Eating My Way Though Europe
What and Where Am I Eating?
June 26, 2010
Nice is nice. When I arrived by train at 9:30-ish in the morning, I had an hour until I could check into the hostel - just enough time for breakfast. Since I had my luggage on me, I chose someplace close to the train station. For 4.50 euros, they offered a typical French breakfast: coffee, orange juice, a short baguette, and a croissant, with butter, jam, and honey on the side. I don't understand why they don't eat protein for breakfast, like eggs and/or meat. Someone told me it was because that would be too heavy, and breakfast in France is supposed to be a small meal. But when you're eating a baguette AND a croissant, that's not exactly a small meal. In fact, that's carbo-overload. Despite the fact that I REALLY miss having eggs and bacon for breakfast, the meal was both satisfying and a good value.
For lunch, I tried to find a place in my guidebook recommended as "cheap eats". Once again, it no longer existed, but once again, there was another restaurant in its place. I was hungry, so why not? They had an extensive pasta menu, which was too tempting to pass up. I ended up with spinach and cheese-stuffed ravioli with a bacon-cream sauce. The sauce was called carbonara on the menu, and even though bacon and cream can go into a carbonara sauce, there were other elements missing (like egg) that made me decide it wasn't really a carbonara sauce. The portion size was huge and the pasta was awesome. A bit heavy for such a hot day in the south of France, but I didn't truly mind. Plus, my table was on a sidewalk in Old Town (the most historical, interesting section of Nice), which was a great place for people-watching.
That afternoon I bought a Heinekin on the beach for 3 euros from a guy with a cooler yelling "Beer, Coca Cola, Cerveza, Coca Light" over and over and over. I indulged in an ice cream cone to cool me off afterwards. Typical beach treats.
For dinner, I stopped at a sandwich place to grab something fast and cheap. Well, it wasn't actually very fast, because they grill your sandwich on a panini grill that takes seemingly forever. Plus, the sandwich didn't impress me in the least. I probably ordered the wrong thing, although I thought I would be happier with a bacon, onion, and gruyere cheese sandwich. Oh well, at least it was only 4 euros, and in another great place for people-watching in Old Town.
I leisurely sipped a bottle of red wine while I watched the U.S.A. soccer, I mean football, World Cup game at an Irish pub tonight. The game was exciting, with bar patrons cheering for both Ghana and the U.S. When we tied and had to play an extra 30-minute tiebreaker game, I decided to celebrate with a shot of vodka. I guess I celebrated too early though, because we lost! Boo-hoo.
For lunch, I tried to find a place in my guidebook recommended as "cheap eats". Once again, it no longer existed, but once again, there was another restaurant in its place. I was hungry, so why not? They had an extensive pasta menu, which was too tempting to pass up. I ended up with spinach and cheese-stuffed ravioli with a bacon-cream sauce. The sauce was called carbonara on the menu, and even though bacon and cream can go into a carbonara sauce, there were other elements missing (like egg) that made me decide it wasn't really a carbonara sauce. The portion size was huge and the pasta was awesome. A bit heavy for such a hot day in the south of France, but I didn't truly mind. Plus, my table was on a sidewalk in Old Town (the most historical, interesting section of Nice), which was a great place for people-watching.
That afternoon I bought a Heinekin on the beach for 3 euros from a guy with a cooler yelling "Beer, Coca Cola, Cerveza, Coca Light" over and over and over. I indulged in an ice cream cone to cool me off afterwards. Typical beach treats.
For dinner, I stopped at a sandwich place to grab something fast and cheap. Well, it wasn't actually very fast, because they grill your sandwich on a panini grill that takes seemingly forever. Plus, the sandwich didn't impress me in the least. I probably ordered the wrong thing, although I thought I would be happier with a bacon, onion, and gruyere cheese sandwich. Oh well, at least it was only 4 euros, and in another great place for people-watching in Old Town.
I leisurely sipped a bottle of red wine while I watched the U.S.A. soccer, I mean football, World Cup game at an Irish pub tonight. The game was exciting, with bar patrons cheering for both Ghana and the U.S. When we tied and had to play an extra 30-minute tiebreaker game, I decided to celebrate with a shot of vodka. I guess I celebrated too early though, because we lost! Boo-hoo.
