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!
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