Today I got to go on a field trip with the 4yr old class at the Nursery School. I won't talk about the fact that I just found out about it the day before, or the fact that the director apparently had some plan for me to stay just the half day on Thursday and the full day on Friday which she forgot to mention. You gotta TELL the person for those kind of plans to work.
Anyway, we went to the Centre Pompidou to do an 'atelier' about circles. Let me tell you, these kids were EXCITED to ride the metro! We took two trains, and the second one was the super cool line 14, the fully automatic one with no driver, so the kids all piled into the front of the first car and pretended to 'drive'. Too cute.
We arrived at the gallery (which I'd never been to before, and really want to go back to now) and got started on our activity. Basically the kids made 'art' with different coloured and different sized plastic circles. It was pretty cool, and really simple, and the kids got right into it. Then we went up to one of the galleries and BREIFLY (as in, looked at two pieces) toured it, before heading for lunch.
Which is when the fun began.
We had lunch at KFC (which is not PFK in France. Apparently that's just a crazy Quebec thing). We arrived around 12:30 at the height of lunch hour and the place was packed. The director was all stressed because she had called and made a reservation. Don't start laughing yet. It gets better.
A manager came over and pushed a whole bunch of tables together for our group of about 20 (after asking if we'd prefer to sit on the terrace). Then, we get table service. 15 kids meals are brought to us, then someone comes and takes the teachers orders, and brings that to us aswell. They also brought us cups of water for all the kids, and told us not to worry about cleaning up when we left. And they wished us a nice day when we left, and asked us to come back soon.
COME ON! I mean, this is France, but still, it's KFC. The manager was probably just out of highschool. I couldn't believe it! It was so pleasant I almost enjoyed my food.
Then, after half the kids ran wild in the extremely busy pedestrian walkway out front while the other half went to the bathroom, we tried to find a park, so the kids could run around ("Like dogs?" Erik asked. "Yes, they needed to run"). Turns out the park we were looking for was somewhere else, and we ended up in some plaza near les Halles, and basically let the kids loose. Except there were no guidelines like "don't fall into the fountain" or "stay away from the tent city that is over there". Just a bunch of teachers letting go of kids hands. And no one really being worried about anything. Then the carousel started up, and the kids got on, and it was definetly the highlight of the day. I'm sure there will be a lot of confused parents tonight when they ask their kids how the museum was and they start talking about merry-go-rounds.
By the time we got back onto the metro, the kids were EXHAUSTED! One kids asked me if he could sleep on the last train home (this was after one of the teachers and I had watched him try to keep his eyes open for about five minutes). When we finally got out of the metro at Jasmin, they were all asking if it was nap time (should have been for the teachers!).
It was a lovely day, the kids are too sweet, and it was fun to see them so excited at the simplest things. It was also a great trip. So completely different from any field trip I'd ever taken before. No real plans, just a general idea of what we were going to do. No parents (I was there because the teacher didn't want any parents), no pressure, no worries.
Just a lot of kids in a really great, kid friendly city.
***
By the way, in case anyone is stressed at having had to go back to work after the two week vacation, this weekend is a long one. Not that it makes a difference to me, because Mondays are my Sundays, but still. Let's space the holidays out a little, please!
****
And thanks for the grammar tutorial dad! Came in handy when I made more phone calls tonight. Wait till you hear me roll my r's! I'm starting to sound French!
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
A Pain in the.....
Neck, arm, leg, foot, ankle, ab.
We joined a gym.
On Tuesday night Erik and I went for a free session at the gym close to our house. We were both happy with what we found, and went back tonight to pay up. And work out again.
It's been about 8 months since I took a fitness class, and the class I took on Tuesday was tough! I could feel my muscles tightening up before we even got home. It's probably been about that long since Erik did weights, and he has been just as sore in his upper body for the past two days. We decided to solve the problem by working out some more. Don't know if it's going to make us feel any less sore, but it sure feels good to be hitting the gym again! Running is great, but I definetly get a better work out in a fitness class. The fewer opportunities for me to wimp out the better!
*******
On an unrelated note, I was happy to find out on Tuesday that my Wednesday school had been flooded and I wouldn't have to work (I made 24 phone calls in French to my students' parents. I think I've mastered the phrase 'l'ecole est innondee, alors il n'aurait pas de cours demain' with the appropriate accent on 'demain' making it sound like 'deman'--however as I write this sentence, I'm wondering about the conjugation of 'n'aurait'. Dad?). We got more details today, and it seems like a large part of the school has been severely damaged. 60% of the library collection was underwater on Tuesday night, and the water rose to the tenth row of seats in the auditorium. As happy as I am to not have to be working again this Saturday, it makes me feel sick to think of the amount of work and material that has been lost, and my heart goes out to the teachers who are basically going to have to start from scratch in their classrooms with less than two months left in the school year.
