Ladee's Travels

Cafe du Monde and Jackson Square Musicians

How did this get so HUGE??

Wow. I remember when this was a quant little coffee shop. This place is HUGE. Who are all these people? Who told them about my quiet little place? It grew so fast. The last time I was here was, hmm, when was that? Before Kalen. 1983? Ahhh!! Almost 30 years ago!!!

Double order of Beignets (powdered donuts), Cafe au Lait,
Chicory coffee, and hot chocolate.

Cafe du Monde serves one edible item: Beignets. The fried donuts are freshly made and covered with powered sugar (you will be covered too!) They offer a variety of both hot and cold drinks, and the chicory coffee is well known. You can buy your coffee in a souvenir mug, which is a fun reminder.

TIPS: Make sure that you are in the correct line. There are two lines - one is for the take-out window and the other is to be seated. Most times the staff will try to get the take-out line to enter from the back of the shaded outside area. The seating line is to the front of the building, off of Decatur. The outside patio may be closed in the morning until there are enough people lined up to warrant all of the extra seating and staff. If you see an open table, take it. No one is going to seat you, but someone will be around to clean the table of the coffee cups and powdered sugar. Then you can make your own mess.

We walked past Jackson Square. The square is surrounded by a beautiful iron fence, and ornate gates on each side. The outer perimeter of the fence often holds artwork from local artists and the open plaza holds fortune tellers and tarot card readers. And, as always, musicians selling CDs, entertaining, and adding to the overall ambiance of the French Quarter.

Europe Planning - Paris 2011

Time to start planning for my trip to Europe. I like to start with Rick Steves books, because I get a nice layout of what I can see in the limited time that I have. The next trip to Paris is with a woman who has been a friend of mine since we were 18 and living in Pittsburgh. Tina has decided to get her passport and take her vacation time...and just go. This will be a lot of fun for both of us, and I'm proud and excited to be able to show Paris to her. Rick Steves' Paris 2011 Amazon Affiliate link. (I get a small commission) is my starting place. I've purchased a new one each year that I travel because I normally write in them throughout the trip (keeping the old ones as a memoir reference guide) and use the new ones to confirm open hours, new ideas, and to make out a new route. I want to be sure to include the wonderful chocolate shops, bistros, and cafes that are on the way from our apartment to an attraction.

I spend a lot of time thinking about how to introduce Paris to Tina. Tourist spots make an easy starting place, but I really enjoy all of the other yummy places to stop. Sometimes these are sensory overload, but I am leaning towards a plan that just attacks her senses on a daily bases. Mades for a good blog!

Merry Christmas

Season greetings from our family to yours! This is my favorite spokesmodel.

Sunny Christmas Day 2011

Merry Christmas to all. Phoenix is sunny and 70 degrees, without a cloud in the sky. I'm glad that I had snow earlier this month in Paris!

Scottsdale, Arizona - Il Pandoro - just like in Rome?

The short answer is "NO", not as tasty as it was in Rome. But it has traveled quite a distance, so I am not surprised that it is dried.

The funny note: It took me about 1/2 hour to select and buy this. I went to DeFalco's Italian Deli and had to discuss the purchase and listen to all of the local Italian stories. The consensus is that "my Mom used to toast/make french toast/butter and fry (select your favorite) this on Christmas Day". Well, no wonder! It was dried. So while I can't eat this with lush butter, as we did in Rome, it is good buttered and lightly fried. I think that the Italian moms make these changes to overcome the dryness.

Brophy Alumni Lacrosse

Today is a beautiful day for a game. I can't believe how awesome the new field is. Kalen started playing here in 1999-2000, not on this field, but as a player in a sport new to Arizona. The sport has come a long way. It was a great game.

Rome, Italy - Seniors Revolt in Rome

Equal opportunity protests? This happened on the Thursday that I stayed at the apartment in Rome. I am going to have to depend on the others to comment as to what they saw take place during the day. I saw this sign as we were going home one night.

The more I research, the more I realize that I have no idea what was going on. Sara! Kalen! Karl! help!

