Séjour in Sète

After the Perpignan wedding, I wasn't in any hurry to return to Grenoble as I don't have much work at this point in the year, so I decided to spend a couple nights somewhere new.  After consulting a map, I randomly chose the city of  Sète.  This turned out to be a wonderful choice. While I didn't know much about Sète before going, it's quite well known for a few things.  

Canals

Sète is sort of a Venice of France.  There are canals throughout this port city.  It's very pretty to walk along the canals and see the boats.  I spent both nights having dinner at restaurants along the canals.  Being along the coast, seafood was the perfect choice and during my two days in Sète, I ate fish soup, stuffed mussels (a specialty of the city), little fried fishes, seafood pasta, and moules-frites.  There were some very affordable restaurants with three course menus for about 16 euros.

Beaches

A short bus ride away from the port and town center are some really excellent beaches.  I tried two.  I think I had perfect timing before tourist season really picked up and I found the beaches to be not too crazy.  I also really liked that the sandy beaches had a gentle incline into the water.  I went quite far in, all the while being able to touch the bottom.

Oysters

Sète has an interesting location.  The city is a major port and is on the Mediterranean.  However, a short stretch of land separates the Mediterranean and a very large lagoon (L'etang de Thau).  It is in this lagoon where fishermen farm oysters, and it is very important for the economy of the region.

Those are the oyster beds you see in the distance.  This pic was taken from a hill overlooking Sète.

Jousting

Yep, I said jousting.  This is a local tradition that takes place during the weekends throughout the summer and culminates in a six day festival in August.  Participants are on two boats and wearing all white.  There are ten people rowing, two musicians, one guide, and about five jousters per boat.  The boats row toward each other and the jousters try to knock each other off into the water with their lance.  They also carry heavy wooden shields to protect themselves. Each festival day ends in a victor who hopes to later win the ultimate St Louis Festival in August.

The fishermen row the boats parallel to each other and the musicians play a type of flute and drums.

The jousters face off.

The loser  gets knocked into the water!

Annecy: Retour des Alpages

Annecy is a cute and relatively well-known town about an hour and a half train ride from Grenoble.  It sits along the edge of Lake Annecy in the mountains and is known for its little, colorful houses lining tight streets and winding canals.  Every fall, the town holds a celebration called 'Retour des Alpages' or 'Back from the Alpine Pastures' where the local farmers and herdsmen bring their animals down from the summer pastures located high in the mountains.  The town celebrates with a parade of animals, people dressed in tradition costume, song, and dance.  It's a festive and popular parade with people packed together along the streets throughout the parade route in town.  Besides the parade, there are also plenty of market stands to pick up local and handmade goods, as well as sample the delicious, local fare.  During the fall, the tradition potato and cheese dishes like tartiflette and raclette come out. There are also yummy sausages called diot, roasted chestnuts, and plenty of vin chaud or mulled wine. 

Here's a sampling of pictures from my second time at the Retour des Alpages in October 2016.

Vacances de Toussaint

I'm on vacation now!  A week of vacation came as a much needed break.  With my new job, I've been working really hard and learning a lot more about teaching.  My time commitment for teaching is definitely a lot more than the past two years, mostly due to the fact that I have more lessons to plan and grading to do.  French grading is based off of a 20 point scale, and besides that, I must follow a consistent grading system for each language level.  In other words, I have to determine the language level of each student (grammar, vocabulary, etc) and give them the corresponding grade.  I'm sure it will get easier, but I collected about 150 papers before the break and am making my way through them quite slowly.

During my break, I've been slowly working my way through those papers, but also taking some time to enjoy myself, eat good food, find some delicious pastries, get outside, watch a couple movies and spend time with people I care about. 

Yesterday I had some visitors come into town, and we made a day of eating and exploring.  We started with a quick walk through the center of town, with its winding pedestrian streets, and then we made our way to lunch at an Indian restaurant.  It was delicious! I had a chicken curry that was really great.  From there, we decided to explore the touristy thing to do in Grenoble: go to the Bastille.  The Bastille is the fort situated on a mountain overlooking Grenoble.  It is in a very strategic location to look over the valley below.  

We took the "bubbles" up to the fort and were welcomed with a beautiful view.  The surrounding trees were changing color and we could see all of Grenoble.  It turned out to be quite cloudy so we couldn't see all of the surrounding mountains except for one white peak jutting above the grey clouds.  We read the informational panels at the top of the Bastille with information on the Olympic Games in the 60's, the rapid expansion of Grenoble (it's a relatively new city and has really grown in the past 60 years), and even about the role of Grenoble in nuclear physics.  

