Bruges

This weekend we took our first trip outside of France to Bruges, Belgium! It's a beautiful little storybook place full of history, chocolate, beef, mussels, beer, and windmills. The city itself really is amazing. From the narrow cobblestone streets and the sleepy rows of houses that line them, to the incredible architecture to the canals that run through the middle,  to the bridges and windmills that border the city, there is tons worth seeing. And the best part is that the city is so small that you can literally walk everywhere, although most of the locals ride bikes. I hope they have good saddles for those cobblestones (ouch!).

Our hotel was right next to the train station, conveniently located at Marie Popelinplantsoen.

We got to town around lunchtime, and stopped in a nice little place on Markt square. Now, in Paris, when we order a 'large' beer, it has always come out at 50 cl (half a liter). In Bruges, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that 'large' means a full liter. Bruges' beers are twice as big as Paris' beers! I wish I had gotten a picture of Marie's face when the waiter brought them out. It was totally unexpected but delicious.

There are a few main streets where there are lots of restaurants and shopping stores. Once you get to the center of the city there are two main squares, a large one called Markt and a smaller one named Burg. The Markt square is ringed by restaurants and shops in old buildings with beautiful facades and is the site of the enormous Belfort (Belfry) that dominates the entire city.

Burg is near Markt, still in the "city centrum," and houses the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Stadhuis, which used to be Bruges' City Hall.

After lunch we went to see a free concert by harpist Luc Vanlaere. He was amazing, playing all original compositions on a bunch of different instruments. He had a grand harp, a celtic harp, harps from China, India, Japan, a few harps he built himself, singing bowls from around the world, and a really cool steel drum kind of percussion instrument called a hang. He offers his concerts for free because he just wants to share his music.

Sunday, after walking to the Humpty Dumpty Tea Room for delicious waffles, it was time to tackle the Belfort, 366 steps of madness! Actually, it wasn't bad at all, there are different stops along the way where you can see old bells and items from the site's history as it changed over the centuries. At the top there is an amazing panorama view, totally unobstructed since it's by far the tallest structure in the city and surrounding area. Here's a view of the Belfort from the inner courtyard:

Then we moved on to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where they have what is claimed to be the actual blood of Jesus Christ. The building is small and has beautiful stained glass windows. It's kind of like a mini cathedral. The blood itself is kept in a glass cylinder with gold trim under a glass case, watched over by a woman standing less than a foot away, and only a couple people are allowed to see it at a time.

Taking a walk along the canals that run through the city, we got a better view of the less touristy side of Bruges, which was very relaxing and enjoyable. Not much is open on Sundays, so we had a lot of streets to ourselves as we wandered the cobblestones towards the outer edge of the city with it's bridges and windmills.

Before heading back, we stopped off for lunch in the center of the city, where we had Flemish stew and Flemmish rabbit. Both were delicious, and it was a nice end to our short visit to Bruges. Of course we also made sure to get some local beer and chocolate before heading back to the train!

Don't forget to check out the tons of other pictures in the gallery!

Café Varenne

Last week we went to a nice little restaurant called Café Varenne, the next stop on our never-ending hunt for the best french onion soup. It was a very nice restaurant and the waiter spoke some English, so we weren't completely lost. We had heard good things about the soup, but when it came the cheese came on the side and you added it and the croutons yourself. It was still a delicious onion soup, with awesome large pieces of onion, but the thick layer of baked cheese is what really makes a great french onion soup in my eyes and this just didn't have it.

It was the first time we had seen it, so of course we had to try the beef tartare (raw ground beef)! It was good, but cold. I think it would have tasted better a little warmer. Then we also had the steak with pepper sauce, which is always good. And everything comes with fries!

I'm not sure it lived up to the hype of some of the reviews, but still a good place I would recommend. The search for best french onion soup continues...

Sick!

Marie was pretty sick the past couple days, probably caught something on the metro. Don't worry, she's already doing better. Nothing a ton of vitamin C from a liter and a half of 100% OJ and a viewing of the Art of Flight can't fix (yes, they use liters here, not gallons)!

We took it easy Sunday and went to lunch near Notre Dame, then wandered over by Sainte-Chapelle. Unfortunately all you can see is the spire sticking up because the whole building is wrapped on the outside for renovations. Then just relaxing at the apartment, put on the Art of Flight to soothe the soul, and enjoy a home-cooked meal with some wine.

