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Update from YvesCategory: Recent Posts | Permalink Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011 Hello from France! We have had a couple of very busy days and trouble finding any computer connections so a little behind on the blog. Five years ago there were internet cafes all over Europe but with the new smart phones there must not be nearly the need for them and so they are scarce. We are going to have to get resourceful to keep up on this blog. I will continue to make the updates each day but we may not be able to post everyday.
3/28/11 Our flight was long and uneventful. We tried to sleep but to no avail. We were greeted by Yves' cousin at the airport. He drove us to Yves' TaTa (Aunt) Raymond's house where we will stay for most of our trip. She lives about 30 minutes outside Paris so it will be easy for us to see all of the sites. It is a humble home on the thirteenth floor of a 15 story building. It is a two bedroom apartment with a living room/dining room combination and a kitchen that is built for two! It's crazy that the entire home is just slightly smaller than the master bedroom in the house we live in right now! Really puts our excess in perspective although the girls and I are still not ready to sell everything and move into a motorhome like Yves would like! We enjoyed an afternoon snack of incredible bread, an amazing assortment of cheeses and salamis and of course wine. Just a little something from the market across the street from TaTa's house. The bread here is hard to describe. We like the Bistro bread as do many of you but the French just have definitely perfected the art of making bread!
3/29/11 Today our day began like everyday…a trip to the open market where the meat, produce and especially bakers wake up very early each day. The selection is fresh a delicious! Of course "le petit dejeuner" is always accompanied by delicious café au lait. The girls were quite intrigued with the "sugar claw" which is a tiny utensil used to pick the sugar cubes out of the sugar bowl. Once we had filled ourselves with chocolate croissants, bread with homemade jams and other pastries, we headed out to find Paris Disneyland. This something Yves and I had done years ago but it was still on the girls' bucket list so we included it on our itinerary. Of course we took the train which was a fun adventure in itself because we had to change trains at a main "Gare" or station. It is an amazing site to see people scurrying every which way to connect to their different trains on their way to work, etc. Quite a different life than the one we have driving everywhere. The train took us to right outside the park which was very convenient. The park grounds are beautiful but unfortunately they were working on many of the rides and the castle was completely covered due to construction work. Guess they are probably preparing for the summer crowd. The girls said that Space Mountain and Indiana Jones were both much faster and had more "loops" than our Anaheim Disney. Yves braved it with them but my stomach would never take all that! The park is very spread out so it was tiring. Yves' favorite ride, Pirates of the Carribean which is housed In a beautiful castle-like building was closed as well. A day at Anaheim Disney usually starts when the park opens and ends when it closes but we did not arrive until about noon and were done by about 6:00 pm - two hours before the park closed! We made our way back home very tired. It seemed like the walk from the train station to home took forever but we finally made it and ate and fell into bed. Maybe still a little residual from the time change cause we were all over the top tired.
3/30/11 Today was a fantasic day! It started a little stressful because we were still looking for access to the internet but we finally found it so we were able to check quickly with home. Still unable to update the blog because our timing was off but at least now we know that we can find it again when we are in Paris. Our site seeing began with Notre Dame. Mikayla was overwhelmed to the point of tears when she stepped out of the train station and viewed this amazing piece of history and architecture. She would have spent the better part of the day there if we would have let her but we had to move on. From Notre Dame we went to the Pantheon which unfortunately was closed but the outside was beautiful. Next we went to the Luxembourg Garden and walked around the Palace, which was also closed. We picnicked in a beautiful park lined with trees and manicured gardens. Although the weather is still cold and fairly wet, the gardens are beginning to bloom. Springtime in Paris is definitely a beautiful site. The rest of the day was spent wandering the streets of Paris. After crossing the oldest bridge which was built in 1607 we continued to weave our way down the cobblestone streets filled with quaint bistros, chocolatiers and bakeries. We tried not to stop and eat at each one of them but it was a difficult temptation! You will see some of our adventure on our YouTube postings. We made some wrong turns which took us to places we would not have found by looking at the map. Just before we drug ourselves back to the train the sun went down (about 8 pm) and the city began to light up. The Tour Eiffel is an amazing site in the daytime that can be seen from many parts of the city but at night - wow! We finally made it home by about 9:30 pm where Yves' mom and TaTa had made us a traditional cassoulet of sausage, potatoes and green beans. Add some bread, wine and cheese and to warm our cold, tired selves…bedtime!
3/31/11 Today was a quiet day for Cassaundra and I as she woke up with some kind of stomach flu and although I could have left her home with her MeMe and Yves' TaTa, there is something about having your Mom around when you are sick especially in a foreign place. So, I stayed and had a quiet day of reading and rest while Yves and Mikayla ventured out to Paris for a nice day together. They took in the sites of three different museums and he walked Mikayla to the Obelisk and Louvre but they didn't dare go in there without me! They made it an early day meaning that they were home by 6:00 pm. The only bad thing about that was that they had to travel during rush hour traffic on the metro! Mikayla says it was something she was glad she experienced but sees no purpose in doing it ever again. They had to stand the entire train ride from Paris to Massy in very close proximity to strangers and that was just way out of her comfort zone! One fun thing was that in the train station there was a dozen or so musicians playing Vivaldi.
