Parisian Birthday: The Final Farewell

The most fabulous Birthday EVER! I arrived in Paris by train mid-morning on the 4th of June, met by a chauffeur who helped me with all of my bags and whisked me away to my gorgeous little boutique hotel in Saint-Germain (6th Arrondissement), Hôtel Verneuil. The hotel is reminiscent of a 17th century French aristocratic manor house, jam packed with authentic antique furniture and accoutrements, all hand picked by the proprietor. No two rooms are the same and all feature colorful fabrics, luxurious linens, marble bathrooms, and charming views of the quiet Rue de Verneuil, merely steps away from the river Seine, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and my favorite patisserie in Paris, Gerard Mulot.

After getting settled, I spent the afternoon ogling art at the Musée d’Orsay, mainly the impressionist floor (think Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet, and Sisley), which was incredibly soothing and more relevant than ever before due to the fact that I had recently visited in person, many of the scenes featured in the various works. Post Musée I went back to my hotel, spread out on my bed with the window open wide, inviting the beautiful Parisian spring breeze into the room, and enjoyed a scrumptious Coconut Macaron (c/o of Gerard Mulot) while chatting on the phone with my Mom back in the US.

After some good long-distance birthday banter, I went on an epic run along the river Seine to the Champs de Mars, making a big loop around the Eiffel Tower, ensuring spectacular views from all angles. It was sort of like the greatest victory lap of all time, celebrating the end of a challenging yet incredible semester, 22 years of health and happiness, and the jaw-dropping sights of most beautiful city in the world.

For dinner I went to the highly acclaimed (and literally impossible to reserve) restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon with my fantastic high school friend Nicole (who as you may remember, I unexpectedly ran into on the streets of San Sebastian a few days prior) and we had the most wonderful meal of smoked ham, fresh crab, Foie Gras, velvety and buttery Dover Sole, supple and tender Entrecôte de Boeuf, a silky coffee mousse garnished with chocolate and lemon syrup, and a surprise chocolate tart garnished with raspberries, sprinkled in gold (loved the gold), and topped with a single candle. Impeccable.

The post dinner festivities featured an exclusive and fabulous party at the Louvre, which was crazy! There was an awesome DJ, great drinks, and stunning views of the Eiffel tower illuminated in the distance, and the hauntingly beautiful façade of one of the greatest palaces (and museums) in the world. Most people go to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, I go for the after-hours dance parties. What. I had to hand it to Nicole and her friends though, because without them, my entrance and enjoyment of such an event would not have been possible.

The next morning I woke up to the Parisian sun shining into my cozy little room and I lazily rolled over, called room service and ordered breakfast. There’s honestly nothing greater than having coffee and croissants brought to your door and then eating them in bed while watching French cartoons.

Day two of my birthday celebration was just as enjoyable and I spent the majority of the day walking around the city, hanging out at Nicole’s apartment in the 1er Arrondissement with her friends (some of the most fun people I’ve ever met... Dom and Alex pictured here), and enjoying one last run along the Seine, this time looping around Notre Dame Cathedral on Île de la Cité. The evening was spent tranquilement back at Nicole’s apartment drinking wine, swapping tales, laughing, and watching a movie.

I will fly home today after nearly 5 months of living in this wonderful (and at times rather complicated) country of France, and you guessed it, I’m a little devastated. Never in my life have I had the chance to enjoy so much beauty and exploration in such a short period of time. I came, I conquered, perfected a language, enjoyed life-changing food and travel, and expanded my horizons farther than I ever imagined. Sad as leaving is, these past couple have months have taught me that you must say goodbye to one adventure in order for another (possibly greater) adventure to begin, so folks, this may be the end of my semester abroad, but do not be fooled… I’m only just getting started. Thanks for reading and I will see you stateside.

