

Helena and I departed at the bus stop. After four hours of walking, I succumbed to taking the bus home too. I'm on an experiment this month, I'm trying to avoid public transportation, and either walk or use the vélib; so far, I've only been lazy twice. Dana will be in for a real treat when she arrives on Wednesday :) he he he

Christmas in Paris

2011-12-03T13:27:00.016+00:00

One of my favorite times to be in Paris is around the holidays. December brings gray skies (a phenomenon that’s probably pretty standard all year long though); the weather turns crisp, the street lights go up, and les marchés de noël (the Christmas markets) open. So of course, my secret desire to be a photographer, but have no clue what I’m doing self, get’s the brilliant idea to capture Christmas in Paris! The best part, my partner-in-crime, Helena, is completely down for participation! Midweek, 10:30pm, what better time to grab a vélib (Paris’ bike share program) and start capturing the City of Lights, all lite up. The plan, eventually vélib through the entire City (maybe a little ambitious…), and share my version of Christmas in Paris.

Hope you enjoy!

Avenue Montaigne

L'avenue des Champs-Élysées

les marchés de noël on l'avenue des Champs-Élysées

La place de la Concorde

Rue Royale

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

Thanksgiving in Geneva

2011-11-28T22:13:00.021+00:00

Growing up, I always wanted the big family winter holiday events and of course snow! (Snow, not very realistic for a Californian!) Only my immediate family lived in the States, so there weren’t any big family events, and my Mom use to always tell me how lucky I was…

When the holidays rolled around, we often celebrated with friends or better yet, traveled! Now, that I’m older and maybe a tiny bit wiser, I understand why my Mom use to say we were lucky (and this has nothing to do with my extended family :) - as they’re all AMAZING!!!). I was fortunate, because I developed a love for discovering new places and meeting new people at an early age. Plus, over the years, since it was never an obligation for me to be with my immediate family, and sometimes not a possibility, I’ve been invited into the homes of many friends, which has fulfilled many of those childhood desires.

My most favorite Thanksgiving memory was a family trip to San Felipe in Baja California. A small beach town, located on the Gulf of California, known for its unique ecosystem, where the desert meets the sea, and where it’s supposedly always beautiful and sunny. Umm… unfortunately, that was not the case for us that weekend; it was cold and rainy the whole time. Instead of sun and surf, we ended up strolling the small town, meeting the locals, and discovering fish tacos. It was a fabulous weekend!

Nowadays, my family is even more global, with my brother in Vancouver, my parents somewhere between Florida and Montreal, and me in Paris, so a family get-together is pretty much out the window. No problem! Perfect excuse to go visit Carmen! Geneva here I come!!! :)

Obviously, must be the best store in Geneva!

I arrived in Geneva, and Carmen whisked me off to a place called Halles des L’îles, with the disclaimer that Geneva doesn’t get any better than this … Halles des L’îles is the current posh hip bar/restaurant located on a small island in the Rhone River.

During dinner, I became friendly with the table next to us, and got some Geneva recommendations, and maybe even a future job contact in NYC. Off to a good start, I would say! Afterwards, we headed to the bar for a couple of drinks before we headed over to the club Le Baroque.

Le Baroque was it’s own special little world. One of Lucy’s friends had a table, with a humongous bottle of Belvedere that has it’s own special contraption so you can pour the thing, and glows so everyone in the club can see that you spent a ridiculous amount of money on vodka. Lucy mentioned that this bottle was worth about $10K, and that they regularly purchase these things. Personally, not impressed! Really, you’re just going to pee it all out! Come on, it's just Belvedere vodka! I rather spend that money on a Hermes handbag or an awesome vacation, it just seems so much more logical to me :)

The most exciting part of Le Baroque experience was that Redman was a surprise guest DJ. We were already on the upper level of the club, so I was able to wiggle my way right up next to Redman (I literally had the best spot in the house), and took about a dozen videos and pictures of him.

After my weekend, the best way I can describe Geneva’s nightlife is interesting, and I guess, entertaining… A lot of testosterone heightened egos floating around, that’s for sure!

