Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 296 Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:44 am Post subject:
Donna, since you're still taking suggestions - I hope I'm not telling you something you already know, but since you're staying in the Quartier Latin I'd feel remiss in not recommending Le Pre Verre (wonderful wine bistro in rue Thenard, just off boulevard St-Germain) and Eric Kayser's boulangerie in rue Monge... the latter a marvellous place for breakfast.
No mention of cleaning, just checking stocks of linens and crockery to make sure you have enough for the hordes descending on you.
Now going to lie down and recover from the suggestion of cleaning.... deep breath in, deep breath out, deep breath in, deep breath out.....
I will bring over the fabulous person who cleans for me. They can clean for us all and be fed and watered by all the cooks. I think that would be a good trade. _________________ If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.
Don't lie down!! A certain cat will pounce and go to sleep on you!! You could ask him to clean up... just for the look he'd give you it would be amusing!
Donna,
I am hoping to be able to start saving once I've bought costume from the spring/summer collections for my collection. That should be around May or June. But what I'd like to do is gather enough funds to tour the US and Canada so I can come and meet all of you! ... and then I'd have to tour Australia and NZ because otherwise I'd miss out there too... I really do need to start saving up. If only for the novelty of it!
I never was much good at saving, but I have considerable incentive! I do want to get to Paris too. I want to meet Debbie, Wayne and Guy in their natural surroundings... and possibly spot the Amazing Clotilde, tho' as she is so busy, I may only catch a glimpse of her in passing! _________________ Confusion comes fitted as standard.
I once figured out the geographical center of the C&Zers familiar to me from the forums, and it was in east central Cameroon! But then Barbara moved from New Zealand to Australia and skewed my pinpoint ha ha accuracy. It *would* be an adventure to meet in Africa! --Nearby that "center" there is, amazingly, a place called The New Jersey Dance Club!
Actually, nonstop flights from here (Salt Lake City) to Paris begin this summer, but my agoraphobic a** won't be on one! I do rely on the crumbs--er, juicy tidbits dropped by donnas and davids and debbies as they jet around.
How this for lousy location-- Salt Lake City holds all 3 of these titles:
Most Depressed City (highest use of anti-depressants)
Vainest City (plastic surgery stats)
Least Romantic City (lowest number of romance novels/"relationship" books sold)
But, according to our license plates, we have the "Greatest Snow on Earth"-- cold comfort ha ha!
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 456 Location: california
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:50 pm Post subject:
Not suggesting anything unkind about Salt Lake (which, as I recall from a long ago visit, is quite lovely), but the most surprising stat here is the "Vainest City" tag. My goodness! Ahead of LA or New York? Or even San Francisco? I'm astonished. Of course, the term "plastic/cosmetic surgery" has many subcategories. It would be interesting to see the breakdown of what kinds of surgeries count here.
LOL gentle georgia--are you really trying to say that the city is lovely compared with all the ugly people?!
(It's gorgeous here-- close-up mountains currently covered in fresh snow! And the *spectac* desert scenery--fuggedaboutit..)
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 456 Location: california
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:48 am Post subject:
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I mean no insult of any kind to the people of Salt Lake City (or their egos). But even the Forbes article noted their surprise that SLC ranked #1 among "vainest" cities -- ahead of LA, New York, and Miami. If you read carefully, of course, statistics register many variables, and that was certainly the case in this instance. I think I just assumed that more celebrity driven, beauty-seeking areas would blow a town like Salt Lake (i.e. one that is perceived to be less "superficial" in those areas) off the map. That, in itself, is an extremely prejudiced thing to say, so......................I will stop talking now and just hope that everyone gets what I'm trying to say here despite my inarticulateness.
But it is important, I think, to note how our preconceptions can so often be misconceptions. A few years ago, I read that the highest percentage of divorces in the US is in the state of.....what would you think? California? New York? Florida? States one might associate with high living, high incomes, a looser sense of morality? Nope. Highest divorce rate in the US was in Oklahoma. Smack in the middle of the Bible Belt.
The reasons cited: high percentage of marriages among the very young (just out of high school), and those were a result of social pressures against premarital sex (and pregnancy, of course), and pressure to start families at a young age. Those high school sweethearts get married, halt their educations--which result in lower paying jobs--, start families very young, find themselves in their early '20s with a couple of kids, a low-paying job, and a partner with whom they no longer have anything in common. Bingo. Divorce. (I do not know if that statistic is accurate at this date.)
