May 31 2015
Friends, we have been to the Promised Land. It’s the Galeries Lafayette Gourmet Shop, which has FOUR FLOORS of food, beverages, and cooking tools. The Harrods Food Halls in London and the KDV Food Halls in Berlin are pale pretenders. Even our beloved Pike Place Market in Seattle doesn’t have the density or breadth of …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/31/foodie-heaven-on-earth/
May 30 2015
Four years ago we were walking around Rue Francois Miron and happened upon an organ concert in St. Gervais Church. While we were listening to the concert, I noticed that some of the stained-glass windows looked way too modern for such an old church. A trip to Google revealed the answer: The church was bombed …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/30/a-touchstone-for-me-at-least-in-paris/
May 30 2015
The letter R in French poses a problem for English-speaking learners. It sounds more like a gargle than the rolled R of Spanish. So we saw this delivery truck bringing supplies to the café downstairs, and I immediately thought of our French class. The name on the truck is François Frites Fraîches. French fries (frites …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/30/a-french-alliteration/
May 29 2015
If the drivers in Paris are maniacs, the scooter and motorcycle riders have death wishes. “Traffic lights? We don’t need no stinking traffic lights!” (Of course, they say it in French.) The prudent pedestrian looks both ways and prays when the walk light comes on.
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/29/speaking-of-maniacs/
May 29 2015
Wednesday we hit three shrines: Two religious and one secular. We got up early to stand on line to enter Sainte-Chapelle. This church is two blocks away from Notre Dame. It’s also older and smaller than its neighbor. The entrance to Sainte-Chapelle is shared with the Palace of Justice. Our line progressed much faster than …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/29/two-days-four-give-or-take-shrines/
May 26 2015
We arrived in Paris in the early afternoon. We applied several lessons learned from our previous trip here four years ago: Always buy Métro tickets from a human being rather than a machine; Ignore any solicitations; and Build up your upper body strength before the trip so you can haul your suitcases upstairs. The French …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/26/ah-paris/
May 26 2015
You don’t see as many bikes on main streets in Paris as you do in Amsterdam. There’s a simple reason: The drivers are maniacs! Nobody wants to be somebody’s hood ornament. Cyclists tend to stick to side streets where they have a better chance of survival.
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/26/the-paris-bike-culture/
May 25 2015
We hopped a Thalys high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris. Our seats were in a car with free Wi-Fi and food. Having flown cheapo US airlines for too long, I expected the usual peanuts or pretzels. Wrong! Shortly after we got on the train in Amsterdam, we had the choice of a savory or sweet …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/25/onward-to-paris/
May 25 2015
Amsterdam has a reputation as a pretty freewheeling city, between the cannabis and red-light district. Here’s another example, a poster we saw on our way to the train station.
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/25/no-comment-necessary/
May 25 2015
We spent two days in Amsterdam, commuting by train from Kitty’s home in Zaandam. Amsterdam is very easy to get around, thanks to the transit system and the layout around the canals. There was a huge influx of visitors due to the Whitsuntide (Pentecost) holidays. Although many stores are closed on Sundays, a large number …
Permanent link to this article: https://ediblethoughts.com/2015/05/25/amsterdam-impressions/
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