Speaking of springtime - when I am in Paris I love to eat at Cafe Marley at the Louvre. They serve an incredible spring pea dish but my favorite dish (any season) is their haricot vert salad. I would give a little for some idea of how to make it. I have tried to make a French style haricot vert salad many times and it never transports me to France. Can you help?
Great perspective on Paris and the upcoming Olympics. Vacationing in Europe during Summer has always been challenging at times with the sweltering heat & humidity. The lack of AC or windows that you can open but have no screens, no night time cooling temps invite bugs inside.
Even though I grew up in Wisconsin in the 70's without AC or fans...I no longer can be without these amenities. So I travel abroad during Winter, Spring and Fall.✨
Thank you for bringing up the Olympics. I am one of the millions who will be showing up for the Games, and having been to two Games before, I have well-managed expectations. London did a great job in 2012, and I expect that the organizers in Paris will rise to the occasion. I subscribed in part so that I will have access to your archives for my non-sport-watching time, but it would be great if, closer to the start of the Games, you might be able to share some pointers about what to avoid based on your on-the-ground reporting. I expect I'm not the only one of your readers who considers you to be our (virtual) Friend Who Lives In Paris, so thanks in advance.
Hi Christopher, It's hard to tell what's going to be going on, and I'm going away the week before, but back in town for the Games. My friend Heather of Secrets of Paris did an in-depth post about getting around during that period: https://secretsofparis.com/practical/getting-around-paris-olympics/
I've read that they will have contactless options for the métros and buses installed in time for the games, so hopefully that will happen. Apparently they want people to buy transport tickets in advance but at this point, it's not clear how to do that. They'll likely post info on the RATP (transit) website before the Games: https://www.ratp.fr/en
Many thanks! I'll keep an eye out for any developments. I had read that they were going to be doubling the Metro fare for the duration, which seems an odd way to encourage people to use public transit. And, um, sorry? For the London games they issued a travelcard with every ticket, making it quite easy to get around. I'm staying up in St. Denis, and I have tickets for events all over, so I expect I'll be an expert on how to navigate the system by the time my visit is over.
I'm sufficiently optimistic that enough of the transit options will be up and running that I have purchased a five day pass that will get me most of where I need to go. Based on what your friend Heather has written, this seems to be the best option for me. And, yes, there are far worse things than having to cross Paris on foot.
I was completely gobsmacked when I read this and how you elegantly sequed to rescue your work - this takes incredible mental and physical gymnastics - you are definitely ready for the Olympics! Thank you for another generous post. Quick question: my daughter wants to take me to Paris in late October / November. Is this a good idea?
A friend in the tech world once told me, "At some point, everybody is going to lose data..." so I'm pretty good at backing things up. It was changing the names of the files that made it so difficult, amongst other things.
Oct/Nov is generally a good time to come to Paris since it's not too cold and there won't be any heatwaves. Sometimes there can be strikes in October but that's part of life in France, but if you plan any train trips, just keep an eye on the news. Also - it's important to reserve at restaurants in Paris nowadays as many fill up so feel free to reserve at any you want to go to in advance, and cancel if you can't make it : )
Thanks for the great info on Paris and the Olympics. My husband and I will definitely wait until all that is over before returning to Paris. FYI - We had a great meal at Kerridge's Bar & Grille 2 weeks ago in London. Their special daily menu was awesome, I had the Wagyu burger and he had the Mushroom Parfait with Cherry Ketchup, Hazelnut Dukkah and Grilled Bread along with the most delicious fish & chips he has ever had.
I am trying to keep my excitement in check for my trip to the Olympics but seeing this has me getting antsy!!
I am going to channel my CALM self and pray I have a great time. Am just thinking about maybe just buying a “cheap” bike then donating when I leave. Do you have any suggestion on places to buy one? Cheap like a True Value one from back in the day or a “GoodWill” sitch.
I just don’t know if the hire bikes will be around in good supply when I’m there.