We joined a gym.
On Tuesday night Erik and I went for a free session at the gym close to our house. We were both happy with what we found, and went back tonight to pay up. And work out again.
It's been about 8 months since I took a fitness class, and the class I took on Tuesday was tough! I could feel my muscles tightening up before we even got home. It's probably been about that long since Erik did weights, and he has been just as sore in his upper body for the past two days. We decided to solve the problem by working out some more. Don't know if it's going to make us feel any less sore, but it sure feels good to be hitting the gym again! Running is great, but I definetly get a better work out in a fitness class. The fewer opportunities for me to wimp out the better!
*******
On an unrelated note, I was happy to find out on Tuesday that my Wednesday school had been flooded and I wouldn't have to work (I made 24 phone calls in French to my students' parents. I think I've mastered the phrase 'l'ecole est innondee, alors il n'aurait pas de cours demain' with the appropriate accent on 'demain' making it sound like 'deman'--however as I write this sentence, I'm wondering about the conjugation of 'n'aurait'. Dad?). We got more details today, and it seems like a large part of the school has been severely damaged. 60% of the library collection was underwater on Tuesday night, and the water rose to the tenth row of seats in the auditorium. As happy as I am to not have to be working again this Saturday, it makes me feel sick to think of the amount of work and material that has been lost, and my heart goes out to the teachers who are basically going to have to start from scratch in their classrooms with less than two months left in the school year.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
See it to believe it!
Here they are, fresh off the digicam. Pictures from our four days in Valencia, Spain.
Click on the picture to see the rest. When you get to the photo album page, they are organized into a 'set'. You can view the set by clicking on the pictures one by one as they appear in the middle of the right-hand side of the screen (not the photostream pictures, those ones aren't organized). It also gives you the option of viewing them as a slideshow, but they you can't see the captions. Sigh. I should probably stick with Imagestation....Monday, April 24, 2006
Karina's Last Day
Man were we busy!
Our day started at 6am when we headed to the airport in Valencia. This is us getting coffee in the airport. We were there WAY too early, and had a couple of hours to kill before our 8:30 flight.
Back in Paris, we still had things to do. We dropped off the bags, and headed back to the Marais. This is Erik and Karina in the park eating falafel, then we headed to the Picasso museum to see the Dora Maar exhibit which was fantastic. We have now decided that the audio guides are a must whenever they are available. They were included in the ticket price, and added so much more to the show. We headed to a cafe for some restoratifs (much more expensive here than in Spain) before heading back home for a nap.
We went out for a nice last supper at La Coupole, one of the many swanky restaurants on Blvd Montparnasse that have been around for ages. The interior was huge, and nicely decorated with painted coloumn, and old photos on the walls. The food was great, and the service was fantastic (except for the woman who took our coats, then asked for a tip when she gave them back...so tacky!)
Erik's appetizer was six oysters.
This was the seafood platter that the table across from us ordered. It was two tiers with whole lobsters, langoustines and oysters.
We finished the evening with a trip to the top of the tour Montparnasse. This is Erik and Karina in the elevator on the way up to the 56th floor.
Taking a quiz on our knowledge of Paris. 9/10 ain't bad!
Admiring the lights.
Our pizza pie shaped block. We're a couple of buildings in from the bottom corner, on the left side.
We've had a great visit with Karina. We can't believe how much we've done, and we were busy every day doing something. Karina left this morning, and we were sad to see her go. Hopefully she'll be back soon....
Our day started at 6am when we headed to the airport in Valencia. This is us getting coffee in the airport. We were there WAY too early, and had a couple of hours to kill before our 8:30 flight.
Back in Paris, we still had things to do. We dropped off the bags, and headed back to the Marais. This is Erik and Karina in the park eating falafel, then we headed to the Picasso museum to see the Dora Maar exhibit which was fantastic. We have now decided that the audio guides are a must whenever they are available. They were included in the ticket price, and added so much more to the show. We headed to a cafe for some restoratifs (much more expensive here than in Spain) before heading back home for a nap.
