81 Rue de Loo

Alright, I am getting way behind on my blogging... so much for my New Year's Resolution!  I think I'll just have to spend my free Friday's prepping up some hot stuff to discuss... especially since my recent move to Pah-ree!

So, as a super die-hard, probably born in the wrong time period FAN of Julia Child, I was just ravie to have #1 on my "To Do in Pah-ree" list "Visit Julia Child's 81 Rue de Loo Apartment Building".

Well, because my hours are usually between 9am to 6pm Mon-Thurs, and Bri isn't free until 7pm on Fridays; that leaves us the weekends to run errands, visit, enjoy a bit and discover Pah-ree.

Thus the reason we found ourselves at a little Café in the 8ème plotting our mission to see the infamous 81 rue de Loo.

First off, Pah-ree is amazing.  I keep finding these incredible little pockets of America and cultures popping up all over different areas of the city.  I have discovered that the 8th Arrondissement is sort of evolving into an American sub-culture.

Take for example the whole onset of Cupcakes in Paris; I remember cupcakes were big when I left the States- all the big fund raising events would have the classy Cupcake Jones; and now Paris has caught the drift.  A search for these American delights leads us to many American cafés located, none other than, the 8ème.

Which is how we found ourselves in the Sugar Plum Café, located at 68 rue Cardinal Lemoine.. yup... 8ème.

My horribly shot photo of the barista at Sugar Plum Café

As soon as we entered the shop my ears were buzzing... something wasn't right.. everyone was speaking in.. ENGLISH!  All the menu- English!  All the people spattered about- English!  Amazing experience that I hadn't had in over a year and a half.. so of course I did the first thing I could think of.  I ordered a slice of good ol' American style Carrot Cake.

Cake 4€, bottomless crap coffee 2€

And did I chow down?  I forgot how much I loved carrot cake until I was downing fork after forkful of the stuff.  Bri ordered some weird chocolate thing.. was a bit dry- but his Valrhona Hot Chocolate? To die for.

After I was all fattened up and American-ed out, I decided it was time to go see Mrs. Child.  A quick métro ride later we found ourselves in the Métro leading up to Julia's street.. I imagined her taking the métro everywhere.. she had walked where I was walking. Her and Paul had strolled where WE were strolling.

Métro Roo de Loo

I was almost beside myself with excitement!

As we climbed up onto the street I started feeling like I did when I visited her exhibit in the Smithsonian, excitement... sadness (wishing she was still around and that she'd wanna meet me.  She'd like me, I'm no Julie Powell!)

On the corner, why was it TAGGED?

And then, of course, I got to my destination.  Ladies, gentlemen, die-hard fans of Julia Child, I present to you 81 Rue de Loo, her residence during 10 years when she begun The Book in France:

81 Rue de Loo

It was amazing.

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Adventures in the Metro

Living in a large European city teaches you many different things such as: get used to that 15 minute walk with heavy groceries, or, don't make eye contact with that scraggly looking group of youth, or even, be friends with your butcher.


The one thing I still haven't mastered since my year and a half in Lyon is What To Do On the Métro.

Public transportation is inevitable, even if I wanted to avoid the bus or the underground subway line I couldn't!  You see, even with the fabulous bike share system and the potential to walk anywhere with my two feet- the métro is juste faster and easier.

Or is it?

In Lyon there are 4 lines of the underground Métro system, 2 lines of forniculars, 4 lines of over-ground tramway system, a multitude of electric buses and and ever more selection of bus lines.  All information is available from the TCL Website.

Today's focus will be: The Underground Métro:

Line A, or the RED LINE goes from Perrache in the center to Vaulx-en-Valin la Soie (or whatever on the spelling) out on the East side of Lyon.  This line utilizes the typical system, a dude sitting and driving it.  However, this also causes some issues in regards to timing. The driver will sometimes wait at a stop, more than necessarily, probably picking his French teeth or laughing his French laugh.  This wait makes us all uncomfortable, and everyone begins to be aware of time passing- watches are checked ever 20 seconds, feet start tapping with impatience...

Line B, or the BLUE LINE goes from Stade de Gerland to Charpennes.  Basically a great line to avoid unless being transferred to the Centre Commercial de la Part-Dieu which is necessary when taking a train, doing Christmas shopping.. or even going to a Football Match (Stade de Gerland).

Line C, or the ORANGE LINE (really looks yellow, but I'm not picky) goes from Hôtel de Ville to La Croix Rousse.  It's a really odd métro line, why do I say this?  Because it resembles a sort of fornicular or cable car.  Everything is in a sort of slanted angle, when on the métro you have to do a sort off lean forward in order to not fall on your neighbor.  La Croix Rousse is up on a hill, so logic tells you the Métro is basically climbing a hill.  Same as the RED LINE, the ORANGE LINE has a manual driver which switches every end stop, and takes at least 7 minutes to start up.  But, a lot easier to take the métro than walk up the giant hills of the Croix Rousse.

