I have always wanted to go to a concert at Opéra Garnier. If I had a bucket list, this would be on it. So when we went to our marriage retreat and got the little jars to fill out with date ideas, I stuck a slip of paper with Opera Garnier inside. We pulled the slip out in April. Of… Read More
What is beef Wellington? Ha! I had no idea what it was until I made filet de boeuf en croûte and my Australian rugby friend came over and said, “Oh! beef Wellington!” Oooooh! So that’s what it is. Beef Wellington is a beautiful cut of roast beef, enrobed in puff pastry and stuffed with mushrooms. According to British tradition, it’s made with a… Read More
Claude Monet’s house is located in the small town of Giverny, about an hour outside of Paris. If you want information on how to access the house, click here. We went on a perfect, sunny spring day so it was not surprising that the place was packed and the line to get in was about an hour long. I suspect… Read More
Vaux-le-Vicomte is pronounced “voe (like woe is me, but with a v) – le-veekont“. You want to make the o a tight little sound, like that of a disapproving old lady. Vicomte, of course, means viscount, which, in English, is correctly pronounced vie (like fee fie fo fum kind of fie, but with a v) – count. (Not vis-count, like… Read More
What’s remarkable about the Château de Fontainebleau is that both kings and emperors have lived here. The Capétien, Valois, Bourbon dynasties, the two Napoleons, and (in between) the Orléans have all resided here. The palace is a representative of French architecture from the 12th through 19th century, and we got to visit it last fall. (I am only now getting around to this post.)… Read More
Le Petit Commines serves traditional French food, completely made from scratch with the exception of the pigeon terrine, which is brought in ready-made. As a result, this little bistro can cater to any food allergy, including gluten, soy, lactose, and peanut. It even has (limited) vegan options. What’s wonderful about this restaurant, besides the amazing food (really and truly good) is… Read More