We went out for a nice last supper at La Coupole, one of the many swanky restaurants on Blvd Montparnasse that have been around for ages. The interior was huge, and nicely decorated with painted coloumn, and old photos on the walls. The food was great, and the service was fantastic (except for the woman who took our coats, then asked for a tip when she gave them back...so tacky!)
Erik's appetizer was six oysters.
This was the seafood platter that the table across from us ordered. It was two tiers with whole lobsters, langoustines and oysters.
We finished the evening with a trip to the top of the tour Montparnasse. This is Erik and Karina in the elevator on the way up to the 56th floor.
Taking a quiz on our knowledge of Paris. 9/10 ain't bad!
Admiring the lights.
Our pizza pie shaped block. We're a couple of buildings in from the bottom corner, on the left side.
We've had a great visit with Karina. We can't believe how much we've done, and we were busy every day doing something. Karina left this morning, and we were sad to see her go. Hopefully she'll be back soon....
Our Humble Abode
We know you've all been waiting for these pictures, so without further ado...
Our entry way, and a peek in the bathroom.
The living room end of the main room.
The kitchen. That's our oven on the left.
View from our living room. You can see the Eiffel Tower behind the Ibis sign. It's a bit more impressive at night.
The cherry blossoms on the street outside.
This one is the outside of our building.
No pictures of the bedroom yet, it's a complete disaster right now. Two loads of wet laundry on drying racks and an overflowing laundry basket doesn't inspire much picture taking.
Our entry way, and a peek in the bathroom.
The living room end of the main room.
The kitchen. That's our oven on the left.
View from our living room. You can see the Eiffel Tower behind the Ibis sign. It's a bit more impressive at night.
The cherry blossoms on the street outside.
This one is the outside of our building.
No pictures of the bedroom yet, it's a complete disaster right now. Two loads of wet laundry on drying racks and an overflowing laundry basket doesn't inspire much picture taking.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
We're back!
Spain was fantastic, we took lots of pictures and have lots to tell, but it's Karina's last day and we still have some things to pack in, so you'll have to wait.
Erik and I were quite happy to be hearing French again after stumbling around with our phrase book Spanish, which no one seemed to understand. The best thing about being back though is that the cherry trees on our street are in full bloom, and look beautiful. Hopefully spring has finally sprung in Paris!
That's it for now, stay tuned to hear about our trip...
Erik and I were quite happy to be hearing French again after stumbling around with our phrase book Spanish, which no one seemed to understand. The best thing about being back though is that the cherry trees on our street are in full bloom, and look beautiful. Hopefully spring has finally sprung in Paris!
That's it for now, stay tuned to hear about our trip...
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
We're off!
Armed with useful Spanish phrases for things like: How much? Beer, Toilet, Do you speak English? and we're off this morning. Erik is excited to be on vacation, and I'm hoping we can figure out how to get out to the Orly airport.
We'll have lots to share when we get back, but I wanted to leave you with a photo from the day that Karina and I had yesterday. We walked for about six hours straight, and it was great, but were we ever exhausted!
That's it for the next couple of days. Take care!
We'll have lots to share when we get back, but I wanted to leave you with a photo from the day that Karina and I had yesterday. We walked for about six hours straight, and it was great, but were we ever exhausted!
That's it for the next couple of days. Take care!
Monday, April 17, 2006
Walking Tour of the Marais
This afternoon Karina and I set off to do one of the walking tours in her new guide book. This one outlined the history of the Marais (which I'm too exhausted to outline right now) and took us through some interesting parts of the neighbourhood.
We decided to do the walk backwards so we could start with lunch at a falafel place in the neighbourhood. Being Easter Monday, or more likely Passover, being that the Marais has a large Jewish community, the falafel place was closed. We made do with two delicious pastrami sandwiches made on special Passover bread (no leavener or no flour? We couldn't figure it out), and a piece of orange and cinnamon cheesecake.
The walk got off to a bit of a bad start. It was hard enough following the directions backwards, but unfortunately most of the buildings that they mentioned were private residences, so the public isn't able to see the apparently beautiful courtyards inside, or they were museums that were closed today. We did see an interesting tower from the 1500's attached to a more modern building, and some great carvings and bas reliefs on the outsides of buildings. The highlight, however, was one building that used to be a hotel.
