Crochet projects - winter's on its way

Autumn is my favorite season. Those colours! How beautiful, especially in a week like this with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures. We even hit a 20C yesterday.

But cold days are ahead and I'm getting ready for it. I just finished these fingerless gloves (so I can still get zippers to work and pick up my phone quickly when ringing). 

A while ago I finished the Japanese lace scarf too. It was the inspiration to my lace edging on my gloves. I will work up a nice pin for it to match with the gloves.

So, just a warm up for cozy patterns comming your way later. I hope before winter kicks in.

Paris - Bon Appètit [Part II]

So, yesterday I shared with you day one in food. Our second day was not as much eating wonderuful food as day one. But we made up for that buying some great stuff to take home. Which looked like this.

I had to be a little picky on what to buy because I only had one small backpack (26L, Dakine) with me. Which was good for my budget, really.

We started our second day off with a big laugh. You need to know we took quite some foodies with us for the long bus ride. Most of which we ate. But the cake we took to our hotel room and turned out to be breakfast at day two. My friend told me she'd bring a cake with her, I just didn't expect a whole cake including the baking tin. It did help to transport the baby in a whole, though. And it tasted great (thanks goes to the friend of my travel friend who made the cake).

After that we went serious, heading for Rue de Bretagne to visit Marché des Enfants Rouges. At 10:30 I think we were a little too early for the real buzz. Most restaurant stalls were busy setting up tables and polishing table ware. But the food stalls were open and hell, did they look good. It was a pity not to be able to bring home the fresh sea food and vegetables available for nice prices at this small covered market. We were day dreaming about having an apartment just around the corner of this market and make amazing dishes with these fresh ingredients.

Thankfully, they also offered great food to bring along too. I settled on a small 100g jar of Moutarde de Dijon à la Provincale. I've paired it with with some different snacks by now. Chicken, crisps and a Dutch bitterbal. It tastes great. But being such a small jar results in getting at the bottom already...

But it's not just the market that rocks this streets. It's all of the small shops and cafes along this street too. Like Fromagerie Jouannault, right next to the market entrance. I didn't buy cheese here though and went with a small tastefull sliced nut bread (at 2,95 euro) for the bus ride home. But in case you do buy cheese, they pack vacuum, to make sure your cheese can blow your taste buds away at home.

We also bought a few bottles of wine and rosé at Le Repaire de Bacchus. They had a great selection of wines and also champagnes. The rosé I bought turned out to be Italian, actually. Which is proof of me, not being such a good drinker. But it did make a great gift for my parents at home.

Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, 39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris

Metro: Arts et Métiers (line 3 and 11), Temple (line 3), Fillets du Calvaire (line8)

Open: Tue-Thur: 08:30-13:00 and 16:00-19:30, Fr-Sat: 8:30-13:00 and 16:00-20:00 Sunday: 08:00-14:00

Fromagerie Jouannault, 39 Rue de Bretagne 75003 Paris

Le Repaire de Bacchus, 40 Rue de Bretagne 75003 Paris

After a dissapointed look through the vintage (on the high-end price) shop Kiliwatch, we had lunch at Bistro Burger. The food wasn't anything special, but it's a family friendly place, judging on the number of families with (young) children having lunch there at that moment.

Not to mention there is a great natural food shop opposite. 

Bistro Burger 26 Rue Montorgueil, 75001 Paris
Metro: Les Halles or Étienne Marcel (line 4), Sentier (line 3)
Open every day from 12:00-22:00

On our way home from La defense, we made a stop at Ladurée at the Le Printemps warehouse to buy our batch of macarons. But before I tell you all about it. I have to make a confession. I didn't know about Ladurée until I searched on Pinterest for 'Paris'. Laugh at me, but I'm a relative newbie to food-love. Which means that a few years ago, I wouldn't mind food so much. It has grown on me only in recent years. I guess the train trip from Amsterdam to Rome I mentioned yesterday opened my eyes on how great, truely great food can be. That was only two years ago. So, bear with me as I go crazy on icons that are established centuries ago. 

On day one we had a look at the small (and much more stylish) shop at Rue Bonaparte, but we wanted to bring these expensive babies home as fresh as possible. Which meant that we had to wait one more day with our buy. After an Asian tourist before us, commanded the staff to fill his 80-something box with more and more coffee taste macarons. As Dutchies with an asian look, felt like we had to make up on the rude impression the man before us, left the helpfull staff with. Ordering a humble six-piece box and try to make a choice out of their wonderfull tastes. 

