Monday, August 16, 2010
The Engineering of...goodbyes
Goodbye Paris, hello States! Had a safe, yet bittersweet, return trip home this weekend. Was under the 23 kilo suitcase weight limit-- whew. Quite a shock to be surrounded by English speakers, signage, and spicy food?? Going to ration my small hoard of French goodies so that the sensory memories will last me a long time!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Engineering of...fallafel
The Marais is a hip Parisian district with lively backstreets that house hidden ethnic culinary treasures. L'As du Fallafel is one of these places. And I should know because I, guiltily, have eaten there twice in two days. The cobblestone streets of the area lead pedestrians to a stand with loud hawkers outside claiming they have the best fallafel in the world! Fodor's, New York Times, and Zagat happen to agree.
I joined the long line of hungry patrons to sample the oh-so-delicious fallafel sandwich with cucumber, hummus, cabbage, pita, and tomato. Wish I had the recipe! The sandwich is just right for munching while walking and window shopping, which I did.
I walked all the way to the Seine. On my last Sunday in Paris, I had to say my good-byes to the most beautiful part of the city! Plus, Paris Plage was happening. Huge loads of sand are dumped along the banks of the river, where food stands, bocce ball courts, lounge chairs, and palm trees are brought in. This event is hugely popular amongst Parisians and tourists alike, and attracts some pretty good street performers. The image is ironic, but a fun event for those Parisians who cannot escape to the beach for their holidays.
Work is winding down and I gave a presentation last Friday of my findings to a group of fellow Pasteurians. Was a nice culmination of my summer. Heading home Saturday; bittersweet!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Engineering of...Strasbourg
Guten tag from Strasbourg!
Took the TGV southeast to the "capital of Europe," where historical architecture meets the modernity of important EU buildings. We arrived quite early and the town was empty. We wound along streets with beautiful half-timbered houses overflowing with red flowers from the window boxes. The timber framing is made of a dark wood and contrasts the typically white plaster infill.
Although Strasbourg is currently French, it has changed hands many times and most of the people there speak both French and German. It was actually refreshing to hear the harsh German words after the smoothness and fluidity of French these past weeks.
We started the day with delicious pastries- one more French (pain au chocolat, can't go wrong) and the other more German (a wreath-shaped apple and cinnamon delight). We ate them by the river that encircles the city, which is basically one big island. Then, took a little walk through the multiple plazas where statues commemorate people like Gutenberg, who developed the first printing press when in Strasbourg.
The next stop was the huge old Strasbourg Cathedral!. Martin Luther's 95 Theses were put on display here at the start of the Reform Movement. It is made of unusual pink and brown stone. Construction began in 1015 and the Gothic architecture is apparent all the way up its tall, lone spire. The inside is dimmer and darker than some of the other light-flooded cathedrals I have seen in France, but has unusual stained glass that depicts biblical scenes on one side of the nave and important political people on the other. The rose window is beautiful, as is the unusual animated astronomical clock.
Next came a narrated boat tour (yes, I am secretly an 80 year-old woman on the inside) where we discovered the history of the town, which had some of the first Protestant churches in Europe. Got to ride through the canals with its system of locks and see how important the waterway was for shipping goods in between European countries.
Lunch was had at a cozy little restaurant with wooden carved chairs, checked curtains, and blue glazed pitchers. The meal was heavy, but delicious and very Alsatian...sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, bread, and onion tarts. I'm still full.
The afternoon led us to the lovely Petit France with even more gorgeous half-timbered homes and the long Pont Couvert (covered bridge). We also saw the University of Strasbourg, the largest university in France with alums like van Goethe and Louis Pasteur!
Finally, we made the long trek to the northeast corner of the city where the glass and metal structures home to important EU head offices are found. The Council of Europe building is a huge cylindrical structure with unusual long walls of hanging greenery inside, an amphitheater, and all the flags of the EU countries waving in the front. The European Court of Human Rights buildings looks like two angled cylinders and has seen many big cases come through its doors... Finally, the European Parliament building, where the administrative duties of the Council are carried out.