We were reading the historical plaque outside when a women exited the building. We scooted over to peek into the courtyard as she left, and she saw us, and asked us if we'd like to see it. So she took us inside to see her amazing courtyard. The building was red brick with a lighter coloured stone accent, and she pointed out that it was done in the same style as the pavillions around Place des Vosges. There was an interesting bust above one of the doorways, and old cobblestones throughout. She told us that she had moved into the neighbourhood in 1947, and had seen all the changes that had happened. I guess things like small buisnesses and factories used to be in the area, and were gradually replaced with stores and cafes. In 1967 a law was passed to start revitalizing the Marais, which until then had become quite decrepid (sp?) in the last couple of hundred years. It was so bad that Mr. Haussman couldn't be bothered to put boulevards through the neighbourhood when he was developing the rest of Paris in the 1800s. Anyway, the woman also told us that people live here, which we are surprised to hear, because the windows we saw on the ground floor were super swanky, and done up kind of like a hotel lobby. I think there were also some businesses in there too though. She then asked us if we'd like to see the staircase, and leads us across the courtyard and into one of the doors. Inside there is a magnificent stone staircase with a wrough iron railing, and on the second floor ceiling there is a mural of a sky with clouds. I'm not sure if she said it was original, or if it had been added in the last 50 years, but it was stunning nonetheless. After we stepped back onto the busy street we realized how quiet it had been in there. You couldn't hear any of the noise once you stepped through the gate. It was like another world.
We continued the tour with a walk around Place des Vosges, which was designed to be symmetrical. There are four fountains in four corners, with perfectly placed topiaries and paths. The pavillion buildings that surround the park were also built to specific dimensions, so that they would be pleasing to the eye.
The tour ended at St Paul St Louis a Catholic church built between 1627-1641. This church featured shell shaped stoups donated by Victor Hugo, and some amazing carvings and elaborate architechture.
We decided to walk home, and stumbled across another Canadian bar just in time for happy hour. We also decided that we needed another snack by the time we got to the gelato place, so we had some of that too.
Karina with her sandwich outside the Jewish bakery
Karina and Erik in Square Georges-Cain
Interesting sphinx sculpture outside the Picasso museum (which we didn't visit, not enough time, unfortunately)
An interesting street
A pretty courtyard (but not the one we were invited into)
Fountain at Place des Vosges. Check out the symmetry with the topiaries, and the consistency in size of the buildings behind.
Erik and I at the Hotel de Sully
We decided to do the walk backwards so we could start with lunch at a falafel place in the neighbourhood. Being Easter Monday, or more likely Passover, being that the Marais has a large Jewish community, the falafel place was closed. We made do with two delicious pastrami sandwiches made on special Passover bread (no leavener or no flour? We couldn't figure it out), and a piece of orange and cinnamon cheesecake.
The walk got off to a bit of a bad start. It was hard enough following the directions backwards, but unfortunately most of the buildings that they mentioned were private residences, so the public isn't able to see the apparently beautiful courtyards inside, or they were museums that were closed today. We did see an interesting tower from the 1500's attached to a more modern building, and some great carvings and bas reliefs on the outsides of buildings. The highlight, however, was one building that used to be a hotel.
We were reading the historical plaque outside when a women exited the building. We scooted over to peek into the courtyard as she left, and she saw us, and asked us if we'd like to see it. So she took us inside to see her amazing courtyard. The building was red brick with a lighter coloured stone accent, and she pointed out that it was done in the same style as the pavillions around Place des Vosges. There was an interesting bust above one of the doorways, and old cobblestones throughout. She told us that she had moved into the neighbourhood in 1947, and had seen all the changes that had happened. I guess things like small buisnesses and factories used to be in the area, and were gradually replaced with stores and cafes. In 1967 a law was passed to start revitalizing the Marais, which until then had become quite decrepid (sp?) in the last couple of hundred years. It was so bad that Mr. Haussman couldn't be bothered to put boulevards through the neighbourhood when he was developing the rest of Paris in the 1800s. Anyway, the woman also told us that people live here, which we are surprised to hear, because the windows we saw on the ground floor were super swanky, and done up kind of like a hotel lobby. I think there were also some businesses in there too though. She then asked us if we'd like to see the staircase, and leads us across the courtyard and into one of the doors. Inside there is a magnificent stone staircase with a wrough iron railing, and on the second floor ceiling there is a mural of a sky with clouds. I'm not sure if she said it was original, or if it had been added in the last 50 years, but it was stunning nonetheless. After we stepped back onto the busy street we realized how quiet it had been in there. You couldn't hear any of the noise once you stepped through the gate. It was like another world.