Not very pretty, but very tasty instead
June 27, 2010
For breakfast, I went to a place my guidebook recommended. They had a very similar breakfast menu to the restaurant I ate at yesterday, for about 1 euro more per plate. However, they had outdoor seating and people-watching opportunities (although not in Old Town), which was worth the extra money. This time I sprang for the breakfast that included fried eggs. That other restaurant had fried eggs too, but it I didn't feel like paying extra yesterday. And they still didn't offer any breakfast meats. What I ended up with was a mocha cappuccino, orange juice, a baguette with butter and jam, and two fried eggs. So basically I swapped yesterday's croissant for some eggs and got chocolate in my coffee. I was craving eggs so bad, and they were cooked perfectly too, so it was a good swap. But I still can't wait to go home and have my Dad's fried egg sandwiches, which I'd trade for a baguette and fried eggs any day.
I felt so proud of myself for outsmarting the beer salesman today. It was obvious yesterday that the man had just gone across the street to a convenience store, bought some beer, and was then selling them for 3 times what he paid. So today I did the legwork myself and found a convenience store near the beach, even though that's a lot harder than it sounds since it was a Sunday. Nice is even worse than Paris for closing down on Sundays! It seems like everything but the restaurants are closed, so finding a convenience store that was open was tough, but I lucked out. So I had 4 beers on the beach for the same price I paid for one beer yesterday! Way to outsmart the system, right?
For lunch, I stopped into a pizza place that I randomly stumbled across. They had 33 centimeter pizzas (that's about a foot in diameter - big!) for just 5 euros. I honestly don't think I've gotten so much food for this cheap thus far in France. They had a lot of pizzas to choose from, but I just went with one of the few I knew all the ingredients of: ham, mushrooms, onions, and olives. This is actually the first pizza I've had (other than a slice mooched off of my peers at school) on this trip. That's very surprising to me, since I eat pizza almost every other day at home, since it's always cheap, convenient, and delicious. Even though I hadn't exactly been craving pizza, I'm very glad I had one because it was delicious as always. The pizza was thin crust, with lots of cheese and an average amount of toppings. If I wasn't so used to going to the all-you-can-eat pizza buffets back home, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish it by myself. No worries, I cleaned my plate.
I realized it was my last meal in Nice and I hadn't had seafood! That was partly because it wasn't as prevalent as I would have expected. I didn't see any restaurants specializing in seafood or any fresh seafood markets. I was surprised by that, since I was right by the ocean. One way or another, I was determined to eat seafood in Nice. I ate at a restaurant advertising "Moules Frites", which is mussels and fries. I've seen the dish advertised around Paris too, but it's obviously going to be fresher so close to the water. I was shocked that I paid only 9 euros and got more mussels than I've ever seen in my life! There were so many that it took me an hour to eat them all, although I was also trying to eat extra slowly and savor the meal. I think there must have been over 50 mussels. They all tasted like the ocean, which to me signifies freshness. The broth they were served in was flavorful and onion-y. Mussels have never been my favorite shellfish, but I may just have to change my mind after tonight's meal. Also, I found a itty-bitty crab inside one mussel, but I was too freaked out to eat it, legs and all, so I just set it aside. A great meal to end my Nice experience. I'll miss the ocean, but I won't miss it for long: I'm headed to Barcelona next weekend!
I felt so proud of myself for outsmarting the beer salesman today. It was obvious yesterday that the man had just gone across the street to a convenience store, bought some beer, and was then selling them for 3 times what he paid. So today I did the legwork myself and found a convenience store near the beach, even though that's a lot harder than it sounds since it was a Sunday. Nice is even worse than Paris for closing down on Sundays! It seems like everything but the restaurants are closed, so finding a convenience store that was open was tough, but I lucked out. So I had 4 beers on the beach for the same price I paid for one beer yesterday! Way to outsmart the system, right?
For lunch, I stopped into a pizza place that I randomly stumbled across. They had 33 centimeter pizzas (that's about a foot in diameter - big!) for just 5 euros. I honestly don't think I've gotten so much food for this cheap thus far in France. They had a lot of pizzas to choose from, but I just went with one of the few I knew all the ingredients of: ham, mushrooms, onions, and olives. This is actually the first pizza I've had (other than a slice mooched off of my peers at school) on this trip. That's very surprising to me, since I eat pizza almost every other day at home, since it's always cheap, convenient, and delicious. Even though I hadn't exactly been craving pizza, I'm very glad I had one because it was delicious as always. The pizza was thin crust, with lots of cheese and an average amount of toppings. If I wasn't so used to going to the all-you-can-eat pizza buffets back home, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish it by myself. No worries, I cleaned my plate.
