Meditation on a Museum

Tags

art, Fort Worth, modern art, Paris, Texas

When I’m in Paris, I love going to museums. In fact, I can overdo the museum time if I’m not careful because there are always interesting exhibits on and so many wonderful museums to choose from. But as wonderful as the art scene is in Paris, that city certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on great art. There are plenty of opportunities to view great art wherever (or hopefully near where) you live.

I was reminded of this during a recent visit with family in Fort Worth, Texas. You wouldn’t immediately guess it, but Fort Worth–best-known for its Stockyards, where you can witness a real-live cattle drive every day–is home to several world-class museums, including the Kimbell Art Museum, which has an incredible permanent collection and will be hosting a special exhibit from the Musée d’Orsay soon. Just across the street from the Kimbell is another outstanding museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, aka “The Modern.”

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

The Modern is the oldest art museum in Texas and was originally chartered in 1892, although its collection now focuses on post-World War II-era art. Its current building was designed in 2002 by the renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando and integrates natural elements, such as a reflecting pond and an outdoor sculpture garden, with a  steel and concrete structure to create an understated, blank canvas on which the art can shine.

The sleek and serene architectural design by Tadao Ando

On the day I decided to stop in recently, a new exhibit was being installed on the first floor so admission was half-price. So, that was a nice bonus! The upstairs galleries were all open, though, and those ended up being just enough art to absorb for one afternoon. It’s an eclectic collection, from Picasso and Gerhard Richter to Susan Rothenberg and Philip Guston, and includes paintings, sculptures, and multimedia pieces. While I can’t claim that I “got” every piece that I looked at, certain pieces definitely drew me in, whether they were intriguing or disquieting. Art, regardless of style, engenders a subjective response from the viewer—like, dislike, indifference, admiration, repulsion, wonder, anger, delight, and so on. And while some pieces we appreciate on a superficial level, others can speak to our soul.

The Modern’s reflecting pool

And I can say only half-jokingly that, because of my love for horses, if a horse is in the art piece, then I’ll naturally gravitate to it. Which, of course, is why I stood at the sculpture Hina, by Deborah Butterfield, and admired it from every angle–and really wanted to reach out to touch it, or why I was drawn to the painting Cabin Fever, by Susan Rothenberg. But I was also drawn to the series of geometric colorscapes by Sean Scully, and I find myself hard-pressed to articulate why. Perhaps because those pieces had an almost meditative effect?

Hina, a bronze sculpture by Deborah Butterfield, 1990-91

But then I find most museums to be a meditative experience in some way, similar to perusing a bookstore. I tend to lose track of time and forget all my cares for the moment. And the Modern was certainly no exception.

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

Paris Adventures #5–Street Scenes

Tags

chalk art, Eiffel Tower, Paris, Seine, street art, travel

Strolling through the streets of Paris, you never know what you’ll see, whether it’s cool street art or a random movie or fashion shoot. I’ve included some of my favorite Parisian “street scenes” below. You truly never know what’ll be around the next corner!

Wall art on the rue du Vieux Colombier.

Tree shadow or…?

Check out the “Entrée Interdite” sign on the left. I didn’t even notice the little dude “stealing” the sign until I downloaded the photo.

On rue Férou, you can find the Arthur Rimbaud poem “Le Bateau Ivre” in its entirely along this wall. Here’s one panel.

A simple plea across from the Eiffel Tower. Apparently this was done by the renowned graffiti artist Curtis Kulig.

A fashion shoot at the Jardins du Trocadéro because of course!

Along the Seine, a film crew shoots a movie? TV show? Commercial? Not sure. The car has the logo “Go Paris Go” on the side.

Chalk art on the Place Igor Stravinsky outside Centre Pompidou.

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

Crème d’Amandes aux Prunes

Tags

almond, baking, crème d'amandes, cream, La Cuisine Paris, Paris, plums, recipe

Today, I noticed the plums that I bought the other day were approaching the overripe stage, so I pondered what to do with them. I suppose I could have just eaten them. But where’s the fun in that when I could bake something? I went with a crème d’amandes (almond cream), an easy recipe that I learned in Paris a couple of years ago, thanks to a class I took at La Cuisine Paris. It’s a tarte filling but can stand just fine on its own. As I learned in the class, you don’t have to make the pastry dough if you don’t want to or don’t have the time (or, ahem, don’t have store-bought pastry on hand).