To be honest, I couldn't believe I spent 15,80 euro on just six of these sweet treats. But I have to admit after tasting them, I'd happily go and buy again. In order of heavenlyness (is that even a word?): Lemon, Pistachio, Salted caramel, Chocolat, Rose and vanilla. I now have a very good reason to come back to Paris some at some time. And then, I will buy, in a more fitting style at the small Rue Bonaparte location. 

We hit a big tourist trap miss at our diner restaurant, but it was raining (again) and we were hungry. We concluded that we had to miss at some point during this food filled trip, anyway.
We closed the day, relaxing at our hotel room. Watching the only English chanel we had, BBC News, snacking supermaket snacks (cheese and chips).

At Sunday morning there were no café's open near our hotel, so we took one more metro trip to République. Just before heading home we catched our first and last real sun rays at the terrace of bistrot POP. It was a wonderfull goodbye to Paris.

Bistrot POP, 3 Avenue de la Republique, 75011 Paris, France
Metro: République (line 3, 5, 8, 9, 11)
Open every day 08:00-02:00

Take care and have a wonderfull start of your weekend!

Paris - bon appétit! [part I]

It's already a month ago that I went to Paris. The 7 to 8 hour bus ride (thanks to a mid-city stop at Brussels during rush hour) from Utrecht to Paris gave me a last fling of an evening, two full days and a morning to spend in the capital city of France. For that short amount of time, I'd say I spent most of my time and money on food (same goes for my friend). I could split my travel in Paris in two parts, the eating food part and the buying food part. Sharing with you our fist day of Paris in food.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, they say. Same thing goes for French. This saying went out of the window as we went Asian, for the first meal in Paris up until lunch the next day (with an exeption for the pain au chocolat as a breakfast). 

We stopped at Toma Sushi, a short walk from the Ibis Budget hotel we stayed at. It didn't look so convincing and warm welcoming, but we went in anyway the menu looked promising.

We were in for a surprise. Ignore the neon lights and big menu's on the outside windows and inside you'll find a nice, asian decorated seating place. We had a little trouble making a choice from the diverse menu. In the end I settled with a sushi plate and my friend went with some kind of lunch or diner box and a small salad and miso soup as an entrance. The salad was the star, fresh and crisp. The main dishes were great too. We also got introduced to Japanese late night business meetings, as a group of business walked in and started out their banquet at, what, ten in the evening. Talking loud and with visible food in their mouth. Make sure you face the other side of the restaurant, which I did, thankfully.

The next day after the awesome Opèra visit, we walked down Rue St. Anne. We were told that this is kind of like asian town of Paris. To be honest we were a little dissapointed. There were plenty of restaurants, but we expected a little more atmosphere maybe. Like our Amsterdam China town. But, we did find a great supermarket, K-mart Kafeteria. I think it's a great place to stock up on Korean and Japanese ingredients and snack at this big place. At the back they sell very fresh cut sashimi for 4 to 5 euro. That was a nice snack along the way. Also we took a stroll through the Passage de Choiseul. A nice and lively passage filled with all sorts of small restaurants, cafes and boutiques. We took a seat at Steam &Soup. A Dim Sum concept presented all in french. So we pointed at the menu and  I guess we ordered a mix of Dim Sums. Vegetable, fish and meat. Taking three small Steaming bowls up the steep small stairs to enjoy our treats.

Toma Sushi 20 avenue de la République, 93170 Bagnolet.

Metro Gallieni (line 3).
I couldn't find their opening hours, but they were open relatively late.

K-mart Kafeteria 8 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris.
Metro Pyramides (line 7, 14) or Quatre-Septembre or Bourse (line 3)

Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00

Steam&Soup 58 Passage de Choiseul, 75002 Paris.

Metro: Quatre-Septembre (line 3) or Opéra (line 3, 7,8) 

After the dim sum we banned the Asian theme and went French, as much a possible. Starting at one of my favorite neightbourhoods in Paris (even with the tourists), Montmartre. We stumbled up on a Kusmi Tea Shop just outside the Metro station Abbesses. Thanks to the shop attendant, we had a great time smelling and tasting teas. There were literally walls of flavours to chose from. Little overwelming, in a most beautiful way. Loved the 1kg tins, I'll have to bring a car next time, really. But don't worry they sell smaller sized tins and boxes too.