I realized it was my last meal in Nice and I hadn't had seafood! That was partly because it wasn't as prevalent as I would have expected. I didn't see any restaurants specializing in seafood or any fresh seafood markets. I was surprised by that, since I was right by the ocean. One way or another, I was determined to eat seafood in Nice. I ate at a restaurant advertising "Moules Frites", which is mussels and fries. I've seen the dish advertised around Paris too, but it's obviously going to be fresher so close to the water. I was shocked that I paid only 9 euros and got more mussels than I've ever seen in my life! There were so many that it took me an hour to eat them all, although I was also trying to eat extra slowly and savor the meal. I think there must have been over 50 mussels. They all tasted like the ocean, which to me signifies freshness. The broth they were served in was flavorful and onion-y. Mussels have never been my favorite shellfish, but I may just have to change my mind after tonight's meal. Also, I found a itty-bitty crab inside one mussel, but I was too freaked out to eat it, legs and all, so I just set it aside. A great meal to end my Nice experience. I'll miss the ocean, but I won't miss it for long: I'm headed to Barcelona next weekend!
Eggs, oh glorious eggs! You know it's nature's perfect food, right?
Do you want to share?
'(Cockles and) Mussels, Alive-alive-oh!'
June 28, 2010
I ate another apricot pastry for breakfast. I had strong cravings for one even though I just had one a few days ago. I hope I don't have any withdrawal symptoms when I leave Paris for good.
The cafeteria was serving some variation on chicken stew today, with a side of mashed potatoes. Even though I would have preferred the more classic French "veal blanquette" (stew made with baby cow meat, which is more tender than regular beef), I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Stews like this are why the French eat bread with every meal: to soak up all the flavorful sauce. It takes "cleaning your plate" to a whole new level. The appetizer was a salad with tomatoes and bacon, and there's nothing like bacon on a salad for getting me to eat my greens! Plus, the salad was topped with a poached egg, so I was actually able to half-way satisfy my eggs and bacon craving. For dessert, I got a vanilla pudding cup with caramel sauce at the bottom and whipped cream at the top. I loved it so much, I went out and bought a 4-pack for my apartment later that day.
After eating out for every meal over the weekend, I was too tired to eat out again and I needed to save money. I got another baguette so that I could the rest of my fancy bleu cheese. I also bought some skillet-ready chicken cordon bleus. They were small, so I ended up eating both servings in the package, which made me feel like such an American (wanting a bigger portion size). Whoever came up with replacing the bread in a ham and cheese sandwich with a chicken breast, and then breading and frying/baking the whole thing? Whoever did should win an award, because they're so yummy that I feel like I could eat six of them in one sitting. However, I was so full after two of them (and bread and cheese) that I couldn't fit dessert in, so maybe eating six isn't the best idea.
The cafeteria was serving some variation on chicken stew today, with a side of mashed potatoes. Even though I would have preferred the more classic French "veal blanquette" (stew made with baby cow meat, which is more tender than regular beef), I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Stews like this are why the French eat bread with every meal: to soak up all the flavorful sauce. It takes "cleaning your plate" to a whole new level. The appetizer was a salad with tomatoes and bacon, and there's nothing like bacon on a salad for getting me to eat my greens! Plus, the salad was topped with a poached egg, so I was actually able to half-way satisfy my eggs and bacon craving. For dessert, I got a vanilla pudding cup with caramel sauce at the bottom and whipped cream at the top. I loved it so much, I went out and bought a 4-pack for my apartment later that day.
After eating out for every meal over the weekend, I was too tired to eat out again and I needed to save money. I got another baguette so that I could the rest of my fancy bleu cheese. I also bought some skillet-ready chicken cordon bleus. They were small, so I ended up eating both servings in the package, which made me feel like such an American (wanting a bigger portion size). Whoever came up with replacing the bread in a ham and cheese sandwich with a chicken breast, and then breading and frying/baking the whole thing? Whoever did should win an award, because they're so yummy that I feel like I could eat six of them in one sitting. However, I was so full after two of them (and bread and cheese) that I couldn't fit dessert in, so maybe eating six isn't the best idea.
Here's lunch, and dinner looked like two breaded lumps on a plate, so I didn't bother taking a picture
June 29, 2010
Nothing for breakfast.
