carnival weekend in nice, france

The weekend in Nice was a wash: events were canceled, sidewalks were pulled up, the beach was inaccessible. The weather was absolutely awful, except for these few times I've captured here. We did have some lovely moments with friends new and old, but, really . . . we go to the South of France in February for the hope of warmth and sun along with the hope of a unique carnival experience.

Negative today? Absolutely. I am just attempting to "keep it real," friends; it rained on my parade, at least one of them and you should know by now that I am ALL about the parade.

I love a crowd of friends that instinctively pauses for a group "selfie" when the opportunity arises.

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Just a few travel tips for Nice, France:

::: AirBnB has lots of great tiny apartments in Nice, perfect for a family of three. We had a satisfying experience with this one.

::: There is a Pierre Hermé kiosk selling macarons inside of the Galeries Lafayette. We have decided that Pierre Hermé is THE best in the macaron business, so this was a lovely little discovery for us.

::: We had very fine Breton galettes (savory buckwheat crepes) at La Voix de son Maître and would likely return on a subsequent trip. The collection of antique phonographs was quite impressive as well.

::: Though not pictured here, we did visit the Chagall museum. Did you know that Chagall was alive when the museum was created and that he was involved in the concept and design of the space?

::: An absolute favorite thing for us to do in foreign cities is to hit the supermarket. There is a large CarreFour on the edge of town where we picked up things from almond flour and La Fermiere yogurt to butter and a piece of  Emile Henry cookware. I also found a few La Parfait jars. . . because who doesn't want a few French jars in her kitchen? And, of course, we found more wine.

::: Next time I'm heading to the carnival celebration in Menton.

market day, annecy

Sunday is market day in Annecy, France.

As luck would have it, we were in Annecy Sunday. At the market we bought one roasted chicken with potatoes, five French salami's, a small bowl of olives, a taste of sun dried tomato tapenade, one pair of man-pri's*, one baguette, one small apple tart, one small "pralinette" and one pair of earrings for Young One's newly-pierced lobes.

I'd say it was a successful market day.


*Man-pri -- capri pants for a man

Colmar, France | Alsace Region

During our road trip to the north at the end of the year we spent a day in Colmar, a quaint French city in the Alsace region, a bit south of Strasbourg. Goodness. It's nearly ridiculous, the quaintness and charm of this place. Add in the Christmas decor and the markets, and, well, I don't know that there are too many places that can top this charm.  You can read a bit more about the history and culture of the city here.

We didn't plan much for this trip, opting for Richard's "Show Up and Explore" mode of travel instead, so I can't tell you much about about "must sees" in Colmar. This time, it was enough to amble, take photos, enjoy each other and the Christmas atmosphere.  I especially liked the Christmas markets in this town, where many seemed to feature Alsatian artisans and where I did pick up a "souvenir" (read: pottery) or two, something I've mostly stopped doing during our travels.

We skipped the restaurant recommendations of friends (Eh, we didn't make reservations!) and headed to the indoor market area for a light lunch. I think I could have quiche and salad with a glass of wine for lunch for the remainder of my days and live a completely fulfilled life. How lucky...that's exactly what we found inside the market. And the cheese. For the love of the cheese! 

It was in Colmar that a Frenchman chuckled upon seeing Richard coming up the street and then stopped him to tell him to turn his beret around. Richard and our friend Dale got those Kangol hats years ago from a shop just off the main piazza in Cortona, Italy, long before the movie put the town on the "must-do" tourist map. Of course we had all read the book and had visited a friend in the area for years before it became a major stop on the American tourist circuit. Unfortunately, we don't make it there much anymore, which makes us all rather sad, tourists or not. The hat does look nice backwards, I swear...just not in France, where it's a source of humor. But I digress...

One interesting piece of trivia:  Auguste Bartholdi, sculptor of the Statue of Liberty was born in Colmar in 1834. A small replica of the statue greets visitors in a traffic circle on their way into town. That was a neat thing for our kiddo, who just visited Lady Liberty in NYC for the first time this summer and saw the statue in the D'Orsay in December 2012. I wonder where we should look to find the next one? 

