Paris: Like Falling in Love for the First Time

October 2, 2013

The Louvre Museum

There is a difference between natural beauty and designed beauty. Paris represents the best example of the latter that I have ever seen. Every building, street sign, and light post was constructed as if it were an artistic puzzle piece that together creates the masterpiece that is Paris. Pictures do the city no justice, even selecting the photos for this blog became an arduous task, for they cannot represent the grandeur that surrounds you on every street.

Winston Churchill and Ross

When planning for this journey we knew some cities would be more expensive than others; Paris being one of those. I began looking for places to stay about one month before we planned to visit and found nothing. It was either too expensive or the AirB&B was booked for the dates we wanted. Finally Ross found the only campsite located in Paris, just 5 minutes from the Champs Elysee. We could see the Eiffel tower from our pitch. Camp Indigo even had a shuttle to take us to and from the center of Paris. All for only $36 per night; which made it possible to travel more luxuriously by purchasing two city sightseeing bus passes. Paris is huge so being on foot we would not have been able to see all that we did in two days.

DAY 1:

Our shuttle from the camp dropped us off near the Arch de Tromph at one end of the Champs Elysee. The monument is spectacular! It stands as a symbol of Napoleonic victory as well as a memorial flame that is ceremoniously lit daily commemorating the unknown soldier.

The Champs Elysee on the other hand was slightly less spectacular. It is a commercial tourist stop with the typical retailers from H&M to Cartier. I wanted to see the stores exclusive to Paris; not the ones found at the mall. The sidewalks are much wider than the ones in your neighborhood which allow crowds of people to flow like a herd of animals. There were not as many patio cafes as I expected. I know your thinking... maybe because it is October...but no; it was 73 degrees and sunny.

The Grand Palace

                                             

The Petite Palace

Decorating both sides of the road the Grand Palace and the Petite Palace face each other on the way to the famous Alexander Bridge. Looking up from the Seine River it is bright baby blue, lit by ornate lamps, and glowing with gold statues of happy cherubs.
                                     

Alexander Bridge

Concord Square

                             

One of two gorgeous green and gold fountains

Located at the other end of the Champs Elysee, Concord Square gives new meaning to grandiose and to the meaning of traffic nightmare. It is roughly the size of 10 football fields, there is no traffic lines separating lanes, and to complicate things more there are three memorials with pedestrian cross walks and flocks of tourist. In this very square Marie Antoinette and Louis XV were removed from their heads by guillotine in the 17^th century. The obelisk stands tall between two glamorous green and gold fountains

Main Entrance to the Louvre

The majority of our afternoon was spent inside the Louvre Museum. We spent four hours exploring almost all of the right wing. I attempted to plan our visit and came prepared with a list of must sees and their general location but all that was pointless. Once inside every work of art is worth seeing so we did away with the list and just wandered. With a little luck we managed to see a few of the iconic pieces like the Mona Lisa, the sculpture of Aphrodite, and a few        (Rembrandt's).

Wish they would let us closer than this!

DAY 2:

Notre Dame

Our agenda today included Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero, and trying French Cuisine. We really allowed ourselves to relax today because we went hard yesterday so we avoided long lines and large crowds today for the most part. We window shopped, watched street painters, and admired the Seine River.

The Eiffel Tower and Trocadero Park

                                                 

The Opera House 

Snails!

We ate a late lunch at a cute French restaurant. We shared a bottle of wine and tried snails for the first time. They were delicious; kind of like eating a mushroom but a little salty. Then we rode the tour bus around the city saving our feet today and gaining a different view of the elaborate architecture of each building.

Other end of Trocadero Park

                                         



At around 5 pm we arrived at Trocadero park, a huge grass park under the Eiffel Tower. Here we polished off another bottle of wine while admiring the most iconic symbol of Paris. We saw a double rainbow just before sunset.

Then we got in line to venture to the top of the Eiffel Tower. There are three floors total; the first is a $$$ restaurant and the other two are viewing platforms. We waited in line for an hour and paid 30 euros total to go to the top. The second level was crowded so we went straight up. At the top the view was incredible, there were strong gusts of wind, and after being up there for 5 minutes it began to pour down rain.

View from 2nd floor

Clear skies just before the storm

You might think that rain would have ruined it but it just made it more magical; we even played in it. Soaking wet when we were ready to descend we by passed the elevator and walked down the stairs to the bottom. A rewarding walk because we experienced both ways to tour the tower.

Walking down the stairs

The magic moment it began to rain

Happy and soaked we hailed a cab to take us back to our waiting shuttle. All the sightseeing, walking, and wine had us looking for a late night bite. Luckily we were in Paris were your corner drug store sells gourmet cheeseburgers for 15 euro a pop. It could have been circumstantial but it was the best burger either of us had ever eaten.