You can top the crème d’amandes with most any fruit that you like, such as pears, figs (what we used in the class), peaches, or, in this case, plums (or prunes, en français). Making the crème is incredibly easy. Just get out a big mixing bowl and add the following (thank you, La Cuisine Paris, for the recipe!), then mix well:

100 g butter (about 1 stick), at room temperature
100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
100 g almond powder (1 cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla (I admit to eyeballing this)

I refrigerated the mixture while I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and sliced up the two plums. I aimed for slices about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick, but even though I wasn’t super consistent with that, it didn’t seem to matter. So, yay, for recipes that are forgiving!

Once you have your fruit of choice ready, you just spoon (or pipe, if you want to get fancy) the mixture into the ramekins (enough for 4 servings), add the fruit, and bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. You can also garnish with sliced almonds before baking. What I like about this dessert is how easy and quick it is, and so versatile! Oh, and yummy! Miam!

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

Paris Adventure #4-Refuge in Montmartre

Tags

art museum, cafe, food, Montmartre, Paris, travel

Who knew that a rainy, chilly day in Montmartre last October would lead me to the best burger I’ve had in a really long time? My plan for the day was to visit the Musée de Montmartre, have lunch nearby, and then wander the neighborhood if the weather allowed. That morning, when I stepped out of the Lamarck-Caulaincourt Metro station on rue Lamarck, the skies were cloudy and threatening rain and the breeze was cold by my Texas standards.

View of Paris from the Musée de Montmartre

One of the wonderful or frustrating things about Montmartre, depending on your perspective, is the twisty nature of the streets; you inevitably will go the wrong way and have to backtrack. I pride myself on a good sense of direction, but in the 18th arrondissement, it all goes out the window. So, when I came out of the Metro station and referred to my handy-dandy pop-up map to locate the museum, naturally I headed in the wrong direction. One course correction and stair climb later, I found myself at the corner of rue des Saules and rue Saint-Vincent, where the famed cabaret Au Lapin Agile sits. From there, you can see the Musée de Montmartre overlooking the Montmartre vineyard, the last operating vineyard within Paris city limits.

La Maison Rose

Up rue des Saules on the corner of rue Cortot is another well-known spot, the aptly named café, La Maison Rose (Pink House). The Musée de Montmartre, at 12 rue Cortot (from the entrance, you can see the back of Sacre-Coeur rising over nearby buildings), is housed in a 17th-century manor house with a wonderful view of Paris. Entering the courtyard, you can sense why so many artists, from Renoir to Dufy and Utrillo, called it home at one time or another. The atmosphere is so relaxed and calming, perfect for artistic inspiration.

Entering the Musée de Montmartre

I decided to wander the gardens first, while the rain was holding off. Even in early October, the grass and foliage remained green and vibrant. To the right of the house is the famed swing painted by Renoir in La balançoire (1876). The back of the house is bordered by a wooded area or ancien bois, originally sold by the Abbesses of Montmartre in the 17th century and today an ecological reserve.

The vineyard in Montmartre

Inside, you can’t help but be a bit in awe of the incredible artists and musicians who lived and created here. The collections are not large, so it’s not a huge time investment, but the museum is absolutely worth a visit to learn more about Montmartre itself and the artist community that developed there, especially around the end of the 19th century. A diorama showcases the locations of famous artists’ ateliers and homes throughout the arrondissement.

Part of the collection pays tribute to the cabaret, Le Chat Noir, and includes advertising posters created by artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Steinlen. But best of all was the museum’s own chat noir. Curled up against the chill on one of the garden benches, this friendly French feline came to greet me and receive some pets when I sat down. If the day had been warmer, I would have been content to just sit there and relax with M. le Chat for a while longer.

Le Chat Noir

But, it started to drizzle so after leaving the museum, I headed back to the Lamarck-Caulaincourt Metro station to find a place for lunch. Directly across the street from the entrance was a café-brasserie, appropriately called Le Refuge.

I loved this place from the moment I stepped inside. Not least of which because it was warm. It was bustling at lunchtime and menu was simple and straightforward. I was seated at a small table at the front window next to the bar, where locals stopped in for a café or two. What I loved was the well-worn feel of the place, with local flyers and adverts stuck on the walls and a pile of newspapers at the entrance for folks to read while sipping their drink.

Le Refuge, the perfect refuge on a chilly Paris day

I called out my order to the bartender (en français, bien sur, or, more accurately, in halting français), who made sure I received my “Coca” and “Le Burger du Refuge” without too much wait.

