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Saying Goodbye to Icons in the Bastille Neighborhood
Living in a small neighborhood of the Bastille, the hardest phrases to hear over the last year have been: "We're closing and retiring" and "They have sold the shop for their retirement": Holmes, the stationery store, and now à la Petite Fabrique, the chocolate factory. Holmes was transformed into an upscale Italian restaurant and word is that Alain Ducasse is buying the Petite Fabrique.... The neighborhood in the area of Hugo's Les Miserables and the French Revolution has gone upscale.
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2014 Best Paris Baguette
Each year Paris votes for the best baguette. For the next year the boulanger winner provides President of France residing at the Elysée Palace with the morning baguette. The 2014 best Paris Baguette winner is Anthony Teixeira. Mr. Teixeira is the artisan baker at “Aux Délices du Palais” bakery in the fourteenth arrondissement. The father of Mr. Teixeira, 24, pictured won the same prize in 1998.
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Best Croissants in Paris-Figaroscope’s Ranking
When travelers arrive hungry in Paris, isn’t the croissant one of the visitor’s first thoughts? How do you choose a croissant? What’s the criteria. Have you ever seen one made in front of your very eyes? Croissant aficionados, prepare yourself to indulge. The best time to indulge in a croissant is in the morning. This might mean either anticipating its appearance in front of an oven or breathlessly waiting at a counter. After tasting thirty Paris croissants, the French newspaper, le Figaro, has published its ranking of the best croissants in Paris. Le Figaroscope, the Wednesday supplement of le Figaro, published an article that begs to answer the question: “Where does one find…
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Paris Hot Chocolate Tastings
The quest is on to find those hot chocolate nooks – not the chain or the ones found in every Paris guide book. This list contains the names and information of places I will or I have tried. Help add to the list with your comments. The Paris Mayor’s office has begun a list of best chocolat chauds in Paris using the bike rental Vélib as a guide. At the George V reservations are limited to the number of people for their chocolat chauds. Our group was limited to eight in the center using a sofa and a couple of smaller tables. The chocolate was served in the traditional side-handle…
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Paris Has Chosen The Best Baguette 2012
A flight attendant friend of mine bought a normal baguette at an organic bakery. Not au levain (sour dough), céréale or complet. It was a regular white bread interior kind! Although my Parisian tastebuds were aghast, it did not matter to her. She knew it was going to be better than back home and it was French organic. I always ask for “Tradition” (said the French way: tra dis ee oon or “tradi” or au levain nature (na toor). The city of Paris organizes an annual competition to choose the best Parisian baguette. For the eighteenth contest, Mr. Sébastien Mauvieux of Boulangerie Mauvieux has produced a baguette that measures between 55 and 65…
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A Weekend with Children in Paris
Having fun with children in Paris Travel to Paris with the eyes of a child. Hopefully, you have visited the city before so you can begin to think along those lines. You might bring your own children; we rent ours by the week. One of the beauties of bringing children to Paris is the new view — seeing it through their eyes. Come take a springtime visit with us in Paris. Our niece and nephew live on the outskirts of west Paris and stay with us every now and then while their parents take a little vacation. We make a list of things to do, places to see, pizzas to…
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My Coiffeuse Wants A Cheesecake Recipe
Sometimes when you travel, the urge to eat something familiar causes a craving. Craving cheesecake? When it came up in a conversation, I realized that (1) I wanted a piece of cheesecake and (2) it seems to be quite popular in Paris. I decided it is time for a cheesecake project: Start making a list of cheesecake places in Paris! Good ideas begin in the most unusual places. Hair salon conversation covers a wide range of subjects. Chez Glamour, my coiffeuse, Anita, and a client touched on light subjects: actors and cheesecake. The women in the salon agreed that the transition from child actor to adult actor is difficult. We…
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Best Macarons in Town
Some of my favorites: Benoit Chocolats Website available in English 75, rue Saint-Antoine, 75004 Telephone: 01 49 96 52 02 Metro: Saint-Paul Au Levain du Marais 28 Blvd. Beaumarchais 75011 Paris Telephone: 01 48 05 17 14 Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Closed Tuesday and Wednesday Metro: Bastille or Chemin Vert Also excellent baguette tradition (crusty and airy) Ladurée Bonaparte 21 rue Bonaparte – 75006 Paris Telephone: 01 44 07 64 87 My recommendation: An afternoon rest at Ladurée Bonaporte for two or three people would consist of four mini macarons (try the violet-black currant, the fleur d’oranger, caramel and pistachio) and share a pot of tea (Marie Antoinette…
Enjoy Paris Through My Eyes
