Archive for the ‘culture’ Category

Which Dining Guide Do Most French Waiters Recommend to Paris-bound Travelers?

Wednesday, June 11th, 2014
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Waiter Holding Copy of Dining Out In Paris

We like to think that the dining guide most French waiters recommend is our new e-book Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light.

Entering into a restaurant in Paris can be a formidable experience for the uninitiated traveler. Not only do you have to contend with trying to make your wishes understood by a waiter who may or may not speak your language, but you must learn quickly how to adapt to local dining customs as well.

If you are a first- or second-time traveler to Paris, our new e-book, Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light, will provide you the with the knowledge and confidence that you need to enter into a Parisian restaurant to enjoy a fine meal and to have a wonderful dining experience.

Bonus!
Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light contains in-depth reviews of twelve of the author’s favorite restaurants.

Click here to order! http://amzn.to/1nkgCyu

Note: You don’t need a Kindle device to read Dining Out in Paris. Amazon.com provides FREE reader apps that work on every major tablet, smartphone, and computer so that you can read e-books on whatever type of device you own. Click here to learn more.

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Journées du Commerce Equitable in Alfortville

Saturday, May 25th, 2013
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Last Sunday we took the RER D train to Alfortville to explore the arts, crafts, and food stands that had been set up to celebrate “Equitable Commerce Day.”

Stefan Buljat

Stefan Buljat
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stefan Buljat of Baština, an organization that promotes equitable and multipolar tourism, had told us about the festival.

The Ladies That Were Serving Brunch

The Ladies That Were Serving Brunch
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

One of the attractions of the event was a free brunch. This turned out to be jams and honey spread on different kinds of delicious breads, and squares of chocolate…all you could eat! Plus coffee and tea to drink. The ladies who served us were in high spirits and one of them cut loose and began waving her arms when one of the singers in the the band, Paradise, began a gospel number.

Paradise Performs in Alfortville

Paradise Performs in Alfortville
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Paradise performed Caribbean music on the steps of the town hall.

Kids Dancing to the Music

Kids Dancing to the Music
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Kids danced to the music, too. (Note the little girl with the pacifier stepping to the beat!)

Sandrine Ferracci

Sandrine Ferracci
www.DiscoverParis.net

Sandrine Ferracci restores old chairs. Take a look at her portfolio to see what she can do!

Artisans du Monde

Artisans du Monde
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Artisans du Monde were there with a display of equitable commerce products. The lady on the right was warning me not to take more than my share of free cookies. That’s the true spirit of equitable commerce!

We visited more stands and met more people. You can read about them on Monique’s Entrée to Black Paris blog. I also posted a picture of cabinetmaker Anne Perez on yesterday’s Paris Insights Facebook page.

Town Hall of Alfortville

Town Hall of Alfortville
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A big thanks goes out to the town of Alfortville for hosting this fun event!

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Marie-Antoinette Makes an Appearance at the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre

Saturday, October 13th, 2012
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Zélie la Chocolatière and Marie-Antoinette

Zélie la Chocolatière and Marie-Antoinette
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Zélie la Chocolatière and Marie-Antoinette made an appearance yesterday at the Fête des Venganges de Montmartre to publicize a play in which they will perform at the Salon du Chocolat, opening in Paris on October 31.

In this photo, Marie-Antoinette seems to be complaining about a pain in her neck, while in the background (upper left) one of her compatriots, apparently indifferent to the Queen’s fate, unconcernedly swills a glass of wine (click on image to enlarge).

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A Visit to the Clos Montmartre

Friday, September 14th, 2012
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Grapes

Grapes in the Clos Montmartre
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Paris has a number of vineyards, the most famous of which is the Clos Montmartre on the northern slope of Butte Montmartre. Last week I had the occasion to accompany a group of Danish gardeners there for a visit that I had organized for them. They were members of the United Federation of Danish Workers – Green Section, and they had come to France to tour a number of gardens. The visit was conducted by Eva Müller.

Eva Müller Giving Presentation

Eva Müller Giving Presentation
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

After we entered the locked gates of the vineyard, Eva gave an historical overview of Montmartre and its vineyard. She evoked the early Romans who built a temple to Mars or Mercury at the top of the hill; the story of Denis, the first bishop of Paris, who was martyred on the hill; the limestone that was quarried here for use as building material; the founding of the Abbey of Montmartre and its cultivation of white wine on the slopes; the development of Montmartre into a rural village; its eventual incorporation into the city of Paris; and finally, the more recent story of Francisque Poulbot, a popular artist, and his friends who crusaded to save a plot of land from developers during a time when urbanization was rapidly destroying Montmartre’s rural charm. That plot of land eventually became the Clos Montmartre, in memory of the vineyards that once covered the slopes.

Clos de Montmartre

Clos Montmartre
with view of the famous cabaret
Lapin Agile

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The clos, or vineyard, was founded in 1933. Its first harvest did not take place until 1937, and since then each harvest has been the occasion for a grand festival. This year’s festival will take place from October 10 – 14. It promises to be a really big celebration, complete with fireworks!

