The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 4
The Food

September 14th, 2011
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Making Breton crêpes at the Ty Lichous food Stand

Making Cheese-filled Crêpes at the Ty Lichous Food Stand
Photo be www.DiscoverParis.net

In the last three posts about the Terres de Bretagne Music Festival I talked about the spectacular setting of the domain where the concerts were held. While walking around the expansive grounds, especially up and down the hill, the concert goers worked up hearty appetites. Fortunately, the event organizers had foreseen this and had set up a number of food and beverage stands at different locations.

I mentioned in the first blog that I arrived too late to get to the front of the line at the Ty Lichous stand to buy a Breton crêpe for lunch. Later, I returned and saw that the line was shorter. I decided then and there to purchase a butter-caramel crêpe and was delighted to watch it being prepared right before my eyes.

Making My Butter and Caramel Crêpe at the Ty Lichous Food Stand

Making My Butter and Caramel Crêpe
at the Ty Lichous Food Stand
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

While the crêpe was being prepared, I asked the proprietor, Gilles Le Nestour-Mérelle, what the difference was between a Breton crêpe and crêpes that one could find in Paris. He told me that Breton crêpes are thinner and that they are made with blé noir (buckwheat flour). I did see some crêpes being prepared with darker flour, but my crêpe was not. (A blé noir crêpe can be seen on the griddle in the topmost picture.)

My crêpe was served in a folded paper plate. It was up to me to figure out how to eat it without a knife and fork and a table at which to sit! I bit into it and found that it was thinner and more delicate than those that I have purchased in Paris. It was a challenge to eat while standing, because I risked dripping the hot butter-caramel sauce on my clothes and camera. Happily, however, I was able to enjoy the scrumptious treat without transferring the sticky sauce to my personal effects.

There were other food stands at the concert, including one at which a man was making caramelized nuts in a copper kettle over an open fire.

Making Caramelized Nuts over an Open Fire

Making Caramelized Nuts over an Open Fire
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

One stand was selling barbe à papa (cotton candy).

Cotton Candy

Cotton Candy
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Later, as I was leaving the festival, I spotted a vendor selling freshly-harvested green apples and pears for only 3.50€ for two kilograms. I couldn’t resist the bargain and purchase two kilos of pears. They were slightly firm, like a crispy apple, but a few days later turned ripe and juicy.

Vendor Selling Apples and Pears in the Parking Lot

Vendor Selling Apples and Pears in the Parking Lot
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

To be continued…

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The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 4
The Food

The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 3

September 13th, 2011
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Guard House at the Northernmost Edge of the Domaine

Guard House at the Northernmost Edge of the Domain
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

In Part 2 of this article, I described the château at the top of the hill and the thick woods around it.

Standing on the south side of the manor and turning my back to it, I had a beautiful view of the valley below. A stage had been set up mid-way down the slope, where two bands would play later that afternoon.

View of the Valley

View of the Valley
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

I walked down the steep hill to explore the lowland. Later that day, I saw some kids taking the fast way down, sliding on the wet, slippery grass. What fun!

Kids Sliding down The Hill

Kids Sliding down The Hill
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The château in the valley is a fortified building sitting on the edge of a body of water.

View of Château du Bas

View of Château du Bas
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

And behind the château lies a garden of sculpted, low-lying bushes (probably boxwood) that form an embroidery-like, box-hedge parterre. Surrounded on three sides by water, the garden looks as if it were floating on the pond.

In 2005, the garden was classified as a “jardin remarquable” (remarkable garden) by the Ministry of Culture. The domain itself was classified as a “Monument Historique” (Historic Monument) over sixty years ago.

