You'd think that with all of our guests gone it would be nothing but cocktails and French TV for us, but that's just not how it is. Work is very busy for both of us. Dennis' team is working longer hours and I've been busy with L'Orèal, one of our large clients. Their campus is lovely, the buildings are colored the same dark purple as their makup compacts. Looking out the window of the campus cafe, you can see into the R&D labs in the building across the way. Very fancy! No company store, though. It's a little surprising how many brands they have, and how many of my cosmetics and haircare products are theirs. Maybelline, Lancome, Ralph Lauren, Vichy, Redken, Kerastase, Matrix...
Add to all of that our continued French classes (did I mention I can say things in the future AND the past now?) and you have a recipe for exhaustion.
We have done some fun things, though, and there's a lot coming up. Last weekend I bought a huge cooking pot at a local kitchen store. It was spendy (a French brand called Cristel), but I rationalized it by reminding myself that we'll have it until we die, likely. It's really lovely, and we christened it immediately by braising a huge pork shoulder roast, that was tied up (in French, ficeler = to tie) by the butcher. It was about a 4lb roast, so after it was braised (in water, with carrots, onions, celery, leeks, thyme, bay, and garlic) we split it and used half for pork tacos and half for pea soup.
On Sunday we went for a long walk, ending up at the outdoor market at Neuilly, a nearby neighborhood. The market was huge, and a bit overwhelming. It's hard not to buy too much, since everything looks so good. Oh, that reminds me, we replaced our crappy silverware that came with the house with new, shiny, strong, lovely silverware from a vendor at our local market. At first we bought just six pieces of everything, but the merchant said for half again as much, he'd double the quantity. We couldn't refuse, so now we have service for 12. The vendor guy said we should open a restaurant. Good idea! I tucked the nasty silverware away -- I'll put it back when we leave and take our quality flatware with us.
On Monday night, our bosses are coming over for dinner. One is vegetarian, and I haven't decided yet what to make. Whatever I end up with, I'm almost certain it will involve another trip to the outdoor market, since I love to go. I'm tempted to make more pork this weekend, now that I'm on this braising kick. It makes tender, shreddable pork in much less time than pulled pork takes. It's not quite as good, but it's up there.
Jim Home will be here next week which is always fun. His wife will join him later in the month, finally! On the 27th of April, Dennis and I are going to Chicago to see his dad. We'll be there until May 2 when we return. (Of course the plane gets us to France the next day, as do all planes from the US.) We'll rest one day, and then we take off for London to celebrate our first anniversary. (Mayday, mayday!) I booked us a first-class ticket on the Eurostar (Chunnel Train) for the way there, and we have a hotel in Bloomsbury, right near the British Museum. The Louvre is the largest museum in the world, but the British Museum has to be right up there for the coolest. Who would have thought when we were married, that we'd be living in Paris less than a year later? It's still weird, after 5 months. I still think sometimes "How did this come about?" Wacky.
We'll hang out in London for a few days, eat some fish and chips, check out Westminster Abbey, and maybe try a few other restaurants I have in mind, including this one (all about the pigs):
http://www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk/
On the 7th our pals Pete and Urcella arrive. We have a reservation for dinner at the OXO Tower restaurant:
And then we all take the Eurostar home on the 8th. Jim and Kristie will be here too. What a party! I don't know where everyone is going to sleep.
--Aimee
Add to all of that our continued French classes (did I mention I can say things in the future AND the past now?) and you have a recipe for exhaustion.
We have done some fun things, though, and there's a lot coming up. Last weekend I bought a huge cooking pot at a local kitchen store. It was spendy (a French brand called Cristel), but I rationalized it by reminding myself that we'll have it until we die, likely. It's really lovely, and we christened it immediately by braising a huge pork shoulder roast, that was tied up (in French, ficeler = to tie) by the butcher. It was about a 4lb roast, so after it was braised (in water, with carrots, onions, celery, leeks, thyme, bay, and garlic) we split it and used half for pork tacos and half for pea soup.
On Sunday we went for a long walk, ending up at the outdoor market at Neuilly, a nearby neighborhood. The market was huge, and a bit overwhelming. It's hard not to buy too much, since everything looks so good. Oh, that reminds me, we replaced our crappy silverware that came with the house with new, shiny, strong, lovely silverware from a vendor at our local market. At first we bought just six pieces of everything, but the merchant said for half again as much, he'd double the quantity. We couldn't refuse, so now we have service for 12. The vendor guy said we should open a restaurant. Good idea! I tucked the nasty silverware away -- I'll put it back when we leave and take our quality flatware with us.
On Monday night, our bosses are coming over for dinner. One is vegetarian, and I haven't decided yet what to make. Whatever I end up with, I'm almost certain it will involve another trip to the outdoor market, since I love to go. I'm tempted to make more pork this weekend, now that I'm on this braising kick. It makes tender, shreddable pork in much less time than pulled pork takes. It's not quite as good, but it's up there.
Jim Home will be here next week which is always fun. His wife will join him later in the month, finally! On the 27th of April, Dennis and I are going to Chicago to see his dad. We'll be there until May 2 when we return. (Of course the plane gets us to France the next day, as do all planes from the US.) We'll rest one day, and then we take off for London to celebrate our first anniversary. (Mayday, mayday!) I booked us a first-class ticket on the Eurostar (Chunnel Train) for the way there, and we have a hotel in Bloomsbury, right near the British Museum. The Louvre is the largest museum in the world, but the British Museum has to be right up there for the coolest. Who would have thought when we were married, that we'd be living in Paris less than a year later? It's still weird, after 5 months. I still think sometimes "How did this come about?" Wacky.
We'll hang out in London for a few days, eat some fish and chips, check out Westminster Abbey, and maybe try a few other restaurants I have in mind, including this one (all about the pigs):
http://www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk/
On the 7th our pals Pete and Urcella arrive. We have a reservation for dinner at the OXO Tower restaurant:
And then we all take the Eurostar home on the 8th. Jim and Kristie will be here too. What a party! I don't know where everyone is going to sleep.
--Aimee
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About me
- I'm off2paris
- From Paris, France
- off2paris at wonky point org
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