Versailles

This past weekend we went to Versailles, just a 40 minute train ride away to the south of Paris. When you pass through the enormous golden gates you enter another world. This is a world of gold, perfectly manicured gardens, gold, beautiful murals and paintings, gold, polished marble, gold, impressive statues, gold, intense history, and more gold.

Front gates of Versailles:

The main chateau is enormous, with bedrooms, drawing rooms, dining rooms, a chapel, and an opera house for the king's amusement. Learning the history as we went through was amazing. Each new king added more and more on to the complex, depending on his interests.

The chapel:

Most of the furniture was sold off at the time of the French Revolution when royalty fled to Paris for a while, so many of the rooms were pretty bare. Some had been arranged with replica furniture and others had certain pieces that had been recovered. But the artwork on the walls and ceiling was still very impressive. Almost every room had a mural on the ceiling and each had a specific theme. And royalty is always fond of artwork that features themselves.

The grounds behind the main castle are breathtaking and enormous. There are tons of intricately designed gardens, groves, and fountains throughout the property. There are a couple reflecting pools and an enormous Grand Canal.

The king's backyard:

Towards the back, about a 30 minute walk, there is Marie Antoinette's Estate, which started as a summer home and became a place for the royalty to get away from the government goings-on at the castle and relax. There were two main buildings, the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon, each with its own gardens, fountains, and pavilions.

Grand Trianon:

Petit Trianon:

Out past the Trianon palaces, Marie Antionette had the Queen's Hamlet constructed, and used it to teach children about agriculture and dairy farming. There were a number of guest houses, a mill, a lighthouse, stables, and farm buildings. She never stayed there herself, but threw a bunch of parties there. They still have animals there, and we saw rabbits, pigs, cows, goats, roosters, ducks, and a peacock! This was my favorite part of the property, and we wandered around the area for a while.

Farmhouse in the Queen's Hamlet:

The visit was a lot of fun, but boy were my dogs barking by the end of it. Check out more pictures from Versailles in the gallery!

French Coffee

A word on coffee in France, from the perspective of an American. The French don't drink coffee. They drink rocket fuel. It is delicious, but is so strong it will send you into orbit. There have been days where I drank it too late in the day and it kept me up all night.

If you order a coffee (un café) from a French café you will get a tiny cup of very potent espresso. There is no to-go ordering, so if you're in a rush you have to stand at the bar and rub elbows with the locals. Most cafés are also brasseries (bars), so they serve beer too.

Un café:

If you want the weak stuff we normally drink back home, you will need to request un café américain or un café filtre. I've seen some cafés near tourist areas that specifically advertise café américain.

Note: If you want coffee do not order an Americano. Despite being the name of a coffee drink in the US, in France you will be served a cocktail instead. I learned that from a very upset person's restaurant review.

Café au lait is coffee with milk, and as my dad warned me before I left, they serve it in a wide cup or bowl. I learned that this is because the French dip their croissants and stale bread in it for breakfast, which is the only time they drink café au lait. After lunch and dinner is strictly espresso.

Until next time, this has been "Café avec Erik." See you later!

Note: there is no later. This is everything I know about coffee in France.

FrogBurger

Looking for a little taste of home, we ventured out in search of burgers, not sure of what to expect. We ended up heading to FrogBurger, in the Bastille section of Paris, where they are obsessed with quality. Their food is amazing, and we will most definitely be going back there. They work with small suppliers to use the freshest high-quality ingredients, and it shows through in their food. The burgers are locally-sourced, melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly-cooked medium rare patties with fresh vegetable toppings. The buns are fresh from a bespoke bakery in London. The fries are freshly made from Belgian potatoes, seasoned with salt, garlic, and rosemary. And, to wash it all down (as well as win my heart entirely) they brew their own beer, many named with great puns that are half English and half French. I feel like this place was made for me.

Beers and burgers!

Le Montparnasse 1900

Last Wednesday we had our first French meal (read: 7 courses!) when we met up with one of Marie's American coworkers, Mike, at a very nice restaurant called Le Montparnasse 1900, in the Bastille section of Paris. This was our first taste of the extremely leisurely approach the French take to dining. There is bread on the table throughout the meal, and we were started off with an aperatif (cocktail) to start.

