Yes, you read that right. I said pear soufflé. But let me get to the rest of the meal first…

Michelle, my lovely tour guide from Paris Treats, recommended L’Assiette in Montparnasse for dinner as the chef studied/worked under Alain Ducasse.  When I looked it up and found that it was within 5 minutes walking of my hotel, I knew I had to try it on Saturday night. Particularly as I spent a couple of hours wandering around on Friday and trying to get a table at two other popular restaurants.  So I had the hotel make a reservation for me and I was ready for a memorable meal.

Unfortunately the only time they could seat me was 7:30, ridiculously early by European standards, and I was the first one in the dining room when I arrived.  That didn’t matter though as within about 30 minutes, the tables started to fill.

I started with a pea veloute, a lovely smooth pea soup poured tableside over crème fraiche, prosciutto and tiny crispy croutons.  It certainly lived up to it’s velvety name. For the main course, I had the cassoulet, a house speciality, so big it could have served at least two.  Duck, beef and pork meat swimming in white bean stew, perfect for a rainy night in Paris. And for dessert, the incredible aforementioned pear soufflé served with pear sorbet on the side.  Light, fluffy, and with a perfect pure pear flavour and golden brown crust that looked like a toasted marshmallow.  Washed down with a carafe of Cotes du Rhone, it was one of the more memorable meals from my travels in the past year.  The service was attentive and the warm, bustling energy in the dining room was a treat.  I highly recommend L’Assiette, but be sure to make a reservation otherwise you risk missing out of this little treasure in the Montparnasse.

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2013.

My schedule for Saturday in Paris began with a food and wine tour called Paris Treats in the 17th arrondissement. I arrived at the meeting place, Boulangerie Nature de Pain, to meet my guide Michelle.  There were only two people sitting at tables and as it was about 15 minutes before our meeting time, I got myself a pain au chocolate and wandered the area.  Apparently my broken French fooled Michelle, because she was there waiting for me, her single tourist!  Michelle is an American ex-pat originally from Boston, married to a Brit and living in Paris.  So needless to say, we had a lot in common and my being her only client of the day didn’t bother us at all.

We started there in the boulangerie, going behind the scenes of the bakery to watch Louis, the boulanger, in action. I learned that it can only be called a “boulangerie” if the bread is made on the premises, which is exactly what I got to watch.  The second nugget of awesomeness I learned is that each boulanger has a signature in the vents they make on their baguettes.  Louis’s was five small slits across the top.  I got to perform the signature myself though it took me about five tries before Louis pronounced my work okay. After touring the bakery, I sampled a few breads and the most delicious éclair I’ve ever had.  I cut into the éclair cold, and the chocolate filling felt dense and rich.  But upon tasting it, the crème melted softly in my mouth surrounded by a choux with a crispy inside and icing so rich and glossy it was more like ganache.  Amazing.

Our next stops included a deli where we sampled some cheese quiche fresh out of the oven and a fromagerie where we chose a chevre and comte to have over wine at a cave later in the tour.  My favourite stop was a shop specializing in artisan products from Provence where the 50 Euro in olive oil comes in. We sampled olive oils of different stages of production from green to black. Then came some flavoured olive oil, including truffle and tangerine, and the best balsamic vinegar I’ve had maybe ever. As everything was from small producers and unlikely found anywhere else, I had to take advantage of the no liquid limit on the Eurostar and stock up.

We had our cheese in a small wine shop, or cave, again stocked with producers the owner knew personally.  With a bit of white wine, the chevre and nutty comte went down a treat.  Our final stop was a champagne shop called Bulles.  The premise behind Bulles is making champagne fun and accessible, as evident by the packaging and price point: only 18.50 Euro for a bottle of their Brut. The other distinguishing quality is that instead of a cooperative which most producers use to have enough supply to make their brand, Bulles is made from grapes all on their own land.  A bottle of the Brut rounded out my shopping for the day.

All of that before 1pm and I had to take a little disco nap before heading off to do more exploring.  I ended my day on the Ile St. Louis, beating the rain in a café over more champagne and writing in my journal.  Finally, I had to have a little taste of the famous Berthillion ice cream I first tried back in 2007, although I chose a rhubarb sorbet this time.  Superb.