Yes, I ordered a burger in a French brasserie. But I was cold and wanted warm, comfort food! It ended up being the best burger I’ve had in a long time: The beef patty was juicy, cooked medium to medium rare, and covered with a slice of brie. The toasted buns were slathered in a delicious sauce of mayonnaise and some sort of relish. The burger was accompanied by dressed salad greens, some of which I added to my burger, and pommes frites. I finished every single bite.

The very yummy burger and fries at Le Refuge

Food aside, the most charming aspect of Le Refuge was a petite elderly woman who sat at the bar drinking her café. She would immediately chat with any unsuspecting patron who sat down next to her. Most didn’t seem to mind, though. She even came over to my table when my food arrived and began telling me (and I’m so proud that I could understand enough of what she said) that she didn’t eat lunch, but instead ate a large breakfast and a small dinner. And that she didn’t eat meat but liked Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine. I don’t think she realized I didn’t speak much French, but I don’t think she was expecting a reply anyway. She was just happy to talk. Encounters like these are what make travel so rich and serendipitous and why I love to travel so much.

The Musée de Montmartre

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

Paris Adventures #3-In Search of Sweets

Tags

food, Paris, pastries, sweets, travel

Pardon, mes amis, for my absence of several months. But I’ve been busy gathering plenty of material to write about after a third trip to Paris last fall. And I figure what better way to make amends than to treat you to some sweets, Paris style.

Coeur de Chocolat Noisette, Dalloyau

For my birthday, I couldn’t resist this beautiful confection from Dalloyau combining two of my favorite flavors: chocolate and hazelnuts (Nutella, anyone?). The emphasis here, though, was on the hazelnuts, showcased in both the creamy goodness and crispy layers. It was absolutely as good as it looks. I should have gotten two…or three..or…

Éclair Infiniment Café, Pierre Hermé

Normally, I don’t go for coffee-flavored desserts, other than tiramisu, but look at these gorgeous treats from Pierre Hermé — all part of the patissier’s “Infiniment Café” line. I chose the éclair, which is the pastry of the moment in Paris. The filling was a bit on the sweet side for my taste, but the coffee flavor helped temper that. And the sweetness certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. I devoured it pretty quickly!

Millefeuille, Gérard Mulot

Heaven, I’m in heaven…That’s pretty much what I think every time I venture into a Gérard Mulot. I could write an entire post about this place, and I probably will at some point. But for now, let’s just focus on this beautiful millefeuille, shall we? I’d never had a millefeuille before, but I think I’m spoiled for them now. Light, airy, not-too-sweet cream alternating with crispy puff pastry layers. As I said, heaven.

Saint-Honoré Caramel and Tatin aux Pommes, Arnaud Larher

I really love caramel, so I couldn’t pass up the Saint-Honoré Caramel (top photo) from Arnaud Larher. This dessert was more like caramel overload, though—but in a really good way! It is more of a two-person dessert, not that I didn’t give it my best shot. Caramel-flavored icing topped an intense caramel custard, with caramel-filled and glazed mini-choux decorating the sides and top (with a touch of gold leaf to garnish). Yeah.

The day I bought the Saint-Honoré, the Tatin aux Pommes also caught my eye, so I went back the next day to get it. Crunchy brown-sugar streusel crust, caramelized apples, topped with a dollop of vanilla cream and mini-apple squares. The most intense apple pie I’ve ever had.

JC Gaulupeau, Versailles

Just un peu de lèche-vitrine or window shopping (“lick the window” in French) in Versailles. Will have to add this historic patisserie to a future visit. The mousse au miel looked especially yummy.

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

Paris Adventures #2–Taking Tea at Mariage Frères

Tags

Earl Grey tea, Mariage Freres, Paris, tea

My first really amazing tea experience came in London, England. Quite apropos, I suppose. I was 16 and traveling with a group of fellow high school students on a two-week, whirlwind summer tour of Europe. London was our first stop, and as part of the itinerary, we were allowed some time to wander through Harrod’s. After plenty of gawking at such a magnificent store (and a bit of shopping may have taken place), our group popped in a store café for a quick bite. And that’s where this small town Texas girl tasted Earl Grey tea for the first time.

Harrod’s photo from that long ago high school trip

That tea experience set the bar pretty high — and set me on the path to unabashed tea geek. To top that experience, I, of course, had to travel to Paris. This time it was a visit to Mariage Frères.