You can buy cheap(er) used bikes online on LeBonCoin and there are shops but I don’t know if one in particular to recommend. Paris is a good walking city though so if the transit system gets too stressed walking is easy 😀
Some people do seafood ice cream - I've seen lobster ice cream, and oyster ice cream. Most of those things are, um...interesting, to taste a spoonful of, but I'd rather have a bowl of chocolate, coffee or vanilla ;)
I'm in the midst of helping my daughter buy a condo and with the bidding, real estate agent, banks and lawyers, the past week fells like I've been on a marathon. I found time to read your Newsletter this morning (always cheerful and informative). I was envious to read that you're eating fresh apricots and nectarines. Yum! As for the Olympics, I'm one of those mad fools who is planning to be in Paris 2 weeks prior. Thanks for the various heads up. I'm planning to come with extra zen.
My thought as well. Where in France are apricots ripening in early May? In Brooklyn, we don't get them until late July. In the Bay Area, it would be early July (Frog Hollow is so great!).
The first apartment I bought in San Francisco, we ran into problems, and the real estate agent said to me, "Once...just once...I'd like a deal without any problems." There are always things that come up but even if they don't, it's a lot of stuff to deal with (!)
Same experience as your cousin and friends at CDG last week. We waited in line for 3 hours! Gonna be a huge problem when the hordes descend for the Olympics.
Charles de Gaulle airport has always been, well...not the best, nor the easiest to navigate, airport. I was surprised though that they haven't yet figured out how to fix the whole issue with getting through customs. They've set up machines but they're very slow and many are out-of-order. (There's supposedly a labor shortage, which is contributing to the current situation.) It's not a great way to welcome visitors, or residents coming home. Let's hope they get it fixed before 15 million people come!
What we should have done after the CDG experience was boot it over to the “Anti-jet lag Wellness Experience” offered at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann! It’s marketed as “indulging yourself in a relaxing journey.”
I laughed out loud when I saw your comment and link for the Duck Fat Spray. I get Ruth's Substack and opened a tab for the spray about a week ago. Still, it sits. ROFL! I need to just go buy it.
You are truly funny, were you aware? I get the biggest kick out of reading your posts. Happy May!
As of today Brisbane has moved from high summer to Autumn. It’s barely 24 degrees C, cloudy and showery and it’s lovely!!! Our summer as a subtropical city has been particularly brutal, I hope yours doesn’t meet those expectations.
Apple and blackberry pie is an English staple during autumn having first foraged for your blackberries. Sadly they are a weed here and are sprayed so I had to resort to the green grocer. Such a delicious combination and brings back memories of my mum and gran.
I have my fingers and toes crossed for a peaceful and successful Olympics free from any distractions.
Love the menu. I did a double take when I got to kool whip!!! What a laugh that it got through the typist I’ll bet that took a while to live down.
It's fine in a country, like the U.S., where tips are expected and part of the servers salary (many get paid less than minimum wage as tips make up the difference) but in a country like France where it's included and people get a living wage, health insurance and other benefits, tips are a gesture of appreciation, not a requirement.
Thank you for your excellent newsletter. I think with the Olympics, based on our experience living in Sydney Australia during the Olympics..where things when surprisingly well, Paris will not do well with crowd management and the lines. We were in Paris in February and noticed that lines for entrance to various galleries etc were huge and really poorly managed..e.g a lot of people and only one or two staff on the counters. And..the lack of toilets is going to be a big problem
When I took the Eurostar the other day, only one (1) of the electric kiosks in the gare du Nord was working. So everyone has to pass through just one....while the others were out of service. Yes, there are issues about crowds (and personally, they should make the métro and buses free, as they did in London, to minimize lines) but Paris is a walkable city so hopefully that will alleviate some issues. I hope they install a lot of additional bathrooms, as you point out, is another issue in paris.
Speaking of springtime - when I am in Paris I love to eat at Cafe Marley at the Louvre. They serve an incredible spring pea dish but my favorite dish (any season) is their haricot vert salad. I would give a little for some idea of how to make it. I have tried to make a French style haricot vert salad many times and it never transports me to France. Can you help?
Great perspective on Paris and the upcoming Olympics. Vacationing in Europe during Summer has always been challenging at times with the sweltering heat & humidity. The lack of AC or windows that you can open but have no screens, no night time cooling temps invite bugs inside.