After our very early morning and late departure from Strasbourg, we were tired out and headed back on the TGV to complete my last weekend in Paris!
Took the TGV southeast to the "capital of Europe," where historical architecture meets the modernity of important EU buildings. We arrived quite early and the town was empty. We wound along streets with beautiful half-timbered houses overflowing with red flowers from the window boxes. The timber framing is made of a dark wood and contrasts the typically white plaster infill.
Although Strasbourg is currently French, it has changed hands many times and most of the people there speak both French and German. It was actually refreshing to hear the harsh German words after the smoothness and fluidity of French these past weeks.
We started the day with delicious pastries- one more French (pain au chocolat, can't go wrong) and the other more German (a wreath-shaped apple and cinnamon delight). We ate them by the river that encircles the city, which is basically one big island. Then, took a little walk through the multiple plazas where statues commemorate people like Gutenberg, who developed the first printing press when in Strasbourg.
The next stop was the huge old Strasbourg Cathedral!. Martin Luther's 95 Theses were put on display here at the start of the Reform Movement. It is made of unusual pink and brown stone. Construction began in 1015 and the Gothic architecture is apparent all the way up its tall, lone spire. The inside is dimmer and darker than some of the other light-flooded cathedrals I have seen in France, but has unusual stained glass that depicts biblical scenes on one side of the nave and important political people on the other. The rose window is beautiful, as is the unusual animated astronomical clock.
Next came a narrated boat tour (yes, I am secretly an 80 year-old woman on the inside) where we discovered the history of the town, which had some of the first Protestant churches in Europe. Got to ride through the canals with its system of locks and see how important the waterway was for shipping goods in between European countries.
Lunch was had at a cozy little restaurant with wooden carved chairs, checked curtains, and blue glazed pitchers. The meal was heavy, but delicious and very Alsatian...sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, bread, and onion tarts. I'm still full.
The afternoon led us to the lovely Petit France with even more gorgeous half-timbered homes and the long Pont Couvert (covered bridge). We also saw the University of Strasbourg, the largest university in France with alums like van Goethe and Louis Pasteur!
Finally, we made the long trek to the northeast corner of the city where the glass and metal structures home to important EU head offices are found. The Council of Europe building is a huge cylindrical structure with unusual long walls of hanging greenery inside, an amphitheater, and all the flags of the EU countries waving in the front. The European Court of Human Rights buildings looks like two angled cylinders and has seen many big cases come through its doors... Finally, the European Parliament building, where the administrative duties of the Council are carried out.
After our very early morning and late departure from Strasbourg, we were tired out and headed back on the TGV to complete my last weekend in Paris!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Engineering of...vino!
The smell of fresh fruit, veg, cheese, and rustic bread greeted us as we stepped off the train from Paris to Beaune. In the heart of Burgundy wine country, Beaune is a beautiful, quaint place and their famous Saturday market sold us on the town immediately!
We gathered everything necessary for a delicious French picnic, including the regional cheeses (and gelatin ham?!). The locals were friendly and intrigued by our background in "biologie..." Our backpacks sagging under the weight of carbs and dairy, we explored the town for a while.
Finally, we made it to a bike rental shop and distributed our picnic weight evenly. Clear the roads, because off we went! Winding through the streets, we made it to a stone gateway off a quieter dirt and gravel road that opened onto the most gorgeous scenery: rolling hills covered in deep green vines sprouting young grapes sprawled over the landscape. They were dotted with small stone storage houses and farms or the occasional stone cross or road marker.
Not a cloud in the sky, we followed a long trail around the plots and passed three tiny villages that sprang up along the way. Our stomachs growling, we stopped at a winery to munch on our loot. Got to see underground wine caves from the 14th and 15th centuries! Lunch was accompanied by a tasting of three white wines, two reds, and one sparkling white. Don't know how much information we got out of the sampling, as we had to depend on my little French knowledge to translate for the connoisseur.