Line D, or the GREEN LINE, goes from Gare de Vaise to Gare de Vénissieux.  Neither of the Gares is a nice place to be, so at my advice I use the Green line to get closer to Ikea (in St. Priest), get to Vieux Lyon... and that's about it.  Oh, word to the wise:  This line is a-u-t-o-m-a-t-e-d!  This means there is like a 5 minute passing period, if it's at the stop... RUN!  Once the beeping starts, you better jump into the train otherwise you will be waiting an efficient 3 minutes for the next one.

What to Do On the Métro, and What NOT To Do
Getting on the métro can be a terrible experience for those unprepared.  Between 4PM and 6PM every day there is a sudden flux of individuals all pressing to get home for dinner.  Baguettes stick people in the bum, bags are shoved into your chest, and with the métros having a limit of people- well that disappears.  If you want to catch a métro you must go in elbows first. Don't be afraid to push and jump into the craziness!  So:

Rule #1:  Elbows First.

Then you're on the métro, you have some posters glued along the side panels, lovely flourescent lights lining the ceiling.  Most likely a smelly homeless man shoved away in the corner, smelling grotesquely like an ogre.  There will probably be a group of hoodlums hanging in the corner and shouting to each other.  Now the question is, where to go?  If you have enough room to elbow through to a safe spot... In this case:

Rule #2: Find the Grandma.

So you've successfully gotten into the métro, situated yourself next to Grandma.  One thing is clear from this moment,

Rule #3: Look Anywhere but Other People's Eyes, AKA Avoid Eye Contact

Look any where else, that poster you've read a million times, your iPhone game, your hang nails.  Many French people will occupy themselves by chewing on their nails- if you want to avoid a terrible habit simple count the lines in the ceiling.  It is difficult to find things to do on the métro, but everyone is in the same position.

Looking around, you'll notice how hard everyone is trying to look anywhere but in someone's eyes.  On the métro, even though you're practically in your neighbor, it's as if we don't really exist in the same place.

Now, your stop is arriving...

Rule #4: Elbows Out to Exit the Métro

Don't let them French people get you stuck, just shout clearly, "excusez-MOI!" and elbow them.

Or you could always just get a year pass to Velo'V and bike it!

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I'm Californian French! (Bus Adventures)

Est-ce que c'est bien le bus pour Bellecour? The little old lady asked me, curiousity on her face.  I tried to explain back that yes, it would go to the center which was indeed Bellecour.

She stared at me behind her large black sunglasses and said, "Anglaise?" I smiled, used to this question and shook my head, "Non, Américaine!".

She paused, I thought perhaps I used too much gusto in the American statement and waited for her to respond. She threw her hands up smiling, "I'm American!... well French Californian!" as if California were it's own country.  Her strong French accent led me to believe she was instead a crazy old French lady who was mocking me.

I nodded and said, "that's nice" and was ready to turn to stare at the seat in front of me... except she continued.

Not only did she continue, she talked all the way to Bellecour.

"I moved to California in 1959, can you imagine?  I lived there 50 years and had this... how do you say... urge to move back and see Lyon.  I am so disappointed with Lyon, it was nothing as I remember.  The city has gotten dirty, the people are mean.  I love Americans!  I think younger French want to go to America... and I understand why."

I nodded and agreed, it was true, French culture was a shock to me... but I love Lyon equally as I do my own city in Oregon.  I asked her where she lived in California;

"Well, I don't want to BRAG or anything, but I lived in Beverly Hills... I'm no millionaire but I do have money for an old woman.  I had a great life there, Beverly Hills was so wonderful... you know I never took the bus in LA, I drove everywhere... I had this lovely big car.  I married a man from IOWA, can you believe it, an Iowan.  It was fabulous my life in California... my family.  Now be honest, you hate France don't you?  I can see it in your eyes!  It's okay to admit it, I hate it here too.  See?  Now Americans are all afraid to say what they think until they realize I understand!"


I just nodded, in a way I didn't like Lyon but in a huge way I did. Our bus got to our stop and she stopped talking, looked over and said, "Well dear, that's our stop.. nice talking to you," and she blows an air kiss and steps off the bus.  No exchange

She was probably around 70 years old, visiting her home town... disappointed and feeling betrayed as if she left a dream and came back to nothing.

Adventures in public transportation are so interesting.

World Different part 2: The Real Gastronomy Capital

I didn't believe the waiter when he told us the list of food that was available on the menu, and moreso the fact that it was only 15€ for the appetizer, main dish and dessert as well as wine (unlimited), entrance salad and toast combo with fresh charcuterie.

I remember coming home last Friday and dreading the reading on the scale.  The 128.5 flashed and burned into my brain and I thought, where did I gain 3 lbs from in 2 weeks? Looking back at this restaurant the answer became depressingly clear.

He listed off the names of the items in rolling Spanish, myself only listening for the things I really wanted to order. Rrsshh blaah blaahhh, rlshshh, blah, Gazpacho, sshhh.

