Recently in the category : Went
The one where we learn about pastries...
Apparently educational field trips have become the name of the game in the Katia and Kyliemac Empire these days. A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to head over to a real French pastry shop with a real pastry chef : the delightful Camille!
Pain au chocolat ready to go into the ovens.
"Pain Choc" ready to be enjoyed!
Baby Choux for the Pièce Montée
This is harder than it looks.
This is made from...
...this. It takes a bit of skill. And practice.
It takes a while to construct one of these. It's definitely not a last minute undertaking.
Delicious goodies ready to be prepped.
Chocolates! This room smelled so delicious, it was hard to resist "sampling" one.
We watched these Mother's day treats get finished.
This view is one of the benefits of living in Paris.
Tarte aux fraises. Best when in season. Like now.
Hungry yet?
Obviously we couldn't go home empty handed, so we made a selection of four goodies to sample on the show. We thought four was very "sage" and not too gluttonous. It was a bit hard to narrow it down, however...
Here's what we chose:
"Symphonie" - obviously chosen since it shares the same name as our resident menace.
Fraisier - one that you will find in a lot of French pastry shops!
St. Honoré - another typical pastry you'll commonly find.
Karamba (hoped I spelled that right) - my favorite of the day, with caramel and pears!
If you want to hear read more about Camille's adventures, you can head over to her blog at croquecamille.wordpress.com!
You can hear our interview with the delightful Camille on episode 441 and episode 442!
The one where we visit a snail farm...k&k ep 432.5
For our Easter adventure, we went down to St. Etienne to visit the Muffin Man's parents and it proved to be a very edifying visit. It always is!
Katia's in-laws arranged for us to go to a snail farm - a Snail Farm, people!! - where we learned all kinds of interesting snail stuffs which we talked about (in French!!) in Episode 432.5. But don't worry if you don't understand French, part of the episode is in English, too.
We asked some hard-hitting journalistic type questions like :
Just how does one choose the snail "studs*"?
And we also asked some other kinds of questions that may not have been so journalistically hard-hitting. Among them:
How fast does a snail go?
What do you call the cry of a snail?
Interested in the answers? You'll find the answers to all this and more in Ep 432.5.
Mme Fabbio gave us the grand tour of the snail farm and explained the whole process of snail raising to us. These are free-range snails!
Have you ever wonder what a snail playground looked like? No? Me either. But here's an example of one being prepped for this season's snails.
Mme Fabbio will plant the playground with all kinds of vegetables for the snails to feed on - there is even a little "electric fence" that keeps the snails in and slugs out. A "brumisateur" system is suspended over the park that sprays a mist on the little guys so that they don't dry out. They are delicate nocturnal creatures, after all.
Freaky fun fact : Apparently snails are both boys AND girls. But not (if I understood Mme Fabbio correctly) at the same time. (Yeah. Probably should have confirmed this one before posting this, eh?)
Freaky fun fact : Those "horns" that the snail has? Yup. Those are his eyes at the end.
"Let me outta here!"
The underbelly of a snail. Slime-o-rama.
I'm ready for my close-up, Kyliemac!"
Snail eggs. Containing little itty bitty baby snails.
Freaky fun fact : The eggs can be eaten as caviar. (I suppose that this fact isn't really all that freaky, but I had never once thought about eating snail eggs before.)
Freaky fun fact : The snail reproductive system is found in their neck.
Snail Trivia:
What is a snail farmer called in French?
Answer: A "héliciculteur" or, as in this case, a "hélicicultrice", which is a lot harder to say than "snail farmer". For me, anyway.
We had a lovely time visiting the snail farm and would love to go back in the Fall when it's in full swing and the garden play park is full of veggies (and snails) so that we can see the them (the snails, not the veggies) running - crawling - sliming(?) around.
If you happen to be in her neck of woods, make sure to visit the snail farm de Mme Fabbio.
And tell her that Katia and Kyliemac sent you!