At any rate, gingerpale, I am sure that the citizens of Salt Lake City are absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
...and don't get me started on beautiful grandchildren or I'll never stop...
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 456 Location: california
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:58 am Post subject:
I just realized this forum has gone way off-topic, which is Donna's Paris trip. Just to return to the subject at hand...I have purchased very warm longjohns and have been practicing scrunching up in a duffel bag for a 12 hour flight in an unheated baggage compartment.
Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 827 Location: Oakland, CA
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:39 am Post subject:
Georgia, if you pack yourself in ice, it will probably be more realistic!
I'm betting a nickel that you will be somewhere EXCITING for your big day. But if you could convince Leonard to get 2 tickets to Paris for next week, it would be a gas!
My Godmother called tonight to say she is putting a check in the mail for me to treat myself to something in Paris! Like Paris is not enough of a treat!
We made reservations tonight for Aux Lyonnais! I'm getting excited! Now I just have to get my lesson plans done! _________________ L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais
Lucky you, dear Donna. February ( together with the other 11 months... ) is my preferate month in Paris . We've spent about two weeks every year there since 1998. Unfortunately , due to my husbands' health condition, it won't happen in 2008. February is cold, but that enhances the pleasure of the short "pause-cafe" in the (ex) smoky little cafes, the pleasure of strolling around expositions and museums without the crowds, and walking around my favourite places if it's not raining . We usually live in an appartment, because I love buying and cooking in Paris, it reminds me of the 5 years I lived there as a (poor) student. There is always a good market around , and I enjoy buying and eating foods i don't have here.
While trying to heal my sorrow of having to skip Paris this winter ( and especially the reasons for it) , I browsed some sites. I'm sure you have all the information you need, so I'll mention just two expositions which seem very interesting: 1. Christian Lacroix at the Musee des arts Decoratifs on Rue de Rivoli 2. Roland Petit at the Opera Garnier, which also offers the opportunity to visit this incredibly beautiful building .
A propos Rue de Rivoli, last year I enterd for the first time the Louvre des Antiquaires ( rue de Rivoly near the Hotel du Louvre). I don't know how I missed it for the last 35 years though I passed it hundreds of times. I think I just assumed - wrongly- that's it is open only for professionals. If you like old furniture in beautiful shops, that's a good place to see them.
Have a wonderful time, eat a lot of wonderful food ( and chocolates, and cakes and cheese and everything..), and I hope that the rightly famous Aux Lyonnais will answer your wildest expectations for your birthday.
Bon Voyage, Bon Anniversaire,
Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 827 Location: Oakland, CA
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:15 pm Post subject:
GP - I had read this - as I have been delving into her Paris City Guide entries. It was one of the things - along with a recommendation from my neighbor, that persuaded me that this was where I wanted to have my birthday dinner. Also, it's on Mark Bittman's (NYTimes) list of wonderful (affordable) Parisien bistros
Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 827 Location: Oakland, CA
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject:
Yesterday I made reservations to take a behind the scenes tour of a Boulangerie. (In England this is called a behind the scones tour. )
Saturday morning at 11:00 AM. we will be visiting Au Grand Richlieu in the 1eme.
This is one of those Meeting the French tours. I looked at the grand tour of patisseries and chocolatiers, but it cost 85 Euros - and was for most of the day. Maybe one day I will do that, but for such a brief visit, it seemed quite extravagant - both in terms of time and money! The bakery tour is one hour and cost 6 Euros - so Sam, Ben and I are all going. Ben is turning into a baker, also, so he is quite excited. _________________ L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais
Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 827 Location: Oakland, CA
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:
Oh, NO! Aux Lyonnais is closed on Sundays! That was the day the three of us - Ben, Sam and I, were going to have our family celebration!
Well, perhaps we will have to eat there on Saturday with Philippe and Armelle.
Now - can anyone recommend a wonderful resto for just the three of us to enjoy for my family celebration on Sunday evening? It needn't be expensive, but I am hoping for charming and good food!
Debbie, you gave me a lovely list of places. Is there one on that list you could recommend that is open on Sunday?
Rachel has mentioned Le Pre Verre, which is near where we are staying. But it is not open on Sundays either.
What to do? Recommendations gratefully received! _________________ L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais
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