Happy Weekend! We don't plan to venture too far this holiday weekend, but I sure do wish we were headed to France ;)

Strasbourg, France | Alsace Region

In 1759 Jean-Pierre Keller left the Alsace region of France to immigrate to South Louisiana. He was born in 1730 near Strasbourg; he died in 1789 on the Mighty Mississippi River on his way to New Orleans. His body was never found. (That was before Louisiana was a state, even before the Louisiana Purchase, you know!) Many of Jean Pierre's descendants continue to call this place in South Louisiana home, including much of my large extended family.

In December 2014 I visited the Alsace region for the first time, to include Strasbourg. I could literally feel the presence of my ancestors as I walked the crowded, market-lined streets of Strasbourg. The faces, the sounds, and the smells were all so familiar, like a strange déjà vu experience unlike any I had ever had. I was sure I spotted my father's twin in the gothic cathedral at the center of the old town. I was home.

Okay. 

So maybe not.

But, it was still kind of cool thing to be able to do, don't you think?

And I swear we were served fromage de tête at Chez Yvonne that is exactly like the hog's head cheese I grew up eating in South Louisiana. Exactly.

There's no place like home, like France, like Italy, like...forget it!

..........

Chez Yvonne came recommended by a friend who visits the region often, and it was everything he promised it would be. We did need a reservation during the busy Christmas season. While we did enjoy the visit, I think any time other than Christmas may have been a better choice for us as Strasbourg draws quite a crowd of visitors during this time. The city was literally covered in markets and holiday decor, unlike anything I've ever seen. Unable to find an apartment for our short stay during high season, we stayed in a hotel at the edge of the historic district. It was acceptable but not worth mentioning here. 

corner view

corner view :: light & darkness

Strasbourg, France

December 2013

I have never, ever, never seen anything quite like Strasbourg, France at Christmastime. It seemed that every avenue, every little alley, every insignificant passageway was aglow as the darkness set in each evening. And this was only topped by the elaborate decorations covering one timber-framed building after the other, visible mostly during the hours of light.  And then there were the markets. Oh, the markets! Little sparkling wooden huts emitting irresistible aromas around each and every turn: crepes, vin chaud, pain d'Epices...market overload.

I'd certainly like to return in the spring...when darkness means darkness and the huts have long been put away for next winter.

Corner View is a weekly appointment shared by people around the globe, an appointment started in the spring of 2009 by Jane in Spain and currently hosted by Francesca over at Fuori Borgo. We welcome you to join us; next week's theme is "a good read."

corner view

corner view :: Europe

 

Did you know that the US government operates cemeteries on foreign soil? That they exist in the European countries of France, Italy, Belgium, England, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands? (They are in countries outside of Europe as well.)

I once visited the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France for an American Memorial Day Service. It was moving, to say the least.

 

The American Battle Monuments Commission manages the overseas cemeteries and monuments. I hear a job with them is a pretty good gig. Info is on the website.

For more corner views from around the world or to link up with us, please visit Francesca.

service, sedaris, and metropolitain

While I heard the call to service on this Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday, I chose to ignore it and focus on a bit of purging and organizing in our home instead. I found comfort in the aloneness of this task and played some This American Life episodes to keep me company, one of which had me laughing out loud, so much so that I listened to it twice and only laughed harder the second time around. 

I'm sharing it here, along with some photos of the Paris metro from our recent trip. Much like the tourists mentioned in Act 3, we loved the convenience of the Paris metro; I hope the similarities stop there!

It's a short twelve minutes, and if you have ever lived outside of America, I bet it will have you laughing out loud as well. 

Episode #173: Three Kinds of Deception // Act 3 

"David Sedaris tells the story of a subway ride he took in Paris. Two American tourists mistake him for a Frenchman and, thinking he can't speak English, begin to talk loudly about how he smells. Later, they come to believe that he's a pickpocket. He starts off hating this, but comes to enjoy it. The story's from his book Me Talk Pretty One Day."

