Paris By Chocolate - An Autumn Delight

Sunday, March 31, 2013 Eva 0 Comments



Autumn is upon us here in the southern hemisphere and with it comes the refreshingly cooler mild weather.  Thoughts of rich velvety chocolate have now begun to pop into my head ......mmmmm.  However, my tastebuds have sunk to new lows. I am beginning to indulge in supermarket-purchased chocolate.  How woeful, especially when I think of all those varieties of refined artisan-made chocolates I’d sampled when last in Paris. 

Upon returning from the chocolate expo in the city of lights, love and indulgences in the northern hemisphere's autumn time, I’ve turned up my nose at the brand name chocolates and macarons available here in Perth.  My chocolate palate had changed.  After tasting some of the best of the best from around the world all under one Parisian roof, how can one eat the commoner’s stuff on offer in local stores back home?

SALON DU CHOCOLAT

The Salon du Chocolat is an annual cocoa extravaganza held in Paris each October.  When I discovered that our trip to Paris coincided with this event I was beside myself with delight.  My favourite food on tap in one vast Aladdin’s cave! 





"How do I love thee, let me count the ways.  I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach".             
The English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning must surely have been referring to chocolate.

 

By metro, getting to the choc expo at Porte de Versailles in the 15th arrondissement was a good 30 minute commute.  It was a reprieve from the outside temperatures and, once inside, my heart rate went up the moment we paid for our entry tickets and stood gawping at the huge number of chocolate displays on offer.  

INSIDE THE TEMPLE OF COCOA

Stepping into the Salon du Chocolat was to worship at the Temple of Cocoa. Only the French can elevate the bitter cacao bean to such sweet divine status.  I’d reached heaven!  There were slabs of chocolate and nougat stacked up high on trestle tables, chocolate sculptures, chocolate fountains, pyramids of macarons, chocolate artisans at work, chocolate merchandise, video presentations, cultural song and dance acts, sugarless chocolate, chocolate goblets, chocolate sauces and all the various accompaniments that could possibly partner it. Chocolate couture was on display on mannequins.  These fashion pieces crafted from real chocolate were to be worn by models in the early evening catwalk parade.  


Chocolate couture


Madonna eat your heart out!

Countries represented were Switzerland (of course!), Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Syria (pre-revolution days), Ivory Coast, Mexico, Madagascar, South American producers as well as local and regional French chocolatiers and patissiers.  

An amazing taste sensation was partnering foie gras with chocolate and onion jam - who would have thought!!!. Those French think of everythink!  But, my best chocolate discovery was the green tea-dusted Tokyo chocolate beans.  After the sweetness of all the other varieties, the slightly bitter and unusual flavour was refreshing.

After two or three hours of free sampling, Max and I reached saturation point and we still had a few hours to spare.  I was ready to regurgitate my addiction but our new French friend, Edith, who’d rented us her family townhouse in Monpazier just weeks before, was meeting us here after work.  By the afternoon we went through it all over again. Groan ..... I couldn’t stomach any more.  Hard as it is to believe I had to wave away further offers of free chocolate from vendors. 

Too much of a good thing is exactly that.  Looking back on it now, though, I wish I had crammed in just one more mouthful!

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Halloween at Eurodisney

Saturday, March 30, 2013 Eva 0 Comments




Leaving behind the serious adult world, we decided to let loose and indulge our "inner child" at Disneyland Paris for four days before returning our lease car to the Charles de Gaulle airport outside of Paris.  It's an easy drive to the Disneyland complex from Epernay in the Champagne region from where we were departing. From the resort it was then a 30-45 minute drive to reach the airport.  Simple with the help of a GPS! 

MONTEVRAIN IS AN EXCELLENT BASE 

We chose to stay at the Ibis Hotel in Montevrain, a great value and cheerful choice and close to the train station that links this small town to Eurodisney, rather than the more expensive option of staying within the resort.  One train stop away and two or three minutes later we were there - how easy!  Trains came and went between both destinations frequently.

A shopping centre with many eating options and a supermarket is walking distance from the hotel.  This is also where I got a much-needed great hair cut and colour, despite the young hairdressers in the salon speaking very limited English and my French limited to a few words and basic phrases.  A small designer outlet centre that resembles a little village is close by for those keen on splashing out on brands such as Armani, Burberry and the likes.

HALLOWEEN - DISNEY STYLE

Pumpkins were in abundance around the resort as a big nod towards the American celebration of Halloween.  The theme also tied in beautifully with the autumn palette of colours. Golden tones on foliage and in gardens visually gave the place much needed warmth as outdoor temperatures were on the brisk side of the thermometer.


Shades of orange light up Snow White's castle and performing stage


There were two weeks to go before our departure back home to Australia after being on the road for almost six months and Max had come down with a terrible cold.  Two weeks into our travels, almost six months prior, when we had begun our travels the same thing happened.  What can I say, the man's consistent!  Just like bookends.


Max's 'Cheshire Cat' impersonation in front of Disney-style Halloween gardens


FUN FOR ALL AGES

Despite the cringe-worthy factor for adults, it was kind of fun and playful experiencing the theme parks and its many stories and characters, if we overlooked the price tag associated with being there.  There was so much to see, do and cram in. Whilst chilly and overcast for most of the time, it did not deter the crowds who were a mix of French and international visitors.  British families seemed to be overrepresented - most likely due to school holidays.  

So, we'd been to Disneyland in Florida years before, and this was not quite on the same scale.  But in saying that, being big little kids at heart didn't deter us from enjoying the experience a la French-American style. Against a bilingual backdrop, everything from signs to announcements are given in both languages. There was Adventureland, Discoveryland, Frontierland and my favourite - Fantasyland which is towered over by Sleeping Beauty's castle.  Main Street USA is where you arrive after coming through the turnstiles and this area resembled a small 1800's Western-style town.  It is also where we viewed the colourful street parades with their gorgeous costumes and elaborate floats. When we wanted to relax and rest our feet we boarded the cute Disney steam train with its old-fashioned whistle which took us on a railroad journey around the whole complex, passing overhead at times.


Snow White mobbed for autographs



Walt Disney Studios and the famous man himself


By the time the four day mark neared of indulging in park tours and rides and feasting on expensive rubbish takeaway, visual overload and theme park weariness kicked in.  We were well and truly ready to re-emerge into the land of reality.


Letting the inner child loose with a sugar high!

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