Catch Up
Yesterday we took the train out to Chartres. This is something I've been trying to do during any one of the last few trips here. Chartres is a helluva story. Anyone who has been to Paris has undoubtedly seen Notre Dame Paris and been (duly, maybe) impressed.
It is wonderful. An excellent example of Gothic architecture illustrating the middle stages of the Gothic period (the cathedral at Rouen takes it even further).
Chartres is decidedly earlier in style and it shows. This is the French cathedral that most of us have seen at least a photo of, it's the one that has two completely different towers. One is part of the original design and is distinctly Romanesque in style, and the other, installed nearly 400 years later to replace a wooden one that burned up, is unmistakeably Gothic. There are more than 170 individual stained glass installations at Chartres, each tells a story and, taken as a whole, stand as a narration for the region and the times.
(blather blather blather... art-speak continues until no one reads this blog again...)
Suffice to say a I had a blast and Katja enjoyed wandering around with me, snapping away and grabbing some great shots of the Cathedral and the Old Town (pix follow... we forgot the damn cable at home so you'll have to check back in about a week...)
We have been doing our best to conserve money (ok, Katja has, I just go along as best I can), but one area we have not skimped is on food. We have eaten more incredible food in the last few days than some small villages produce in a month. Since we've been here we've eaten the following body parts (and their associated creatures):
Cheese. (cow, goat, sheep, you name it, one can probably make a cheese out of some secretion and, chances are, we've eaten it). It is in fact, extremely difficult to avoid this substance here in france. They do have butter, but most of the time you have to ask for it. They prefer to give you a nice Roquefort or a slab of Chevre instead.
Liver. Again, not hard to find, most places have some form of this as a standard appetizer; again, we've eaten several different kinds including duck, goose and chicken.
Tongue. Not sure this was supposed to be in that particular dish, but nevertheless, I ate it and it was delicious.
Standard fare of breast/flank/tenderloin and so on.
Cheek. (of cow). Called here Tete-de-Veau, meaning literally "Head of Cow." I'd heard of this several times, and hadn't really ventured there yet, but after Bourdain's, "A Cook's Tour," I had to go there. Katja, like a good foodie should, was right there with me. It was delicious. Tender, flavorful, served with a pile of shallots and chervil on top, alongside some blanched and steamed potatoes. Trust me, do this dish right and you won't forget that meal.
Piles of fresh fish, shellfish. Wow. A LOT of amazing, high quality seafood is in season and in abundance (and therefore cheap) right now. For instance tonight we went to this Malaysian joint we know of out in the 16e called Chez Foong (remember that if you're ever here... yum). We had, among other tasty delights, a filet of wild Salmon seasoned and wrapped in a banana leaf and then grilled.
Ya.
I'll leave it at that I think.
It is wonderful. An excellent example of Gothic architecture illustrating the middle stages of the Gothic period (the cathedral at Rouen takes it even further).
Chartres is decidedly earlier in style and it shows. This is the French cathedral that most of us have seen at least a photo of, it's the one that has two completely different towers. One is part of the original design and is distinctly Romanesque in style, and the other, installed nearly 400 years later to replace a wooden one that burned up, is unmistakeably Gothic. There are more than 170 individual stained glass installations at Chartres, each tells a story and, taken as a whole, stand as a narration for the region and the times.
(blather blather blather... art-speak continues until no one reads this blog again...)
Suffice to say a I had a blast and Katja enjoyed wandering around with me, snapping away and grabbing some great shots of the Cathedral and the Old Town (pix follow... we forgot the damn cable at home so you'll have to check back in about a week...)
We have been doing our best to conserve money (ok, Katja has, I just go along as best I can), but one area we have not skimped is on food. We have eaten more incredible food in the last few days than some small villages produce in a month. Since we've been here we've eaten the following body parts (and their associated creatures):
Cheese. (cow, goat, sheep, you name it, one can probably make a cheese out of some secretion and, chances are, we've eaten it). It is in fact, extremely difficult to avoid this substance here in france. They do have butter, but most of the time you have to ask for it. They prefer to give you a nice Roquefort or a slab of Chevre instead.
Liver. Again, not hard to find, most places have some form of this as a standard appetizer; again, we've eaten several different kinds including duck, goose and chicken.
Tongue. Not sure this was supposed to be in that particular dish, but nevertheless, I ate it and it was delicious.
Standard fare of breast/flank/tenderloin and so on.
Cheek. (of cow). Called here Tete-de-Veau, meaning literally "Head of Cow." I'd heard of this several times, and hadn't really ventured there yet, but after Bourdain's, "A Cook's Tour," I had to go there. Katja, like a good foodie should, was right there with me. It was delicious. Tender, flavorful, served with a pile of shallots and chervil on top, alongside some blanched and steamed potatoes. Trust me, do this dish right and you won't forget that meal.
Piles of fresh fish, shellfish. Wow. A LOT of amazing, high quality seafood is in season and in abundance (and therefore cheap) right now. For instance tonight we went to this Malaysian joint we know of out in the 16e called Chez Foong (remember that if you're ever here... yum). We had, among other tasty delights, a filet of wild Salmon seasoned and wrapped in a banana leaf and then grilled.
Ya.
I'll leave it at that I think.
posted by Peter at
9:34 PM
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