Window Wednesday

 

When gathering round a windowsill for an evening apéro makes sense.

 

Travel Tuesday

 

Atmospheric villages and towns on the French Atlantic coast are easily reachable from Paris.

 

 

 

 

 

 ***

 

Dotted with charming port villages and islands, the Poitou-Charentes and Brittany regions make for kicked-back and beautiful seaside séjours not that far from Paris. Bursting with quality restaurants (many specialize in local oysters, seafood, and sharing apéritifs), relaxed (or bustling) cafés, open-air markets and kilometers of sandy beaches for those reflective sunset walks by the sea, there is something for everyone. Though driving from Paris is an option, taking a high-speed train from Gare Montparnasse then renting a car upon arrival has become increasingly popular. Frequent daily trains and affordable tickets and car rentals make a multi-day escape convenient and appealing. Enjoy! - BPJ

 

 Below: a list of notable destinations accessible by train from Gare Montparnasse, often with a rental car or local transportation at the station for the final leg

 

1. La Rochelle
   • Train Details: Direct TGV from Gare Montparnasse (approx. 2.5–3 hours).
   • Highlights: A historic port city with vibrant markets, medieval towers, and access to nearby Île de Ré, a picturesque island known for its beaches, cycling paths, and quaint villages like Saint-Martin-de-Ré and La Flotte, where busy bistros contrast with tranquil havens where you can linger over local Pineau des Charantes in peace.
     
   • Car Rental: Available at La Rochelle station for exploring nearby islands or coastal areas.
2. Saint-Malo
   • Train Details: TGV to Rennes (approx. 2 hours), then a regional train to Saint-Malo (45 minutes).
   • Highlights: A fortified coastal town in Brittany with dramatic tides, historic ramparts, and access to nearby islands like Jersey or Guernsey.
   • Car Rental: Available in Rennes or Saint-Malo for exploring the rugged Breton coast.
3. Quiberon
   • Train Details: TGV to Auray (approx. 2.5–3 hours), then a local train or 20-minute drive to Quiberon.
   • Highlights: A scenic peninsula in Brittany with wild beaches, coastal trails, and access to Belle-Île-en-Mer, a stunning island with charming villages and cliffs.
   • Car Rental: Available at Auray for easier access to the peninsula and ferries.
4. Biarritz
   • Train Details: Direct TGV from Gare Montparnasse (approx. 4–4.5 hours).
   • Highlights: A glamorous surf town in the French Basque Country with iconic beaches, upscale dining, and proximity to charming villages like Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
   • Car Rental: Available at Biarritz station for exploring the Basque coast.
5. Nantes (for nearby coastal areas)
   • Train Details: Direct TGV from Gare Montparnasse (approx. 2 hours).
   • Highlights: While Nantes itself is inland, it’s a jumping-off point to nearby coastal destinations like La Baule, a chic resort town with a long sandy beach (45-minute drive from Nantes).
   • Car Rental: Available at Nantes station for coastal day trips.

Also:

• Train Tickets: Book via SNCF (www.sncf-connect.com) (www.sncf-connect.com) for the best rates, especially for TGVs, which can be affordable if reserved early.
• Car Rentals: Most stations (e.g., La Rochelle, Biarritz, Rennes) have rental agencies like Europcar, Hertz, or Avis. Booking in advance is essential.
• Travel Tip: For islands like Île de Ré or Belle-Île, ferries or local buses complement car rentals for seamless exploration.
   
   

  

  
  
  
  
  

Wine Wednesday

 

A bartender concentrates as he pours with precision.

 

Tête-à-tête Tuesday

 A romantic rendez-vous with noisy trash pickup trucks as background.

The Golden Hour

 A Friday evening light apéro.

À la vôtre!

***Have a great weekend***

🎉

 

Season of the spritz

 

Rain or shine summer in Paris is Aperol Spritz time.

Voilà l'ennemi!

A vintage poster enshrined in a Paris wine shop window.

 Above: before-after illustration of the ravages of alcohol; just beneath, drawings of healthy organs contrasted w/"organs of an alcoholic"

Social distance

Parisians' reputation for being distant, even rude (the latter usually the conclusion of outsiders who've not mastered basic niceties) has been noticeably put on hold thanks to the virus. As soon as the confinement was lifted there was a distinct shift in our quartier: familiar eyes and voices behind masks stopping to engage in long conversations, neighbors suggesting a coffee or drink together and, as everyone knows someone, terrace tables fill up quickly and suddenly, it's lunch time. - BPJ

Above: get-togethers at different spots almost every day; coffee / tea for 8; tables pushed together for a spontaneous lunch

Below: an elderly couple who rarely venture out finally enjoy a long lunch  

A week in Provence #2

The week began with lunch.

Below: door in a hilltop village; pre-lunch apéro of kirs made with local crème de cassis 

Sparkling rosé

  Closed cafés + sparkling spring weather = apéritifs at home.

Above: it's rosé season and shelves are being restocked as quickly as they're emptied

Evening apéros

Well before the lockdown, we'd made it a tradition to have a pre-dinner apéritif almost every evening, whether chez nous, chez friends, on a café terrace in nice weather or at a favorite wine bar, wherever we are. And the drink needn't be alcohol - it could be a fruit juice, iced tea or sparkling water, with accompaniments of anything from peanuts, chips, pretzels or olives to cheeses, sausages or more elaborate canapés. - BPJ

Above: dried mango, almonds, whole wheat grissini, two kinds of cheeses

Below: yesterday's gin tonics, cheeses, spicy cashews, cured sausage w/fennel, dark German bread

 

Shaken not stirred

Holidays in Paris mean intimate apéros, toasting, and catching up chez des amis.

Above: the best Cosmopolitans on the planet

Spritz twist

Limoncello spritz became my preferred terrace apéritif this summer.

Bourbon Sours

This no-frills drink, or rather its sibling, the Whiskey Sour, became my go-to in-flight cocktail years ago thanks to a sweet older English lady seated next to me on my way from London to Arizona. She said she "always had one for luck" whenever she flew, and I thought it a great idea. You'll feel like you're flying too after a couple of these. - BPJ

Bar 228 Le Meurice Hôtel
 

Live jazz / piano nightly

 

Hanging out

Sweeping views over the city from a heavenly Montmartre apartment.

Above: sunset; gin tonics al fresco; yours truly on one of the balconies

 

(click photos to enlarge)

 

***

 

Merci Catherine and Christian

A cocktail in Pigalle

I drink to make other people more interesting.

Ernest Hemingway

Petit apéro entre amis

Panoramic terrace chez friends with stunning views of Eiffel Tower and sunset.

Champagne on ice

...is very nice.

Above: the barman pours our apéritifs while a hunk of salt-studded Brittany butter keeps watch

 Below: just some of the sharing plates that accompanied

[sardines-as-you've-never-tasted; poulet frites w/horseradish cream; planche of thinly-sliced rare roast beef, parmesan, tapenade, capers]

L'Avant Comptoir Marché

Chef: Yves Camdeborde
Champagne: Drappier

Sunsplashed

A spritz, a planche mixte, a gorgeous day.

Spritzing

Aperol Spritz, the light, fizzy Italian import that bullied the Mojito out as Paris' favorite summer terrace drink.

(See Nouveautés for recipe)