The cafeteria was serving pork chops with rice for lunch. Although those were both appetizing, my favorite was the wonderful side of glazed carrots cooked with egg. If only all vegetables could be so tasty. I chose a simple potato salad for an appetizer and a piece of cheesecake for dessert. Nothing stood out except for the carrots, but everything was worthy of eating.
I left to go on a bicycle tour of Paris around 6:15, so I didn't bother to eat anything beforehand, especially as I didn't want to be weighed down or overly full when riding a bike. Happily, they took us to the most famous ice cream shop in Paris: Berthillon, which is known for using all-natural ingredients and attracting even the rich and famous to their shop. I had an outrageously expensive double scoop (4.20 euros) of caramel and peanut praline. Although outstanding, it's still not as good as my all-time-favorite ice cream shop in Austin: Amy's. And you should take my word for it, because I'm an ice cream connoisseur: it's my favorite dessert. Then, towards the end of the tour, they took us on a one-hour boat ride on the Seine and served us wine. Free wine is always awesome, but I question the intelligence of serving people wine and then making them maneuver a bicycle in a foreign city at night. A few people crashed into each other, but fortunately I wasn't one of them.
By the time I got back from the bicycle tour, it was almost 12:30. Nothing's open that late in my neighborhood except one place: McDonald's. I felt like I was starving, having not eaten real food for 12 hours, so I stopped in for some fries, chicken nuggets, and a cheeseburger. Once again, my hunger distracted me and I forgot to order wine. Oops. The convenience and fattiness of the food was instantly gratifying, which I suppose is the whole point of eating fast food.
The cafeteria was serving pork chops with rice for lunch. Although those were both appetizing, my favorite was the wonderful side of glazed carrots cooked with egg. If only all vegetables could be so tasty. I chose a simple potato salad for an appetizer and a piece of cheesecake for dessert. Nothing stood out except for the carrots, but everything was worthy of eating.
I left to go on a bicycle tour of Paris around 6:15, so I didn't bother to eat anything beforehand, especially as I didn't want to be weighed down or overly full when riding a bike. Happily, they took us to the most famous ice cream shop in Paris: Berthillon, which is known for using all-natural ingredients and attracting even the rich and famous to their shop. I had an outrageously expensive double scoop (4.20 euros) of caramel and peanut praline. Although outstanding, it's still not as good as my all-time-favorite ice cream shop in Austin: Amy's. And you should take my word for it, because I'm an ice cream connoisseur: it's my favorite dessert. Then, towards the end of the tour, they took us on a one-hour boat ride on the Seine and served us wine. Free wine is always awesome, but I question the intelligence of serving people wine and then making them maneuver a bicycle in a foreign city at night. A few people crashed into each other, but fortunately I wasn't one of them.
By the time I got back from the bicycle tour, it was almost 12:30. Nothing's open that late in my neighborhood except one place: McDonald's. I felt like I was starving, having not eaten real food for 12 hours, so I stopped in for some fries, chicken nuggets, and a cheeseburger. Once again, my hunger distracted me and I forgot to order wine. Oops. The convenience and fattiness of the food was instantly gratifying, which I suppose is the whole point of eating fast food.
This meal seems a lot more American than French to me
This picture is from the internet. My own ice cream was melting too fast for me to bother with taking a picture.
June 30, 2010
Nothing for breakfast.
Lunch at the cafeteria consisted of a leg of lamb, spaghetti noodles with butter, and a tiny bit of carrots (I got the last helping). The lamb was the tenderest lamb I've ever eaten - it was falling off the bone. I think it was also the tastiest lamb I've ever eaten. I've heard a lot of complaints from other students who've tried lamb in Paris and didn't like it, so they either had a bad dish or - if their lamb was as good as this - they're crazy. I've already gushed about my love for the carrot dish and my love of pasta, and it was intriguing (or sacrilege?) to have spaghetti without marinara sauce. For an appetizer, I grabbed a rice and seafood medley. I was happy that there were enough mussels to enjoy one with every forkful, but the mussels were nowhere near as tender and flavorful as the mussels I ate in Nice. Still, a whole dish of rice and seafood for less than a euro is amazing in any city. I grabbed another vanilla pudding cup with caramel sauce for dessert, even though I've yet to eat any of the 4-pack sitting in my refrigerator.