When in Switzerland, you must have fondue, and the best fondue in Geneva is at La Buvette (the snack shop) at Les Bains de Paquis (the baths of Paquis). Les Bain de Paquis is located on a jetty on the lake, and it’s a place where you can go swim naked in the lake and go to the hamman. [Paul, this place is right up your alley!] In the winter, their snack shop turns into one of Geneva’s best fondue spots. You order outside, then find a spot on one of the many picnic benches, and eat away. They are famous for their fondue because it's made with Crémant instead of the traditional white wine.

Since it was Thanksgiving weekend after all, we celebrated on Sunday when everything is closed, and quite in Geneva. Carmen and I started cooking around 11:00PM Saturday night, and woke up bright and early, to bake the pies and cook the turkey. Carmen’s first turkey, came out delish! A house full of New Yorkers, Ralph Lauren employees, and me, celebrated Thanksgiving in style; we ate and drank like it was our last meal!

In the Dark

2011-11-21T19:57:00.004+00:00

Last night, I had a truly unique dining experience, Helena and I ate a meal in complete pitch darkness; it was actually a little unnerving. Dans Le Noir is a restaurant that allows you to completely re-evaluate your notion of a dining experience. You are guided and waited by a blind staff, and basically are experiencing what it would be like to be blind; dependent on your sense of smell, taste, and touch to experience your meal.

We entered into a pitch-dark room with our hands on the left shoulder of the person in front of us. Within seconds my eyes were straining to acclimate to my new environment, but they never really did, not even after a couple of hours. It’s amazing how once you loose your sense of sight you start to question everything around you, and become very dependent on your sense of hearing and touch. I sat down at the table and instantly started touching everything around me, and asking for Helena (after all, I needed to make sure they sat me in front of the right person – otherwise, that could’ve been awkward!).

At first, I wasn’t sure what I got myself into … I didn’t really enjoy not being able to see anything. It took me a couple minutes and some wine to get comfortable and it was definitely comforting knowing that I had a good friend sitting across from me. We were seated at communal tables, and part of the experience I’ve been told, is to speak with your neighbors not knowing who they are or what they look like, but we are in Paris and not London or NYC, so my attempts to speak with our dinner partners were not well received. I didn’t even need my sight to see the expression of the couples sitting next to us when we tried to speak with them … I have lived here for over a year, so the returned silence was understood, although, it was fun to listen to everyone trying to guess what they were eating. By the end of the meal, Helena and I were talking and laughing and telling stories as if we were in a room all by ourselves.

Table manners definitely went down the drain, when each course came, we were completely fondling all of our food trying to figure out what everything was before we tried it, and using a knife was pretty impossible. My mother would have been so ashamed if she were watching a video of us eat. We also noticed that we had horrible posture as we were leaning into the table while we ate, and I’m proud to report that we walked away without any stains :)

I have to give props to Helena for being a good sport, putting it nicely, she’s a little bit of a picky eater (she only eats chicken and cow), so she lied about having some allergies to avoid anything that swims, and then avoided anything that was animal texture to ensure she wasn’t eating any duck, veal, lamb or rabbit.

The food was good, but I definitely think something is lost without the visual experience. I won’t reveal our menu, as they keep the same menu for a couple of months at a time and wouldn’t want to wreck it for anyone, but there’s nothing to worry about as you won’t be eating anything bizarre, strange or out of the ordinary. I highly recommend that at least once in your life you experience dining in complete darkness. Dans Le Noir is located in Paris, London, Kiev, Saint-Petersburg, Barcelona and NYC, but there are other similar type restaurant that increase public awareness about blindness in Zurich, Bale, Koln, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Montreal, etc …

Did Someone Say Brussels

2011-11-12T00:26:00.018+00:00

November has been a world wind of a month so far ... and it's just the beginning. First, I had my parents in town, then Fiona's goodbye festivities, plus Tashi and Paul in town, and lastly, a short trip to Brussels. Now, that I'm back in Paris, and my parents, Fiona, Tashi and Paul have all left, I'm not too sure what to do with myself....