*stud (stallion) = un étalon
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show : Disney Village (Marne-La-Vallée)
As listeners of the podcast know, I make no secret that September is my birthday month (Oh, and Frog's too). This year, since I have a year pass to Disney, I received a birthday treat from the folks at Disney - a free ticket to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West show! Huzzah!
The ticket was good for any day in September, provided I brought my Disney pass and some sort of (official) identification which shows my birthday. Which is the 4th of the month, in case anyone forgot (Oh, and Frog's too). I brought my passport.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show is in Disney Village, so it's not actually in the park, and you don't have to pay an additional fee to get into the park and THEN into the show.
Shows are at 6:30pm and 9:30pm everyday (save for Wednesday and Thursday, although there are some exceptions, so make sure to check the site) and lasts for an hour and a half. It's recommended to get there about half an hour before show time, since there is generally a line to get in. The food listed on the menu is heavy on the meat portion, but there is a vegetarian and a non-pork option available. Ask for that when you book your tickets or enter the show.
I got there plenty early and they opened the door at 6:00 pm on the dot. I heard a bunch of different accents and not all the attendees were small childrens with parents in tow.
Once you get in the doors, you file past the ticket takers who ask the number of your party and give you your tickets to get into the Arena - these tickets let the servers know what ranch you are on, what seating you have (category 1 or 2), and what kind of meal you will be having.
As we walked into the entrance area each of us received a cowboy hat that we got to keep. The audience is divided up into four different ranches with different entrances: the Gold Star, Red River, Blue Moon or Green Mountain Ranch. I was on the Green Mountain Ranch (although I wanted to be on the Gold Star ranch since a little bird (Janna) told me that Gold Star ranch usually wins).
While we waited in the "Saloon" for the Arena gates to open, there's a bar where you can buy drinks and a Photo Stand where you can have your photo taken with the Mouse himself. (I unfortunately forgot to pick up my photos after the show at a shop across the way).
The show is based on the actual Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show that was founded in 1883 by Colonel William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody. I always thought it a bit strange that there was a Wild West show just outside of Disneyland, but it made more sense when I read that the original show was actually performed at the Champs de Mars attracting more than 3,000,000 spectators. Not a bad turn out for 1905!
There are posters and explanations (in several languages) as well as some displays to take a look at before they open the main doors to the arena...
...and a shop, just in case you need a 'coon skin cap or a sheriff's hat.
There was a bit of entertainment before they let us in to the arena. One of the cowboys came out to perform on a little stage in the saloon - quick draw and lasso tricks. Then a group of musicians and Goofy came out to perform a few tunes.
Finally they let us into the arena...
I ended up in Great Seats with my Category 1 ticket, although I have to say that there didn't really seem to be a bad seat in the house. The seats flip down, like the "strapotin" seats (jump seats) on the metro, and it's a little bit tight, but I've been seated closer to people (like at the Moulin Rouge, for example).
Here is the site that greets you :
This is what is before you...
I am ready to play the part...
The show is a blast, although not recommended if you have asthma as the animals do kick up a bit of dust. I was surprised that the majority of the show was in English - although there was a bit of French, particularly when explaining what was going to happen in the contests. The show includes the obligatory Cowboys & Indians, as well as Buffalo Bill - Annie Oakley also makes an appearance!
I found the show to be entertaining. I had a great time and sat next to a French family of five that had been enough times to have all the different cowboy hats a couple of times over. The kids were 5, 11 and 15 and the entire family loved it (obviously).
There is a bit of audience participation in the shooting matches & a several lucky adults got to ride in the Stagecoach. Not me. (Not that I'm bitter. Even though it was my birthday.)
The food wasn't the best ever, but it was pretty much what I expected for such a large group of people. I didn't leave hungry. When you first sit down, there is a basket of chips (you share with others) and a basket with some slices of bread and some cornbread. The first "course" is chili, followed by some ribs, chicken and a tiny sausage along with some potato wedges. Desert is an apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Finally there was coffee (or tea) and some sweet treats (although that may be only for Category 1). Finally, a chocolate coin finishes off the meal. (The kids also received a cowboy hat keychain. I didn't. Even though it was my birthday).