My friend Emmy introduced me to Mariage Frères tea a few years ago thanks to a birthday gift of a tin of the Earl Grey Impérial. Since that first sip at Harrod’s, I’ve had plenty of lovely Earl Grey teas but plenty of bad ones, too, where the bergamot is way too overpowering. But, after opening the tin and taking just one sniff of the tea leaves, I could tell the Mariage Frères version would be a good one. The taste bore this out and the tea quickly became a favorite.

When I decided to go to France in 2011, I knew I wanted to visit one of the Mariage Frères tea shops. There are five locations around Paris, including one on Rue des Grands-Augustins in the 6ème arrondissement, close to where I stayed. In fact, I became pretty obsessed about making sure I got there! Miss the Louvre? Meh. Miss Mariage Frères? Sacre bleu!

Needless to say, I successfully made it to the shop at Rue des Grands-Augustins — and proceeded to spend plenty of money. Next came figuring out how to stuff a lot of tea and tea accessories in my bag for the trip home.

Upon entering the shop, I went into sensory overload for a moment because I didn’t know where to look first. The wall of large tea canisters? The counter filled with gorgeous tea sets and gift boxes? The glass display case filled with beautiful tea pots and cups? After I stopped wildly glancing around, I settled on sniffing some of the teas on display and decided on a tin of Earl Grey French Blue (“Thé elegant et soyeux et fleurs bleues”). Like regular Earl Grey, it is scented with bergamot oil but also contains little dried blue flowers. I’m not sure what they do exactly for the tea, but to my taste, it’s a smoother, more delicate blend than a regular Earl Grey.

Next, I braved the tea counter and asked for some Earl Grey Impérial to refill my tin at home. I also tried the organic Happy Valley Darjeeling, second flush (“récolte d’été”) and immediately fell in love. This tea is not cheap at 42 euros per 100 grams. But every drop is well worth the cost. It is a sublime afternoon tea — light and calming. I could drink it everyday but I try to ration it so I have enough until I can get back to Paris. Speaking of which, I went back last year to replenish my supply (that wasn’t the sole reason I went back but was an important one). So, rationing that now for the next trip…I suppose I could order it online but where’s the fun in that?

The second floor (or first floor by European standards) of the Grands-Augustins shop houses a salon du thé, where you can sit down and enjoy a pot of tea and a tasty treat. Had the Happy Valley of course, along with a lovely slice of a lemon and raspberry cake topped with tea leaves. Très rafraîchissant!

Even though you can increasingly find Mariage Frères in the States (or order it online), the main enjoyment for me, as a tea geek, has been experiencing the shop itself and having the opportunity to try different teas in person. I never would have discovered the Happy Valley Darjeeling otherwise. And that’s one splurge I was happy to make.

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

Lemon Pots de Crème

Tags

baking, cream, lemon, recipe, thyme

From time to time, I decide to inflict baked goods on unsuspecting friends and family. I’m actually a pretty competent baker. I can whip up a mean chocolate chip cookie or a yummy pan of brownies or a good fruit crisp fairly easily.

But I also enjoy a good baking challenge. The soufflés, the custards and crèmes, anything that involves making caramel or whipping egg whites into stiff peaks. Baked goods that require a certain amount of finesse or technique — and no guarantee of success.

I recently came across this recipe for lemon thyme pots de crème that intrigued me. So, I decided this would be my next experiment the next time my family got together. That ended up being Father’s Day, when we gathered at my brother’s house.

The recipe is Australian, but the recipe writer, Valli Little, kindly converted most of the measurements from the Metric (except for that pesky oven temp — thank goodness for online converters). The recipe did include a couple of ingredients that I wasn’t immediately familiar with: caster sugar and pure (thin) cream. I found a small bag of caster sugar at Whole Foods (and subsequently am seeing it everywhere). But I couldn’t find an exact equivalent to pure (thin) cream (even after looking up an Australian dairy site to try to figure out what that equivalent was), so used regular heavy cream instead. The only difference I could discern was that heavy cream has a slightly higher fat content.

Finding the lemon thyme itself wasn’t a problem. Whole Foods carries fresh lemon thyme from a local purveyor, Pure Luck Farms (they are best known for their amazing goat cheese). Lemon thyme has to be one of my favorite herbs. It smells so delicious.