Brussels (the spots are rain drops)

The original reason for heading to Brussels was so Tashi could go to a Smashing Pumpkins concert (Umm, I didn't even know they were still around) and to eat as many pomme frites (french fries) that is humanely possible. A round-trip bus ticket from Paris to Brussels is only 45 euros, so I really couldn't say no! Paul and I passed on the Smashing Pumpkins show, as the last time I heard one of their songs it was the early 90s. My trip to Brussels was short, two nights one day, but definitely worth it! We had a blast! Plus, as a bonus, I actually found some beers that I like, which we all know is pretty amazing!

Of course the trip was not all about finding a beer I can tolerate. We did discover Brussels best pomme frites at Maison Antoinette, the best Belgium Liege waffles (there are actually two Belgium waffle recipes one from Brussels and one from Liege, personally, I prefer the Liege style waffle) out of a minivan decorated with smurfs, and Brussels oldest bar named Au Bon Vieux Temps. Believe it or not, we were also able to sneak in some education on our trip with a quick visit to the European Parliament.

European Parliament in Session

Two cool things we stumbled upon were an electric zip car program (boy, is the USA behind!) and pieces of the Berlin wall. Surprisingly, there is very little bit of the structure left in Berlin.

I definitely recommend a trip to Belgium, unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to go to Ghent and Bruges but there's still next time :)

The Spooky and the Eerie Paris

2011-10-31T13:57:00.018+00:00

This year's Halloween celebration didn't consist of any costumes or pink wigs for me :) but it did include something better ... A Haunted House!

About 6 months ago, Le Manoir de Paris opened up on rue de Paradis (Paradise Street - how ironic) in the 10th arrondissement. It's a place where you can discover the mysteries and legends of Paris all year long. In the spirit of celebrating the dead, the mysteries and legends have come alive for the long weekend. (In France, November 1st, La Toussaint (All Saint's Day), is an observed holiday.)

Here, is a synopsis of the 13 legends, brought to life. Personally, I was quite amused! Although, some of my friends, were a little frightened...

I. The Catacombs of Paris

November 3, 1793, Philibert Aspairt enters the catacombs below the convent of Val de Grâce and never returns... Spooky! Eleven years later, his body is discovered in the tunnels under the street of l'Abbé de l'Epée. His skeleton was identified by a set of keys on his belt. Last week's comment about being stuck in the catacombs forever may actually be a valid fear, although, this did happen centuries ago.

II. The Crocodile in the Paris Sewers

(Believe it or not, this doesn't only happen in Florida)

In March 1984, city workers working in the sewers under the Pont Neuf bridge discovered a Nile Crocodile hiding in the corner a few feet away from them. The Croc somehow found its way to Paris (because of course all crocodiles dream of moving to Paris like me) and was surviving on Parisian rats and trash (fortunately, our diets are not consistent).

III. The Phantom of the Opera

The legend of a disfigured monster terrorizes the Paris' Opéra Garnier. Mysterious events began occurring at the end of the 19th century, accrediting the rumors of the haunted opera house. On May 20, 1886, one of the grand chandelier unhinged and crashed and killed a spectator in the middle of a production of Faust de Gounod. The irony, the spectator was sitting at seat number 13.

IV. The Prisoner in the Iron Mask

On November 19, 1703, the man in the iron mask, died at the Bastille prison after serving 34 years of detention. According to French history, the man in the iron mask is one of the most famous prisoners and his identity still remains a mystery today.

V. The Vampire's Wine Cellar

The Carpathian Mountains may be considered the source of vampire legends, however, Paris has often been the setting of their stories. Among the most known of these are Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles", recounting the tale of, Lestat de Lioncourt, a noble Frenchman transformed into a vampire in the 18th century. His famous "Theatre des Vampires" was known to be a hotbed of vampire activity in Paris.

VI. The Paris Metro

On Sunday, May 16, 1937, at 6:30pm, a young woman in a green dress and white hat is found stabbed on line 8 of the Paris metro. Laetitia Toureaux, the only passenger in a first class car collapses as the train pulls into the Porte Dorée station, a knife in the back of her neck... A real life "locked room" mystery, her killer was never found. Hmm, not sure if this is good for me, as I do ride line 8 on a regular basis.