AHHHH: there is a Facebook page:
http://zh-hk.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10244402653

And a website
http://www.domusweb.it/
From the sign:

domus.
la nuova utopia
Ettore sottsass, scritto di notte
Peter Cook, il futuro visto dal passato
Oled, la nuova luce

From an online translator
domus. the new utopia,
Ettore Sottsass,written at night,
Peter Cook, the future seen from the past
Oled, the new light

Source: http://www.interieur.be/nl/exposanten/0/detail/domus/
Established in 1928 by Gio Ponti, Domus is a highly reputed international magazine dedicated to contemporary architecture, interior design and art. For 80 years it has followed, promoted and anticipated the trends in architecture, art and the creative arts under the leadership of prestigious editors. Worldwide design celebrity Alessandro Mendini currently edits the review: he will sign 11 issues destined to stand out as a unique collection - in the history of this iconic architectural title. Mendini's domus focuses on the power of images and the readability of contents. The subtitle 'La nuova utopia' conveys the construction of a progressive vision offered as a way out of the global recession in design, production and market.

Each cover carries the illustrated portrait of distinguished personalities who have contributed to the evolution of the culture of design, architecture and the arts. Domus offers the widest range of coverage, the sharpest commentary and criticism, and the best photography. Published in Italy with an international perspective, Domus is fully bilingual Italian and English and circulates 51,000 copies across the world. Domus is currently available in 89 countries via traditional channels, libraries and bookshops, as well as by subscription. Four local editions are published in Arabia/Middle East, China, Russia and Israel. Domus is actively engaged in cross-publishing activities, from web to digital applications.

Rome, Italy - Église Saint-Louis-des-Français de Rome

This is one of the three churches that is in the area of the Pantheon. Unassuming on the outside, they hold beauty and treasures within. Sign as you enter the Church. Consider yourself informed.

Sign as you enter the Church

Preparing for a wedding

The Inspiration of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio

Fichier: Great organ San Luigi dei Francesi

We walked on to Piazza Navona. I had to get a photo of these donuts. This is some treat! Grande Ciambella Romana

Grande Ciambella Romana

Les Halles-Rambuteau - A Day of Wondering Aimlessly

Today was wonderful. No specific route planned, just an exploration of the side streets in the neighborhood.

If you have a Paris map, you can follow me. Otherwise, just enjoy the tour. My journey starts at the apartment location: Intersection of Rue Montmartre and Rue Etienne Marcel. Etienne Marcel is the dividing line between 1 Arrondisement and 2 Arrondisement. As I left the apartment, I thought that I would take a little walk and then return to one of the boulangeries (bakeries) and get a sandwich. I started off going south on Rue Montmartre past Eglise Saint-Eustache. I walked through (on the edge of) the park towards the Les Halles Metro station and continued on to Rue Rambuteau. I turned right on Rue Saint-Denis.

I had bearly walked past two stores when I could smell something cooking. I saw a crepe stand. My stomach rumbled and mentioned that I hadn't tried one of these, so now was a great time to do so. I selected a basic one with cheese:

It took a little while longer for the cheese to melt, and then he folded it and put it in a paper container. It reminded me of a quesadilla snack, only the crepe was softer with a taste of, well, crepe.

I munched on the crepe as I walked and window shopped, turning left and right in the area. It was a pedestrian section of town, so no need to watch for car traffic. Perfect when you are totally distracted.

Cheesy crepe

After a while, I saw the St. Eustache church again and decided to wander down rue Montorgueil. I made it just a few steps when I saw hot chocolate. I asked the attendant for some, and he told me that I needed to pay inside first. So, I walked inside and to my delight found two Italian men behind a counter filled with gelato. Perfect! I quickly forgot about the hot chocolate, chatted about the warm weather in Rome at this time of year, and ordered a dark chocolate and espresso treat.

Chocolate and Espresso Gelato

I strolled and looked in windows at every shop. When the gelato was finished, I went in to Au Rocher De Cancale, selected a table inside, and ordered a caffe creme (coffee with creme).

Caffe Creme at Au Rocher De Cancale

I sipped and enjoyed the people watching. After a while, I headed back to the apartment so take a nap. Ahhhh, busy day.

Le Grille Montorgueil

Tried a new restaurant close to the apartment. It was about 8PM when we left to go and eat. I've been in Europe tooooo long!!

We both had yummy onion soup. (Onion and emmental cheese gratinée - 7€) I had a sausage dish called "Saucisse Morteau" that was on the daily special menu for 13€, and Karl had prime grilled steak with french fries. (Faux-filet de boeuf grillé, frites - 14€) Tasty, but too much food after having the onion soup.

YET...I had room for desert. Moelleux Chocolat 6€. Little cake with a warm fudgy center and vanilla ice cream on top. Yummy...of course!

Meolleux Chocolat with Vanilla Ice Cream on top

Back to the apartment at 11 PM. Long day. Good conference info.

La Grille Montorgueil
http://www.paris-restaurant-grillemontorgueil.com/
50 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
Phone: 01 42 33 21 21
Subway: Châtelet