We continued the tour with a walk around Place des Vosges, which was designed to be symmetrical. There are four fountains in four corners, with perfectly placed topiaries and paths. The pavillion buildings that surround the park were also built to specific dimensions, so that they would be pleasing to the eye.
The tour ended at St Paul St Louis a Catholic church built between 1627-1641. This church featured shell shaped stoups donated by Victor Hugo, and some amazing carvings and elaborate architechture.
We decided to walk home, and stumbled across another Canadian bar just in time for happy hour. We also decided that we needed another snack by the time we got to the gelato place, so we had some of that too.
Karina with her sandwich outside the Jewish bakery
Karina and Erik in Square Georges-Cain
Interesting sphinx sculpture outside the Picasso museum (which we didn't visit, not enough time, unfortunately)
An interesting street
A pretty courtyard (but not the one we were invited into)
Fountain at Place des Vosges. Check out the symmetry with the topiaries, and the consistency in size of the buildings behind.
Erik and I at the Hotel de Sully
Versailles
You can click on any of the photos in this post to see all the pictures that we took. Haven't sorted them yet, or captioned them all, and they're out of order, but have fun!
Karina is Here!
She's here! After a three hour train ride back from the station, and a yummy lunch at the Time Machine, followed by a two hour 'power nap' Karina kicked her jet lag and was in full touristing force by yesterday morning. Here are some pictures from Saturday afternoon gift giving, and steam-roller wake up service.
Erik enjoys the book he got from his parents.
The Easter bunny brings Creme Eggs!
Apparently my cooking just isn't cutting it...
Steamroller! Wake up Karina!
Friday, April 14, 2006
It's My Birthday!
Is there anything better than getting phone calls on your birthday from people who love you? I don't think so... it was definetly the highlight of my day, thank you to everyone who called, or tried to call. I love hearing from all of you!
It's been a pretty good birthday, as far as birthdays go. I worked until 1:oo, when my camp ended, and officially began my 'vacation'. It's a good feeling. Karina is on her way here, and we are going out to the airport tomorrow to pick her up. Here are some pictures from Joan and Howard, dropping her off at the airport in Edmonton. We can't wait to see her!
Aside from getting the place ready for our guest, we managed to fit in some celebration. Erik and I met Zoe at the 'Time Machine' the cafe just next to our building. A couple of drinks later, we headed to our favourite Vietnamese place for dinner, then back to our place for Pink Champagne, something I've been asking for since we saw it at the Grande Epicerie a couple of weeks ago. It was very pink, and very tasty, and will hopefully become a birthday tradition. We also enjoyed a TinTin tin of chocolate cookies, purchased partly because the name was so funny, and partly because the tin was so cool.
So here I am, 27 years old, and ready to take on another year in this world...this past year has been pretty amazing (to reiterate (sp?) Erik's birthday speech: wedding, honeymoon to Japan, move to Paris, all in one year), I don't know if I could ask for anything more, but who knows what this year has in store for us. I guess it really it doesn't matter if I have Erik to face it with :)
Happy Easter (or Good Friday, all you who had the day off!).
It's been a pretty good birthday, as far as birthdays go. I worked until 1:oo, when my camp ended, and officially began my 'vacation'. It's a good feeling. Karina is on her way here, and we are going out to the airport tomorrow to pick her up. Here are some pictures from Joan and Howard, dropping her off at the airport in Edmonton. We can't wait to see her!
Aside from getting the place ready for our guest, we managed to fit in some celebration. Erik and I met Zoe at the 'Time Machine' the cafe just next to our building. A couple of drinks later, we headed to our favourite Vietnamese place for dinner, then back to our place for Pink Champagne, something I've been asking for since we saw it at the Grande Epicerie a couple of weeks ago. It was very pink, and very tasty, and will hopefully become a birthday tradition. We also enjoyed a TinTin tin of chocolate cookies, purchased partly because the name was so funny, and partly because the tin was so cool.
So here I am, 27 years old, and ready to take on another year in this world...this past year has been pretty amazing (to reiterate (sp?) Erik's birthday speech: wedding, honeymoon to Japan, move to Paris, all in one year), I don't know if I could ask for anything more, but who knows what this year has in store for us. I guess it really it doesn't matter if I have Erik to face it with :)
Happy Easter (or Good Friday, all you who had the day off!).
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
The Countdown is On!
Woohoo!
Four more days till Karina gets here!
How is it that in a city where all the bakeries have the most spectacular treats and chocolates on display for Easter, all I can think about are Cadbury Creme Eggs?
It's just not Easter without them...
