Quick Bite

Looking for a quick bite in Paris close to Luxembourg Gardens?  If so, you are in luck.  Read on...

After passing by this shop day in and day out on my way to and from Ferrandi, I finally popped in to taste what I had been smelling every day for over five months. The intoxicating lure of a simple, homemade quiche is not something I can usually withstand for almost half a year. So, why did it take me so long to try such a seemingly delicious and might I add convenient place? Well, I simply didn't realize they had second floor (or first floor for the Frenchies) seating. I thought it was just a place to pick up food and go. Considering the thing my landlord called a kitchen wasn't exactly equipped to properly reheat a quiche, I had spent months reluctantly passing by this place. When I was finally finished with school and my stage (insert huge sigh of relief), I actually started paying more attention to things instead of just trying to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible or without the Parisians noticing I reeked of fish and garlic. That is when I noticed a little sign that said, "salle à l'étage" or dining room upstairs.

The dining room is tiny, but serves it purpose.  The staff is friendly and talented - since they have to cart every table's order up a flight of rickety stairs.

This is not a pretentious place as you can see.  The food is solid, comforting, and service is quick.  Order a quiche and a salad and you won't get any fancy-pants plating - just good food.

You might also get a heineken served in a wine glass, but hey can you really complain?

The chocolate cake was simple, but delicious and quite a large serving.  So, you might want to share with a friend.  Or who cares?  Just eat it all yourself and then take a guilt-free stroll through the park nearby.  Life's too short to not enjoy good food in Paris.

Les Saveurs de Pierre Emile

62, rue de Vaugirard

6th Arrondisement

Paris

Blasphemy

If you have been to Paris, you have probably heard about or read about the iconic ice cream shop Berthillon.  Maybe you have even visited it already.  Even if you haven't been to Paris you might have heard about it - it's just that well known.

Due to that fact, I hate to do what I'm about to do. Parisians will naturally accuse me of blasphemy, but I could not care less.  I call it like I see it and that's how it is.  In this case, I just do not think the ice cream at Berthillon merits the "highfalutin" status given to it. To me, there is much better ice cream in Paris and in the world at large (especially if you include gelato). Sorry Paris, but at least to me, it's true. Note: I'm no fool. Don't think it is an accident that I am stating this while not physically in Paris. :)

However, on the subject of Berthillon, I will say this: the sorbet there is worthy of all the prestige bestowed upon the shop. I have simply never tasted sorbet more flavorful or satisfying than that found at Berthillon. So, if you have been dying to check out this Parisian institution, never fear. Simply order the sorbet and you will not be disappointed.

The fancy shop on Ile St. Louis (the smaller island in the Seine) is typically teeming with people, so be prepared to stand in line.

There is also a salon attached to the shop where you can sit and enjoy your afternoon sugarfest.

You can even order gorgeous looking desserts like this.

Or you can take your deliciousness to the streets of Paris like I did.  Since I couldn't decide what sorbet flavors to get that day, I decided to fat-out and get four different kinds: peach, mango, wild strawberry (which has little bits of fraises des bois in it!) and black currant.  Next time, I will go nuclear and just get the black currant (cassis) and maybe the wild strawberry (fraises des bois) because they are out of this world.

Berthillon

www.berthillon.fr

31 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Ile

4th Arrondisement

Paris

One last thing: there are several cafes, brasseries, and restaurants that serve Berthillon ice creams and sorbets.  However, I think it is best to go straight to the source.  Of course, if you happen to be in Paris during the months of July and August, you are out of luck.  It might seem totally counter-intuitive (remember, though, that this is France we are talking about), but the Berthillon shop is typically CLOSED during the hottest months of the year.  Yep, an ice cream shop closed in the summer.  As my grandmother always said, "Beats all I've ever seen!" 

When you think about it, though, can you blame them?  It's obvious that they make enough money the rest of the year to not even bat an eye at closing during what other ice cream shops consider the "money" months.  Props to them for that.

