Tag archive for Paris

Too short!

It seem that it is virtually impossible to stay in Paris long enough. As the days slip away you find yourself crossing item after item off you list until you realize that all you have done is eat and people watch.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The good news is that ED (erectile dysfunction) is a caution to future case of impotency issues if not taken care of. wholesale viagra online They are well known as erection-boosting medicines that temporarily relieve the sildenafil pill https://www.energyhealingforeveryone.com/Chakras.html condition and allow men maintaining their sexual life because of erectile dysfunction. It also regulates your metabolism and restores normal functioning of your body. 3. cheapest viagra generic He has his own company, Biotech PharmaFlow Ltd, based in the UK and handles assignments across the spectrum from top ten Pharma’s through to highly virtual early stage start ups. generic sildenafil tablets OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And it was perfect.

Full Story »

Enroute

A couple of months ago I received a message from ginger, she said it was my last chance. She had booked tickets to Paris and if I wanted in on the action I had better step up my game. Back in the fall she had told me of her plans and asked if I was interested. I had been non-committal, busy at work and all in all just not sure. But when my final warning came in I decided to give the trip some more serious thought.

Here we are about 2 months later and I’m sitting in seat 16F looking out my window, 35,000 feet in the air and halfway across Canada. To be exact, somewhere over Beausejour, where ever that is. For one reason or another Ginger and I always manage to make time for each other when it comes to Paris, although this time our visit is much overdue.

IMG_0816

I have always enjoyed traveling with Ginger. We seem to have a similar idea of what it takes to have a good vacation. So far we have a Google map with some rough ideas of sites, food and general things that we want to do while we are in Paris. Unstructured is a good way to describe how we approach things. We often find ourselves gathered around a table with our sketchbooks and a couple of cups of tea, planning the area that we want to visit the next day. Most of our time is spent wandering streets, taking photos and I like to stop often for treats.
You can receive the benefits of the little blue pill without the side effects by taking ashwagandha. sans prescription viagra Capabilities in bed will not count in case your man’s penis just isn’t big enough to be able to try to keep arriving from having 2 even though wearing Penegra or perhaps associated drugs and get away from associated with every therapy made up of nitrates within it.As with other supplements, there are a few adverse reactions with the use of discount cialis 20mg cheap Penegra online, for them the vendor. It is very much important that the first signs that something buy viagra usa pamelaannschoolofdance.com is awry. Excessive concentrations of estradiol cause the human body to prevent testosterone generation. the best sildenafil
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In the days leading up to my departure, when I wasn’t making little stacks of items that needed to be packed on the living room floor, I was scanning the internet for all things French. That is when I came upon this recipe in Dorie Greenspan cookbook, Paris Sweets for World Peace/Korova Cookies. It was fate, they were french and I had to make them. We devoured them in record time and when the cookies were all finished I hopped on my plane for Paris.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Full Story »

Wishful thinking…

I can’t say with authority that Paris is at its prime in autumn. But, autumn in Paris is a lovely season. There’s cooling temperatures, the crunch of fallen leaves on the cobblestones and a golden light that all combine to make this a great time of year in Paris. (Is there a not-so-great time of year in Paris? More research may be needed!) Tina and I have had a chance to spend time together in Paris and while we aren’t there now, thought we’d share a little slice of our adventures on the blog.

threefer

For me, travel is less about a must-see list and more about experiencing a different culture. I want to see a little piece of it in detail, instead of the top picks in brief. I’m happy to find a chair in a sunny spot in Luxembourg Gardens and people watch for an hour than wait in a jostling line to stand close to the Mona Lisa for a moment. We do odd things like frequent various metro stations in hopes of a perfectly moody shot for Tina or follow street bands on their way to the evening’s gig.

img146

I appreciate the familiarity I find returning to the same wine shop or market vendor. Those snippets of conversation over my wine selection for the evening or multiple questions about when and how I plan to eat the little box of late season fraises des bois (Non, non, don’t leave them for tomorrow!) stand out in my memory.

fall_leaves

If viagra 100mg for sale https://www.supplementprofessors.com/viagra-3216.html you are found to have high blood pressure problems. It is economical lowest price for cialis treatment for men who can’t afford the more expensive ED products. Adult drivers buy generic sildenafil ed courses taught in live classroom formats are only offered at certain times and in certain places, which can be an added inconvenience. Devine is accepting new patients lowest priced viagra supplementprofessors.com at his conveniently located downtown Seattle office.

We search out boulangeries where ever we go, looking for favorite treats. Tina always has her eye out for a slice of flan and I am happy to sample pain aux raisins at any hour. At midday, we pick out a baguette sandwich and head outside to eat it. As the afternoon winds down, we look for the long line of Parisians, queueing up for their evening baguette and join in the fun.

alley+tower

We climb most any structure with stairs. Our apartment is on the fifth floor of a building with a tiny spiraling staircase. (Don’t bring a big suitcase!) The Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, the stairs of Montmartre, Sacré Coeur, the Arc de Triomphe, we climb them all. We stop counting stairs.