Clos Montmartre 2008 Cuvée Les Trois Baudets

Clos Montmartre 2008
Cuvée Les Trois Baudets

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The vineyard sits on the north slope of Montmartre at the corner of rue des Saules and rue Saint-Vincent. It has a surface area of 1,556 m2 on which are planted 1,772 vines. Seventy-five percent (75%) of these are Gamay, 20% are Pinot Noir, and the rest are Seibel, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. Last year’s production was roughly 1,000 50cl bottles.

City gardeners harvest the grape. The processing, bottling, and storage of the wine take place in the cellar of the town hall of the 18th arrondissement under the direction of Francis Gourdin, the city oenologist.

A Glass of Clos Montmartre 2008

A Glass of Clos Montmartre 2008
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Following Eva’s presentation, we proceeded to taste the 2008 harvest, which Eva declared was the best year yet. It is a light-bodied wine, pale ruby in color, slightly tannic, but…not at all complex as one would hope for in any wine. The French would call this a vin de soif.

Indeed, the wine of Clos Montmartre has never had a reputation for quality. It does, nonetheless, sell for around 50€ a bottle, with proceeds going to local charity.

United Federation of Danish Workers - Green Sector

United Federation of Danish Workers – Green Sector
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The tasting ended with the gardeners posing for a group shot. A good time was had by all!

Send me an e-mail if your group would like to organize a visit to the Clos Montmartre followed by a wine tasting,

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Chocolat the Clown

Saturday, September 1st, 2012
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Chocolat the Clown

Chocolat the Clown
Photograph by Marius Heyroud

While African-American Josephine Baker is generally considered to be the first widely-acclaimed black performer in Paris with her entry onto the stage in 1925 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, another black artist, whose stage name was Chocolat, had already achieved celebrity status in the city some forty years before her arrival in the City of Light. Read about Chocolat in this month’s Paris Insights.

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Bonne lecture!

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A Great Day for a Fourth-of-July Garden Party

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
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Every year at this time the American ambassador in Paris holds a garden party at his residence to celebrate Independence Day. This year was no exception. Although rain was forecast, the weather turned out to be largely warm and sunny, with only a smidgen of rain. It was, then, a great day for a Fourth-of-July garden party!

The theme this year was American food, and there was lots of that!

I went to the corn dog stand and got two delicious corn dogs, one after the other, served with mustard.

Cord Dog Stand (in foreground)

Corn Dog Stand (in foreground)
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

Make Mine with Mustard

Make Mine with Mustard
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

Then, I made my way over to the beverage stand where I saw that three American beers were being served. I opted for the craft beer Blue Moon. Nice!

Three American Beers

Three American Beers
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

After the beer it was time for fried shrimp. I walked past the hamburger stand…

Hamburger Stand

Hamburger Stand
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Serving Hamburgers

Serving Hamburgers to an Eager Crowd
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

…and made my way to the fried shrimp stand.

Serving Fried Shrimp

Serving Fried Shrimp
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

Then, over to the Häagen-Dazs stand for some ice cream…

Häagan-Dazs Stand

Häagan-Dazs Stand
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

…where I ordered a MiniCup Macadamia Nut Brittle. I went back later for a Cream Crisp Cookies & Cream. Heavenly!

I had eaten my fill, so I could safely walk around and look at the desserts without feeling tempted for more. There was an American flag made out of colorful puddings. What a great idea! As people took the dessert, a server behind the counter would immediately replace the empty space with an appropriately-colored pudding.

American Flag

American Flag
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Then there were cookies and doughnuts…

Cookies and Doughnuts

Cookies and Doughnuts
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And cheesecake…

Band Admirer

Band Admirer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Oops! Wrong photo. And cheesecake…

Cheesecake

Cheesecake
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And cotton candy…

Cotton Candy Stand

Cotton Candy Stand
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A Fourth-of-July celebration wouldn’t be complete with flags, speeches, and music…

Bringing up the Colors

Bringing up the Colors
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The official choir of the American Embassy, The Dip Notes, sang the “Marseillaise” and then the “Star Spangled Banner”. Great harmony, ladies!

The Dip Notes

The Dip Notes
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

Both American Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin and French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault gave speeches about the importance of French-American friendship in confronting the problems of our strife-torn world.

Ambassador Rivkin and Prime Minister Ayrault

Ambassador Rivkin and Prime Minister Ayrault
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And finally, The Diplomats, the U.S. Naval Forces Europe band, played rock, funk, rhythm and blues, and pop.

Band Admirer

Band Admirer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Oops! How did that photo get in again? Here is a picture of the lead singer belting out “Flash Light” by Parliament. Awesome!

The Diplomats

The Diplomats
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

It was a great day to be an American in Paris!

