After a quick metro ride we began at McDonald's to talk with the Vice President of McDonald's France. We were able to discuss the differences between the US and France franchises such as standards, quality & quantity , agriculture, and even how the economy and the people within the two countries effect the success of the restaurants. McDonald's France have the option to chose either a BOOK or toy with their happy meals! So so cool, they give out over 7 million books annually with happy meals. It was very cool to see the differences not only between our fast food and their fast food (France's is much better quality..I usually won't eat anything other than fries from the ones in the US) and also being able to compare a fast food restaurant with a Michelin rated restaurants that we visited previously in the trip. After that we walked in and out of shops and markets on the way to the Eiffel Tower to gather items for our farewell picnic. I couldn't be more grateful for an amazing group to share this experience with and the absolutely incredible friends I have made along the way. Thank you thank you to everyone for everything!!! Now off to Italy tomorrow for some more adventures!
0 Comments
Free day!! Today we walked so so much but I didn't realize that until we were home that night when my feet hurt! Our plan was to make it to the Louvre also but it was closed :( Some friends and I started our day with crepes and coffee and then made our way to Laduree because macaroons for dessert after breakfast sounded like a good idea at the time! It took us so long to get there because it was a little far and we stopped a lot along the way in stores we found! We also went to the Arc de Triomphe and saw the Eiffel Tower! You can tell from the sky in the pictures that it's blue in some pictures and dark in others, because the weather was very very bipolar!! It was warm and sunny but then it started POURING and was so windy! Like a small hurricane haha!! I think that day we walked almost 10 miles throughout the day!
CHAMPAGNE!! In Champagne, drinking champagne and watching the bubbly champagne. What could be better?!? So today I got a new nickname from chef, I am now Bubbles. We were given the incredible opportunity to tour the property and then go down in the cellars at Möet & Chandon Champagne in Epernay. (Literally so cool) I was bouncing around the entire time bc champagne is my favorite and I was so excited! The tour started with a brief history lesson about the founders and about the process of growing the grapes to producing the product. Afterwards we went down in the cellar which, btw, is the largest in the region and each year they produce an average of 26,000,000 bottles of champagne!!! (OMG bubbles for everyone) The cellars were kept very cool and humid at a consistent temperature so that the maturing champagne would remain stable. The well known Möet & Chandon Imperial, was named after Napoleon Bonaparte who was a good friend of Claude Möet during that era. After our tour was over, we were able to taste both the Imperial and the Imperial Rosè! After our visit to Möet & Chandon we went to a local restaurant for lunch where we drank more champagne (obviously) and had some awesome monkfish and potatoes. After was a raspberry cream macaroon and espresso. All in all, QUALITY day.
Okay so one of my favorite things for dessert now is a pear that's been poached in red wine 😍. Today we started with a tour and lunch at Bernard Loiseau. Lunch consisted of many things but my favorite parts were the white asparagus dish and the duck dish. It is very common to use only foods that are in seasons so lately we've been eating beets, carrots, and asparagus and I LOVE IT. For dinner we went to another Brasserie and got a traditional ham dish and my fav poached pear for dessert!!! Good food, great area, love it.
Bresse!! Land of the chickens! Today we visited a chicken farm that had THOUSANDS of chickens with only one man to do all of the work. These chickens are super special to this region because of how they are raised and the quality of the meat that is produced. They are known to be the best chickens in the world and are used by many chefs. Afterwards we went to a brasserie for lunch and had..wait for it..chicken!! Also I included a photo of the starter dish because i was a frog, mushroom and cheese stuffed tomato! After that we visited a nearby monastery and then headed to dinner for some great local food!
There is always a language barrier when traveling abroad but I am thoroughly surprised at how well and common it is to know English here. The school is set up like a hotel so there are many restaurants, a front desk, a bar, and much more all fun by the students. It is extremely prestigious and very formal. Each day there are people standing by the doors to make sure the students are dressed in business professional attire (we were a little underdressed compared to the others uh oh). Also in every mirror there is a small quote in both French and English saying "you never get a second chance to make a first impression". Another reason our visit was super cool was that we were helping the students there practice their English and we were "clients" so it was a little different serving and talking to us than it was to serve lunch to fellow students of theirs. One of our servers was from Germany and spoke 4 languages including fluent English. He has never been to America but if he hadn't told us that I would have believed that he grew up there. One of my favorite things about this school is that all the years a student is there, the most important idea engraved into them is work experience. Who knows maybe I'll return to this school one day as student?? After our visit at the school, we made our way to a local winery near lake Geneva. We were able to see the processes and love that went into making their wine then were able to taste them afterwards. Lake Geneva is also known as lemon lake and is one of the cleanest in the world. Chefs like Marc Veyrat use this lake for their source of fish so that they know they are not polluted and very fresh. Also in the second to last picture on the left side across the water is the city of Evian where Evian water comes from! Also fun fact the other side of the lake is france and our side of the lake is switzerland!