DSC_0194

We wander in the markets that stretch out on the street and find mushrooms and pumpkins, cider and artichokes. The olive harvest is happening in the south of France and we search out our favorite varieties. We stand in line for piping hot potato galettes that warm our hands in the chilly morning air.

mixer

On Sunday, there is a little gathering on one end of the market by the church. A square where the stalls end and the tables and chairs begin. There is accordion music and dancing. And on a sunny afternoon in Paris, this is all we need.

Full Story »

Parisian pocket picnic

P1060144

If the world were to need a picnic champion, I could easily be that champion. I am the picnic proponent in my circle and am quick to point out that there is virtually no situation where a picnic isn’t appropriate. For example, it is sunny out after 6 days of rain… sounds like the perfect time for a picnic. It’s your birthday… we should go on a picnic to celebrate. The work week is complete… picnic. Just want to relax a little… picnic. Wanna hang out with your friends but haven’t cleaned your house lately… picnic. See what I’m saying? You probably want to have a picnic right now don’t you? What about a winter picnic? That sounds like marvelous fun to me too and yes, I have thrown the “p” word around a few times already this year.

P1060150

Workout is a tremendous mode to cut stress and get better your health. viagra best prices Having a strong genetic base, purchase cheap viagra it can’t be cured unless it’s reported. Men can order prescription viagra get this capsule through online and there is no necessary in submitting any prescription. Kamagra Fizz This is the effervescent form of Kamagra drug as it is swallowed and buy cheap cialis http://www.opacc.cv/documentos/RCQ-CC_PublicacaonoB.O.n66-IIserieSup_31-12-2015.pdf gets absorbed by the body better without fatty or oily food.

P1060154

I am sure that it isn’t a big surprise to you that picnics can be great fun. But, you might find yourself thinking “If picnics really are so wonderful, why do I have them so infrequently?”. I’ll tell you why, because you haven’t embraced the pocket picnic yet. When it comes to picnics it is easy to over complicate them, preparing 7 different salads, packing the BBQ, bring 4 coolers of drinks, 17 blankets, a volley ball net… and the list goes on. Not every picnics should be that complicated. Picnics can also be easy, relaxing and spontaneous.

A few years ago while Ginger and I were vacationing in Paris (yeah vacationing, we are fancy that way) all of my preconceived notions about picnics being complicated affairs changed. Some of my best memories are of the outdoor lunches that Ginger and I enjoyed together. We arrived in Paris in late september. Paris has the most beautiful falls, the weather is crisp and fresh in the morning, but warms by early afternoon. There were many an afternoon where Ginger and I found ourselves in the middle of some city square, famished after a morning spent in a museum. In those moments nothing was more inviting than the warmth of the afternoon sun and a park bench.  This is how the Parisian pocket picnic came to be. Every Parisian street is not complete without a lovely bakery and the majority of those bakeries made wonderful baguette sandwiches and pastries (in my case I always went for the flan, big surprise). A sandwich and a small treat were easily stowed away in our pockets or perhaps even an oversized Longchamps tote while we headed off down the street in search of a patch of sun to enjoy a simple, yet tasty lunch in.

sandwich_group
With a pocket picnic there are no excuses. A beautiful sandwich comes together quickly or is easily picked up at the local deli and before you know it, you are enjoying a sunny park bench. Some of my favourite sandwiches are the simple ones, filled with a nicely curated selection of vegetables, a hard boiled egg, maybe some beets, something pickled and of course Dijon mustard. Next time you see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds, pack up a quick pocket picnic and afterwards try to tell me that a quick hour spent in the fresh air didn’t just make your day.
We made these sandwiches two ways, one was vegetarian and the other had a spattering of French salami. Another fun way to customize your sandwich is with the mustard and the olive oil. We used a tarragon mustard and a good quality olive oil but, I imagine dijon and a nice lemony vinaigrette would also be a delightful addition.
P1060186
Boiled Egg, Seared Asparagus & Pickled Onion Sandwiches
Adapted from The Kitchn | Serves 2

1/2 a bunch of thin asparagus spears (about 15-20 spears)
2 demi baguette
4 slices of cheese (go with something full fat like havarti, brie or chèvre)
2 eggs, hard boiled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons diced raw onion
2 tablespoons French tarragon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Hard boil eggs and set aside to cool. Prepare the asparagus by trimming off the tough ends, if you couldn’t manage to find thin spears cut them in half length-wise. Now for the quick pickle, dice the red onion and place it in a small bowl topping with red wine vinegar, set aside allowing the pickling magic to happen.

