Merry Christmas

Wednesday was the Louvre and the Mona Lisa.

Thursday was Euro Disney and Mickey Mouse.

And, for all of you that have had the good fortune to visit the American Disneylands, let me tell you, visiting Mickey and friends in temperatures well below zero with blowing snow quickly had me dreaming of the California or Florida sunshine.  As my Dad would say, we froze our buns off!  We were so thankful to one of my university professors who had gone out of her way to lend us her children's old snowpants for the girls, as there is no way they would have lasted an hour without them.  As it was, unlike their Mom, they didn't complain once about the cold, and gave the day two enthusiastic thumbs up.

On the 24th, the girls got dressed in their Christmas best for another chilly stroll down the Champs-Elysées and an early Christmas Eve tea at the Laduree Tea Room (Laduree Tea Room), which started as a bakery in 1862 and whose specialty is macaroons.  I've never been much of a macaroon fan, but given that this is the treat the Tea Room is renowned for, I couldn't bring myself to order anything else.  I chose a plate of 4 small macaroons: raspberry, chocolate, lemon and vanilla, and was quickly converted.  I have now redefined the meaning of macaroon and have added it to the ever growing things I love about France list, especially the lemon and vanilla Laduree variety.  (I am now curious...are all macaroons in France this delicious?  I am looking forward to doing some research on that question and will let you know!).

We spent a cozy Christmas Eve with Barry's Mom and Dad looking out on the Eiffel Tour.  The girls were relieved that Santa managed to find them in our rented Paris apartment.  We were hoping to send out a more timely Merry Christmas post, but internet connections have been giving us some challenges.  We do hope that everyone is enjoying some quality time with loved ones this holiday season.

Grace and Lily Tour the Louvre!

Christmas vacation feels like it has finally arrived.  With my parents visiting us for the holidays, Virginia and I took advantage of their presence to catch a film on Sunday afternoon.  I followed most of the film though in the last 30 minutes a major plot twist was beyond my comprehension and as I left the theatre, I couldn't help feeling like I wanted a timeout from our year away.  Turns out I just needed to go to Paris!  The City of Lights has welcomed us back and as I sit here typing away with a view of the Eiffel Tower, I couldn't be happier.

We were lucky to come yesterday and not on Monday as our taxi driver told us that traffic on Monday was a "catastrophe!"  As we headed to our apartment, he relayed how he has never seen as much snow this early in the winter in his 35 years in Paris.  Maybe  Al Gore was right about Europe heading into another ice age.

We organized an apartment through holiday-rentals.uk.co and as soon as we opened the door we were ready to move in.  Our 400 square foot apartment in Avignon will be hard to return to after 5 days in this penthouse apartment overlooking the Seine with a view of the Eiffel Tour.  The owner obviously had a great time decorating the apartment for Christmas (Christmas tree and all) and we were soon all in the spirit.

Today was a day where there was no denying the fact that tourists we are. I spent the entire day with my Canon Rebel around my neck and my Sony camcorder in my right hand.  Ginger made a couple of great purchases in August when she visited the Louvre with her parents.  She bought two children books of the Louvre and with the map spread out at the kitchen table we came up with a plan of attack for the world's largest museum highlighting the must sees for Grace and Lily.  It worked so well for the girls to have a focus as traveled the multitudes of rooms that the Louvre offers up.  The first room we entered overwhelmed me as it was an amazing room filled with Greek antiquities.  Grace particularly liked the sculpture of the Three Graces.

Each room we entered became part of a treasure hunt as the girls searched for paintings and sculptures that they were familiar with.  Both girls were very impressed by The Card Shark with the Ace of Diamonds by Georges de la Tour.

Lily found it quite hard to believe that her grandfather had waited 75 years to see a painting (the Mona Lisa) that she has now seen in only her fifth year.

As we tucked the girls in tonight and went over their highlights from the day, it was fun to hear both of them reflect on their day.  Once again they amazed me with their energy, their resolve and their love of family.  Both of them spent 5 hours walking through the Louvre and their biggest thrill was doing it with their grandparents.  Tomorrow, weather permitting we will check out the other side of Paris by visiting Mickey at EuroDisney.  Here is a little video that sums up the day.  There is one minor error as Lily points out Louis the 14th's crown when it is really Louis the 15th's.  But to a five year old, I don't think that there is really that much of a difference between 14 and a 15.

