Don't Hate Me. Please.

So I know I said I would update about a week ago, and I didn't. For that I apologize.  Want to know something embarassing, will that help ease the disappointment?  So the other day, I was waiting outside of a cafe for a friend who hadn't gotten there yet.  This group of men walked by, and one of them in particular looked at me like I was a smurf or something.  After he had passed, I made a face at him. Because no matter how much I try, I guess I just have the compulsion to make faces in any situation I'm in.  And I really need to learn that no matter what that situation, the person the facial expression is directed at will ALWAYS turn around and see me.  As well as, in this specific case, chuckle and tell his friends about it.  I will never learn, and I have accepted this.

Well, anyway, BACK to FRANCE! The Normandy beaches were simply incredible.  I really don't know how else to describe what we saw.  I mean, Omaha Beach and the American National Cemetery were simple, but so impacting.  Almost no one in our tour group was talking, it was that powerful.  The biggest sense of gratitude washed over me that afternoon, and I'll never forget it.

That night, we took the train (almost a little reluctantly) to Paris.  Ate a little dinner on the train (simple sandwich stuffs, though my dad did discover the wonder of vending machine waffles.  Sounds crazy, but they are DELICIOUS. Even the vending machines have fancy food! ooh la la!) and mapped out our Paris Plan.  Hit the sack early for some early morning explorin'.

First day was dedicated to the stereotypical sights: Eiffel Tower (again, for daddy), the outside of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc De Triumphe, and seeing Napoleon's tomb.  We ate dinner in our neighborhood, which was totally sort of the immigrant side of town.  Turkish restaurants everywhere, and Indian and Chinese scattered about too.  My dad and I, of course, had no problem with this.
Delicious lamb with rice, and the next day we had the beef with rice, and I had a salad.  Served with fresh Turkish bread, and the guy took great care of us.  Even fended off some guy who was about to ask us for money.  Makin' friends in high places! That night we also had some Chinese- caramel chicken. Delicious! And a spring roll.  We ate it outside, and the lady working the counter saw my dad and I were sharing the dish, and she ran out of the store and gave us a fork.  I love these people.

 

Look at all those good eats!  The first one is the beef, and the third is the lamb from our Turkish friends.  The bottom two are our Asian lady.  The next day in Paris, we went to the Musee d'orsay! WONDERFUL! and then, we went to the chocolate museum.  That's right, a museum. Dedicated to CHOCOLATE. Look at this stuff! :

All of that is chocolate! It was INSANE. We got some hot chocolate afterwards too, and that was just simply divine.  I got the spanish one, with cloves and cinnamon, and my dad got the spicy one that is the original Aztec recipe.  And then, my friends, we had the dinner of a lifetime.  Moroccan Food IN PARIS. It was indescribably the most interesting, unique, and genuine meal I've ever had.  The first photo of the stuff that's not chocolate is of our appetizers, which were picked vegetables and olives! The next is our appetizer, a flaky fried tuna and egg fritter.  Sounds crazy, but it was delicious!  And then we had tanij, which was a meat served with a side of couscous.  My dad and I got our own, we got a lemony garlic chicken and lamb with dates.  But that's not all we got.  To go with that and our couscous, we got vegetables, raisins, nuts, and hot sauce.  As well as mounds of couscous.  And when I say chicken, I mean it was an ENTIRE CHICKEN.  There was so much food, we couldn't bare ourselves to eat it all.  If I go back to Paris, I am eating there again at least once.  They didn't want us to leave (our waiter offered to buy us mint tea, totally on him!).  It was the most memorable meal to a most memorable trip!
Updates to come about Tuscany, because this past weekend was definitely a culinary adventure for Tuscan delicacies!

Buon appetito!
Rachael