"Gazpacho por favor".

Now onto main dish,

Psshh, rrrssiii, possifh, bacalao con all i oli...

"Bacalao para mi".

Rosado.

One thinks that because a menu is a mere 15€, the quality would be moderate.  The gazpacho arrived, a giant bowl, placed at my fingers.  I took one bite and was in heaven.  How could this little local spot have such amazing food for so cheap?  Well, it wasn't on the sea, it was mostly a spot for locals of Alcossebre and they reflected the prices that local people could pay.

With every course I ate, every fresh seafood product, each paella I chowed down and tapas that I exploded in my belly... I decided that Spain, especially the Catalunyan Region, should be the gastronomic capital of the world.  How could it not?

There are pork legs dried and strung everywhere in every corner of the streets, the paella has this soft subtly and a hint of saffron.





Seafood is captured fresh each day by local fisherman and delivered, hand delivered to the local restaurants.

There are scams, don't get me wrong, there were restaurants we visited where we were disgusted at the price... but when the delights were found it was 10x better than my favorite Lyonnaise restaurants.

The tapas.. how can something as simple as a grilled piece of toast with some smeared on tomatoes and garlic taste as fabulous as it did?

They don't do cheese well, but the one cheese they have mastered is by far the best- Queso Manchego.  Creamy in texture, deep in flavor, it melts in the mouth and offers a beautiful taste of a local product.

I remember that although the Paella Marisco was to die for, I was perfectly happy eating toasts with local charcuterie, queso manchego and chilled rosado wines.

This sparkly bubbly wine was a treat at the Con Paixano, pictured left, where we gorged on sandwiches, bubbly and queso manchego.  I think that was 1 lb there.

How is it all so amazing and yet so un 'haute cuisine' like in France? Simply put, the products.  Spain has the most incredible products, you can't drink the water from the faucet, granted, but those tomatoes made me drool.  They had chips that were fried in Olive Oil giving them this taste that I'd never had before- so much I smuggled a bag in my backpack to France.




I think next time I'll shoot to gain 5 lbs.  We only live once- right?

World Different part 1: Barcelona (Can Paixano)

My trip to Spain was a selection of different experiences that would take too many words to detail; instead I will be writing a series of my favorite memories in order to high light the adventure in Spain, now, first of Can Paixano:

It was a warm day when Bri and I packed our bags to head to Barcelona.  Not a typical vacation, we left to partake on a shared apartment with his parents and brother.  The first stop, however, in order to avoid traffic and given there was no place in the car, was to go to Barcelona via EasyJet (for only 80 round trip!).

It was surprisingly simple, we packed our bags a week in advance, we boarded with no problems and we landed in sunny Barcelona at about 12pm the 6th.  Strapped with just our overnight clothes we made our way to the center using their AeroBus system and popped off to purchase some metro passes.

We already knew what we wanted to see, it wasn't the hovering tower nor the fantastic church.  A friend of mine once gave me the name and address to a secretive local tapas bar, supposedly known to have the cheapest cava and the best tapas.  Of course, true gastronomes, we decided that to be our first destination.

The city is not easy to figure out, even lined with a GPS we got lost several times, we finally walked the 2 miles to get to the sea and hung a left straight to the tapas bar.  Can Paixano is a hidden spot located off a dingy street near the port.  The bar is stand up only, and elbows are needed in order to get something to eat.  The air conditioning rambles away in the background as the local clientale (mostly construction workers) are screaming out, "HOLA! EY HOLA!" to get the attention of the bar guy.  We got lucky and found ourselves a spot at the bar, and quickly ordered a bottle of the Cava Rosat for 5€, and an array of charcuteries and sandwiches.  If you are faint of the heart or slightly OCD, this place is not for you.  The trash can is the floor, once a sandwich is finished the thin paper gets tossed to the ground.  The kitchen is open plan, so the workers are constantly trudging around in old leftovers, the sandwiches made with no gloves.  Who said hygiene equals good food any way?

Halfway through our Rosat, we snapped a picture trying to eternalize the emotion or the sentiment surrounding the bar.  Our little glass of Rosat, our cheap bottle, the action... unfortunately we were too involved in enjoying to even snap the photo.

Bri waves over the barman, another cava, on our second bottle we are feeling Spanish.  The people surrounding us are only speaking in that beautiful lispy language, cheering each other, demanding more food.  Bri turns to a group of local construction workers and begins a conversation in his Fringspanol.  They cheer, pour more cava into our cups, order the local specialty in charcuterie and invite us to go dancing.  They smile and introduce themselves, call me muy guapa and continue the festivities.

It's finally 4pm when we wander out of the Can Paixano.  Where were we?  Suddenly we are feeling the heat of Barcelona and the effects of 2 bottles of Cava wine.  We decide best action is to go to the sea, in our underwear.