December in Avignon

It's been a busy month, as Decembers always are.  But, exams are finished, birthday parties done, and packing for Christmas in Paris and New Years in Florence is underway.  (Whoa, that's me writing about holiday plans in Europe.  Every once and a while I still get taken by surprise that I'm living in Southern France! )
Before we head north, I wanted to send a few December pictures taken in Avignon.  We pass the Santa above everyday on our 3 minute walk to school.  This photo was taken before a violent, and very cold, mistral wind blew for several days.  Père Noël is now looking much more haggard and desperate!

A photo of Lily and Barry walking through Avignon's Christmas marché set up in Place d'Horloge.   

The girls standing outside of city hall.  The downtown is beautifully lit up.

This is just inside of city hall:  a 10 metres by 10 metres nativity scene with a provençal flair.  I was told that everyone here has a nativity scene (une crèche) in their homes, but baby Jesus only comes out on Christmas Day.  Barry and I splurged and bought ourselves our own provençal style crèche and figurines at the Avignon market.    

Next post from Paris.   

Lyon Part Deux

As promised here are a few videos that capture the feel of our day last week in Lyon.
The girls were great troopers as our day started at 9am with a high speed train to Lyon and ended with a 11:15 bedtime back in Avignon.  As always seems to be the case the girls fared better than their parents.

The magnificent Place Bellecour provided us the opportunity to see Lyon from the Large Ferris Wheel.  The girls loved this ride!  It was literally 15 minutes after my brush with Fear Factor and the downing of a few pieces (and I do mean few!) of Cow stomach but fortunately the ride was smooth.

Following our afternoon of walking through the streets of Vieux Lyon, we stumbled across a swing ride that the girls loved.  I went to buy two rides for the girls but 4 rides were the price of two so around they went for the next 20 minutes.  The ride came at the perfect time as the girls were just starting to get tired and spinning around for 20 minutes seemed to rejuvenate them.

The final video shows the Lyon Theatre dancing its way through the night.  The streets were packed with people giving the city a very festive atmosphere.

It really was a spectacular day!

Merci Marie

On September 8th, 1852 the city of Lyon, France was awaiting the inauguration of the Virgin Mary Statue that sits atop of its Notre-Dame Basilica, but it had to be cancelled due to storms that day.  The inauguration was postponed to December 8th, which ended up being another rainy and stormy day.  This time the inauguration went ahead, and although most scheduled celebrations were cancelled, many inhabitants decided to light a small candle in their windows to welcome the statue.  It became a yearly habit that today has developed into the “Fêtes des Lumières” attracting hundreds of thousands visitors over the course of 4 days.  We decided to take advantage of the quick one hour trip on the fast train (TGV) and add our family of four to the many visitors.

As we emerged from the Place Bellecour metro station we all got a great first impression of Lyon.  Grace let out a yelp as she spotted the huge ferris wheel set up in the square, which considerably stole the limelight from the bronzed Louis the XlV on horseback in the centre .  The weather was so warm, and the view looking up to the basilica on Fourvière Hill, with the blue sky and sunshine, was beautiful.  Grace and I were fast and furious Lyon fans. We settled down for coffees and “Oranginas” in the sunshine at one of the cafés lining the squares to plan out our day.

We had heard it said that Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, so the first line of business was to make a decision about lunch.  Lyon is known for their “bouchons”, small and cozy restaurants that ensure an authentic lyonnaise dining experience without costing an arm and a leg.  We had had one, the ”Aux Trois Petits Cochons” recommended to us by a “Française” who had lived in Lyon for several years.  And, when we found out it was only a short walk across the square, it definitely seemed like the place to go.  

On arriving, we were originally told it would be impossible for us to get a table, but the owner quickly came up and said that if we were willing to eat right away he could get us a table, but added he would have to kick us out at precisely 1:15.....and after a pause, added, “doucement” (gently) as they were expecting 100 guests at this time.  For a Canadian family with 2 small children this gave us over an hour and a quarter - plenty of time, so we took the table offered.  Grace remarked that the place looked  "real Frenchy”, as did the lunch options!  Our menu translation skills remain poor and so making meal selections often involves a little panic and some serious guesswork.   We glanced through the lunch selections:  tête de veau (calf’s head: I instantly picture wobbling pieces of brain) “non”, pied de veau (hoof on a plate?) “non merci”, tripes (cow intestines: I won’t even mention what comes to my mind) “pas pour moi”.  So, while ruling out what we didn’t want to order was relatively easy and fast, making a choice among the remaining unknowns was a bit trickier, especially since it was all very rush-rush.  We ordered “des saucissons et frites” (sausage and fries) for the girls, Barry asked for the “gras-double poêle à la lyonnaise”  and I thought I would try “la marmite de moules à la provençale”.