Château with View of the Floating, Sculpted Garden

Château with View of the "Floating," Sculpted Garden

View of the Château du Bas from across the Pond

View of the Château du Bas from across the Pond
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

To be continued…

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The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 3

The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 2

September 11th, 2011
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Château at the Top of the Hill

The Château at the Top of the Hill
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Domaine de Villarceaux, where the day-long Terres de Bretagne music festival took place on Sunday, September 4, is a beautiful 175 acre park located in Val-d’Oise. The domain is an hour’s drive from Paris. Two châteaux stand there — one with a view of a labyrinth of neatly-trimmed, low-cut shrubbery next to a man-made pond, and the other, high on a hill with a majestic view of the valley.

In Part 1 of this article, I described how I walked beyond the château at the top of the hill to the gate at the far end of the domain. Turning around at the gate, I had a superb view of the manor.

View of Château from the Gate at the Top of the Hill

View of Château from the Gate at the Top of the Hill
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The cobblestone roadway that leads back to the château is bordered by thick woods on either side. There are warning signs advising strollers not to venture into the woods, probably because the trees have not been attended to for the last forty years. I did, however, stop to photograph an intriguing statue that stands there in a tunnel of overgrowth.

Tunnel through the Woods

Tunnel of Tangled Overgrowth
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Returning to the château, I entered a walkway leading to the basement where the restroom is located. The fleur-de-lys tiles of the floor of the vestibule give an unambiguous sign that aristocrats once occupied this place.

Fleur-de-lys Tile on the Floor of the Vestibule

Fleur-de-lys Tile on the Floor of the Vestibule
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Vestibule of Public Restroom

Vestibule of Public Restroom
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Later, I returned to the château and found it open to concert goers. I entered and took pictures of the sumptuous furnishings. Note the painting of the nude Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon in the dining room.

Dining Room in the Château

Dining Room
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Bedroom in the Château

Bedroom
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

In the entry hall stands a sculpture of an obviously ecstatic Leda embracing a swan.

Leda and the Swan

Leda and the Swan
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Later in the day, people sat on the lawn of the château to watch the concert given there.

Watching Concert from the Château du Haut

Watching Concert from the Château du Haut
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

To be continued…

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The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 2

The Controversial Manual Social Mixer

September 9th, 2011
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The Controversial Manual Social Mixer

The Controversial Manual Social Mixer
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The first social mixer of the rentrée is now history, and what a good time we had!

The mixer was organized by Joshua Smith, author of The Controversial Manual and held last Tuesday at Le China. Joshua arranged to have cocktails served at happy-hour prices.

Happy-hour Cocktails

Happy-hour Cocktails
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The high point of the evening was a winner-take-all drawing for five prizes: French language job interview training by CadrEnglish, a professional photoshoot for the perfect CV photo by Pascale Lourmand, dinner for two at Breakfast in America, a Fat Tire Bike Tour for two, and a designer fashion bag by Kasia Dietz. Lucky Michele Vannoni of Paris Rental Connections won the drawing!

Joshua Smith Announces the Winner

Joshua Smith Announces the Winner
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Prize Winner - Michele Vannoni

The Prize Winner - Michele Vannoni
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

I was able to get the names of the following bloggers who attended the event:

Lindsey Tramuta Lost in Cheeseland
Forest Collins 52 Martinis
Jenny Geraghty Jennyphoria
Charles Schultz Standards And Freedom
Andra Hardt Andra Laine Hardt – Carbon Made
Melissa Ladd Prête-moi Paris!
Gail Boisclair Perfectly Paris
Alisa Morv Sweet Pea Paris and Very Swell
Emma Bentley Emma in Paris
Anne Ditmeyer Prêt à Voyager
Quinn Connors Quinntessential Style and My Rouge Girl
Courtney and Craig Candelier Executive Language Coaching
Florence Richburg Paris Focus
Sion Dayson Paris (Im)Perfect
Kasia Dietz Love in the City of Lights
Tom Reeves Discover Paris! and Paris Insights
Monique Y. Wells Entrée to Black Paris