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We participate in Wanderfood Wednesdays. Head over there to explore food from around the world!

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The Salle de Mariages of Bobigny

Saturday, December 17th, 2011
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Head of Mayor's Chair

Head of Mayor's Chair
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Tuesday evening I attended a presentation of the Salle de Mariages, located in the town hall of the nearby city of Bobigny. Designed by artist Hervé Di Rosa in 2006, the zany room contains a collection of colorful heart-shaped chairs; a great, red, heart-shaped table; a throne-like chair surmounted by a giant, elongated face; a bronze sculpture of an African figure with four eyes; wall panels displaying multicolored graffiti and framed portraits; and curio cases displaying knick-knacks and figurines.

Heart-shaped Table

Heart-shaped Table
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The room, undoubtedly unique in its kind, is used to perform civil marriages. Designed to express the spirit of inclusiveness that pervades the Bobigny city government and its citizens—a town with a diverse population of over 100 ethnicities—the symbolism of the décor of the room requires some explanation!

The hearts that lovers carve into trees inspired Di Rosa to design the heart-shaped seats for the room. Di Rosa created larger chairs for the bride and groom, complete with men’s and women’s shoes for the legs and backs decorated with smiling faces. The top of the bride’s chair is crowned with a wire heart, representing the French expression coup de coeur; the groom’s chair is topped by lightning bolts, representing the French expression coup de foudre. Both expressions translate into English as “lovestruck.”

Marianne de Foumban

Marianne de Foumban
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The most remarkable work in the room is Di Rosa’s sculpture of La Marianne. The image of a woman’s face has been used to represent the spirit of the French Republic since the late 18th century. Although she has traditionally been depicted as a white woman, Di Rosa chose to represent Marianne as an African woman, engaging masters of the lost wax-casting technique in the town of Foumban, Cameroon to create the sculpture.

Di Rosa gave the African figure two sets of eyes—one set that gazes down upon the happy couple at the moment of their marriage, the other that looks off into the distance, symbolizing eternity—the ideal length of the couple’s union.

Seriegraphie pour les Mariés

Seriegraphie pour les Mariés
By William Wilson
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Newlyweds will never forget their marriage in this room. After the ceremony, the bride and groom are presented a colorful signed and numbered serigraph to take home as a memento of their union.

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The Inventory of French Regional Foods

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
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Mary and Philip Hyman

Mary and Philip Hyman
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

On Sunday, we blogged about the reception that American Ambassador Charles Rivkin held in honor of Nathan Myhrvold. At that reception we also met Philip and Mary Hyman, both of whom have been extensively involved for the past twenty years in the publication of a twenty-two volume encyclopedia entitled L’Inventaire du Patrimoine Culinaire de la France. The Hymans are members of the steering committee which oversees the research and publication of this important work. What makes it important is that it is an extensive inventory of traditional French foods region by region—the collection is an historical record of regional foods that may someday no longer exist.

A government-sponsored undertaking, the project was started in 1990. Each French region finances the effort to research and write the material for the specific volume devoted to the food of that region.

The Hymans told us that there are two teams that research and write the texts. The first is composed of field workers who interview producers; the second, of historians who document the history of the foods being described. For practical purposes, traditional foods are defined as those in existence for at least two generations and firmly anchored in the local culture. The inventory is not a survey of regional recipes but of produce found in local markets that reflects specific regional tastes and savoir-faire. The research casts a wide net, including raw ingredients (local plant varieties or breeds of animals), cheeses, breads, pastries, etc.

The penultimate two volumes in the series are due to be published by the end of the year, one on the region Centre, the other on Auvergne. The collection will then have covered all the regions of metropolitan France as well as Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guyana. A final volume, devoted to the foods of the Island of Reunion, is currently under consideration.

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The Inventory of French Regional Foods

Discover Paris! Goes a-Drumming

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
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Last Tuesday, Discover Paris! participated in a communal drumming session in the beautiful auditorium of the Dapper Museum.

The organization that led the session is called Drum Planet. They were there to demonstrate how their program of interactive drumming promotes team building among staff and management of corporations. The program helps employees release stress, lift their spirits, and improve relationships so that they work more efficiently together.

After the session, we were convinced that the program really works!

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Le Bistro T—In the Spirit of Fine Brasserie Dining

Friday, March 4th, 2011
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Left to right: Mahamdou, Christian Béguet, Estelle Bassalert, Roger Ridez
(c) Discover Paris!

The other night we happened down a side street in Paris and came upon a restaurant called Bistro T. After dining on the delicious cuisine served there, we learned that the restaurant was operated by Estelle Bassalert, wife of the late François Bassalert. Mr. Bassalert was the fourth generation of a family of restaurant managers who made a name for themselves at the famous Thoumieux brasserie on the other side of town. To learn why we heartily recommend dining at the Bistro T, read our review in this month’s Le Bon Goût, a feature of our newsletter Paris Insights.

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Bonne lecture et bon appétit!

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