 

This lovely tin of 125gr black tea with apple scent went home with me. It smells and tastes great (telling you that, as I'm taking a sip of my cuppa!). In case you cannot make a choise, they sell combination packs with smaller tins in different flavours.

Kusmi Tea has different shops all over Paris (and is sold world wide), but thanks to the great service I give you the address we enjoyed so much. Kusmi Tea 15 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris (metro: Abbesses, line 12)

When I was travelling through Europe by train (Amsterdam to Rome), I fell in love with this tiny place, Chéri Bibi. I have never forgotten the Salmon plate I had here. It's pretty local, not in the most warm and buzzing street in Paris at all, but still pretty much next to the butte Montmartre. We watched couples out on diner or a (first) date and a group of friends gathering and people chill and chat at the bar and at the sofa area. It's tiny and all squeezed in though. Almost sitting at-your neightbours-table-tight. They work with three course choice menu for a set price (eighter 25 or 28 euro, excluding drinks). Although, we skipped on dessert (you do still pay for the three course menu, though). The salmon was as good as I remembered, just plated slightly differently this time. And the starter salmon salad was a good one too, quite filling. The best end of our fist day in Paris we could have wished for.

Chéri Bibi 15 Rue André del Sarte, 75018 Paris.

Metro: Anvers or Barbès Rochechouart (line 2), Château Rouge (line 4).

Open: Mon-Sat 18:00-02:00

See you tomorrow for part two!

Paris - off the beaten path

I've been to the city of light three times before. And it holds a special place in my heart. My parents surprised me with a weekendtrip to this city to celebrate finishing elementary school.

We did all the things you should do as a tourist then, Eiffel tower, montmartre, Notre Dame, Tour montparnasse, Champs Elysee...And I did many of these again on my following trips because I went with Paris-first-timers. So, they got to see the landmarks. Even though every experience was different, I was glad they were not a must-do on this trip. 

This time I went with a friend who also had seen the high-lights already. So, we had fun stroling the streets (in the rain, regularly). Looking back at it now, it was quite a foodie-trip, I'll share some about that in a later post (due to photo sorting). But we did catch a few other known landmarks, I'd like to share some of them with you.

1. Le Palais Garnier (Opera National de Paris)

I love ballet. I danced for about 8 years and it stays with you. It really does. So, I love to visit theaters for that reason. On my very first trip to Paris, we passed this theatre by bus, but I'd never took a trip inside. This time we did pay a visit to the masterly Palais Garnier.  This jewel in Paris is huge, and overwelming in so many was. So much gold and rich red, mirrors, bling and marmer. The highlight of the visit is the auditorium, the place where everything after months or rehearsing, prepairing and practising comes together for an artist.
We walked around, snapping pictures and imagine big crowds come here to have a wonderful theater night. We didn't even think about getting a ticket (prices were way over budget for us). I loved seeing costumes and miniature decors for different plays. There is so much artistry and time consuming hand work in these pieces.
The shop at the end is a good place to pick up dvds of plays, operas and ballets and classical cds, but the giftshop was a little over-priced.

On a side note, I bet I had a guardian angel on my shoulder on this visit. My most thankful moment of the weekend (probably this year, even) was picking up my mobile phone from the ticketboot that I thought for a moment was lost or even robbed (thanks to an awkward moment at the giftshop).

Practical information:
Entree is at the corner of rue Scribe and rue Auber, Paris 9ème
Métro: Opéra (lines 3, 7, 8)
RER: line A, station Auber
Bus : lines 20, 21, 22, 27, 29, 42, 52, 53, 66, 6 8, 81, 95

Opening times: September - mid-July : 10:00 am and 5:00 pm (last admissions 4:30 pm), mid-July - September 10:00 am and 6:00 pm (last admissions 5:30 pm).

Tickets: €10, reduced €6, there are also guided tours available. Information is on the website.

2. Pont des arts

It was fun stroling over this bridge, known for all the love-locks. People watching. With our visit, a promotion team of Georgio Armani had taken over the bridge, handing out samples of the new Armani fregance Sí. Just looking at all of those locks, I couldn't help but wonder at times. Like, are all those couples still together? And all those friendships still going strong? Where are all those people from? How did the met? I guess you could come here sit down and wonder or if you've got the guts go and ask and collect stories.