Charles Schulz - unknown - Sion Dayson

Charles Schultz - Jenny Geraghty - Sion Dayson

Kasia Dietz Standing Next to the Bag that She Designed

Kasia Dietz Standing Next to the Bag that She Designed
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Florence Incognito (The True Parisian One) - Florence Richburg - Monique Y. Wells

Florence Incognito (The True Parisian One) - Florence Richburg - Monique Y. Wells
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Chiraz Leggat

Chiraz Leggat
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

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The Controversial Manual Social Mixer

The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 1

September 6th, 2011
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Domaine de Villarceaux

The Château at the Top of the Hill
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

On Sunday, September 4, the organization called Festival d’Ile-de-France opened its end-of-summer concert series with an outdoor music festival at Domaine de Villarceaux. The domain is located in Val-d’Oise, an administrative départment in the Ile-de-France region.

Hundreds of people (as well as some eighty performers) braved uncertain weather to hear fifteen groups play traditional Breton folk music, as well as jazz, and, in the case of the group N’Diale, Breton-Malian fusion.

For me, the day started with a 45-minute metro ride to Porte de Saint-Cloud to get on a navette (shuttle bus) for the one-hour ride to the festival grounds. At the bus stop, two lovely young women verified my ticket and invited me to get aboard. I got a front-row seat, giving me an unhindered view of the road as the bus wended its way to the concert grounds.

The "Navette"

Shuttle Bus Service to Domaine-de-Villarceaux
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Young Women Checking Tickets

Young Women Checking Tickets
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

I was prepared for rain, but the only serious precipitation came during the last act around 5:30 p.m. The deluge stopped the Alan Stivell quartet in mid-performance and sent spectators scurrying for cover. It was too bad, because their fusion rock music was a pleasure to listen to!

Being one of the first off the bus, I hoped that I could quickly get to the Ty Lichous food stand to try one of their Breton specialties, but arriving there I saw that about fifty people were already in line (many concert goers had arrived by car). I settled for a falafel sandwich from La Rose d’Orient stand, whose line was very short. Does the popularity of the Breton food stand over the Lebanese one give any indication of the ethnic makeup of the majority of the concert attendees? I believe it does!

People Gathering In front of the Food Stands

People Gathering in front of the Food Stands
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

There would be another indication later, when dozens of people formed circles on a large outdoor dance floor and danced what I believe were traditional Breton dances to the folk music performed there.

I decided to explore the grounds first before watching the concerts. The area is a vast park and wood, and a château sits on top of a hill. I climbed all the way up, and walked beyond the château to a great gate that was locked tight and bristling with spikes.

The Gate at the End of the Road

The Gate at the End of the Road
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Gate Bristling with Spikes

A Gate You Do Not Mess With
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

To be continued…

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The Terres de Bretagne Music Festival
Part 1

Four Favorite Independent Cinemas in Paris
By Lela Lake, Guest Blogger

September 2nd, 2011
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Le Champo

Le Champo
Photo by World of Andrew Woodyatt

Paris boasts more independent cinemas per capita than any other capital, but there are a few lush theaters that have earned their reputation not only for their beautiful trappings but also for consistently putting the best of the best up on their screens.

Whether you want the thrill of seeing the first-run of an avant-garde indie [independent] flick with unknown budding talent or have the desire to enjoy one of your favorite classics on the silver screen where it belongs, these movie houses are just the ticket. Pick up a copy of the Pariscope movie guide available free at many Paris stores to see what’s showing at the indies this week.

Le Champo (51, rue des Ecoles) in the Latin Quarter has a long history of introducing future filmmakers to the movies that changed their life. Primarily featuring films in Spanish these days, this eclectic theater has become a favorite gathering place for the local Latino community. Visitors from countries such as Brazil and Argentina are delighted to find this cinema showing top-ranked modern films from their homeland as well as European classics in their native tongue. Scheduled to be transformed in 2000 into a bank, the protest that erupted among avid fans led to a change of heart, saving Le Champo for future filmmakers’ inspiration.