The pots de crème need to be chilled after baking, at least two hours, but overnight is probably best. I prepared these the day before Father’s Day, allowing myself time for a do-over, just in case. Whenever I tackle a new recipe, I’m always extra cautious about the ingredients and steps. After getting all the prep work done (lemon zested, lemon thyme chopped, sugar measured), I prepared to infuse the cream with the lemon zest and lemon thyme. This was — for me — a critical step. The infusion mixture needed to come “almost” to a boil. That’s the trick. You know that whole “watched pot” thing? Where you can stare at a pot forever but as soon as you turn away, boom! boiling! or worse, boiling over? It’s happened to me before, but I managed to keep this mixture from coming all the way to a boil and set the cream aside to further meld with the lemony flavors. Next came separating six eggs and whisking the yolks with a 1/4 cup of the sugar.

After reheating the cream, I strained the cream into the egg mixture and gave it a good stir. Then, that mixture got strained into a large measuring cup (the recipe calls for a jug but I didn’t have one handy).

I filled five small ramekins with the strained cream mixture. The ramekins were already sitting in a large baking dish to await their hot water bath. I had preheated the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and very carefully placed the baking dish on the center rack. Baking times vary, of course, depending on the oven, but I ended up baking the pots de crème for 30 minutes instead of the 20-25 minutes called for in the recipe. You have to eyeball “just set.” After the pots de crème cooled, I covered each ramekin in plastic wrap and placed them in the frig to set completely overnight.

Lemon thyme sprigs served as garnish, making the pots de crème look pretty, but I was still worried. Did the cream get infused properly? Was the consistency just right?

Yes and yes! These pots de crème take lemon pudding to the next level. The texture was smooth and creamy and the lemony taste was refreshing and light. You would never think it was a dessert made from heavy cream and egg yolks. Considering family members were licking their ramekins clean, I’ll take that as a sign of approval.

Paris Adventures #1–Le Jardin du Luxembourg

Tags

Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, travel

I’m ready to hop a plane to Paris pretty much anytime (oh, to be independently wealthy), but never more so than when I don’t feel good and spend way too much time scrolling through Pinterest looking at pretty Paris photos. Like today, for instance.

So, as I sit here trying not to cough up a lung, I find myself reminiscing about my favorite places in Paris. I’ve had the good fortune to visit La Ville Lumière three times, the first in high school (for a very whirlwind three days) and most recently the past two Octobers for a week each (not long enough). I love Paris for the simple fact that no matter where you wander, you always see something interesting or beautiful.

Which leads to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Le Jardin du Luxembourg is my absolute favorite place in Paris. Absolute. Favorite. Located in the 6ème arrondissement of the St-Germain-des-Prés quartier, this beautiful park/garden is 60 acres of quintessential Parisian manicured lawns, garden vignettes, wooded areas, glistening fountains, and historical and mythological statuary (Diana the Huntress, Pan, Paul Verlaine, a French Resistance memorial, etc.).

I didn’t expect to be so charmed by the gardens, but it was love at first sight for me (un coup de foudre). Le jardin est si tranquil. C’est si beau et calme. When you walk through the gates, you’ve entered another world. Paris still buzzes around you — on the periphery, you can still hear the traffic noises — but the further in you go, the quieter it gets until you’ve left the hustle and bustle of the city behind.

It’s not like there’s not plenty of activity going on in the park, though. There are tennis and basketball courts. You might run across a yoga or tai chi class. And joggers take their morning run. And at certain times of the year, you’ll see children on a carrousel or attending a puppet show.

Because of the park’s massive size, I haven’t had a chance to explore the entire thing yet. The north entrance is fronted by the French Senat building or Luxembourg Palace. There is an adjacent museum. Rue de Vaugirard runs in front with rue de Tournon connecting just in front of the Senat. Entering to the left of the Senat (facing the park), you come in along a manicured flowerbed on the right and trees and park space on the left. Sculptures dot the landscape; some are part of specific vignettes. At the Grand Bassin fountain in the center of the park, locals come and sit and enjoy lunch, rest, chat, read. And feed the ducks — feeding the ducks in the fountains is ok but apparently you can’t feed the birds (mostly pigeons) on the grounds! A gendarme chastised a young boy for doing so, poor lad. My French was good enough to understand that!

One of my favorite spots in the park is the Fontaine de Medicis. When I visited in the fall of 2011, ducks were enjoying the pond and leaves from the surrounding trees had decorated the fountain steps. The trees — cypress, I think — were huge and ancient and magnificent and lined the entire pond. The ubiquitous green chairs that populate most Parisian parks were lined along either side, as well. I could have stayed there all day, it was so peaceful. My great desire for a subsequent trip is to have an afternoon or morning to spend there, just reading or writing.