We followed the trails back around the fortified town and returned the velos (bikes). Was an absolutely lovely day and I will definitely be returning to the area!
Sunday we went to our market back home in Paris to pick up supplies for another picnic...in the gardens of the Versailles Palace! What an idyllic French setting! We laid blankets by a large pond with floating white swans and ate fresh fruit and home-made tarts. Took a stroll around the water and got some sun. Felt like Marie Antoinette should have been walking by at any moment...
Only two weeks left in this awesome place. Stayed tuned for another update on the trip I am taking for my last full weekend here!
We gathered everything necessary for a delicious French picnic, including the regional cheeses (and gelatin ham?!). The locals were friendly and intrigued by our background in "biologie..." Our backpacks sagging under the weight of carbs and dairy, we explored the town for a while.
Finally, we made it to a bike rental shop and distributed our picnic weight evenly. Clear the roads, because off we went! Winding through the streets, we made it to a stone gateway off a quieter dirt and gravel road that opened onto the most gorgeous scenery: rolling hills covered in deep green vines sprouting young grapes sprawled over the landscape. They were dotted with small stone storage houses and farms or the occasional stone cross or road marker.
Not a cloud in the sky, we followed a long trail around the plots and passed three tiny villages that sprang up along the way. Our stomachs growling, we stopped at a winery to munch on our loot. Got to see underground wine caves from the 14th and 15th centuries! Lunch was accompanied by a tasting of three white wines, two reds, and one sparkling white. Don't know how much information we got out of the sampling, as we had to depend on my little French knowledge to translate for the connoisseur.
We followed the trails back around the fortified town and returned the velos (bikes). Was an absolutely lovely day and I will definitely be returning to the area!
Sunday we went to our market back home in Paris to pick up supplies for another picnic...in the gardens of the Versailles Palace! What an idyllic French setting! We laid blankets by a large pond with floating white swans and ate fresh fruit and home-made tarts. Took a stroll around the water and got some sun. Felt like Marie Antoinette should have been walking by at any moment...
Only two weeks left in this awesome place. Stayed tuned for another update on the trip I am taking for my last full weekend here!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Engineering of...the impossible
Last weekend, I went on a little adventure of my own to Mont St. Michel in northern France. Talk about an engineering feat! It has been rebuilt 14 times atop a boulder in the middle of quicksand and water that cuts it off from the mainland when the tide comes in. It used to house about 60 monks, but now 5 live there along with the numerous pilgrims who visit each morning.
The monastery was absolutely magical. As we approached it by bus, driving through the countryside, the pointed steeple of the Mont crept above the horizon line-- a domineering shadow against the cloudy sky. We stopped for lunch at a place with a great view of the island and munched on the famous Mont St. Michel omelet-- an odd, light, frothy dish.
Finally, we made our way to the base of the rocky site and wound our way up and into the monastery. Despite the dark appearance from the outside and the cold gray stone walls, the rooms are actually filled with light. The windows are angled in such a way that from either end of a room, you cannot actually see the panes of glass, but they still let in the sunshine. The monastery was a place of learning for the monks who knew everything from agriculture to physics and acted as doctors to the nearby villagers.
The main chapel of the monastery exemplifies the mixture of architectural styles that was necessary during its multiple renovations. The entryway is in the Roman style with straight, striated columns, but the altar area is framed by high, thin Gothic windows. Very Harry Potter-esque, overall.
I explored the town for a bit, sampling the also-famous Mont St. Michel apple shortbread cookies and squeezing through their "main road," which is as wide as an average person's shoulders!
On Sunday, we fought our way to the Champs Elysees where the Tour de France ended. After waiting for nearly six hours, the bikers finally arrived! They did five quick loops up and down the road. And by quick, I mean BLAZING FAST! We could barely see them as they zoomed by-- I was looking for Lance, but decided my search was in vain and took a video to analyze later, instead. Europe definitely has different interests in sports than the U.S.-- rugby, biking, soccer... So, the Spanish dude won in the end (the country is doing well this year, no?) and Lance said goodbye to the Tour for the last time.
