Travels in France
You’ve been dreaming of going to Versailles. After all, it is the most beautiful Castle in the world, right? Abso-freakin-lutely. But you’ll hate it. Why, you ask? Because, just like Venice and Dubrovnik, Versailles is a place that is ridiculously overrun by idiotic tourists who don’t even know how to behave. The volumes of people are …
I needed a way to break up the 3 hour drive from Marseille to Lyon. Since Avignon is located in south central France in the French region of Provence between these two cities, I thought it would make a perfect stop. I only made two mistakes and since you’re reading my Avignon France Travel Tips there’s no …
Avignon: City of Popes…More Importantly, City of Wine Read More »
Perhaps one of the things that I found most interesting about my trip through Burgundy was just how small the vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet are. Yet this region produces some of France’s most amazing wines, some of those are Vincent & Francois Jouard Wine. Vincent & Francois Jouard Wine Chassagne-Montrachet actually produces 60% white wine, even though …
Do you like food? Do you love food? If so, then you may want to consider Lyon as your next travel destination. Besides the food, there are wonderful museums, shops, and parks. On top of that there is the wonderful Fete des Lumieres in the winter season. It is a wonderful, working French city. The people …
I often talk about moving to Europe; specifically France. I’m a “bit” of a Francophile. This means I am constantly weighing the pros and cons of each French city I have visited and I usually end up with two cities in mind: Lyon and Nice. I’ve visited Nice twice and it is simply lovely. Here’s …
Marseille is one of my favorite cities in France. I’ve had many people, predominantly French, give me really weird looks when I say this. To be honest, I hated Marseille day 1. We took the train in from Cannes to Marseille. Our host told us that the walk from the Gare (train station) to the …
Paris has some amazing farmer’s markets, I explored Battignoles (9th Arrondisement) as well as the Raspail Market (6th arrondisement). Both were wonderful and “Bio” which is the French version of organic. When the French say organic, they mean it. Their meats have no hormones, are grass fed, and the produce is gorgeous. Head over to …
The French frozen food store chain. I’ve been aware of Picard for years, but I never really gave them much thought. That is until this trip to Lyon. The Picard right next to Les Halles piqued my interest. Think of a supermarket that sells everything, but only in frozen formats. It blew my mind. It …
There is nothing better than traversing markets and stores in other countries. I absolutely adore seeing what locals purchase and sell in all different areas. While I tend to stick to the more down to Earth galerias and les halles; once in a while, I crave a little luxury. When I was in Italy, this craving was sated …
I consider myself to be quite a lucky lady. I’ve made many chef friends, so whenever I need dining recommendations, I simply ask them. After all, who better than a chef would know where to eat. I had met Chef Jean-Christian Dumonet at the Maitres Cuisiniers de France event in Lyon. He’s incredibly funny, cool …
If you’ve read my other France posts from these months, you now realize it is quite possible to eat at Michelin starred restaurants without breaking the bank (most of my tips are here). The key is having a place with a kitchen to save on breakfast & dinner so that you can take advantage of …
If knock you over the head with a massive wood block kinda Chardonnay is not your style, then Burgundy is where you need to go. Burgundy, located in Eastern France, West of the Saône River is known for elegant, dry, Chardonnays that focuses more on fruit. Burgundy uses oak for mouthfeel and maturity. Yeah, they …
I may be exaggerating since I have not tried every Chinese restaurant in Paris. And I’m sure there’s some amazing Chinese/French chef doing some Cirque Du Soleil Michelin stuff somewhere in Paris, but for “affordable, delicious, you can’t stop thinking about it” Chinese, this is definitely the place. Take the metro to the Belleville stop. …
Best Chinese in Paris? Definitely Restaurant Wenzhou Chez Alex Read More »
You and I both know the Michelin Star system is severely broken. We’ve all spent way too much money on three star Michelin restaurants that left us hungry, disappointed, and a little bit in debt. However, sometimes…they do get things right. This is the case with Jacques Faussat in Paris (17th Arrondisement). To be honest …
This is a list of a few phrases that are beneficial for your food travels to French speaking countries. While a lot of people in Europe speak English (especially in large cities like Paris or Brussels), once you go to the countryside, it is a different story. These English to French Phrases will make …