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Showing posts from March, 2009

Only in Paris

Only in Paris can one descend to the metro in style, under a jeweled canopy. One feels royally crowned. Only in Paris can one pick up coffee or boissons -to-go in a fuel efficient mini truck. Only in Paris can one step into a concept car that smells oh la la elegant. Even Louis XIV would find the gold doors befitting his Sun King image. Only in Paris can one find a beautiful reclining nude in a public park and it is by Aristide Maillol, no less. Share with me your "Only in Paris" discovery. Click the comments box below. * * * Photos by Charie

Bibimbap in Paris?

bibimbap The Rue des Petits Champs is off the Avenue de l'Opera in Paris. This street is lined with Japanese restaurants and an Oriental grocery store. The side streets reveal more Asian restaurants and on a rainy afternoon I discovered this Korean restaurant that serves bibimbap. What I like about this dish is that it is a healthy mix of rice and vegetables, similar to the one I was served. It may also be prepared with beef or chicken. For starters the waitress brought little bowls with kimchi, daikon, julienned carrots, and seasoned lotus roots. My bibimbap was served in a hot iron cast pot. The ingredients were layered with steamed rice at the bottom of the pot. The rice was slightly roasted from the hot pot which I am partial to because it is crunchy. Vegetables like zucchini, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy were added on top of the rice and an egg cooked sunny side up capped the dish. Strips of seaweed were sprinkled over the egg. I didn't add the goch

Photographing the Arc de Triomphe

This first photo was taken from the bottom of the Champs Elysées. I stood on the center divide while waiting for the light to turn green to cross to the other side. The Arc is just a dot in the distance. Halfway up the Champs Elysées, I got a closer and better view of the Arc than the first take. At this juncture, the features of the Arc are visible to the eye. And the headlights from passing cars add an ethereal beauty to the scene. This last image was taken right in front of the Arc de Triomphe. It's a hairy experience with cars whizzing past in both directions. There's a narrow 3 feet margin of safety for the photographer to take a souvenir shot without stepping into no man's land. * * * Photos by Charie