Kim and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2010
More pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Restaurant Review - Le Relais de l'Entrecôte
OK, time for another restaurant review. In August we were very kindly treated by Kirsten Grant, along with Kirsten's sister-in-law Alex, to dinner at Le Relais de L'Entrecôte. Kirsten used to live in Paris so we trusted her judgement. Usually when people recommend a restaurant for a certain type of food or cuisine it's because they do that dish or cuisine particularly well, along with some other things on the menu. Well not l'Entrecôte. They only have one thing on the menu, actually there isn't a menu, just a wine list. When you first enter you immediately notice the black and white traditional waitress uniforms, and a flury of 50 something year old waitresses whipping around the restaurant at full speed. They sit you down, give you a wine menu and a few minutes later they come back to take your order. Choosing the wine is the hardest part so we just went with the house wine. The next question is how do you like your steak cooked. That's it! There is no menu, no choice other than rare, medium or well done. A truly ingenious business model: a salad to start, steak, fries. Vegetarians and vegans need not apply! Needless to say the steak and their special sauce was fantastic. Then just when you think, well, that was good but...... back comes the waitress with your second course of.........you guessed it, more steak frites.
Apparently there is a bit of a battle between Le Relais de l'Entrecôte and L'Entrecôte as to which one is the original, the best etc, but I'm not going to try and solve it here. I'm sure L'Entrecôte is just as good.
After dinner it was desert time the famous Ladurée on the Champs Elysées.
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte
15 rue Marbeuf
75008 Paris
01 49 52 07 17
plus other locations: www.relaisentrecote.fr
Ladurée
75, Avenue des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Restaurant Review - l'Ourcine
I know I know, I can hear the protests already: you're in Paris and all you write about are Asian restaurants!
So, here is a fantastic find: l'Ourcine. When my mum and Erik were visiting in August we wanted to try and new little restaurant around the corner from Le Foyer Vietnamien that I just wrote about. We don't know the name of it, we just call it the red restaurant since they didn't have a sign up, but the front was painted bright red. So off we went, only to find out it was closed for the month of August. Yes, it does still happen in our modern times, as hard as it is to believe. The fish store just down the street closes for July AND August each year if you can believe it. I guess they have the rental rate locked in and grandfathered from generations ago!
After finding out that the red restaurant was closed I jumped onto timeout.com/paris and looked for something close by. The good thing about timeout.com/paris is that they only have about 200 restaurants listed for Paris. Given the number of restaurants in the tourist capital of the world, you can pretty much bet that the 200 or so they have listed will be good. The down side that there is a chance that a restaurant that you want to try isn't very close by, or may be closed, so best to plan ahead.
So following my trusty Google maps on my iPhone, 20 or so minutes later we arrived at l'Oursine. "Vous avez de la place pour quatre" I ask. "Vous avez une réservation?" Merde, I thought of course the good little local place is going to be full, but alas the manager came our and said, sure no problem we can fit you in. We enjoyed a fantastic meal, €32 fixed price, 3 courses. I would highly recommend it and will go again, after we've exhausted the other 199 places on the list!
We'll get to the red restaurant sooner or later!
l'Ourcine
92 rue Broca
75013 Paris
01 47 07 13 65
Restaurant Review - Le Foyer Vietnamien
Well, it's been a while since we posted anything, but don't despair I'll post a few more in the coming days as there are no shortage of things to write about in Paris in December.
But, I thought I would add to the one restaurant review that I did in the spring. We don't eat out that often (the life of working for a start-up and married to a post-doc), but alas, we'll endeavor to write about the good restaurants we do go to, and we have been to a few.
So we'll officially kick it off with our favorite little restaurant in our 'hood: Le Foyer Vietnamien. Since you all know me so well, I don't need to tell you that we love asian food . Even our first post was about Mondol Kiri a Cambodian place, but don't worry there are some good french restaurants that I'll blog about also so stay tuned.
The great thing about Le Foyer Vietnamien is, well, everything: it's cheap, fantastic and just what you need on a cold winter night. I never had much luck with Vietnamese food in Vancouver; I kept trying but it just wasn't doing it for me, so I was a bit skeptical, but at €5.50 for a big bowl of Pho you can't go wrong. This Pho doesn't disappoint. I tried a stir fry dish the second time we went there, but now I just stick to the Pho, and we share an entrée (that's appetizer for you Canadians and Americans), the bamboo salad is our favorite. Beer! They have asian beer and it's cheap! So all in, a good meal for 2 people will be €15-20. For those of you from Vancouver, this is like a mini Hon's for Vietnamese food.
We've been there ~5 times already, so if you come to visit us, we'll probably take you there!