And, shockingly, I only have three more weeks until I say goodbye to Paris! We have packed a lot in so far and I am planning on getting the most of my remaining time here...
The monastery was absolutely magical. As we approached it by bus, driving through the countryside, the pointed steeple of the Mont crept above the horizon line-- a domineering shadow against the cloudy sky. We stopped for lunch at a place with a great view of the island and munched on the famous Mont St. Michel omelet-- an odd, light, frothy dish.
Finally, we made our way to the base of the rocky site and wound our way up and into the monastery. Despite the dark appearance from the outside and the cold gray stone walls, the rooms are actually filled with light. The windows are angled in such a way that from either end of a room, you cannot actually see the panes of glass, but they still let in the sunshine. The monastery was a place of learning for the monks who knew everything from agriculture to physics and acted as doctors to the nearby villagers.
The main chapel of the monastery exemplifies the mixture of architectural styles that was necessary during its multiple renovations. The entryway is in the Roman style with straight, striated columns, but the altar area is framed by high, thin Gothic windows. Very Harry Potter-esque, overall.
I explored the town for a bit, sampling the also-famous Mont St. Michel apple shortbread cookies and squeezing through their "main road," which is as wide as an average person's shoulders!
On Sunday, we fought our way to the Champs Elysees where the Tour de France ended. After waiting for nearly six hours, the bikers finally arrived! They did five quick loops up and down the road. And by quick, I mean BLAZING FAST! We could barely see them as they zoomed by-- I was looking for Lance, but decided my search was in vain and took a video to analyze later, instead. Europe definitely has different interests in sports than the U.S.-- rugby, biking, soccer... So, the Spanish dude won in the end (the country is doing well this year, no?) and Lance said goodbye to the Tour for the last time.
And, shockingly, I only have three more weeks until I say goodbye to Paris! We have packed a lot in so far and I am planning on getting the most of my remaining time here...
The Engineering of...mouthwatering
I feel I must dedicate this next entry to Parisian food. Last Friday, I had the greatest moment of gustatory glee ever! That being said, the information found here is strictly confidential and no restaurant names will be revealed for fear of leaking our favorite little secret to the general public...
The restaurant lies in a more industrial area surrounded by small residential buildings. The long wooden tables encourage sharing of food and talk and contribute to a very cozy, French vibe.
We chose the Chef's menu: a five-course dinner of pure, nonstop sensory delight! First were the entrees (=appetizers). We had a zucchini/eggplant/pepper hummus with rustic dark bread that had a little bite to it. There were plates of thinly sliced ham topped with avocado puree, juicy whole shrimp, and beets with octopus! My favorite, though, was a palette-cleansing melon soup in a gorgeous shade of chilled-honeydew orange. This really could have been plenty of food for the entire meal, but it did not stop there...
Next, was a slice of white fish, slightly crisp on the outside with a wonderful, warm, chunky pepper and tomato sauce. This was followed by a bowl of lentils and pork (which we later found out was tongue...glad I did not know that in advance!). Next, a planche (board) of dry cheese and sweet, dark red cherry jam from the Pyrenees. Finally, a light, just-right slice of fruit tart.
It was tasty from start to finish and shared with fun friends-- a good night, to be sure!
The restaurant lies in a more industrial area surrounded by small residential buildings. The long wooden tables encourage sharing of food and talk and contribute to a very cozy, French vibe.
We chose the Chef's menu: a five-course dinner of pure, nonstop sensory delight! First were the entrees (=appetizers). We had a zucchini/eggplant/pepper hummus with rustic dark bread that had a little bite to it. There were plates of thinly sliced ham topped with avocado puree, juicy whole shrimp, and beets with octopus! My favorite, though, was a palette-cleansing melon soup in a gorgeous shade of chilled-honeydew orange. This really could have been plenty of food for the entire meal, but it did not stop there...
