Parisians have been united in their dismay at the weather this week, which once again proved I’m an outsider as I’ve quite enjoyed the rain and resulting clouds (although I did set a new PB for lost umbrellas), partly because I recently received a sweater as a gift and the cooler temperatures gave me ample opportunity to wear it, bringing a little novelty to my wardrobe as I enter month 6 of my clothing pause.
I gave my husband ballet tickets for Christmas and on Wednesday night it was finally time to take our seats at the Palais Garnier for Giselle (which I was unaware was mostly a ghost love story). We walked the grand staircase, explored the ballroom and admired the famous Chagall ceiling but nothing trumped the beauty onstage - the set was incredible, the costumes beautiful and the dancers perfection. A special occasion indeed and if you get the chance, don’t hesitate!
I met up with podcaster Andrew Prior at Bastille to film something special in the lead up to the Olympics (I’m not sure everything I said about the games was positive but I tried my best) and he introduced me to Back in Black coffee which had me buzzing for the rest of the day. Being so close to the Marais it would’ve been rude not to take a stroll to see the neatest ivy wall in town (does anyone know what this building is and can I live here?) and the weather duly rewarded me by waiting until I’d lost my umbrella to really hammer down.
On Thursday evening I ventured over to the 11th arrondissement to Landline General Store to hear Jane Bertch and Carrie Solomon interviewed by Lindsay Tramuta but mostly because I knew I’d see the ray of sunshine that is Ajiri there (among others). It’s impossible to leave there without buying something so I walked away with two new knives, a few spatulas which are the perfect size, texture and made in France, and some potential new friends.
My very smart friend Roxy wrote this week “eat for the weather you have” so at the market, along with summer cherries and early peaches, I loaded up with the comfort essentials: big slabs of entrecôte, a chicken to roast, new potatoes to douse in butter and enough cheese to keep us going for a while. There was even suggestion of a raclette but I’ve got to draw the line somewhere and at the moment it’s turning my nose up at summer salads.
It’s rare to see a helicopter over Paris (so unusual in fact the Prefecture de Police issued a press release about it) but there has been buzzing around all week and when I turned a corner on Thursday morning there it was, just hovering in front of me. I was not the only one in awe and a crowd gathered as it hung around, giving the trees a shake, for at least 10 minutes before heading off to do laps around the Eiffel Tower.
On Saturday night I put on my sparkles and headed over to Abricot Cocktail Bar to toast my friend Clare’s birthday. We met during the pandemic as two young mums both in Paris at which point my mum realised we’d been at pre-school together in Brisbane and got out the class photos to prove her point (🎶it’s a small world after all🎶). Now she teaches how to be sexy in French and her classes are a smash hit as surprise birthday gifts for unsuspecting partners (more info here).
Sunday I was up early to chiner at the local vide-grenier (jumble sale) on the lookout for new (old) plates to replace the white Ikea monstrosities we eat off every day. From a dusty carton box I snagged some Faïencerie de Gien bargains, hoping to complete the sets with online finds but I seem to have bought a pattern that’s impossible to track down so mix-and-match it will be.
The weekend was then rounded out with a dip in the nearby kid’s pool, a long lunch and a tour of the neighbourhood for an adventurous foodie family (I’ve never seen youngsters tuck into duck hearts or boudin noir with such enthusiasm), before the usual end of week wind down.
Have a great week,
- Emily
Cheese we’re eating this week:
Roquefort - a blue sheep’s milk cheese aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
St Marcellin - a soft cow’s milk cheese, named after the small town of Saint-Marcellin. Small in size, it’s sold creamy, in little brown pots, or dry without.
Beaufort - a firm, raw cow's milk cheese produced in the French alps (and commonly used in fondue).
All three cheeses were bought at Fromagerie Saint Vrain at Marché Maubert.
Elderflower Sorbet
Apart from being a talented artist my friend Sonja also makes her own elderflower syrup and kindly gifted me some (I pretend I’m going to make some every year and never have), which I immediately turned it into this crazy simple and delicious sorbet.
300ml elderflower syrup
300ml water
200ml lemon juice
70g icing sugar
Mix together until the sugar is dissolved and freeze in your ice cream machine (I have the Kenwood attachment).
Bon appétit!
Real Life Paris Photo
Nice weather for ducks.
I have elderflower syrup and now I’m inspired to make sorbet.
I just love seeing you in your wonderful pink coat.