La Pagode (57bis, rue Babylone) is hands-down the most romantic theater in Paris, boasting an architectural style that outshines Grauman’s Theater in Los Angeles in both authenticity and glamour. Although La Pagode is off the beaten path, art aficionados have beaten a path to its doors since 1896 when this extraordinary tribute to oriental architecture debuted as a dance hall. Plan to come early to enjoy tea in the garden and stroll through the hall to admire the stained glass windows and fantastic chandeliers. Even though the atmosphere threatens to be more interesting than the movies, La Pagode has earned a reputation as a virtual temple of cutting-edge independent film and has premiered work by directors that have gone on to become barrier breakers.

Le Nouvel Odeon (6, rue de l’Ecole de Médicine) is a Left Bank icon that was recently remodeled by designer Matali Crasset, giving this quaint theater a whole new ambience with crisp colors and cozy numbered seats that make your experience seem more like attending a happening than a mere movie. When they are not running classics such as King Kong and Citizen Kane on their single silver screen, you’ll find some of the most eclectic films around being showcased. The spacious mezzanine features a tasting bar and often hosts get-togethers with the filmmakers after the show. Le Nouvel Odeon even holds special showings for young parents with babies under ten months so they won’t feel left out of the fun!

Studio 28 (10, rue Tholozé) is not as opulent as some of its competitors, but what it lacks in grandiose gestures it makes up with charm. Known as the venue that premiers some of the top surrealist films, Studio 28 has held its ground as a showplace for rare talent since 1928, thus the name. The beer garden out back is open even in the winter for before- or after-cinema libations. This movie house on the hill in Montmartre is where the movie character Amélie admitted her love of watching people watching a movie in the dark. Walking among the framed, signed pictures of movie stars and celebrities in the lobby can give you the feeling they might all be watching you watching them!

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About the author: Lela Lake is a life-long lover of Parisian culture and writes for HostelBrokers.com, the budget travel specialists. If you want to visit Paris yourself, check out HostelBrokers.com selection of Cheap Paris Hotels.

In This Month’s Paris Insights Newsletter:
A Palace in the City

September 1st, 2011
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Plaza Athénée

Plaza Athénée
Photo by A. D. McKenzie

In this month’s Paris Insights journalist A. D. McKenzie reports on the new category of hotel in France, the “palace” hotel.

In a special report, we present the Royal Abbaye de Chaalis, located within an hour’s drive of the city. The abbey and its beautiful park were bequeathed to the Institut de France in 1912 with the stipulation that they be open to the public.

And for our Paris, Past and Present feature, A.D. McKenzie discusses the star rating system created by the French Ministry of Tourism.

Our newsletter is published monthly as a downloadable PDF file. It is available only to paid subscribers for an annual subscription fee of $30.

If you are not a paid subscriber and would like to download the newsletter, please click here. Enter promotional code 11473309154 to receive a $5 discount off the price of an annual subscription.

Bonne Lecture!

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Discover Paris! Visits the Market with Chef Diane Anthonissen

August 31st, 2011
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Market Visit with Diane

Click here to view the video!

Chef Diane Anthonissen gives a guided tour of the open-air food market located on avenue President Wilson in Paris.

Contact us for information about her cooking classes and private dinners.

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

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Bed and Breakfast in Paris

August 27th, 2011
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View of balcony

I blogged about Peggy and Jeff last June, just after the fabulous party they threw to celebrate the second anniversary of their Web site, Le Journal des Amoureux de Paris. Well, they are in the news again because they have just opened their B&B, situated in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.

The 130 ft² bedroom in their 840 ft² apartment can accommodate two persons. Check out the details (in French) at the following link. They have posted photos of the room, as well as photos of the apartment and the neighborhood. At 75€ per night, it sounds like a great deal!

For further details, contact them directly. They speak English.

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A Visit to the Hometown of Alexandre Dumas
By Monique Y. Wells, Co-founder of Discover Paris!

