Markets - oh yeah!

I've always loved the fresh food markets in france, and we have seen some wonderful markets so far... the markets in Versailles were amazing! Did I mention the worlds best goats cheese we ended up eating with honey and the delectable blue?

Well, this weekend another dream came true, and it came to our doorstep!! In the streets around our apartment for three days only, we have the most incredible Parisien antique markets. What a world of discovery !! You could pretty much name anything, ordinary or strange and you would be able to find it in these markets.

Clothes, shoes and jewelry, hats, paintings and toys, furniture, prosthetic limbs, stage lights and kitchen implements. Figurines of all shapes and sizes including a dog biting its rump and a man performing a caesarian on a women... very weird and wonderful, there were many things I would not like to have displayed in my home!

I did manage to pick up some lovely little gold earrings, some silver cuff links and a bottle of my favourite perfume from Grasse. bonus!!

I resisted the spiral staircase and beautiful wooden boat and managed to keep walking by the black t-shirt with enormous sparkly skull. The perfect place to wander and photograph, hunt for strange collectibles and generally while away a few contented hours.

PS - I bought a new suit, woollen jumper and silk top yesterday!!!

Giverny - Monet's garden - Museums

On Thursday, we took a train out to Vernon, about an hour north of Paris where we hired bicycles from the little pub and rode out to Monet's Gardens. It was a lovely ride (happily not many hills) and the gardens were beautiful! What a fantastic way to travel, much better than catching the shuttle bus! Although I must admit, we were probably the youngest visitors to the gardens by about 30 years! ;)

It was a lovely prelude to today, when we went to the Musee d'Orsay and the Musee l'Orangerie and saw a number of Monet's paintings of the water lilies. Lovely! The Orangerie has a couple of rooms with huge Monets of the waterlilies lining the walls... impressive!

There were also a series of Picasso's, Matisse, and Cezannes from an old private collection.

The Musee d'Orsay is housed in the old train station and is an amazing space for displaying art. There are a range of sculptures including some by Rodin and some beautiful paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Gauguin and Renoir.

We were lucky when we were in Giverny that the waterlilies were out so we could see what had inspired him. The roses were out too, and smelt divine! There was the little bridge over the pond and the weeping willows trailing into the water... lovely!

We stopped at the pub for a drink after returning our bikes, how convenient! (happily the chain chose to fall off my bike only a few hundred metres from the pub. lucky!

Dinner was at a groovy old restaurant, 'chez paul', near the bastille. Tasty fois gras (again), happily this time with salad... we are starting to think we need to cut back on the cheese, custard, and other riches for a while... we had steamed asparagus for dinner the next night... (oh and cheese... but not much!>!)

Our arty time has included an evening visit to the Louvre last night. Emily has a year pass and could get me in for free after 6.45pm. What surprised me was the shopping mall underneath featuring of all things an Apple Store and Starbucks...! They really are everywhere!!

To catch some areas of the museum I hadn't visited before, we went to Napolean's apartments - so rich and luxurious - and a really interesting part - the old medieval moat underneath it all... So cool, and still all in good shape. It really is an incredible old building as well as housing some of the world's most amazing artworks.

Poor Emily nearly had a fit with all the people striking ridiculous poses with the glass pyramid, their hand on top, leaning against it, or holding it in their hand... :)

Paris cont. !

Over the next few days we have walked some serious kms!! I was allowed one or two sleep ins (thank goodness) but we have really made the most of my time here.

We walked through Notre Dame, a first for me, the stained glass windows are amazing!

We ate some of special ice cream that is only available on the Isle de la Cite and the Isle St Louis... delicious!! Berthillon. You know its good if there is a queue outside the window. We've enjoyed some delicious falafel in the Jewish quarter too... another example of just joining a queue and ordering whatever everyone else is ordering.

We've wandered around Bastille and the Republique, and along Rue de Rivoli checking out the shops. The spring fashion is amazing, all the brightest colours... pink red, yellow, green! sadly I'm looking for things that are a little warmer... so the tiny shorts and singlets don't really make the grade.

We went one night to a restaurant in the 7th in the streets near the Eiffel Tower. Its called La Billebaude, Bistro Gourmand, and it was A-Maz-Ing!!! I had the fois gras and the fish..... words cannot describe the amazing flavours. Emily had the Rabbit Terrine and the duck... also fantastic. Anyone who ever visits Paris should eat here. The desserts were a little more strange - mine was basically a big pile of slightly cooked meringue with cream, rich and sugary.

After dinner we walked towards the Eiffel Tower and sat in the grass on the Champs de Mars and enjoyed the beautiful evening. It was ten thirty at night and the sun had only recently gone down.. the Tower was all lit up and there were people everywhere. At 11pm (and on the hour there after) the whole thing lights up with sparkly lights, again difficult to capture on film, but beautiful to see.

As we were a little tired and full, we decided to hire the 'velib' bikes and ride home - what fun!! Riding along the Seine at midnight is pretty exciting, and we made it home without any dramas. Yay!