On this journey Paris has been the most grandiose and lavish city we have visited. Aside from the warnings about rude French people we only encountered one, the female cab driver. Paris left a good taste in our mouth and one day we will want more so we left some sites unseen so we could return in the future.

Bubbly

September 30, 2013

Champagne is a symbol of class and sophistication. Some people live for the finer things: fast cars, designer clothes, first class and 5 star hotels; but not us. When I think of champagne that foreign lifestyle comes to mind. I have never been a big drinker of champagne, unless in a $2 mimosa, but that didn't mean I could not learn to appreciate it.

I felt as though I should dress up for our tour of Tattinger Champagne cellar in Reims, France. I have not fixed my hair or put on mascara for 6 months. I needed to pretend I was classier than spandex pants that have grown quite tight.

                               

During the one hour tour we were shown two levels of underground caverns that were originally built by the Romans when mining for chalk. The ceilings remain made of solid chalk; only about half way down the walls to the floor has been covered in cement. We could still see carvings in the chalk from ages ago. This champagne cellar was also used by monks for wine making before the French Revolution. It was then sold to the Tattinger family who still own and operates it today.

Floor to ceiling champagne bottles untouched for 8 years

                                       

The first level was 12 meters below the ground with a temperature of 12 degrees Celsius; which is great for aging champagne. The room was cool, dark, and filled with large glass bottles. Here the champagne bottles were upside down placed in wooden A framed shaped racks; this helps collect the grape sediment at the bottle opening for removal. The second level down was 18 meters below ground and the temperature dropped two more degrees.

A tunnel of aging champagne 

Champagne is fermented twice; naturally first for 6 months, then again when the manufactures add yeast and sugar. The second fermentation creates the light bubbles that sparkle in every glass. Depending on the quality of the grape harvest each year families in the champagne making business must decide if the grapes will produce a vintage or a regular season. They take great pride in this decision for the reputation of the brand is at stake. The difference between the two types is how long it ages. The minimum length of time is three years but a year labeled vintage can sit in these very caverns for up to ten years.

Every single grape that is used when making champagne is hand picked and grown in northeastern France. This region produces all the champagne found throughout the world. That's 350 million bottles per year and Tattinger produces 5 million of that. The finale of the tour was a glass of their signature blend.

   

Belgian ABCs (Amazing Beer & Chocolate)

9/23/2013

Market Square in Bruges, Belgium

Belgians are renowned for their beers so I thought as a bartender I should take a beer lesson during our visit. I spent an afternoon reading and taking notes about the history, the brewing process, and the many different types of beer on the internet before planning our bar hop.

Famous Belfry in Market Square: Bruges, Belgium

                           

Beer was being made in Belgium before it was an independent country. Monks were given permission, by the Catholic church, to make and sell low alcohol content beer as a part of fund raising. Beer was seen as a more sanitary option than water at the time. The process the monks created was mastered over the next seven centuries and is now considered the artisan method and the only one that can be classified as a Trappist beer. To be classified as a Trappist beer it must be made in a monastery by monks who also receive a portion of the profit. Although the term Trappist does not describe a specific type of beer it just identifies where the beer comes from.  Barley, hops, and yeast are the three main ingredients in beer; but the process in which they are mixed creates the variety of beer we have in the world today.

                              

Our beer tasting bar hop was split up between two cities in Belgium; De Panne, a small coastal city, and Bruges. Below I will describe some of the Belgian beers and tell you our thoughts on the flavor. The type is in bold, the brand is in italic followed by our description.

Blonde or Golden Ale

This is the archetypal Belgian ale. This is a pale ale that is light in color and taste.

*Leffe Blonde: Light, slightly like ginger with a smooth after taste.

*Grimbergergen: warm, golden taste, very drinkable.

*Duval: The most popular Belgian blonde but our least favorite.

Dubbel is on the right

Dubble

One of the Trappist style beers, usually brown in color, with between 6-8% alcohol content.

*Bruin Dubble: Spicy, acidic and malty.

Flemish Red

In this beer the malt has been roasted, mixed with a special culture then aged in oak barrels.

*Rodenbach: Citrus fruit at first, then a mouthy crisp after taste.

Lambic

This is a wheat beer created by spontaneous fermentation in stead of like most beers that use a carefully cultivated stain of brewers yeast. Then the beer is aged for six months up to three years. There are three different types of Lambic beers. 1. Gueuze- which is when the three year old beer is mixed with the 6 month old beer. 2. Fruit- which has fruit or fruit concentrate added to it. The most common is Kriek, which is made with sour cherries. 3. Faro- made with sugar or caramel which enhances the fermentation process.