A Weekend in Alsace

Before leaving France, I had the wonderful opportunity of spending a long weekend in Ottrott, a small village in the Alsace region.  If you haven't been to Alsace or it is not on your list of places you want to go, reconsider it as a destination.  In December, you might remember Brad and I visiting Strasbourg.  I fell in love with the area then and my recent trip to the countryside only made my love grow stronger.  It's just so unique with all the German influence.  Plus, the food is to die for, and the people are friendly.  Doesn't get much better than that!  Here is a quick look at my time in and around the small Alsatian town.

The weather was a bit dreary, but that was not unique to Alsace.  For some reason May in France this year was cold and rainy.  The beautiful landscape in and around Ottrot more than made up for that, though.

I have to give a big shout out to my hosts, Liliana and Janne.  Thank you so much for the invitation and all the hospitality you showed me.  

For example, when I arrived dog tired, cold, sick (and thus in desperate need of a nap) this is what was waiting for me in my room.  I mean, really?  Honestly, I could have stayed in there all day - roaring fireplace, cozy bed, good book.  It was perfect.

Alas, hunger got the best of me and so I was delighted when we headed into town to get some veritable flammekueche/tarte flambée. Believe me, it went fast! 

Next came a river fish that is frequently used in France called Sandre.  Fresh veggies with a cream and pesto sauce made it quite delicious.

Dessert seemed to take forever to get to the table.  When it arrived, I certainly knew why.  This was not your average creme brulée!  It was accompanied by all kinds of fruits and sorbets on a beautifully constructed plate.  Well done!

The next day, we headed to a local castle, Haut-Koenigsbourg.

Which had amazing views, even when it was overcast.

To rid ourselves of the chill we took on while walking through a centuries old castle in the cold, we headed to a little restaurant and tasted local delicacies, including snails.

As well as this potato, bacon and cheese dish.

Hupsa Pfannala was a quaint place with good food and good service.  If you are in the neighborhood, check it out.

Then we headed into "the big town," Obernai, which of course had traditional Alsatian architecture.

We even saw a stork's nest high on top of a chimney.  The area's mascot is a stork so I was excited to finally see proof that they really existed around there.  I was starting to think it was just a gimmick, but nature proved me wrong.

Speaking of nature, the next morning we woke up as early as our wine-induced sleep would allow and hiked a mountain.

Yes, you read that right.  We hiked up and down Mount Odile and while it was a tough start, the fresh air actually did us all some good. :)

At the top of the mountain lies a monastery (as well as breathtaking views).

There is also a natural spring with holy water that you can use to hydrate yourself on the long walk home.

It was such a long walk home that we were actually worried we had hiked down into Germany by accident.  It's an easy mistake to make, but luckily we ended up right where we started - in charming Ottrott, France.

Hupsa Pfannala

www.hupsapfannala.com

59 Route du Vin

Saint-Hippolyte

France

Below is a restaurant and wine shop that is not mentioned above, but is highly recommended:

L'Ami Fritz

www.amifritz.com

8, rue des Chateaux

Ottrot-le-Haut

France

Gordes

From Roussillon, I headed west towards Gordes.  Luckily, the only mountain I had to climb in my toy car to get there was at the very end.  In fact, it was the hilltop on which Gordes sits, looking liking a majestic medieval town stuck in time.

Not only is the view of Gordes itself beautiful, but also the views from Gordes are breathtaking.  Be prepared to take a camera and to shoot lots of photos.  The culinary scene in Gordes is pretty good too.  So, take your appetite as well.

View of Gordes when driving into the town.

View walking into the town from the parking area just outside town.  I suggest parking here because it's just easier.  There are some places in town, but save yourself the time and frustration of driving into this tiny hamlet and instead park right outside.  Plus, it gives you a good opportunity to take in more of the views since you won't be focused on the road (or the crazy French driver flying at you head-on).

