August 1st, 2010

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!!!

My parents asked me today what I was getting them for their 29 year wedding anniversary. I told them my present was me not asking them to send me money... hehe. Since that's apparently not the kind of present they were thinking of, and I'm a little far away to make them something, this post is sort of my present to my mom, who keeps asking me for pictures and posts that aren't food related...

I'm pretty burnt out from the weekend, as it proved to be quite a busy one. We spent Friday with two friends who are about to embark on a world road trip, starting in the US with our beloved and dearly missed van, the Dirty Turtle.

That evening we met up with some more friends and had a picnic at Les Jardins du Trocadero, which is located on the north side of the Siene River, overlooking La Tour Eiffel. I think picnics are one of the greatest things about living in Paris; there are so many different parks, hidden gardens, and secret courtyards... you can really find one that fits your personality. But I have to be honest, Les Jardins du Trocadero wouldn't be my ideal picnic area. I was curious about this particular park because it is located on the opposite side of La Tour Eiffel, or well, opposite of the side I usually visit(Parc du Champs de Mars). I also found an image of Les Jardins du Trocadero in a travel book my dad gave me. It looked simple and quiet, with lush green grass and weeping willows overlooking a still pond... the perfect setting for a picnic, right? Wrong. Tourists and their cameras, merchants selling mini Eiffel Tower key chains, and performers trying to earn an extra buck fill the Palais de Chaillot and the surrounding gardens. We couldn't even find a grassy spot where there weren't cigarette butts embedded in the dirt. Hey, I'm not bashing the place, trust me, it could be much, much worse. We all still had a great time, and I got some pretty cool night shots of the Eiffel Tower.

Saturday we met up with Rey and Laetitia, some of our really good friends from Atlanta who were passing through Paris. They spent the past few weeks in the south of France, where Laetitia's family lives. We walked around the city to show Rey the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries... and got some(more) delicious hot chocolate from Angelina! It was so good to see friends from back home... Rey never fails to make us laugh, and I can always count on Laetitia to be my chocolate buddy!!

Today, I got pretty lucky. I've wanted to go to the Centre Pompidou for a while now... but was hesitating due to the 10-12 Euro entry fee. But today was my lucky(or luckily timed) day, as it was Sunday, August 1st, the first Sunday of the month, when the museum has no entry fee! Luckily the month of August is also when most Parisians go on vacation, so the museum wasn't as crowded as it might be during the other months. I won't ramble on too much; just wanted to mention that the view from the top of the Centre Pompidou is absolutely amazing. You can see all of Paris, from the Sacre Coeur, to the Eiffel Tower, to Notre Dame. If you ever come to Paris, you can't miss this sight. I'll leave you with some of my favorite pieces from the museum... Bonne Nuit!

Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food. - Michael Levine

Yesterday I experienced Chocolate Heaven.

Last winter, when I was in Paris, I came across a fancy little tea shop along Rue de Rivoli called Angelina. I probably would have just passed this place by if it wasn't for the line of people wrapped around the block waiting for whatever was inside. I tried to get a closer look to see what all the fuss was about, but all of the window displays and menus were obstructed by pea coat and mitten-wearing tourists. I didn't think too much of it, I knew I eventually would be back, so I made a mental note of the name of the place and went on my merry way.

 

 

It just so happened that a friend later told us that this place has the best hot chocolate in Paris(if not the world), and if we ever get the chance, we MUST go. MENTAL NOTE: Return to Angelina. We didn't get a chance to make it back there over Christmas, but yesterday... WE DID. It was the perfect day to go, as it was actually a little cold and gloomy. Hot chocolate was the perfect thing to warm us up.

I wanted to take full advantage of this experience, so I made it a doubly chocolate event. I ordered, in French, chocolat chaud à l’ancienne(hot chocolate) et macalon chocolat noir(dark chocolate long-macaron). They bring the hot chocolate to you in it's own little pitcher, and for Quentin and I, a two person order of chocolat chaud was more than enough. We each had two full cups, which unbelievably for me, was almost too much. They also bring you a side of whipped creme, so you can add as much or as little as you'd like.

 

 

As Quentin poured my first cup, just the sight of the dark, thick, rich chocolate started to make my mouth water. I was like a kid in Chocolate Heaven... Wait, who was I kidding? I was like any person of any age in Chocolate Heaven. I took my first sip. I was like drinking liquid chocolate cake. So smooth, so rich, so absolutely delicious. The smile on my face went ear to ear. Then a bite of the macalon, a completely different chocolate experience. Crumbly and delicate, yet, gooey and creamy, and unmistakeably chocolate. I devilishly dipped the macalon in the hot chocolate. Ok, I'll be blunt. Orgasm in my mouth.

After two cups each and half of the macalon I was actually, and I hate to say it... in chocolate overload. It was all in all a little expensive(about 7 euros for the hot chocolate), unbelievably chocolatey, and absolutely 100% worth it.

So, if you ever get the chance to come to Paris, and I'm still here... I will take you there. If I'm not here... treat yourself to the best hot chocolate in Paris. You will not regret it(unless you don't like chocolate, and in that case, why are we even friends? Just kidding...).

Angelina
226 Rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris, France