Which is exactly what Bri does, wandering off into the sea, smiling and overjoyed at the previous 2 hours we just spend gorging ourselves and welcoming ourselves to Spain.  The sea was warm, that gentle mediterranean sea that floats around you.  No one took notice that Bri was in underwear, nor that we were intoxicated and full.


It's decided, we will come back tonight and show his parents the magic.  Except, hours later, when we return it's a different world.  Suddenly all the locals are gone and are replaced with a myriad of tourists getting drunk and not eating.  The air conditioner has started leaking and the parents are extremely disappointed.  We realized that the Can Paixano, like a manic depressive relative, has decided to show a darker and unpleasant side.  At day, a local eatery known for high quality and good company, at night, tourists taking advantage of pricing and getting drunk before 10pm.

We head off to our hotel, deflated but yet satiated from the whole day and prepare for our next departure.

Advice: Getting to the Airport

To save a dime, we booked my Bro on a 6:55am flight back home.  I don't own a car in Lyon, since I live in the center and a taxi could easily cost us 50€ one way.  I routed and defined a way to get to the airport using public transports, so here's how it goes.  It is still slightly pricy and can take about 45 minutes to get to the airport; but it's worth it if you're carless like myself.

First:  What time is your flight?
Make sure you know what time the flight is, once you get that information work about 1.5 hours before that, meaning, plan to arrive by an hour and half prior to take off.  Lyon St. Exupery is a really easy airport, the security lines are minimal and it's never taken me more than 20 minutes to get through baggage drop and security to the gate.

Second:  Go to TCL, plan the trip...
I used the TCL's website trip planner to get me to 'Vaulx-en-Velin-la-soie'.  This is an above ground and below ground metro stop; they have tramways in this stop.  You can also plan to go to Lyon Part-Dieu train station.  With any of these, budget in about 20 minutes, as it usually takes me that long to get from city center to Vaulx-en-Velin.

Third:  RhoneExpress
Lyon recently opened up a new tramway called "RhoneExpress" that will take you directly from Part-Dieu or Vaulx-en-Valin to the airport.  Unfortunately the cost is a bit high, 19€ for a round trip, 11€ for a one way (12-25 years old).  The tram runs at 5:10, 5:40 am and after 6:00am every 15 minutes.  It's a fast way to get to the airport, and will take around 30 minutes from Part-Dieu and 20 minutes from Vaulx-en-Valin.

That's how I ended up getting up at 3:30 am this morning to drop my baby brother at the airport.  He's not quite old enough to figure out the metro stuff himself so I had to accompany him to the airport.. a chunk of change later, lack of sleep and feeling like a zombie; he's on his way back to the states.

Good luck on transport to the airport!

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What-What: Musée des Miniatures

Since I was young I have had an obsession with minature things; I used to go to the library in Forks (the little town I grew up) and check out multitudes of magazines on Miniatures and leaf through them.  I once even begged for Filo dough so I could make intricate little foods for my dollhouse- it was so fascinating to me.

This is why the day I ran across the Musée of Miniatures I was ecstatic to visit.  The location is right in the center of Vieux Lyon, near the St. Jean church.  The building is one of those classic Vieux Lyon types, from the 16th century, old stone staircases, dilapidated ceilings, odd smell to the foyer and the serene feeling that thousands of people have passed through the corridor.  The dank smell mixed with the new renovations provides a sense of a hold in time; that weird in-between the past in the future.

Bro is in town for 2 mores days, so we took advantage of yesterday to get our booties into the musée; for only 5.50€ each we started on our adventure.

The first story provides a movie set, meaning, all these special pieces that were used during the filming of a movie.  The one they have on show at the moment is from the movie "Perfume" in which I could write a whole separate blog post about.  Needless to say, a wander through this exhibit made me both curious to watch and curious as to what the movie is even about.  Here's some photos from the premiere etage:

Bro & Bri posing in front of "M. Grenouille" and his Perfume Laboratory

Dead Body.  So, Perfume is a murder story..

The Perfumerie; it actually smelled like roses...

Very authentic-looking 18th century Parisian office

As we continued through the exhibits we felt as if we were looking into the past.  Some of these pieces for the movies are so intricate it was hard to believe it was mostly made of plastic and fake wood.  Incredible.  The next story was specialized in movie props; aliens, Ah-nold, etc.  It was fun to see all the pieces used in the movies, but kind of disheartening because we realized that movies, in reality, are magic.

Rrrrr

Planet of the APES!

 

Ignore the Flash... it's Ah-Nold

Got this for my dad... Star Wars creature!

Moving onto the third story, we ended up in the land of Miniature paradise.  Everything was miniscule and could easily fit in the palm of your hand.  By leaning into the exhibits you felt lost in a tiny world and sometimes it felt as if you were looking at a vivid 3D imagine.

Mini Marché

Reconstruction from Picture, the artist took a photo and created a miniature real version.

Miniature Hallway... it really feels like you're there..