On my last full day in Paris during my visit last fall, I stopped that morning at my favorite patisserie, Gerard Mulot, at 76 rue de Seine (which turns into rue de Tournon in the next block) to grab a pain au chocolat. Then, I ambled up the rue de Tournon and entered the gardens to the right of the Senat and museum. It was a tranquil fall morning, a little foggy but not too chilly, although I was wrapped up in my coat and scarf. There were folks out jogging, including two older French gentlemen (mid-60s, I suppose), looking très chic in their sweats.

I was on a mission to find a little café my landlord had mentioned: La Buvette des Marionettes. It’s a little outdoor café adjacent to the puppet theatre, in the western half of the park. I grabbed a cup of tea and sat down to enjoy my pastry under the trees and gently falling leaves. The French gentlemen joggers ended up at the table next to mine conversing over a cup of café. I took the time to jot some notes in my journal, trying to soak up as much of the peaceful atmosphere as I could. Très merveilleux. I didn’t want to leave.

Photos by Judy L. Marchman

French Lessons

Tags

French, language, Paris

I am taking French lessons. Oui, je suis etudiante en francais.

My goal is simple: When I visit France, I want to be able to buy shoes and order wine en francais. Oh, and order pastries and crepes and…I can sorta-kinda do that now, but my ability to speak in French is rather haphazard at best.

I’m not a complete newcomer to the language. In fact, I minored in French in college, which was…a few years ago. I can vividly remember struggling to get to French class five days a week at 8 in the morning my freshman year but the French subjunctive? Not so much. Three years of college French were immediately left behind when I graduated and had to do the work thing. But over the years, as I dreamed of getting back to Paris, I thought about trying to refresh my knowledge of the language. In high school, I had been to Paris as part of a whirlwind, two-week European adventure and the experience whet my appetite to learn the language in the first place.

In 2011, I made my first trip back to Paris for my birthday and returned again last year. Both times, I mustered enough French words to make myself understood, and I can read signs pretty well. But, for my next trip (because there will be one), I’d like to have a better command of the language to better interact with locals, especially if I trek outside of Paris, such as another visit to Champagne country (a story for another blog post, je promis).

This spring, after much deliberating, i.e., procrastination, I finally decided to do something about it. I signed up for an eight-week course through the wonderful Freestyle Language Center in Austin. Founded just last year, the center also offers classes in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. The classes are held after hours at the Khabele School, an Austin private school near downtown housed in a trio of repurposed Victorian homes.

I’m going back to the basics because I’ve forgotten so much. There are only about eight of us in the French I class. I love that Marie, notre professeur merveilleuse, is a French native because it helps to hear her accent. The focus in class is on actually speaking the language and interacting with others in conversation – actually using the language. These are skills I didn’t pick up very well during three years in college and certainly didn’t retain. Being in the classroom environment also forces me to be present in the learning process.

And the course is already proving useful in practical ways. For instance, if a Frenchman asks you “Tu peux me donner ton 06?”, whether or not you give him your phone number may be entirely dependent upon how closely he resembles Jean Dujardin.

(A small nerdy note: “06” is the prefix for French cell phone numbers.) 

La Tour Eiffel
photo by Judy Marchman

And We’re Off!

Tags

baking, cupcakes, Paris

The idea for this blog has been percolating for some time — mainly because I am a world-class procrastinator. And fairly lazy. Curling up with a book or in front of the TV is sooo much easier. But at the same time, there are stories I want to tell. About myself and the world around me, such as sharing my love of baking. I love to try new recipes to see if I can pull them off. And I also like to foist the results off on unsuspecting friends and family. They usually don’t complain.

I’m also one of those annoying folks who like to take photos of their food — not just any food. It has to be pretty special or interesting. Like a yummy cupcake from favorite local spots Polkadots or Hey Cupcake, because, well, why wouldn’t I want to make everyone jealous that I’m eating a yummy cupcake? Same rules apply to the more traditional Texas fare of barbecue and tacos. It’s part of life in the ATX.

I plan to highlight some favorite places I’ve been (Paris will probably pop up quite a bit – no surprise to those who know me) or ramble about an amazing new wine or tea I’ve tried — or shoes I’ve bought. And you’ll probably hear about the Kentucky Derby and other horsey stuff. As I figure this blog thing out, I hope to put some regular features into place. Until then, please bear with some randomness for awhile.

So, here I am. I hope you’ll join me in Just Judy’s World for a cuppa. There also might be cupcakes.

Delicious chocolate toffee cupcake from Polkadots