Le Relais de l'Entrecote

Definitely the theme at this famous Parisian steak frites shop.  Un steak?  Please.  It is not amateur hour at renowned, l'Entrecote.  Come armed with your appetite or don't come at all.  There is no menu here, just steak frites and more steak frites.  The waitress brings out one piece of sliced steak and french fries (covered in a green, tarragon cilantro sauce) and once you finish that, she delivers round two.  I've been going on and on for months wondering who could ever eat that much food.  Let's just say, mystery solved.

Bon weekend, everyone!

Happy May Day

Can you believe it is May already?  It is certainly a happy day for me because we FINALLY got our Eiffel Tower pic.  (Only took us a year and a half).  Does it look crooked to you?  Maybe it's not the Christmas card photo I was hoping for after all...

Tea at the Bristol was fabulous, btw.  If you can't swing a nights stay at this lovely hotel on your next trip to Paris, stop by for tea time in the beautiful marble salon (or, an aperatif in the ivy covered courtyard).  You will not regret it!

Ok, now promise I will lay off the solo shots for a while (but how amazing does that strawberry tart look? I'm sorry to say, it tasted just as good).

Happy May, everyone.

Desperate for some sun this Spring (as it has refused to show it's face in Paris for the entire month of April) we head South.  The key to enjoying a trip to the Riviera is choosing the best place to anchor.  There is lots to see and do, but some cities are a better fit than others.  For instance, Nice does not fit me.  I love the old town (and especially the brocante market on Mondays) but don't like the overdeveloped beach scene.  It's a fun place to be for lunch or dinner, but not where I want to wake up.  I've never stayed in Cannes, only driven through, but it seems to be about the same vibe accept even less post card worthy.  Then there is St. Jean Cap Ferrat.  Small, glamourous and quiet but just a little too swanky for our wallet.  Of course you can't forget Monaco, with it's legendary casino and the natural choice if you're cruising in on your yacht, but we usually aren't.  Then there is tiny adorable Eze, perched up high on the cliff overlooking the sprawling coastal metropolis and vast Mediterranean sea.  It's a good fit for someone looking for a small village with good proximity to the sea.  We were looking for beautiful scenery and good restaurants at the right price (well, there isn't such a thing as the right price on the Riviera, but some are better than worse).  With these variables in mind, we narrowed it down to Villafranche-sur-Mer and Antibes.  As we had anchored in neighboring Cap-Ferrat on our last trip, we decided to change up the scenery and go for Antibes.  

Where to begin with Antibes? I have so many good things to say about this hidden gem.  I think the biggest advantage to Antibes is it's vantage point over the rest of the coast.  Jutting out on a peninsula overlooking Nice all the way down to Monaco, it makes for some of the most stunning scenery I've ever seen.  With the Alps towering up in the background against the bright blue sea, the inherent beauty of this place would stop anyone in their tracks.

And then there is the old fortress village of Antibes, complete with medieval ramparts enclosing the tiny city.  (You can see it sticking out on the left in the picture above).  Looking across, behind the sailboat, you see Nice.  Further down to the right is Cap-Ferrat and Monaco, which you can catch a glimpse of from the lighthouse that towers over Antibes.  Another reason I was captivated by Antibes is because it is the only Riviera town I've seen with white sandy beaches.

Once you get over her sheer beauty, you quickly realize that the inside is just as good as the outside.  The old town is lined with restaurant after restaurant and it houses a great Picasso Museum in the old Grimaldi castle overlooking the water (he lived and painted in the old castle for several years).

If you do find yourself in Antibes, our favorite restaurant was Aubergine.  (Reserve in advance because it is tiny!)  The old town is also full of wine bars and great nightlife, so there is always plenty to do (even on a Sunday, which is when we arrived).

The Mr. was really loving the Absinth bar (which had a hat theme going on... I don't know, we just went with it).

And so comes the end to our weekend on the coast.  We have a little over a week left in Paris, which I really can't believe.  Mme. Grand is treating us to tea at the Bristol today as one last treat before we head out.  I can't believe this is going to be my last time to stroll down Rue. Faubourg St. Honore!!  The end is near.  Too near.  

Two of my new favs.  My friends and I had fabulous meals at both Les Fines Gueules in the 1st and Le Christine in the 6th, putting both high up there on my Paris favorites list.  

Les Fines Gueules is a tiny wine bar / restaurant in the first near the Louvre.  It's authentically French and a those in the know kind of restaurant (I recognized a server from Frenchie sitting at the table across from us).  All of the daily choices are written on a chalk board and the wine list is great.  (Not much English is spoken here, so brush up on your French before you come).   The menu is big enough to give you several options for each course, but small enough that you know it is changed at least weekly. 

Le Christine is more in the thick of things in the heart of St. Germain des Pres.  Just as charming, the English speaking staff serves up delicious inventive French fare.  (The scallop carpaccio with truffles was definitely the hit at our table).  A fantastic place for a romantic date or a girls dinner.  

Bon Appétit! 

Part II: Brittany

We're so behind... between the packing, travels, unpacking and repacking for the move that is coming up way too quickly, I can't catch my breath.   So where are we? Brittany - let's do a quick blitz.

Brittany is the part of France that, you guessed it, used to be part of Great Britain.  With a strong Celtic heritage, the people love music, are red headed and freckled and quite friendly.  Our first stop was the old port town of Dinan.  Half-timbered and medieval, I constantly fought the desire to belt out the Bonjour! Good Day! song from Beauty and the Beast as we walked up and down the storybook streets.  (Still disappointed the directors incorrectly cast me as Lumiere (the candlestick) instead of the lead in our 2nd grade rendition of this play, but we managed to enjoy Dinan nonetheless). 