We also explored the surrounding area and found a walkway on the backside of the Bastille that tunneled into the mountain.  In fact, an entire path was dug through the mountain with strategic windows looking onto the Bastille.  Troops at the fort had created this tunnel to help regain the Bastille if it was ever taken by enemy forces.

Eventually we made our way back down the mountain to find some pastries and warm drinks.  I enjoyed a raspberry tart and hot chocolate.  The time changed last Sunday, so night was falling quite quickly.  We called it a day and made it back home.  It's now time to get back to work soon, but for now I'm enjoying my little taste of fall break.

Manchester and Liverpool

After my quick stay in London, we hopped on an early morning bus to go north to Manchester for a few days.  Our plan was to spend two nights in Manchester, followed by a one night stay in Liverpool, and return to Manchester for our last night before taking the plane home.

Arriving in Manchester, we walked to our hotel, which was above a local pub and next to MOSI (the Museum of Science and Industry).  We settled in and headed out for food.  We decided to satisfy our craving for a certain Italian restaurant called San Carlo.  I had a delicious salmon dish with hollandaise sauce. Yum!

Our hotel "The Oxnoble"

After that, we decided to walk around town a bit.  We were already in the center and lots of people were out and about.  The outdoor pubs were full since it was a warm, sunny day.  I was still regretting not packing my sunglasses...

The Manchester cathedral flying the English flag for St. George's Day

That night, we took a needed break and went to the movies.  In France, foreign language movies are often dubbed... and honestly that just gets on my nerves, especially when it's an actor you know with a different voice.  I'd prefer subtitles! In England, we were able to watch movies in their original versions.

Manchester canal

The next day, we decided to tackle the museum.  In the 18th century, Manchester was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.  We learned about the importance of textiles and electricity for the city.  We saw a variety of trains, planes, and automobiles.  They even had a replica of the first computer that stored memory.  It was about the size of my bathroom in all!  After that, we walked around the nearby canal, which had a relaxed feelings and pubs alongside.  All of the flowers were beginning to bloom too!

Manchester canal

For dinner, we enjoyed Indian food.  Indian food is very common in Manchester; they even have a stretch of road nicknamed the Curry Mile, since there are so many curry restaurants.

The next day was our day in Liverpool! Liverpool is about an hour away from Manchester by either bus or train (we took the bus).  Our hotel was conveniently located in the center.  What first struck me about Liverpool was the interesting and varied architecture.  They had impressive buildings with Roman columns alongside modern angular buildings as well as Victorian brick houses.  

Liverpool from Albert Dock

Liverpool from Albert Dock

We walked to Albert Dock, one of the most touristy areas of the city hosting the Beatles Museum, Tate Modern Art Museum, the ferry, and other sites related to the history of Liverpool.  We took in the art museum and then went to find some fish n' chips.  It's the place for it after all!  We continued our day with a trek to the cathedral, which happened to be much farther than we thought.  Though we could see it from the docks, it was about a 45 minute walk, somewhat uphill, to get there.  The cathedral itself was very impressive and large with an incredible stained glass display.  Inside was unique.  Rather than only acting as a religious space, the cathedral set aside an area for an art gallery display as well as a cafe, restaurant and gift shop.  It was quite unique.  

Gallery space in the Cathedral

After a couple more hours of walking and seeing the sights, we went to find a good place to eat.  We consulted TripAdvisor back at our hotel and learned that the top rated restaurant in our area was a Japanese one.  We went to try it, first being told that there was no space and to come back later.  We passed our time at a pub drinking Pimms, a unique, light and refreshing drink.  Once the time arrived, we headed back to the Japanese restaurant and were in for a treat! I ordered seared tuna with teriyaki sauce and salad and rice on the side. It was incredible, melt in my mouth delicious.  I was happy with my choice.

The next morning came too early, and we were headed back to Manchester.  It was starting to drizzle rain for the first time on our trip.  My big plan for the day was afternoon tea!  Luckily, one of the best tea rooms was around the corner from our hotel, so we went there to enjoy an Alice in Wonderland inspired tea.  We enjoyed a large pot of green tea, various finger sandwiches, pastries and scones.  I sure was full!

Tea time!