The theatre was only about half-full the day I was there (Sunday 6:30 show) and it looked like just about everybody had Category 1 seating - this surprised the French mother, as she told me the other times they had come the place was packed.
Tickets are rather expensive - 70€ a pop for Category 1 & 56€ (Category 2) for tickets purchased the day of (kids tickets are a bit cheaper - and I've read that reservations are Strongly suggested, especially for certain times of year. Rumor has it there are ways to get cheaper tickets - so that may be an option worth investigating. (I'm subscribed to Disneyland newsletter and occasionally will get deals - for example pre-purchased tickets to Buffalo Bill five days in advance for a significant discount.)
*For better pictures of the show here's a link to another blog review of the show.
*The actor who plays Colonel Cody in the show has a blog. It hasn't been updated in a while, but here's the link if you are interested : click here.
Kyliemac in America : Death in the Afternoon on the Lame-O Beach
Is there a more civilized way to spend an evening than watching the sunset while sipping champagne? Well, maybe, but that ranks pretty high in my book.
This summer, while I was in the states for August, that is exactly what Peter Jon and I did. More or less.
First we had to assemble our ingredients for our cocktail of choice that afternoon which was called "Death in the Afternoon", a little cocktail I learned about on an outing with Kolenda*. So we bought our obligatory bottle of absinthe and bottle of champagne (chilled, of course) at this appropriately named Liquor Store:
Then we headed to the lakeshore where we rode the carousel which had some odd looking creatures....
We dawdled around a bit before heading to the beach. Then we prepped the goods.
Drinking from straws is the ultimate in cool.
"
And then we watched the sun set.
Then we got bit by a billion mosquitoes and got locked into the beach parking lot, but that's the boring part of the story...
* for more absinthe recipes, click here.
Kyliemac in America : Holland, MI
One of the exciting events of my trip back home this summer was getting to Holland, Michigan where I had the chance to meet up with one of the Empire, Gilbert.
Gilbert was kind enough to spend the afternoon with me and act as tour guide, indulging all of my whims, which included checking out the Gift Shops of Dutch Village.
The first shoppe we stumbled into was the Candlemaking shoppe. The process itself is pretty interesting - the inside of the candle is clear paraffin, so when the candle burns it also glows.
We stood watching the artists cut the candles for awhile - it looks easy, but it takes a year to learn the skills to do this properly. Then we traipsed off to look at all the other treasures :
Aren't they lovely?
Next we found the fashion area, and unfortunately, I didn't find anything in my size.
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Well, this sort of fit. Of course, we had to look at the appropriate footwear.
Very fashionable footwear.
I kind of want these...
These shoes, however, were much too big.
After our Dutch Village adventure, Gilbert led me to downtown Holland where we ate at Froggy's.
Of COURSE this is where we ate. How could we resist?
Cheeseburgers, Fries and Root Beer! YAY!
I think we need one of these for the studio.
After we spent the rest of the afternoon roaming about downtown where they were having sidewalk sales. We *may* have stopped for ice cream at some point.
And we ended the day with a Spontaneous Wine Tasting.
A huge thanks to Gilbert for his tour guide skills and for a fantastic afternoon!
(And the coconut m&ms that he sent back with me!)
First glace of the summer
Last week I got a chance to finally meet up with Ali of AliThinks who helped me out with some proof-reading for #thepaper.
Since it was a very warm day, I proposed to head over to Berthillon to get some ice cream - my first of the summer.
She agreed so we headed over to Ile Saint Louis to get us some from the Berthillon shop itself which was rather crowded.
There are lots of flavors to choose from - and handily translated into English as well...
I waffled between the Mint (Menthe) and Pear (Poire), but pear won out!
Following Aimée Leduc...
