Chocolat l'Africain named for the African chocolate used in this "ancient" hot chocolate recipeFor the few remaining weekends I have in Paris, I plan to make Saturdays a day of decadence. I started last Saturday with a trip to Angelina. Most people who have visited Paris or who love chocolate know of Angelina- situated on the rue de Rivoli opposite the magnificent Tuilleries Gardens and near the Louvre, Angelina is famous for it’s silky, rich and heavenly hot chocolate which is more like drinking melted chocolate. Not only did I indulge in this wonderful hot chocolate but I also tried their almost as famous Mont Blanc- a very unique looking sweet (but not like Mont Blanc to my eye) with a meringue base topped with whipped cream covered in “noodles” of chestnut cream. I pride myself on my sweet tooth but this combination was even too much for me!

Mont Blanc or according to the American's- the "bomb"
Whilst waiting for my table I couldn’t help but hear the conversation of the Americans behind me. One seemed to have been in Paris a bit longer than the other and the “less experienced” one asked the “more experienced” one referring to the Mont Blanc- “what do you think that is?” “Well”, says the “more experienced” one, “that’s a bomb and that stuff on the top is chocolate mousse.” I had a hard time stifling my giggle and couldn’t believe that the “more experienced” one could be so adverse to saying “I don’t know.”  

There is some value in being able to say “I don’t know” which is part of the reason I am writing this blog. I have been brainstorming as to where to visit this Saturday. I have indulged in the best macaroons in Paris from Ladurée – tiny pieces of heaven! I have tasted the best ice cream in Paris from Berthillon but unfortunately the ice cream weather has passed. People who know better than me regularly treat me to cheeses and wines. My only thought at the moment is perhaps to visit Pierre Hermé’s shop who I understand is very famous for his pastries - some say his macaroons are better than Ladurée’s. But really, I just don’t know and I thought some of you out there might be able to give me some ideas. Feel free to leave a comment on the blog or email me.

1.    Walking

Especially when you don’t have to be anywhere in particular- I find a different way to walk home every day. Sometimes my forty minute walk home ends up taking 2 hours but the city is so pretty and gorgeous boutiques are tucked away in the least likely of places.

2.    Beaucoup des Jardins

There is a beautiful garden/park every couple of kilometres- some are famous and some are tiny little playgrounds for the local kiddies. When I grab some lunch, I can bet on a garden to eat it in within a 5 minute walk in any direction. When it was lighter and warmer, one of my favourite things to do was to have a picnic at one of the local parks (Place des Vosges) or a little farther a field (Jardins du Trocadéro with a view of the Eiffel Tower).

3.    Fresh baguette at 7pm

Whilst walking home from work, it is possible to pop into the bakery next door, the bakery down the road or the bakery a couple of blocks away and pick up a baguette straight from the oven- warm and amazingly tasty. Often the same can be said for 7am and 12pm.

4.    Bread

While I’m on the subject of fresh baguettes, I have to mention the bread. It is possible for me to eat half a baguette (because it’s so delicious, not because I’m necessarily hungry) without my stomach taking on the appearance of a balloon. The bread is delicious, always fresh and never lasts long (probably also because they don’t pack preservatives into it). A friend of mine said to me the other night- “they say Americans buy bread twice a week, the French twice a day.” I’d believe it.

5.    Shop opening hours

As a general rule, the majority of shops in Paris open late in the morning and close at around 7.30 in the evening. Therefore I can leave work at 6pm, wander home and check out at least 500 pairs of boots (still not yet finding a pair I actually want with the exception of a pair at Camper – of course I have to choose the expensive pair) and arrive home by 7.30pm.

6.    Bars – small and full of character

It seems in Hobart that a lot of our more successful bars are large and stylish- think T42, Quarry, Bar Celona and Onba. In Paris, it’s the opposite. There are a multitude of tiny bars full of quaint and unique atmosphere (my local, which you can see in the image on the left, is Le Kitch and as it’s title suggests, the décor is kitsch and gorgeous) with people spilling out of them and onto the pavement every night from 6pm until the early hours of the morning. Happy hour runs from 5.30pm sometimes for the prescribed hour and sometimes up to 9pm.

7.    Eating Out

When you plan to eat out in Paris, you have time to leave work at 6pm, wander home, do some pilates, have a shower and change your clothes and by that stage it may be around 8pm and you might think about meeting your dinner date at the local bar. You’ll be lucky to eat by 9.30pm and definitely won’t be in bed by midnight. But somehow you can get up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to do it again.

8.    Quiche

The French know how to do quiche- it’s cheap, tastes fantastic and can be found in any bakery (of which there are many- see point 9). I need to learn how to make my quiche taste this good. A typical Aussie bloke after being swayed to eat quiche in Paris is now of the opinion that real men do eat quiche.

9.    Boulangeries, Charcuteries, Patisseries, Boucheries, Poissoneries etc. etc. etc.

Paris is made up of thousands of small bakeries, butcheries, fish shops, chocolate shops, cheese shops… the list goes on. Walk up any street and you have a choice of many in every direction you look. There are such a lot of them that you wonder how they can all survive competing on top of one another? Maybe they don’t? I know I will always choose the shop that has a line up outside and it hasn’t failed me yet.

10.    Shop clumping

More often than not, if you want a particular item in Paris and you manage to find a shop that has that item, every shop in the near vicinity will also have that item. There are streets dedicated to cameras and accessories, art, paper, home wares and of course clothes to mention just a few. It’s a little like if Wendy King, Polly, Betts, Williams and Fauls all set themselves up along Criterion St. Very handy.

If I were to attribute one single reason why French women apparently don’t get fat it would be

… stairs.

The stairs from the metro to the street, the stairs leading to your apartment door, the stairs to the office, the stairs in the park- the stairs, the stairs, the stairs! Not to mention the walking between the stairs. 

If I were to be serious about the matter, I should also mention the fact that the wise French woman will eat good food. By that I mean high quality food- an idea repeated throughout the infamous book (which is worth reading just to fill your head with the beautiful descriptions of classic French food from the author’s childhood) and discussed with a stunning (and skinny) French woman last week. She assured me that she ate everything and a lot of everything but that her secret was to make sure it was good food- that way her body felt nourished and full even on small portions and she didn’t crave anything else. Fresh bread, charcuterie, pastries and her passion for the amazing Berthillon chocolate ice cream contribute to her slim figure, her energy to perform and maybe even her songs (perhaps - my French listening skills are still in development, you’ll have to listen to them on www.cynthiaqueenton.com).

However, I’m not entirely sure I have a full understanding of the “French women don’t get fat” concept just yet as my clothes are feeling rather snug lately. However, I have no time to concern myself with a few extra centimetres- the bar down stairs serves great mojitos (and I get to walk up three flights of stairs afterwards), my fridge is filled with yummy French cheese, the boulangerie up the road sells the most amazing almond and chocolate brioche and there is nothing nicer than filling up on saucisson, red, yellow and green tomatoes and hommus in the local park with a bottle of red wine nearby.

Parfait.

Picnic at my local park

 

We're hoping Gin will have easy internet access, and will be able to share her French experiences with us!