How Beauty and the Beast is this?

Our next stop was the resort town of St. Malo.  A little quiet in April, but still a beautiful coastal town encased in old ramparts jutting out into the English Channel (and home to the best caramel beurre sale crepe I've ever had). 

There's Great Britain!

Just kidding.

But we did argue about whether that was actually the English Channel or not.

And of course, I won.  It is.

After a quick walk around the ramparts (and a crepe, or two) we hit the road for a drive along the Emerald Coast.  This drive is best done from Dinan to Mont. St. Michel, but since we had already been to Mt. St. Michel, we cut it short and just drove to Cancale (home to the best oysters in Brittany...maybe even France).  If you are interest in doing the Emerald Coast drive, take Rick along with you for guidance. (Or, email me and I will share the dets).  

The fish soup is also delicious in Normandy and Brittany (served with croutons, cheese and rouille - {a red pepper aioli used to thicken and garnish - which I'm so pumped that I learned to make in my sauce class} the fish soup quickly became our favorite thing to order at each meal). 

The mussels were quite delicious, as well.

This is Cancale.

Next, we continued our drive along the Emerald Coast and made some great stops along the way. 

Can you spot the tiny little black shadow in the background?

That's Mont St. Michel! 

And that is Brittany in a blitz. 

Oh, and one more thing .... some cows blocked one of the roads on our way between Normandy and Brittany and I just had to document.  C'est la France! (Or, Alabama? One would never know...)

Antibes

Ok - I am pretty sure this is seriously it.  I know I say that a lot, but come on... is this not the most beautiful place you've ever seen???  The Alps, the sailboats, the little old town peaking up on the left...not to mention the Mediterranean.

I don't think we are ever leaving...

(Except we are, so I'll see you back in Paris on Wednesday!)

Part 1: Normandy

From half-timbered towns and camembert to sweeping coastlines and oysters, a road trip through Normandy and Brittany is a great way to explore the Northern part of France while paying tribute to those that fought and lost their lives in WWII. 

The best way to do this trip is to rent a car in Paris (unless you can drive a stick, and if so... see previous post).  A car is necessary because it is really the only way to get to the D-day beaches (and driving through dozens of tiny French villages is half the fun).  If you just want to do the D-day stuff, this can easily be done as a day trip.  But, if you want to see more of this region, I would consider staying over night in Honfleur; and, if you want to add Brittany, give it two nights minimum. 

Driving from Paris, we stopped for lunch in the the small village of Lyon le Foret.  

After countless fields of rapeseed (one of the biggest crops in France, harvested for the seed oil)

chateaux sightings

and close encounter or two with a biker...

 

we reached our first destination:  the jagged coastal town of Étretat (although technically, our first stop was Rouen... but that ended up being an entirely different trip... again, see previous post).  Dramatic views and little village novelties are the only real reason for a stop in Étretat (if you just have one day, I would skip it and go straight to Honfleur).  However, if you're in the market for a Christmas card pic, this is your spot. 

Who knew the English Channel had such pretty blue-green water?

After a few hours in Étretat we hit the road to Honfleur, a small harbor town near the D-day beaches where the Seine meets the English Channel.  With it's fresh Normandy seafood and charming B&B's, Honfleur is a great place to rest up for a long day at the D-day beaches.

We loved our dinner Au Bouillon Normand (try the Kir Normand - a Norman twist on traditional Kir Sauvignon with cider + cassis).

The next morning we hit the road for Bayeux, the closest city to the D-day beaches that was not destroyed in the Allied bombings.  The famous Bayeux tapestry is a worthwhile visit for anyone interested in history - a thousand year old tapestry telling the story of Norman born William the Conqueror defeating Englishman Harold to take the throne of England.  The exhibit is very well done and definitely worth the hour detour for a visit.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the powerful and moving D-day beach sites and memorials.  This experience would make anyone proud to be an American.  The Norman people continue to shower their balconies with American flags.  We began at Arromanches, the site of the remains of the Port Winston Artificial Harbor and a powerful memorial film with real footage from 1944 invasion.

Vierville-sur-Mer

Next stop Omaha Beach, where the highest casualty rates occurred (2,500-4,800 soldiers killed just on the first day).

Just down the road is the WWII American Cemetery and Memorial.  The museum was one of the best I've seen with a wide array of information.  From veteran videos to computer animation graphics and moving remembrances, it is very well done.

Our final stop - Point du Hoc Ranger Monument, where 300 hand picked US Army Rangers climbed up the jagged Norman cliffs in a short 30 minutes time frame to beat the rising tide to take the Germans' most heavily fortified position.  Only about 1/3 of the Rangers survived.

Hurrying to beat the sunset, our last stop in Normandy was the thousand year old island abbey, Mont St. Michel.  On a clear day, you can spot it from miles away. 

Once one of the top four pilgrimage sites in Christendom, the island floats serenely into the horizon with St. Michel's gilded statue decorating the top of the spire.  The abbey is built on the remains of a Romanesque church, which stands on the remains of a Carolingian church.  Apparently the island and abbey are completely overrun with tourists, so we chose to admire the abbey from afar rather than trek inside.  

And that is Normandy in a nutshell.  It's a full two days to see everything, but easily doable if you stick to a schedule and move quickly.  You could always cut out the detour to Étretat and do the D-day beaches as a day trip from Paris, but I think staying over a night makes for a fuller experience.  (Dinners are half the point of any trip, if you ask me!)

Stay tuned for the rest of the trip to neighboring, Brittany. A revoir!