August 25th, 2011
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Statue of Alexandre Dumas
at Place du Docteur Jean Mouflier
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Until recently, every time that I gave my Entrée to Black Paris tour called Black Paris after WWII and told the story about how the remains of Alexandre Dumas were transferred from his hometown of Villers-Cotterêts to the Pantheon in Paris, I would think to myself that I should someday make the short trek up to Picardie to see the original gravesite and the town where Dumas grew up. I made this trek a few days ago, and I am happy to share the details with you!

Last Thursday, Tom and I were treated to a special day trip to the region of Picardie by two friends—Elizabeth and David Berry. We visited the Royal Abbey of Chaalis in the morning, lunched at the Château d’Ermenonville, and visited the town of Villers-Cotterêts in the afternoon. The weather was perfect, the sites intriguing, and the meal sublime!

Down the street from the statue of Alexandre Dumas, which stands in the place du Docteur Jean Mouflier, lies the Alexandre Dumas Museum. For such a small museum, there is plenty to see! The museum consists of three rooms—one devoted to Dumas’ father, General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas; one to Dumas père (the writer that we know and love—the author of The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Man in the Iron Mask among myriad works); and one to Alexandre Dumas fils (son of Alexandre Dumas père). Thomas-Alexandre Dumas was born in Saint Domingue (Haiti) of a French marquis and a slave mother; hence, all three generations had African ancestry.

A beautiful portrait of the general, who served in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, dominates the first room. Dumas was part of Napoleon’s Egyptian adventure, but fell out of favor with the Emperor and never received the pension that he was due once he left the army. On the way home from Egypt, he was forced to leave his ship in Taranto (Italy) and was imprisoned at Brindisi. While in prison, he contracted an illness from which he never fully recovered, and died a weak and impoverished man in Villers-Cotterêts in 1806.

Painting of Father of Alexandre Dumas by Olivier Pichat
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

General Dumas’ room contains numerous documents written by him, illustrations of him, and other artifacts.

In Alexandre Dumas père’s room, one finds several portraits and photos of him, his writing desk, a pair of boots, and many other artifacts.

Desk of Alexandre Dumas
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Here is a lithograph portrayal of Dumas that is unlike any other that I have seen:

Portrait of Alexandre Dumas
by Jean-Pierre Moynet
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

There is also an original version of The Three Musketeers, which is open to the title page…

Original printing of The Three Musketeers
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Alexandre Dumas père left Villers-Cotterêts in 1823 to seek his fortune in Paris. He went on to become France’s most prolific writer, a distinction that he still holds today. He gained and lost a couple of fortunes, traveled widely, and generally lived life to the fullest. He spent his last days in the care of his illegitimate daughter, Marie-Alexandrine Dumas, and died in the town of Puys in 1870.

In the room dedicated to Alexandre Dumas fils, the illegitimate and subsequently legally recognized son of Dumas père, there is a colorful portrait of him…

Portrait of Alexandre Dumas fils
by Edouard Louis Dubufe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

and a letter that he wrote to his father, published in Le Petit Figaro in 1868,

Letter from Alexandre Duman fils
to Alexandre Dumas père
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

as well as other documents and artifacts. Dumas fils’ first play, The Lady of the Camelias, was an enormous success. It was the inspiration for Verdi’s opera La Traviata. He was inducted into the Académie Française in 1874 and awarded the Legion of Honor in 1894.

When we left the museum, we walked past the house in which Dumas père grew up…

House Where Alexandre Dumas père Was Born
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

on the way to the cemetery where the family plot lies.

Dumas Family Plot at Cimetière de Villers-Cotterêts
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Buried here are Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, his wife Marie-Louise-Elizabeth Labouret, and the daughter and son-in-law of Alexandre Dumas fils. As indicated on his cenotaph, the remains of Dumas père were transferred to the Pantheon in Paris in 2002.

Cenotaph for Alexandre Dumas père
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Alexandre Dumas fils was not buried in the family plot. His grave is located in the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.