We have the best new neighbour

Geoff and I recently welcomed a new next door neighbour.  A young Turkish guy, who says he works from home and travels a lot, so we don't expect to see him much. We recently opened our door to find our new neighbour with an offering of pistachio baklava.

oozey and delicious.

Embracing Autumn

Geoff and I took a wander around our neighbourhood over the weekend, soaking up some golden sunshine and revelling in the signs of Autumn.  

Golden yellows

Bright reds

Tinges of orange 

Damp.

Kate and Geoff ate Paris

Before going on our trip to Paris, I joked that we were going to eat all the croissants in Paris, as we had a list as long as our arms of the patisseries that we wanted to try!  As well as lots of oysters!

In no particular order, here are some of the delicacies we enjoyed:

Butter croissant at Du Pain et des Idées

Supposedly one of the best butter croissants in Paris, and it did not disappoint.  Flaky, crispy, moist in the middle, rich and smooth.  Absolutely delicious. 

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

Apparently the cakes sold here are called ‘Merveilleux’ – little meringues, that are still slightly chewy inside, surrounded by a delicious flavoured cream, and nuts, or chocolate shavings. Light and airy, incredibly satisfying to a sweet tooth

François Pralus

Pralus sells a brioche studded with pink praline (almond and hazelnuts) and was so buttery and especially lovely with a cup of tea

Berko

We devoured a delicious piece of lemon meringue cheesecake – tart lemon curd swirled through the cheesecake and topped by billowy meringue.  Lovely.

Stohrer

A much more traditional looking French patisserie, and I really enjoyed a religieuse – a coffee flavoured choux pastry bomb!  Highly recommended. 

Chapon
Yes, this is a cone of chocolate mousse, covered in crumbled praline.  There were 5 mousses to choose from - different chocolates from all over the world!

A touch of Melbourne in Paris

We certainly earned a coffee and éclair after climbing the hundreds of steps up to the Sacre Coeur, and used the lure of a taste of (Melbourne) home to get up the last few.

The Hardware Societe has a very small café in Paris, absolutely crammed with tables, staffed by English speakers and is the home of some coffee from Padre at the South Melbourne Markets. 

Geoff and I bought a flat white each (horrendously expensive but delicious) and shared a raspberry and rose water éclair while relaxing in the sun on the steps of the Sacre Coeur

It was a nice reminder of Melbourne. 

All the churches of Paris

Geoff and I just returned from a very relaxing 5 day trip to Paris.  As well as eating all the croissants in Paris (more on that later) we also made a good attempt at covering a lot of Paris on foot, and ended up in a lot of churches.

The Basilica Sacre Coeur was probably my favourite.  Despite being such an immense stone building, I felt an incredible sense of lightness as the sun streamed in from the windows at the base of the dome.  

The Sacre Coeur is thick with decoration, no surface left unadorned, and the stained glass windows are particularly striking.  

It also provides one of best views of Paris – though the Eiffel Tower is only visible from certain spots, given how far west the Tower is located (and Geoff had to climb to see it!)

 

Of course, it’s home to hundreds of pigeons, but apparently the stone maintains the white gleam naturally (through chemical secretion).  While not built from the same white stone, the underside of the portico is really beautiful.

Otherwise, the exterior of Notre Dame is beautiful – intensely carved, heavy and foreboding. The interior is less impressive – the stained glass is dark, and the decoration on the side chapels is certainly fading. 

St Etienne (near the Parthenon) was quite plain in comparison – plenty of plain walls, windows paned simply with glass and a distinct lack of gargoyles!

It was particularly lovely to sit on the front steps and soak up the sunshine.