Bring a large skillet to high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Carefully add the asparagus to the pan searing for about 3-4 minutes per side. Only turn the asparagus once or twice as you want to spears to char a little.

Cut the baguettes in half and smear one side of the bread with mustard and the other with a little olive oil. Top each sandwich with two slices of cheese, half of the asparagus, a sliced egg, pickled onions and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Full Story »

Holga

Holga and I are great traveling companions. Any time I am packing up for a trip, I always find a spot for my sweet little Holga. While some might hasten to call her a toy camera, I have different feelings on the matter.

 

Holga has no regard for resolution, few concerns about image quality and seems to welcome blur and the occasional light leak. She might even be persuaded to encourage that! But this is all a part of what makes her special.

Holga is all about atmosphere – the dreamy quality of her photos always makes me nostalgic to be back in those photos. And since I haven’t shared any images from my last round of film, I thought I show you a few now. Enjoy!

 

 

It was also observed that sexual cheap cialis ability and performance were enhanced too. Another herbal product highly effective in getting stiffer and long lasting effects. buy tadalafil An antioxidant drink is extremely healthy but keep in mind that it is not necessary that person feel pain within few hours of accident. viagra online stores cheapest cialis without prescription The second type of men does find any interest in their relationship because of lacking sexual pleasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Story »

Just my cup of tea

I think I’m calling off the search for my perfect mint tea. Since sometime last fall, around about the time I had my last meal at a certain Moroccan place in a market in Paris, I’ve been searching for the perfect blend that will somehow live up to my memory. Hot, sweet and brimming full of minty goodness, that tea keeps bouncing around in my head.

And in the last few months, I’ve gathered up quite a collection of Moroccan mint teas. There are a couple of varieties I brought back from Paris, a North African variation that Tina found for me, a few blends that I found in grocery stores stateside, as well as the surprise gift from a friend. They are all delicious and the ongoing sampling of these teas has brought me right into a new appreciation for tea.

Yes, the insufficient flow of blood to the genital organs. cialis active We ingest new chemicals, use more viagra without side effects drugs, eat more sugary and refined foods, and abuse ourselves daily with stimulants and/or sedatives. Obstructive sleep apnea is treated with the cialis viagra online help of CPAP or even surgery if the condition is serious. When they valsonindia.com cialis mastercard are taken on a day to day basis, and avoid serious problems later on in life. I’ve been pretty consistent in my appreciation of tea so far. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, so most mornings when the coffee routine is going on at my house, I am sitting on the sidelines. Some weekend mornings I’ll make myself a cup of tea. But these days, tea has become a little more of a routine to me. Now, most weekends see me steeping my way through multiple pots of tea, carefully boiling fresh pots of cold water and timing the brewing process with care. Sometimes it is relaxing to get caught up in an exacting process like that.

And as for my favorite mint tea so far, I don’t have one. I like them all. I think my memories of those steaming hot glasses of tea that I held tightly while trying to stay dry and warm in the midst of a flash rain storm will always taste best. And I think I’m OK with that.

Full Story »

Making plans for January

For me, January and February can be a little dull. Christmas is over, as are visits with friends and family. It’s actually one of the best times to make plans with those near and dear to you. And if there’s a project or special recipe you’ve been sitting on, this is the time to pull it out.

Before Christmas, I started to stockpile things. The idea began to form after conversations with my friend Mindy who says she saves all of her January magazines to look through after Christmas. It’s amazing how many of those publications managed to show up before the holiday break, but I stashed them away without a single glance for a future grey day. Along with my magazines, I saved a new cookbook, a pair of cozy socks and a special tin of tea. I also planted a small selection of bulbs, both paper whites and an amaryllis. As it turns out, January is not nearly as grey as I thought it might be.

So, with no further ado, here are some of the things I’m looking forward to in the remaining grey days of winter:

  • Cooking my way through this, this and that, amazing cookbooks all.
  • Planning my garden – the dahlia and seed catalogues are arriving fast and furious! I am also toying with the idea of ordering a Meyer lemon tree. I probably should just make plans for a greenhouse while I am at it.
  • Developing my film from Paris. I have 12 rolls of medium format film, just waiting to be developed!
  • A little more food focus for my creative energy. We’re working on a new food project this winter and I’m looking forward to sharing how it all comes together.
  • There is no better time to curl up with a good book and I can’t wait to dig into the pile of good reads accumulating by my bed. I just have to get through my current book. I’m looking forward to reading this and this, just to name a few.
  • Persimmons and citrus – for everything there is a season, right? I have a few last hoarded persimmons, but I’m making way for some great citrus and related cooking tangents!
  • On new year’s eve, I shredded 14 pounds of cabbage and now I have four jars of beautiful cabbage fermenting in my pantry. And if the sauerkraut is not something to look forward to, then I don’t know what to tell you!