The girls’ meals were the first to arrive and Barry asked the owner if there was any ketchup for Lily’s frites to which he answered, “Impossible, c’est interdit ici”, but promised to bring her some sauce that was much tastier.  When I translated  for Lily that ketchup was forbidden here, she grew very quiet and serious and asked why.   It was a though she were trying to make sense of a world in which owners of restaurants outlawed ketchup!   Luckily the owner quickly returned with a heaping bowl of his special white sauce, and all of us agreed it was better than that red stuff.  Barry was served a steaming bowl of french onion soup for starters and I started with a salade aux copeaux de saumon fumé  (salad with smoked salmon). Both were delicious.

Next to be brought out was a big, hot, black, covered pot  that was placed in front of me.  This was the part of the meal that we knew held some unknowns, and I had no idea what I would find lifting up the lid.  Tentatively, I had a peak and....relief!  Mussels!  I’ve never considered myself a huge mussel fan and have never ordered shellfish at a restaurant, but the sauce provençale  they were cooked in smelled and tasted delicious.  Grace quickly pushed aside her fries in favour of sharing my much more interesting meal.  

I was so distracted by my lunch, that it took me a few minutes to check in with Barry.   When I glanced over, I knew immediately that something wasn’t right.  First, Barry eats fast, so when I noticed his plate was still heaping full I knew it wasn’t a good sign.  Second, he was quiet and, I swear, slightly pale.  Third and the clincher, he said he was no longer hungry.  We tried to determine what body part may have been fried à la lyonnaise  for Barry’s lunch, but it remained a mystery.  It took until nearly midnight that night when Barry’s google search revealed it to have been strips from the first 3 stomachs of a cow.  Needless to say, gras-double has been added to our no-go french menu items.  Barry’s appetite did recover very quickly when the chocolate cake and crème brûlée were served to finish off our meals.

After lunch, the girls and Barry rode the big ferris wheel, while I checked out some Lyon shopping.  We then strolled over the Bonaparte Bridge to Old Lyon and took a tram trip up to the Basilica and enjoyed the view of Lyon and the Saône River below us.  We took our time wandering down the garden paths on Fourvière hill to the narrow pedestrian streets of old Lyon.  We settled into a warm and quaint tea house for a light dinner of savoury crêpes, and then headed out to a swing ride along the river where the girls settled in for 4 rides in a row; a big hit!

We were crossing back across the river at 6:00 just as the light shows were starting. The basilica and the bridges were beautifully lit up and as we entered back into the downtown, the crowds had gotten thick, but we managed to get to see several of the light shows and displays among the almost 80 that were happening across the city.  As we arrived back at Place Bellecours where we had started our day, we found a place to sit, to rest and to watch some more of the excitement before we headed back down into the metro for our ride back to the train station.

Some of you may know that the 8th of December is a very meaningful day, not only for the city of Lyon, but also for our family; it’s the day we adopted Grace 7 years ago, and we usually celebrate the day with a cake, a card and perhaps a meal out.  As we were sitting among the crowds and the lights, Grace told us that is had been the absolute best adoption day of her life.

Merci Lyon!

Cheese First, Then Cake

We knew after being invited out several times into others’ homes, that we couldn’t let our small apartment stand in the way of returning the favour.  So, we set the date for November 26th à partir de 18:30,  and began the preparations to host our first soirée french style.  We knew that above all we needed wine and cheese and then add some yummy finger style food to fill out the menu.  Barry set out to get the two most important items on our list.  First stop, a swanky looking wine store with dimmed lighting and black and purple colouring, where Barry told the proprietor that he was hosting for the first time some French friends and wanted some suggestions as to what wine to serve.  All Barry remembers of the first bottle he was shown was the 80 euro price tag.  Needless to say, as much as we appreciate our new friends, he settled on several bottles much less expensive:  a white from the Alsace region and a red from the village of Vinsobres.

He took the same approach at the fromagerie and left with 3 very large slices of “brie de meaux”, “époisse coupe” and “ossau iraty 6 mois” costing just under 20 euros.  These names meant nothing to us:  they were just hunks of super stinky cheese!  Even Grace, who has always been the family’s biggest cheese lover, was put off by the pungent odour that hit us as Barry unpacked his white paper-wrapped purchases.   Some fresh bread, green olive and basil tapinade spread on bread slices, ham rolled with soft garlic flavoured cheese, fresh bunches of purple muscat grapes, quiche lorraine and pizza ordered from the place around the corner filled out our menu.