Versailles #2

My day started with happiness again in the form of fresh croissants, straight from the boulangerie, with apricot jam and natural yoghurt with home made strawberry compote... !!

Given that the palace wasn't open yesterday we checked the website last night and found that today was in fact a day that both the palace was open and most excitingly, the fountains would be going!! They call it Les Grandes Eaux Musicales - the Musical Fountains Show.

Off we went, back on the train and back into Versailles town again to buy picnic supplies. Oh happy, oh joy... the markets were on!!! They were absolutely incredible, with beautiful fresh produce, fish, meat, cheese, bread... aaaahhhh!!! delicious!! The strawberries!! sweet! I kept my happy streak going and indulged in my third chocolate eclair per day for third day...!

Inside Versailles, we started by watching the fountains start up and listening to the beautiful classical music emanating from the hedges... such a beautiful atmosphere... fountains, music and marble statues. We wandered around through the gardens again listening to the music, and soaking it all in. One of the fountains was actually a series of fountains playing along with the music - it was fantastic!! almost impossible to capture on film, but amazing.

We wandered over to the Grand Trianon, and the Petit Trianon - basically the little palaces that the king and queen built so they could escape the hustle and bustle of court. The Petite Trianon was Marie Antoinette's estate and the gardens around it are beautiful. My theory of them being a little bored was born out when we saw the little village of thatched cottages including mill and lighthouse that they built out in the garden... just for fun!! We had a picnic overlooking the lake and this peaceful scene. Baguette and cheese!! yum!

The whole scene was beautiful and peaceful, except if you got too close to the edge of the small lake where you were virtually attacked by massive fish - a little creepy!

We had a look through the palace itself after this, the opulence is incredible! The wall hangings, gold gilt everywhere and mirrors.

We headed back into Versailles town to make the most of the wonderful markets and purchased, among other things, quite possibly the most amazing goat cheese of my life!! We ate it later at wine and cheese o'clock with fresh baguette and honey... words fail me... The blue cheese and tomme de brebris... aaahhhh!

Versailles #1

My day today started with happiness on a table... We had croissant, pain au chocolate, fresh brewed coffee and juice for breakfast... it doesn't get much better than this!!

We jumped on the train and headed out to Versailles to see the palace. We wandered into town and picked up a fresh baguette and some jambon (ham) and camenbert (cheese) and an apple. I also enjoyed my second chocolate eclair of the trip... how long can I keep up the daily eclair?

We picnicked later in the day in the shade of a tree by the grand canal.

We were sad to see that the Palace itself was closed for the day, but we had a lovely day walking around the grounds, in and out of the hedges and looked at the statues and fountains (although they weren't working). We hired some bikes and went for a ride around the grand canal, we saw people rowing boats on the water and swans and ducks and their babies - so beautiful!

The gardens are incredible, so extensive and all dug out and planted by hand... incredible! It really gives you an idea of the wealth and time needed for building this amazing place. As I wandered around the courtyards and formal gardens I thought back to all those who had walked before me, queens, kings, courtiers... and what they experienced and the strange lives they must have led. Beautiful clothes and food, but probably lots of rules and no real idea about how the world worked... interesting.

We were home in time for wine and cheese o'clock - now a daily (2x) ritual and a nice relax in the apartment. I may have pushed through until about 8 or 8.30pm that night, so I was getting better. :)

Brisbane-Singapore-Paris

I survived the flight from Brisbane to Paris by indulging in an hour massage in Singapore airport - Magic!! All refreshed, I was ready to embark on the remaining 13 hours...

Arrived in Paris at 7 in the morning and found my way via train into Paris where I met Emily at the Place de Republique. It was great to be on the metro again and listening to the beautiful language around me...

As I sit here to write I find that my memory of that day is limited, although I do know that I was well looked after by Emily starting we a much needed coffee and my first chocolate eclair. We headed to the markets to pick up some cheese and things for dinner, and went for a wander around town, through the Jewish Quarter and a quick walk along the Seine.

I had a little lie down that afternoon and then powered through til about 7.30pm after some lovely pork steaks with apricot sauce!!

France 2011

Bonjour mes amis! Bienvenue encore!

Hello my friends, Welcome again!

Well, I'm off again to indulge my love of all things french, the language, the wine, the cheese... ooh la la!!

my itinerary for this year.. four weeks in total...

22 May to 29 May - Paris with Emily (my friend from French school last year)

29 May to 11 June - Bordeaux (two weeks and french school and living in a gorgeous apartment in the old town - just around the corner from the fresh food markets!)

11 June - Overnight with Remi and Julie in Toulouse

12 June - 16 June - back to my beautiful cottage outside Aix-en-Provence to visit with Lizzy, Olivier, Albert and Edwidge (It's going to be lovely!)

16 June - overnight in Paris with a flight home the next day (have booked a room in a hotel near my favourite boulangerie!) :)

Come along on the trip with me!!