Le Foyer Vietnamien
80 rue Monge
75005 Paris
01 45 35 32 54
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Astérix 50th anniversary
Hard to believe but Astérix, Obélix and crew are 50 years old this week. To help celebrate a few scenes were setup around Paris for the past 10 days. Not as inspiring as we had hoped for, but you can't win them all. Maybe we'll have to go to Parc Astérix outside Paris one day.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Rotterdam and Gouda, Holland
A nice and smooth 3 hour high speed train ride from Paris is all it took to cross part of France, Belgium and into Rotterdam. Fortunately Luke and Mel's apartment is only a 10 minute walk from the train station (this comes in handy at the end of the weekend).
Saturday was spent wandering Rotterdam with our local tour guides in tow. We made sure to see more of the major architectural highlights that the city has to offer. Rotterdam was basically bombed flat during WWII, so it's a bit surreal to be in a large European city, but without all the old building and architecture that you come to expect when living in a city like Paris. First up was the stunning National Nederlanden skyscraper that seems to just disappear into the crisp clear fall sky.
We made sure to make our way to the NAI - Netherland Architecture Institute. They had an exposition on all types of world habitats, architecture and sustainable development; very interesting but some quite heavy stuff.
Of course a trip to Rotterdam wouldn't be complete without a trip to the famous Cube Houses.
and a bit of modern art
The following day we took the 15 minute train ride to the town of Gouda; yes where the cheese is from. It's a sleepy little town, especially on a Sunday when virtually everything is closed.
And of course we couldn't miss the Gouda Cheese Museum.
Sunday night it was back to Paris, or so we thought. Once the intercity train made the first stop the train manager came on and said we weren't going anywhere for a while. Someone up ahead had been hit by another train. Since we only had 30 minutes in between our train arriving in Bruxelles and our TGV train for Paris (the last one of the night) we had a feeling we wouldn't make it to Paris that night. So we hoped off the train and luckily there was a train that was available to make the 20 minute trip back to Rotterdam. Lucky for us we made it back to Rotterdam and thankfully Mel and Luke live close to the main train station. Up early the next morning for the 7:30 am train to Paris, and that's how our weekend in Rotterdam went.
Thanks to Mel, Luke, Ollie and Gaby for being such awesome hosts.
More pictures posted here, enjoy: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Bruges, Belgium
After a very busy August and September, with lots of visitors and guests, it was time for another little road trip. Rob and Cynthia were touring Europe for a month so we decided to meet them in Bruges, Belgium as they were en route from Germany to Paris. After nearly missing our connecting train in Bruxelles (since our tickets were printed with the incorrect train number) we arrived in Bruges on Friday afternoon, and ditched our bags at the fantastic bed and breakfast in the heart of Bruges.
Immediately upon arriving in the old city of Bruges, the lack of cars, and prevalence of bikes is evident. It was amazing to be in a city with so few cars (and that is coming from me!). The streets were quiet, and when we did see people, just outside the touristy areas, they were just peddling along on the old cobbled streets. Bikes everywhere! We could take a lesson or two from the old town of Bruges for our modern city centers. City planners take note.
Bikes parked at the train station
We didn't have much planned in the the way of what we wanted to see, we just decided to go with the flow and not worry too much about what we did or did not see. Before Rob and Cynthia arrived we just wandered and discovered on a sunny Friday afternoon. It doesn't get much better than that.
House and garden on the canal
Town Square
After a great breakfast at the B&B, Saturday morning we made our way to the canal boats. For those of you who have been to Paris these are definitely NOT the same as the Parisienne boats that cruise the Seine. There are only 20 canal boats in Bruges and each hold about 30 people for the 30 minute guided tour of Bruges. Private boats are not allowed.
After a lazy morning it was time for some exercise and what better way to get some exercise than to walk up the 366 steps of the Belfry tower in the center of town. The view from the top is amazing, and along the way you get to see the inner workings of the bill ringing system.
We ended the day with a little detour to Ostend on the coast of Belgium, just 30 minutes from Bruges. Ostend is a port town with a huge beach leading to the North Sea. It was good to see the ocean again..........
From here on it was full speed ahead to Paris, cruising the autoroute at unmentionable speeds before hitting the wall of traffic entering Paris on a Saturday night
For those keeners who simply can't get enough of our adventures, you wont have to wait too long since we will be in Rotterdam Holland in a couple of weeks visiting a friend from Queen's while he is finishing up his MBA, so stay tuned.
More pictures posted here: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Monet's Garden, Giverny and Les Andelys
Since we've been here we have headed out of town only a few times, but never 'just outside' Paris. We had our trips to England, Nice-Monaco and Prague. So it was time for a little road trip. Add the facts I hadn't driven in 6 months (yes I know, can you imagine the pain I've been suffering) and that my mum and Erik are on their third visit to Paris since we've moved here, it makes a perfect reason to get out of dodge for a day.