Like the year that mom bought the retail sized box of 48 eggs at Costco, and 'hid' them under her bed. Unfortunately we all knew they were there, and we managed to go through the entire box before Easter arrived. I think that was one year that I was glad there were no Creme Eggs to find on Easter morning.
Four more days till Karina gets here!
How is it that in a city where all the bakeries have the most spectacular treats and chocolates on display for Easter, all I can think about are Cadbury Creme Eggs?
It's just not Easter without them...
Like the year that mom bought the retail sized box of 48 eggs at Costco, and 'hid' them under her bed. Unfortunately we all knew they were there, and we managed to go through the entire box before Easter arrived. I think that was one year that I was glad there were no Creme Eggs to find on Easter morning.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
The Dangers of Running
Our running route takes us past many eating establishments. There are two that I find most tempting. The first is a bakery that always seems to be baking fresh pastries when I go by, and the second is a gelato place with about twenty different flavours. Luckily the bakery is on the first part of the run, before we get to the park. The gelato place unfortunately is on the way home, when we're walking, so there's more time to drool and really start dreaming.
No, we didn't stop on our run this morning, but we did end up walking home from coffee in the Marais with Zoe, Alex and Hilary. Conveniently, the walk took us right past Amarino's, the gelato place (there was also one in the Marais, but it was absolutely packed!). It was actually a good thing that there was a bit of a line, because you need the time to figure out what flavours you want. I chose a cone with passion fruit and pink grapefruit, Erik had a cup with Nutella and Straciatella.
Erik's Nutella flavour was the winner. It tasted just like the real thing, and even had chunks of real Nutella in it, that would warm up and melt on your tongue. So good!
Glad we went for that run....
No, we didn't stop on our run this morning, but we did end up walking home from coffee in the Marais with Zoe, Alex and Hilary. Conveniently, the walk took us right past Amarino's, the gelato place (there was also one in the Marais, but it was absolutely packed!). It was actually a good thing that there was a bit of a line, because you need the time to figure out what flavours you want. I chose a cone with passion fruit and pink grapefruit, Erik had a cup with Nutella and Straciatella.
Erik's Nutella flavour was the winner. It tasted just like the real thing, and even had chunks of real Nutella in it, that would warm up and melt on your tongue. So good!
Glad we went for that run....
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Phew!
Just finished making dinner (which we shopped for at la Grande Epicerie and ran into one of the few people we actually know in Paris, small world). It was roast chicken, and involved using the oven for the first time since repairman Erik came to the rescue.
Erik couldn't relax until the oven was turned off. Every time the red light would turn off because the correct temperature had been reached, he would freak out. He also spent a large amount of time 'fanning' the oven with his hand to keep it cool.
I hope he worked up an appetite!
Erik couldn't relax until the oven was turned off. Every time the red light would turn off because the correct temperature had been reached, he would freak out. He also spent a large amount of time 'fanning' the oven with his hand to keep it cool.
I hope he worked up an appetite!
Canadian Pancakes
It all started last Saturday at Erik's birthday celebration.
For some reason, we all ordered breakfast, and Erik's breakfast came with pancakes. Or pancake. And a very dissapointing cake it was. It was like a thick crepe, kind of rubbery, not fluffy. Not good.
So, Erik and Alex decided we needed to have a pancake night, with real Canadian maple syrup. It would be our speaking French night.
So we did.
In preparation for the feast, I tracked down some double acting baking powder (the ingredient that was obviously missing from the Canadian Bar pancakes). I've learned that baking powder that is available in most grocery stores here is only single acting, which means that the chemical reaction that causes the rising starts as soon as the powder gets wet. Double acting baking powder has something in it that makes the reaction happen a second time, once the mixture gets hot. Anyway, I found both baking powder and baking soda in the German food aisle at la Grande Epicerie (along with peanut butter, marshmallows, and Canadian maple syrup? I guess there's not enough Canadian foods for us to get our own aisle).
I also learned that the longer you let pancake batter 'rest' before cooking it, the fluffier the pancakes will be. So I put it in the fridge to thicken up for about an hour before we ate. Which gave me time to make the bacon that I found at Inno. Yup, it was actually called bacon, and Zoe helped with the pronunciation (think 'bacon' with a french accent).
The meal was super yummy! Alex had brought over her maple syrup, and we all ate pancakes and bacon and Tim Tams (which are our new favourite Australian food) till we were stuffed.
We never did get around to the speaking French part...