Dinner Saturday requires its own post, so stay tuned for that.

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2013.

“Your ‘bonjour’ was perfect!” This compliment received after I said hello to the sales person then stared at him blankly when he either asked me if I needed help or commented on the dim American girl (could have been either one, really).

You can’t imagine how happy I was to hear this given I speak approximately four words of French. Almost as happy as I was when the waitress at the Café where I had dinner complimented me on my outfit! (I knew my strategy of black and grey would work!) But, shockingly, I seem to be blending in on this first day of my weekend in Paris. I’ve been asked for directions three times in French, not to mention I only went the wrong way on the Metro once and figured it out after the first stop.

I arrived in Paris at 1pm today, found my way to my hotel then had a lovely al fresco lunch before heading off to sightsee. My first and only time in Paris was back in 2007 but it’s amazing how much I remember about how to get around. From Montparnasse I headed to the Champs Elysees where I walked the length from the Arc du Triomphe to the Louvre. I stopped in the Jardin Tuileries and enjoyed the sun in a chair in front of the fountain before grabbing a quick sorbetto to refresh myself, courtesy of the Amorino stand in the garden. We have Amorino in London (I’ve been known to partake at the one on the King’s Road) and it’s lovely but this was something special. The sorbet was arranged on my cone in gentle spades to look like a rose – a work of art appropriate seeing and was walking toward the imposing home of some of the most treasured art on the planet.

After shopping to admire the pyramids in the Place du Louvre, I walked across the Seine via the Pont du Arts, and over to the Left Bank where I was looking for a place to have dinner. I ended up at Le Pot o’ Lait creperie in the Latin Quarter, a favourite from that first trip so many years ago. A blue cheese and ham crêpe washed down with cider for the main and a special crêpe with homemade caramel and almonds for dessert. Happy and full, I ambled down the Rue Mouffetard before heading on the Metro back to my hotel. My legs are sore already, I’ll have to make plenty more café stops tomorrow, you know, to rest.

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2013.

London 2012 Olympics, NYC trip and shots around London…

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2013.

Just a few highlights from my travels and life in London this year… Enjoy!

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2013.

I love New Years. I mean, not really the forced merriment and expensive parties, but the fact that it always feels like a fresh start.

I’m not big on resolutions, especially because I usually can’t even remember what I resolved to do (or not do, more like).  But this year I need a resolution, specifically regarding the very blog you’re now reading. Namely, I need to blog more, make it a habit if you will. I have a new tablet courtesy of my company, so I can now be a lot more mobile on my travels and given any Wi-Fi connection. There’s really no excuse now! 😃

So look for more to come. Maybe some summaries of travels past but new, fresh blogs just the same. 😉

Happy 2013!

© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2013.

Something has happened to me.  I think it’s serious…

I officially get stir crazy if I haven’t jetsetted off to a different European country in the course of a month.  It’s a sickness.

So, when we had our end of summer bank holiday in the UK at the end of August, I felt the need to get away.  Mainly I wanted to relax and not feel pressure to tourist around so I was initially thinking of going to Rome or Paris, two cities I’ve visited before.

But then, through the influential powers of trip deals on Expedia, I thought, why not Madrid?  I’d been wanting to visit the Prado since taking Spanish in high school, and a little chorizo and patatas bravas wouldn’t go amiss either.

Madrid is often described as being the most “Spanish” of Spanish cities.  It’s a bit grittier than Barcelona and without the unique sandcastle Gaudi architecture, but it’s culturally significant in that it’s home to the Prado and the Reina Sofia (both of which I had the extreme pleasure to see on my visit.)  I got to peer firsthand at canvas upon canvas of Picasso and Dali, and of course, gaze at “Guernica,” Picasso’s masterpiece now housed at the Reina Sofia, for the better part of a Sunday afternoon.