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Post a CommentOther Recent ArticlesLast week we were featured at the OC Food and Wine Celebration's, Passport to Chefs event, which included 14 celebrity chefs. Each brought their own foods and styles and donated their time and extroardinnaire skills on behalf of the charity. It was sponsored by the Rooster's Foundation, a charity and social organization from Orange County that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for disadvantaged children. On this special night, guests enjoyed a unique food celebration, while savoring a sumptuous gourmet five course meal, paired with fine wines and prepared tableside by Yves. People came from miles around to attend the Roosters OC Food and Wine Celebration. Once again it definitely showcased the best in food and wine and was a fabulous success! The very first Solvang Century was held in 1983, with 300 riders participating. Now, in its 30th year, The Solvang Century, Metric and Half Century has evolved into one of the largest and most well known recreational rides in the USA with up to 5,000 participants. Over 114,000 cyclists have ridden a cumulative total of almost 9 million miles over the last twenty nine years of this event. Because of the popularity and scenic landscape of this ride, it was a no-brainer that Yves chose to participate in this incredible event. Yves' team, Capella Tech, which consisted of 20, was put together by John and Christina, co-teammates. Yves was pleased to ride with such a classy group of people. The ride began bright and early at 6:30am, and it was a brisk, and foggy morning of 36 degrees. The scenic view as the riders cruised through the surrounding gorgeous wine country couldn't be rivaled. Yves had a fantastic ride, of 100 miles, crossing the finish line in only 5 1/2 hours. Later in the day, Hotel Cirque, the sponsor of the event, hosted an excellent luncheon. Other festivities included a private wine tasting, with Fess Parker. It was definitely a day to remember; way to go Yves! Attention all wine lovers! Please join us for a Free Winetasting Luncheon to benefit KidSingers on Sunday, March 4th, from 1-4pm. The KidSingers was founded in 1997 by a 30 year choral director/visionary, Paul McNeff. The group consists of 150 at risk youth from Santa Ana, in grades 3-12. This award winning program has served as a beacon of hope and inspiration to a more hope filled life. Not only does the program teach kids how to sing and perform, but it helps by increasing their self esteem, providing a safe haven by keeping kids off the streets, away from gangs, drugs and destructive behavior. This year's party will include a wonderful luncheon paired with a unique selection of wines chosen by the restaurant's proprietor, Yves' Masquefa. And, most importantly, all of the net proceeds will go to supporting this year's KidSingers' benefit in June. Can we count on your support for this very worthy group of kids? Hope to see you there. Reservations are required. RSVP to info@kidsingers.org or call 714-630-3883. The classic Thanksgiving menu of turkey, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and root vegetables is based on New England fall harvests. In the 19th century, as the holiday spread across the country, ;ocal cooks modified the menu both by choice and by necessity. Today, many Americans delight in giving regional produce, recipes, and seasonings a place on the Thanksgiving table. In New Mexico, chilies and other southwestern flavors are used in stuffing, while on Chesapeake Bay, the local favorite, crab, often shows up as a holiday appetizer or as an ingredient in dressing. In Minnesota, the turkey might be stuffed with wild rice, and in Washington, locally grown hazelnuts are featured in stuffung and desserts. In Indiana, persimmon puddings are a favorite Thanksgiving dessert, and in Key West, key lime pie joins pumpkin pie on the holiday table. Most of the regional variations have remained largely a local phenomenon, a means of connecting with local harvests and specialty foods. However this is not true of influential southern Thanksgiving trends that had a tremendous impact on the 20th century Thanksgiving menu. Corn, sweet potatoes and pork form the backbone of traditional southern home cooking and these staple foods provided the main ingredients in southern Thanksgiving additions like ham, sweet potato casseroles, pies and puddings and corn bread dressing. Othe popular southern contributions include ambrosia salads, biscuits, a host of vegetable casseroles, and even macaroni and cheese. Unlike the traditional new England menu, with its mince, apple and pumpkin pie dessert course, southerners added a range and selection of desserts unknown in Northern dining rooms, including regional cakes, pies puddings and numerous cobblers. Southern cookbooks and magazines also helped popularize many of these dishes in places far beyond their southern roots. Some, like sweet potato casserole, pecan pie, and cornbread dressing have become as expected on the Thanksgiving tableas turkey and cranberry sauce. So, what foods will be served at your family table this Thanksgiving? We wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving to spend with friends and loved ones. Enjoy! It's that time of year again,where the holidays are fast approaching and before you know it they will be here and gone. Our holiday spirits are very popular during this festive season and we have some tasty offerings we are serving up! If you enjoy pumpkin pie around this time of year, then you might want to try our delicious Pumpkin Pie Martini, which is a mixture of Blue Ice Vodka, Venetian cream, pumpkin pie syrup and a pinch of nutmeg. Another favorite around here at this time is The Autumn Breeze, including Blue Ice American Vodka, 44 North Huckleberry Cordial, pomegranate and cranberry juice. And, finally one more highly esteemed cocktail is our Harvest Appletini, a mixture of Absolut Vodka, Grand Marnier, Apple Liqueur, cranberry juice, orange bitters and an apple slice. So, why not slow down for a moment, forget about the hustle and bustle of the season and delight in one of Yves' holiday spirits. Subscribe to the Yves Bistro RSS Blog with one of these popular web-based RSS feed readers:
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