My French Family

Those of you who have been following my adventures closely may have read mention of the French family whose home I frequented, the Derimays. I stayed with them when I arrived in Nantes, escaped to their house regularly during the semester for sumptuous French home cooking, and then spent my last few days in Nantes with them, soaking up their wonderful French spirit (which totally exists if you know where to find it!). My time with them was so fantastic that I felt like they deserved their own blog post.
The family consists of Ewa (the daughter of my mother’s good friend), Dominique (master of European cuisines and an overall culinary force to be reckoned with), and their 2-year-old daughter Camille (who just hangs out and is super freaking cute).

Dinner with the Derimay’s was always highly anticipated and quickly became one of the most important events on my iCal. Usually taking place on a Friday evening, Ewa would pick me up from the Tramway stop and by the time we got home Dominique would be busy in the kitchen stirring, chopping, and mixing away. He would periodically emerge from the kitchen long enough to serve a French aperitif from his spiffy wet bar, and give a short background on the spirit’s regional characteristics.

Normally at around 9pm, “à table!” would be announced (the French equivalent of “soup’s on!”), and the 4 of us would gather round the table with wide eyes and eager stomachs. Dominique’s cooking was always immaculately and artistically plated, usually featuring some beautiful garnish highlighting the dish’s main ingredients. He’s one of those cooks that has an innate sense for food and complimentary flavors, a chef that bases everything off of a recipe but never actually needs to look at it. He just adds a dash of spice here, an extra spoonful of crème fraiche there, while frequently dipping a finger into his sauces, tasting for accuracy. Oh and he would always run out to the backyard in the middle of the cooking process to pick herbs from his garden, ensuring maximum freshness. His Friday night highlights included fettuccine pasta in a salmon crème sauce garnished with smoked salmon, Galette’s filled with Chevre cheese, honey, and hazelnuts or beef, tomatoes, and fines herbes, a rustic beef lasagna with a top layer crisp with baked Parmesan cheese and seasoned to perfection, and a Chevre and vegetable pizza drizzled with artisan olive oil and baked on a homemade, hand tossed pizza crust. Thick pieces of (you guessed it, homemade) crusty bread were also served alongside to mop up any delicious juices that might have escaped your utensils.

The desserts didn’t mess around either and included everything from a 9-lemon tarte citron to crêpes filled with a citrus curd and garnished with homemade candied orange rind to a light flan with shaved bittersweet chocolate. Whether served indoors at their long wooden country table or “en plein air” (outside) with the warm evening breeze, dinner was more than just a meal, it was a vacation.


I have had the pleasure of watching Camille’s vocabulary develop from about 6 words in January, to full sentences, short fictitious tales, and running commentary on all of her current likes and dislikes by the time I departed. In the beginning, when I would interact with her it was sort of like the blind leading the blind, full of confused blank stares at each other because neither of us spoke French very well and mutual comprehension was minimal. But, by the time I left we were chatting away… Don’t be fooled, French 2 year olds lead a totally complex life.
There was never a word of English spoken during my visits to the Derimay residence so French language immersion was always in full effect. It was with the Derimays that I got a real sense of French culture and true French family life, something that I feel would have been hard to access on my own by just floating around the centre-ville of Nantes. I believe out of all of my French acquaintances I have met over the semester, I will miss those three most of all, but I am eagerly anticipating our next rendez-vous because, due to certain recent “developments”, a fourth Derimay is expected to enter the world around Christmas day 2009.

I’m pretty much only praying to Saint Sebastián from now on…

Without a doubt, hands down, hold the fucking phones, the greatest city and the greatest vacation of all of my semester’s travels. San Sebastian, in 4 short days, blew every other travel experience I have had so far out of the fucking water! With the epic combination of deliciously delectable tapas called “Pintxos” (pronounced Pinch-ohs), the most amazing golden sand beaches with turquoise-blue waters, an idyllic bay complete with its own centrally located island, the dopest hostel of the century, and a cast of best-friend-worthy characters, its hard to imagine where on earth you would rather spend a vacation.