VII. Père Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lacahise cemetery was opened on May 21, 1804 on the former property of Father François de La Chaise d'Aix, confessor of King Louis XIV from 1675 until his death. This cemetery is as known for being the final resting place for many celebrities and its many mysteries. Rumor has it that black masses are regularly held within the gates of the cemetery, and that certain tombs give direct access to the catacombs. Umm, I might have to do some further research into this...

VIII. The Ghost of the Tuileries Gardens

In 1564, Queen Catherine de Medicis acquires property surrounding the Louvre, where she intends to create the palace of the Tuileries. A butcher, named Jean L'Ecorcheur, the Queen's personal hit man, knew too many of her secrets, therefore, Catherine ordered Count de Neuville to assassin the butcher. In his last breath, Jean proclaimed that he would return for his revenge. His ghost is said to still haunt the gardens today.

IX. The Alchemist's Library

The library of an alchemist contains numerous books seeking to uncover the knowledge and secrets of the Philosopher's Stone. One of the most famous alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, was dedicated to finding the key to transform base metals into precious gold or silver.

X. The Bloody Baker

In 1387, a group of foreign exchange students disappeared in Paris. They were the victims of an insane barber who slit their throats and gave their bodies to a neighboring baker. The bodies were finely chopped and turned into pâté, then sold to the unsuspecting customers. Yummy!!! I wonder if this is where Stephen King came up with his inspiration for the book, Thinner.

XI. The Assassin's Cabaret

In Montmartre, Le Lapin Agile, one of the oldest cabaret's in Paris, also known for its famous customers such as as Picasso, Debussy, and Maupassant, was also known as the meeting place for thieves and murderers, and in 1860 was nicknamed, "the Assassin's Cabaret".

XII. Gargoyles and Chimeras

Legend has it that the gargoyles and chimeras of Notre-Dame de Paris come to life at night to scare away evil spirits. Hybrid monsters, half-beast/half-man, these fantastical creatures sculpted from stone are the keepers of good.

XIII. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame de Paris

Quasimodo is the main character of Victor Hugo's famed novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This frightening, disfigured character, lived in the bell towers of the cathedral, hiding his monstrous appearance from the crowds of the City.

Happy Halloween!!!

A Weekend in Paris

2011-10-26T20:09:00.013+01:00

Most people don't fly from Boston to Paris for a long weekend... Unless they're crazy like Anjuli! (I wish more of my friends were ;o) hint hint) If you think about it, it's about the same as flying to the west coast for a long weekend which is totally doable. Maybe it's the whole international aspect that makes us want to capture as much as we can in a trip. Or maybe it's the time difference. But most likely it's the cost benefit ratio. Nevertheless, if anyone gets the urge to come for a weekend visit I won't complain.

Anjuli's weekend entailed more of a glimpse into my every day Parisian life than site seeing and tour guiding; fortunately, she is familiar with the City of Lights. Saturday we went to the marché d'Auteuil to pick up some fresh veggies and I was spoiled with a homemade Indian meal. Then a quick visit to the Catacombs in honor of Halloween. And at night we attended my friend Fiona's going away party, which ended up being what we call here une nuit blanche (literal translation - a white night but it basically means an all-nighter).

Now for a little history lesson, the Catacombs (its official name is l'Ossuaire Municipal) is an underground ossuary holding the remains of about 6 million people and was built back in the 18th century and has been open to public since 1867.

Here is the Empire of Death

Fun facts:

There is a long history of the tunnels being used for more than just burial with graffiti dating back to the 18th century. Victor Hugo wrote about the tunnel system in Les Misérables and during WW2 the tunnels were used by the French Resistance.

My last visit was while Natasha was in Paris and we were told that back in the late 1800s some of the employees use to throw parties down in the Catacombs until they got caught and presumably fired. I would have loved to be an invitee!

