Ah what a glorious day. I traveled to Giverny with my program and visited Monet's house and gardens! When I went in 2007, it was a rainy/miserable day but the weather was perfect and we even saw les grenouilles on lily-pads...
Unfortunately, Normandy (as well as most of Northern France) has been experiencing a pretty severe drought, which is a huge problem for the local wineries and farms. Nonetheless, Monet's gardens were gorgeous. Weird fact: he had pretty bad cataracts and was nearly blind by the time he died.. but since he planned each flower in his garden so meticulously he still knew the colors and plants when walking around.
After our tour we had a picnic near le Chateau de la Roche- Guyon.. we were at the top (near the ruins of the dungeon) then drove down into the small village. It was crazy how little it seems has changed... as many small villages in France, the entire community is centered around the boulangerie, patisserie, and church.
So after reading my previous posts and getting ridiculed by my younger sister, I've decided to take my blogging/time in France in a new direction - by going with an alteration of Spa Week. For those of you who aren't familiar with Spa Week, basically my roommate Andrea and I started having Spa Week mid-February when times were tough. Basically, you do something good for yourself (running an extra mile, eating a truffle for no reason, painting your nails, calling an old friend, buying yourself flowers etc.... actually most of my Spa Weeks revolve around food though to be honest). But the catch is that Spa Week is every week. It never ends hah.
For France, I am going to try to do something special/chic/different every day, and will be helped by the list I am making now of everything I want to do and everywhere I want to go during this study abroad experience.
Soooo to debut.... the first cross off I have is visiting the famous and one of France's oldest maisons de gastronomie, Dalloyau, and having one of their signature entrements chocolat - a Dalloyau (almond meringue with praline cream and layered with sheets of praline as well)
Stalking their website/menu is like going to heaven: http://www.dalloyau.fr
Of course I chose to walk home with it on an 80 degree day so it looks a little tired but here it is:
It was one of the most incredible desserts I have ever had. Funny fact - when I still had spelling class à la 2nd grade, I learned the difference in number of 's' used in Dessert and Desert like this: you can only cross one deSert but can always eat two deSSerts. This is especially true in Paris.
Well I'm off for a run in the luxembourg jardins after having another unnecessary (albeit INCREDIBLE) meal... Ah Spa Week...
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