In Episode 338 and Episode 339 of Katia and Kyliemac V.O. we had the pleasure of speaking with Cara Black, author of the Aimée Leduc Detective Series.
One of the stories she told us was her "investigation" of the Maison Victor Hugo and how Aimée could escape the museum in the novel Murder in the Marais.
So when I was there this past weekend with some friends, we decided to see the place of escape for ourselves...
Aimée Leduc was here:
How to escape?
It won't be easy...
Clearly someone has read the novel and taken care of this oversight...
k&k get cultured #2 - les égouts de paris
Last time I didn't manage to get any photos on the blog before I inadvertently deleted them ALL, so this time I'm getting a couple of these photos up now, before I (inadvertently) do the same thing again.
We met early on Saturday, so thanks to all of you that braved the cold and managed to get up in time to make it. It was chilly on the riverbank, so it was actually a bit of a relief to get inside the sewers!
Here are some of our intrepid adventurers on the
lookout for a little culture!
We had enough people to get the group rate (yay!) and had a tour guide all to ourselves. The visit took about an hour and we learned many very interesting factoids about how the sewers work.
FACT: Certain vaccines are mandatory for sewer workers.
FACT: The Paris Sewers have 2100 km of tunnels.
FACT: There are lots and lots and lots of rats in Paris. (And they don't cook.)
FACT: The sewers can be really smelly. However, some metro stops actually smell WORSE.
FACT: Streets aren't just labelled above ground, but below ground as well, to aid with navigating throughout the sewers.
FACT: Kyliemac can outrun a stationary Sewer cleaning ball. Take that, Indy!
We learned a lot more about how the sewers of Paris operate, but if you want to learn more, you'll either have to google it for yourself, or brave the sewer on your own. Although I suggest it with a guide!
LES EGOUTS DE PARIS
Open everyday except Thursday and Friday from 11am to 4 or 5pm depending on the season. (And it's closed in January every year for two weeks for maintenance. I suppose it smells less then.)
Metro: Alma-Marceau Station (Line 9) and cross the river.
RER: Pont de l'Alma station RER C
book signing
When I found out that Heather was making cookies to take to the book signing at Ô Chateau, it was just the hook i needed. I mean, who can resist homemade cookies?
(Hint: Not me.)
This was the door that told me I was in the right location, but the actual book signing/wine tasting was in the 'cave'. Which is where we found the authors-
Here is the lovely Heather. Check out her guide to "Naughty Paris". And you can hear her on the show in episodes: 183,184,248,263,200 & 201.
David Lebovitz was there too with some cookies.
Clearly, these two are from the Dark Side.
And then there was Canadian author, Keith Spicer who has written Paris Passions.
ruelle des chats - troyes
Yet another shot taken during my visit with Vivi in Champagne...
Shiny cars
I'm not a big car fan, but even I was impressed by the Musée de l'Automobile in Mulhouse.
After all, I am a girl, and girls like shiny things.
As discussed in the k&k podcast episode 291.
they should have these in france
while i was in the states this past summer, i finally saw one of the mythical REDBOXes that we'd heard about from some of our listeners as discussed in episode 242.
this one was in the local grocery store, but i loved that fact that you could drop them off at any other REDBOX location - and the fact that the rental was only $1.
maison à colombages
On my recent trip to the champagne region to visit the lovely vivi we spent part of the afternoon in Troyes wandering about this town that has existed since roman times.
This is one of the houses we saw -
These half-timbered houses are called 'maison à colombages' or 'maison à pans de bois' and you don't see many of these types of structures in Paris (although a few do remain) because eventually it was required that the buildings be plastered to protect against fire. They always make me think of Shakespearean England or Fantasyland at Disney.
Vins et verres d'Alsace
Whilst in Alsace, a region that is quite rightly proud of its many varieties of white wine, I had the opportunity to taste quite a bit - Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat... After all, when you're working hard, you can work up quite a thirst.