For some reason, we all ordered breakfast, and Erik's breakfast came with pancakes. Or pancake. And a very dissapointing cake it was. It was like a thick crepe, kind of rubbery, not fluffy. Not good.
So, Erik and Alex decided we needed to have a pancake night, with real Canadian maple syrup. It would be our speaking French night.
So we did.
In preparation for the feast, I tracked down some double acting baking powder (the ingredient that was obviously missing from the Canadian Bar pancakes). I've learned that baking powder that is available in most grocery stores here is only single acting, which means that the chemical reaction that causes the rising starts as soon as the powder gets wet. Double acting baking powder has something in it that makes the reaction happen a second time, once the mixture gets hot. Anyway, I found both baking powder and baking soda in the German food aisle at la Grande Epicerie (along with peanut butter, marshmallows, and Canadian maple syrup? I guess there's not enough Canadian foods for us to get our own aisle).
I also learned that the longer you let pancake batter 'rest' before cooking it, the fluffier the pancakes will be. So I put it in the fridge to thicken up for about an hour before we ate. Which gave me time to make the bacon that I found at Inno. Yup, it was actually called bacon, and Zoe helped with the pronunciation (think 'bacon' with a french accent).
The meal was super yummy! Alex had brought over her maple syrup, and we all ate pancakes and bacon and Tim Tams (which are our new favourite Australian food) till we were stuffed.
We never did get around to the speaking French part...
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Break out the Cristal--an email from Erik
You know what's disturbing - finding out you are ranked #1 in the upcoming NHL draft
"In early December, some NHL scouts suggested Winnipegger Jonathan Toews of the University of North Dakota could go ahead of Kessel, and by the time 2006 World Junior tourney in Vancouver was over, big American defenceman Erik Johnson had emerged as the consensus No. 1 choice, ahead of both Kessel and Toews."
I've always described myself as a big American defenceman.
"In early December, some NHL scouts suggested Winnipegger Jonathan Toews of the University of North Dakota could go ahead of Kessel, and by the time 2006 World Junior tourney in Vancouver was over, big American defenceman Erik Johnson had emerged as the consensus No. 1 choice, ahead of both Kessel and Toews."
I've always described myself as a big American defenceman.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
My Hero!
Not only did he get to deal with SG today, then take a two hour trip home which involved multiple trains, angry people and a walk from the RER to the house because the subway was too packed, he also lugged a scary piece of equipment home with him from work and fixed the oven.
Woo hoo!
I am one lucky gal!
Woo hoo!
I am one lucky gal!
Monday, April 03, 2006
Thank God for Good Bread
I think I was starting to get used to the fact that good bread might not be as easy to come by as it was in our old neighbourhood. I decided it was probably a good thing, eating half a baguette at every meal is a 'window to weight gain' as they say on the Simpsons.
But alas, all good healthy eating regimes must come to an end, especially if you live in Paris. Erik and I discovered another little bakery on a residential street close to our house. I decided to check it out today, and give it the baguette test.
When you come out of a bakery having spent 6euros when you only wanted a baguette, either it is a good sign, or a sign that I have no will power.
In my case, probably a bit of both, maybe more of number two when it comes to bakeries....
Anyway, my visit go off to a nice start. The window was full of baskets of yummy looking bread, and the inside cases displayed even more varieties, plus some super tasty looking treats. Plus you could see into the back where they actually make and bake the bread. I like that.
So, I ordered my baguette. I was pleasantly surprised that is was less than 1euro (one of my beefs with the bakeries we've been to so far is that their decent baguette is half the size of a normal loaf and over a euro). Then because it's Erik's birthday I ordered a chocolate mousse. Then the impulse purchase, sitting right next to the cash was the ficelle au fromage (thin baguette filled with cheese).
Erik inhaled the mousse in about two minutes. It looked delicious. I inhaled the ficelle in about three minutes (well, I ate half of it on the walk home). It was fabulous. I also sampled the baguette, and it is just what I like: crunchy golden crust, chewy inside with lots of holes.
It's beginning to feel more like home (although we would never have eaten this much bread in Toronto! Although the bread really wasn't as good...)
I would tell you the name and the address, but I raced out of there to meet Erik and didn't look at the sign. Don't worry, I'll be back, and I'll get the name next time.
But alas, all good healthy eating regimes must come to an end, especially if you live in Paris. Erik and I discovered another little bakery on a residential street close to our house. I decided to check it out today, and give it the baguette test.
When you come out of a bakery having spent 6euros when you only wanted a baguette, either it is a good sign, or a sign that I have no will power.