*Mort Subite: So smooth it I almost did not know it was beer.
*Kriek: Sweet and sour, similar to a wine cooler.
*Hoegarden Rosee: Raspberry, sweet, light, 3% alcohol content.

                                                                 

A beer buzz is not the only type of buzz we experienced in Belgium. Belgians are also known for their chocolate so we risked getting diabetes and indulged in way too much sugar. Chocolate shops are more common than pubs in Bruges and sweets are cheap.

                                         

 We went to at least 3 different gourmet chocolate shops and only spent about 3 euro at each for 150 grams, thats about 7 pieces of chocolate. 21 pieces of chocolate in less than one hour is hard to do even for someone with a sweet tooth like myself but we wanted to experience as many flavors as we could. 

Our favorite flavors included: dark chocolate with mandarin orange filling, caramel, orange cream filled, milk chocolate filled with whiskey and caramel, vanilla bean, crème brulee, champagne with sprinkles, coconut, and chocolate mint. Now that I have enticed you go have some chocolate and drink some beer!

Eats on the Cheaps

September 25, 2013

The streak of cold pasta, sandwiches, and costly morning coffee has come to a end. I would even say that our quality of life has been enhanced with the addition of one little magical box. About two months ago we thought it would be smart to look into a travel cooking device that could at least boil water for coffee because it was one of our most costly indulgences. When traveling for an extended period of time the two largest expenses are food and accommodation. Since we are living in the Kangoo we figured out how to cut back one of these. We were hopeful that the cook box would make it easier to cook our own meals instead of eating out 3 meals a day. Even we were amazed at how much it would how much  money it has saved us. Here is an example: for the month of July we spent roughly $1400 dollars on food and coffee; compare that to the month of September we spent $660 on food and coffee. That is more than 50% savings and we are eating healthier as well.  

 Ross did some research on products available that could be powered by a car battery or through a cigarette lighter. Most hot plates pull around 700 watts and our car can only handle 100 watts; which made the search difficult. He found the perfect device for $60 including shipping it to us while we were at Kevin & Trish's in Ireland.

The Cook Pro is lunch box size and consist of two hot plates folded into a rectangle shape, with a lid The internal cook temperature has only one setting and that is 300 degrees. Since this addition we have saved money and have been challenged to find new meals to cook in the car.

When we left Spain we only had two forks, a dull knife, one large spoon, and two tupperwear containers. They say that necessity is the father of invention therefore out of necessity we have compiled a small collection of house hold utensils which have become invaluable to us during this trip.

Condiments are also important when cooking simple food like we are. When we were living off sandwiches I collected extra packets of mayonnaise and mustard when I saw them. Pickles do not spoil quickly and they give the illusion of freshness so they are a popular staple in the food box. Also, out of desperation for spice in our life so where along our travels a set of salt and pepper shakers jumped in my purse.

We started using the cook box when making coffee and breakfast. Using instant coffee, sterilized long keep milk, and sugar the cook box only takes about 15 minutes to boil water for a surprisingly delicious cup of joe. We make one big Bubbah Mug each morning and share it.

Loaded scrambled eggs with croissants

As far as grub in the morning, we really cant go wrong. We have made toasted ham/bacon and cheese croissants, loaded scrambled eggs with bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and cheese, breakfast burritos, and BLT's with avocado.

For lunch we keep it simple still; maybe a PB&J, jazzed up with pineapple jelly instead of grape, and some chips.

Smoke cheese, mustard, pickles, and red wine!

It has become almost ritual for us to purchase a chunk of local cheese, sometimes even two and melba toast. Cheese and crackers before dinner is wonderful; hell cheese and crackers is good anytime. Sometimes I go all out and make little bites with Dijon mustard and sliced gherkins. Yummy

What's for dinner is a daily question, one I am sure most people identify with. We make a trip to the grocery store almost everyday, partly because we have limited space and can only buy about 3 meals at a time, and also because it gives us routine to our day. Silly as it sounds it gives us a project or a mission each day.

Before each meal we line the surface of the cook box with aluminum foil which makes clean up a breeze. Obviously we stay away from raw meat as much as possible, because we have no place to wash things properly and because we have to cook it right away. Although we have been successful with hamburger, chicken, and steak. A few of our favorite meals to date include: pasta, burgers, pizza, soup, and chili with steak.

Where we store our food

Finally what is a road trip without snacks. To satisfy the our daily sweet tooth we keep a variety of fig newton type crackers, chocolate covered raisins, sour gummy bears, and Werther's Original on hand. When our taste buds crave something salty there is always potato chips, crackers, and peanuts.