I brought home a few bottles - a Pinot Gris, a Gewürztraminer and a Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive. The Vendange Tardive is a late harvest wine, where the almost over-ripe grapes are carefully picked one by one, and is really sweet and delicious, and is therefore quite a bit more expensive than the typical wine. But it's so worth it.
One of the many things that I love about Alsace is that oftentimes, white wine is served in a special type of glass which is unique to the region. These glasses have a green stem and base, and a quite atypical cup (you can spot one in the top left hand corner of the photo).
I think I need to get myself some, just for the Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive.
La rentrée blues
It's been hard to get back into the rhythm of things, after the holidays. In an attempt to counter the post-holiday blues, the Muffin Man and I threw ourselves back into work, with projects up the wazoo, and Miss Mac is an additional motivator, since when she comes over - well, we kindof HAVE to do the podcast... but despite all this, it's been hard to move on from the fact that we're not on holidays any more, that our trip to Australia is far behind us, and our friends and family back home are so far away.
It's been over a month (so get over it already!), but my heart is still on a tropical desert island paradise.
I've found myself wandering over to Skyscanner. Browsing the Emirates website for ways to use up some of our points.
I think that travelling to Lebanon flicked a switch in my brain. I loved traveling before, but this is different. The bug has really bit me and I need to see stuff. To get our suitcases dirty again.
Perhaps a mini-break is in order?
i don't look my age
while i was home, my family went to a casino.
we got in the building and as i tried to walk onto the floor, i was stopped by a security guard who asked for my ID.
my mother laughed and said, "I think you are going to be surprised."
"Oh," he replied, "You'd be surprised at what I see."
He glanced at my ID and looked back at me.
"I'm surprised."
Later that day, my sister and I left the floor for a few minutes, and upon trying to re-enter, I was stopped again to be carded.
"Geez," my younger sister said, jokingly, "They should just give you a wrist band or something..."
Which is exactly what they did.
and no, i didn't win any money, because if i did, i'd be blogging this from australia.
what i did on my summer vacation. by kylie.
happy birthday to the king bee!
what we will be doing today:
Yes, that is what you think it is
A skull, in the catacombs beside Saint-Emilions hermit cave, just before entering the underground church.
As discussed in episode 256.
A glimpse of our Bordeaux studio
Including our Zoom, the borrowed popper stoppers, mikes and mike stands, and, of course, the Muffito(TM).
The Abbey Bookshop, 20th Anniversary Celebration
The Abbey Bookshop, one of my favourite English-language bookshops in Paris, is celebrating it's 20th Anniversary on the 1st July 2009.
The thing I love about this place (other than the fact that in the cold winter months you can rest assured that Brian will always have some hot wine ready so you can warm up from the inside) is the generous piles of books, stacked higgledy-piggledy all over the place, making it difficult to navigate the narrow shop without knocking something over. And I immediately feel at home as soon as I walk in the door. I like to think that if I owned a bookshop, this is what mine would be like.
There is going to be a bunch of fabulous authors signing books, music and food! And it's taking place in the Saint-Séverin cloister, just around the corner from the shop - how cool is that? So... see you there?
The Abbey Bookshop, 25 rue de la Parcheminerie, 75005 Paris
(ps. last night I made Brian come out to pose for this shot, and he dragged out Alex(?) and his Canadian flag. Awesome.)
medieval garden at the cluny museum
one of my favorite places to read the most recent Buffy comic is in the lovely medieval garden located to the northeast corner of the (as my friend andrew calls it) "george clooney museum*" which is just a hop, skip and jump from my "local" comic book store, Album.
the museum is worth a visit too, especially for those of you into "old stuff". as it's the "middle ages" museum, they have amongst their treasures: cool old keys, some old armor, stuff found in the seine, really old shoes, old church stuff, stained glass windows, a unicorn horn (actually a tooth of a narwhal), tapestries, and their crowning glory: The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries .
but anyway, today i went there to read - but somebody had beat me to it...
*also known as the "musée national du moyen âge" or the "cluny museum".
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