Learning to Drive!

I've been I've been learning to drive on the city streets lately and this has been a pretty nerve-racking experience for both me and my passengers. I am comfortable driving on the highway or in the countryside, but it's a totally different story in Paris. The traffic, pedestrians, bikes, scooters, unfamiliar road signs, strange intersections, and roundabouts (my nemesis) make driving here a dangerous new adventure for me. Faustine has been teaching me and we are practicing in the Smart Car that she and her sister share. I don't know if you have ever seen one of these things, but they are tiny (5ft tall by 8ft long, 2 passengers max). They get great gas mileage and you can park practically anywhere but they are quite lacking in amenities, engine power, and safety features. They are manufactured by Mercedes, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you drive one- no power steering, jerky shifting mechanism, and a low, low, low top speed around 65-70 mph. The itsy-bitsy car doesn't exactly scream safety and you sure don't feel comfortable on the interstate with the big trucks.

Overall, the city driving experiences have been pretty good. Sometimes it is a piece of cake, other times it is a little scarier. The ultimate driving test comes in the form of the massive roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe where 12 avenues merge. The etoile (French for star) is hectic mess of speed, nerves, and adrenaline. Accidents are so commonplace there that the police no longer investigate them; it's just so routine.

My one time driving through there was a little scary. Faustine thought we were going to die as a collision seemed imminent. I wasn't particularly worried about car speeding towards us (at least not like she was) because it was a nice, big, shiny, brand-new, Mercedes. This guy had a lot more to lose if he didn't hit the brakes. And so it was... he stopped I kept going and life went on as usual.

Driving crappy cars has taught me that people in fancy cars are a lot more cautious, so if you are in a junker you can take more risks. I guess you have a little wiggle room when you just don't car if your busted, old car gets another dent. Wish me luck out there!

Click on the pic below for a funny roundabout clip from the Chevy Chase classic, National Lampoon's European Vacation.

I love this movie- so stupid, but so good!

BBQ in Paris???

I've really been craving some BBQ lately and I was starting to annoy Faustine with my persistent requests to go to an American restaurant (like the Hard-Rock Cafe which she absolutely abhors) when one of her friends invited us to a BBQ. I was pleasantly surprised!

One little detail about this BBQ was going to make it quite unique- it was on a houseboat (a bateau mouche en francais), on the Seine, in the absolute best part of town. We were a little worried that we might have to drive pretty deeply into the suburbs to get to this guy's boat, but unbelievably it was right there in the city's center. Needless to say, it had a great view of the Eiffel Tower and several other historic landmarks and bridges.
The houseboats themselves never move from their reserved spots, they just shift up or down depending on the water levels. Our friend uses the boat as an office; he doesn't live there. But that doesn't mean that the place wasn't hooked up for our needs. It had a nice sized kitchen, an entertainment center in the hull, and a large deck and patio for hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather.

The BBQ was more like a dinner party than most BBQs I attend in the US. We had some good appetizers: two gourmet dips, one fish and the other grilled garlic/eggplant that we spread on fresh baguette bread. The next course was grilled sausages (sans buns, but with good, spicy mustard) accompanied by a salad of mixed greens and Parmesan cheese. Beef shish kabobs formed the main course and we had pineapple for dessert. The whole meal was accompanied by a nice selection of wine (and I brought some beer too. I mean, it was a BBQ. Beer was essential). The meal and the location were excellent. All in all, an unforgettable BBQ.

The friend who organized the BBQ is an amateur food critic and manages a food blog where he reviews restaurants. I had the chance to talk with him, and I now have a little better understanding of the Parisian take on food.

I was really interested in talking to him about Mexican food as it seems that Tex-Mex doesn't exist outside of North America and is not at all popular in France. He explained that "unsophisticated" food really does not pique they interests of the French. So if you eat it with your hands... think burrito... it is highly unsophisticated. Mexican food is heavy and relies too much on meat, grease, and salt for the French to really get excited about it (maybe you are thinking that is an unfair portrayal of Mexican food, but that's what he thinks).

He told me that Mexican food had a revival in the 80's here, but it was more or less a passing fad and has since been relegated to highly touristed/foreigner areas. From what I can gather, nobody likes/eats beans at all. Re-fried beans... forget it. Simply put, Mexican food is unappetizing for the French. Most people would rather not partake in a taco...

Moving in another direction, I've got my mind wrapped around throwing my own American-Style BBQ, but I can't seem to figure out how I am gonna pull it off. The main issue is that I don't have anywhere to grill. Open fires and grilling are barred in all the city parks and public spaces. I can't do it on the roof, because the roofs are all sloped here unlike some other cities. The "garden" or "courtyard" isn't usable either as all the neighbors would complain about the smoke coming into their open windows. I would surely get yelled at right away by a lot of mad neighbors (and I don't want to give them any more reasons to think Americans are rude, useless cowboys).

Nobody is really supporting my idea anyway, so my BBQ is now facing a huge, almost insurmountable challenge (especially because my domestic partner thinks it a little stupid given the circumstances). She is convinced Nicolas Sarkozy, or one of his police officers, will immediately give me a huge fine if I attempt a clandestine BBQ in the park. My hopes are not yet dashed as I did see one BBQ on TV. People were grilling in the parking lot of a stadium before a championship rugby match (Rugby tail-gating)! Maybe I just have to go to the stadium and act like I am a fan to get my grilling fix... maybe the World Cup will give me some cover.... or maybe I will just have to go to the Hard Rock by myself.