Next, was a slice of white fish, slightly crisp on the outside with a wonderful, warm, chunky pepper and tomato sauce. This was followed by a bowl of lentils and pork (which we later found out was tongue...glad I did not know that in advance!). Next, a planche (board) of dry cheese and sweet, dark red cherry jam from the Pyrenees. Finally, a light, just-right slice of fruit tart.
It was tasty from start to finish and shared with fun friends-- a good night, to be sure!
The Engineering of...reunions!
I had a lovely visit from two of my friends from high school who are interning in London for the summer. We crammed into my little Parisian apartment for the night, but spent most of the day out seeing the sights!
During a late-night picnic on one of the wooden bridges that spans the Seine, we caught a glimpse of the twinkling Eiffel Tower and waved to the river boats. The next morning, we made our way to an area I had not yet explored-- Montmarte. Very artsy, very trendy, and very hilly! The Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica sits atop Montmarte. It is a huge white stone church in an architectural style very different from the rest of the city. The view is fantastic from the top!
Montmarte is actually the most expensive place in Paris, yet as you work your way down the hill, you approach the base where it is the least expensive place in Paris! And we saw why. Although, I must say, the shopping deals are good there, the "red light" is a little distracting...catch my drift? But, we really wanted to see the outside of the Moulin Rouge (where I was tempted to cover the eyes of the touring children!). We also grabbed a bite at the cafe where part of Amelie was filmed-- in art deco style with a pink bar and geometric sconces.
Next we hit the Musee d'Orsay-- I was happy to go back again because it is one of my favorites and I saw new things in the paintings that I had missed before!
After a little evening gelato and a post-gossiping sleep, we went to the Notre Dame the next day. It is the second time I have been there, but, much like the Eiffel Tower, it always amazes me! Mass was also going on and it felt like we were traveling back in time.
Our final stop of the grand tour was the Musee de l'Orangerie. Was not sure what to expect here, but was pleasantly surprised! Situated at the corner of the Tuileries Gardens, the Musee is flooded with light. The main galleries are all round with a large occulus in the middle of the ceiling. Monet's water lily paintings wrap around the rooms. The big rule at the museum is "silence!" In the quiet and the sun, you feel like you are in the gardens with Mr. Monet! Although the subject matter is the same, each piece looks different from the next.
During a late-night picnic on one of the wooden bridges that spans the Seine, we caught a glimpse of the twinkling Eiffel Tower and waved to the river boats. The next morning, we made our way to an area I had not yet explored-- Montmarte. Very artsy, very trendy, and very hilly! The Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica sits atop Montmarte. It is a huge white stone church in an architectural style very different from the rest of the city. The view is fantastic from the top!
Montmarte is actually the most expensive place in Paris, yet as you work your way down the hill, you approach the base where it is the least expensive place in Paris! And we saw why. Although, I must say, the shopping deals are good there, the "red light" is a little distracting...catch my drift? But, we really wanted to see the outside of the Moulin Rouge (where I was tempted to cover the eyes of the touring children!). We also grabbed a bite at the cafe where part of Amelie was filmed-- in art deco style with a pink bar and geometric sconces.
Next we hit the Musee d'Orsay-- I was happy to go back again because it is one of my favorites and I saw new things in the paintings that I had missed before!
After a little evening gelato and a post-gossiping sleep, we went to the Notre Dame the next day. It is the second time I have been there, but, much like the Eiffel Tower, it always amazes me! Mass was also going on and it felt like we were traveling back in time.
Our final stop of the grand tour was the Musee de l'Orangerie. Was not sure what to expect here, but was pleasantly surprised! Situated at the corner of the Tuileries Gardens, the Musee is flooded with light. The main galleries are all round with a large occulus in the middle of the ceiling. Monet's water lily paintings wrap around the rooms. The big rule at the museum is "silence!" In the quiet and the sun, you feel like you are in the gardens with Mr. Monet! Although the subject matter is the same, each piece looks different from the next.
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