This last nighttime shot is a metro stop near the Louvre....so pretty and unexpected. No comment on the shoes. He has feet issues, so he gets a pass, sometimes.

paris museums with children: 10 tips

"This is my favorite because is reminds me of Desigual!"

We recently spent a week in Paris with our eight-year-old daughter, where we spent a bit of time visiting museums. This part of our visit went exceptionally well, and I thought I'd share a few strategies I've learned for visiting museums with children. Before getting started with my list, I urge you to be flexible and to get your child a small sketchbook and pencil to bring along on the trip.

1.  The long lines can test the patience of the most eager adult visitor; they can ruin a visit for children before they even get a chance to enter. Even with the Paris Museum Pass, we waited for 60 minutes for access to the Pompidou Center one morning. We took turns waiting in line and exploring the immediate area with our daughter, making the time seem to pass much more quickly for her. Also...be reasonable. After waiting for 60 minutes to enter, it was impossible to wait in yet another long line for the special Dali exhibit once inside. We missed it.

2. Let the child's interest drive the visit. I know that this may be difficult for some who have life-long dreams of visiting these museums, but I think it is important to find a compromise. I was deeply moved by this installation in the Pompidou Center while my daughter found it fit to count the number of bodies. I gave her a brief explanation of the art but could quickly tell her interest was not peaked, so I let it go...just like that, but not before asking her the number of bodies.

3. Slow down. Talk. Engage. Sit for a spell. If possible, do so in front of a piece of art that prompts conversation. "Do you see any people in this picture? How many do you see? What do you think they are doing? Are any of them children? Take a closer look. How is this piece of art like the last piece we saw? Do you think you could create a painting like this one? What is your favorite color in this painting?" Most children don't have much background knowledge, no schema, to bring to this art...at least not like we do. They won't automatically engage but a few choice questions will work wonders to activate what they do know. Make sure they have pencils and sketchbooks handy. 

4. Listen to their ideas about the art. What is striking to children will not be the same that is deemed valuable or interesting to adults. Let them know that you value their ideas. Here she is excitedly pointing out the number of animals in this painting, "Marriage at Cana" in the Louvre.  My husband let her know that he was interested in her interests. At times this might mean that you'll have to fake it, but be careful with that because children can smell an imposter!

5. Get some picture books from your local library before you go. Read them to your children. Katy offers a list here to get you started. Before this trip we also added Not For Parents Paris to our collection and enjoyed Picasso and Minou from our library. We also found time to watch Ratatouille again, which resulted in her walking the streets of Paris quoting, "The best found in the world is in France. The best food in France is in Paris. The best food in Paris is at..." 

6. Let them be kids. Let them be silly.

7. Don't expect to cover the entire museum. We visited the  l'Orangerie just to see Monet's water lilies in their special oval-shaped rooms. I absolutely would have loved to explore more of the space, but understood the need to compromise with the little girl who had already had a long day.

8. Look for connections to their lives, to things that they do know! Several months before our trip, I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret aloud to her, and then we followed up with the movie. I knew that we had to find the large clocks in the d'Orsay and climb to the top for a overall view of the train station. She loved discussing the fact that DaVinci is Italian yet his Mona is in France...the injustice! (She considers herself half American, half Italian.) We must bring her back!

9.  Don't push it. Really. It will be a disaster if you do. One of our favorite museums is the d'Orsay. Our daughter was unimpressed and not really willing to be cajoled into thinking otherwise. Who knows the reason! The day of the week? The time of day? The breakfast choice? The fact that it is our favorite? Once we realized that things were headed south we jumped ship.

10. Seek out museums that are for kids.  We did not do this because the visit went smoothly without it; however, I was prepared to visit this place or this place.

One more general tip:  Take advantage of late openings of many museums in Paris; get informed of the appropriate days and times. Also, pay attention to closing days.

For more tips about visiting Paris, you can see my other post: Paris: 3 Useful Resources and My Planning Strategy


Do you have additional tips for visiting museums with children? Please feel free to share in the comments.