Practical information:

Pont Des Arts

Metro: Pont Neuf (line 7), or Louvre-Rivoli (line 1)

3. Musée D'Orsay

I did run through the famous Musee du Louvre on one of my earlier trips. Just before closing time, me and my family decided we had to have a glance at the most visited painting in the museum, the Mona Lisa. And just that, so I followed my parents and cought glimpses of the long halls filled with master paintings and sculptures. Mona Lisa was surrounded by a last moment crowd, at least half a meter off, behind a thick pice of glace and very tiny. But we saw it. Well, needless to say the Louvre is on my list for a proper visit, but not this trip. This time, I favored Musée D'Orsay. I had never visited before but heard it was a great museum on impressionism. And it's one of my favorite times in art history.
The museum is a great, although a bit of a noisy place. Lots of space to sit and give your tired feet a rest while soaking in art from Master painters and sculptors. I was touched by two particular works. The Little dancer by Degas. I know about this sculpture a long time (it was degas who combined my two loves of dance and painting). Seeing the thing and being able to walk around was fun. But it was the face of the girl that struck me. To me she looked so unhappy and locked up (in this case in a glass showcase...).
The other piece was by Monet. I know he is a master. But his painting Curch of Vernon in the fog touched me in a way I didn't know art could touch someone. The soft almost transluscent colours and the gentle brush strokes, it is tenderness on canvas.

I loved the little corned they had dedicaded to Le Palais Garnier, because we paid a visit there in the morning. At the museum they have an intersection of the building in which I could see what was behind that huge print of red curtain. And walk on top of a miniature part of Paris.

Practical Information
1, rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris.

Metro: Solférino (line 12)
RER: line C, to Musée d'Orsay
Bus: 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94
Opening times: 9.30am to 6pm, 9.30am to 9.45pm on Thursdays
Closed on mondays, galleries start closing 5:30pm

Tickets: normal price (museum + exhibition): €12
But there are reduction rates and free entries (every first, Sunday of the month, under 18, members of the EU from 18-25). Check on the website for actual prices and information.

4. La Défense

We spent some time in the largest businessdistrict of Europe, La Défense. It's the part of Paris with all the huge towers you see from many viewpoints in Paris.We'd heard there's a bit of an open-air-museum and good shopping. But it was rainy, cloudy and quite crowded in the shopping center(s). So we stayed at the Grande Arch people watching and enjoying the view from the stairs of the Grande Arche over the Avenue des Champs Élysée.

Practical information:
Metro: La Défense (line 1)
RER: A to La Défense

The viewing deck on top of the arch are closed down apparently.

5. Montmartre

We enjoyed a view over Paris from the Montmartre. It's one of those places where it's always lively. We enjoyed a showcase of streetartist Iya Traore. Just keep your eyes on your bags and buying (fake) bags, sunglasses and other stuff from plaids on the ground, might not be such a good idea. 

Practical information
Metro: Anvers (line2), or Abbesses (line2)

If you got any tips for a travel to Paris, please leave them in the comments below, so I can catch them on another trip.

See you later this week with a short report on foodie places to go in Paris!

(almost) a year of crochet!

You know how, when you think you get the hang of something, you lose it? Right. That's where I got with blogging. Consistancy, I'm working on it, really. 

In the mean time I kept on working some crochet projects. I decided to use my instagram to share some real time progress, so if interested, see you there! Although not everything I try actually turns out as pretty and beautiful as in my mind. Thanks to my not so advanced crochet skills (working on that too). Thankfully, other projects do. Like these yummy looking cupcakes.

They both need some improvement though, so I hope to come up with a pattern some time later. 

It's crazy to think that I learned crochet less than a year ago! I finished my very first crochet project ever 19th of September to be precise!

I thought it would be fun to share what I've finished along the way (as much as possible). 

It all started with, the black hole cowl pattern of Elletrain knits. Although I made it with chuncky brown and white yarn and left out the button hole (way too advanced at that point). 

It was scarf mania after that

This was my own 'design' using the Easy shell stitch I had just learned then via New stitch a day (great website for the very basics of knitting and crochet!). I added a picot stitch crochet trim pattern by My two butterflies.  (scroll halfway the page for the written pattern).

Next, the Elise Shawl designed by Evan Plevinski (via ravelry) I'd been eying on Pinterest a while, by now I dared to give it a go.

Although my thread was a little thinner and my blocking did not work so well ( I tried!), Still one of my favorites.