The tunnels of the Catacombs spread throughout Paris but only a small section is open to the public and supposedly some people actually sneak into other sections. As cool as this sounds, my law abiding mentality would probably skip this out of fear of either ending caught in the maze of tunnels and/or stuck down there forever or sent to jail ;o) But I really do want to go!

Last but not least, rumor has it that Marie-Antoinette is buried in the Catacombs but who knows where, though, some speculate near La Concorde.

For All The PYPs

2011-10-20T12:26:00.007+01:00

I will always be my father's little girl ... which in general is a good thing :o) This means my father is always somewhat looking out for me, even though I'm somewhat of an adult. These days since I'm looking for a job and my Dad thinks I'm a PYP (defined below), he will forward me job posts for highly specialized positions usually involving the World Bank (all of these jobs look pretty amazing but having a legal education I'm usually exempt from applying ... I guess we know what my father thinks my career trajectory should have been - he he he).

Yesterday, my father forwarded me an article from L'Express titled Mlle Ghosn enchante son père (Miss Ghosn enchants her father) and tells me to read the article and check out her website. The article was about a former McKinsey lady who started a website called the Levo League for young professional women to help realize their dreams. The site was started this July and has already been recognized by Forbes Magazine. [Of course, no underlining subtle pressure that I should be enchanting my father in any near future with my photo in L'Express.]

The Levo League started with two former McKinsey ladies from the New York office. They decided too start their own website because they felt that there was a lack of personal and professional support available to young women today. (I totally agree!) In July 2011 Pretty Young Professional (PYP), their beta product, became The Levo League.

The website is geared to generation Y women (I guess being in my mid-thirties makes me old as I am a generation X women) but really I think it is geared to any young (I believe I am young ;o) so mid-thirties counts!) professional women. I think it's a great site and definitely a good guide for anyone looking for a job, career change, or career advancement. Since I know a majority of my readers are PYPs ;o) I figured I should share the site and of course give credit to my wonderful Dad!

Here is the site, I definitely recommend checking it out.

http://www.levoleague.com/

The Piano Man

2011-10-15T11:08:00.003+01:00

As promised, I am going to post the music I encounter on the streets as I stumble upon them. With a slight chill starting to set in, this week I was in search of a long Nike running shirt and ended up at a store called Citadium right behind the famous Printemps. Outside of Citadium on a pretty commercial street closed for walkers there was this random piano and pianist - how charming! Hope you enjoy the video.

[For everyone who receives my posts via email, I have been informed that the videos do not come through in the email. If you click on the title of the post it will bring you to my blog and then you can watch the videos :o) Just in case you missed last weeks burlesque videos don't forget to check them out.]

A Night of Bling

2011-10-09T23:07:00.007+01:00

Just another random weekend in Paris with lots of glitter, sequence, and feathers... and a little bit of Vegas! Curiosity peaked? This weekend's festival to be at was the Paris Burlesque Festival and the theme was Las Vegas Paradise. Well, a European version of a Las Vegas paradise.

When I think of burlesque I think of extravagant costumes, singing, and dancing (a movie with Christina Aguilera & Cher) so if I didn't know about the Vegas theme not sure I would of made the connection ... at least not till the after party, where there was a wedding chapel and a real live Elvis. This was my first real live Burlesque experience (as the movie doesn't count) and I've never been to Vegas so I wasn't really sure what to expect.

There were about 10 acts, and the last act was probably the closest to what I was expecting of my burlesque evening just because it included multiple performers. I was surprised at how internationally popular burlesque is, there was only one French lady, most of the artist came from Europe with a couple Brits and Italians, a German, and a group of Swedes but there was also an Australian, and a New Zealander. By the way, during the show, I just happened to be sitting next to the Swedish costume designer :o)

I had a blast! And I'm totally envious of their glitter lipstick; I need to find some to go with my pink wig.

Now the lighting sucked so I couldn't really take any photos but I did take a few at the after party and a short video of my favorite act, the Swedish ladies. (You can't see that well but at least you can kind of get a gist of the evening.) Hope you enjoy!

