Crêperie Beaubourg

If hunger strikes after all the walking and art admiring at the Centre Pompidou, do not worry!  A couple of blocks away is the Crêperie Beaubourg, a nice little restaurant specialized in -you got it!- crêpes.

The walls are filled up with paintings and drawings, a lot of which represent the culture from Britanny, a region in the north-west of France -they speak French and Breton, and are famous for their amazing butter and crêpes.

I'd say it's quite cozy, only a bit too crowded as the place is small and the restaurant is always full. You might have to wait a few minutes for a table. Take that time and search the menu to try to decide what you're having - a process which is not at all easy, as there are inumerous and delicous fillings (salty and sweet).

 The fixed menu* of the day included a galette, a crêpe sucrèe and Cider, which is what you normally drink with crêpes, at a very affordable price.

I'm not really into the crêpes sucrèes, though, so I chose my lunch from the carte.*

*In French, the menu has a fixed composition and "la carte" is the menu with all the plates which you can choose from

I went with one of the vegetarian galettes (a sort of crêpe with a salty filling) of which I can't recall the name, that contained onions, champignon and melted gryuère. It was very good; the crèpe wasn't too dry nor too soft, and I don't even have to explain my love for melted French cheese and champignons.

After a very fulfilling meal (I don't know why I had the very off idea that in France the portions were small), nothing more fitting than a nice cup of tea. They have a selection of teas from the Marriage Frères, a famous French tea company. Of course the name Casablanca caught my eye. It's a mixture of green tea, Marrocain mint and bergamot-flavoured tea. Delicious and soothing!

My parents orderd a sweet crêpe with blueberry jam and a colobiam coffee, which they said tasted marvelous. Knowing my light stomach, I decided to finish with simply the tea.

After we finished and paid -I can't recall the exact price, but it wasn't expensive at all, specially when comparing to other places in Paris- we went for a walk around the neighbourhood and then took the subway to the Musée d'Orsay, as it was the first Sunday of the Month, a day in Paris where all the entrances to the museums are free.

But if you don't feel like taking the Metro, you can always go window shopping at the lovely boutiques in the Marais area or, if in winter, go ice-skating in front of the Hôtel de Ville, a few blocks away.

Crêperie Beaubourg
2 rue Brisemiche, IV arr.75004 Paris

Le Rempart

A few blocks from the Bastille, in the middle of Le Marais, is the small and cozy Le Rempart.

It's a typical French brasserie, and you won't find that many tourists eating there - which is a good way to actually observe and play the part of a real French citizen.

The staff is very nice -and hardworking! They keep running everywhere, stopping only every once in a while to chat with the clients. The place is quite small, so if you don't want to wait for a table, it's better to arrive a bit later than usual... and avoid going there when they're showing a race or a soccer match -although, it really is quite amusing to see the men at the bar discussing the game.

Even with a short menu, Mom wasn't sure about what we should order.

But let's talk about the food! The menu isn't very long, but the few plates are delicious and, amazingly, quite cheap (specially when we're talking about Paris.) As Entrées, we ordered an Assortiment de Fromages (a variety of cheese on a plate) and Escargots, which I absolutely love.

For those who are afraid of trying out this piece of heaven: don't be! As long as they are well done, they taste delicious and are very hygienic. I think that's def on the things I'm going to miss the most from France.

As the Plat Principal, I went with the Poulet Rôti with Salade Verte and Frites (Roasted Chicken with Green Salad and French Fries). The poulet was very good, not at all dry, and the Salade Verte was topped with a Vinagrette sauce with a bit of mustard. Delicious!

And though I didn't take a picture, the expresso is also really good. And aftery you've finished your meal, you can go for a walk and visit the nearby Place des Vosges and the Maison Victor Hugo, open Tuesd. through Sat.

Le Rempart is located at 15 rue St. Antoine, 4th arr., between the Metro stations of La Bastille and Saint Paul.

www.le-rempart.fr

Bonjour, Paris!

I speak to you no longer from Amboise! I'm writing from Paris, more precisely from my hotel in Le Marais (it's a cool neighbourhood with lots of cafés, bistros, boutiques and the Place de Vosges and the Maison Victor Hugo). We got here on Saturday and, though a bit cold, it has been great. 

I absolutely love it here. The food is pretty expensive and it's very easy to find a very disappointing restaurant, but the charm... Oh, the charm! I keep looking at the buildings and at the sky, imagening myself in a movie -then quickly looking down to make sure I won't step on dog poop.

Pont Neuf

Lovers write their names on a locker and the date when they were in Paris and lock it on the fence. The idea is that even if the relationship ends, there'll always be a proof that it once existed, and, because of that, will always exist in some sort of way. Isn't it incredibly romantic? Oh, that's right, it's Paris!

Hotel de Ville

Centre Pompidou

VLOG #5 - Eurocentres

Hey guys! I'm at Eurocentres right now, I'm having the afternoon classes that are a part of the intensive course. My parents arrive today around 6pm and I'll meet with them and go out to dine. Tomorrow is my last day at Eurocentres and Saturday I leave for Paris. I have to go back to class now, ttyl!

Lots of love,

Royal Trip - Blois

The weekend before this one, some classmates from Eurocentres and I rented a car and took a short road trip to visit some Chatêaux close to Amboise. To those who didn't know, the Loire Valley is known for its numerous Châteaux -over 200- which go. Sadly, I don't have the time to visit all of them (heck, I don't have to visit half!), but I did get to know Blois, another small city close to Amboise (about 45 min. by car) and the Château de Chambord e de Chenonceau.

Prepared to go exploring on the cold

Side view of the Château de Blois

Jeanne d'Arc got her blessing in the Château de Blois before leaving for Orléans with her army

 

View from the terasse of the Château de Blois, with the cathedral behind it

Old Boys School