We rented a car in Paris and made our way along the Seine. Empty roads on a Saturday morning in August in Paris. Phew! The destination was Monet's garden and house in Giverny, about 80 kms west of Paris. As any road trip with my mum, you don't just take the autoroute to get there. You have to take some small side roads, just to see what you find. My mum had been in this area previously so she knew what to expect. Little French villages, along rivers and up against white chalk cliff banks. Quite picturesque indeed.
Once we arrived at Giverny we met up with a friend of Mack's who is doing a 6 month intership at Monet's garden during his horticulture schooling in NYC. Talk about a change from NYC to the little village of Giverny. We had met Chris the weekend before at Les Grandes Eaux de Versailles. He also spends time working near Versailles and Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Chris showed us around a bit then left us to explore Monet's house and garden. Even though it was quite busy it was amazingly relaxing. No wonder Monet's paintings are so are inspiring. I won't try and put words to it, I will just let the pictures do the talking.
After the house and garden tour, we met up for lunch with Chris at the Hotel Aubry just down the street: huge salads and good wine were enjoyed by all. We strolled the rest of the village and came across a small little museum: basically a bunch of old guys repairing old industrial equipment.
After Giverny we headed west along the Seine through the town of Vernonnet where we 'stumbled upon' an old mill, still clinging on to the remnants of a medieval bridge and tower.
The town of Les Andelys, is home to Chateau Gaillard, a castle built in the 1100's, that has seen it's days of action. Once it was no longer required, it was systematically pulled town to prevent it from being used as hiding and gathering spot for groups of thieves or rebels to plot against the kings of the day.
On the way back to our place in Paris, we stopped for an apero at Mack and Petra's place. Bread, cheese and wine of course.
Our next trip out of town will be at the end of September when Rob and Cynthia come to visit. We are going to meet them in Belgium on their way into Paris from Germany, so stay tuned.
More pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
We rented a car in Paris and made our way along the Seine. Empty roads on a Saturday morning in August in Paris. Phew! The destination was Monet's garden and house in Giverny, about 80 kms west of Paris. As any road trip with my mum, you don't just take the autoroute to get there. You have to take some small side roads, just to see what you find. My mum had been in this area previously so she knew what to expect. Little French villages, along rivers and up against white chalk cliff banks. Quite picturesque indeed.
Once we arrived at Giverny we met up with a friend of Mack's who is doing a 6 month intership at Monet's garden during his horticulture schooling in NYC. Talk about a change from NYC to the little village of Giverny. We had met Chris the weekend before at Les Grandes Eaux de Versailles. He also spends time working near Versailles and Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Chris showed us around a bit then left us to explore Monet's house and garden. Even though it was quite busy it was amazingly relaxing. No wonder Monet's paintings are so are inspiring. I won't try and put words to it, I will just let the pictures do the talking.
After the house and garden tour, we met up for lunch with Chris at the Hotel Aubry just down the street: huge salads and good wine were enjoyed by all. We strolled the rest of the village and came across a small little museum: basically a bunch of old guys repairing old industrial equipment.
After Giverny we headed west along the Seine through the town of Vernonnet where we 'stumbled upon' an old mill, still clinging on to the remnants of a medieval bridge and tower.
The town of Les Andelys, is home to Chateau Gaillard, a castle built in the 1100's, that has seen it's days of action. Once it was no longer required, it was systematically pulled town to prevent it from being used as hiding and gathering spot for groups of thieves or rebels to plot against the kings of the day.
On the way back to our place in Paris, we stopped for an apero at Mack and Petra's place. Bread, cheese and wine of course.
Our next trip out of town will be at the end of September when Rob and Cynthia come to visit. We are going to meet them in Belgium on their way into Paris from Germany, so stay tuned.
More pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Versailles - Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes
Every Saturday night in the summer the Château de Versailles closes early, and hosts a special event called Les Grandes Eaux Noctures, which is a 2 hour spectacle from 9 until 11pm. The evening starts with everyone culminating at the top of the stairs that lead into the fabulous and famous gardens. This is when you see that the design and placement of Versailles was not by accident. In the beautiful month of August, the sun sets nearly perfectly over the end of the canal. Simply amazing.
Then, for the following 2 hours you get to walk the garden grounds: all the fountains are running and are illuminated, classical music is playing in the background.
The evening finishes with a fireworks display above the Bassin du Char d'Apollon
At the end of the night, it's a mad rush out of Versailles. Just make sure you make it to the RER (Metro) station right away: there is only 1 train going into Paris. I guess the cabbies make a mint on these 10 or so Saturday nights............
More pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
Then, for the following 2 hours you get to walk the garden grounds: all the fountains are running and are illuminated, classical music is playing in the background.
The evening finishes with a fireworks display above the Bassin du Char d'Apollon
At the end of the night, it's a mad rush out of Versailles. Just make sure you make it to the RER (Metro) station right away: there is only 1 train going into Paris. I guess the cabbies make a mint on these 10 or so Saturday nights............
More pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Prague
We spent 5 great days in Prague and stayed with my friend Paula and her 2 year old daughter Maia. Paula's parents escaped from Czechoslovakia in the sixties and came to Canada. Paula moved into the house at the bottom of our street in West Vancouver when she was 5, so we've known each other a very long time. Her family still has a place in Prague and we timed our trip so we could spend some time with her and Maia.
The family apartment is in one of the suburbs of Prague and is on the second floor. The main floor has a bar/pub in it, perfect for great food and cheap beer. Eating in Prague is still cheap: 1-1.50euro for a pint of draft. Meals were hearty and large; made of mostly meat, and always accompanied with potatoes and/or bread dumplings, and gravy, yum! France has a reputation of being a meat eating country, but the Czech Republic (and probably all the Eastern European countries) can take that title in my book. Barely a vegetable in sight; most definitely NOT a country for vegetarians. Vegan? Forget about it, I would be surprised if there is even a Czech word for it. They would probably run them out of town like they did to the Russians in 1989!
Typical Czech breakfast: bread, cheese and deli meats. And probably beer, but we didn't have any. Those bananas are not from the Czech Republic, and shouldn't be in the photo.
Lunch and dinner: meat, carbs and beer. Does cabbage count as a veggie?
We barely spent 200euros in the five days we were there. Of course 'western' items are the same price, but we didn't go to Prague to buy a pair of shoes or clothes. Go anywhere in Europe at the end of July and you are bound to be in a sea of tourists. Prague was no different!
One of the most interesting things we did, was the Communism Museum. Very ironically located between the bastion of capitalism: a McDonald's, and a Casino. This is a must see in any visit to Prague. Make sure to spend the time to watch the video's (english subtitles) including footage of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Being in Europe and seeing all the century old historical sites, castles, palaces etc is great. However seeing amazing footage and reading articles from a major event that has happened in our lifetime is simply amazing.
Most of our time was simply spent exploring different areas of Prague including Vysehrad, Mala Stranka, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Walking a city like Prague is a good way to burn off all the beer calories. Saturday was Maia's second birthday, so we had a little party and her grandmothers house.
Prague Castle and Charles Bridge
Apparently the Czech's drink the most beer per capita (although I'm sure the Germans would dispute that). After our first sip we understood why. This stuff just goes down so easily, is so good and so cheap. Of course like the rest of Europe you can drink and buy it anywhere. When will North America wake up. I can't believe we are so anal about beer and wine in Canada. It's absurd - end rant!
Lots more pictures posted in two albums here: picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
The family apartment is in one of the suburbs of Prague and is on the second floor. The main floor has a bar/pub in it, perfect for great food and cheap beer. Eating in Prague is still cheap: 1-1.50euro for a pint of draft. Meals were hearty and large; made of mostly meat, and always accompanied with potatoes and/or bread dumplings, and gravy, yum! France has a reputation of being a meat eating country, but the Czech Republic (and probably all the Eastern European countries) can take that title in my book. Barely a vegetable in sight; most definitely NOT a country for vegetarians. Vegan? Forget about it, I would be surprised if there is even a Czech word for it. They would probably run them out of town like they did to the Russians in 1989!
Typical Czech breakfast: bread, cheese and deli meats. And probably beer, but we didn't have any. Those bananas are not from the Czech Republic, and shouldn't be in the photo.
Lunch and dinner: meat, carbs and beer. Does cabbage count as a veggie?We barely spent 200euros in the five days we were there. Of course 'western' items are the same price, but we didn't go to Prague to buy a pair of shoes or clothes. Go anywhere in Europe at the end of July and you are bound to be in a sea of tourists. Prague was no different!
One of the most interesting things we did, was the Communism Museum. Very ironically located between the bastion of capitalism: a McDonald's, and a Casino. This is a must see in any visit to Prague. Make sure to spend the time to watch the video's (english subtitles) including footage of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Being in Europe and seeing all the century old historical sites, castles, palaces etc is great. However seeing amazing footage and reading articles from a major event that has happened in our lifetime is simply amazing.
Most of our time was simply spent exploring different areas of Prague including Vysehrad, Mala Stranka, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Walking a city like Prague is a good way to burn off all the beer calories. Saturday was Maia's second birthday, so we had a little party and her grandmothers house.
Prague Castle and Charles Bridge
Apparently the Czech's drink the most beer per capita (although I'm sure the Germans would dispute that). After our first sip we understood why. This stuff just goes down so easily, is so good and so cheap. Of course like the rest of Europe you can drink and buy it anywhere. When will North America wake up. I can't believe we are so anal about beer and wine in Canada. It's absurd - end rant!
Lots more pictures posted in two albums here: picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76
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