The town center is open and surrounded by old stone buildings.

And lots of shops.

It's quiet and peaceful here.

And there are plenty of places to pop into when the rain starts coming down like this.

As my rain shelter, I personally chose a modern looking restaurant which served new twists on old French favorites.  This was their version of a goat cheese salad.  The goat cheese was wrapped in a phyllo dough and crisped in the oven, then drizzeled with a balsamic reduction.  Well done.

The scallop and shrimp gnocchi did not disappoint either.

But the best part of Gordes was without a doubt the landscape surrounding it.

Not to mention all the little stone walkways that lead you to the magnificent views.

Pretty cool.  I would definitely stop here again for lunch and to soak up the countryside.

On my way back to Aix, I stopped at this monastery.  It was the only thing in the entire valley and of course has been there for hundreds of years.  If you have time to swing by L'Abbaye de Senanque, I suggest it. 

Roussillon (and the perilous trip getting there)

Renting a car is the way to go in the south of France.  While the roads might be iffy, the scenery is gorgeous and well worth getting lost every time.  My day trip from Aix-en-Provence included a trip to Roussillon and Gordes.  Today, I show you my trip from Aix to Roussillon.  I might have referred to it as perilous, but I think it is safe to say that is a bit of an exaggeration.  It was actually really fun.  So fun in fact I hated that I had no one to share it with until I realized I had all of you.  So, take this trip with me... 

Not far outside of town, the road became small but everything else became vast.  I found myself wanting to stop every few minutes to just take in the fresh air and beautiful rolling hills.

Not to mention the occasional chateau I would pass surrounded by vineyards.

This bridge merited me stopping the car, getting out and taking it all in for a few minutes.

Winding through the backroads has huge benefits.  You get to see small villages that dot the countryside of France.  They seldom disappoint as they are almost always charming and full of history.

Take this town for example (hating myself right now for not remembering the name): my route took my straight through the center of town, right past the local castle.  Unbelievable.

Shortly after that, I got into territory with which I am not very familiar: driving through mountains.  You see, I'm originally from Louisiana (think below sea-level) and now live in Dallas (think barely above sea level).  Needless to say, winding up a mountain in a toy-sized car called for a few short breaks to allow some color to return to my face.

Speaking of safe, I highly recommend getting a GPS system if you intend on driving through the backroads of France.  However, here is my piece of advice regarding these systems - sometimes they have NO IDEA what they are talking about.  Please use your judgement like I did when the automated voice tells you to turn left down a road like the one above.  Clearly this was not a road I wanted to go down.  I wasn't even sure it was a road.  Looked more like a driveway to me.  So, I kept driving.

Frustrated, the voice told me to turn left again in 200 meters (that damn metric system again) and lo and behold this was where it wanted me to turn.  Again, not happening.  So, I continued on my merry way.

Only to have the voice tell me to turn left here.  Yep.  Here.  Where there is no road.  In fact, where there is nothing because this is the side of a MOUNTAIN.  GPS lady told me to turn left off the side of the mountain.  I felt like throwing the stupid thing off the mountain itself and seeing how GPS lady liked that.  Then I thought that probably wasn't such a good idea either.  So, I just ignored it as usual and headed to the next town where the GPS and I got back on good terms again.

Finally, I arrived in Roussillon, which is famous for the red ochre cliffs that surround it.  The village itself is high on a mountaintop and is a vision of oranges, reds and yellows.  It only takes a few minutes to stroll through the tiny town, so if you are close by, I suggest making a detour.  It might be quick, but it is unforgettable.

Stone stairwell leading to the town perched on the hill.

There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, art galleries and shops to keep you busy here.

Not to mention the beautiful architecture.

Walking through the town was like taking a step back in time.

Don't miss this store on the edge of town.  It has the best collection of pottery in Roussillon.  It was beautifully hand-painted.  I will be going back to France ASAP if only to shop here.  It's a must.