As I cleaned, I had to use a little creativity to rearrange furniture so everyone had a place to sit, and the girls had a place to play. Including us, we had to make room for a total of 13.  We have to admit we were a little confused and surprised when the second guest to arrive was an unknown bearded man toting a bottle of coca cola with his daughter.   Asking him who he was seemed a little rude, so I took the bottle of coke from him while welcoming them both.  I wanted to say to him that it must be a real party if people off of the street were showing up, but worried it wouldn’t translate so well.  It quickly became clear that he was good friends with one of our invited guests and we were glad they were comfortable enough to invite him and his daughter.  As it booted our head count up to 15, it did take some last minute rearranging of of the seating situation, however!

We call this our first french dinner party, but really it was a multi-national mélange.  Apart from the four Canadian hosts, there was an Italian, a Japanese, and a Spanish all who have made their home here in Avignon. It made for some fun cultural exchanges.  For example,  the Frenchman, Benoit  was shocked when Roberto from Spain suggested that Barry add coca cola to his wine as the Spanish do on hot summer days.  And then Elena, our Italian representative enthusiastically encouraged Barry when he joked that he would be writing to all his Canadian friends that the French drink coca-cola in their wine, while  Benoit pleaded “non!,” and clutched his heart

Here’s another story that made us laugh that night.  When Benoit and his friend Laure asked what they could bring, Barry just threw out “bring an hors d’oeuvre” thinking that this was a french word and would be an easy request for the french couple.  However, that night they admitted that Laure kept asking Benoit “What does he mean by an “hors d’oeuvre” “and had to research in several books a dish that would be suitable.

Everything really did seem to be going very smoothly.  Even our unexpected guest was so at ease he proceeded to fall asleep on our wicker couch:  a feat I would have sworn impossible!   As food plates became empty, Barry and I had a quick tête-à-tête in the kitchen about what needed to be served next:  cake or cheese.  I know, if it was time to call a friend you would have all yelled “Pick the cheese!  Say cheese!”  and this was Barry’s vote.  But I couldn’t back down from taking the trick question angle: “Cheese seems the correct answer, but I’ll say cake!”.  I swore that I remembered having the cheese after sweets at one of our earlier get togethers and that I read about this unusual french order in some or other book.  So, Barry acquiesced and out came the cake.  I headed back to the kitchen to get out our very stinky cheeses, cut some bread and arrange the grapes on several plates.  I was feeling pretty proud: I had never arranged any group of platters that looked so French!  However, as I walked in to serve my first carefully arranged plate,  there was a palpable pause in the conversation, and even before Laure’s eyes widened and she remarked that she had never seen cheese served after the cake, I knew that I’d made the wrong call.  Quickly Elena said “Hey, but there’s grapes with it, so it’s not a problem!”  Our sleeping guest promptly awoke at this point saying “And there is a good reason for this order, the cheese is very strong!” (See, I really wasn’t exaggerating, this cheese stank!)  Benoit just seemed very happy that at least we hadn’t forgotten the cheese, and proceeded to hold each plate up to his nose and with great concentration play “name that fromage” by smell alone.  The Canadians, we were impressed by his olfactory party trick. And the cheese?  Among the best we’d ever tasted. Grace made the comment that if you could quickly get it past the nose, it was delicious!

It was a very busy evening, but very worth it.  Everyone did seem to enjoy themselves.

On Monday over coffee we discussed  the evening with a husband who wasn’t able to attend due to a business trip.  I remarked, in total jest, that I had made a serious rookie error and had served the cheese after the cake.  We knew that he and his wife had discussed it when he, with a drop of the chin and a shrug of the shoulders, said in a low and serious voice “Vous n’avez pas eu une choix!  La fromage était très puissante!” (You didn’t have a choice, the cheese was very strong!)

So, our guests were kind to excuse away the little mistake and we’ve been able to amuse numerous other French people with it. It goes something like this.

- You brought the cheese out after the cake?? How long have you been in France?
-Well over 3 months, but we don’t get out that much.  And, the cheese was very strong.
-All the same it is a mistake, but not a serious one, just a funny one.

And then we all laugh.

We are having a smaller get together tonight at our place, and I can assure you the dessert will be the last thing we serve.