Getting Romantic in the City of Romance

I've been horrible -- horrible! -- about posting here, because it's been, well, quite a month. So I hope you've been keeping up over at A Year in Fromage. If not, here are two recent postings on love and romance (and dead fish) in Paris.

All you've ever wanted to know about the love locks popping up -- Whack-a-Mole-style - everywhere in Paris. And in the world.

And a wedding album like no other, mostly because it's a collection taken over the years from my local perspective. And also, because Anthony, the girls, and I just can't resist taking our own.

 

Super Ass Gyros

I'm just not sure: Would I rather have Oriental Pain, or a Super Ass Gyro?

 

 

Just after posting at A Year in Fromage about the signs in France that make me giggle I come across these gems. I've updated the posting over there, but if you've already read it, you can just enjoy these few new additions here. If not, click over and see what other beauties I've found.

And in case you're wondering, what's actually behind the strategically-placed sign in the café sign above is the letter "A".

Bubble Trouble

In case you were wondering, Bubble Tea -- those sweet Chinese tapioca drinks -- are taking over Paris, too. Well, anyplace there's Chinese food nearby and in many tourist spots where there's likely to be Chinese tourists. The girls love their Bubble Tea, as you can tell at the New Year's Parade in Paris' Chinatown. It was their favorite part of the event. In fact, they look like an ad for Bubble Tea. "Bubble Tea! It's Bubblicious!"

 

It's a packed crowd, but the girls are small enough to squeeze in at the front. I give Gigi the camera, and see whether she's inherited the Kodak gene. Turns out, she has! Here are some parts of the Chinese New Year's Parade that are colorful, and interesting. But not as great as Bubble Tea:

 

 

 

 

 

Gong Hey Fat Choy! Happy New Year! And may it be filled with bubbles.

 

 

 

Sweetest Job Ever

My most recent article for the Wall Street Journal is about the best artisanal, hand-made candy makers in Europe. And while I can't repeat any information or photos that you'll find in the article, I can send you over there to read it.

As you can imagine, Anthony and the girls had a lot of fun helping me research it:

 

Meanwhile, I am allowed to share with you some things that didn't make the article; I could write a whole book on just this store and its contents!

 

The store in Paris, Bonbon au Palais (which means Candy at the Palace), is the prettiest candy store I have ever seen in my life, bar none.

There's even more about the store at A Year in Fromage, but what I didn't include there was all the non-French candy the girls also got to enjoy.

Here are loads of delicious Irish candies in our house for the tasting and photo shoot:

 

 

 

And here with a gorgeous Spanish lollipop. They're not complaining!

 

Starting 851...

Notre Dame has finally finished celebrating her 850th anniversary, and the scaffolding for the "special seating" is coming down. Hooray! I know I already wrote about Notre Dame, but I have since taken more photos of her -- many of them my favorites. Here's a taste of the new ones, and for the rest, you can see the entire posting (with cheese) at A Year in Fromage:

 

 

 

 

Strategically Placed

Ah Provenceneyland™...land of lavender, poppies, flower-covered markets, flower-covered fields, and even flower-covered cheese.

 

But as Van Gogh knew, if there's one thing that just takes your breath away here in Provence, it's the fields of sunflowers. When you see a big field like this gleaming in the sun, you really must pull over and celebrate the moment. Trina here knows how to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

Then James goes and makes a joke about me cavorting topless among the sunflowers. And, well, perhaps you know how much I love to titillate (pardon the pun) and how little I care about modesty. So I actually do it. Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. James graciously returns to the car and Trina's the one who takes the photo, even though, frankly, we're all such old and good friends, I can't imagine any of us would really have cared. Nice sunflowers, eh? Too bad we didn't also take a photo of me strategically holding the two cantaloupes....

Shakey, Resplendent Among the Foulards

My couster (cousin-sister) takes Paris by storm. She brings along the Trader Joe's Candied Pecans, as requested, and also a surprise stow-away in her admirably small luggage: Shakey, the special friend of my little nephew (OK, technically first cousin once removed, for those keeping track). I know my couster enjoys her first ever trip to the City of Lights -- and also a rare vacation from work and parenting duties.

 

But it's Shakey who really seems to savor every moment of his first visit here. While my couster goes around madly shopping for scarves (going home with a total of ten, I believe, and making me feel better about my collection), Shakey simply revels in the silk and light cotton, the rainbow of colors, the swirl of patterns. He is, of course, a bear who appreciates flowing fabrics.

 

Shakey marvels at the views on, outside, and of the Eiffel Tower. For the "outside" photo, we each take a turn holding our arms out of the safety grill while the other photographs and find ourselves gripping for dear life (his, I guess, but it oddly feels like it's for our own).

  

There are other notable tourist attractions, of course, because Shakey is a very cultured, half teddy-bear-top/half blankey-bottom, centaur-like, sophisticated traveler. He's sensitive, too, as you can see by the tender look on my couster's face at the Louvre. Or perhaps that makes her the sensitive one.

  

Shakey also appreciates the simple things in life -- a casual meal at an atmospheric café or sharing a dessert crêpe with a good friend.

 

Lest you think that the only thing we enjoy on my cousin's trip here is running around taking pictures of Shakey, you should know that we also get a big kick out of the lawn-mowing system at the Jardin de Tuileries (no, not a joke; this really is the lawn mowing system here)...

 

 

...and this baba au rhum (rum cake) served to us for dessert. Shakey, who is a purely G-rated actor in this drama, will have nothing to do with this baba au rhum, as nudity and sexual innuendo are not in his contract.