Tiny Nobles Salon.. or.. is it REALLLY tinny..??

Mini Barbershop

Buddhist temple... it was mini.. but so in depth.

We spent about 2 hours in the museum, jumping from exhibit to exhibit.  One of the best exhibits is the specialties of Lyon, mini version of beautiful places around our city.  The artist who created most of these minatures actually works in Lyon; and we got lucky enough to see him in his office behind glass.. it felt surreal.. but we realized it's a man who spends his life in a tiny world.

Needless to say, tourist trap or not, the Musée des Miniatures is a nice thing to do when it's too chilly for a walk.  It's not excessively priced and it's full of interesting information.  They rotate exhibits annually and the movie props alone are worth the excursion.

Practical Information
Musée des Miniatures is located on 60 rue St. Jean in the Maison des Avocats.  They are open daily from 8am to 6:30pm.. and on weekends until 7:00pm.  5.50€ for students!  FYI:  There is a really good boulangerie just catty corner from the Musée, one of the best baguettes in Lyon.

Enjoy!

Advice: A Day Trip to Perouges

Perouges... if you don't know of it you should.  It's a little town just North East of Lyon... and one of the oldest little surviving towns.  It dates back to the middle ages, think like 1226 AD... that's about 780 years old for those not good in math.

It's just like in Beauty and the Beast, a very small middle age town, and a must see if you live in Lyon.

Bri informed me recently that it's so close to Lyon one could hop a train, spend a day, hop a train back.  Thus I got the clever idea to inform YOU of...






A Day Trip to Perouges

Step 1:  Purchase tickets..

One can buy the tickets the day of, or before.  The prices for this little town don't change.  Go to the SNCF Website to book the tickets ( DESTINATION is actually 'Meximieux' which is next door), or buy directly from the train station.  My recommendation is to leave around 11am, after breakfast.  Trains are about 30 minutes in length.

Step 2:  Read on the History..

This town is about 780 years old, so, one can imagine that it's full of history.  Their website offers the information in French.. but here's a brief list of things to see...

• Porte d'en Haut: Old gateway made of stone.  It's the entrance to the city, where often merchants would come through with supplies.

• Porte d'en Bas:  Another entrance way with a saying scribbled into the stone.. very interesting to see.

•  Place du Tilleul:  Best preserved part of the city, the website informs that one can see a tree from the 14th century and a house from the 13th century.

• Rue des Rondes:  A street that used to be the place for the rich and nobles.

• State of St Georges:  Super old wooden statue depicting the town's father saint, saint georges.

• Church in Perouges:  Church dating to the 15th century.. can see destruction from vandalism from the revolution.

• Rue des Princes:  During the middle-ages, this was the street with the boucheries, boulangeries... etc.  Remember in Beauty and the Beast?  Well, it's kind of like when she's prancing around through the city singing 'bonjour'.

•  L'Ostellerie:  A hotel originating from the 13th Century.. super old and coooool!

Step 3:  A Plan to Visit

My recommendation for the visit is as follows...

1. Start by touring the city, visit the main sights.  Read the history, visit the churches.  This will only take about 2 hours, as the town is very small.
2. Eat lunch at a local restaurant, I recommend 'les terrasses de perouges' because they offer a 'midi menu' at only 14 Euro... pas cher!
3. Stop by and send some postcards to home, remember small towns like this often charge a lot for a postcard, so be selective who you are sending them to.
4. At the end, before heading home, stop by a boulangerie or patisserie and buy a specialty of the town called 'la galette au sucre' or sugar cake.  It's delicious, and something to bring home to remember the trip to perouges.

 Other Information on Perouges..

• They have a yearly medieval festival, around the beginning of June.  It costs 25 Euro, offers a banquet as well as drinks... but only has limited spaces, so as soon as they start accepting reservations you gotta jump on it.
• Perouges Christmas Market is only 11th and 12th of December.  Saturday December 11th, of this year, at 6pm will be the lighting of the city.

Happy visit..!

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What-What: Velo'v in France

In 2005, in Lyon France, the city government and a highly popular advertising firm called 'JC Decaux' started a system of temporary bike usage around the city.  Since the launch in 2005, the bike spots have grown to over 350 around the city.. and usage has spiked.  JC Decaux enables prices to be kept low through their subsidies to the government- very helpful. Everywhere you look a person can see the bikes around the city- distinguishable by their red plastic handlebars and large covered wheels.

The Velo'v Bike

The Hardware
Every bike has three gears, 1, 2 and 3.  The lowest is the easiest to ride, but the highest gets you there fastest.  Every bike can be located at a station.. stations usually have between 10-15 bikes, they are placed into the hole (metal goes into hole on the right hand side) and to be taken out one must put in their bike code/pass and choose the number, press the green button and pull it out.

A station in the rain.. the big metal box is where one gets their pass

Cost
Bikes are very inexpensive- depending how you purchase the pass.  A daily pass runs about €1; but you need to ensure you have at least €150 euro in your account to cover liability (in case of loss).

