Food & Travel
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The Ritz Paris for a Light Lunch
July 14, 2018 was a big day for me. It was Bastille Day and I was in Paris! Bastille Day, Fête Nationale Française as it is known in France, is one of the biggest days in the country. This patriotic holiday is celebrated with a huge military parade down the Champs-Élysées, dances at all the fire halls, and fireworks over la tour Eiffel – the Eiffel Tower. My plan for the day was to take in the parade and the fireworks. In between, I intended to enhance my repertoire of French baking skills by completing a class at the École Ritz Escoffier. This is the cooking school at the luxurious…
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Croissants and Pâtisseries to Die For
I had just returned home from an amazing month abroad, travelling through France and Belgium, enjoying their wonderful vennoiseries – those tasty, buttery treats such as croissants and brioches. In fact, it was the morning after my return flight and I was craving some of that golden goodness. Lucky for me, I live just a short drive from one of Toronto’s best French pâtisseries – pastry shops – Duo Pâtisserie & Café. So I hopped in the car and paid a visit to fulfill my craving. I had learned about Duo a few months earlier while listening to CBC Radio’s morning show. One of their guests that day had decided…
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Sisters of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a New York icon known around the world. She stands as a shining beacon on Liberty Island, offering the hope of sanctuary to the tired, poor ‘huddled masses’. For decades, she was the first concrete sight of the American dream for millions of immigrants entering the United States. In fact, her real name is ‘La Liberté éclairant le monde’ – ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’. Liberty in Paris But did you know that she has a European sister? It’s true! She can be found in the middle of the Seine in the heart of Paris. While the original statue was a gift from France to the…
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SOMA Chocolate-maker Extraordinaire
I was in the mood for a sweet treat earlier this week so popped in to one of my favourite Toronto chocolate shops: the award-winning SOMA Chocolatemaker. Since I was in the east end of downtown, I chose their boutique in the historic Distillery District. If you’ve never been, it is definitely a must-see while in Toronto. What was once the largest distillery in the world, is now a pedestrian-only area filled with wonderful boutiques, bars and restaurants, nestled among beautiful, Victorian-era, stone and brick, industrial buildings. It even has its own version of the Paris’ love-locks! The Distillery is a lovely place to while away a leisurely afternoon any…
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The Triumphant Arc de Triomphe
At the top of the Avenue des Champs Élysées stands the majestic Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Napoleon’s grand monument to his many military victories. It is a mesmerizing sight, one that I have difficulty taking my eyes off when I am nearby. Fortunately, on one of my recent visits to Paris, I had the opportunity to admire it often as my rental apartment was just a few hundred metres from it. And while I had admired it from a distance before, this time I took a much closer look. As a novice looking at the Arc from street level, one might wonder how that is possible to get up…