Even though I grew up in Wisconsin in the 70's without AC or fans...I no longer can be without these amenities. So I travel abroad during Winter, Spring and Fall.✨
Thank you for bringing up the Olympics. I am one of the millions who will be showing up for the Games, and having been to two Games before, I have well-managed expectations. London did a great job in 2012, and I expect that the organizers in Paris will rise to the occasion. I subscribed in part so that I will have access to your archives for my non-sport-watching time, but it would be great if, closer to the start of the Games, you might be able to share some pointers about what to avoid based on your on-the-ground reporting. I expect I'm not the only one of your readers who considers you to be our (virtual) Friend Who Lives In Paris, so thanks in advance.
Hi Christopher, It's hard to tell what's going to be going on, and I'm going away the week before, but back in town for the Games. My friend Heather of Secrets of Paris did an in-depth post about getting around during that period: https://secretsofparis.com/practical/getting-around-paris-olympics/
I've read that they will have contactless options for the métros and buses installed in time for the games, so hopefully that will happen. Apparently they want people to buy transport tickets in advance but at this point, it's not clear how to do that. They'll likely post info on the RATP (transit) website before the Games: https://www.ratp.fr/en
Many thanks! I'll keep an eye out for any developments. I had read that they were going to be doubling the Metro fare for the duration, which seems an odd way to encourage people to use public transit. And, um, sorry? For the London games they issued a travelcard with every ticket, making it quite easy to get around. I'm staying up in St. Denis, and I have tickets for events all over, so I expect I'll be an expert on how to navigate the system by the time my visit is over.
The official reply from the transit authority is that people in Paris should not be paying costs of the olympics, hence the rise in fares, according to her. The mayor of Paris has already said the city's transit system won't be ready in time: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231123-paris-transport-will-not-be-ready-for-olympics-mayor
...but the upside is that Paris is pretty walkable : )
I'm sufficiently optimistic that enough of the transit options will be up and running that I have purchased a five day pass that will get me most of where I need to go. Based on what your friend Heather has written, this seems to be the best option for me. And, yes, there are far worse things than having to cross Paris on foot.
"half of my files disappeared or were renamed"
I was completely gobsmacked when I read this and how you elegantly sequed to rescue your work - this takes incredible mental and physical gymnastics - you are definitely ready for the Olympics! Thank you for another generous post. Quick question: my daughter wants to take me to Paris in late October / November. Is this a good idea?
A friend in the tech world once told me, "At some point, everybody is going to lose data..." so I'm pretty good at backing things up. It was changing the names of the files that made it so difficult, amongst other things.
Oct/Nov is generally a good time to come to Paris since it's not too cold and there won't be any heatwaves. Sometimes there can be strikes in October but that's part of life in France, but if you plan any train trips, just keep an eye on the news. Also - it's important to reserve at restaurants in Paris nowadays as many fill up so feel free to reserve at any you want to go to in advance, and cancel if you can't make it : )
Thanks for the great info on Paris and the Olympics. My husband and I will definitely wait until all that is over before returning to Paris. FYI - We had a great meal at Kerridge's Bar & Grille 2 weeks ago in London. Their special daily menu was awesome, I had the Wagyu burger and he had the Mushroom Parfait with Cherry Ketchup, Hazelnut Dukkah and Grilled Bread along with the most delicious fish & chips he has ever had.
Would love to hear about your dining experiences in London as I’ll be there in August!
Bonjour David ,
I am delighted to subscribe and ,as always , shall be jazzed to learn great new stuff from you.
💫Enjoy le printemps-yeah! Asparagus!👨🍳
I am trying to keep my excitement in check for my trip to the Olympics but seeing this has me getting antsy!!
I am going to channel my CALM self and pray I have a great time. Am just thinking about maybe just buying a “cheap” bike then donating when I leave. Do you have any suggestion on places to buy one? Cheap like a True Value one from back in the day or a “GoodWill” sitch.
I just don’t know if the hire bikes will be around in good supply when I’m there.
You can buy cheap(er) used bikes online on LeBonCoin and there are shops but I don’t know if one in particular to recommend. Paris is a good walking city though so if the transit system gets too stressed walking is easy 😀
Thanks for the tips! Looking forward to my visit!!
I'll admit I did try to imagine what clam-raisin ice cream would taste like. I mean, if anyone could make that combination palatable, it would be you!
