Some more pics related to the post below...

A logical place to have our picnic!

That's jelly, not lard!

Instead of writing an ordinary introduction for my first trip-related foodie post, I will quote from Edward Behr (The Art of Eating no. 60, Winter 2002):

The French are not yet quite as averse to fat as we are. Not that we eat less fat- Americans are notoriously fatter, though we like our fat to be invisible, inside a hamburger or any kind of prepared food. The French eat fat less often, but they enjoy it more readily and don't mind quite as much if it's obvious. Part of the strong appeal of charcuterie is that fat in well-prepared, well-seasoned, carefully cooked pates, terrines, and sausages is delicious. The effect is not necessarily heavy, often just the reverse... Bread is mandatory, as is light, refreshing wine, white or red.

We fist took this excellent advice in preparing for our picnic at Versailles. We packed cherries, cheese, a bottle of red Burgundy, and some huge figs we found at a shop they day before on Rue Caulaincourt in Montmartre. What we did not yet have was bread. And no meaty goodies either! We got both on Rue Royale after getting off the train. I do not remember the name of the charcuterie, but it is located at no. 17, next to a chocolatier called Les Beaux Arts. What we got was quite amazing, but the pictures will not do it justice. It was a pork pate/terrine with apricots, calvados, perhaps prunes, and topped with a jelly containing juniper berries and spices. Although we ate it with figs instead of the traditional cornichons, it was one of the best things I've ever tasted! Feast your eyes... (or look at the pictures above. I have not figured out how to post these at the bottom... I will edit this later.)

First, the obvious

We got to Paris early on June 4th. Although we had just been on an airplane for eight hours, it was six in the morning when we landed. The only thing we could do was walk around town, as our hotel did not let us check in until 11.00. This was, of course, the best thing that could have happened, since we realized early on that taking any kind of guided bus tour was a waste of time when we could discover the city much better on foot! This set the precedent for the next week, including the evening of June 7th, when we finally reached the Eiffel Tower. Because it was a Sunday, we saw a spectacular light show as it got dark (more on that later). As Lucas and Norgard wrote in Europe Beyond Your Means, "If you choose to make this a destination where you get in touch with your tourist-self, don't worry; this is certainly one place in Paris where no one will judge you for ordering a funnel cake." Well, we didn't have that opportunity, but we did have a rum-soaked street-side crepe as we searched in vain for the Champ de Mars metro stop an hour later!

Welcome!

The time has come. Fresh from three weeks in Europe and a day in Atlanta, the grapes are ripe for the picking! Tomorrow... the launch!