Last week week in Paris, I walked along Citroen Quai de Grenelle, Rue Saint Charles, Grenelle Boulevard, Rues Lecourbe, St. Germaine, Du Four and Quay D’Orsay for hours. The bitter winter chill brought shivers to my bones and toes. My fingers ached and fiercely jumping up and down did little to bring the blood flow back to my extremities.
Finally I gave in and jumped a Metro, where I jumped off at La Motte Picquet’s Grenelle station. Bouquet de Grenelle Café was across the street, where I met a friend of a friend for coffee the day before.
I returned because they had fresh water oysters on-site for roughly a Euro a piece. Happily, I ordered a dozen and a quarter carafe each of the Gamay de Touraine Aoc and the Bordeaux Rouge Chateau Aoc Gantonet. They were both fabulous, yet the wine was far too chilled, as was the case on Air France en route.
I tryed to order something healthy but the waiter was not all that helpful……aside from a dozen oysters, I had the choice of jambon, les oeufs et fromage or jambon, les oeufs et fromage. (ham, eggs and cheese). In nearly every restaurant, this was my choice with an occasional fish and chicken entrée or a simple savory crepe –ham, eggs and cheese—although nearly wherever crepes were offered, sweet options were offered as well. (chocolate, sugar, grand marnier, etc).
Imagine not eating cheese on a trip to Europe? For those who are lactose intolerant, I wondered how they eat at all. I quietly smiled at the menu, as I grabbed Pierre and ordered a Croque Madame (welsh rarebit with egg).
There was also Croque Provencal (welsh rarebit with fried egg and tomato), Alsacien (welsh rabbit, sausage, ham and sausage), Auvergnat Madame (welsh rarebit, egg, ham and cheese), Assiette Anglais (cold meat with potatoes in oil), the list went on and on.
Pierre started to bob around like an out-of-place penguin. All the waiters were wearing black vests, white shirts and one tail, although it was a fairly casual café on the corner of Boulevard Grenelle. Between watching Pierre and the rosy cheeks of the people outside passing by my window, all I could think of was how cold it was outside. Baby its cold outside, I really don’t mind……….baby, it’s cold ouuuutsideee. And then the oysters and wine arrived and the warmth immediately returned.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
