Best way of getting to know Brittany (Bretagne) ? Visit la fête de la coquille Saint-Jacques in Montmartre this weekend in Paris :-) Last year I missed it, but this year I joined Parisbreakfast and had oysters for breakfast…straight from Brittany, not bad at all ! If it wouldn’t had been for a business trip to Copenhagen this week (away 3 days) I would have bought a box with fresh scallops to treat myself with during the week….but that will have to be another time. Instead I shared a brochette of scallops with Carol, had a delicious and very tasty fish soup from L’île Bleue with sel de Guérande (sea salt from Guérande)..and also typical biscuits (punch) from Brittany (Bretagne Spécialités), far breton, kougn aman (from Biscuiterie Merlin) and organic cider from le P’tit Fausset cidre artisanal. As if that wasn’t enough, I bought a sparkling organic apple juice, kougn aman and a big bag of artisanal biscuits to enjoy at home…and at this moment of writing everything is finished..and the bag of biscuits that I try to hide in my closet is now half empty. Life is to be enjoyed..right ?
La Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques à Montmartre – Place des Abbesses, Paris
Fresh scallops (Saint-Jacques) only 25€ for 400g…next time! 
Did anybody say oyster ? You could have six fresh ones with a slice of lemon for only 7€ 
Carol loves oysters as much as I do :-) We had one assiette each… 
Kougn aman getting heated up for tastings 
Galettes made with buckwheat flour (farine de sarrasin) 
Lots of people were visiting the fête Saturday morning and we saw several parades passing 
Place des Abbesses
La Galette du Cœur 2015
Last Saturday morning I was quite motivated to wake up early, had set a date with Carol at Place St-Germain des Prés as La Galette des Chefs – La Galette du Cœur was going to be held there between 9-12. I missed it last year, but after reading Parisbreakfasts’s post about it and knowing a huge Galette des Rois was going to be there for people to buy a piece and at the same time donate money for L’Association des Poic I was not a minute late….
Among the big chefs who donated a few of their Galette des Rois for charity that mornings were: Pierre Hermé, La Maison Kayser, L’Hôtel Meurice, Le Shangri-La, Le Moulin de la Vierge, Poilâine, La Grande Epicerie, Le George V, Lucas Carton, La Closerie des Lilas.
I’ve had many Galette des Rois in France..but this huge one from Potel & Chabot was the best one I’ve ever had ! It was compact and the puff dough pastry wasn’t too flaky, and the frangipane was a piece of heaven…seriously. Already looking forward next years edition :-)
La Galette des Chefs – La Galette du Cœur
La Galette des Chefs – La Galette du Cœur
La Galette des Chefs – La Galette du Cœur
La Galette des Chefs – La Galette du Cœur
“There is No Wifi In the Forest, But I promise You will Find a Better Connection”
Photo taken with my Fuji Finepix x100s in Skrylle, south of Sweden
On New Years Day my friend Carol Parisbreakfast invited me for a New Year’s Concert at Eglise de la Madeleine (Madeleine church). I couldn’t have started the year in a better way, sitting in one of Paris most beautiful church listening to the orchester “Les Violons de France” performing Vivaldi‘s “Les Quatre Saisons” (the Four Seasons” and other classics. I enjoyed it very much, but Carol, who’s been in Venice several times (Vivaldi’s home town) and listened to Venetian orchesters performing Vivaldi’s Four season in smaller churches with better acoustics told me the best experience was “over there”..thanks Carol for giving me a reason to discover the beautiful city of Venice, it is now on my list to visit during my Italian getaway later this Spring :-)
However, I enjoyed this concert very much, closed my eyes and the music made me dream away….
Vivaldi “Les Quatre Saisons” - Eglise de la Madeleine, Place de la Madeleine 75008
Photos taken with my Fuji Finepix x100s
Cécile Besnard – soprano
Frédéric Moreau – violin solo
Eglise de la Madeleine
Illumination Noël – Eglise de la Madeleine
Illumination Noël – Eglise de la Madeleine
Illumination Noël – Eglise de la Madeleine
Le sapin de Noël des Galeries Lafayette 2014 (Galeries Lafayette’s Christmas Tree)
Very rarely I visit Galeries Lafayette (cannot stand the masses of tourists) but once a year I do sneak in for a minute or two for having a look on their Christmas Tree. This year they decided to go all in for their Monster theme and turned upside down on their Christmas Tree. 25 metres tall with a cool light and sound show..under the Lafayette Coupole, pretty fascinating to see how they built it. If you’re in Paris, don’t forget to stop by, it will be hanging there until the end of December ;-)
Galeries Lafayette – 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris
Photos taken with my Fuji Finepix x100s