For dinner we went to Vapiano, a fast-causal pizza and pasta place so that we can compare to places like that in the US. All the foods at Vapiano were very fresh and made right in front of you! It was very customizable also and a great place to spend time at! I made it to Switzerland!! Today we started with cheese. So. Much. Cheese. I think I'm a little cheesed-out but I love gruyere so so so much it didn't matter. We started with a tour of the factory and a little history lesson on why and how gruyere is made! after we learned, we tasted (duh) all different ages of the cheese and had a gruyere quiche for lunch. Afterwards we went to the heart of Gruyères to explore the town a little! Then we headed to Cailler chocolate factory for some yummy Swiss chocolate!! We were able to watch the process of one of their best selling products all the way through and then taste it when we got to the end. We finished today with a local restaurant focused on...wait for it...gruyere cheese!!! Everything was super interactive because we melted our own cheese and cooked our own meats. Super. Super. Yummy.
Free day! Seriously the most eye opening day since I got there.
Today I was extremely aware of how small I was in the large large world and felt both the weight of the world and the freedom of being on top of it. We chose to take a gondola up to the Mont Blanc summit today and that was by far one of the coolest things I've done so far. The 360 degree view of these GORGEOUS alps are something I hope I have the chance to see again in my lifetime. From one of the balconies, I was even able to see the Matterhorn in Switzerland!!! Today we began the day with a WONDERFUL drive (truly amazing drive through the French countryside of Manigod with gorgeous green hills and happy cows) to Maison des Bois, one of Marc Veyrat's restaurant. YES I SAID MARC VEYRAT!! Not only did we get to eat there, but we got to meet him, ask questions, see his gardens, tour the property, and he was there to help cook for us!!!!! In the culinary world this is HUGE. Marc Veyrat is a very famous michilen chef in France and known around the world for his unique dishes. This of it this way, in America meeting Marc Veyrat would be like meeting and having casual conversations with Beyoncé. Many of the Michelin chefs we have been meeting on this trip are extremely humble, so much that unless you were told or you knew what they look like, you would not be able to point out the chef. Here however the story is much different, as soon as he walked out the atmosphere changed...for the first time it felt like I was standing next to a famous person. (The movie star glasses added to it) Although not as humble as the others, Marc Veyrat gave us the same message...to love what we do, to dream big, and follow our dreams. We were spoiled with an 8 course meal including an appetizer of melon juice, cheese, a mini beet burger, and a savory sausage puff pastry. Another dish was a filet of trout from Lemon Lake (Lake Geneva), supposedly one of the cleanest lakes in the world that was smoked in between two pieces of wood and a pine cone in order to give the fish a wonderful flavor that included the nearby surroundings and land and an array of popular desserts at the end. My favorite thing about Marc Veyrat are the quality standards he holds for all his food. 90% of the food used in the kitchen is grown at the restaurant with no pesticides or fertilizer, just rich, clean soil. Everything on the plate we got had a purpose and each bite brought new flavors to your palate.
Today we went on a walking tour of Lyon through all the secret tunnels called trobules that the French resistance used to escape the Germans during the war. The first picture is of a balcony that was built in the 14th century and is still holding strong through everyday use. We ended our tour at Chef Christian Tetedoie's 2 Michelin star restaurant called "Tetedoie" where we had lunch! I had the most amazing fish EVERRRR. It was called Vivaneau and is similar in texture to tuna but sooooo much better. It was paired with a basil cream sauce and mixed bell peppers. I could have eaten 5 plates of it for sure. For dinner we were given a much different experience than we had during lunch. SNAILS!! First we visited a snail farm to see how they raise them for restaurants and the community and to learn some of the history behind the consumption. After Felipe (the snail farmer) taught us all we could learn about snails and his own small wine company in a couple hours, we did what we do best..taste!! We were served many snails all prepared in different ways giving many flavors and sampled all of them as well as his wines. (12 year old fear factor watching me would have been proud) I am surprised that I can honestly say I liked them a lot! I did not expect to like it just because of how they look when they are alive...but the many cooking processes creates a whole new product. Another thing this trip has taught me is to be curious about the origins of the product (how it effects the environment, where it comes from, etc) and to appreciate all the hard work and passion put into everything we see, eat, and observe. After dinner we went into the open field behind the snail farm to relax and enjoy the sunset (and play a few games of tag with Felipe's kids) 😊
|