paris: patisserie tour

while in paris i happened upon a journey of a different kind, a patisserie tour through st germain des pres.

jenny is a friend from home living in paris and has turned a favourite pastime into a great weekend outing for others to enjoy. 

st germain was charming to walk through in it's own right but the patisseries and boulangeries were one of a kind, state of the art wonders with treats and creations beyond belief - foie gras and truffle oil macaroons anyone?

if you're planning a trip to paris, jenny's tour 'left bank treats and eats' is a truly enlightening way to explore another side of paris

postcards from paris II

1. raindrops in Paris - at the Musee de Louvre

2. dinner time - tasting French cuisine (escargot, steak tartare, french onion soup)

3. Arc de Triomphe

4. inside the Musee de Louvre

5. stairs leading to the Winged Victory of Samothrace

6. hot chocolate face

7. a night out in Paris

8. who knew there was a portrait of Gene in the Louvre?

*postcards from paris the first time

catacombs of paris.

if you don't mind being underground, this place is worth visiting if you happen to find yourself in paris. it's pretty mind boggling...

however, not for the faint hearted or 'nervous' as the sign says upon entry..

paris by night.

a little film about europe: part III

only five months after the other two...

here is a short insight into the castles of the loire valley and paris

music by DeVotchKa

postcards from paris

1. the best croque monsieur & freshly squeezed tart orange juice (yum)

2. curbside reflections

3. rouge, blanc & bleu

4. locks of love on the lovers bridge

5. lovers with locks of love on the lovers bridge

6. Monet's water lilies - beautiful

7. people & Paris watching at the Sacre Coeur with a bottle of wine

8. trying escargot (snails)

9. sparking Eiffel Tower, every hour on the hour

postcards from bordeaux

1. the balcony & view from my room (the best aspect of my room) - apparently this hotel was infested with cockroaches, I found this out after my stay thankfully but it doesn't surprise me...

2. rose at lunch - the way it should be

3. my first Croque Monsieur

4. my street at sunset - it used to be the red light district of Bordeaux

5. sights around town

6. best and biggest creme brulee, this should become a nightly ritual, Dad?

7. desserts at sunset

8. choir rehearsal (that gave me goosebumps) outside a beautifully lit Le Grand Theatre de Bordeaux

9. token rollerblading gang (didn't manage to capture the guy in full lycra) - bring back rollerblading!

wine tasting in bordeaux.

You can't go to Bordeaux without experiencing a wine tasting.

There are 10,000 vineyards in the region and the wine being produced is 87% red and 13% white.

Being at the end of my trip, I went for the budget half day tour and only got to see two vineyards that were a bit closer to town but they were charming nonetheless (one was built underneath a historic fort) and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

I do know what I want to do next time and it's a full day tour that includes something like 12 tastings, tapas at each one and the famous Saint Emilion area....

Also, I think i'd be keen to do some WWOOFing around here at some stage...