Here's the breakdown:

Type of Pass	Cost of Pass	Where to Purchase	Amount of Time on Bike
Daily (1 day)	€1	At Machine (w/ carte bleu)	30 minutes
Weekly (7 days)	€3	At Machine (w/ carte bleu)	30 minutes
Yearly	€15	Online, through inscription	30 minutes
*Técély Card	Cost of Card + 1 month metro	After you receive long term card,	1 hour

*For the telecy card you’ll need to do extra steps, detailed HERE 

Locations/SpeedThey are located everywhere around the city of Lyon.. it is incredibly useful and faster then waiting for the Métro or walking.  There's a basket in the front.. allowing you to carry boulangerie items or other- and beyond that it's really fun!  It takes me about 15 minutes to get from Bellecour to Parc de la Tête d'Or, but much more enjoyable then squishing on the métro or the bus.

To see all 350 locations, Velo'v has created a very easy to use map system on their website here . It's a touch and see, so you double click on a location and it shows the closest bike spots.

NOTE: They also now have an Iphone Application- incredibly convenient when there are no spots left where you want them!

 Try it once, because once you try it you'll be addicted like the rest of France.  It's even spreading it's way across Europe... I'm waiting for the day a corporation in America will pick up on this and start offering the same!

Here's a little video enjoyment.. me riding my bike though the parc...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xJ52E5TKxY

Until later,
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Advice: The Things you SHOULD Know About France

France is a very interesting country full of ton of historical information- but it also has a lot of current affairs that I notice many expats, students and even tourists may not know about.  My goal is to share some things I've had to learn (some learned through mistakes I've made) about France that are very useful.

Population: 65 million people..

Within this number, 5 million are immigrants and 3 million are foreigners (students, etc).

What is France (geographically speaking)?

France is actually comprised of four different things.  Metropolitan France, DOM ROM (which used to be DOMTOM, but changed in 2003), COM and POM. 

Metropolitan France are the cities directly in the country, as in Lyon or Paris, there are 27 regions in France (i.e. Rhône-Alpes) and about 100 departments (i.e. Rhône).

DOM ROM (departement et region outre mer) are the places that are considered French areas, but not directly in the country.  There's 'Martinique', 'la Guadeloupe',  'la guyane' and 'la réunion'.  They are considered both a department and a region, due to their size.

COM (collectivité d'outre mer) are more like territories of France.  Often when you go they speak French, but aren't considered within the departments.

POM (paye d'outre mer) are the countries that were occupied or are occupied by France, but due to political struggle are now on the way to liberation.  Polynesie and New Caledonia.

 Here's a great resource for more of the whole 'outre mer' stuff.

First Religion: in France, we are considered 'laïc' or secular... which means the government and public facilities are not represented by any religion.  However- the most common religion practiced in France is Catholicism, followed in close second by Muslim.

President & Prime Minister:  Nicholas Sarkozy is the French president, François Fillon the prime minister.  In France, when there's a big political thing, the president tends to step back and the prime minister becomes the scapegoat... which is exactly what is happening right now during the 'grève for retrait'.

Some Random Facts...

• French used to be only spoken in the center of France, before 1940 every region had their own dilect which was actually closer to it's own language.
• Champagne is only called champagne if it comes from the Champagne region.. otherwise it's sparkling wine.
• The order of eating is simple:  aperitif, entrée, main plat, fromage, fruit, dessert.
• As long as there's bread, cheese will be eaten.
• Le Grand Journal is a television show on Canal Plus, because it's a public show it's free to watch, even if you don't have cable.  It's on Monday through Friday, 730pm to 9pm.. Very interesting and funny.
• The first Wednesday of every month there is a giant alarm testing that sounds like WW3 started- it's simply to test and make sure it works.
• Sunday church bells ring around... and if there's a wedding it's common in the culture to follow everyone by car and honk the horns.
• There are over a thousand type of cheese that are created in France... from sheep, goat and cow's milk.
• 65% of employment comes from the service industry in France.

I'm learning so much through my CIEF program, I am glad to be able to share it!

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Advice: Benefits of Being a Student in France

France likes to take care of their students, which means there are a lot of discounts for students to do cultural things, pay for transportation and even get financial aid.  Allow me to 'partager' some wonderful benefits...




Cultural Passes
There are a lot of cultural passes available for students... available on the Lyon Culture website.  I'd like to highlight some of these and what their benefits are: 

La Carte Musée (the museum card)

Price:  €16

Amount of Usage:  One year from date of purchase

Details:  Allows you to visit the 6 museums around Lyon.. as listed on the website.. as much as you want in one year.

• Musée d'Art Contemporain  (attention : la carte n’est pas valable au Musée pendant toute la durée de la Biennale d’art contemporain, jusqu’au 3 janvier 2010)
• Musée des Beaux-Arts
• Musée Gadagne
• Musée de l’Imprimerie
• Musée de l’Automobile Henri Malartre
• Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation

How to Purchase: Go to any of the 6 locations with a photo of yourself and prove of being a student, command for the 'carte musée'.

