Early tomorrow morning, we will be winging our way to the land of Towers Eiffel and Arches of Triumph. That is, if the packing doesn't kill me. It's crazy how much stuff I am trying to bring! I know I'm going to forget something important, like my iPod.
We'll be there for 10 days or so, with side trips to Versailles, Reims and, of course, Paris Disney. We are looking forward to every bit of it, and it's all planned down to the minute. Even though we'll be there more than a week, we will hardly have time to enjoy a small percentage of what Paris has to offer.
And here's the crazy part: I am going to take a class at Le Cordon Bleu! Can you believe it, because I can't. I have seen the menu we're going to be making, and it's amazing if not pretty intimidating. Here it is:
Coquilles Saint-Jacques à l’aigre-doux
Aile de raie en brandade au coulis de tomate
Tarte aux raisins
Yeah, menus in French intimidate the hell out of me, even when I'm just ordering something in a restaurant. Here it is in English:
Sweet and sour scallops
Skate wings brandade-style with tomato coulis
Grape tart
Still pretty impressive,eh? Have you ever made skate? I have not. I don't even know how to clean one. Guess that's why I am taking the class.
So, that's one afternoon. We're also going on a few champagne cave tours, eating at the exclusive Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower, touring about a hundred museums (out of, like, 4,000) and cruising the Seine. Wonderful, perfect BF is especially excited, though, about our time at Paris Disney. We're staying at the Disneyland Hotel for a couple days. I've never been, so I am interested to see what's different and what's the same as our American Disney parks.
The rest of our stay will be in a lovely pied-a-terre in the Marais District, 4th Arrondissement, a predominately gay/Orthodox Jewish neighborhood that is rife with pastry shops. I am going to gain 30 pounds gorging on pain and chocolat.
You know, I feel kinda funny writing about all this when so many people are not doing well financially. I am not trying to brag, but I do want to enjoy every bit of this opportunity, and part of that is writing about it. Plus, trust me: I have suffered. I have been there. I've had the lights turned off and no food in the fridge and three-day-pay-or-quit notices and the bills piling up. And I am not so sure those days are behind me for good. So I am fully appreciative of the good fortune I have been blessed with now. And I will carry the memories with me forever.
Pictures? Are you back yet?
Posted by: Demandra | March 02, 2009 at 03:47 PM