The Swedish costume designer / Elvis inside the Chapel [Heather this one's for you :o)]

La Semaine Pour L'Emploi

2011-10-07T16:53:00.006+01:00

This week is La semaine pour l’emploi (Employment Week) and Thursday and Friday is Paris Pour L’Emploi (Paris Jobs) – how perfect for someone who’s looking for a job. I have to admit I was skeptical … How helpful would this job fair be for someone who is looking for a legal job? My only similar experience was way back when I was a law student and local Boston law schools held on-campus job fairs for students. The good fatherly advice I received was that it was best to attend, at least to make contacts. So, yesterday morning, I got all dolled up (as a lawyer of course) and headed out to the job fair.

Umm … Yeah, I was right, a complete waste of time. The theme of the event was me being told to check out the website for legal opportunities. Super helpful thanks! Then I waited about 20-30 minutes in line to speak to two different recruiting companies. [Side note: from my current job search I’m not such a fan of recruiters or should I say, have not met one yet who actually works but I won’t rant on that issue. If anyone has a contact/ recommendation for me, please forward :o) it’ll be greatly appreciated.] When it was finally my turn, one told me that she was only dealing with finance, banking, and accounting jobs at the fair and the other said that I had to contact a different company because my modest salary request was too high.

I’m not one for crowds and I think half of Paris was stuffed into these tents and it was super hot. This kind of environment causes irritability. Have you ever noticed that massive amounts of people in small spaces cause people to lose all common decency? I’m not sure why, pushing and shoving is really not going to get you anywhere quicker. And then you always have the person who is in his/her own little world who just stops short to pause and think and cause either an accident or traffic jam. So basically, the only thing I did accomplish yesterday was sweat in my brand new suit but on the bright side I did get to wear my new suit ;o)

Slowly But Surely

2011-09-28T12:54:00.011+01:00

I have a love hate relationship with running. I love the idea of being a runner. I want to be able to tell people I'm a runner. I just hate the fact that I'm SLOW and this some how discredits all my efforts. This love hate relationship developed sometime during my cross-country and track days of high school. I have fond memories of cross-country training with Carmen running around Windansea and La Jolla Shores and sometimes jumping in the ocean. Less fond memories of running track. I was the slowest, running a 9min mile, therefore, got stuck running the 2 miler - to this day, I still don't understand the logic! Psychoanalyzing the situation, this is probably where my shame of being slow began. Nowadays, I would only wish to run 9min miles.

Fast forward to law school. I began running again and training for the Chicago marathon. Again, I was the slowest in my group running a 10min mile but I had a coach who would run with me and encourage me so I began to really enjoy myself. I think I have a tendency to talk about things in excess when I'm a little obsessed ... these days it's Bikram and I'm sure many of my Parisian friends are quite sick of me encouraging Bikram on them. Back in law school, I guess it was running, as I have quite a few friends who have run multiple marathons and thank me for being their motivation. Umm, by the way, I never made it to Chicago on October 13, 2002 to run the marathon. The most I ever ran during that training season was 18 miles. Basically, while packing my boxes to leave Boston and move to Florida I fell off my ladder (back in those days I use to have to climb a ladder to get to my bed) so I was injured and then really just couldn't motivate to run those 20+ miles in the treaded heat and humidity of Florida. My running days were over ... at least for the moment.

Then in 2008, I decided I needed to start running again. I joined TNT in Boston with Tara and we did the Maine half-marathon. I was worried about raising the money but that ended up being the easy part. I won't bore you with the details but this ended up being a horrible experience for me and after the half I didn't run anymore. But as always, I still have that burning desire to run a marathon one day and to be able to say I'm a runner and not be a phony. Last year, I said I would start running once I moved to Paris. I even made a deal with Jenna that we would run the Paris marathon together. Jenna an experienced marathoner was willing to run at my pace just for the fun of traveling to Paris. Ahh, I developed an addiction for Bikram instead.