Le Pass'Culture (culture pass)

Price: €16

Amount of Usage: 4 shows at any of the locations on the list following..

Details: Make reservation ahead of time (at least one week before) to use one of the four passes.

• Auditorium de Lyon,
• Complexe du rire,
• Espace Gerson,
• Espace 44,
• Les Subsistances,
• Maison de la Danse,
• Nouveau Théâtre du 8ème,
• Opéra de Lyon,
• Théâtre des Ateliers,
• Théâtre des Célestins,
• Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse,
• Théâtre des Marronniers,
• Théâtre Nouvelle Génération,
• Théâtre du Point du Jour,
• Théâtre National Populaire
• Théâtre des Clochards Célestes
• et Festival Nuits sonores (1/2 tarif appliqué).

Nouveau cette année :

• Choeur et Orchestre XIX - Direction Jean-Philippe Dubor
• Institut Lumière
• Théâtre de l'Elysée
• Périscope
• Théâtre Guignol de Lyon

How to Purchase: at Lyon Campus, 25 rue Jaboulay Lyon 7ème
Au CROUS de Lyon, 59 rue de la Madeleine, Lyon 7ème 9-12h00 et 14-16h00  BY CHECK ONLY


La CarteD
Price: Free
Amount of Usage: Unknown
Details: For use at any of the following, make reservation...

• Le théâtre des Marronniers
• Le théâtre des Clochards Célestes
• L'Espace 44 (théâtre)
• Le théâtre de l’Elysée
• A Thou bout d'chant (café-concert - chanson française)
• Le Marché Gare (salle de concert)
• Le Croiseur (théâtre et danse)
• Le Périscope (salle de concert)
• 6ème Continent (musiques du monde)
• L'Ecole de Cirque de Lyon

Details:  Go to any of the above on the list with atudent proof and ask for 'La Carte D' which should give you a discount card.

Pass 2 places, 4 spectacles
Price: €28
Amount of Usage: 4 times, in the following:

• 
  
  
  A Thou Bout d’Chant (chanson),
• 
  
  
  Théâtre des Clochards Célestes (Théâtre)

Details: Call 04 72 07 63 81 ou 04 78 28 35 19 for more information.


Le Pass Culturel Kiblind
Price: €50
Amount of Usage: 15 times during one year, one in each of the following:

• La Renaissance
• Le Nouveau Théâtre du 8e
• Les Ateliers
• Le Toboggan
• L’Iris
• Le Théâtre Nouvelle Génération
• Le Comœdia
• Le Zola
• L’Institut
• Lumière
• Le Clacson
• Le Hot Club de Lyon
• Le Marché Gare
• L'Amphiopéra
• L’Épicerie Moderne
• L’Institut d’art contemporain

Details: do the inscription for this online:  at Kiblind Website, allows one ticket for each of the above in one year.

L'auditorium in Lyon

Price: €6.00 a month, paid at once, so €72.00

Amount of Usage: An entire year of free entrance... about 50 shows.

Specifically for the auditorium in Lyon, usually a selection of classical music.

Details: Inscribe on the internet, choose all your dates, pay online for the year.  Here's the website.

Les pass' de l'Opéra de Lyon

Price: €5.00

Amount of Usage: Works for a year, one show per spectacle, per date.

Specifically for the Opera Lyon in the 1er arrondissement.

Details:  Purchase at the ticket counter, as for the "Pass'Opéra" for less than 26 years old.. if you are older there are other passes.  Entitles to 50% off of front row tickets, and only €10 for any show in the C-D-E rows.  Available according to what room there is.  Read More.






Eating/Food Discounts
Depending on where you go, normally near the center (near croix-russe, near place Terreaux, near Bellecour) many of the food places offer special menus for students. Example, show a student ID, get a meal at BIEH (Best Burger I Ever Had) with french fries, burger, drink and dessert for only €10.




Transportation Discounts
Discounts on TCL and Velo'v.  A TCL monthly pass is only €22, while a yearly pass is only €187 euro. Velo'v is the same price, but still cheap at only €15 a year.


Keep your eyes peeled, if you are a student, and find the other great deals...


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Two Months... déjà?!

It's been awhile since I wrote because life in Europe picked up.  I went with the flocks of French who vacation in August and visited a beautiful little town near the coast in Spain called, "Alcossebre".
I tried to do a bit of research about Spain and especially about Alcoceber before I got into the car with my French family.  Unfortunately, Alcoceber was simply a small fishing village that seems to have been caught up in tourists from Britain and France.  The culture in Spain, however, is one that is absolutely incredible.

To begin, in France it is common for people to vacation in either July or August.  The typical resort or escape is to the South, whether it be the South in Provence and Marseilles, or South in Spain.  French people drive the distance, and during this trip I was able to learn a new word: Bouchon. Traffic.