Dinner was a special treat. A couple weeks ago, our chaperone told me I had to try raclette because it was a true French dining experience. Well, I finally made reservations at a restaurant she recommended and sampled raclette tonight. I decided to split raclette charcuterie and fondue savoyarde. Savoryarde means the fondue is made in the style of the Savoie region, which borders Switzerland (which is usually considered the country that invented fondue, although that is debatable). It's made with lots of cheese and lots of wine, and I love both of those things! Then you dip bread or meat or potatoes into the fondue, and voila: you have a fun and delicious meal. One of my companions complained the fondue was just too cheesy for her tastes, but I say there's no such thing as too cheesy. I've never been to the Melting Pot back in Austin, but I bet this fondue kicked their fondue's butt. Raclette is something completely unique. At both ends of the table is a grate with a hot coil beneath - basically a tiny grill. They give you a super teeny non-stick skillet, and the idea is to grill your own food. The most basic raclette is just cheese. I ordered the raclette charcuterie, which includes different pork products (salami, ham, and prosciutto) to the cheese. The most extravagant raclette at this restaurant was the raclette royal, with cheese and pork and beef. The idea is to put a slice of cheese on the bottom of the skillet and place small slices of already-cooked potatoes on top. Apparently it's traditional to eat the meat on the side (cold) but I piled it right on top of the potatoes. They also provide lots of small pickles. I had a ball grilling my own food. After all, one of my favorite things to do in the summer in Texas is to watch the sunset, grill some meat, and drink beer. Of course, wine is the French equivalent of beer in Texas, so I had rose wine with my raclette. The grill gets really hot (in fact, I wonder how often people burn themselves), so it takes less than a minute for the cheese to get all melt-y and bubbly. I was also impressed that the cheese didn't stick to the pan; on the contrary - you just tip the skillet and it slides right off onto your plate. I love the concept of raclette (and the food tastes great too, of course). Maybe I should start a raclette restaurant back in Austin, for everyone who doesn't have the means to come to France and try it. And finally, I capped off the meal with a creme brulee, making this the second best meal I've had in Paris (just behind my meal on June 9th).
Lunch at the cafeteria consisted of a leg of lamb, spaghetti noodles with butter, and a tiny bit of carrots (I got the last helping). The lamb was the tenderest lamb I've ever eaten - it was falling off the bone. I think it was also the tastiest lamb I've ever eaten. I've heard a lot of complaints from other students who've tried lamb in Paris and didn't like it, so they either had a bad dish or - if their lamb was as good as this - they're crazy. I've already gushed about my love for the carrot dish and my love of pasta, and it was intriguing (or sacrilege?) to have spaghetti without marinara sauce. For an appetizer, I grabbed a rice and seafood medley. I was happy that there were enough mussels to enjoy one with every forkful, but the mussels were nowhere near as tender and flavorful as the mussels I ate in Nice. Still, a whole dish of rice and seafood for less than a euro is amazing in any city. I grabbed another vanilla pudding cup with caramel sauce for dessert, even though I've yet to eat any of the 4-pack sitting in my refrigerator.
Dinner was a special treat. A couple weeks ago, our chaperone told me I had to try raclette because it was a true French dining experience. Well, I finally made reservations at a restaurant she recommended and sampled raclette tonight. I decided to split raclette charcuterie and fondue savoyarde. Savoryarde means the fondue is made in the style of the Savoie region, which borders Switzerland (which is usually considered the country that invented fondue, although that is debatable). It's made with lots of cheese and lots of wine, and I love both of those things! Then you dip bread or meat or potatoes into the fondue, and voila: you have a fun and delicious meal. One of my companions complained the fondue was just too cheesy for her tastes, but I say there's no such thing as too cheesy. I've never been to the Melting Pot back in Austin, but I bet this fondue kicked their fondue's butt. Raclette is something completely unique. At both ends of the table is a grate with a hot coil beneath - basically a tiny grill. They give you a super teeny non-stick skillet, and the idea is to grill your own food. The most basic raclette is just cheese. I ordered the raclette charcuterie, which includes different pork products (salami, ham, and prosciutto) to the cheese. The most extravagant raclette at this restaurant was the raclette royal, with cheese and pork and beef. The idea is to put a slice of cheese on the bottom of the skillet and place small slices of already-cooked potatoes on top. Apparently it's traditional to eat the meat on the side (cold) but I piled it right on top of the potatoes. They also provide lots of small pickles. I had a ball grilling my own food. After all, one of my favorite things to do in the summer in Texas is to watch the sunset, grill some meat, and drink beer. Of course, wine is the French equivalent of beer in Texas, so I had rose wine with my raclette. The grill gets really hot (in fact, I wonder how often people burn themselves), so it takes less than a minute for the cheese to get all melt-y and bubbly. I was also impressed that the cheese didn't stick to the pan; on the contrary - you just tip the skillet and it slides right off onto your plate. I love the concept of raclette (and the food tastes great too, of course). Maybe I should start a raclette restaurant back in Austin, for everyone who doesn't have the means to come to France and try it. And finally, I capped off the meal with a creme brulee, making this the second best meal I've had in Paris (just behind my meal on June 9th).