Some people do seafood ice cream - I've seen lobster ice cream, and oyster ice cream. Most of those things are, um...interesting, to taste a spoonful of, but I'd rather have a bowl of chocolate, coffee or vanilla ;)
I'm in the midst of helping my daughter buy a condo and with the bidding, real estate agent, banks and lawyers, the past week fells like I've been on a marathon. I found time to read your Newsletter this morning (always cheerful and informative). I was envious to read that you're eating fresh apricots and nectarines. Yum! As for the Olympics, I'm one of those mad fools who is planning to be in Paris 2 weeks prior. Thanks for the various heads up. I'm planning to come with extra zen.
My thought as well. Where in France are apricots ripening in early May? In Brooklyn, we don't get them until late July. In the Bay Area, it would be early July (Frog Hollow is so great!).
anu
The first apartment I bought in San Francisco, we ran into problems, and the real estate agent said to me, "Once...just once...I'd like a deal without any problems." There are always things that come up but even if they don't, it's a lot of stuff to deal with (!)
Same experience as your cousin and friends at CDG last week. We waited in line for 3 hours! Gonna be a huge problem when the hordes descend for the Olympics.
Charles de Gaulle airport has always been, well...not the best, nor the easiest to navigate, airport. I was surprised though that they haven't yet figured out how to fix the whole issue with getting through customs. They've set up machines but they're very slow and many are out-of-order. (There's supposedly a labor shortage, which is contributing to the current situation.) It's not a great way to welcome visitors, or residents coming home. Let's hope they get it fixed before 15 million people come!
What we should have done after the CDG experience was boot it over to the “Anti-jet lag Wellness Experience” offered at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann! It’s marketed as “indulging yourself in a relaxing journey.”
I laughed out loud when I saw your comment and link for the Duck Fat Spray. I get Ruth's Substack and opened a tab for the spray about a week ago. Still, it sits. ROFL! I need to just go buy it.
You are truly funny, were you aware? I get the biggest kick out of reading your posts. Happy May!
Enjoy your visit to London .. my home city. I look forward to reading all about your food experiences.
As of today Brisbane has moved from high summer to Autumn. It’s barely 24 degrees C, cloudy and showery and it’s lovely!!! Our summer as a subtropical city has been particularly brutal, I hope yours doesn’t meet those expectations.
Apple and blackberry pie is an English staple during autumn having first foraged for your blackberries. Sadly they are a weed here and are sprayed so I had to resort to the green grocer. Such a delicious combination and brings back memories of my mum and gran.
I have my fingers and toes crossed for a peaceful and successful Olympics free from any distractions.
Love the menu. I did a double take when I got to kool whip!!! What a laugh that it got through the typist I’ll bet that took a while to live down.
I’m off to find a jumper… what bliss!!!
Wow David, every newsletter seems to outdo the last fabulous one. Seems like each one becomes a chapter in a book?
Love even reading your links.Now an armchair traveler, I still love to be in the know!
Our credit card readers also ask what % tip we want to leave.
Can’t wait for your next one😎
It's fine in a country, like the U.S., where tips are expected and part of the servers salary (many get paid less than minimum wage as tips make up the difference) but in a country like France where it's included and people get a living wage, health insurance and other benefits, tips are a gesture of appreciation, not a requirement.
Thanks for this reminder 😊
Thank you for your excellent newsletter. I think with the Olympics, based on our experience living in Sydney Australia during the Olympics..where things when surprisingly well, Paris will not do well with crowd management and the lines. We were in Paris in February and noticed that lines for entrance to various galleries etc were huge and really poorly managed..e.g a lot of people and only one or two staff on the counters. And..the lack of toilets is going to be a big problem
I went to the Olympics in Australia in 2000. It was perfectly run!!! Paris is just so different- more like London. It will be difficult.
When I took the Eurostar the other day, only one (1) of the electric kiosks in the gare du Nord was working. So everyone has to pass through just one....while the others were out of service. Yes, there are issues about crowds (and personally, they should make the métro and buses free, as they did in London, to minimize lines) but Paris is a walkable city so hopefully that will alleviate some issues. I hope they install a lot of additional bathrooms, as you point out, is another issue in paris.
Thousands of porta-loos need to be magic-ed up..🤣🤣🤣