Then came the entree. In France, the appetizer is called the entree, and the main course is called the plat. Mike ordered the escargot, so we both got our first taste of snail, served in its shell! Interesting texture, similar to clams but a little meatier. I got the duck foie gras, which was pretty good, but very very rich. Marie had the onion soup, which was amazing. This is the tastiest, cheesiest, Frenchiest onion soup I've ever seen in my life. We've been trying to find something similar elsewhere in Paris but have yet to even come close.

Then it was on to the plat, the main course. Mike and I each got steaks. One thing about meat in France: it's always medium rare, no matter what temperature you order. So if you like your meat more on the well-done side, just beware. Marie had the canard confit, super flavorful and moist duck.

After that we were served a small salad to lighten the meal, and some cheese (I think it was camembert). Next it was on to dessert, where we had creme brulee and ice cream before the final course, coffee. There's no rush for anything, so be prepared to sit and enjoy the company you're in because you're not going anywhere for a while.

This is the soup dreams are made of:

Snails!

Foie Gras de Canard:

Canard Confit:

Gendarmes

A couple nights ago, looking for a taste of home, we went to FrogBurger in the Bastille section of Paris. However, on our way to the restaurant we were blocked by a policeman from taking the metro exit we wanted. Coming out an exit on the other side we saw a few gendarmes in full gear patting down a few young men inside the station. Once aboveground we saw people everywhere and at least ten gendarmerie vans and loads of gendarmes in riot gear. They looked pretty badass in armor from the shoulders down and holding their helmets with face shields, but I wouldn't want to mess with them, and they were guarding all the metro entrances. Walking around the Place de la Bastille circle to the road we needed, we passed an sidewalk cafe of a bar where the employees were cleaning up a lot of broken glass, but we didn't know what had happened. We went and ate, and the gendarmes were still there when we went home, but it looked like things had calmed down.

Here's a bad picture of a gendarme I tried to take sneakily as we walked past:

The next day we found out that we had arrived at the tail-end of a conflict about a controversial comedian, Dieudonné. His show has been banned in some countries for anti-Semitism, and he produced a video that mocked the Holocaust. Demonstrators showed up to protest the event and came face to face with Dieudonné supporters, which was why there were so many gendarmes with riot gear. There was only one small fight, which is why we saw the broken glass at the bar we passed. One more reminder that we're in a strange city and at times woefully unaware of many aspects of the politics and culture here.

Photo Gallery

The photo gallery is up! You can find it here.

I'll be updating it periodically, so check back often!

--Erik

We Made It!

I know I'm a little late in getting this up and running, but I'd like to invite you all to travel with me and Marie on our adventure while living in Paris, France!

Leaving Newark around 6 PM and arriving in Paris at 8 AM (local time) didn't leave much time for sleep, but after a quick nap it was off to explore the city. The weather made it difficult to get great pictures, since we're both using our phones, but Paris is still a beautiful city and looks great in the day or night.

The city is very easy to navigate, as is the Metro. A lot of places are more walkable than we realized at first, so we've been walking more and more, taking in more of the sights that Paris has to offer. A lot of the major attractions are on or near the Seine, which allows a less obstructed view of the surrounding areas than being in between buildings.

The people we've interacted with have been nice so far (although this is mostly in touristy areas). And most service people will switch to English when they realize you are butchering their language, so we're getting along okay. It makes it easy, although since we're trying to learn French we don't get to practice as much.

Instead of having super long posts full of pictures, you can see all our pictures in my web gallery, which I'll post shortly.

Au revoir, New York City! (notice the Empire State Building in the lower left hand corner of the picture, decked out in red, white, and blue to send us off!)

Dans l'avion

It was a bit cloudy for our first weekend, but the Eiffel Tower is still an impressive structure.

Le Tour Eiffel

Next up was the Arc de Triomphe! This is one of our favorite monuments; it has so much history and is such an amazing piece of art.

L'Arc de Triomphe

The only way to get to the Arc de Triomphe is by tunnel:

First French dinner! Steak and Roast Chicken at Le Comptoir Boetie just off the Champs Elysees:

What happens when you go into a convenience store without speaking much of the language? Buy anything that says "chocolat," that's what. That said, these chocolate breads are amazing:

Palais de Justice:

Gates of the Cour d'Honneur:

The Seine at dusk:

Much, much more to follow soon!

À bientôt!
Erik et Marie