I'm now officially a huge fan of lamb
Raclette charcuterie
Our raclette grill and baby skillets
Crunchy heaven on the top and creamy goodness underneath
July 1, 2010
Can you believe that the school cafe didn't have apricot Danishes today? So I got their next best offering: a chocolate croissant. I guess I should be happy that I got to sample this classic pastry while here in France, but I kind of just missed my apricot Danish. At least it was warm, flaky, and buttery, and it was a heck of a lot better than going without breakfast.
For the first time, I didn't eat at the school cafeteria even though I was at the school during lunchtime. Instead, me and a friend decided to try out a falafel restaurant that the guidebooks say is the best falafel in Paris. Well, it was smack in the middle of the Jewish neighborhood, so that's a good sign of falafel competence. I greatly enjoyed my first true falafel. Even better, at 5 euros, it was barely more expensive than eating lunch at school would have been. I'm not exactly sure what's in a falafel, but I could tell it had chickpea balls, cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, and spicy sauce inside a pita pocket. I'm pretty sure there were some other vegetables in there too. This is yet another great way to convince me to eat my veggies. In fact, I might even have to go back for more. My sole complaint is that it's extremely messy to eat on the go.
I found an American-style diner serving up omelets, pancakes, and bacon this afternoon. The owner moved to Paris from Connecticut, so it's authentic too. I really wish I hadn't just had a falafel, even though it was delicious, because I want to order pancakes so bad. Instead, I just get a chocolate milkshake instead, another American fixture I've been missing. I enjoy sipping my milkshake while listening to American music along the likes of Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. I'm not even upset that I paid 5 euros for a not-that-large milkshake, since I feel at home in this diner, surrounded by English-speakers.
It’s the night I leave for Barcelona, and I knew I’d be eating out all weekend, so I had dinner at home tonight. I heated up another one of those ham and Swiss skillet-ready crepes that I’ve tried before. I had one last chunk of bleu cheese leftover that I melted over the top. I paired the crepe with a bottle of red wine and had an excellent, simple French meal that didn’t take too much time away from packing.
For the first time, I didn't eat at the school cafeteria even though I was at the school during lunchtime. Instead, me and a friend decided to try out a falafel restaurant that the guidebooks say is the best falafel in Paris. Well, it was smack in the middle of the Jewish neighborhood, so that's a good sign of falafel competence. I greatly enjoyed my first true falafel. Even better, at 5 euros, it was barely more expensive than eating lunch at school would have been. I'm not exactly sure what's in a falafel, but I could tell it had chickpea balls, cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, and spicy sauce inside a pita pocket. I'm pretty sure there were some other vegetables in there too. This is yet another great way to convince me to eat my veggies. In fact, I might even have to go back for more. My sole complaint is that it's extremely messy to eat on the go.
I found an American-style diner serving up omelets, pancakes, and bacon this afternoon. The owner moved to Paris from Connecticut, so it's authentic too. I really wish I hadn't just had a falafel, even though it was delicious, because I want to order pancakes so bad. Instead, I just get a chocolate milkshake instead, another American fixture I've been missing. I enjoy sipping my milkshake while listening to American music along the likes of Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. I'm not even upset that I paid 5 euros for a not-that-large milkshake, since I feel at home in this diner, surrounded by English-speakers.
It’s the night I leave for Barcelona, and I knew I’d be eating out all weekend, so I had dinner at home tonight. I heated up another one of those ham and Swiss skillet-ready crepes that I’ve tried before. I had one last chunk of bleu cheese leftover that I melted over the top. I paired the crepe with a bottle of red wine and had an excellent, simple French meal that didn’t take too much time away from packing.
Falafel: not very pretty to look at - much better to eat!
The most expensive milkshake I've eaten, and worth it too
