Friday, January 22, 2016
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Routing Services
I want to make a special note of the absolutely spectacular job done by Otero Routing Services for this trip. I had a wide range of things to see and do and Ric perfectly blended them with his own things and places. Designing the day’s route and keeping us on route in the criss-cross of streets and lanes is no easy task. A street can easily change names 4 times in less than a mile. Most of the street of Paris are marked with street names on lovely blue and white signs on the buildings but they are not readily visible and not 100%, especially when riding past them. Many streets you cant find them at all! It is easy to miss a turn or to think you have gone farther or less far than you have. But Paris rewards you with sights and wonders for those moments, as I mentioned before.
Altho there have had many routes created and managed over the years by Otero Routing Services, the ones on this trip were by far the best and most exhilarating. All this, even including the 20 minutes we got separated in London due to a mis-queue. Stopping along the way to check location and direction are all part of the discovery sur le route. Salut, Ric!!
Altho there have had many routes created and managed over the years by Otero Routing Services, the ones on this trip were by far the best and most exhilarating. All this, even including the 20 minutes we got separated in London due to a mis-queue. Stopping along the way to check location and direction are all part of the discovery sur le route. Salut, Ric!!
Did Dale find new things to import at great expense?
This is the question that I know is on the mind of more than one person. The answer should be obvious. So obvious, in fact, that it need not even be asked. And what is that answer? Of course he did! Echire butter, to begin. Unfortunatly, I learned of this in my book Culinaria France, so knew I was doomed. How often will I buy it? I don't know because the 2 blocks I brought back will hold me a while. I do wish to try the version in the wooden round box, which was not available in Monoprix nor at the Galleries Lafayette. Oh, the Galleries has a specatular central dome of amazing stained glass, from the day the building was first built in the late 1890's as one of Paris' Grand Magasins.
Back to the subject. The chocolate ganaches dusted with 100% cocoa and the star-shaped hazelnut chocolat noir smothered in dark chocolate from Angelina's on Rue de Rivoli are, fortunately, not available to buy from America! However, The La Maison du Chocolat's spectacular Champagne Truffles, their Tasse de Chocolat beads to melt into whatever you wish, both are available on-line.
Adding to my daily meals will be a wider variance of the famous baguette: tuna with cucumber; tuna with thin sliced hard boiled egg and tomato - atho I doubt I will be able to duplicate the amazing flavor of the very orange-yolked French eggs, to name just a couple.
Back to the subject. The chocolate ganaches dusted with 100% cocoa and the star-shaped hazelnut chocolat noir smothered in dark chocolate from Angelina's on Rue de Rivoli are, fortunately, not available to buy from America! However, The La Maison du Chocolat's spectacular Champagne Truffles, their Tasse de Chocolat beads to melt into whatever you wish, both are available on-line.
Adding to my daily meals will be a wider variance of the famous baguette: tuna with cucumber; tuna with thin sliced hard boiled egg and tomato - atho I doubt I will be able to duplicate the amazing flavor of the very orange-yolked French eggs, to name just a couple.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Samedi
We have returned to Chicago a few hours ago. A nice flight back but the trip from the morning in Paris has stories! Last night I said goodbye to Paris? What? I was still there and more adventures to follow! Checkout was fun as I kept surprising the guy behind the counter with French. He was getting quite a kick out of it after a while. Not surprising, they did not make any adjustment for not giving us the big room on the top floor the first 2 nights and stuffing us into a regular room. Being Paris and not the US, they just don't view that as an inconvenience and not necessary to make an adjustment.
The shuttle arrived a little late but it was Saturday morning and Paris was still asleep. He stopped at a hotel nearby to get a schedule for the terminals and flights. What an unusual event! He was 21, we learned later, and really quite the energetic young man! He loved Bruce Willis movies - all 4 Die Hards, and cars and futball. When the Mazaratti came up behind us on the freeway, he pulled to the next lane at top speed so it would pass us and we could see it. Wow. What a sight. And the engine sounds! Too cool. I could not see the somewhat lesser sports car tailing it by just a few feet. OK, rewind. When he pulled to the side of the road and said he’d be right back (now a 2nd time) and dashed to a café with a counter on the sidewalk, ordering a café and croissant, now THAT is something you never expect to see! Ric and I really got a kick out of it and I wish I had raced up to order my own!
He commented on how they drive like lunatics, but then proceeded to race thru the mostly empty streets, nearly taking out a car on the expressway – not much different than those he complained about. Originally from Marseilles, he much preferred the quiet, ocean life to the crush of Paris, but a job is not easy in Marseilles.
I got into a big conversation with one of the flight attendants who also loves Paris and things French. It started when I saw her toss an unopened, individually-wrapped President butter gastromonique pat onto the cart rather than toss it into the trash. She keeps them and gets quite a haul sometimes. “Those Frenchies sure to know their butter fat!” She said she would get me some and later did not charge me for my 2nd 1664 bier. I got about 15 of the butter pats and I promised to think of her each time I ate one. We shared Paris and Parisian stories for 15 minutes, I am sure.
A safe landing and Sharon picked us up. A wonderful trip, for sure. I will still add stuff over the following days as I fill in stories and events skipped or simplified before. More pictures, of course, to follow. I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I did writing them.
Bonsoir!
The shuttle arrived a little late but it was Saturday morning and Paris was still asleep. He stopped at a hotel nearby to get a schedule for the terminals and flights. What an unusual event! He was 21, we learned later, and really quite the energetic young man! He loved Bruce Willis movies - all 4 Die Hards, and cars and futball. When the Mazaratti came up behind us on the freeway, he pulled to the next lane at top speed so it would pass us and we could see it. Wow. What a sight. And the engine sounds! Too cool. I could not see the somewhat lesser sports car tailing it by just a few feet. OK, rewind. When he pulled to the side of the road and said he’d be right back (now a 2nd time) and dashed to a café with a counter on the sidewalk, ordering a café and croissant, now THAT is something you never expect to see! Ric and I really got a kick out of it and I wish I had raced up to order my own!
He commented on how they drive like lunatics, but then proceeded to race thru the mostly empty streets, nearly taking out a car on the expressway – not much different than those he complained about. Originally from Marseilles, he much preferred the quiet, ocean life to the crush of Paris, but a job is not easy in Marseilles.
I got into a big conversation with one of the flight attendants who also loves Paris and things French. It started when I saw her toss an unopened, individually-wrapped President butter gastromonique pat onto the cart rather than toss it into the trash. She keeps them and gets quite a haul sometimes. “Those Frenchies sure to know their butter fat!” She said she would get me some and later did not charge me for my 2nd 1664 bier. I got about 15 of the butter pats and I promised to think of her each time I ate one. We shared Paris and Parisian stories for 15 minutes, I am sure.
A safe landing and Sharon picked us up. A wonderful trip, for sure. I will still add stuff over the following days as I fill in stories and events skipped or simplified before. More pictures, of course, to follow. I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I did writing them.
Bonsoir!
Wait, there's more!
Just a quick note. We have returned to Chicago a few hours ago. A nice flight back but the trip from the hotel to the airport in Paris has stories! Last night I said goodbye to Paris? What? I was still there and more adventures to follow! Just a teaser here to bring you back for the next installments. I will still add stuff over the following days as I fill in stories and events skipped or simplified before. More pictures, of course, to follow.
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