For my first time in the UK, it was definitely a good trip! We kept busy by seeing different cities and trying different things.  I'm happy that I was able to get a taste of each city.  They were all unique with different feelings.  London was the big city with lots of things to do.  Manchester was a smaller community with a nice relaxed city feeling.  Liverpool seemed to have more hustle and bustle going on and it was difficult for me to understand their accents.  Someday I'll be back to the UK, but this was a nice introduction.

Barcelona Cooking Class

While in Barcelona on my mom's and my "Eat" adventure, we took a cooking class to further learn about the local cuisine and be able to bring it home with us!

We signed up online for a class at Barcelona Cooking which promptly assured us everything would be good for special requests, i.e. gluten and dairy free.  Before arriving for our 6pm class, we spent a busy day in Barcelona seeing the sights.  The highlights were walking throughout town down Las Ramblas all the way to Barcelonetta Beach, where crowds were taking advantage of the sunny day.  From the beach, we took the cable car (or the swinging bucket as my mom called it) all the way across the harbor to Montjuic.  It was a beautiful view of the city! After more walking, we arrived back at the touristy Las Ramblas and decided we needed a snack before our evening of cooking.  We grabbed a couple of tapas and a large mug of sangria.

Kids playing with some big bubbles

                                     

Then, we turned the corner and arrived at our class! We got to know our group (a couple from New York) and our chef for the evening (a local girl from Barcelona with a family originally from Oregon I believe).  Our wine was poured and we were introduced to our dishes for the evening.

Starter 1: Crema de Calabaza (Butternut Squash and Pear Cream Soup)
Starter 2: Calcots con Salsa Romesco (Calcots with Romesco Sauce)
Main: Chicken Paella
Dessert 1: Crema Catalana (Catalan Cream)
Dessert 2: Wine-Poached Pears

Hungry?! Yep, me too.  Let's walk through it.

Our chef showed us what we would be chopping up and where it would go.  The New York couple got to work chopping all the ingredients for our Butternut Squash and Pear Cream Soup.  Those ingredients went into a pan with some homemade vegetable stock to cook a little before being blended and topped with a Gorgonzola cheese, candied hazelnuts, and decorative flowers.  Very cute!

Mom got to work preparing the Calcots.  They're a special, local type of onion that is long and looks a bit like a leek.  The outer layer was peeled, they were washed and topped with a little olive oil, then they went into the oven to roast.  Everyone helped with chopping up the ingredients for the romesco sauce made of tomatoes, onions, and peppers, which was quickly blended together.

The finished calcots.  Sorry mom, it was the only picture I had, and it does well demonstrate how messy they are to eat!

I was in charge of starting the Crema Catalana.  I separated the eggs, which I combined with sugar and cornstarch and whipped up.  That I combined with a milk that was warmed with cinnamon and lemon zest.  The mixture was put into little ramekins, cooled on the counter a little, and put into the fridge.  Then I also started the wine-poached pears, our extra special treat since mom couldn't do the Crema Catalana.  That was super simple.  I peeled and cut a pear which was put in a pot with a cinnamon stick and sugar, then covered with wine, and set to boil on the stove.

I look like I should have my own cooking show. Don't you think?

From there, our starters and desserts were mostly finished, so we all came together for the star of the evening: PAELLA. Yummm!  As it was a Monday, the local Boqueria Market's fish section was not open, so our chef showed us the chicken version rather than seafood version of paella.  It's all about taking locally-sourced, fresh ingredients.  All of our ingredients were prepared and put in order.  We started with browning our chicken pieces and then taking them away.  In the same pan (that's the key-always the same pan to keep all those delicious flavors), we caramelized our onion, added our tomatoes, garlic, and vegetables (peppers, peas, and asparagus tonight).  After the vegetables were ready, we pushed them to the sides of the pan to give our rice some room to be toasted.  Chicken stock was added a couple times, and eventually everything was mixed back together.  Our paella was left to rest for a couple minutes under a tea towel to finish its magic.

So everything was cooked and ready to go! Time to eat!
Our butternut squash concoction was quite tasty and smooth.
The calcots were messy as we picked them up whole to dangle into our mouths with a dip of sauce.
The paella was delightful with a variation of vegetables and that distinct paella/ saffron/ magic flavor.
I volunteered to get up and blast our creamy dessert with a flame for a delicious crunchy sugar topping, much like a creme brulee, but not quite the same.
And finally, the wine-poached pears were divine and easy enough to make that I can't wait to try them again!

Our night finished there, stuffed to the brimmed with delicious food, house wine, some new recipes in our arsenal, and magical memories.  It was a night of fun, learning, and discussion.  Definitely a highlight of our trip.