The Hostel- Urban House: When I rolled up, the music was bumpin’, Moroccan lanterns were hanging from the ceiling, the sea air was wafting through the halls, and the super relaxed hostel dwellers were hanging about the cozy lounge with their sandy bare feet, enjoying the after-glow of an epic after-noon. In that instant, repressed, grouchy French-Andrew disappeared and fun, sunglasses wearing, no shirt, no shoes, no problem with nipple-rings Andrew came alive! My room had a killer balcony with an amazing view of the beautiful town hall, the beach, and the streets of old town, and in it I instantly befriended 2 awesome Aussies (from Melbourne) with whom I went out that night, to an authentic Basque Cideria.

The Cideria: The Cideria we went to was this amazing Brewery/Restaurant combination in the hills above San Sebastian where you drink unlimited cider poured from 8 foot in diameter barrels, while enjoying the most amazing Steak and Seafood of your life. The steak was this gorgeous slab of meat that was salty crisp on the outside and virgin-pink on the inside, creating this savory melt in your mouth (blood clot in your arteries) experience that you’ll never forget. Food is served family style where everyone eats off of one plate, and if you feel that annoying itch of sobriety coming on, you just head into the cider room and barrel hop to your liver’s content!

The Beach: In San Sebastian there are essentially two beach areas, La Concha Bay and Zurriola beach (a.k.a. the “Surf Beach”). I spent most of my afternoons on the beaches of La Concha Bay and oh what wonderful afternoons they were. The golden sand of the beach slides into the crystal blue waters of the bay and in the distance there is this little island that acts as a natural breakwater, giving the bay constant tranquility and gentle baby waves. The bay is egg shaped, opening onto the Atlantic, so you not only look out to the stunning sea but also charming fisherman houses and verdant, green mountains on either side of you. There is so much beauty surrounding you that you feel guilty averting yours by reading or napping. Luckily, I found a Spa with a beachfront location so I was able to lift weights, get my cardio on, and relax in the Thalassotherapy baths all while scoping the sights. Running on a treadmill with a beachfront view is the only way to go.

The Food: As I mentioned above, the Tapas (small little bites of food) in San Sebastian are called Pintxos (Pinch-ohs). A “Pintxo” usually consists of seafood, ham, sausage, cheese, vegetables, or various combinations of the aforementioned, placed on top of a slice of bread and secured with a toothpick going through the center, holding everything together. I believe that Pintxo actually means toothpick. Anyways, the wonderful thing about Pintxos is that there is no language or culinary understanding needed; you simply walk into a bar, look at 20 different varieties of Pintxos, pop whatever looks good into your mouth, wash it down with an excellent 1 euro glass of wine, and then when you’re ready to leave, you show the bartended how many toothpicks you have and he charges you accordingly! You eat them standing up, with tons of other hungry tourists and Spaniards, and you can just hop from Pintxos bar to Pintxos bar late into the evening!

The People: Lets just say the Australians are slowly taking over Europe. I have met thousands of them in my hostels over the semester, and San Sebastian was no different. They’re always fun, always down to have a good time, and always speak my language (literally and figuratively). After going to the Cideria with the two aforementioned Melbourners the first night, I found 2 more Melbourners and a Canadian to spend an epic evening drinking bottles of Spanish wine on the cliffs overlooking the sea for my second night. On my last night, the stars aligned big time. I met a really chill girl from Sydney at my hostel who I went Pintxos hopping with and then later in the night, who should I run into but one of my best friends from Highschool, Nicole! She lives in Paris and is fabulous so its really no surprise that she would be found in such a happening locale. After exploding with joy and hugging the crap out of each other, we went to a bunch of great bars and at our last stop, a club called BeBop, I was tapped on the shoulder by a friend from the Claremont Colleges (where I currently go to school), Jackie, who goes to Scripps College! What are the odds? Needless to say there were many celebratory drinks involved and it took all of my strength to walk back to the hostel (ok it was more like a crawl) and climb into bed. After 4 hours of sleep I awoke early to a stunning morning (and an equally stunning hangover), had some great breakfast banter with a South Carolinian hostel-mate, and hopped back on my train to France.

Without a doubt the best ending to my semester abroad that I could have ever asked for. Well, my birthday party in Paris tomorrow could be pretty dope as well… stay tuned people, I go big before I go home.