In my case, probably a bit of both, maybe more of number two when it comes to bakeries....
Anyway, my visit go off to a nice start. The window was full of baskets of yummy looking bread, and the inside cases displayed even more varieties, plus some super tasty looking treats. Plus you could see into the back where they actually make and bake the bread. I like that.
So, I ordered my baguette. I was pleasantly surprised that is was less than 1euro (one of my beefs with the bakeries we've been to so far is that their decent baguette is half the size of a normal loaf and over a euro). Then because it's Erik's birthday I ordered a chocolate mousse. Then the impulse purchase, sitting right next to the cash was the ficelle au fromage (thin baguette filled with cheese).
Erik inhaled the mousse in about two minutes. It looked delicious. I inhaled the ficelle in about three minutes (well, I ate half of it on the walk home). It was fabulous. I also sampled the baguette, and it is just what I like: crunchy golden crust, chewy inside with lots of holes.
It's beginning to feel more like home (although we would never have eaten this much bread in Toronto! Although the bread really wasn't as good...)
I would tell you the name and the address, but I raced out of there to meet Erik and didn't look at the sign. Don't worry, I'll be back, and I'll get the name next time.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Canadians and Pants
I just want to post quickly to let you know that we celebrated Erik's birthday last night. It started at the Canadian bar and ended at the Pantalon. Many pints were drunk, champagne was popped, and not one, but two birthday speeches were made. Pictures were taken with Hilary's camera, and hopefully I'll have some to post later on this week. Also, when they kicked us out of the bar at closing time, they offered us plastic cups to take our remaining beer with us. How civilized! And we walked home. But we were a lot closer this time than last week.
The night was so successful that Erik and I managed to sleep away most of today. You know it's been a rough night when you wake up at noon, have tea and cookies for breakfast (yup, cookies. And they were delicious!), then get back into bed to watch Arrested Development and fall asleep again until 4:00. We did manage to salvage some of the day with a nice walk, a movie, a crepe and a greek sandwich. It seems like it's hard work turning 30...
The night was so successful that Erik and I managed to sleep away most of today. You know it's been a rough night when you wake up at noon, have tea and cookies for breakfast (yup, cookies. And they were delicious!), then get back into bed to watch Arrested Development and fall asleep again until 4:00. We did manage to salvage some of the day with a nice walk, a movie, a crepe and a greek sandwich. It seems like it's hard work turning 30...
ring ring!
Just to let any birthday well wishers know, our phone is now broken as well.
We discovered this late last night, after returning home from our festivities.
We are hoping that it is just that the phone is not connected properly, after re-consulting the manual it looks like we're missing a piece that we think might have ended up in the box with the router we returned to Darty on Saturday.
So, if you call tomorrow, and we don't pick up, it might be because we're out celebrating. But chances are, it's more likely that we're sitting here, staring at our phone, thinking about all the people we'd like to talk to.
**Funny story from Darty. We took the router in for an exchange on Saturday, and the girl at the return counter recognized Erik and said: "Haven't you already returned this?" He replied: "No, last time it was a mini-four. I have bad luck with appliances."
Luckily, the return process went smoothly with the router. One down, two to go...**
Also, how is it that I know that it was Daylight Savings day in Canada today, but had no idea when it happened in the city where I live?
We discovered this late last night, after returning home from our festivities.
We are hoping that it is just that the phone is not connected properly, after re-consulting the manual it looks like we're missing a piece that we think might have ended up in the box with the router we returned to Darty on Saturday.
So, if you call tomorrow, and we don't pick up, it might be because we're out celebrating. But chances are, it's more likely that we're sitting here, staring at our phone, thinking about all the people we'd like to talk to.
**Funny story from Darty. We took the router in for an exchange on Saturday, and the girl at the return counter recognized Erik and said: "Haven't you already returned this?" He replied: "No, last time it was a mini-four. I have bad luck with appliances."
Luckily, the return process went smoothly with the router. One down, two to go...**
Also, how is it that I know that it was Daylight Savings day in Canada today, but had no idea when it happened in the city where I live?
Saturday, April 01, 2006
April Fools?
Two of the three big purchases we made at Darty broke this week. The oven gave up halfway through cooking dinner one night, and the router has just died, for no reason.
It's just some bad joke, right?
We'll plug them in tomorrow and they'll be good as new, right?
It's just some bad joke, right?
We'll plug them in tomorrow and they'll be good as new, right?
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