Paris Photo Diary, Day 3: From La Defense to La Tour Eiffel, part 1

This gray, foggy, and chilly day starts at La Defense, an area of Paris known for its skyscrapers and modern architecture. We took the Metro from the 7th arrondisement and emerged at the foot of the Grande arche de la defense. It was quite an interesting structure. We explored a little bit and saw buildings reminding us a little bit of Seattle. The esplanade is also one huge sculpture park with works by Joan Miro and Alexander Calder. With the modern comes a vintage-style Jules Verne carrousel, my favorite among the installations.

 To be continued...

Paris Photo Diary, Day 2: Walking the Left Bank

After a safe arrival, a visit to Mademoiselle Eiffel and a restful night, we headed out early the following day as if we were locals. We took a crowded metro over the L’Hôtel de Ville then crossed over to see the mighty and beautiful Notre Dame, both inside and out. 

This autumn day was perfect to amble almost aimlessly along the Left Bank. It was not too cold and people were promenading under the sunshine.

When in Paris, one must walk to unlock the beauty in both ordinary and not-so-ordinary things.

Paris Photo-Diary, Day 1: Arrival

The direct 9-hour flight from Seattle to Paris went smoothly with little turbulence. As expected, Air France served good food with free bubbly and wine on the flight. We landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport on a cool October morning. After getting our checked luggage, we took the Airport Roissy Bus to town and then from there, took the Paris Metro to our hotel. So far, so good.

Parisian Holiday

Once again, I'm taking out my slightly dented passport along with a handful of  Métro tickets to visit an old friend I have not seen for a couple of years. I'm going to introduce her to my sister who has never seen her in person. This is our first trip together.

Autumn in Paris should be wonderful--not hot but not too cold and not too busy with the students back in school (la rentrée) and most Europeans back at work. The cooler weather should be favorable for wearing nicer clothes since Europeans are generally more well-dressed.

For the first time, I'll be taking photos with an SLR alongside my trusted point-and-shoot. It will take some adjusting since I am not really used to lugging a bigger camera but I am still looking forward to seeing all those familiar places through a different light and a different lens.

Not your ordinary sweatshirts

I rarely wear sweatshirts outside my home but I do like lounging in them on cold and lazy weekend mornings. Lately, I have been seeing sweatshirts that have come a long way from just being gym clothes or lounge wear.

Here are some finds that deserve to be worn outside. Now you can feel a little dressed up should you decide to wear them all day.

 

Where you can find them:

Slanted Sweatshirt at Esprit.com

Black Sun Sweater by KupuKupu Barcelona 

Heather Grey Sweatshirt by Sealmaiden 

Black Sweater with Gray Neck by BEvisible

Mountain Home Sweatshirt by Kin Ship Press

Sunday in Seattle with a French theme

Last Sunday, I finally went to The Paris Grocery, a delightful épicerie carrying quite a selection of products imported directly from France. I was rather impressed by the selection of goodies inside down to the Rose Confiture (Rose jam) that my sister fancied. Seeing some of the sweets brought back memories of my visit to different French regions: Salted Caramels of Normandy and Brittany (Caramel au Beurre Salé) and the calisson (Melon-Almond Candy)  for Provence. Also, I wanted to find a French delicacy that I have not had in a while, Escargot.

My sister has not had escargot before and she was willing to try it once. This would be an opportunity to introduce to her to French delicacies and to break out my escargot plates, forks, and tongs.

I found a dozen escargot ready-to-cook at the Paris grocery. Imported from France, the snails have been cleaned, prepared with butter and parsley, then packed frozen. After 10 minutes in the oven, they are ready to be enjoyed. 

Our modest but deliciously rich meal consisted of the escargot, a baguette, a slice of marionberry tart, jambon mornay (ham-and-cheese croissant), and macarons.