This long drawn out running history brings me to this summer, I convinced Heather (my amazing sister-in-law) to join a running group in Montreal with me. Her friend Kelly described me as the sister-in-law from hell subjecting her to such torture but Heather pleasantly disagreed :) No, I don’t have her brainwashed! I ran a handful of times in Montreal, once in NY, once in Winthrop, once in Boston, once in Maine, and twice in Florida. Not too shabby for someone who hasn’t run in about three years. Heather and Alex, my Floridian running buddy/cheerleader, are greatly missed here in Paris … only if I could have brought one of them back with me. My last run of the summer was with Alex on an early humid Sunday morning sometime in mid-August. That is until yesterday!

Here in Paris, my friend Kay is part of a running a group where I think the slowest person is about a 9/10min mile. I have been a little hesitant of joining Kay’s group for all of the above-mentioned reasons. I'm even slower than my law school days, about a 12min mile these days. Yesterday, I decided to meet the group for their track practice at Stade Emile Anthoine ... this way I can avoid public humiliation. How many people could actually be at the track? Ugh! Yeah, I was wrong! Football (soccer) practice, track practice, and some avid runners were all on the track/field. Oh well, too late to turn around. I participated in the speed training and abs workout and the two people who lapped me … he he he… were super encouraging :)

It was a beautiful night and the stadium is right next to La Tour Eiffel so when the night fell and the sparkling lights of La Tour Eiffel turned on I thought to myself - life is good. I'm back! This morning I signed up for the Les Foulées Villenogarennoises 10K on Nov. 6th. And as an extra bonus, I figure this blog about my running may also be another motivator not to give up :)

I found the picture below from a google search. For users of Picasso your photos can be access by the public hence me :) This photo is from someone’s Parisian vacation … It's not the best photo but I figured nobody wanted to see the one with the strange old lady.

Stade Emile Anthoine

A Reoccurring Theme

2011-09-23T01:53:00.006+01:00

Everybody who loves me knows by now that I have an issue with backing things up or for that matter computer savviness. Seriously, I should consider dating someone who is a computer whizz just so I can transfer these responsibilities over.

About two weeks ago, I dropped my iPhone on the ground and the screen severely cracked. After having a ghetto fabulous phone for about a week and concerned that its life was coming to an end, I decided to find out about repairs or exchanges. Unfortunately, Orange (my Verizon here in France) has not discovered the promotional phone upgrade for renewing a contract. However, Apple is amazing no matter what country you are in and they fix everything or give you a new one for a really good price :o)

It took me a week to get an appointment with one of the genius guys at Apple and today was the day. Now, I have learned from my past experiences that backups are important - I'm not that flighty. I actually made an effort to try to backup my iPhone but my new computer wasn't recognizing the phone. Oh well, they're just fixing a screen it probably won't make a difference ... right? Real quickly, I realized that was a negative! First question asked - Avez-vous fait une sauvegarde (Have you done a backup)? That's when I knew I was screwed. On the bright side, I have a new phone ;o)

Devastated after my computer died this year and I lost all my photos, I can actually only laugh at myself now. Completely my fault! Though, in my defense, I did try. The most valuable thing I lost, I would say, were the videos/recordings I took of my friend Ben, a jazz violinist playing his manouche jazz. Ben lives in Boston but spent last winter here in Paris. [To all my Boston folks and anyone interested in manouche jazz you should check out his website ben@ben-powell.com, he is super talented!]

I mention music and Ben, because last year I thought it would be great to have a post about the music you hear throughout the streets of Paris. It truly is one of the things I love about this City. So with my handy dandy iPhone I started taking photos and videos of music I would stumble upon. That post barely had an existence. I only ever uploaded one photo to a draft blog and then kind of forgot about it but continued to record. Since all of that evidence was deleted this afternoon ... I decided maybe I should post the music videos/photos as they happen.

So here is the photo I uploaded a year ago, a man with his cat and music box, on the streets of Paris. If my memory serves me right, I believe this photo was taken near Gare St. Lazare and Printemps.

You never know where but you can guarantee that at least once a day you will hear music from one corner or another, whether it's in the metro station, on the metro, or thru the many streets of Paris, and if you're lucky you may even have more than one encounter in a day. Going forward, I vow to make a better effort to post my musical encounters.