Next another big scarf. The idea was to work on this project on a 24+ hour bus trip to Rome. But I finished it just a few days before leaving. So, this baby kept  me warm in Italy and celebrated new year with me! I'm working on another one right now (as a commission). It's the  Chevron lave wrap pattern by Mooglyblog. Although, I substracted by 20 stitches. It's a favorite, nice and warm for the cold Winters.

Next up, my very first Amigurumi project I wrote about earlier! The cutie was a birthday gift for my little niece (on the other side of the world, so this babe made a long trip). 

She was in the very good company of five different amigurumi's. 

Then there's the bag I also wrote about earlier. 

Made a second one now, slightly different, for my aunt.

The little bunny I also posted about.

And my very first patterned Summer Cactus.

And I made two cuties (another rabbit, and a cRoly Poly cat by Nina Shimizu via Ravelry) for my little nieces who came for a sleep over. Of course it took too long to make according to the girls. But what a joy to see them running around with their new friends!

For just the evening hours and some weekends, that's quite a lot I think...

Leaving you with a link to song that's makes me smile everytime it shows up on shuffle playlist.

Seeing Stars a free download by La Honda. A band with lead vocal by the great British artist Rumer. La Honda was the first band she was in Rumer writes on her facebook. Their CD will be released soon.

How rain turned into a sunny day filled with yummy food

Summer stays strong. Last week we had some thunder and rain comming over. Which was very welcome. Although, it almost ruined my day with friends in Zeeland. The place where I spent many many years of family vacations aat the beach and the little towns. After a rainy start we were off for a sunny kind of food tour. And a pretty good one if I may say so myself.

  

We went to Saint John (Sint Jan Straat 40, 4331 KD Middelburg, mo-sa 8:30-18:00). A brown café, a cosy little home feel cafe in Middelburg for Lunch. We had a great tosti St. John special, including Dutch bacon: Zeeuws spek. Served with brown fresh (I think) baked bread and a little salad (which could have done with a little less dressing) it was a good starter. But the winner of the day was the yoghurt Ice cream. Absolute big hit. Light but oh so creamy. We went back at the end of the day for a second one, finding the café closed (of course we didn't check the time table). Which means I have a very good reason to come back there. 

Still raving about the ice cream we went walking though the city a bit. Then my friend took us on a car ride along the former island of Walcheren. It isn't an island anymore thanks to poldering and a dam connecting it to the main land. 

Driving though the small towns, that look so lively in the Summer season and passing many mini-campings, B&Bs and small hotels and vacation homes. We took a little break at Veere. It's such a pretty old city (earning city rights from 1355!). It's quite a tourist draw especially for the small harbour and a lake (Veerse meer) near by. But we didn't mind everybody was in summer mood and we took a little tour to walk in the lake water. Swimming was not an option since we didn't bring our swim wear (it looked too cloudy to be true in the moring). 

The best kind of hidden spot was a covered old tunnel that was used back in the days to defend the city. 

We enjoyed some fish snacks: kibbeling (fried crispy fish) and Zeeuwse Oysters. Both were nice fresh a little silty. The only down side was the sauce from a readymade pot. 

Most part of Zeeland is below sea level plus the province is a big river delta including the Rhine, Maas and Scheldt. The worst flooding was the North Sea Flooding of 1953. My grandmother who lives in the coastal province of Zuid-Holland, still has a small picture where the family's home is almost completely under water. Only rooftops are visible. The Delta Works were developed after the event to protect the land. We saw some of it in the distance when we took a short beach walk. 

After another little car ride we went to the beach of Dishoek for dinner. Dishoek, had the most beautiful beaches along the Dutch shore line. Or at least, that's me thinking. Childhood memories and sleeping in once of the beach cottages a few times give me a little sweet spot here. One of the best memories I have here, is walking along the shore line around midnight by full moon with my father. He pointed out the green glittering at the shore: salt lighting up in the moon light. It really is one of the most magical (but real) things I have ever seen.

Beach pavilion Kaapduin was our dinner place. It was very hot and the outside terrace was filled. So we sat inside and enjoyed the generous food portions. I had cooked Zeeuwse Mussels and my friends baked mussels and a fish trio. We had a good time feeding oursselves. 

On the almost 3 hour train ride home, I reminded myself to enjoy my own country more. Because this day was such a great, and taste full day. The best things sometimes are in your own back yard, remember.