Traffic in route to a travel location is the most horrid experience.  We were lucky to leave on a Friday and cut about 4 hours of the bouchon on the way there.

Once in Spain, there are several cultural differences.. I'll try to summarize what I liked the best:

Family Style Eating
If you order a salad, it doesn't come on individual plates.  The salad is placed in the center of the table, everyone has forks ready and you dig in.  This experience was very amusing considering our salad went flying... to our laps, our tablecloths, sometimes to our mouths.  Another way to share food at a table in Spain is by tapas. Tapas is a variety of smaller dishes, ranging in prices from 4-6 € that usually consists of fried or steamed seafood, potatoes smothered in a rich cream sauce and others.  One takes their forks and eats where they wish, with a nice refreshing beer or sangria on the side.

Late Dinners
A true Spanish person would not show up to a restaurant to eat before 10.  It was very usual for us to eat early in the morning and then snack in the afternoon, and then gorge around 10 or 11.  Much of this, I assume, is due to the heavy heat around Spain.  People close shops around 2pm, which is considered the 'hora di siesta'... nap time.  Just like big babies, we all lumber into the safety of our shaded homes, lay down or relax, maybe read, patient for the sun to become less harsh.


The Sea
The sea in Spain along the coast is the most beautiful and calm body of water I have seen.  Warmed by the sun, salty and swarming with sea critters that are unharmful to humans.  I got the chance to fish watch with some big goggles... lots of little Nemos swimming around nibbling on my toes.


Spanish Cuisine
As Anthony Bourdain said, "Spain is a culinary jackpot, the best place in the Western world to eat."

Well, he is not wrong, by any means.  From breakfast to dinners, Spain has this knack to stuff you with amazingly simple, well spiced dishes that make you keep eating until you are about to explode.  Let me elaborate.

Paella
Literally a saffron infused rice concoction made in giant metal paella pans.  Stuffed with vegetables, meat, seafood- depending on the variety.  Swimming with crustaceans and fresh sea fish... made on command as you order and incredibly sensuous.  The one in the picture is a 'Paella di Marisco", paella of the sea.  Full of shrimp, mussels, langoustine, octopus and squid.  Flavored with seafood broth which only intensifies the organic structure of the seafood paella- incredible.  I could eat this for breakfast and dinner... yummm...

Arroz Negro
Similar to Paella, except made with squid ink.  I got the ability to try this at a restaurant with a 15 € menu, everything included and drinks.  This was my entrée...  The big glop of white goo is actually something called "ali y oli", or aioli.  It was so rich with flavor.  The squid ink actually adds this dynamism to the dish that makes you feel like you are really enjoying the squid.

Fresh Fish Galore
Many of the dishes I ate while there were fresh seafood dishes, the kind where it was probably alive before it was killed and eaten- as you order.  Follow the images below to read what I ate.

Salt Cod Filet with Aioli

Cuttlefish, a big-headed version of squid.
 

Buttery Shrimp with Baby Eels

Sole Fish with Langoustine Reduction

Fresh Mussels with my French "Brother"

Shrimp and Salt Cod, Tomato based sauce

Eating at Home: Charcuteries, Salads
Sometimes we'd stay in and eat some local produce and charcuteries.  Spain is the professional of pork charcuterie- and if you are a vegetarian, you're not going to experience the glory that is encased meats.  We ate a range of products from chorizo with the slight spicy bite, to the gooey meat called, "sobrossada".  Often served with tomato rubbed toast, garlic, queso and a lovely fresh salad.

Pan con Tomate y Ali y Oli

Fresh Salad

Local Produce: Tomatoes, Onions

Charcuteries galore.. ham, chorizo, sobrassada, sausage, and a cool rosado wine

It was a vacation I will never forget; I gained a couple of pounds to enjoy and a few shades of tan.  Now I'm back in Lyon and the life here begins again.

Which reminds me.. I need to buy a baguette for dinner!

Bri and I have decided to try to lose some weight, and let me say it is a complete pain in the butt to NOT eat the delicious fatty foods.  But I figure, since I'll be here for a long stretch, it's better to be in good shape and enjoy the food, than overweight enjoying the food.  Our daily regime is to literally not use any fats whatsoever- no cheeses, no butters.  We eat lean meats, healthy cereal for breakfast, green tea... and I incorporate an apple cider vinegar drink.

So far we've eaten:
-pork filets with spinach
-yellow thai curry with turkey and green vegetables (no potatoes)
-turkey mushroom stirfry with side of cooked veggies

Every night is a challenge, but one that is easily accessible in France.  Produce here is a bit cheaper than in the states, and much more organic so it is much easier to eat a range of fresh vegetables every day.

No booze.
No fats.
No potatoes.
No pasta.
Little bread.
Whole grains.
Leafy greens (every day).

Why did I agree to do this where there are so many cheeses and pastries in FRANCE?!?!?!  So sad.