Paris Bars & Cafes | Kristie In Paris

I thought it was just me....

But no – coffee in Paris really IS bad.

This article claims that it’s because the French have acquired a certain taste for burnt dishwater, but I think it’s more that they havent been exposed to anything better.

Which I find REALLY strange. I mean, they really do train their children to have sensitive palates, they appreciate [...]

Important things to know when in Paris

There are a lot of things about eating (and drinking!) that people dont know when they come to Paris. Some things will be overlooked as simple cultural misunderstandings, but other things will have Parisians seriously fuming and talking in hushed tones with their colleagues about how “rude” tourists are.

I have made so many mistakes, but [...]

Settling in without settling in……

I’m going back to Australia in a couple of weeks, just for a quick family visit. I’m starting to organise appointments and dinners and lunches with friends and old work colleagues. I’m dreaming about eating at my favourite Asian restaurants again. I’ve been thinking about my beautiful apartment I had before I left, and how [...]

Personal Cooking Classes, Paris style

So, as promised, I turned up at Au Petit Fer at 8am this morning, ready to watch how they make their amazing Tarte Tatin. I was half expecting the owner not to remember our deal, or say that actually, they werent going to make it that day.

It was pouring with rain this morning and no [...]

Settling in to Paris: Making friends with the barman

About 3 months after I arrived in Paris, and after a multitude of visits to my favourite cafes and bars, hoping desperately that I would one day become like one of the Parisians and be greeted warmly by the barman, I was finally recognised by the barman at Au Petit Fer du Cheval.

I cant tell [...]

Liver and fat and guts – delicious!

I went to Nice to visit Eve and Fred and the beautiful baby Tina a couple of weeks ago.

While I was there Fred pulled out some jars and containers of his Dad’s confit de carnard (duck confit, or preserved duck), foie gras (duck or goose liver thats fatty and engorged due to overfeeding the bird) [...]

Hoping that I can now afford to eat out every night..

New York Times
July 1, 2009
Paris Journal
As a Meal Tax Shrinks, Restaurants Hope to Gain
By STEVEN ERLANGER

PARIS — The enormous tax on restaurant meals in France is finally dropping on Wednesday, but not many restaurant and cafe owners, already hit hard by changing social habits and a smoking ban, think the reduction will make a big [...]

Why I have not yet been to every museum in Paris (aka “Yes, I’m still alive, just not blogging”)

OK, I admit, its been a long time between blogs. Apologies.

Its funny how time just slips away from you even when you’re not working. Lots of people have asked me what I do all day, especially now that I’m not going to french classes at Alliance Francaise every morning.

But looking for work is actually a [...]

Things I dont like about France

There are so many minerals in the water that dishes, glasses, sinks are permanently covered in a white streak or crust. Nothing is ever truly “clean”. The kettle is permanently full of floating white papery chunks which is a pretty off-putting thing to pour into a cup of tea or coffee.

Dog shit on footpaths. Yep. [...]

Speechless….

I made a new friend in French class. She’s from New York and is here with her French fiance. We sat a free test yesterday, which was put on by Alliance Francaise for students of all levels.

It was touted as a way to measure our level of understanding of spoken and written French, and wasnt [...]

Kristie In Paris

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