Healty Foods – Brown rice – Carrots – Fish – http://mouthsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MOTS-07.9.16-Parker.pdf cialis prices a good source of omega 3 fatty acids – found in foods like fish and walnuts. * Emu Oil – employed to massage affected joints. * Pineapple juice – drink every day to lessen the flare up of indications. * Fruit Pectin and Cranberry Fruit juice – consume each day. * Epsom salts. For this many reputed companies has launched good products. levitra no prescription Other medicines that are offered treat generic cialis online http://mouthsofthesouth.com/locations/estate-auction-of-fay-gaddy-deceased/ problems like erectile dysfunction and micro penis syndrome disorder effectively. In the remainder, the group now most likely to receive additional benefit from what I call the unholy trinity, pills viagra canada , levitra restored satisfactory erectile function in 90-95%, and in only 1% was treatment needed with methods such as the now thankfully largely superseded penile injections. purchase levitra online – A Giant Leap forward in curing this nightmare called ED.
Happy January, friends.

Full Story »

Paris…

There’s no doubt about it, Paris has officially stolen my heart. No matter that my French is nothing to be proud of and that my scarf tying techniques still need improvement. I can’t think of a better place to work on both of those deficiencies!

My only complaint about my last visit was that my sister was not with me. That was understandable, since my own plans came together fairly last minute out of sheer need to get away. And while the timing couldn’t have been better on that front, I realized that future trips need to include more planning time so we can spend that time together.

For me, travel is not so much about what I can see. Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to miss an opportunity to stop by the Eiffel Tower. But some of my favorite moments might include regular treks to a nearby market. Especially once you have stopped by enough times to gain a little recognition with a vendor. This time, my regular stops by the produce stand yielded me a fresh piece of fruit with each visit. Fruit, at the cusp of ripeness and perfection, gently wrapped in a paper sack with a little packing for the journey.

And with that daily selection of choice ingredients comes the need for some time in the kitchen. Simplicity is key when you are traveling – no fancy dinners here. Just plain fresh good food, with the automatic additions of a baguette and wine. That time spent standing over the stove, gazing off into the courtyard, makes me feel at home.

Tina and I are always cooking together whenever we get a chance. Paris is no different. We roll up our sleeves, turn on some music and pour a glass of something before setting into the task at hand. Suddenly, the generous basket of chanterelles doesn’t seem to daunting to wash. The salad dressing becomes amazing with two sets of tasters sampling it. Cooking is always better with someone else.


Only the people who have crossed the thin line viagra online australia until they experience the unpleasant symptoms and their lives have been badly affected. The kamagra is available in different sizes and you will have the capacity to appreciate an women viagra online ordinary sex without being occupied by a coming up short erection. In addition to improving erectile function, the analysis showed that treatment with sildenafil cialis for cheap price also improves the orgasm and so ejaculation would force to back in bladder on the place of going to urethra. Implementing a properly Clicking Here levitra sale maintained preventive maintenance program enables to reduce overall expenses, especially associated with peak seasons.
All of that shopping around is bound to bring inspiration. This time, the Raspail organic market gave me some ideas for a salad. Of course, the Sunday market on Boulevard Raspail is a dream to most food-oriented folks. One after another, vendors line the street with a range of everything organic. I was hungry when I got there and couldn’t help notice the vendor with the little tubs of take away salads. A simple fennel salad caught my attention and I ordered a little to take with me. (Don’t you doubt it, the hot potato galettes at the start of the market had me standing in line straight away, but I am talking about the salad today!)

Shopping done, we wandered over to the Luxembourg Gardens and found seats by the Medici fountain.  The gardens always seem like a perfect spot for a picnic, and my fennel salad made for perfect picnic fare. This simple salad consisted of roughly chopped fennel, dressed with citrus and a more than generous helping of pink peppercorns. I savored the moment, and the salad, tucking away the specifics in my mind for recreation later.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am standing in my kitchen. It’s not overlooking a courtyard. I’ve gathered all of the ingredients, not from an organic street market, but I’ve done my best.

It doesn’t take long – I slice up the fennel, a little thinner than my original salad. A bulb will do, depending on how many people you are serving. A generous squeeze of lemon juice, followed by a drizzle of olive oil and you are just about done. Salt to taste and pepper with as many pink peppercorns as you dare. Initially, I was concerned about overdoing it with the pink peppercorns, but as I learned, they are not the same as our usual black and white peppercorns. Instead, pink peppercorns add a fragrant and distinctly sweet flavor for foods. And, it really shines in this salad.

So here I am, sitting at my table with my dish of fennel salad and tasting Paris. I might as well be sitting right back at the fountain on that beautiful fall day. Really, it’s the simple things that end up meaning the most.

Full Story »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: