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.

Fishing in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower... you've got to be kidding me.

Last week Faustine and I were on a nice walk along the Seine River, which runs through the heart of Paris. We were passing by the Ile de la Cite (the island home to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the founding location of Medieval Paris), when we saw a bizarre sight: two well-dressed men in dark suits and ties fishing in the Seine.

These two businessmen were casting as the famous Bateaux-mouches, or tourist riverboats, floated by full of doe-eyed visitors, with guidebooks and cameras in hand, who were scrambling from side-to-side to catch the latest photo opportunity... on your right the famous Eiffel Tower, on the left the magnificent Louvre and historic Grand Palais, to the right is gothic Notre Dame...

I felt the sight was quite strange. I mean, cosmopolitan fishing on your lunchbreak? And in that river? Really? I am sure there must be fish in the Seine, but would you ever dare to eat it? I would avoid that fish-fry like the plague.

In another weird fishing tale I saw two men fishing for carp in the Bois de Boulogne forest/park (which for our intents and purposes would be similar to NYC's Central Park). They had caught two already that morning, but I don't know what they wanted to do with over-sized, over-polluted, algae eaters. But... they were Frenchmen so who knows what they were thinking! "Ze feesh, zey are quite aggreeseve. Zey geeve a guud resistance and rebel against zey vulgar forces uv maan."

It's gotta be tough getting on the Metro, loaded with fishing rods and tackle. Word to the wise, don't sit next to anyone that smells like carp.

I did a google search and actually found some stuff about fishing in Paris. It seems that in 2001, Paris (and the Seine) hosted a world fishing competition, but the location was chosen more for public relations than for sporting reasons. In addition, I was able to dig up a video of some successful Parisienne carp fishermen. Mute the video because the song is annoying.

Click on the Image above for the YouTube video "Carp Fishing Paris." Turn your volume off because the song is obnoxious and not safe for work.

Strolling through Historic Pere-Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris and it is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. It's even reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery. Visitors (both foreign and French) are attracted to the graves of those who have enhanced French life over the past 200 years. In short, Pere Lachaise is a celebrity cemetery- it has almost anyone French, talented and dead that you care to mention. And not even French for that matter. Creed and nationality have never prevented entry, you just need to have lived or died Paris.

The cemetery takes its name from a priest who served King Louis XIV who lived in a small house on the site near a chapel. The property sits on a sloping hillside (and you can get a pretty nice view of the city from here) was bought by the city and established by Napoleon in 1804.

Cemeteries (which were foul and unsanitary centuries ago) had been banned inside Paris since 1786 due to health hazards and this same health hazard also led to the creation of the famous Parisian catacombs in the south of the city.

Below are a few images and stories of some of the famous residents of the cemetery.

James Douglas Morrison- The Lizard King

How it used to be....

...and how it is today. Seems that constant "vandalism" and too

many visitors have forced some changes.

Victor Noir - Lucky in Love?

Victor Noir was a journalist who was murdered in the street by a cousin of Napoleon III in 1870. A life-size bronze statue was sculpted to mark his grave and it realistically portrays the man as though he had just been shot and fallen in the street. The sculpture has a very noticeable protuberance in Noir's trousers (i.e. a big unit). Myth says that placing a flower in his dropped top hat, kissing the statue on the lips, and rubbing his groin will enhance fertility, bring a blissful sex life, or, in some versions, a husband within the year. As you can guess, his lips and crotch are rather shiny and well-worn compared to the oxidized green elsewhere.

Oscar Wilde - The Original Rebel

Death by Kisses?

Author Oscar Wilde's grave is in danger of permanent damage. Lately, fans have taken to leaving bright red lipstick kisses on the monument, and, unlike paint, pens, and candle scorches, the lipstick leaves an oily residue which can't be removed.

The lipstick graffiti includes such pearls of wisdom as "You are the best! You can never die!" and "Je t'aime Oscar!" along with misquoted lines from his work. The grave has always had a rough time and was originally paid for by an anonymous 'lady' (most likely some former male lover).

The rather handsome naked angel at the tomb was extremely well hung, until the head keeper of the cemetery decided that it was so offensive he castrated the winged guard (and supposedly used the testicles as a paperweight for many years). The angel's heavenly balls were later replaced, but were swiped during the 1960s. The grave was restored again in the 90s, and since then there has been a sign reminding people that it is a historic monument and protected by law. As you can see the warning has done little to deter the more amorous admirers.

Come to Europe... the time is right!

Now is the time to turn your dreams into a reality! Start planning your European vacation today! Travel and expenses in Europe are becoming more affordable each day due to the Greek economic crisis which is hammering the European stock markets and the shared Euro currency.

The currency is already down between 12-20% from last summer and some economists are projecting a 1:1 exchange rate sometime in 2011 (today's rate is 1.21 US dollars per Euro) . What this means for us Americans is that Europe is on discount and the exchange rate is at its best level in nearly 5 years. And the Euro may slide even further given the depth of the economic problems facing the EU member countries.

In addition, crude oil futures are slumping (although still 30% higher than a year ago) which should lead to a little easing back of prices in the airline industry. However, there are several factors affecting Trans-Atlantic travel right now. MarketWatch- a financial news agency- has reported that "Airlines are greeting an upswing in air travel with something bound to sour any summer vacation: Fewer seats and higher ticket prices. Average airfare for international flights this summer is already up 23% from a year ago."

Air carriers drastically reduced the number of flights due to the recession and are hesitant to add capacity even as demand increases. Worried about the uncertainty in the price of fuel, the Euro/dollar exchange rate, and forecasts of economic growth, the airline industry is keeping capacity tight which causes increased competition for the limited number of seats.

In addition, some air carriers are trying to recoup the major costs incurred last month when thousands of flights were grounded due to mechanical hazards posed by ash clouds from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. These cost increases should subside as time wears on and operations return to business as usual.

Experts and travel agents recommend buying tickets several months in advance to take advantage of early discounts which translates into hundreds of dollars on a round trip Trans-Atlantic flight. I always use Kayak.com to search for airfare.

Through it all you can be sure that with a favorable exchange rate there will be a flood of American tourists and college backpackers rushing to visit Europe in the foreseeable future. Come on over, you've got a friend in Paris!

A Little Trip and some Tid-Bits...

We've just returned from a nice weekend along the Coast in the little tourist town of La Baule- Escoblanc where the River Loire hits the Atlantic Coast. Its about a 4-5 hour drive west from Paris in the Bretagne region. It was good to get out of the city for a bit and we had pretty good weather while we were there. Since such a large river drains into the ocean here, it is a bountiful fishing area and the markets and menus are full of local seafood offerings.

One of the best things about the weekend were some walks along the beach which ranges from broad, flat expanses (like the Atlantic side of the Florida Coast-i.e. Daytona) to jagged rocky outcrops and cliffs with big waves (like Pacific Northern California). The town of La Baule is actually famous because of its 13 km "bowl" shaped sandy beach which is dotted with restaurants and cafes and jam packed with tourists in the high season.

During one walk the tide was extremely low and the locals were out harvesting small walnut-sized clams and raking mats of black mussels right off the exposed seafloor. They were walking around in the mud with boots and rakes and scratching at the sandy, mucky bottom. Every so often they would pull up a little clam shell and throw it in their basket or bucket. There were literally hundreds upon hundreds of locals and tourists alike all smiling, whistling, and scrapping away for clams.

Another highlight of the trip was the local market where the butchers, cheese sellers, fishmongers, farmers, and bakers were all selling the fruits of their labor. I was really fascinated with all the exotic offerings for sale and we spent at least an hour or two looking at everything. We purchased some cheese, veggies, fresh strawberries, cakes, tarts, bread, honey, fish, and oysters and were allowed to taste and try a whole plethora of other foods while there. I am really surprised at the amount of strange meaty snacks and cuts available as well as the variety of sausages in the market. It was also neat to see all the different kinds of shrimp, prawns, stingrays, fish, lobsters, snails, clams, mussels, oysters, and squid all laid out.

Some of the traditional foods looked a little scary (albeit interesting) like the foie gras that was suspended in a mint flavored jello shot, the meat loaf that was cooked inside a loaf of bread, the rognon or veal kidneys, duck livers, blood sausages, and black moldy cheeses (only the outside was moldy, but when I say moldy, I mean MOLDY with thick fuzz growing on it). In their defense there was a lot of stuff that looked delicious and we did end up buying a lot of good food there. Many of the foods are super rich with a lot of flavor, so good or bad, you get the full taste and aroma from each little bite.

Faustine and I recently bought a book (and photo atlas) on French cheeses and we're on a mission to try a lot of different varieties from all over the country. We ended up getting about 6 or 7 different kinds that day and I am coming around on the goat cheeses. Some are really, really delicious. I am yet to try some of the sheep cheese which are supposedly the most flavorful.

I am learning a lot of information about cheese... historians believe that cheese making is 10,000 years old. In some places in France during medieval times wheels of cheese were used instead of money to pay taxes. They add the orange coloring to cheddar cheese; it's a plant extract and not natural to the cheesifying process at all. Some French cheeses (Beaufort) weigh about a hundred pounds when made and are kept in a cave in a mountain to ripen before being sold and consumed. Some cheeses are covered in ash and buried to lock in a smoky flavor while other cheeses are aged for 2 years or more before attaining their special flavor. You can still eat French cheeses that are made in the same manner as when Julius Ceasar first tried them two millenia ago while on military campaigns in Central Europe. They take their cheese serious over here, and there are probably around 500 French varieties, but don't expect to find any Cheddar or Monterrey Jack!