Our kitchen. P.S. Contact me if you'd like any of these recipes!

Eat: San Sebastian and Barcelona

I've been on vacation the last couple of weeks traveling through Europe with my mom.  We decided to theme our trip "Eat," meaning that we were taking a culinary adventure! Our main destinations were Perpignan, San Sebastian and Barcelona.

Both San Sebastian and Barcelona are among the top food capitals in Europe and Spain.

San Sebastian

San Sebastian - Donostia, Spain

This lively city caught between the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean in northern Spain is known as Donostia in the local Basque language.  Their role in food culture is influenced by their pintxos (peen-chos), the local version of tapas.  Yet pintxos are a whole new thing.  Traditionally, you would spend your night out pintxo bar hopping, such that you get a drink and one or two pintxos before moving on to the next stop.  Either you help yourself to the pintxos displayed on the counter, or you point at what you'd like while the bartender serves you depending on the establishment.

Pintxo Bar

A pintxo very often involves a slice of delicious baguette-style bread with a topping.  My favorite toppings were the local cured ham, a salmon and cream cheese combination, and goat cheese with a balsamic glaze and caramelized onions.  Beyond the pintxos on bread, there are also various seafood on skewers such as octopus or shrimp, and warm dishes served on request such as peppers or fried foods.

Pintxos on top, tapas below, and a mug of sangria on the side

Cured Iberic ham

Of course with the pintxo, you order a drink.  I was enjoying the red wine.  At the first place we went, the house wine was 1.80 euros per glass! Isn't that shocking!

Barcelona
From San Sebastian, we road-tripped to Barcelona via the city of Huesca for one night.   Once in Barcelona, we feasted on tapas and paella.  Tapas are small dishes.  You order multiple small dishes to make one very delicious meal.  Some traditional tapas are patatas bravas (potatoes with a garlic sauce), small sausages, fried fishes, mussels, and many, many more.  I found there to be more variety in tapas.

Tapas and Sangria

Then there was the paella... a delicious rice dish with seafood or chicken and veggies.  The key with paella is the large pan in which it's cooked evenly, the small-grain toasted rice, and a pinch of saffron threads.  It's a mouth-watering plate of yumminess, that when made with love, is quickly becoming one of my favorite foods.

Seafood Paella

In discussing Barcelona, we can't leave out the drinks to go with our tapas and paella!  There are varied options.  The local rioja wine can be the perfect touch, or a large mug of sangria, or a more dainty cava (Spanish sparkling wine).  Yum yum.

Cava

Rioja

Needless to say, it was a filling week.  I ate very well, and was able to try new dishes, most of which I liked very much!  I had some much needed mommy-time, as we traveled across France and Spain, in search of delicious dishes, castles, and sunshine.  I can't wait for the next installment in our series of "Eat, Stretch, Dance"!

Snow and Sun

Today, I'm catching up on a few different things I wanted to share...with plenty of pictures too!

Two weekends ago was a whirlwind of fun.  It started right after work on Friday evening with an incredible dinner at Le Figuier.  My three-course dinner was mouthwatering to say the very least! I started with langoustine cooked with butter and garlic that I scooped out of the shell.  Second and most impressive was duck cut into strips, rolled together, and put on a rotisserie with a dried fruit and nut compote on top and complemented by baked potato wedges and a mini vegetable quiche.  For dessert, I had a delicate and delicious lemon meringue tart.  Although I probably will never taste such a delectable dinner again, I absolutely plan to go back to Le Figuier.  I can't believe I didn't know about it sooner, but it was special to discover it with their exceptional Valentine's menu.

The next morning, I woke up bright and early to catch a two-hour bus to Font Romeu, where I spent the day playing in the snow.  After hearing about the feet of snow coming down in Colorado and all of the good skiing that ensued, I felt more at home being in some snow, even if it was halfway across the world in the Pyrenees Mountains.  While I still think Colorado has the Pyrenees beat, it was a wonderful day among friends (who were styling some 80's one-piece snow suits they found at the flea market!).

Skiing at Font Romeu

Moving forward to this past weekend, it was too beautiful and sunny not to be outside.  I decided to check out a nearby lake at Villeneuve-de-la-Raho.  Again, I was joined by language assistant friends.  We had fun taking pictures of the nearby Canigou Mountain, strolling by the lake, and basking in the sun.

Basking in the sunshine at the lake.

Villeneuve-de-la-Raho

Well, I think that about sums it up; things that make me happy are 

friends, food, sunshine, being outside, and discovering new places!