And then there’s the food.  I wanted to take a tapas tour and luckily I found the fantastic Walks of Spain tapas tours after perusing TripAdvisor.  This is not a tourist trap, but instead a culinary journey guided by enophile Andres.  He actually brings wine from his own cellar to the restaurants.  And the stops on the tour aren’t restaurants you would find in a beaten guidebook, but instead some of the trendy, modern gems of Madrid.  My favourite munchie?  The “buenas noticias” at Loft 39, winner of the 2011 national tapas competition – Viva Espana!

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2012.

Long time no see, GoodTravelerKarma followers!  I’ve been busy but it’s been tickling my brain for a while that I need to get into a better rhythm with the blog – or at least post and let everyone know I’m alive.

So let’s talk about Stockholm.  I visited Sweden for a work trip in April and now it’s October so I’ll do my best to describe as artfully as my memory will allow. 

The thing that struck me most about Sweden – being the country that brought us the wallet-friendly wonder that is Ikea - is how it couldn’t operate further from Ikea prices.  Damn this place is expensive! As a solo tourist I learned quickly not to order drinks in restaurants and stick to one course.  A simple glass of wine and main course (no appetizer, side or dessert) at a restaurant in the Old Town would run me the equivalent of about 50 GBP.

But that said, I had some amazing food.  Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries at Den Gyldene Freden and a little reindeer at Kryp In were my favorites.  On Sunday, as I strolled in the gorgeous sunshine and enjoyed some time in Stockholm’s lovely parks, I discovered some of the best coffee I’ve ever had at Sosta coffee bar.

The best thing about Stockholm is the lovely outdoor culture.  The weekend I visited, it rained on Saturday but on Sunday when the sun broke through, everyone seemed to be outside enjoying the sunshine in the public parks and out and around the Old Town.

A visually beautiful city, just be prepared to spend!

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2012.

After the Paradiso Rustico that is the Cinque Terre, we ventured to Milano.  It was my gateway back to London while lucky Becky continued on to Verona and Venice. (Um, color me jealous).

We knew we would arrive in Milan in the late afternoon and therefore had limited time to explore, but the number one on our lists was the duomo.  The weather was temperamental that day, but we arrived in Milan, checked into our hotel and booked it immediately to the duomo before it closed.  We took the elevator up to walk the roof terrace.  My first reaction was that there would be no way that you could do something like that in the U.S.  While we were definitely safe, we were essentially walking the edge of the roof of the duomo as clouds rolled in threateningly.

The sky opened up to a fantastic thunderstorm just as we were straddling the center rail of the roof.  We were pelted with rain and quarter-sized icy hail, but we were enthralled by the sight.  Black clouds surrounding the center of Milan but views to the alps in the distance through slices of sunshine.  It was one of those moments I knew while it was happening that it would be one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2012.

I was in T.K. Maxx last weekend, buying home goods for my new flat, and I felt compelled to buy a mortar and pestle.  Not that I’ll be making my own pesto from scratch in it rather than say, in a food processor, but I like to know that I could.

Pesto is one of the great triumphs of Liguria and we ate it in abundance while in Cinque Terre.  Another regional specialty is “trofie” a short pasta twisted in a spiral so the pesto will cling to it.  The best trofie di pesto I had was in Manarola, followed by a Nutella tiramisu (yes, you read that right).  The pesto was delicious, the tiramisu probably better looking than it tasted but that’s why there’s the old standby of gelato if your restaurant dessert goes wrong…

The seafood in this region is also special and we had a feast on our last night, dining in Monterosso at Via Venti.  We had a delicious meal including sardines and crab gnocchi along with some beautiful wine.  After dinner, we had a glass of wine at a chilled out bar in the center, then found the much more happening bar on the main drag that just reopened a week before our arrival following the October 2011 flood.

We stayed at the bar a bit too long, making new friends, and just missed our train – literally, we ran to the platform and could only touch it as it pulled away.  Since it was the last train back to Riomaggiore and we had no where else to go, we walked back to the bar in the rain and drowned our sorrows in White Russians.  Still, hard to get into too much trouble in a town with a population of only about 2,000.

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© Jennifer Konopasek and GoodTravelerKarma, 2012.